落とし穴７６堀：天高く馬肥ゆる季節 (Part1)
**Pitfall 76: The Season of High Skies and Fat Horses**
The season of high skies and fat horses has arrived.
**Side: Kaya**
Although the heat still lingers, it has been growing weaker with each passing day. I’ve come to realize that this is, for me, the most delightful time of year.
"Heave-ho!"
*Thwack!*
The hoe I swung pierced the soil without a hint of resistance. I rarely have to swing a hoe to till the fields of Weed. Zargis has been developing tools that operate on magic power, mimicking agricultural machinery, so we use those for the heavy tilling. Without them, it would be impossible for human hands alone to cultivate such vast farmland.
The population of Weed is increasing year by year, but it’s still only a few tens of thousands. Of those, fewer than three thousand are involved in agriculture. Weed’s farming system is built on the premise of having these agricultural machines.
Currently, we are also growing crops for export, so the scale is vastly different from the small plots in villages where people grow just enough for their own survival, a little income, and taxes. The newcomers to farming are often stunned by the scale. It is rare to find agricultural land stretching for dozens of kilometers, mostly because one would usually have to face threats like monsters, bandits, and wild animals. But here in Weed, those threats don't exist, allowing us to till the fields in total safety.
Now, as for why I am swinging a hoe myself in these conditions...
"What a great harvest this year!"
"This looks delicious."
"It's huge!"
Everyone around me is holding sweet potatoes dug up from the earth.
"Representative Kaya, how is it over there?"
"Things are looking good here, too. Great shape."
I hold a sweet potato in my own hand. Yes, today is sweet potato harvest day. For those of us in agriculture, harvest day is a vital event directly linked to our livelihood—a day to confirm the fruits of our labor.
For wheat and rice, we have to use machines for the harvest, of course. Normally, things would be a bit busier, but since these fields are essentially state-owned, we can gather enough personnel to finish the work all at once, which makes it much easier.
But more importantly, I need to correct him.
"Oh, Dodd-san. I’m not the representative anymore. You’re the agricultural representative now."
"Even if you say that... I still don't really feel like it..."
"You'll get used to it soon enough. Besides, the work doesn't really change."
I make sure to state clearly that I am no longer the representative. If I don't make him realize his position, I’ll never be able to relax. Basically, we agricultural representatives just cultivate the crops and livestock requested by Weed's upper management.
Usually, farming is unstable and at the mercy of the climate, but that isn't the case in Weed. Thanks to Yuki, the environment for growing crops is excellent, and we can work at a leisurely pace. In the first place, if push comes to shove, we can supply food using DP, so we have peace of mind. We even have a stockpile of canned goods, so we’d be fine even without DP. My husband really is amazing.
"Still, there were people more capable than me..."
"It can't be helped. They’ve started working on producing brand-name goods. They’re managing their own private fields, but they come to help out during times like this, and I’m grateful for that alone."
"That is true..."
As Dodd-san says, there are "capable" people. As he mentioned, they have moved out of the state-run farms and are starting to create their own brands as individual farmers. Of course, it would be a problem if they failed and ended up starving, separated from their families, or becoming vagrants, so we support their livelihood by hiring them during harvest seasons when we need a lot of hands.
The branding of crops and livestock is something Yuki is pushing, and he said it would be the trump card for farmers in the future. I don't quite get it, but if Yuki says so, then it must be true.
"Anyway, this year's sweet potatoes are a great success."
"Yes, I agree. I’m just happy we were able to harvest them safely again this year."
"At this rate, the fields for the children should be fine, too."
Actually, we’ve provided a portion of the fields to the children attending school, letting them grow crops as part of their curriculum. Or rather, this was a natural progression. There was no opposition to teaching them academics, but originally, only wealthy families could afford to educate their children; in most places, children are overwhelmingly more likely to be helping their parents with farm work.
The primary reason is that they wouldn't have food otherwise, but that isn't the case in Weed. However, since it would feel strange for both parents and children to suddenly abandon that custom, we organized this as part of the curriculum to give them a sense of purpose and the realization that they are working hard to sustain their own lives.
Of course, the children can take home what they harvest to eat, or sell it to our agricultural cooperative. For the orphans, it means more delicious snacks, so many of them work hard just for this day.
"Wow, it's huge!!"
"It really is!"
"Let's dig up even more!"
"Sweet potatoes!"
Such energetic voices are carried on the breeze. That's right. The best way to enjoy the taste of sweet potatoes is to roast them. Naturally, we are preparing for that as well.
"Is the preparation for the roasted sweet potatoes ready?"
"Yes. The teachers and the children are handling that, so it should be finished soon. Actually, Yuki-san is there, too."
"A needless worry, then. Once we finish moving the harvest, leaving aside what we need for roasting, we'll join them."
"Yes. That is the feast of the sweet potato harvest day, after all."
"Still, I'm glad we were able to harvest them properly."
"Indeed."
Normally, you'd need to dry them in the shade, but you can eat them just fine without it. It’s just a matter of taste. At the site where we plan to roast them, the children who have finished harvesting are already gathered, and in the center...
"Alright, everyone! We're going to make roasted sweet potatoes! If it's your first time, write your name on this stone plate, put your sweet potato inside, and hand it to the teachers. Don't try to put them in the bonfire yourself. If you put them in the wrong spot, they'll just turn into charcoal! Understand?!"
" " "Yes!!" " "
"Good! Bring them over!"
"Mm. I'll keep bringing more."
Yuki, Riel, and Cleena are leading the teachers in starting the roasting. ...Riel is really enjoying herself, isn't she? She’s been digging up potatoes with the kids and has now moved to the roasting side, clearly intent on fully enjoying the roasted sweet potatoes. Well, that’s just like Riel, so it’s fine.
"Representative. Everything except for the portion for roasting has been moved out."
"...Like I said, I'm not the representative anymore."
"My apologies. It’s just a habit."
"Haa... well, we have to roast a massive amount of sweet potatoes ourselves. We have plenty to share, too. It’s going to be a long day. Heave-ho."
"That's right. *Hnnngh.*"