Save the Starving Frontier! The “Buyer” of the Reversed Chastity World - 9

Chapter 9: Satiate the Hunger of the Workshop District!

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“Sorry about that, Nii-san. Thanks for the meal.”

The female craftsman holding a hammer rubbed her stomach. Her eyes had regained strength. She must have gotten her bearings back after eating.

“You look like you’ve got strength to spare. I want to feed the others too. Will you help me out?”

“Yeah, of course. …But if you hand out this much food, won’t it hurt your own pocket?”

A fair question. The more you give to others, the more you starve yourself. That’s just how the world works.

I understood well why it seemed unbelievable that someone would run such a generous soup kitchen. So I explained that I was exchanging magic power for goods. In return, I asked them to bring me loads of “things infused with magic power” from around here.

“You’re turning magic power into food? That kind of magic is a blessing in times like this! If that’s the case, then use rubble, steel beams, whatever you like! In this situation, steel you can’t eat isn’t worth a damn!”

She was right. Right now, food mattered more than daily necessities. Even steel could be exchanged for food.  I tossed the rubble she brought, along with ores used in smithing, into “Purchase” and charged up funds. 

When the rubble disappeared into thin air, the craftswoman seemed convinced. Next, she went around the nearby houses and carried over people too weak to walk.

“At this stage, even porridge might be too much. I’ll bring out some jelly drinks—start with that.”

So I bought a box of  energy jelly. It was perfect for replenishing the starving people’s nutrition. It was easy on the stomach too.  With those and sports drinks, I could replenish nutrients and fluids fast. I was really glad they still had just enough strength to swallow.

“They’ll need somewhere to lie down.”

Many of them still couldn’t stand. I went to the furniture section, picked up mattresses, and had the ones who’d eaten set them up nearby in rows. At least it wasn’t raining.

The women who had regained a bit of strength were feeding jelly drinks to those lying down. This place really had been at its limit. Good thing we made it in time. 

I know there are probably many who couldn’t make it. But forgive me, I’m not a god.

People kept gathering. So many in just this area alone had gone without food. And since they were all women, that meant counting the men who should’ve been at home, the numbers were even higher. I needed to stock up in bulk.

“Bread porridge is not suitable to be carried home. Do you think jelly drinks will be enough for those at home?”

“Yeah! Even people with weak stomachs can eat it! It’ll work somehow!”

Since the craftswoman said so, I produced a huge supply of energy jelly. I told her the caps were screw-type, but she said it was faster to just open them before handing them over. She was right—if they were half-conscious, they wouldn’t have the strength to open them.

I handed cardboard boxes full of energy jelly to the women who’d recovered their strength. They said they would open the bottles and help the others drink. Well, this was much better than having a stranger like me feed them. Familiar faces would put them at ease.

“Mother-san. For the ones who come later, jelly drinks might work best right away. I’ll give you jelly, sports drinks, and bread together. Please open them and help them drink.”

“All right, leave it to me. I can at least manage that.”

I shoved boxes at Aisha’s mother and stacked them up. I’d prepared bread because having something familiar would make it easier to eat. I also added more drink dispensers, filling them with sports drinks one after another. I lined up two-liter bottles of the same nearby and left the refills to Aisha’s mother.

“Master! You’ve woken up!?”

“H-huh…? Etna? I…?”

The master of the workshop where Etna worked had regained consciousness. After drinking two sports drinks, the sugar must have spread through her system.

She still couldn’t stand, so I gave her fluids, jelly, and bread. She seemed to be a woodworking master. When I asked if I could have the piles of wood shavings and sawdust in her workshop, she frowned.

“I guess I can’t take them, Master?”

“No, you can take them. But what are you using them for? Heating?”

There was no time to explain. Since she gave her okay, I bought a broom for Etna and handed it over so she could go collect it for me. When I asked if she needed bags, she said cardboard boxes would do. The flaps of the boxes would make decent dustpans. And if it came to it, I could even dig up whole patches of dirt.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Nii-san! I finished handing everything out!”

“Thanks, Craftswoman Onee-san. You must be tired too—eat and rest.”

I handed food to the craftswoman after she finished going around nearby buildings. Her stomach was settled by now, so meat should be fine. I gave her some gyoza and savory bread. She looked surprised at the unfamiliar dishes and bread, but after eating, she exclaimed in delight.

“I’ve never eaten anything like this!”

That caught the interest of the women nearby, so I served them dishes as well. Since they were still recovering, I only gave them a little at a time. The last thing I needed was for them to vomit.

As the rich meat juices and saltiness reminded them what it felt like “to eat,” many women began to cry.

When you’ve been through hard times, when you can’t eat, and then you finally taste something good, tears come out. I understand that feeling. 

“Don’t eat too much heavy stuff all at once! You’ll just throw it back up! I’ll be cooking tomorrow and the day after, so only eat as much as you can handle!”

“Tomorrow!? The day after too!?”

Voices of surprise rang out. I still had to cover the eastern district, so it would take time. However, my funds were practically limitless. I could provide as much as needed.

The craftswoman who’d seen “Purchase” earlier backed me up.

“It’s true! A magic-user who turns magic power into food has appeared! We’ll never have to worry about meals again!”

Hearing those words from a familiar face in the same town set off an explosion of cheers. Everyone sank down, finally able to relax. Maybe their strength gave out because their relief was so great.

“I still have to cover other districts. For now, rest and recover. Once you’re better, help out with distributing!”

At my words, even the ones lying on mattresses wept. To live for today, to face tomorrow—the weakened people forced themselves to sip food and drink, trying to recover little by little.

As long as there were enough hands, I could produce unlimited supplies. I was grateful for my cheat-like “Purchase” and the “Internet Market,” which worked like an all-purpose supply ability. And so, knowing they could keep eating from tomorrow on, the workshop district was filled with renewed energy.

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