44. Talking About Problems, It's Not Always A Bad Thing, Isn't It?
"This is... certainly not a joking matter."
"Yeah, it's quite surprising when you actually see it."
"I didn't think it would go this far."
We arrived at the enormous experimental farm and were left speechless by the sight.
"Huh? Is there something strange here?"
Only Jitaro, who didn't understand the situation, tilted his head with a question mark floating above it.
"Well, first of all, it hasn't been that long since this farm started operating."
"I know that. We lent Super Jet to clear these rocks, and I even helped."
Jitaro patted the pony he was riding. Jet was happily munching on weeds.
"Then why didn't you notice? Take a good look at this scene."
"Hmm... it looks like a normally ripe wheat field, right?"
"That's the strange part! It's growing too fast!"
"Oh!"
Indeed. The wheat, which should have been spreading its green leaves by now, had already grown to the middle of the harvest season. It's not a joking matter.
Leafan gave me a cold stare.
No, we didn't mess up this time, right!? Probably!
"Nevertheless, the soil improvement hasn't progressed much yet, and yet the yield is double the normal."
"Yeah. It's impressive. I never thought we'd have a decent harvest in the first year."
"This is also thanks to the special alchemical fertilizer crafted by Craft-sama."
"Hmm?"
Something's not right.
As we rode on the helicopter across the vast fields, I couldn't figure out the source of my unease.
A little further on, the head of the farm was waiting with a bow.
"Thank you for coming all this way! Kyle-sama! Craft-sama!"
"Don't be so formal. Please feel free to talk to us casually."
"Really?"
"Kyle-sama doesn't want to see you all pushing yourselves too hard. It's okay to act as usual."
Alphard interjected. Kyle indeed wished for them to act naturally.
"Well then, it might be rude, but..."
"Yes, go ahead. I heard it's becoming difficult with the crops growing too much, but indeed, this is amazing."
The wheat ears were laden with plenty of grains, densely packed. It was beyond a bountiful harvest.
The problem, however, seemed to be good in this case.
"Huh? No, this is different."
"Different?"
I blurted out without thinking. What exactly was different?
"It would be faster if you saw it directly. It's a bit further ahead..."
"Understood. Let's move."
As the head hurriedly walked ahead, we followed slowly on horses, lizards, birds, and ponies.
From the horse's back, I could see far from where I stood, and there was an obvious anomaly ahead.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
Before Leafan could yell, we could see what she was pointing at.
"A forest... of wheat?"
"A wheat-colored forest... hahaha."
I was convinced.
It's where I used my Alchemical Fertilizer.
In one corner of the field, there existed a plot of wheat that had grown to a person's height, strange wording, but it had indeed grown as tall as me.
"This is..."
It was obvious, but I had to ask.
"Yes. Thanks to Craft-sama's special fertilizer, we applied it to this area, and as a result, this happened..."
Probably, it was ten times the normal wheat cultivation area. No, it was definitely more. The monstrous wheat that had grown beyond any ordinary yield seemed to be my Alchemical Fertilizer's result.
Leafan squinted her eyes at me.
"Hey hey hey! I think my Alchemical Fertilizer is good, but this is definitely abnormal, right!?"
"That's true, but it seems like the soil here is of very high quality."
"I heard about that. Upon receiving that report, we reclaimed this area where a dragon used to live."
"Yes. So, it's probably due to the already highly nutritious soil combined with Craft-sama's fertilizer..."
"Still, even so... I don't know much about farming, but..."
"Um, not to change the subject, but is it confirmed to be safe?"
"I tried eating it, and apart from it being too delicious and of high quality, there were no problems. It was also got appraised."
"Craft-kun."
"Yes."
I received the harvested wheat and ground wheat for appraisal, but there were no issues.
"Here, this is baked bread. Please try it."
Jitaro, Persia, and I tried it first.
Even if we got sick, we could cure it right away.
It must have been baked early in the morning; I bite the cold bread.
"It's delicious!"
"So good!"
