Chapter 53

It was morning.

I really want to deal with the sugarcane today, but since I haven't informed the guild, it would be better not to take a break from cutting it.

Even if I go to the guild now and say, "I'm taking the day off," they can't really stop me, but that's a different story.

Should I just refine the sugar here?

I remember that sugar is made by crushing and squeezing sugarcane.

Then, the juice that comes out is boiled down to concentrate it...

Crushing it should be manageable.

To avoid wasting the juice that comes out during crushing, I need a container, but as long as I have that, I can just smash it with a blade cane.

If I use a magic sword, I might end up cutting the container, so I'll use a blade cane.

Using Metal Lizard Metal, it's designed to be durable and safe.

Squeezing... I could probably manage if I get some tools made.

If I can create a pressure magic that compresses things slowly over time, that would be promising.

Boiling it down is easy, but I need to be careful not to burn the sugar.

However, without the tools, it's impossible here.

Sugarcane is a finite resource.

There's no choice but to put sugar refining on hold.

Then, let's focus on securing the land for sugarcane cultivation.

I need to find an island that looks suitable.

I have to burn the entire island to prevent monster attacks, but burning it would be a waste since there's sugarcane there.

There were quite a few islands nearby, so I'll look for a suitable one.

Of course, I'll need laborers for cultivation, so I'll transport food using the item box, and it would be nice to have water too.

For human use, a magic device should suffice, and depending on the nature of this world's sugarcane, it might not be a priority.

However, the island should be small enough to manage, so that if trees start growing, I can pull them out before they become large enough to spawn monsters.

I guess the best thing to do is to look around.

I followed the same route as yesterday to visit the island where the wyvern was.

I remembered the route, and luckily, the wyvern's island was found quickly.

At an altitude of nearly 1 kilometer, I could see many islands.

It's like the islands of Matsushima were expanded.

I don't know why the terrain is like this, but the islands are flat and there are no volcanoes, so they seem easier to use than hotspots.

An island about 1 kilometer in radius, about 10 kilometers from the wyvern's island, seems to be the right size.

I landed on the island.

There was a galden near the landing spot, so I took the opportunity to cut off its head and put it in the item box.

I flew around the island, but I didn't find any particularly valuable plants.

There's no water, but I can rely on a magic device.

I need a port... oh.

I forgot that there are boat killers in the waters near the monster territories.

They would destroy any boat.

Using plenty of Metal Lizard Metal, I could probably avoid being sunk, but that seems excessive.

Since the sugar business is for the guild, I shouldn't ignore the cost.

The strength of the boat killers will determine what kind of materials I need.

If this world only has wooden ships, a thick iron ship might work.

If that's not possible, I might have to use a flying magic to carry a basket with people in it.

I don't want to leave and risk something happening while I'm gone.

If I build a sturdy ship, I need a port.

The island's surroundings are sandy, so it's not suitable for a port.

I could use magic to alter the terrain, but that seems difficult.

I might need to dig to the seabed, which would be a major project.

I'll look for another island.

I flew again, focusing on the coastline.

I'm looking for an island next to deep water.

From an altitude of about 1 kilometer, there were countless islands, so I should find one.

I kept an eye out for a suitable island at an altitude of about 100 meters.

The depth of the sea can be estimated by the color.

The sea is a mix of blue, green, and turquoise, with deeper areas being darker blue and shallower areas being more turquoise.

I thought I would find a suitable island quickly.

--- About 50 minutes later.

I found nothing.

Not a single island with deep water and the right size.

Even without considering the size, there were no islands with deep water.

It seems I can't use a deep-draft ship.

That means a heavy metal ship is impractical.

If I try to land on the beach with a landing craft, the monsters would eat us.

Hmm, a landing craft.

A landing craft doesn't have to use small boats.

Using hovercrafts or helicopters might allow me to land while avoiding monsters.

The ship itself should be heavily armored to withstand boat killers.

A heavily armored assault landing ship, that's the way to go.

It might not be clear what the ship is for, but increasing its capacity would allow large-scale personnel transport.

It would require a significant initial investment, so the size needs to be considered, but it's an option.

