LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 257.1
Chapter 257.1. Hakata Farmlands
“What happened next?”
When Hana heard that the Adventurers’ Guild was monopolizing the core, she turned to Karin-san, who was sitting cross-legged on some rubble, and asked skeptically if things could really go that smoothly. In response, Karin-san waved her tail lazily and yawned, her carefree attitude confirming what Hana had recently begun to understand.
“Did they really get the monopoly? But taxes are high, huh? Does everyone really pay that much?”
It was surprising to Hana that the people within the city would allow such a monopoly. And taxes—she’d heard of them but thought they were something one paid to the country? They seemed high.
Hana had never paid taxes herself. In fact, she’d heard that people from the Ruins District didn’t even have official records, so there was no need for them to pay taxes to the country. So why were they doing it?
“Corporate taxes aren’t tied to having a formal identity. Once a company is registered, taxes are due. Well, since their headquarters is in a special zone, they can fudge their sales however they like, and their corporate taxes are specially low and uniformly adjusted. Plus, with bribes involved, they’ve got leverage over their partners. All in all, it was a good deal.”
Yoko-san, a fox-person sitting next to Karin-san, explained sternly. Still, Hana didn’t really understand. She did catch the word “bribe,” though, and assumed they must’ve handed over some money again. Typical of a corporate boss, she supposed.
Oda Yoko. Apparently, she had the [Sword Saint] skill, which was impressive, but she was only a second lieutenant now. It seemed strange for her to be here, supposedly as one of Karin-san’s subordinates. Wasn’t she a soldier? Was it okay for military personnel to be so lax outside of battle?
Watching Yoko-san, who radiated an air of seriousness even while seated, Hana misinterpreted. She assumed that dedicated people like her wouldn’t slack off. If they were free to do as they pleased, it must be fine.
Looking at Karin-san made it seem natural to think this way, but in reality, Karin-san was officially considered an operative and thus had more freedom. Yoko-san, as her subordinate, was technically the same—though it was more a convenient excuse for Karin-san to laze around as much as she pleased.
Thanks to the backing of Kamiyshiro Corporation and Amatsugahara Corporation, Karin-san enjoyed such freedom, though Hana didn’t grasp this yet.
While observing these potentially bad influences on her education, Hana turned away, crouching at the former dungeon site turned open field.
“Flame Flowers and Flame Plants, right? All that’s left is ash.”
Gently touching the dried leaves on the ground, they crumbled and stained her fingers black. She rubbed them off and invoked magic—her new plant-based magic.
[Plant Analysis]
Even dried leaves were once plants. Since they were only withered, the analysis result was immediate. Flame Plants were vine-like monsters. They’d been told that planting Flame Flower seeds caused flowers to bloom and then parasitize the area, burning and killing prey that entered their territory to use as nutrients—a C-rank monster.
Though its ability had faded, the dried leaves were still nutrient-rich, perfect for farm soil enrichment. She also planned to add fertilizer.
“Alright, this should work fine. Let’s place the Scarecrow of Plenty in the center and start tilling the land.”
When she spoke in a relaxed tone, the others around responded:
“Alright, got it.”
“Haven’t done farm work in a while.”
“Are we starting with turnips?”
The people waiting nearby hefted their hoes, while the engine of a tiller sputtered to life, signaling the start of fieldwork.
Hana was currently in the outskirts of Hakata City. She was overseeing the conversion of an abandoned flower garden atop rubble, where a dungeon had once stood, into a field.
Though the winter wind was harsh and cold, causing her to shiver, physical activity quickly warmed her. Taking up a hoe, she joined the others in the flowerbed.
In the outskirts of Hakata City, where buildings had collapsed into rubble, soldiers kept watch in case monsters appeared while bulldozers cleared debris. Stone golems worked alongside them, moving collapsed walls and rubble, guided by soldiers wielding staves. Although the golems seemed relatively easy to control, they sometimes malfunctioned, requiring focus. The process appeared to involve a lot of trial and error.
Not just one but a hundred golems were already active, steadily loading debris onto trucks, including abandoned vehicles stacked with precision.
Many people had come to these safer outskirts to labor diligently, sweat pouring as they worked.
“Is Hakata City’s food self-sufficiency rate that low?”
As the day progressed, they reached a lunch break. Eating her packed lunch, Hana posed the question to Karin-san and the others. Today, her meal was a salted rice ball with pickled cabbage and steamed sweet potatoes. It was a satisfying, salty treat for her tired body, though she wouldn’t mind a bit more variety.
As Hana nibbled on her rice ball, Karin-san, also munching, nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, they don’t have much in terms of magical farming tools here. They did have a walled-off farmland outside the city, but it got destroyed. Without the Core Store, the city might’ve collapsed.”
“It was that severe?”
“Indeed. Though the Stampede is over, most wouldn’t normally rush to create new farmland. It’s a testament to the severity of the food crisis.”
Holding her rice ball, Yoko-san added seriously. Hana looked around thoughtfully. No monsters were in sight, but rubble remained, and the possibility of dungeons reappearing was ever-present. Yet, many people labored regardless.
Licking the rice grains off her fingers, she stretched and smiled.
“Then, I’ll do my best too! Here we go!”
Standing, she grabbed the magic staff gifted by Amatsugahara Corporation president. Though Sakimori had amassed countless items from dungeons, distributing them was tricky due to their drawbacks. Serika had modified them slightly to remove these flaws before sharing. This staff, which boosted magical power, could also function as a spear with a twist of its metallic tip.
The former flower garden had already been tilled to grow Flame Flowers, meaning just a bit of mixing in dry leaves made it usable. Furrows were arranged, and the Scarecrow of Plenty stood in the center.
It might appear as a simple scarecrow made from a wooden frame with worn cloth and button eyes, but it could transform the land into a nutrient-rich area.
“To think you finished the furrows in half a day… The strength of someone with high stats is incredible. You practically did it solo.”
“Indeed. When high-stats individuals work outside of combat, it’s like watching a scene on fast-forward. Truly impressive.”
Yoko-san and Karin-san nodded in awe. Despite their own high stats, they had no intention of helping, merely sitting on the rubble and watching Hana work. The word “observing” was a convenient excuse, Karin-san thought, grinning lazily. Next to her, the diligent fox-woman nodded as if supporting the notion.
“Thank you… Alright then, with the seeds planted, I’ll activate the scarecrow now.”
Approaching the scarecrow, Hana channeled mana into it. As it activated, waves of mana radiated outward, soaking into the soil.
“Wow, this is a magical tool?”
“It doesn’t look like much.”
“I’ve heard it accelerates growth.”