Chapter 524: Towards Expansion of Production
I won’t become a Spirit.
That aside, I want bamboo. To be more specific, I want ear picks. We have bamboo shoots in the Food Storage, with the skin still on.
But the bottoms are all chopped off, and it seems the Spirits around here have never seen this kind of tree before. I can’t seem to cheat and grow them by asking the Spirits for help—if I showed them to Retze and the others, I’d probably get lectured. I managed to grow some golden bamboo shoots, but they didn’t turn into bamboo.
So, I set my sights eastward. There’s a risk of running into unfamiliar Spirits, but it’s fun to see new worlds, and I’m sure I’ll have encounters like those with the Mailmen.
Ah, but before that.
I need to tend to the fields and expand our resources. Of course, I’ll play plenty with Rishu. When I reach out to him, his usually perked-up ears flop down, and he disappears from view, waiting for me to pet him. My little one is so cute.
I think the way his ears connect, the area around his cheeks, and the transition of his fur direction—those little bumps and changes in fur type are adorable. Rishu is overall just cute, though.
After finishing what I need to do at the House, I Teleport to the Island. I hear about business matters from Soleil and various things about the Island from Auro and Kiel.
Since I tend to disrupt Soleil’s plans when I show up unannounced, I decided to set a schedule for reports and consultations on the first of every month. Still, I sometimes drop in unexpectedly to ask for favors or check on things.
Thanks to the fact that business partners want to come to the Island, it seems Soleil has more free time, but he’s also busy actually going to see products in Naruadeid, so as a resident of this world, he’s incredibly busy.
“The Mail Wheat has arrived.”
“That was fast?”
Even if he hurried to finish repairing the ship, it seems quick. I don’t feel it since I’m Teleporting back and forth, but the days at sea from the Mail that Haulon told me don’t match up with Naruadeid.
“According to Captain Goat, as soon as they entered the strait, they were swept away, and before they knew it, Naruadeid was in sight.”
Soleil, with his elbows on the desk and his face resting on his hands, looks down, avoiding eye contact with me.
Is it Seikai or is it Seikai’s doing?!
“Well, I guess that can happen.”
This is a world with Spirits, after all. And the captain is a cat.
“That can’t be true!!!”
He suddenly lifts his face and shouts sharply.
“Why not!? Since there’s a cat captain, that kind of thing can happen, right!?”
I mean, I’ve met the cat captain, right?
“Captain Goat is a cat, but he’s still a fine captain!”
“Uh, yeah?”
He replied seriously, but is it common sense in this world for a cat to be a captain, even more than for a Spirit?
“Soleil has been a fan of Captain Goat for a long time.”
“Soleil tends to accept things as they are when they are right in front of him.”
“My lord, Soleil is a materialist. It may be a bit confusing at first, but…”
Kiel, Faramia, and Auro take turns explaining to me. Now that I think about it, it seems they’ve been making a business out of the grand music stones set up in the great hall, and they’re selling the spider Spirit races too. If something exists, they get used to it and incorporate it into business.
The existence of the cat captain has already passed the point of shouting and has been accepted.
“It seems we’ve moved a bit too quickly, but please handle the Mail Wheat as planned. By the way, is Lipua still struggling because of the drought?”
Lipua is the land governed by the lord who suggested I buy the land along with the people.
“Not just Lipua, but it’s tough all around. There’s been a request to grow the tomatoes we’re cultivating in the outlying area in Lipua as well.”
Soleil looks at me.
“Yeah. Let’s seriously request some drought-resistant vegetables, including tomatoes. Also, since the Spirit that was causing the drought has been taken away by the Hero Chris, the climate will gradually return to normal, though it won’t happen immediately.”
For now, I’m thinking of increasing the variety and distribution of vegetables. Kanum is working hard on the toilets and sewer systems, and Pasture is doing well with the bathtubs. It seems the Heroes are taking care of jewelry and clothing, so I’ll leave that alone.
What else do we need for the population to grow? I think if the population increases, resources will naturally increase too. A world where people can live safely would require legal systems, but that sounds like a hassle, so I’ll pass.
There are still too many places where newcomers think they can strip everything from the land, so… It might end up being about conquering those places first.
“Wait, the drought is going to be resolved?”
“Yeah. It will affect the land, and depending on the location, it could take years, but…”
The soil could already be parched and barren, and it will take time for the dead trees to grow back.
“A business opportunity!”
Soleil suddenly stands up with a start.
Ah, the types and quantities of goods related to food will change, and if they know that supplies will increase before others, there’s definitely something to be done. They could sell off the wheat and buy other things at a bargain.
“Oh, this is the statue of the hero Chris, the key figure in solving this. Let’s display it in the outlying area as a substitute for the Spirit’s Branch.”
I take it out from Storage and place it on Soleil’s office desk.
By the way, this statue will fend off any intruders. How sharp is the Spirit Gold sword?
“Wait, you’re treating the masterpiece of the Earth Folk so carelessly…! Wait, Spirit Gold!?”
Soleil’s eyes widen as he tries to lift the statue from the desk.
Soleil’s scream echoes.