第１５５８堀：魔術で農業をする (Part2)
"This... is certainly not a task that can be accomplished easily."
"You said it. Ahaha..."
"It’s at a level that makes one want to escape from reality."
Everyone stood stunned, staring at what used to be a field, now reduced to a mere plain.
This would require starting from the very beginning: clearing the weeds to secure the land.
I wondered how long it had been left to rot—nearly five years, since the fall of the Vinoshia Kingdom?
Looking closely, there were faint traces of where someone had once tried to create a small patch, but it had long since succumbed to ruin.
Well, that was to be expected; there was no one to guard or tend to the fields. Even if they had managed to plant something, it would have been ravaged by wild animals before it could ever bear fruit—if it even reached that stage at all.
Yet, amidst this, Kaya and her group felt no burden at all.
In fact...
"Yes, this way we can do as we please."
"Indeed. It would have been a problem if they had poorly prepared the land for wheat..."
"At this rate, we can manage everything by adjusting the fertilizer."
They were actually delighted by the situation.
Kaya turned around.
"Then, for our initial reclamation plan, we’ll start near the gate where it’s easier to monitor. Is that alright?"
She spoke to Sister Kunoshia as if starting the work right then and there were the most natural thing in the world.
Naturally, clearing land adjacent to the road was a more efficient decision than hacking through a sea of weeds to reach the back, but...
"Ah, yes. That is fine, but... um, will it be alright? Even just preparing the land, given how terrible it looks..."
It was clear from Sister Kunoshia’s expression that she believed restoring this wasteland to farmland would require an astronomical amount of labor. Even if it were only enough to feed the current residents, she saw it as a monumental task. Unfortunately for her expectations, the people standing here were Kaya and her team—the very ones who effectively controlled the agriculture of Weed.
"...That isn't the problem. Just watch. John."
"You got it. Alright, let’s go. Weed-clearing squad, ready."
"Yes, sir!"
At John’s command, a portion of the Tondenhei—the agricultural soldiers—lined up in perfect formation.
There was no hesitation; they had already been sent maps of the Vinoshia region, so their movements had been decided since the moment they arrived.
All that remained was to verify the site with their own eyes to see if it was feasible, and having judged that there were no issues, Kaya had given the order.
"Clear a distance of five hundred."
"Understood. Distance five hundred. Prepare for an excess of five hundred and fifty."
"Yes, sir!"
Without a moment’s doubt, the Orc soldiers raised their staves.
"?"
The Sisters who had followed them tilted their heads in confusion.
It was understandable; they were likely wondering what Orcs intended to do with staves. Specifically, what kind of magic they could possibly use for agricultural reclamation.
In this world, magic was categorized into attack, defense, support, and daily utility, but it was rarely applied to construction or industrial fields.
Well, if one were skilled in magic, one could make a living by hunting monsters. That was why the idea of using magic for farming simply didn't exist.
However, this was the Weed Tondenhei.
They had researched not only tools, techniques, and knowledge but also magic to determine how to cultivate land most efficiently.
In other words...
"Fire."
At John’s command, the soldiers unleashed their magic in perfect, rhythmic unison.
A horizontal line of wind blades swept forward, instantly shearing through the dense, overgrown weeds of the field.
The result was a wide-open expanse of land.
"..."
The Sisters were speechless.
It would have taken days to pull or cut all that by hand.
To see it done in an instant was, naturally, shocking. But unfortunately, it didn't end there.
While the grass had been cleared, the stalks remained, and the roots were still buried deep in the soil. To finish the initial preparation, one would usually have to remove those and till the earth, but...
"Next, Firia, please."
"Yeah, leave it to me. Here we go."
This time, Firia placed both hands on the ground and activated her magic.
Before their eyes, the cut grass and the roots were swallowed into the earth. The ground began to churn and bubble, and steam started to rise.
It was a process of utilizing earth, fire, and water magic: tilling the soil, severing the roots, mixing them in, heating them with fire to burn them away, and finally cooling the earth with water.
And what remained was...
"A... a field has been created..."
Indeed, it was a fertile field by any measure.
The black, rich soil looked packed with nutrients, and it was soft to the touch.
Well, that was a layman’s opinion, at least.
And so, the agricultural team led by Kaya exerted their full strength.
One must make effective use of convenient things.
If there are convenient tools using Earth’s technology, and there are convenient things in this world, there is no need to choose one over the other. One simply needs to combine them both.