Chapter 163. New Base
Amano Sakimori looked up at the sky, thinking it might be about time for the rainy season to end. In the midst of cloudy skies, the sun began to peek through, casting a golden glow on the rice stalks planted in the newly cultivated fields on the plain. Even though June had ended, the rainfall had decreased considerably.
While the plain didn't stretch as far as the eye could see, a significant portion of the land had been turned into paddy fields, shimmering in golden hues.
"It's impressive how we still have a good harvest despite the rainy season. Quite baffling."
Even though it should still take some time before harvesting, the rice plants were already bearing heavy grains, bending their heads low. Bōto frowned, placing a hand on his chin.
"These Equivalent Exchange Store products really have unbelievable power. These rice plants grew in just two weeks."
[Equivalent Exchange Store products are truly amazing, Sakimori-san. Being able to produce rice so easily. Normally, one would think it requires divine intervention or defeating demons.]
[That's different from rice cultivation I know.]
Shizuku, floating ethereally, remarked the game was too realistic, fostering an attachment to rice. But Sakimori decided to ignore her usual incomprehensible remarks.
His heart swelled with excitement at the rice plants in the new fields. The new rice sounded delicious.
"All right, we'll harvest when the weather clears up, right?"
Around Sakimori, there were Yukihana, Shingen, and Katsuyori. The others were too busy to gather.
"Then it's time for the combine harvester, isn't it? Would you like me to drive?"
"Yukihana-chan wants to try operating it too."
Correction, Ohki-kun was also there. He seemed eager to operate the combine harvester. Yukihana raised her hand, showing interest as she would wag her tail if she had one. Bōto was also a bit interested. He wanted to cut the rice stalks by using clippers.
Amidst our excitement about the new rice, Hana timidly raised her hand, looking awkward.
"Um... We can't harvest."
"Huh? Can't we harvest when the weather clears up?"
"You see, rice needs to be dried before harvesting."
"Hmm, how many days? One day?"
As expected of Hana. It seems she understands rice cultivation methods from her knowledge of plants.
"Yes, it would be difficult to harvest if the rice is wet. The grains would stick together."
Shingen nodded in agreement with Hana's words. Yeah, that's right. You can't harvest when it's wet. Harvest tomorrow?
Tomorrow? Ohki-kun seemed disappointed, while Yukihana looked forward to it. But Hana, watching their reactions, hesitated to speak.
"It's necessary to dry them for ten days~"
"Ten days? That long?"
"Yes. Rice needs to be dried for quite a while. You have to drain the water from the paddy and let it dry for a while."
Drying for ten days. Huh? What if it rains during that time? Except for Hana, everyone else tilted their heads in confusion.
"Drain the water from the paddy? Come to think of it. During harvest, the paddy fields are somehow not filled with water anymore. I thought we would harvest while it's still flooded. Seems like it's not that easy to harvest."
The period of cultivation and the time to prepare for harvest don't change, huh?
"Normally, you'd start with seedlings and then plant them in the paddy fields... but planting seeds directly worked fine. However, the harvest seems to be labor-intensive."
It's the weakness of the amateur army. Everyone except Hana thought you could plant seeds, let them grow, and harvest the grains. But apparently, the power of magic seeds doesn't work out so conveniently. Well, that's okay. If that's the case, then it can't be helped.
"We can still harvest corn, right?"
In a field a little distance away, corn was growing. That shouldn't be a problem, right?
While smiling wryly at my question, Hana nodded.
"It's strange how corn doesn't rot even in the rainy season~"
"Indeed. Let's move to the residential area for now."
I wanted to use the combine harvester, but let's give up on that. So, shall we see the residential area for 5,000 people?
"It seems tough over there."
Katsuyori said with a frown, and I agree.
"They're building the residential area from scratch."
Houses for 5,000 people. That's a lot of money being spent.
We head to the residential area in the jeep. As we bump along the rough roads, observing the surrounding fields, we see many people harvesting corn in the cornfields.
Amidst the swaying cornfields, people wearing sturdy work clothes and gloves enter the fields, plucking the plump corn and tossing them into baskets.
Plump corn. I wonder if freshly harvested ones taste good. Children are holding corn in both hands, placing them on the cauldrons prepared on the vacant lot. There's plenty of boiling water inside, probably for boiling the corn.
"I heard fresh ones taste good raw. Is that true?"
"Is that so? I've only ever eaten boiled ones."
I ask while tapping the steering wheel as the jeep rattles along. Fresh corn is said to be edible raw, but is it true? Shingen sat in the passenger seat. He seems to be equally skeptical, tilting his head.
"I've never eaten raw ones either. They say you can, but I always end up boiling them."
"Those kids seem to be eating them."
Katsuyori in the backseat also seems to only eat boiled ones. Looking where Yukihana points outside, there are kids.
Instead of putting corn in the pot, they sit in a circle, peeling the corn husks and happily gnawing on them. It looks like they're enjoying juicy fruits.
"Well, according to the knowledge, they say it's edible... um, I haven't tried it though."
"Surprisingly cautious, huh, Hana?"
"It would be fatal if I got sick..."
"Ah, yeah, I guess the people in the Ruins City can't afford food challenges."
I watch Hana fidgeting with her fingers shyly through the rearview mirror. Well, that makes sense. It's true.
