Chapter 384

In a Village Within Viscount Agri's Domain
In Viscount Agri's domain, the evaluation of Kiblinki Saltas was half expectation, half anxiety.
Well, that’s something Kiblinki Saltas can easily improve upon.
It’s their area of expertise, after all.

We were planning to depart as is, but Viscount Agri requested our help in distributing Kiblinki Saltas to the frontier villages.
Apparently, even he didn’t have much direct contact with the frontier villagers, and he was unsure how they’d react.
It’s ultimately up to Marquis Vardmoi, but what will he decide?

“I understand. Lily, our schedule will be delayed a bit—are you okay with that?”

“I don’t mind. More importantly, will my kids be accepted properly?”

“If they see them at work, any farmer will come to accept them. We’ll know once we go.”

True enough.

Viscount Agri led us to a frontier village located fairly close to the domain’s capital.
Due to the threat of monsters, expanding frontier villages in Viscount Agri’s domain seems to be a challenge.
On the other hand, they’re profiting from the materials obtained from those monsters, so it more or less balances out.
Still, it’s clear they want to develop this land further.

(So this is the place. The walls… no, the stone fences surrounding the village are awfully low, aren’t they?)

“Please forgive that. Wooden walls are useless against monsters.”

(Still, with walls that low, even wild animals could walk right through.)

“Mmm… Could I ask you to help with that too?”

(Not a problem. But first, let me greet the village leader.)

As Kiblinki Saltas pointed out, there were no wooden fences around this village.
Instead, there were stone walls, but they weren’t very tall, and since they weren’t built vertically, both wild animals and monsters could easily climb over them.
It was a bit concerning.

The person Viscount Agri summoned as the village representative turned out to be his third son.
Judging by his rather slight build, he didn’t seem like the type to take initiative himself.

“What brings you here, Father? I didn’t expect a sudden visit.”

“Ah, well. Marquis Vardmoi has agreed to lend us some of his tamer’s monsters. They aren’t particularly strong in combat, but I hear they’re quite knowledgeable in agriculture. Would you be willing to make use of them in your village?”

“Monsters doing agriculture? It’s no joke if Marquis Vardmoi himself is involved... For now, let’s have them look at the village fields and point out any problems. We’ll start from there.”

So he wants a field inspection first.
He’s not the kind to pick up a hoe himself, but rather the type to research and give instructions on what farming method would be best, huh?
From what I saw, the fields looked fine, but I wonder what kind of evaluation Kiblinki Saltas will give.

(The fields are well made. The wheat is growing plentifully, and at first glance, there doesn't seem to be any issue.)

“Oh? Then are you saying there’s a problem that isn’t visible?”

(You’re experiencing soil fatigue, aren’t you? To maintain yields like this, you must be using lots of fertilizer and taking strong measures against pests. At this rate, the land will eventually go barren.)

“Mmm. So it is as I suspected. Soil fatigue… Is that the problem caused by growing the same crop repeatedly?”

(Exactly. Huh, you’re quite knowledgeable.)

“I’ve been studying agricultural science since the days of the old kingdom. Unfortunately, before we could find a way to avoid soil fatigue, the kingdom fell apart.”

(Well, we know the answer. How about it? Want to research agriculture together?)

“By all means. Also, would it be possible to reinforce the stone walls around this village?”

(We’re not experts in stonework, but if you build wooden fences, we can reinforce them with our threads to make them sturdy. Sorry, that’s all we can do on that front.)

“No, that’s more than enough. Let’s get started before winter arrives.”

Hmm, this pairing seems like a good match.
I guess vegetable-loving spiders and agricultural advisors just naturally get along.
Anyway, it looks like they’ll be living happily and healthily here—that’s all that matters.

What do you think about this chapter?