Chapter 58

"Hey, why is everyone following me...?"

The carriage of the Veriello Company and its escort were keeping a distance where the unclean carriage was barely visible. They stayed this far because the smell would be unbearable if they got any closer.

"It's concerning, isn't it? Sir Akira has made many unexpected statements before, but to call an unclean carriage a mountain of treasure... That's quite something..."

Cherina held a handkerchief to her mouth.

"But I explained that it might not be the case, right? I'm going to check it out, so you should go back first."

"No, I can't imagine what might happen if I leave Sir Akira alone."

"That's harsh... Well, it's fine for Cherina, but Hagg, you can go back, you know?"

Hagg, a dwarf, had short legs but was walking at the same pace as everyone else. I wondered if he wasn't tired from carrying a block of iron, but he wasn't even sweating in this scorching heat.

"Once we get here, it's the same wherever we go. Besides, that damn elf is the only one who seems to understand the situation, which makes me angry."

"That's a pretty good reason... Well, do as you like. Personally, I just wanted Yararai to be here..."

"Yeah, that iron-smelling dwarf, unnecessary."

Yararai, an elf who usually showed little emotion, seemed somewhat smug at this moment.

"What?!"

"Want to fight? Metal head."

The two of them readied their iron hammer and black needle.

"Hey, don't fight!"

It was a bit half-hearted.

Yararai and Hagg glared at each other for a while before splitting up on either side of the carriage. They really get along well.

I was walking outside, but I returned to the carriage when Cherina called me.

"Can you tell us the reason now?"

"No, it's not certain yet. I'll confirm it first. To be honest, I don't understand it myself; Yararai does."

"Sir Yararai does?"

"Right, we'll see when we get there."

The unclean carriage continued straight down the road for a while, then turned onto a small side road with a sign that read "Unclean Disposal Area Ahead" in Japanese.

Well, probably, this is the local language. When I published technical books, I specified "in the local language." Cherina and the others read it normally, but to me, it looked like Japanese. So this mysterious translator must translate everything, including text and words. It's probably a blessing from the gods.

About 15 minutes after we turned onto the side road, the greenery on both sides of the road had clearly increased. It was the kind of vegetation that grows along rivers. I got out of the carriage and went to Yararai.

"How is it?"

"Hmm, good soil. Surprising."

"Figures."

I walked on the grass to feel the texture of the soil. It was clearly different from the brown soil around it.

"Probably, for 50 years, this land has been collecting it."

Yararai and I looked at each other and nodded.

After another 15 minutes, the unclean carriage in front of us stopped.

"Cherina, you and the others wait here. It's probably going to smell, and you might get sick."

"Understood."

Curiosity was outweighed by discomfort, so they stayed put this time.

I bought a couple of towels after getting approval.

[Towel = 200 yen]

Remaining balance: 909,749 yen.

I tied the towels over my nose and mouth.

"Yararai, use this too."

He nodded and did the same. No matter what he wears, he looks good. Damn.

"Shall we go?"

We ended up looking like bank robbers, but I decided not to care.

As we approached the unclean carriage, a strong smell hit us.

"This is... intense."

"Spread some odor-eliminating ash."

"Any ash will do?"

"To some extent, it matters. But adding ash makes it better as fertilizer."

"I see."

I pressed the towel to my nose and approached the unclean carriage. They were throwing the contents of the carriage into a large hole dug by the side of the road.

"Hello."

When I greeted him, a short, bent old man jumped in surprise.

"W-What do you want?"

"No, we're not suspicious. We're from the Veriello Company. Can you see the carriage over there?"

"V-Veriello Company?!"

The man jumped up and started trembling.

"H-Have I done something wrong?"

"No, I just want to talk."

"Talk...?"

I helped the man, who was about to collapse, sit on a conveniently sized rock, far from the carriage and the hole.

"So, what do you want to talk about? I'm just an unclean disposal worker..."

"Well, I want to ask about the unclean materials. Are you doing this on commission, or are you doing it on your own?"

"Ah, it's technically a job from the government. But I'm just an employee, so the person who actually takes the job is someone higher up."

"Who's higher up?"

"Morimole Company."

"Can I ask what the job entails?"

If a company is involved, there might be room for negotiation.

"Well, it's simple. I just bring the city's unclean materials here and dump them."

"How is the land managed?"

"I don't know."

Of course not.

"How long does it take to fill that hole?"

