The Damn Family Is Back Again

218 – 218. Turning Point (5)

“A boar from the West. So, it’s magical beast meat?”

“…It’s too delectable to be just that.”

“Are you lying?”

“Pfft.”

Talphone, with a snort, put his thumb and forefinger to his lips and whistled sharply.

Then, several members of the Lilpheton tribe appeared, hoisting a freshly slaughtered boar onto the stand.

“Does this prove it enough for you, Imperials?”

The size and shape, excluding the part that had just been torn away, fit perfectly. Even the unique hoof shape of the Western boar matched, making it a clear before and after.

Talphone tore off another piece of meat and chewed it noisily, then spoke nonchalantly,

“Not just the Lilpheton tribe, but Westerners have always sourced their food according to the flora of the West. And yet, we have no problems.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

The nobles immediately retorted.

“Magical beasts harbor magical energy within. Eating such a thing will obviously cause problems!”

“That’s right! Consuming the magical energy inside a magical beast, there’s no way that wouldn’t cause issues!”

“There are plenty in the Empire who suffer from prolonged exposure to magical energy! And you’re saying stuffing it directly into your stomach won’t cause problems?”

Well, they’re not wrong.

Having suffered from Dephian syndrome in the eroded lands of the West, I know how harmful magical energy can be to humans.

That’s why the carcasses of magical beasts are usually used for making tools. Not many eat them directly.

But there’s a huge contradiction in that logic.

“You fools. The steaks and barbecues you shove into your bellies were also livestock that once contained magical energy.”

“What, what did you say?!”

“Do you think humans are the only ones with mana, and animals and plants wouldn’t have magical energy?”

Yes, it doesn’t make sense.

In this world, every human is born with their own unique mana, so why wouldn’t animals or plants possess that power too?

Even a rough summary leads to a clear answer.

“Only humans awakened to mana can use it. Pigs are no different. Exposed to more mana, they’ve undergone a change, becoming more aggressive due to living surrounded by mana-infused vegetation. In other words, if processed correctly, the steak you eat and this wild boar are essentially the same meat. To put it differently—”

Humans all consume a certain amount of mana in their lives.

That’s the conclusion.

At first, it seemed like nothing more than a theory, a baseless hypothesis.

But at that time, I was overlooking one fact.

-The carrots and potatoes you plant also contain mana. We can distinguish it by smell.

They are the Lilliputians from the west, with a sense of smell so keen they can even detect the scent of mana.

“With the right cooking methods, mana naturally neutralizes. If you’re doubtful, try eating it.”

-Clatter.

Talphone swiftly sliced the meat and placed it on a plate, passing it over the table where the nobles sat.

Once again, a gulp and the sound of swallowing came from the nobles.

To any eye, the meat looked utterly delectable.

Yet, this was the very wild boar they distrusted.

Seeing their hesitant looks, I knew a single push would naturally set things in motion.

I signaled Talphone to carry out the next instruction.

Then Kian and Trisha appeared, followed by a rush of other children.

“Wow-! Meat!”

“Ugh. The smell… I’m hungry. I want to eat it quickly!”

“Hey. No cutting in line. I’m first!”

“Don’t fight, guys. Otherwise, we won’t get to eat at all!”

The children gathered around the prepared table, taking plates and lining up in turn. To them, the Lilliputian tribe handed out appropriately sized cuts of meat.

Right beside them, the guards and residents of Shatren worked together to place Shatren strawberries and Shatren grapes on plates.

The children ate the meat and fruits with happy smiles.

The nobles began to look around cautiously.

“Really… Are Shatren strawberries and Shatren grapes safe to eat like that meat?”

“It’s starting to seem possible…”

“Above all, the children. None of them have awakened to mana.”

“Should I try tasting it…? Maybe I’ll understand if I do.”

Perfect timing.

I gave them one last piece of advice.

“If you concede now that you’ve misunderstood, I’ll let you off the hook for the consequences. I’ll even erase the signature.”

“…Now that I think about it. That was there.”

“I wouldn’t want to be deprived of Chartren strawberries and Chartren grapes because of this.”

“It might be your last chance.”

“Excuse me, sir. I will concede. It seems I may have been mistaken.”

One by one, they broke their stubbornness, in a moment of agitation.

A noble kicked the table and stood up.

-Bang!

