Volume 6 Chapter 3 The Path Of Wheat 3️⃣
Back at the mansion, Cain and his companions were holding a discussion over lunch in the conference room. It was a so-called working luncheon, and the simple menu of hamburgers made it easy to talk while eating. As they ate, the Head of the Maintenance Bureau proposed several strategies to implement the new agricultural knowledge they had learned from Sasha. Barvish and Sasha listened closely, offering their feedback and opinions.
"I'd like to hire about ten workers," the Head of the Bureau suggested, glancing at the memo board he'd brought with him. "If we have them spread the straw ash over the fields, and if Sir Cain could till the land once more with Earth magic, then it should be enough to sow the seeds right after that."
"Do you have a plan for sourcing the straw needed to make ash?" Barvish asked, keeping his tone practical.
"I was thinking of collecting used bedding straw from the knights' stables," one of the staff members seated beside the Head of the Bureau answered. "The issue is that used straw often contains moisture. We'll need some firewood to dry and burn it properly into ash."
Barvish turned to Sasha for confirmation. "Would there be any issue using used bedding straw?"
Sasha casually replied, "I think it'll be fine."
Cain, listening in while chewing thoughtfully, learned for the first time that wheat straw left over from threshing was actually a valuable resource used for many things and not something that could be collected in excess.
"Sasha, about the wheat seeds—we're planning to make ridges before sowing. Would that be a problem?"
"Ridges?" Several others at the table, except for Gardy, echoed the unfamiliar term with puzzled looks.
Cain realized ridge planting might not be common in this world. Taking a sip of water, he explained patiently.
"Ridges help organize the spacing between each plant, which makes harvesting easier later on. Also, if Sasha uses spirit magic to bless the crops, I think we'll get solid sprouting."
As he spoke, Cain took a large bite of his hamburger. Imagining neat rows of sprouting wheat on the ridges, he nodded to Sasha to confirm his thoughts, still chewing.
"I'd also like to increase our recruitment target to twenty," Cain added, setting his food down. "Among them, I want to assign three or four as dedicated meal staff. Since the work will take place outside the town walls, it'll be tough to come back every time for lunch. If meals are provided on-site and taste good, it should boost morale and efficiency. Plus, this way we can include women who might not be suited to heavy labor but can help with food preparation."
"Meal staff, hmm... I understand. I'll take that into account," the Head of the Bureau replied after a pause.
Barvish and the others nodded in agreement, their expressions turning serious as the meeting continued. They moved on to discussions about guard assignments and sourcing tools. Meanwhile, Cain's attention began to drift as he pondered how to design the daily work schedule.
With no fieldwork scheduled for the rest of the day, the group eventually disbanded. Barvish and Lala stayed behind to handle personnel and budgeting tasks, while Cain, Gardy, and Sasha headed to the work shed behind the mansion to prepare for the next round of Satsuma planting.
As they stepped into the shed, Sasha looked around at the fields surrounding the estate.
"Sir Cain, is it just me, or does the Mana around these fields feel... stronger than usual? Did you do something?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
Though Sasha called him "Sir Cain" out of respect, her tone was informal—perhaps too casual for someone addressing a noble. But Cain didn't mind. He wasn't the type to insist on formalities.
"Ah, yeah. I used Earth magic to till the land as practice. I might've overdone it a little and poured in too much Mana. Is that bad?"
"It's not harmful right now," Sasha replied after a moment of sensing the field's energy. "But if you add much more, it could push the plants to mutate into monsters. Still, with the current Mana, the yield might go up, and the quality could improve too."
"Oh, that's a relief," Cain muttered. "I was thinking of charging the wheat and the Satsuma fields with Mana as well... Sounds like that could've gone horribly wrong."
He imagined Satsuma plants turning into writhing, root-covered beasts and broke into a cold sweat. Beside him, Gardy murmured, "That was close..."
"So... what should I do?" Sasha asked, picking up a sickle from a shelf in the shed. She swung it lightly through the air, more like a weapon than a tool.
"Don't worry, I wasn't expecting much in terms of manual labor from you," Cain replied with a chuckle. "Can you focus on blessing the seed potatoes instead?"
Sasha looked like she wanted to argue but quickly gave a resigned, "Understood," and let it go.
Cain and Gardy sorted through the stored Satsuma, choosing about ten of the plumpest and healthiest from last year's harvest. They arranged them carefully on the workbench. These were far larger and thicker than the average Satsuma—they were the pride of Cain's earlier farming efforts.
"They look so tasty just sitting here," Sasha said, lifting one and turning it over in her hand. "Are you sure we should be using these as seeds?"
"It's not a waste. We've got plenty more stored, and good crops come from good seeds. Can you bless them all? I'm curious how much of a difference it'll make."
"This much? Please, who do you think I am?" Sasha said with a grin. "The yield should increase by about one and a half to two times, depending on how the fields react. Mana in the soil will affect it too, so we'll just have to see."
"Two times, huh?" Cain mused aloud, already envisioning the Satsuma growing in abundance. "Maybe this year we can try planting even more kinds of crops..."
Watching Cain's hopeful expression, Sasha's eyes sparkled. She looked forward to the possibility of tasting new dishes made with fresh Satsuma. Gardy, standing nearby, simply hoped this wouldn't turn into another major incident.
Notes:
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
• Sasha - Female. A young and energetic warrior. She has a confident demeanor and wears a short sword at her waist. Her appearance is typical of an elf, with pointed ears and a slender build. She is determined to prove her strength and has a playful rivalry with her seniors. She admires Sir Cain and is responsible for waking him gently in the morning.
• Lala - Cain's companion, likely a servant or minder, cautious and protective.
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