"About three months, I think..."

"Who digs that hole?"

"No, no! My back is bad, so I can't do it. When it's full, I report to the company and they send someone."

"I see... How long have you been doing this job?"

"Well, it's the only job I have..."

Judging from the reactions of Cherina and the guards, it's not a job anyone would want to do voluntarily.

"Are you alone?"

"Until a few years ago, there were three of us, but the amount we had to transport decreased, and the company's payments became tight, so they quit."

"I see. Did you ever think about quitting?"

"My back is bad, so I can't do any other job now."

I wondered if there was any job he could do with his bad back, but it was probably better than loading and unloading wood.

"What happened to the previous holes?"

"When we dig a new hole, we cover the old one with the soil and leave it."

"Could it be that there have been holes along this side road all along?"

"That's right. When this hole is full, we dig on the opposite side of the road."

"I see. Thank you. This was helpful."

I bowed and decided to stay a little longer to observe.

"Is it okay if I stay around here for a while?"

"Sure, but it's going to smell."

"I have my reasons, so I'll endure it."

I smiled, but the towel covered it.

Yararai and I slowly returned to Cherina's carriage, examining the soil along the way.

The guards pinched their noses and walked away.

We decided to walk away until the smell was gone and head back to town.

When we returned to the main road, Cherina called me back to the carriage.

"Is the smell gone now?"

I think it's fine since I used the cleaning tool to the best of my ability.

"Yes, it's fine now. But could you explain what's going on?"

"Don't you have a hunch?"

Clever Cherina, she probably already knows but is asking for confirmation.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea."

"Really?"

"Really."

Maybe she hasn't dealt much with agriculture.

"I see... Did you find anything unusual about that side road?"

"Unusual? Not really..."

"Did you notice that only grass was growing along that side road?"

"Now that you mention it, yes."

"Believe it or not, human waste can become fertilizer when left to decompose. It's quite potent."

"Huh?"

This reaction is not good.

"It may seem dirty, but when it decomposes, it turns into nutrient-rich soil. The land around there was overgrown with grass, right?"

In reality, the soil wasn't as nutrient-rich as compost because the proper decomposition process wasn't followed, but Yararai told me that the soil was very good for this wasteland because it had been left in the ground for a long time.

"There are rare places like that, but I don't think it's related to unclean materials."

"Really? Such places exist?"

"Yes, but they usually revert to wasteland after a few years."

"Probably, the land around there has been changing for decades."

"Really..."

Hmm... This is not good. If we can use that soil, it would be a significant advantage.

"I'm not trying to directly deal with the current landfill site. If we can move the soil that was buried more than three years ago to a new field, the success rate will skyrocket."

"Unclean soil?!"

"Yes, after a few years, it becomes fertilizer..."

"Is that really okay?"

This isn't going well.

"Akira, Veriello."

There was a knock on the carriage.

"Sir Yararai?"

Cherina opened the side window of the carriage.

"The elves' village uses compost. I can give advice."

"Huh? Compost?"

"Decomposed manure and straw, mixed to create nutrient-rich soil."

It's a bit different, but close enough.

"Indeed."

"Sir Yararai, can unclean materials really become good soil?"

"Yes, humans in Lakelel do it."

"Huh?"

Cherina was speechless.

"What's Lakelel?"

In response to my question, she turned her stiff neck to answer.

"Lakelel is a country of mountains and lakes. A large country facing Lake Mazur, with very fertile land... But... how..."

"The compost works well with the soil near the river."

"..."

She's thinking. Really thinking.

"Animals eat grass, excrete, and the nutrients help the grass grow. We take that. It's not dirty, it's normal."

Elves are into natural living.

"More animals, more grass, more nature, I'm happy, so I'm telling you."

Ah, that's why he told me so easily.

"Is that not an elf secret?"

"No, it's just nature. People just haven't noticed."

"I see... If an elf says so..."

The carriage rattled for a while.

"Alright, let's do it. When it comes to nature, we can't doubt the elves."

"Really?"

I immediately poked at her.

"If it's a technique used in Lakelel, we've already been talking about it. What is there to fear now?"

"You're too good..."

I raised my hands in surrender. Women are strong. Too strong. I almost cried.

"We need to meet with the Morimole Company soon. Melvin, send a messenger. Tell them we want to meet today or tomorrow."

"As you wish."

Following Melvin's instructions, one of the guards rode off toward the town.

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