The people in the abandoned town eat foods that might make them sick. But it's for survival. For living. Even though it's risky, they eat rotten food to avoid starving to death.
And truth be told, if the people in the abandoned town aren't hungry, they worry about their health next. Because falling ill leads to death. Right now, it's the small children who are eating raw corn. They're 5 or 6 years old. Adults, serving as guardians, are watching nearby but not eating.
Even if they know it's safe, they must have been avoiding it based on past experiences.
"Well, those kids are the ones who will shape the new era."
I'm sure the consciousness of the abandoned town's people will change drastically from now on.
"Even with just one corn, you can feel things changing."
Surprised, I smile at Shingen's words and press the accelerator. Now, it's almost time to arrive at the most changing place.
The southern area turned the plains into open fields. The residential area was built on the site of disappeared rivers. 5,000 survivors were brought from the conquered north. A base where people of all ages gather.
The base where many people gather was bustling with activity in progress. People were gathering from the Tsukuba Line Fortress and the Amatsugahara Market for support, so there were quite a few people.
Getting out of the jeep, scratching my head, and turning my lips into a wry smile.
"It seems like there are a lot of people who might become carpenters."
Men who have recently gained some muscle and improved their physique by wrapping towels around their heads like headbands swing hammers and build prefabricated barracks.
"Well, it can't be helped since we're just building buildings."
"It's difficult to build a city from scratch. And it's expensive. Even though we got 1.5 billion, it disappeared in no time."
Even though I got 1 billion from Serika and 500 million from Konoha, as soon as I started construction. It was gone. I handed it all over to Katsuyori and Okubo.
"These buildings are for 5,000 people to live in. So even that's not enough."
Prefabricated barracks are being built rapidly. Once that's done, we plan to construct large, proper apartments.
It's weird. Shouldn't the president have just earned money and sat back on the sofa? The wallet is always empty.
"But it will be completed soon, right?"
"For now, yeah. Next is the sewer."
It's easy to build prefabricated barracks on open fields. The difficult part is the sewer system.
This plain was turned upside down by the Behemoth. Buildings and houses got thrown into the ground. And thanks to the dungeon's power, they returned to the earth in less than 20 years. Including the sewage system that was laid underground.
The water supply will somehow work out. We need to get water from the core. But the sewer system is impossible.
The current sewage system in the Ruins City has a lot of slimes, so even if it doesn't function as a sewer, there's no problem since the slimes act as substitutes. However, this base doesn't have a sewage system to begin with.
[Having slimes living in the sewer and solving everything is a common pattern, isn't it, Sakimori-san? If there were slimes in the toilets, unless it's a dungeon-generated specification, I think it would evolve into a big problem. Every time I read a novel, I think it's dangerous, but I've been thinking it might evolve into an ultimate toilet slime.]
Shizuku smiles cutely as she twirls around in the air.
[Indeed, slimes are versatile. But it's not that convenient. There's no slime dungeon here. Even if there were, it would be a long way off, and without a sewer system, we'd have to crush the dungeon.]
Reality is harsh. To throw a lot of slime into the sewage system, you have to create the sewage system first.
"Should we make a sewer?"
Placing my hand on the ground, I grin.
"Are you going to use earth magic again?"
"That's right."
I gently bury the spirit stone in my hand and activate it.
[Terrain Modification: Sewer]
With a clink, the spirit stone shatters, and rainbow-colored particles spread across the ground. The ground trembles slightly, and manhole covers appear in front of me as if born from the ground.
"Manholes?"
"Yeah. I just used [Bottomless Marsh]."
"A manhole cover appeared?"
"I pulled out the manhole cover that was buried in the ground."
I answer nonchalantly and shrug my shoulders. I pull up the manhole cover with a magic weapon that changes the lid into a manhole opener. Inside, there's a ladder. And it looks like an ordinary sewer.
"[Success. It seems terrain modification can also change into a sewer.]"
I inwardly chuckle and watch Shingen and the others peering into the sewer, then turn my face in an unexpected direction. Huh, maybe it would have been better to make it look like an old cave or something. It definitely looks like a newly made-sewer. Well, I can't do anything but play dumb now.
[It's definitely unnatural for a sewer like this, but you thought about it, Sakimori-san. Indeed, sewers are part of the usual terrain.]
[As expected. I'm beginning to understand how terrain modification works. Normal terrain isn't magical terrain. In the game's dungeons, in addition to grasslands and caves, there are new fields, ruins, and sewers. Similarly, the spirit stones connected to the real dungeons seem to be able to create things like sewers with terrain modification.]
With terrain modification, you can do anything with normal terrain. You can't create buildings like buildings or complex structures, but you can create simple things like ruins in the Ruins City. In other words, it's the terrain for dungeons.
Right now, at this moment, an ordinary sewer has been completed underground in this base. It's a sturdy, real sewer. It'll be difficult to even operate, let alone maintain. But I want those facilities too.
"We'll have to catch the slimes in the Ruins City and throw them in."
For now, let's make do with slimes.
"Are you going to catch the slimes? There's a perfect guy for that."
I'm counting on you, Ohki-kun. Even though he's not here, I can imagine his face lighting up with joy as he accepts the task. I can hear the protests, saying he's not here, but I think he's just tired.
For a few days, there was Ohki-kun hauling truckloads of slimes to the base.
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