An Unexpected Mission!

Another day, another round of training with Sir Usario. But today, Lyrasia felt utterly drained. It had been a relentless cycle of magic drills, theory lessons, and physical exercises that left her feeling more like a walking skeleton than a student. Sir Usario was a good teacher, but even his patience had its limits when it came to Lyrasia's lack of focus.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead, trying to hide the exhaustion behind her usual confident demeanor. Her arms ached, and her mind was scattered, unable to concentrate on the finer points of mana manipulation. Maybe I should just take a break, she thought, her eyelids heavy as she looked at Sir Usario.

"Sir, I'm... um, feeling a little off today. Do you mind if I take a quick walk around?" she asked, hoping he would let her off the hook for the day.

Sir Usario, ever the observant one, raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Just don't wander too far, Lyrasia. You know the area is dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied with a dismissive wave, already making her way out of the training grounds.

Her feet carried her aimlessly through the quiet streets of the village, the weight of her fatigue pushing her toward anything that could distract her. The village, although peaceful, had a certain kind of unease in the air today. It wasn't just the heat or the late afternoon sun—there was something off, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

That's when she stumbled upon the farm.

Lyrasia had never been one to care much about farming, but the sight of the weathered crops struggling to survive in the dry soil caught her attention. The farmers, their faces drawn with worry, were frantically trying to salvage what was left of their crops. The usual hum of labor in the fields was replaced by hushed whispers and the occasional frustrated sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Lyrasia asked, instinctively walking toward the nearest farmer.

The farmer, a middle-aged man with a rough face, looked up at her with a mix of confusion and irritation. "Don't worry about it, little one," he grumbled. "The crops are dying, and there's nothing we can do about it. Too much heat, not enough water, the soil's all wrong. This farm's as good as done for."

Lyrasia frowned, feeling the familiar weight of helplessness press down on her chest. She had always hated seeing people struggle, especially when it seemed like there was nothing they could do. But this wasn't just any problem. She was no ordinary child, and if there was one thing she had learned from her past life, it was that she had the power to make a difference. I have to do something, she thought, before the guilt of doing nothing consumed her.

Just as she was about to turn back to the farmers, something strange happened. A window suddenly popped up in front of her eyes—bright and flashing with system text.

________________

[SIXTH MISSION: Save the farm!]

[Objective:The crops are dying, and the farmers are struggling. Use your abilities to restore life to the land and help these people. Failure will result in penalties..]

[Reward: +10 Bargain Points, +50 Influence

[Time Limit: 3 days]

________________

Lyrasia blinked in surprise. A mission? For real? she thought, looking around to make sure no one saw the pop-up. It wasn't like she had asked for this, but the thought of solving the problem intrigued her. She had the power to help, even if she didn't fully understand how just yet. This was her chance to prove that she wasn't just a helpless baby.

"I'll do it," she said aloud to no one in particular.

With that, she spent the rest of the day sneaking around the fields, taking note of the issues: the dry soil, the unhealthy crops, and the strange lack of insects or small animals that usually helped with the pollination process. Something didn't seem right, but what could it be?

Nightfall came, and Lyrasia returned to the farm, hidden under the cover of darkness. She had a plan now. She wasn't entirely sure how to execute it, but she had learned enough about magic to know that mana could affect the land, especially when channeled through specific incantations. She wasn't just some baby playing pretend anymore. She was going to figure this out.

She crouched down in the dirt, letting the coolness of the earth seep through her fingers as she analyzed the soil. Her mana gently flowed through her body as she focused, trying to connect with the land. It wasn't easy, but as she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the heartbeat of the earth beneath her. Slowly, she whispered words she had read in one of the books Sir Usario had given her, hoping that it would make a difference.

The earth trembled beneath her palms, just barely, but enough to make her heart race with excitement. This was it. This was magic at work.

When she opened her eyes, she felt a surge of energy—more than she had ever felt before. It was as if the land itself was answering her call, responding to the mana flowing from her body. The soil seemed to loosen, and for the first time in weeks, the crops perked up ever so slightly. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

The next morning, when the farmers arrived to check on their crops, they were shocked by what they saw. The plants had already begun to show signs of life again, the soil rejuvenated, and the air no longer felt as oppressive.

One of the farmers spotted Lyrasia standing nearby, watching quietly from a distance. His eyes widened in recognition. "Wait a minute. Isn't that... Lilith's kid?"

The other farmers, confused, turned to look at Lyrasia. "But… why is she here? And... why is she talking?"

"Isn't that Felix's daughter too?" another farmer murmured, eyeing the baby with suspicion. "What's going on here?"

Lyrasia felt a little awkward, but she stood her ground. "I've been helping," she said matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I fixed the soil."

The farmers exchanged dubious looks. One of them, a woman with a furrowed brow, stepped forward. "Are you telling us… a baby helped fix this? And you can talk too?"

"Yep," Lyrasia said, brushing dirt off her hands casually. "It's what I do. Now, if you want to see more results, I'll need your help."

The farmers were still confused, but they couldn't deny the changes in the field. Their disbelief melted away as they watched the crops begin to bloom once more, slowly but steadily. The magic worked. And although they weren't entirely sure how a baby could do something like this, they couldn't argue with the results.

"I guess... maybe we should trust her," one farmer said with a shrug. "Lilith and Felix always did say their kid would do great things."

Lyrasia grinned to herself, feeling a sense of accomplishment she hadn't experienced in a while. Mission complete, she thought, even if she still wasn't quite sure what had truly happened. All she knew was that she had made a difference. And in this world, that was enough.