kscans

Chapter 51 - Another, A Second Abandoned Village

"...These are… Soya Beans… right…?"

Soya Bean. An annual crop that bears beans in pods. The tip of the stem becomes somewhat vine like. Like other legumes, it lives in symbiosis with Rhizobium in its roots, which fix atmospheric nitrogen, allowing it to grow even in nitrogen poor soil and can be expected to improve the soil. On the other hand, it is prone to continuous cropping issues, so care must be taken in its cultivation. The seeds are rich in protein and fat, but also contain bitter components and harmful proteins, making them inedible raw. For this reason, it is not widely cultivated in this country and is not well known. The toxic components can be neutralized by cooking. It is similar to the species called ‘daizu’ on the otherworld Earth.

…It lives in symbiosis with rhizobia in its roots and fixes atmospheric nitrogen… prone to continuous cropping issues… rich in protein and fat… Judging from the Appraisal results, they really seemed to be Soya Beans. Or at least this world's equivalent. Looking around, he saw they were growing wild everywhere, but unfortunately, the pods were still small.

"Well, I can just come back when they’re ready to eat… no, depending on how many there are, I might only be able to harvest enough seeds for next year."

He would have to check on that soon. Would this year's menu expand, or would he have to wait until next year? Here, food was one of his greatest pleasures. Whether or not his culinary repertoire grew was directly linked to his will to live.

"Besides… now that I have Soya Beans, it’s a Japanese person’s duty to try making miso, soy sauce, and tofu."

There were issues with things like koji mold and yeast, so he likely wouldn't be able to make miso and soy sauce on the same level as in Japan so easily. As for tofu, there was the problem of how to get the nigari coagulant. He could get salt from the rock salt mine, but for better or worse, the salt here contained almost no magnesium. While that gave it a taste similar to the table salt Yuri was used to, which was fine, it also meant he couldn't get the nigari needed to make tofu. Miso, soy sauce, tofu, all of them might be lifelong challenges, but that was okay. He could think of it as something to look forward to in his old age. …Not the sort of thought a boy under ten should be having.

"But well… I managed to make the Fermented Meat usable… so maybe it’ll be quicker than I think."

His Fermented Meat, made by salting and fermenting the innards of wild animals and monsters, was something Yuri had squeezed from his past life’s memories in his desperate craving for seasonings other than salt. He recalled records of it having been used in Japan long ago. That said, he didn't know the specific production method. He roughly guessed it was probably similar to fish sauce, like Shottsuru from Akita, nam pla from Thailand, or nuoc mam from Vietnam. He had made a prototype with the reckless hope that salting and fermenting the entrails would work out somehow, and fortunately, one of the prototypes turned out to be usable. He was now using and cultivating that batch while also making several other prototypes. It was a cloudy, murky liquid, so when he used it, he would scoop out only the clear liquid from the top and use it as a seasoning. It had a unique smell, or rather, a strong odor, but it contained a rich umami flavor, so Yuri used it as a Broth base for soups and as a substitute for dressing.

However, salt, Fermented Meat, and a few types of herbs and spices, he had found something like cinnamon and something like Japanese pepper, were not enough to satisfy the desires of Yuri, a modern Japanese person. He had been wanting at least some miso. Getting his hands on Soya Beans meant he was one step closer to that ambition.

First things first, he needed to check how many plants there were. Yuri eagerly began to survey the ruins of the settlement.


"Hmm… considering the amount I need to save for seeds… I don’t have enough to eat freely. It’s not enough to even try making a test batch of miso… The most I can do is see if I can get any koji… Oh, and also…"

Here, Yuri remembered something important. Yes, when it comes to legumes, it's all about the rhizobia. Legumes that form a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia in their roots can grow even in nitrogen poor soil by utilizing the atmospheric nitrogen fixed by the bacteria. Therefore, if the plant matter after harvest is plowed back into the soil as green manure, or if the withered plants are left as compost, it can replenish the nitrogen in the field. Of course, he would first need to confirm the nitrogen fixing ability of this world's legumes.

"Since it showed up in Appraisal, it must have nitrogen fixing abilities… but I need to check how effective it is for soil improvement. …Maybe I should take one or two plants back to the village and plant them…"

With Earth Magic and Wood Magic, transplanting and getting them to take root should be no problem.

"And… I should probably take some of these Turnips back too…"

In the ruins of this settlement, he had confirmed the growth of several other escaped crops besides Soya Beans. Many were things he was already cultivating in his own abandoned village, like wheat and potatoes, but he had also found crops he hadn't seen there. Turnips and pumpkins.

Suzuna. An annual or biennial crop. The round, swollen root is harvested in winter for food, and the leaves are also edible.

Boka. An annual crop introduced from another continent, likely for testing. It is rarely cultivated in this country. The stem is vine like and creeps along the ground, bearing large fruit in early summer. The fruit and seeds are edible.

The Suzuna weren't that big yet, so transplanting them wouldn't be much trouble. But the Boka vines had already grown out and were bearing fruit. It seemed better to let them grow here as they were rather than trying to transplant them now.

"Well, I guess this can be my second base of operations."

The settlement ruins had yielded a great harvest, but they also presented a concern that couldn't be ignored. Why was this village abandoned?

They had left behind everything, including magic tools. The villagers must have evacuated in an emergency, but what was the cause?

The fact that their belongings were left behind suggested the villagers never returned. Why?

It was hard to be certain since the houses and fences were already decaying, but he saw no signs of them being destroyed by a powerful force. If that was the case, what was the threat that drove the villagers away?

Yuri grew more vigilant, but it was beyond his imagination that the "threat" was the three monstrous Lucca birds he himself had brought down at the end of last year.