第１５５４堀：食べ物は意外と大事 (Part2)
"I-I see. If you have 5,000 servings of soup, 800 should be more than enough to cover today's soup kitchen. Also, it would be a great help if you could make it vegetable soup; we are suffering from a severe lack of greens. We can obtain meat by slaying monsters, but there are so few people left who can cultivate crops."
Ah, I see. So the farmers have fled, leaving the fields untended—or perhaps there simply aren't any large-scale farms left. It seems that monsters, which appear of their own accord, have become a more reliable resource than agriculture.
As we were discussing this, a soft glow of healing magic suddenly rose from beneath my feet.
"Whoa!? Wait, this is..."
Mikos panicked for a split second before regaining her composure. It was obvious enough who had cast it.
"Looks like Rurua and the others have finished their work. Come now, enough talk. We need to hurry with the meal preparations, or the patients and the sisters won't get to eat in time."
Yuki said this while pulling out large pots one by one and setting out bowls. We scrambled to help him. It was true that even with nearly a hundred patients, a wide-area healing spell would cure the vast majority of them. Since they wouldn't need to be transported, they would likely come here themselves.
"Sister Magnolia, please inform the treatment ward that the meal is ready. I'll leave it to you to decide how many to bring over. Oh, and let us know if anyone requires soft food; we can prepare porridge."
"Yes, thank you. Dear, please pass the message to Sister Knosia..."
Just like that, about eighty percent of the patients hospitalized at the Ritea Church in Vinosia were healed and able to eat a proper meal. Of course, the critical cases remained, but considering they had been pulled back from the brink of death, it was a relief.
Incidentally, it was somewhat surreal watching the sisters eat the food we brought while offering prayers of gratitude—not just to Lilishe, but to us as well. After all, the very Goddess they were thanking was sitting right there beside them. Moreover, nearly half of those who had performed the healing were goddesses themselves; the ratio was quite bizarre.
"So, how are the patients who can't move?"
"They are doing well, too. They’ve managed to pull through. I’ve asked the sisters to provide liquid diets for them. I think the porridge and juice you prepared will suffice."
"That’s good to hear."
Ignoring my internal musings, Yuki continued to confirm the status with Rurua. Well, with top-tier healers like Rurua leading the charge, it would be a stain on their reputation if anyone died now. Of course, we couldn't save everyone, but it goes without saying that fewer deaths are always better.
"After this, we’ll have the sisters take turns resting, and then we’ll hold the soup kitchen before sunset."
"Right, I heard as much from Magnolia. Is it alright if we provide the soup from our stock? Will the ingredients you have on hand hold out?"
"Yes, we should be fine. However, our current supplies aren't exactly plentiful. If we keep going like this, it might end up being nothing more than water with a few scraps floating in it."
It seemed Rurua and the others had checked the inventory; aside from Lilishe and Hairen, their expressions were grim.
"We did ask Bamai-san for help, but it seems deliveries have been lagging lately~"
"Yes, as Sister Lilishe says, they haven't been able to procure goods from the nearby areas, so they have to bring them in from further away, which increases the costs. But I cannot blame them. They have been supporting us for so long."
Knosia didn't seem to have a bad word to say about the Danaddemi Trading Company. Usually, one would expect at least a complaint or two against the people holding their lifeline, but I suppose that’s just the kind of person Lilishe would trust.
"We should discuss that. We’ve brought supplies for now, and it’s difficult for Bamai-san to transport goods given the current situation."
"Indeed~ We can't just rely on support forever. We need to look into ways to help them cultivate crops locally, too~"
It was true; simply handing over supplies wouldn't lead to the reconstruction of the area around the old Vinosia royal capital. A discussion on that front would be necessary.
As we talked, we ate our late lunch and kept a watchful eye on the state of Canaria. Food is essential for survival—when preparing it is a struggle, bringing in what’s already made is a relief. That was the situation we found ourselves in.