"Wow, this is amazing. Although it looks hard at first glance, it tears easily with your hands and has a resilient softness. And it's packed with substance, unlike military rations. When you chew, the aroma of wheat spreads through your nose, and the taste of delicious bread fills your mouth, making you feel happy. It goes down smoothly yet satisfyingly, and it doesn't feel light at all. It probably fills you up well too."
"Persia?"
Only Persia's evaluation seems to be different.
"I want to try it too."
"Hold on. I don't think there's poison, but as you can see, this wheat is abnormal. Please wait a little longer before trying it."
Alphard stopped Kyle with a stern expression, but his gaze got fixed on the bread. It's tough being his attendant.
"We grind it by hand in small quantities. The flour is finer than what you find in the market, which may contribute to its excellent taste. But fundamentally, it's because the quality is exceptional. I was a bit scared to taste it at first."
"It's delicious."
"Huh!? Myrna-sama!?"
"When did you..."
Myrna had sneakily snatched a piece of bread from the table. She did it so inconspicuously that I didn't notice any hostility.
"It should be fine. We have Cure Potions, after all."
"Yeah."
"Alphard."
"No! Please hold off until dinner at least!"
While it's generally said that any poison with delayed effects has a limit of six hours, Alphard was correct, but it felt a bit harsh.
"It's okay. Nothing will happen."
"Craft, refrain from baseless statements."
"Those on the farm have been eating it for several days, right?"
"Of course! We wouldn't serve anything subpar!"
Given Kyle's affectionate nature, the expected response was returned.
"Just trust us."
"Well..."
Alphard was technically correct. We had Cure Potions, and worst-case scenario, I could beg the king for an elixir or find a dragon to make medicine. At worst, it would probably be a stomach ache.
Alphard must have understood that. It was more like I was teasing Alphard.
"...You're right. Even in the worst-case scenario, we can handle it. And honestly, I don't think this poses any danger."
"You have no choice but to say that given your position. But because it's delicious, let them eat it."
"Craft, I'll really put you to work if something happens."
"Alright, alright."
I handed Kyle a basket of bread.
"This is amazing! Even if you told me it's bread for royal parties, I wouldn't know. It's incredibly delicious."
"Right? It's delicious."
"Is this taste only from the larger wheat?"
"Yes. But even the smaller ones are delicious, although they are slightly inferior to the bread from earlier."
The farm manager offered another basket he had prepared.
We, including Leafan and Persia, tasted it.
"This is also delicious."
"Yeah, tasty!"
"It's slightly inferior compared to the earlier bread, but you can still enjoy the wheat flavor and aroma. As far as I know, it's the level of bread served at noble parties. If a skilled baker makes it, it will be even better. Considering the potential of this wheat..."
"Stop there, Persia. That's enough."
"Huh? Is that so?"
Thank goodness. Alphard stopped her.
Lately, Persia's odd quirks seem to be surfacing more.
"I'll try some too. Yes, it's quite delicious. If such good wheat grows, we should consider expanding the farm further. Let's prepare for it by next year."
"Kyle-sama, about that, with this growth pattern, we can replant once more."
"Huh?"
"Since the soil isn't depleted at all, there's no need for it to rest. If we sow seeds within a month, we can definitely have another harvest."
"That's amazing. Understood. Let's expand the cultivation area and finish harvesting the current fields."
"Craft-sama, if we increase the scale several times, can we get enough Alchemical Fertilizer?"
"A hundredfold would be a piece of cake."
"We should spread alchemical fertilizer across the entire area next time!"
"In that case, what's the expected harvest? Will we be able to stop wheat imports?"
"We can not only stop imports but also export massively. Whether you want to stockpile or sell, considering the quality, merchants will flock even with transport costs."
"Is that so? Understood. I'll arrange it immediately."
And so, with the full effort of Golden Dawn and the expanded settlement, a grain-producing area capable of supporting the country was established. Wheat is grown with the serious alchemical fertilizer sold like hotcakes.
That's all good, but please don't call it Craft Wheat... please...
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