In that case, I might as well... blow up the island.

It would take about 3 days to burn it, so I should prepare in advance...

But that's not right, I don't know whose land it is.

I should go to the commercial guild tomorrow and ask if I can use it.

If not, I'll have to try to persuade them.

Maybe I should bring some golden pastries.

I'll decide based on the situation.

If I only need to prepare sugar for myself, I can just cut it from here, so I don't need to rush into mass production.

For now, I'll go back.

I also need to think about the wyvern materials.

It's a waste to leave them unused.

I'll start by asking about their uses.

I'll also ask Mercia later, but it can't hurt to ask the guild.

The grocery store owner might give me an answer, but he's a businessman.

A place where the use doesn't significantly impact profits might give more accurate advice.

"Excuse me, do you have any recommendations for using the wyvern materials from the other day?"

"For wyverns, I think you can find buyers in Fotoren."

Today's receptionist is polite, and they seem to know I defeated a wyvern, but they're not reacting strangely.

But selling them seems a bit wasteful.

I'm not that short on money.

If I need a budget for the ship, I might have to sell them, but building a ship that expensive might not be a good business decision.

"No, I was thinking of using them myself. Do you have any good ideas?"

"Wyverns are special, and it's outside my expertise, but I think they can be used for weapons or armor made from their hard bones."

So, weapons and armor.

Using hard bones for armor might only offer a slight advantage in weight compared to current armor.

I'll ask just to be sure.

"Is it stronger than Metal Lizard Metal equipment?"

"Metal Lizard Metal is slightly more durable, but the bones are lighter than metal. As a weapon, they can use magic to produce fire, so overall, wyverns are better."

Hmm, a bit tricky.

"Does 'using magic' mean the owner's magic?"

"Yes, many swordsmen don't use magic, so this can be an effective use. It seems to produce fire without concentration, just by swinging it."

Oh.

So it absorbs magic power automatically?

Unlike overpowered magic swords, the lower output might still be manageable.

Or it might not have enough power to drain all the magic.

In any case, a weapon that can use magic without consuming magic power is not bad.

Even with the increased magic power from defeating the wyvern, the amount of magic power I can use per unit of time is limited.

Compared to magic swords, it seems inferior, so I'll put it on hold.

Against magic-resistant opponents, magic swords are overwhelming, and against magic users, magic is faster.

What about the meat?

"Can you eat wyvern meat?"

No, there might be other uses, but was this the right way to ask?

"I've heard that if you dry it in a good place for about a year, it can be delicious, but generally, it's like the meat of a monster from a monster territory, so it's not something you should eat normally."

"Is it a case of too much magic power?"

"Yes, I don't recommend eating it."

"I understand, thank you."

Too much magic power, or excess magic elements, as identified by the appraisal.

Is it delicious?

...Maybe I'll try a little. It was fine in the cave.

It might even increase my MP.

If it doesn't, I'll eat a little at a time and see how it goes.

It's a bit early for lunch, but I'll go outside and cut the meat into 5 cm squares, then slice it thinly and cook it.

I don't have any cooking tools, so I'll use a flat stone I cut with a magic sword, wash it with water, and use it as a griddle.

I'll heat it with magic from above.

Using a fire magic with reduced power and extended duration, I can cook it without a proper heat source.

Soon, a good smell started to rise.

"Hey kid, what are you cooking?"

I was suddenly spoken to by a pair of adventurers passing by.

"Wyvern."

"...Are you Kaede? I've heard you're a monster, but you should stop. It's better to eat normal food."

"I have to try it. I have a lot of magic power, so a little increase won't make a difference."

The meat was cooked well.

As a precaution, I cut a 1 cm thick piece into 1 cm cubes and put it in my mouth.

It was delicious, like high-quality Japanese meat with a slightly stronger flavor and a bit more firmness.

The firmness was not unchewable but added a good texture.

I didn't notice any adverse effects on my health.

"Ah, you ate it... Are you okay?"

"It's delicious! This is great!"

"O-oh..."

They were put off.

The adventurers are actually nice people.

I couldn't naturally introduce the annoying adventurer to the protagonist, so I gave up.

I wanted to, but...