Family heirloom, then turned into a demon girl

Chapter 32 Mission: 02-1 Demon Hunter
"Ms. Beatrice, will this really increase wheat production?"

"Yeah, yeah! Farmland is farmland, and pasture is pasture. Mixing them together can increase yields. That's just too far-fetched, right?"

In the farmland outside the town of Ratwinchi, a group of men dressed in coarse linen shirts and dressed as serfs were surrounding a girl who was about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a goose yellow long skirt and short rose-red hair, chattering about something.

The girl's name was Beatrice, the daughter of a noble baron, the lord of Ratwinchi. She loved reading and delving into all kinds of strange knowledge, and her visit to the farm seemed to be just another whim.

"Uncle Brudo, it's not mixed," Beatrice corrected seriously. "It's rotational cultivation. Our land has been cultivated continuously for more than ten years, and its fertility has become very thin. So now we need to plant wheat in pastures and grasslands that are more fertile, nourished by wood ash and animal manure."

"What do the cattle and sheep want to eat?" another person asked.

"Pasture doesn't require much fertility, so it's planted in the current rice fields."

This was an idea that suddenly occurred to Beatrice while she was reading recently. If this method truly worked, it should be able to improve the territory's declining farmland yields.

"Isn't that troublesome?"

"It's troublesome, but if we do this, we'll definitely have more food next year!"

The girl stood on a rock, took out a parchment scroll, and unfolded it before the crowd. "Look, I've calculated it. If we replan our pastures, grasslands, and farmland according to this map, the areas of all three will remain the same, and we can utilize the land's fertility more efficiently!"

The farmers looked at each other in bewilderment. Their limited education didn't allow them to understand many things, but they at least knew that wood ash and animal manure could indeed fertilize the soil. If Miss Beatrice's distribution was correct, then the harvest would undoubtedly increase.

The only problem is-

"But...will the Lord agree?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent.

They didn't mean to say the lord was unreasonable, but he was indeed too rule-bound. Even though he usually appeared approachable, pious, and kind, it would be extremely difficult to persuade him to re-plan the land.

Beatrice put down the scroll in her hand and smiled reluctantly at everyone, "No, it's okay, everyone. I will convince father."

But even she herself didn't quite believe it. Beatrice's father had always felt that as the second daughter, Beatrice's studies were a waste of time, and that she should focus on cultivating relationships with the daughters of earls in the big cities. To expect him to support Beatrice's proposed reforms was clearly a pipe dream.

This year's wheat crop was ripe, and preparations for the winter wheat crop would begin shortly after harvest. If she waited until then, it would be too late to convince her father.

"I'm sorry for taking up everyone's time." She lowered her head slightly and said, "I should go back now."

The farmers dispersed gradually, and soon Beatrice was the only one left. She put away the scroll, slapped her face, and jumped down from the rock.

Then he looked up, and just as he was about to go back, he saw a mysterious figure not far away.

She was a girl slightly older than Beatrice. Her bright blonde hair was as soft as silk, and her lake-blue eyes sparkled like stars. She wore black trousers, and a top that resembled the long "rob" dress Beatrice had seen before. Both featured deep V-neck collars embellished with lace and embroidery, and cinched waists.

The only difference is that Rob's sleeves are not as long and thin as this bright red top. At the cuffs, both are equally flared, with layers of lace embellished inside, making them particularly gorgeous.

The girl stood not far away, seemingly having been watching them for a while. Beatrice subconsciously felt that she was waiting for her, but in her heart, she felt that was unlikely.

Although the style of her clothes was a bit strange, the delicate fabric and bright colors were indeed fake, not to mention that she seemed to be wearing a pure gold feather carving on her chest. Beatrice could tell from this that her social status must be far higher than her own, even her father's.

Why would such a person suddenly come to this remote town?
She swallowed her saliva, tried to stand up straighter, and walked towards the other person with a correct demeanor. Then, she stopped at the right place and performed a skirt-lifting salute.

This was a courtesy shown to those of high rank. Although Beatrice didn't know the other person's identity, she felt her guess was correct.

"Hello."

"You don't have to be so polite."

Who would have thought that this lady who looked so noble would actually smile and say, "I'm just an orphan, but you should be a noble lady, right?"

But despite what she said, Beatrice still didn't quite believe it. Orphan? Bastards often claimed to be orphans, but that wasn't always true.

"My name is Nero," she said. "What's yours?"

"Beatrice. My father is Baron Ratvinge."

The girl who called herself Nero looked around and her eyes fell on a small town not far away: "So this is the town of Latvinchi?"

"Yes."

Is she lost? Beatrice wondered.

Nero was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "Okay, although this question is a bit strange...

"I want to ask, what year is it now?"

Year? Beatrice was completely bewildered. If it was a date, then maybe he'd been lost in the woods for too long and gotten confused—though someone lost in the mountains wouldn't be dressed so neatly. But year?

Could this person be a vampire who has been sleeping for hundreds of years?
Beatrice glanced at the sun, which was setting but not yet at sunset, and replied, "This year is August, 1348 AD."

Nero covered his forehead and sighed, "Okay, I knew it."

You know? You know, and yet you still ask? Beatrice looked at the person in front of her and found her even more strange.

After a moment, Nero put her hand down and shook her head, her long golden hair swaying behind her. She looked at Beatrice and said, "Are you particularly curious about who I am now?"

Indeed. Beatrice nodded.

"Then I'll tell you." Nero bent down, got close to Beatrice's face, and whispered, "I'm a demon hunter."

"Demons? Do such things really exist?"

"I came here chasing a demon, and I'm afraid it's still nearby."

Nero's words made Beatrice feel panic. She could see that Nero was indeed unusual. If what she said was true...

Nero stood up, closed his eyes and felt for a moment, then said, "Yes, there's still the breath of the devil here. You'd better go back early. After nightfall, it will become very dangerous here."

(End of this chapter)