Chapter 96: In whole, a favorable wind (1/2)

Chapter 96: In whole, a favorable wind

A bit late. Chapter was pretty long. Also remember guys, on holidays I normally hang out with my usually busy friends and family. These kind of days are the few times I get the chance to, so do take that in mind in the future as well.

It’s also because there were way too many technical terms in this chapter I had to google a lot.

Anyways, enjoy! ^^

Finishing the test Tomoe proposed last night, I walked around checking Asora with Shiki and Ema.

In various places the work at hand was farming and construction. I was told of everything new they have found in the area.

When I heard about the expansion of the land, I learned that the needed facilities from one avenue have been completed and are now dividing the blocks for soil preparation. After finishing one street, putting everything in order is hard so they are probably doing it beforehand. Regarding the residents, there’s quite the scale in the town, so I think they can do as much soil preparation as they want. This is… that maybe? The silent pressure telling me to gather more residents?

I did ask an excessive request like making a miniature town for the sake of having adventurers come in, and yet, a part of it is already done. I think that’s quite impressive. Talk like “Being here and at long last reaching this point” may sound simple, but I feel like it is the best answer.

The agricultural field seems to have increased its efficiency a lot since Shiki came and did various things to it. If we talk about the things I have suggested in the agricultural field, it would be a simple way of making a paddy field, segmenting the field to use in turns and cultivate depending on the season. All things I learned in school and in field trips.

Moreover, there are things I’m probably wrong in. I am not specialized in that area, so I don’t know what’s most important.

That’s why I think Shiki is clearly being more useful than me.

Of course, the orcs at the fields have been working on fields for way longer than me, so since they have experience, there were lots of things they already knew. Like, it isn’t good to cultivate the same crop on the same field several times in a row. Repeated cultivation disruption, or something like that?

They are people that somehow managed to farm in a barren land. They are more reliable than me in that area.

“Now that I think about it. Ema, even though Shiki tinkered with the earth, are things like astragalus and white clovers still being grown in the dormant fields?” (Makoto)

I taught them about the astragalus and white clovers that are used to fertilize the earth, and suggested them to try growing those in fields that are lying fallow in the cycle.

If they are now able to reform the soil, then I think there’s no need for it though. But it isn’t that simple of an issue huh. If it’s a potted plant, one ampoule would resolve most of the issues, but horticulture and agriculture are subtly different so talking imprudently might not be a good idea.

“Yes. The plants in here tend to grow extraordinarily fast, and there’s also the issue of not being able to follow the seasons, so we are doing the cycles with the number of cultivations. After consulting Shiki-sama, he said that there’s sufficient merit in having them rest so we continue doing it. It also looks beautiful, so it serves as a playground for the kids that are in the middle of work, that’s why there’s some opinions saying that it would be a shame to not have them around. Luckily, in the present condition we are still able to fill the emergency stores with the amount of harvest, so I don’t think there’s a problem” (Ema)

A playground huh. In the time I was in Japan, it was a scene I have seen only a few times, but it is certainly true that looking at small flowers like astragalus and white clovers calm one down. To have them stay because of that reason might be good. Or is it too naïve?

Ah, that’s right. In a situation where we can’t count on the seasons, things like cycles are kind of pointless. I ended up talking about vague memories I had of when I read a history book. The growth rate is fast so they are probably managing somehow. Ema-san also said that the amount is plenty enough.

If I remember correctly, there was a time when we planted soybeans and in about 1 month it was green and ready to harvest. When I said some vague words like: “If there was a way to adjust the temperature and amount of light, we would be able to speed up the growth” and just like that, a system to harvest them in one month was created. I was seriously surprised. I felt like I saw Tomoe’s ability when she is serious.

“Ah… seasons huh. In that part, please wait for a bit more. We are currently investigating” (Makoto)

“Ah, no! I didn’t mean it like that…” (Ema)

Tto, damn it. I didn’t intend to blame her or anything.

“From the previous explanation, it seems like the amount made has increased decently” (Makoto)

“Yes. Following the instructions of Shiki-sama, we adjusted some things and are now able to harvest in about 2 weeks” (Ema)

2 weeks?!

To take 2 weeks after planting the seed. Even though 1 month was plenty fast. In that case, there won’t be any problems with food and soil in Asora. I have been receiving several reports of people from the wasteland wanting to migrate here. It might be time to increase the amount of residents.

I look at Shiki as if looking at an abnormal-, I mean, at a genius.

“It wasn’t much”, is what his face was saying.

“I just used what Waka-sama said as a base, arranged the elemental spells that could be used, and told the orcs in an easy to understand way. The arable land is currently sufficiently self-supported, but I plan on thinking up more things to improve it for future’s sake. I think I will be concentrating mostly on the product improvement” (Shiki)

It is already to the point that one could find food just by walking around normally, so it should be okay to not push yourself so hard.

There’s still some places that are not cultivation fields yet, but there’s plans to do so, so it seems like by increasing the area and gathering numbers, it will be totally fine.

“… Shiki, I am happy that you are ambitious but, try to get enough sleep okay?” (Makoto)

“Even if there are times when I want to sleep, it won’t affect my body’s health even if I don’t, Waka-sama” (Shiki)

“Don’t joke with such a straight face please” (Makoto)

Shiki may be saying it seriously, but I just push it as a joke. Look, even Ema is making a wry smile.