“Don’t be swayed! There’s no guarantee there won’t be any abnormalities!”

“As I said before, if magic is processed correctly, there’s no problem consuming it.”

“Hmph! Every living being possesses magic? Then how do you explain the difference between our bodies and yours!”

“That’s right! We’re not Westerners. If we absorb magic incorrectly, it could cause problems!”

“That must be because you’re Westerners!”

“We’ve been eating it all along, how could we not be adapted by now?!”

“We are Imperials. We are different from you barbarians!”

There’s nothing to be done about those who resist up to this point.

And significantly, these people are.

‘All from the Waglu faction or groups that collaborate with them.’

That’s enough.

I’ve gathered all the information I need, time to move on.

▶Current progress is 56%.◀

I need to fill the progress, so it’s time to end this.

Their foolish claims.

I signal to Talphon, and he vacates his seat.

And I take his place.

Crossing my legs arrogantly, I look down at them and say,

“Let’s summarize your argument. Magic is harmful to humans. Just being exposed to magic is harmful, and consuming a demon full of it will naturally cause problems. Is that the logic?”

“Indeed!”

The nobles affirmed with confidence.

At the moment of refuting this claim, their mouths would automatically shut, and the episode would seem to clear.

Such a trivial matter.

Like eating cold porridge.

“Do you know? Among the things humans eat, there are quite a few substances that contain or can become poisonous.”

“…What?”

“Potatoes are a prime example. They develop poison when they sprout green. But, if harvested at the right time and cooked properly, there’s no problem at all.”

“But that’s before they become poisonous!”

“If you cut off just that part, you’re not eating the poison, are you?”

“So, if there’s food that humans directly consume as poison, then your argument is completely wrong, isn’t it?”

At that question, the nobles laughed at me.

“Ha ha ha!”

“Where does such a thing exist?”

“Is there an example of someone eating poison and living to tell the tale?”

Yes. These foolish ones would point that out.

There was a reason I deliberately used the word ‘poison.’

I called over Dyke and Frickt, whom I had on standby, to bring it over.

“What is this?”

“It’s food containing poison that you’re all familiar with.”

“This… contains poison?”

The nobles wore expressions of confusion.

It was brief, but they stiffened as if struck by a piercing remark.

“Alcohol is a typical poison for humans. Drink too much, and it’s harmful beyond just the body; it can kill. Why, you must have experienced a hangover at least once, right?”

“…”

“Alcohol itself is a poison. And this, it’s even snake wine.”

At that, the nobles’ faces began to turn deathly pale.

It was inevitable.

According to the information, the Waglu clan’s family enjoys drinking snake wine.

“Humans can drink snake wine and still live. Yet, you treat the trace amounts of magic in the Chatren fruit as poison. Is this really a valid argument?”

With this, it’s checkmate.

The nobles of the Waglu faction could no longer refute.

“As promised, you will be put on Chatren’s blacklist.”

With this declaration.

-Ding!

▶You have perfectly refuted the argument, increasing your achievement level.◀

▶You have declared a ban on individuals who could potentially cause harm in the future.◀

[ Current Achievement Level: 100% ]

Once again.

A perfect clear has appeared.

▶You have cleared Episode X. The turning point.◀

▶Due to the perfect clear, your progress has greatly increased.◀

▶A special privilege is granted!◀

[ Privilege: In the next episode, if you find yourself in danger, you can receive help once. ]

***

The residents, as well as the nobles who had retracted their misunderstandings, all came out one after another to eat and purchase wild boar meat and Chatren strawberries, thus resolving the incident.

Watching this scene, Harnie thought there was no need for him to step in.

‘I had prepared just in case, but now it’s all useless.’

Cashew nuts also carry poison, and so do kidney beans.

But humans discern them as food and eat them. With the right cooking methods, they are perfectly edible.

He had intended to lend a hand with the argument that Chatren’s food, too, could be consumed without issue with the proper methods.

‘Snake venom and alcohol.’

There is no poison quite as shocking as that.

It’s naturally something that would be considered harmful to humans.

Therefore, snake wine served as an excellent example to completely dismantle the nobles’ argument.

Honestly, he wondered if there was any need to worry about him, but truly, there was no need to worry at all.

He’s a cool person.

In many ways.

“Tsk. Talking nonsense.”

“Exactly.”

Harnie approached Karsein, who was dusting off his hands as he returned.

