kscans

Chapter 96 - The Two Sisters 4. The Proposal

Adon, having heard Yuri’s explanation, showed his quick grasp of the situation.

"...Are you saying we should get a head start and begin cultivating Papas Potatoes?"

"There’s no need to start large-scale cultivation right away. Just winning over the refugees from the neighboring country and gathering information about cultivation methods and this famine would make a difference. In short, Papas Potatoes cannot be ignored when it comes to improving this country’s food situation. I imagine other merchants will come to the same conclusion as I have. If they hesitate, it will be for one reason. The blight that occurred this time."

"Exactly. For us farmers, we would hesitate to get involved with a crop that is known to suffer from blight."

"Crop blight isn’t limited to Papas Potatoes, you know?"

"But this blight was so severe that even the farmers of the neighboring country couldn't handle it, right?"

"That interpretation is the issue. First of all, the reason they couldn’t handle it well was because it was an unknown disease. Which, in turn, means that the outbreak of the plague was a rare occurrence."

""Hmm.""

"Next, the fact that they became refugees is not directly related to the blight."

""...What?""

"Or rather, it was their carelessness and arrogance. If they hadn’t relied solely on Papas Potatoes and had cultivated other crops alongside them, it wouldn’t have become such a problem. Well, conversely, this is a testament to how excellent a crop Papas Potatoes were, that they could rely on them alone."

""Hmm...""

Seeing the two of them lost in thought, Yuri continued.

"In this country where distrust of Papas Potatoes is deeply rooted, even if we succeed in cultivating them, we probably can’t expect a market for them for a while. However, that said, there are people who are not prejudiced against Papas Potatoes. People who are likely suffering from the poor harvest of Papas Potatoes right now... and I doubt they would start cultivating Papas Potatoes again in the land where the blight occurred."

"...Are you saying we should export them to the neighboring country, Fulst...?"

"Also, we could hire the refugees with payment in kind, with the Papas Potatoes themselves. Right now, people with the skills are ripe for the picking, you know?"

Yuri concluded his speech with a pronunciation that made it unclear whether he meant "saving" or "scooping up."

After thinking for a while, Old Man Audel eventually looked up and asked a question.

"Yuri-kun... is there a possibility that the potato plague could enter this country...?"

"It seems there are no restrictions on travel between here and the neighboring country at present. So I can’t say it’s impossible."

At Yuri’s words, this time Adon posed a question.

"What are the countermeasures?"

"A complete lockdown would be impossible, so we should make sure to wash the crops well and remove the soil before bringing them in."

"Soil? Is the blight in the soil?"

"Not necessarily, but it’s better to wash off anything that might be attached to the potatoes."

As he said this, Yuri pointed out another possibility.

"As one possibility, the blight in question might already be in this country. It’s just that, unlike the neighboring country, we don’t practice large-scale cultivation of Papas Potatoes, so the damage may not have become apparent."

"If that’s the case... wouldn’t cultivating these potatoes be like waking a sleeping giant?"

"No matter what kind of giant it is, you should wake it when you need to. You just have to be prepared for it."

""Hmm...""

"Also, even if you obtain seed Papas Potatoes, you should initially grow them in pots or something similar, one by one, spaced apart. That’s to prevent the blight from spreading in case of an emergency. If a blight does occur, you should immediately disinfect them, soil and all."

""Disinfect?""

It seemed the concept of disinfecting soil did not exist here.

"Ah... um... I think it would be good to burn the entire plant and soil with fire magic, and then purify it by exposing it to sunlight."

""I see.""

"Also, Papas Potatoes are heavy feeders, but if you give them too much fertilizer and they grow up weak, I think they’ll be more susceptible to disease, so please be careful."

""Hmm...""

"Even considering these things, it will be important to at least gather information about the blight. Fortunately or unfortunately, it’s not so difficult to gather information right now. Almost all the refugees from the neighboring country will have been victims of it."

"...Indeed... It’s common sense for a merchant to get accurate information quickly... I understand, Yuri-kun. I’ll start by gathering information from the refugees."

"If you open something like a relief shelter, you can listen to their stories without arousing the suspicion of other merchants. If you send those children to help out there, the refugees will likely let their guard down."

"...To have so much wisdom at that age... Thank you, I’ll take it into consideration."

With Adon seemingly satisfied and stepping back, this time Old Man Audel spoke up.

"Yuri-kun... what do you plan to do with the remaining potatoes?"

"I’ll try cultivating them myself. Considering the worst-case scenario, it would be better to avoid bringing them into End Village. At my place, even if there’s damage, it will be limited."

"...Somehow, I have a feeling the damage would be greater over there..."

As someone who had seen Yuri’s fields, the thought of those fields being wiped out was a nightmare.

"No, it probably won’t affect the other crops. It will be alright."

He wanted to say that the same should be true for their village, but considering the number of people who would be affected in a worst-case scenario, it was indeed difficult to bring them into the village. Besides, knowing Yuri, he probably had some plan, so the old man decided to accept it.