“U-Uhm, you see. Waka-sama, as you can see, there isn’t much problems with the cultivations and paddy fields but…” (Ema)

“Yeah?” (Makoto)

“There’s something… I want to consult you about” (Ema)

Saying that, she presses me and Shiki forward.

What? Did they find a new plant and are having problems?

We left the vast field that stretched out in front of us.

The orcs that were working and the ones that were in break, all lowered their head and saw us off. We both followed after Ema.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The place where Ema guided us, had several plant stumps growing. They probably found them and brought them here with stump and all.

A big plant of 2 meters, no, about 3 meters. Its form makes me think of tropic but, this is…

Looking at it to see what was its identity, I found a familiar fruit growing from it.

Ah, so it was this.

But why are the Forest Onis here? Are they helping in gathering as well? For some reason Komoe-chan is here too. She would normally come running to me, but right now she is beside the Forest Onis and looking at the plant in question.

“This is a banana. So there’s even this here” (Makoto)

I am surprised that it was able to grow so big in a place like Asora. This is my first time seeing it growing from its tree. Maybe the bananas are unexpectedly tough.

That they are yellow might be because they are ripe already. If I remember correctly, they should be green at first.

“Yes. According to Waka-sama’s memories, this is supposed to be the fruit called banana that grows in hot places, but…” (Ema)

Ema seems to be bewildered. When I look, the forest Onis and Komoe-chan are fidgety and unable to calm down. What is it? Maybe because the Forest Onis have the image of always being wringed out by Tomoe, seeing Komoe-chan acting the same as them makes me feel uncomfortable.

“Yeah, they seem to grow in places with hot temperature like the current Asora. So?” (Makoto)

“We checked the reference book and it seems that the banana grows black seeds inside it. But in the stumps that the Forest Onis checked, they couldn’t find any such seeds” (Ema)

Reference book. She is probably referring to a plant reference book. I did read a book like that in the past.

But, did bananas have seeds? I feel like it didn’t have…

Ah, could it be…

“Ah, maybe it’s because they originally had them” (Makoto)

“Had them? If they don’t have seeds, we won’t be able to cultivate any new ones. How do they propagate?” (Ema)

“Uh?! Uhm, there are fruits that are modified according to the people’s convenience, so maybe for some reason the bananas began to grow with that kind of trait” (Makoto)

It’s Asora, a place where one can suddenly be able to harvest delicious radish, carrots and tomatoes. Those are also in the shape after being altered. The apples, pears and even the peach are like that.

That’s why I thought that them being modified was not anything strange.

This is bad. It doesn’t answer the question of how to propagate them.

“If I remember correctly, it is possible to peel the skin easily and eat it, moreover, it is incredibly delicious, however, in that case, it means that when this batch runs out, they will go extinct” (Ema)

Hearing the words of Ema, the Forest Onis make a grim face. Even though you guys are the ones that discovered it, why are you so sad about it?

Tears are welling up from Komoe-chan’s eyes?!

“T-That is troubling!!”

“Uwu~”

Even if you tell me you are troubled with a serious face…

“… Actually, when the Forest Onis first discovered this and brought it here, they uhm… seemed to have liked it quite a lot” (Ema)

So it turned into their favorite food?

When I turned to the Forest Onis to confirm, they nodded their head up and down like a broken toy. Komoe-chan is the same huh. I thought she had the same taste as Tomoe, but she has a young outward appearance so she probably has a different thought pattern.

“We don’t know of anything that tastes so good. When we ate this banana for the first time, we learned that there’s nothing that can compare to it in this world!”

“Bananas are delicious. I really like them. I always eat this after training” (Komoe)

… They are talking like they are doing drugs, oi. Saying “in this world!” makes me want to draw back. Komoe-chan unusually requests something of me. She is an unexpectedly shy girl, so it is quite a rare scene.

It’s just that in times of practice her bashfulness disappears and she silently punishes them. Sometimes, she is scarier than when Tomoe and Mio are there.

“I-I see” (Makoto)

“That’s why! We tried our best to bring it here without hurting it and investigated a lot, but we weren’t able to find anything resembling a seed. A-At this rate, we will lose the bananas!”

That means, they were only able to find a number of banana trees in the exploration area?

Withdrawal symptoms huh. That’s what one would think seeing the Forest Onis trembling and clinging onto the closest banana tree they had. It is funny, but it has turned into a picture I can’t laugh at. Their faces seem to be serious and look like they are about to cry. So after training, Komoe-chan has been steadily consuming the low amount of bananas huh. The Forest Onis are probably feeling a great deal of fear.

“I remember now. When the bananas grow, after that they will wither-” (Makoto)

“?! U-Uwaaaaa?!”

“?!!”

An incomprehensible scream. They are holding their heads and grieving. They even cut off my words just to scream that? The speechless Komoe-chan looks kind of cute.

But, is there are way aside from seeds?

I look at Shiki.

However, he just shakes his head. Well, that’s natural huh. He is specialized in earth, but that doesn’t mean he is knowledgeable of plants. He did say that he begin agriculture and earth magic when he arrived at Asora after all.

How should we do it?

The pineapple for example, they cut off the suckers and plant it to have them reproduce that way. But there’s no assurance that bananas are like that too. By the way, that’s information from tv.

They give the same tropic feeling, so maybe it can?

Umu…