“Crossing arms… Ah. Is it because of the nobles?”

“…Yes. Well. That’s right.”

Did this man really have to say that here?

I almost pouted without meaning to.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. It seems like we’ve got quite a few guests. You never intended to turn those people away from the start, did you?”

“Yes. If anything, those are the people who will become regulars. Chatren’s revenue will soon be filled by them.”

Hmm. That’s right.

Harnie’s merchant intuition was also pointing in that direction.

“So, what are you going to do now? It seems slightly insufficient for the final presentation at the symposium.”

“I’m aware. But what I’ve prepared isn’t all there is.”

“What is it?”

“Ha ha. It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance.”

“That’s mean. I’m dying of curiosity here. You’re not suspecting me, are you?”

“Of course not. It’s just more fun not to tell you.”

“Can’t you give me a hint, just to me?”

“No, I can’t.”

Amidst such banter.

Harnie suddenly thought while looking at him.

‘After all, I don’t want to tell you this.’

If I asked for his help, he would readily offer it.

But this time, I don’t want it to go that way.

This is all the burden that has arisen from changing my plans to swallow up the Theresia dukedom.

***

There was a risk of a significant hit to the domain’s revenue due to misunderstandings, but resolving this situation turned out to be a great help instead.

The rumors were just rumors, and the fact that there was no problem became known, causing Chatren’s fruits to gain even more popularity as a reaction.

Since we weren’t using fertilizers like in the past, there were no deficits. From now on, the pure revenue began to flow into the domain, and some into my own hands.

As time passed.

Chatren began to change significantly with the implementation of one policy.

The residents were ecstatic, looking at the harvested strawberries and grapes, their colors radiant.

“Ah…!”

“Finally…! Finally, the grade from that time…!”

Though not quite the heyday, tears of joy streamed down their faces as they neared a step closer to their past glory.

◆ Chatren Strawberries

▶Crop Grade: B-

The wall of C+ that had never been broken.

The grade of B- or higher that the villagers, despite their long-term efforts, had never been able to grasp.

This proves that my theory fits perfectly.

Talphone said that this Mandrenia seemed to be demonized not because of the soil or seeds, but because of the fertilizer that was spread there.

I, too, had been suspecting the fertilizer, and when such a firm assertion came out, I had no choice but to analyze it.

I mobilized all of modern knowledge to understand what properties it had and how it affected the soil.

The analysis revealed that the fertilizer significantly acidified the soil.

Now that the problem was known, the solution was simple.

Spread lime fertilizer on the land to raise the pH.

It was time to gather data on that experiment.

“Brem. What’s the frequency of Mandrenia occurrences?”

“I’ve looked through the records of each field… but not a single occurrence.”

“Talphone. What about you guys?”

“Hmm. That foul stench is mostly gone now. The others say the same.”

With this, is it confirmed?

Although a few places remain, it’s safe to say that the Mandrenia’s habitat is based in acidic soil.

And the cause is.

“This fertilizer was the problem after all.”

Invariably, the fertilizer brought in from outside was identified as the culprit.

[ Remaining enemy entities: 790 ]

Such a message had once appeared on the status screen.

There were a total of 2768 demons lurking in Chatren.

Now I understand.

That number didn’t mean a direct assault by demons on Chatren, but referred to the crops that were being buried and demonized in the land.

‘But still, there are remaining entities.’

This means the soil hasn’t returned to its original state. In fact, since the pH level has only shown a slight change, it’s expected that once the appropriate pH is reached, the remaining evil spirits will have disappeared.

“Until further instructions, continue to spread lime fertilizer and harvest the crops.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Now, all that remains is time. We must observe the trends, keep records, and continue with our statistics and analysis.

It means we must trust that time will resolve things.

‘Could that really be the end?’

I don’t think so.

As long as one possibility remains, the enemy still exists.

■Items in Possession■

◆Shabby Chartren Territory Map

…Now that I have this, maybe I should make use of it.

“Talphone. I need your help with something in secret.”

“What is it, Karsein?”

There’s always a reason for inaccuracies.

If using this leaves a trace…

***

A quiet mountainside.

In that deserted place, something breaks.

-Crack.

“aaargh!!!”

A man’s scream echoes along with the chilling sound.

“What should I do with you, Maph?”

From the shadows, Maph’s disheveled face is revealed.