Chapter 31

"Ushi... it's done."

I entrusted the creation of living Otems to Giselle and Sibyl, and carved a large Otem myself.

It's easily over two meters tall. The upper part, I carved while stretching up on a tree stump.

It's a huge tree that I whittled down to a thin shape. It was a lot of work.

I decided to name it "Yama-san No. 2."

Yama-san No. 2 is not a living Otem.

The wood used is not Futer but a different type.

I had Sibyl help me cut the tree.

Yama-san No. 2 is something like a scarecrow to guard the incense leaf field here.

Nozwell will likely come to cause trouble soon.

The plan is to put up a "No Trespassing" sign and have Yama-san No. 2 keep watch.

Of course, it's dangerous, so it doesn't have any attack functions, but if a normal person were to be approached by an Otem of this size, they would probably run away.

Cultivating incense leaves in the forest without permission is not a problem.

Originally, reclamation is encouraged.

This Maren tribe settlement apparently has little land suitable for agriculture.

The land where magic trees have grown for a long time has a biased composition.

Therefore, even if the forest is simply cleared, crops cannot be grown as desired.

The land suitable for agriculture has been expanded over generations through alchemy, but it has been a slow process.

There are also fast-growing and reproducing magic plants, and if maintenance is neglected, the land can be ruined.

Since free reclamation is allowed, there is no issue with cultivating incense leaves.

Besides, I'm just manipulating the forest's trees, so there's no need to enrich the soil like with crops.

I do give it some special soil to imbue it with magic, but that's all.

There's no need for fire or plowing.

After the coming-of-age ceremony and the incense leaf war settle down, I might try combining Otems to make a reclamation tractor.

I have confidence that I can expand the Maren tribe's farmland by ten times or more.

But that might be too much. The tribal chief would probably put a stop to it.

I tried to pat Yama-san No. 2's head, but even stretching, I couldn't reach it.

Hmm, it's reassuring.

If someone were to approach this without knowing, a normal person would probably run away.

Well, I should get back to making the incense leaf Otems.

As I was looking for a suitable Futer tree, I saw Sibyl leaning against the Otem and sleeping.

I placed my hand on Sibyl's shoulder and shook her.

"Sibyl, wake up! Come on, quickly! We're a bit behind schedule! Please!"

Sibyl woke up with a weary face.

Hmm, has she lost weight?

"Mr. Abel... isn't it enough already...? I've never seen so many Otems lined up outside Mr. Abel's yard. I've heard that taking care of incense leaves is the most difficult with Otems."

"What do you mean 'enough'? We're far from done. This time, I want to record which conditions work best by making small changes each time. We're still short on numbers."

"Are we behind schedule because Mr. Abel put too much effort into the security Otem...?"

"I can't help it. I'm a perfectionist. Come on, start carving! Quickly, please! I'm begging you! I'll do anything you ask if it's within my power! So please, start carving now!"

"Um... is my waist too low or too high...? Then, then... Giselle-chan...""That's not possible."

I said I would do anything, but only what I can do.

I can't involve my sister.

"I'm going home! I'm tired!"

I glanced at Giselle, who was dozing off while carving the Otem, and lowered my voice.

"Listen, Sibyl, I haven't told you this, but if this incense leaf project fails, Giselle will be forced to marry into the Kalko family."

If the Kalko family really moves, it's possible.

Even if we resist, our family might be isolated within the settlement.

Of course, if they really do something like that, we will counterattack without hesitation.

If that happens, it won't just be an incense leaf war.

Both Nozwell and I will be so disgraced that we won't be able to walk around the settlement freely.

"Wh-What!? Is that true!?"

"Yeah, so please, Sibyl..."

I was about to bow, but suddenly stopped.

In this settlement, there is a culture of bowing, but there is something even more significant.

I did what Sibyl often does, closing my eyes and making a cross in the air with one hand.

I hope it doesn't look like I'm joking.

"O-Okay, I understand! You don't have to do that!"

"What are you doing, brother! Put your hands down!"

Not only Sibyl, but even Giselle, who was carving the Otem, put down her wood carving knife and tried to stop me.

I still don't fully understand what this means within the Maren tribe.

"I'm sorry, Sibyl. But Yama-san No. 2 is necessary."

"Yama-san No. 2?"

"The large, thin Otem that brother was making."

As expected of Giselle.

Even though I hadn't told her the name, she seemed to have guessed it.

"Right, Sibyl, I have a special drink. Do you want to try it? It will completely dispel your sleepiness, and you can work like a machine for 72 hours straight. When the effect wears off, you'll suffer a bit, though."

Of course, I also brought the Abel potion.

The performance has been improving with each prototype.

However, the side effects have also increased proportionally.

Still, since the main ingredients are herbs available within the settlement, the performance improvement is reaching its limit.

For the past year, development has only focused on reducing side effects.

"Um, I'll pass. It feels like crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed as a human..."

Sibyl shook her head, her face pale.

Hmm, I see.

Although it won't do much to help, I'll cast a fatigue recovery spell on her.