第１９１４堀：自然の脅威現る (Part2)
Prof's understanding of the situation was hazy, likely because he found himself in the slums of Litea before he knew it.
Orelia, Hobis, and Yayui, like Ria, had experience farming in their villages, and their faces had turned pale.
"Prof, think about it carefully. If you don't farm, and the seasonal produce disappears, that means your revenue vanishes. Where will you get the funds for that? And what about the cost of restoring the fields?"
"Ah, I see. Indeed, a typical farming household wouldn't have much in the way of funds for the next season or surplus cash, would they?"
That's right, ordinary farmers had no leeway for the following year.
In fact, they didn't even have enough for the current year.
If this season's income disappeared, they wouldn't be able to survive for a whole year.
And the restoration of the fields was the same.
Large fields couldn't be easily restored, and there was no budget for it.
"Exactly. That's why, as Ria said, it will take at least a year, or more, to restore the fields to a certain extent, even if not completely. That's why we need people."
As I summarized, Yayui raised her hand again.
"What is it?"
"Um, based on what you've said, even if we receive support, wouldn't it be better to live in another land rather than struggle here?"
Yes, a sharp observation.
"That's also an option. However, it's difficult to move easily and find work."
If they could easily move to another land and survive, they would have done so already.
The fact that they hadn't meant that their current lives were more stable.
Yayui and the others would surely understand that.
Weed had many jobs and a well-developed education system, so anyone who came could find work commensurate with their abilities. But in other places, people were struggling just to survive.
There was almost no room for outsiders, making it quite difficult.
Normally, one would rely on connections.
"Furthermore, abandoning those farmlands means no harvest in the coming years. Towns and villages that rely on them will wither. This is a problem not only for the lords who manage them but also for the country. In fact, it concerns the nation's prestige to ensure its citizens don't suffer in such situations, so for appearances' sake, they would want you to stay put. Isn't that right?"
I glanced at Yuki, who immediately nodded.
"That's right. First of all, the fact that we're being contacted means it's a considerable area. To put it bluntly, the destruction of a village's fields wouldn't cause that much damage to the lord or the country. Well, as Kaya just said, they'll provide support for appearances' sake, but it's manageable."
"Precisely. In other words, to stop the locust plague, those vast fields need to be disposed of. One wrong move could turn it into a sea of fire. They wouldn't entrust that to ordinary farmers. There's a risk of fire spreading not only to the fields but also to houses, not to mention the safe fields."
After this explanation, everyone's faces turned ashen.
They seemed to have finally understood the true meaning of my urgent arrival.
"Yuki-san. Should I contact Seraria?"
"Yuki-sama. Please give me your orders. I can move immediately."
"Ah, Ria, contact Seraria. Jessica, you too. Get a headcount of who can be mobilized and prepare for a meeting."
"Prof, contact Ratz and Eris to prepare support supplies."
"Orelia and the others, split up and relay any further reports from Rankes and Zuraburu to us. The rest of you, I know it's tough, but please handle your usual duties alone."
" " "Yes!" " "
With Yuki's orders, they began to move briskly.
Then, the remaining me and Yuki exchanged glances.
"So, Kaya, you didn't come just for that, did you?"
"That's right. If it were just for the matters we've discussed so far, you wouldn't need me. The problem is, it involves other countries."
"I see. If there's a locust plague, we'll have to investigate neighboring countries too."
"On-site investigation is necessary. Zuraburu can be accessed with Yuppia's strong authority, but the countries surrounding Rankes are only under Gartz's umbrella. Given the previous incident with Usano and Ahe, I think it will be difficult. I want to at least urge caution to prevent the damage from spreading."
"I understand."
Yuki said so, but his expression was troubled.
After all, it's not common to accept investigators from other countries.
Will the locust plague spread beyond Rankes's neighboring countries?
A natural threat like insects.
They don't communicate at all, you know.
The damage is immense, and there's almost no way to prevent it.