Chapter 58.1 (1/2)

Chapter 58.1

hapter 58: That time when pirates came just as things were going well

TL: kizen

ED: FilipGecko

It’s been 30 days since I came back from the village . We continued our reclamation project and the area we’ve cleared is now pretty wide . Our wood shed’s already full because of that so we just cut them into chunks and piled them up in a way that they won’t fall .

Also, after several trials and errors, we’ve finally succeeded in making bricks so I started making a charcoal kiln . After building the basic shape, I coated it with mud which will provide additional insulation as well as reinforcing the whole thing then tried burning the cut up tree stumps and leftover firewood so that we’ll get the feel of it .

The first few attempts only resulted in ash, but recently, we’ve started being able to maintain its shape . Once we’re able to make enough of that in there we can just use them instead of firewood . We’ll also be able to use them for trading .

We could also use them for smithing since I eventually plan to recruit someone with that skill, but we should just gather them up for now . We should also store up the wood vinegar that’s the by-product of the charcoal making process since we could make bath related products to sell . It would be nice if we find a market for them though .

Since our fields are wide enough, we finished up planting the wheat I brought so all that’s left to do is to wait till that’s ready to harvest . We also made a field specifically for the potatoes which sprouted soon after so it’ll probably be ready to harvest within two months . We’ll continue planting the ones we harvest to increase their amount in order to secure a stable supply of carbohydrates .

We also planted the beans but after we harvest them, we’ll just save them for the meantime and focus on increasing the number of potatoes and corn that we have . We’ll just get back to them once we’ve got more than enough stock of the other two .

I was worried whether or not we’ll be able to raise the corn here but it was a needless concern in the end . At this rate, the corn will be ready for harvest once summer comes .

As for the fish, they have been swimming energetically so far . The aquatic plants have also started sprouting and I’ve confirmed that they have already taken root I don’t have to worry that they’ll float away as much . I wonder if it would be better if we submerge some logs and boulders so that the fish will have something they could use as refuge? I should ask about that the next time I return to the village . I also have to ask about their breeding season and how to take care of the juvenile fish .

The bees are currently doing alright and have already started forming their beautiful, amber colored, hexagonal shaped structures inside their nest . It looks like pollen is starting to block the entrance so they probably have acc.u.mulated a lot of honey by now, however, I will wait a bit longer till they’re able to stock up with more and build more nests . The bees might run away if I take some too soon as well . I guess I should start discussing with the honey bees how we’re going to harvest the honey .

The Mint and Lavender are part of the same family of plants so they’re growing really well and rapidly multiplying . As for the Chamomile, it’s starting to sprout in its pot so I’ll try planting it in the same area as the other two .

I hope that these guys will propagate naturally even if we don’t interfere . I mean, it seemed like the mint was genetically enhanced with how wildly it was spreading when I discovered them in the forest so there will be no problems as long as we periodically trim them so that they won’t become overgrown and messy . Those plants can multiply just by planting a stalk or leaf after all, so if we don’t do that, it will be really troublesome to get rid of them completely .

As for the poultry, they still haven’t been attacked so far . The chickens have already begun laying their eggs and are currently warming them so we’ll be able to see chicks soon . It looks like the plan to increase their numbers is going really well . Even if their numbers reach a point where it starts getting crowded inside the fences, we could just let them graze freely so there would be no problems with that .

Anyway, since we had some eggs, I took one and used it to make sweet french toast to give to the children . They really liked it so I decided to make it again next time we get another stock of eggs .

「What’s this~? It’s really tasty Maou-sama~!」

The smiles that children had at that time really healed me .

There had also been several boats that came to the island so we were able to trade some raw meat and sugar among other things and earn some money . Because of that, the first thing I did was to secure everyone’s beddings and replenish our supplies .

In order to keep our business partners happy, I created another bathing area for the people riding the boats to use to keep themselves clean while in the middle of their trip . I also sell them clean water along with the other stuff in order to get more income . Once we save up enough money from that and our trading, I’m thinking that we should buy more livestock so that we’ll have a variety of them .

Anyway, I want to reach a point where we have enough leeway that we can offer our trading partners the fresh water for free . I was also thinking of making lodging facilities with hot springs in order to draw in more visitors in the future . I was told by that Demon Lord’s subordinate that the mountain at the center is an active volcano so I’m bound to dig up one when I decide to look for it . It’s my dream as a former j.a.panese after all!

◇

「For today, we’re going to make a pathway that will extend until the area where the former Demon Lord was going to build his castle . Since the way there is dangerous, I’m thinking of thinning out the trees inside the forest to let the sunlight pa.s.s through so it will be easier to see if there are bears or any other dangerous beasts approaching . For now though, let’s just extend a pathway towards that area . I want it to be wide enough to accommodate about two two-horse carriages traveling towards opposite directions . That would be for the future though so for now, it would be fine if we just cleared enough for a single carriage and pedestrians to be able to use it at the same time . My predecessor’s supposed to be castle area is pretty wide and there’s already a well there so I’m thinking of constructing buildings and making that area our new home . Well anyway, for now, let’s just begin our preparations」

After saying that, they finished their preparations and we started our work . As usual, I was the one in charge of cutting the trees while they chopped them into smaller chunks for storage and cleared away the debris behind me . It takes an hour to walk normally towards our destination but it will probably take a day to get there while cutting trees so I decided to just leave the stumps behind for now .

Also, I know it was within my instructions but I actually don’t know how wide a carriage is . Since I don’t know, I’ll just ask about it . This isn’t anything to be ashamed of but I need to be careful since there are some people who think that it is and hold it against me .

「How big was a carriage again?」

「Eh? I guess it is probably big enough」

That’s what the guy next to me replied when I asked . He didn’t seem sure about it but one can probably fit through here .

「It’s just wide enough to fit four people right?」

「That’s right」

After that, they started arguing .

「No! It should be this big right?」

「No no no, it should be a bit wider to accommodate the luggage in the middle!」

「That’s a more expensive carriage you’re talking about you know?」