Badlands Saga: Reincarnation in a Different World with Extreme Charisma - Chapter 3

Chapter 3   The Wanderer 2

Alchemy is not magic, but it’s not exactly science either.

Unlike magic, it cannot create something from nothing. However, extracting and recombining components can be done with equipment far less sophisticated than what science typically requires.

In terms of convenience, it slightly surpasses the science of my past life, but in terms of productivity, it falls far short.

What is important, though, is that even with the level of alchemy I’ve learned from books—a rather basic understanding—it is possible to perform chemical reactions with minimal facilities, crude catalysts, and less-than-ideal conditions.

In other words, even in a barren wasteland, it’s relatively easy to extract materials for clean water, fertilizer, and soil improvement from air and seawater.

However, alchemy is of no help when it comes to clearing land and tilling soil.

So initially, I thought that if we managed to cultivate a plot of about ten meters square, or one are, by summer, it would be a great success.

After all, everyone working, including me, was a child, so it was bound to be a tough job.

But before me now was a plot already cleared and with furrows made—one hectare, or one hundred meters square.

“While I was making fertilizer, the field would already be done…?”

“You remember, the foster parents’ association of the knights said they’d help a bit around five days ago.”

Isara, my guard and sole direct subordinate, said this, but I had honestly expected it to be just teaching children how to wield hoes.

The ground was quite dry and flowed lightly in the wind, but with some water retention improvements, it seemed more than usable as a field.

It seems I may have imposed quite a burden by getting so much help.

“It turns out it wasn’t just the foster parents’ association; it seems the entire knight squad came over one after another to help out.”

“Oh, they all pitched in, huh… I’ll need to do something to thank them next time.”

Though the situation had turned out quite differently from what I had planned, there was nothing wrong with the advance in the project.

I took a deep breath and immediately started working with the children the next day.

“Then I’ll spread the soil conditioner, and you all mix it in.”

“Yes!!”

The children, who had greatly improved in complexion since I first saw them and were wearing oversized clothes that once belonged to their foster parents, cheerfully responded while holding up the boards I provided as makeshift shovels.

“Be careful not to get hurt, and if you find any stones, throw them outside the field.”

“Got it!”

“I found a stone!”

It seemed like they had never played with soil before. As I spread the soil conditioner with a bucket and ladle, the children eagerly mixed it into the soil, clearly enjoying themselves.

Originally, I had planned to have them do farm work in exchange for taking care of their basic needs, but now they were foster children of the knights.

To them, I was like the son of the president of a parent company, and despite having no particular obligations to them, they worked positively, which was honestly a relief.

Among these cheerful children, one stood up and came over to me.

“Fusha-sama, I’ll carry the bucket.”

The one who offered to carry the bucket was Martha, the oldest girl among the orphans. She had red hair and was tall, taking on a role similar to that of a caretaker for the other children.

She seemed to have lived with her parents relatively recently, and her manner of speaking was quite proper, plus she was a talent who could even read and write simply.

“That would be a big help.”

“Please let me know whenever you need assistance like this.”

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, Isara was outside the field, keeping an eye on the townspeople who had come to watch the work, glaring at them as if she was not sure why they were there.

I wondered if there was so little work in town, or if they were just on break.

In the end, they came from the morning and spent the entire day sitting politely while watching us.

After several days of such work, and after planting some rather resilient but not very tasty potatoes in the wasteland, the children’s tasks became mainly weeding and watering.

Even though they were children, having dozens of them meant the work was finished quite quickly, and in their free time, they were taught reading and writing by Martha and the foster parents or played around the field.

For the knights who helped with the field, I made eye drops and ointments for the first aid kit, and I also busily made potions and preserved foods for trade with the occasional merchant ships.

Spring at the castle, which had become quite lively with the addition of dozens of children and the absence of attacks from hostile tribes and flying monsters, passed by…

And the harvest and tumultuous summer arrived.

◆◆◆

Hey Medubal, are you still alive?

If you’re still doing business on the Northern Sea Route, you should check out the Tanukan territory.

I heard that a water potion so impressive it’s causing a commotion among the best elven apothecaries in our town has come from Tanukan. It seems like a tremendous alchemist has recently shown up there.

This is a separate matter, but there are reports of a rainbow ladder appearing at the top of the Karakan Mountains, and some people claim to have seen angels descending.

Well, that’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s clear that something is happening in that wasteland.

If you can swing by Tanukan, when you come to Rugol next, please bring some athlete’s foot medicine and some interesting stories.

P.S. My daughter has been meeting with the boy next door frequently at night lately. How should a father handle this situation?

— Letter from Fed to Medubal