kscans

Chapter 304 - The Acorns and the Mountain Child

"I'm telling you, it's true! The Lycoris dumplings are really delicious!"

The surrounding adults could only watch with perplexed expressions as the girl insisted vehemently. But that was understandable. After all, if what she said was true, the food shortage currently plaguing this country could be solved by, of all things, poisonous plants and acorns. It was only natural they would want to take it with a grain of salt. The common logic would be to verify it if you doubt it, but this time, they would rather decline. The hurdle was just too high. The stake was, at most, one's own life. Well, if the food shortage was a life threatening situation, then it would be logical to risk one's life to test a countermeasure... but that did not mean one had to proactively risk their own life for it. Lost in thought, the group turned their eyes to the old man who was said to be her companion. An old man named Audel, who was considered one of the wisest in the village.

"Hmm... what Dona says is not wrong, you know? That abandoned village, the place that was an abandoned village, is indeed surrounded by a stone wall sturdy enough that even a monster couldn't seem to break it. And a boy lives there all by himself. Tending to a field far too large for one person."

The audience stirred slightly, but otherwise fell deathly silent, listening to the old man's words.

"The dumplings he served were truly delicious. Well, one of the reasons my granddaughter Dona is praising them so much is probably because of the wood honey on them."

"Wood honey!?" Surprised murmurs leaked from here and there. For a sudden, complete stranger of a guest, was that not a bit too much hospitality? ...No, could it be that this boy ate wood honey on a regular basis?

"G...Grandpa, this 'boy'... what kind of kid is he?"

A young man named Otta asked in a slightly strained voice. He seemed to be concerned about the boy's height and age.

"Hmm... he's around ten years old, give or take... but he possessed a wisdom and composure that belied his age. Also, it seems he can use water and earth magic."

The villagers buzzed with excitement. To be able to use two types of magic at that age, was he not quite the prodigy?

Old Man Audel silenced his granddaughter's questioning gaze with a look of his own. It was too soon to mention that he used that magic to defeat monsters, probably with ease. It was, after all, only the boy's own claim, and they had not seen it with their own eyes.

As for the circumstances of such a child living alone in an abandoned village, he repeated the explanation the boy had given. Several people were already pressing the corners of their eyes. Could they not welcome that boy into this village? No matter that he had no relatives, for a child not yet of age to live all alone in the Salt-Sour Mountain was too much... To this suggestion, the old man simply shook his head. The boy himself would likely not agree.

"He's tending to that much farmland all by himself. From what I saw, he didn't seem to be in any trouble... well, if he needs something, he'll probably come to the village, so we should just treat him well then."

The villagers looked half convinced, but it was the word of the old man who had actually visited that "village" and spoken with that "boy." They quietly backed down.

"Now... about those dumplings."

The villagers turned their attention back to the old man's words with a collective "ah." That was what this was about in the first place. They had forgotten because the story of the abandoned village was too shocking.

"To be honest, I can't say for sure if they were truly made from the roots of Lycoris, or perhaps the nuts of Dag or Shika. However, the boy has no reason to lie... and more importantly, those dumplings had a faint flavor. ...A flavor I've never tasted before."

The group crossed their arms and fell into deep thought. Then, was what the boy said true?

"Well, we should test it before we doubt it. He also entrusted me with some beans."

Saying so, the old man showed them the beans, the soya beans entrusted to him by Yuri. It would take time to confirm if they were edible, but...

"According to the boy, these beans grow strong even in barren land. So we should plant them in the fields we're letting rest and see how they grow."

If they grew even in soil that had lost its nutrients, then they could truly become the village's savior. There was no harm in trying.

"Also... Yuri-kun, that's the boy's name, also taught me about a grass called Alfalfa Mimic. Apparently, it's good for livestock feed, and it also grows well in barren land."

Was that not a grass that seemed made for this village, which raised Amir Goats? Was such a thing growing nearby?

"He showed me the real thing... and I've certainly seen it before. Well, at the time, I didn't think it would be goat feed... Of course, he said it can also be used as green manure."

Then it was worth a try. Searching for it was no trouble, and seeing the goats' reaction was not a hassle either. If the goats took to it, it would be a huge success. As for the rest... maybe they could try soaking the nuts of Dag and Shika in water. The Lycoris root seemed too difficult for them, but Dag and Shika were manageable. The nuts were still green, but there was no harm in trying...

Later... End Village, having found the taste of the Dag and Shika starch dumplings to their liking, would sell off their surplus food without hesitation, attracting the interest of the local lord... but that is another story.