Chapter 71

About two hours after breakfast, Ichirou was at the entrance of the granary area, reconfirming the work content with 300 servants in front of him.

Next to Ichirou stood Rize, who was listening to his talk with a serious expression while looking at the servants. A servant holding a large, fabric-covered parasol stood beside Rize, shielding her from the sun. The parasol had a flat, square canopy, and the servant holding it supported the handle with a belt attached to his waist.

Since Eira was not present today as she was busy with the moving process, another maid was standing by Rize. Eira had been suddenly ordered by Zirconia to move into the mansion this morning, so she must be very busy with the moving process now. Marie accompanied Ichirou and was waiting a little distance away with other servants and guard soldiers.

Rize, instead of her usual dress, was wearing a light leather armor reinforced with bronze over a long-sleeved, thin jacket, with a long sword at her waist. The armor was not a complete bronze metal armor like Zirconia's but a relatively lighter composite armor, probably due to her physical condition. Ichirou wondered why she was wearing armor for a non-military training task, but for them, it was normal to wear armor when working outside the mansion. This was because, in addition to being easier to move in, the armed and armored appearance was more intimidating than civilian clothes, allowing even women who might otherwise be seen as weak to maintain a dignified demeanor.

Nearby, in front of the parked wagons, Isaac and Haber were also present. The two, along with their servants, were unloading bags of fertilizer from the wagons and distributing them to the 60 carts parked around the wagons while Ichirou was giving his instructions. Isaac seemed more enthusiastic than usual, probably because Rize was there.

Seeing Isaac's enthusiastic attitude, Ichirou thought to himself, "He really does get motivated when a cute girl is watching," and felt a sense of camaraderie with Isaac.

Rize, who always looked good in any outfit, whether it was her usual dress, the casual attire she wore during early morning training, or the armor she was wearing now, looked especially beautiful. Her stern expression in the armor highlighted her delicate features, making her look even more beautiful and captivating.

Most men would try to show their best side when a beautiful girl like her was watching.

"Based on the progress of yesterday's work, I think we can finish spreading the contents of all the bags in the fields within half a month. Do you have any questions?"

After reiterating the work procedures, Ichirou said this, and after a moment, the gathered servants began to murmur. Although he hadn't said anything strange, the atmosphere among the servants became somewhat restless. Rize and Isaac also looked at the servants with curious expressions, wondering what was causing the commotion.

After a moment, a young man raised his hand.

"Can we go back home for lunch when it's time?"

"No, we have prepared the meals here. When it's time, I'll give the signal, and you can gather for a meal break."

"Will the cost of the meal be deducted from our wages?"

"The cost of the meal will be covered by the Istar family. You don't need to worry about any deductions for work-related expenses. We have prepared enough food, but if it's not enough, we can add more, so please let us know."

When Ichirou answered the questions, the servants let out a collective "Oh!" of relief.

The meal content for the servants had been discussed with Zirconia the previous day. Since they would be working for a long time under the scorching sun, they needed to be well-fed to maintain their work efficiency. Therefore, more food than the usual per person was prepared, and he had instructed that the salt content be slightly higher to account for the sweat.

"Since we can't work non-stop, please take short breaks every half an hour. Isaac, who will be supervising the work, will give the signal for breaks. Servants with water buckets will patrol the groups, so please drink water even if you're not thirsty. Any other questions?"

After hearing Ichirou's explanation, the man who asked the question and the other servants seemed to be satisfied. After waiting a few seconds and seeing no new questions, Ichirou nodded and gave the signal to start the work.

"Well, since we set up the water wheel here yesterday, let's do this area next. I hope we can set up five or six more today..."

Leaving the work to Isaac and Haber, Ichirou walked through the granary area towards the river, looking at the map he had brought. Rize, who seemed to be included under the parasol, walked closely beside him, watching the servants spreading the fertilizer.

"You're conducting a large-scale operation. Does spreading the contents of those bags in the fields make the crops come back to life?"

"Not for the crops that have already withered, but the ones that are still alive should recover. The substance being spread is called fertilizer, which is like a medicine to invigorate the soil."

"Invigorate the soil...?"

When Ichirou explained, Rize, who was watching the work with interest, looked back at him with a curious expression. It was the same reaction she had when he first explained fertilizers to Barretta and the others in Gricia village. Apparently, the concept of spreading fertilizer did not exist in this world's agriculture. The idea that crops grow thanks to the blessings of the gods was the norm here.

"Yes, to do that, we usually mix the soil with compost, which is made from fallen leaves that have decomposed in the forest. However, in the current situation, that alone won't be enough, so I've prepared this special fertilizer to spread in the fields. It's very powerful."

"Hmm, so the mountain of bags containing fertilizer was prepared by Lord Kazura... Wait, where did he go?"

While nodding in agreement, Rize tilted her head in confusion.

