Chapter 4

"Th-this is..."

Holding the long, stately large leaf in his hand, he couldn't help but mutter.

Sure enough, this is Fantasy. I never thought such a plant would exist.

"Lord Joshua, are you sad?"

"No, no. I'm not sad; I'm just surprised by the unexpected."

He shook his head no to Alru, who peered at him hesitantly.

"What kind of plant could surprise Lord Joshua?"

This time, Elly asked with great interest.

"This is cassava. It can become a major grain crop here, replacing wheat."

He dramatically held up the leaf, but it seemed the two of them didn't quite get it.

Well, that's understandable. I never thought such a thing existed either.

The status of this leaf, as shown by the plant identification gift, is as follows:

"Name: Temperate Cassava

Overview: Edible. Cannot be eaten raw; detoxification is required.

Cultivation: Can grow easily even without fertilizer once planted.

Details: There are three main methods for detoxification..."

This is cassava, this leaf is cassava!

I never thought cassava would exist in this world. Unlike the tropical variety from Earth, this world's cassava seems to be temperate.

From this, I learned that Cumberland is in a temperate zone.

Even though the temperate zone has a wide range, it can be hot in summer and covered in snow in winter... The current season is spring, the best time to start farming.

We can stockpile plenty of food before winter to prepare for the cold.

Oh, cassava. This tuber is known as "the easiest tuber to cultivate in the world," growing well even in barren land that wouldn't normally be farmland.

The downside is that it contains cyanide-like toxins. However, the method for detoxification is provided by the "plant identification" gift.

"Will this leaf become wheat?"

"No, the roots will swell like tubers. We can dig them up, process them, and make bread."

"What kind of taste will it have? I'm looking forward to it!"

"There are leaves. I want you to dig up the roots of this plant. We'll start cultivation based on that."

"Understood. I'll take care of it."

Elly straightened her back and bowed deeply.

If we crush the cassava and turn it into flour, we should be fine. Oh, by the way, it's the raw material for tapioca.

It would be nice to enjoy tapioca tea... For that, we need black tea and sugar.

And, I want milk too.

"Milk, it can also be used as feed for livestock, yeah."

"Creating something from nothing. Truly, Lord Joshua!"

"Indeed. Lord Joshua, you're amazing!"

The two of them blushed and praised him.

One after another, his imagination ran wild, and he couldn't help but speak his thoughts aloud, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

He scratched the back of his head and decided to check the remaining plants.

One hour later—

"Is this enough?"

He narrowed his eyes at the row of potential crops. He never thought he would find so many.

Among the 25 types of plants they brought, three were fragments of edible plants.

"I heard this land was barren, but it seems to be rich and fruitful, doesn't it?"

Elly's words made sense. It's not barren at all. It just seems that the edible plants here are so different from those in the Rudel Principality that people have been prejudiced against them. Or perhaps, they simply didn't know how to cultivate them.

Cumberland, though with a different climate, has many plants similar to those native to Central America.

During the investigation, the agricultural team brought more collected items, and we discovered even more edible plants.

With the explorers like Rumburg bringing back more, we can be confident that we can live without relying on the neighboring countries, including the Rudel Principality, which I used to govern.

We found sweet potatoes, chili peppers, zucchini, corn, bell peppers, avocados, strawberries, and more. Although we haven't found them yet, at this rate, we might find potatoes and pumpkins too. We can also search for wild herbs that can be used in salads.

"Elly, can you gather the agricultural team? Alru, let's go to the garden and arrange the selected crops."

"Understood."

"Understood."

In response to his instructions, both of them straightened their backs and bowed deeply.

◇◇◇

That evening, Rumburg and the others returned.

He immediately called Rumburg and Barthol to hear their reports.

I had a blackboard brought into the study and tried to have them sit on the sofa opposite the couch where I was sitting, but they stood straight and gave their reports.

It's not that sitting is disrespectful. I need to persuade them to be more relaxed eventually.

Being too formal makes things difficult.

"I explored the north, and Barthol explored the south. I'll start with my report."

After performing a graceful bow, Rumburg began to speak.

To the north, about a thirty-minute walk away, there is a medium-sized river with a flow that makes it difficult to cross.

The depth is unknown since it hasn't been explored, but with a width of over twenty meters, it is presumed to be quite deep.

On the other side of the river, there is a steep cliff, and beyond that, it is not visible. Moving northward from the manor, the forest density increases, making it a good hunting ground, according to Rumburg.

On the opposite side, the trees are sparse, and a desolate landscape stretches out.

While writing down what Rumburg said on the blackboard, I drew a rough map.

"Thank you. Next, Barthol, please."

"Hmm. I'm not very good at explaining."

As Barthol started to speak, I felt a chill run down my spine.

Ah, yeah.

"Rumburg, I don't care about the tone. Stop glaring at Barthol."

"I apologize."

This is the umpteenth time we've had this exchange.

"The important thing is not formality. It's more important to speak in a way that makes it easier to report."

"As you wish."

Rumburg, looking embarrassed, aligned his feet and bowed deeply.

On the other hand, Barthol rubbed his nose, looking uncomfortable. They are quite contrasting, but I like both of them.

I know they have worked hard for me.

With a chuckle, both of their faces softened.

"Let's be more relaxed. It's okay. The crops seem to be manageable."

"Is that so! In just one day... I'm always amazed by Lord Joshua's keen eye."

Rumburg's eyes widened, and his voice rose, which was a bit scary.

I just said to be more relaxed. Well, his strictness is also one of his good qualities.

"Then, Barthol, please give your report again."

"Sure!"

Barthol thumped his chest and began to describe the situation.

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