The day started early. The sun wasn't even quite up yet and her father had already gently woken her up to work in the field. Kotori quickly readied herself and soon they set off along the dirt roads through the multiple paddies. Kotori took note of her surroundings and took the time to ask her father about them.
To the north of the house, there was a large thicket, which was likely where much of the firewood was gathered. The south of the house had a small road that apparently if you walked for a bit would lead to a nearby village. Incidentally, Kotori's family was a little different insofar as they didn't live near the village like most people. Most villagers lived within a 15-30 minute walk to the village, but her family instead preferred to live closer to the forest. The soil was a little better here so we a more to eat than our village-living counterparts. On the other hand, it also means we were more isolated from them.
The count's house was also in the village and her father said that he would take her there sometime when we visited the village next week.
The work itself was not easy. They were going to be spending the day digging new paddies and although the soil was soft and supple, it still was back-breaking work for an adult man, let alone a small girl.
Stabbing her stone shovel into the ground once against, she noticed a curious phenomenon. Despite not moving the soil shifted and rolled.
"Ahh!" She jumped back in surprise and soon the dirt formed itself into a rabbit shape and scampered off.
She heard the sounds of her father laughing behind her.
"What's so funny she said indignantly"
"Well, You've never been scared of a dirt spirit before" He leaned his own shovel grinning
"don't worry, it's good luck, it means the soil is healthy."
"I don't want luck I want karma" Kotori muttered as she stabbed the dirt with a renewed vigor
As the sun approached midday her father told her it was time for a break. Which Kotori accepted happily
The break was well-timed and the rays of the midday sun were very comfortable when paired with the slight chill in the air.
As she laid in a nearby grass field she felt something crawl on her leg. Sitting up she saw a dirt mouse carefully skittering along her leg.
Just as she was about to swat it away she felt a wave of friendliness
She wondered if this was the same earth spirit her brother had caught yesterday,
[Are you from yesterday] She projected onto the mouse.
The Mouse began to nod vigorously nod its head; She then felt a feeling of comfort as if she was in the presence of her parents.
[Don't tell me this damn thing imprinted on me like I'm its mom]
As she looked at the mouse her suspicions were confirmed when it began to nuzzle her leg.
[Looks like I've made a pet]
Accepting the fact that the spirit had attached to her she began to think of a name.
After thinking for a while she decided to name the spirit "Shu"
[Your name is Shu now] She told the mouse. The mouse looked at her nodding and she was filled with a feeling of acceptance and happiness
[I guess it likes it] She thought
Quickly, she called out "Status" to see the mouse's stat again
Simple Dirt Spirit (Shu)
Race: [Spirit] Age: 1
HP: 5
Mana: 2 (+1)!
Agility: 1
Strength: 1
Defense: 1
Karma: 10
Skills: none
Traits: [Minor Earth Spirit]
She saw that the mana stat had gone up and that it now had a name. She guessed the mana stat was from eating the ash yesterday, and that the name came from her naming it.
"Hey Kotori is time to get back to work" her father called out to her
Raising her head and quickly standing up, she grabbed the shovel laying near her and ran back to begin the exhausting work of digging a new paddy.
Interestingly, Observing for a while the mouse started helping her. Although the spirit was small, it seemed able to move dirt at about the same speed as Kotori.
The mouse didn't need to touch the dirt it seems to be able to will it to move. This greatly increases her pace and together with the mouse Kotori soon found herself digging at a very similar rate to her father.
When the day's work was done she saw that the pit they had dug together was larger than what her father had made.
Holding the mouse in her hand she petted it
[Good job!] she told it
The mouse rolled over and exposed its dirt belly, which she took as an invitation to pet. When she pet the stomach of the dirt mouse felt more like rubbing a pile of soil than petting a mouse. In return for the pets, the mouse began to project feelings of contentment.
[At least this thing likes me]
Her father interrupted this moment
"Hey Kotori, Good work today,"
He looked surprised at the work she was able to do.
As soon as she heard those words she felt her karma value go up slightly
She quickly whispered "status" to see it
Sato Kotori
Race: [Human] Age: 5
HP: 10
Mana: 5
Agility: 6
Strength: 4 (+1)!
Defense: 2
Karma: -99,999,999 (+2)!
Skills: none
Traits: [Spirit Seer]
Apparently, her karma has finally gone up a little bit. Although Kotori was unsure whether or not the "+2" was a result of having both her and the mouse work together or if the value of the action she did was worth 2 karma.
Kotori was happy that she was the only person who was able to see this interface. It would be rather hard to explain to her father what it was if he could see it.
[I really have to test this more] She thought to herself as she walked back to the house with her father.
Their brother and mother were already done with their work in their side of the field and were already settled down in the house by the time they got home. Her brother was overjoyed at the fact that she had managed to "catch" an earth spirit and constantly asked her if he could play with it.
When she asked the mouse it outright refused and thus she also told her brother that it wasn't possible and that the mouse was her pet only.
Ryuji of course threw a tantrum and once again her brother had to be comforted by her mother.
She took the opportunity to see both of their stats in this time period
Sato Ryuji
Race: [Human] Age: 3
HP: 10
Mana: 0
Agility: 6
Strength: 3
Defense: 2
Karma: 114
Skills: none
Traits: none
--
Sato Hana
Race: [Human] Age: 25
HP: 28
Mana: 0
Agility: 11
Strength: 14
Defense: 10
Karma: 1,344
Skills: none
Traits: none
Evidently, it seemed both her mother and brother had no talent for magic as they both had a mana stat of 0.
That night, they once again had the same thin rice gruel and listened to her father play beautiful songs on his reed flute.
Kotori was beginning to feel a little impatient. She only had this life to work with and she still had a massive debt to overcome. Although it was only her second day of being reincarnated she was once again struck with the feeling of impossibility regarding her task of overcoming her nearly negative 100 million karma deficit.
With a heavy heart, Kotori began her life as an average farmer girl