"Lord Kazura left Istaria 8 days ago and returned 2 days ago, so the shortest one-way trip would be 3 days... It's impossible to make a round trip to Clayrats in 3 days... Where did he go?"

Indeed, Rize had no idea where Ichirou had gone during his absence from Istaria.

To spread fertilizer over such a vast granary area, a considerable amount would be needed. Preparing such a large amount of fertilizer would require a significant amount of time, and even if he had planned and prepared the supplies in advance, a place to store them would be necessary. Rize thought that perhaps the fertilizer was delivered at some location in advance, but her interest was more focused on where Ichirou's home country was.

"A one-way trip of 3 days to a country where a wealthy and noble family could deliver supplies... Since he was with his mother, it can't be Barbeur, so it must be Clayrats... But I've never heard of such a wealthy noble family in Clayrats..."

"Ah, right, I mentioned this briefly when talking with Zirconia yesterday."

While Rize was deep in thought, Ichirou looked up from the map he was holding.

"I heard that it's almost time for sowing seeds, but I forgot to ask what kind of seeds are sown. Do you know, Rize?"

"Seeds? Oh, seeds..."

"Yes, I'm not very familiar with agriculture in this region, so if you know, could you tell me?"

Suddenly asked about this, Rize recalled the content of a lecture she had received from a civil servant. She had not been particularly interested in agriculture, but she had listened seriously. However, her memory of the content was vague. While she was unsure about the types and rituals of harvest prayers, she could remember the sowing times and types of seeds.

"Well... According to the usual schedule, as the temperature starts to drop soon, we sow winter sweet potatoes and beans. Harvesting is just before the snow falls."

"Sweet potatoes and beans. Are there any others?"

"Um, well... round leeks and various leafy vegetables... and when it gets to autumn, we start sowing barley and rye."

Rize, who had never expected to be asked about agriculture, frantically dug through her memory and regretted not paying more attention during the lectures. If she were asked more questions, she wasn't confident she could answer them all correctly.

"I see... By the way, do you know what the beans are used for? Are they processed for something?"

"There are several types of beans, but I remember that winter beans are dried and stored or used to extract oil."

"Oil? How is it extracted?"

"Um, I think they are pressed in wooden boxes... Ah, sorry. I studied this from a civil servant, but I've forgotten the details, so I don't know the exact method..."

"Don't worry about it. Actually, knowing that much is quite impressive."

Rize, who looked apologetic, received a smile and a thank you from Ichirou. He didn't expect her to be very knowledgeable about agriculture or government affairs, so he wasn't disappointed. Rize had been busy with meetings yesterday and was probably studying in her spare time. Being a noble lady, she must have a lot of responsibilities.

"Like soybean oil in Japan... I think it's called pressing."

Ichirou didn't know the detailed methods, but he knew that oil could be extracted from soybeans and rapeseed. Investigating the pressing methods in this world could help improve the efficiency of extraction and reduce the time required.

"But pressing takes a lot of time, I think. Using a centrifuge might be much more efficient..."

A centrifuge is a machine that uses centrifugal force to extract or separate components in a liquid. Ichirou had seen his father, Masaharu, use a centrifuge to remove oil from metal materials, and he thought it might be useful for extracting oil from beans. In fact, centrifuges are used in factories to extract soybean oil and olive oil, so his idea was not wrong.

While walking and thinking seriously, Ichirou noticed that Rize, who was walking beside him, was looking at him with a worried expression, probably concerned that she couldn't answer his questions in detail. Since Rize seemed to be less knowledgeable about agriculture and food processing, changing the topic might be better.

"By the way, I remember we met in the city the first time. Do you often go out in the city, Rize?"

"Yes, I often go for a walk in the city to change my mood."

Rize seemed relieved that the topic had changed.

"Being in the mansion all the time can be depressing... Plus, going out into the city allows me to talk to various people, which is very enjoyable. I can also observe the city directly, which helps me understand the lives of the citizens."

"Ah, so you're a diligent learner. Since you often go out, are you familiar with the city's shops and the food people eat?"

"I often go to the central part of the city, so I'm quite friendly with the shopkeepers there. I also go out to eat with Eira, so I know a lot of good places. If you'd like, we can go out together sometime. I can show you around."

"Sure, that sounds great. If my schedule allows, I'd love to."

Ichirou, taking it as a polite offer, agreed, and Rize's face lit up with joy.

"I'm so happy! I'll work hard to make time for outings!"

"Uh? Ah, yes, thank you."

Surprised by her unexpectedly enthusiastic response, Ichirou nodded, a bit taken aback. He couldn't tell how serious she was, but she seemed eager to help with the work.

However, with so much to do urgently, he couldn't afford to take time off. If they did go out, it would probably be after the granary project was completed.

Seeing Rize's overly enthusiastic reaction, Ichirou thought to himself, "She's quite sociable. No wonder she's popular among the citizens." He felt he had glimpsed the secret to her popularity.