Chapter 101
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Old Man and the Sea (1)
I was resting, attended to by Viscount Pentrin's servants.
After sipping some tea for a bit, it suddenly hit me that I should go check on things myself.
Fertilizer effects wouldn't show right away, so that wasn't it.
What I needed to verify was the modern—no, more like early modern—improved farming method using tractors.
Anyway, I'd explained it while selling the tractors.
I'd told the staff to train everyone thoroughly on how to use them.
But some sloppy or lazy employees skipped it,
or some nobles didn't listen properly.
That's why I occasionally got letters pleading for help because a season's harvest was ruined or nearly was.
In Viscount Pentrin's case, I'd handed it over personally, so I wasn't too worried.
"Still, I should check."
People aren't machines—memories fade or warp over time.
Even if they got it right at first, who knows later on.
Especially when switching from old methods to the improved version.
"In simple terms, it might not be second nature yet."
I excused myself from the servants and headed to the field where the viscount was.
I'd planned to go alone at first, but one servant offered to guide me, so I accepted.
"Thanks for your help."
"The pleasure's mine."
I greeted him in my still-awkward noble speech and followed behind.
He was the quiet type.
He just led the way silently until he spotted the viscount, then stopped.
"The viscount is over there, sir."
"Thanks. Here's a little something for your trouble."
He accepted the few silver coins I gave him as a tip and thanked me plainly.
As he headed back, I approached the viscount, who was spreading fertilizer with his serfs.
He'd been at it for a while when he noticed me and straightened up.
I walked over slowly and asked if everything was going smoothly.
"No issues here. More importantly, aren't you resting?"
"Haha, I'm fine. How's the fertilizer looking?"
"Not bad, but it still needs some human touch."
Figured as much.
Later, I should develop a fertilizer spreader as a tractor attachment.
Or talk to another company about partnering.
Anyway, the fertilizer was being applied well enough.
But plowing the fields and planting the crops? Not so satisfactory.
Just as I'd expected, it had been subtly altered.
No big deal now, but problems would crop up over time.
It was already visibly off, and later it might stray completely from the original.
So I had them pause the fertilizing and called the viscount over.
"Whew. What is it?"
"Oh, nothing major—just noticed a few tweaks needed in the field."
Viscount Pentrin looked puzzled.
Of course; he probably thought he'd followed my instructions to the letter.
But issues arose in transmission—from me to him, him to the serfs.
I had to point them out.
"First, take a look here."
As everyone knows, modern agriculture has evolved constantly.
One key improvement is digging furrows.
Furrows are paths for people to walk and for drainage.
Places where nothing's planted—the width was fine.
Tractors handled that, but the depth was the problem.
For some reason during operation, they weren't deep enough.
Needed about 20cm more.
That way, even heavy rain wouldn't flood, and seedlings could be planted without issues.
Wait a sec.
"Viscount, did you use people to plant the seedlings?"
"Ah, well... We were short on tractors at the time. Is there a problem?"
Big problem.
Because if plants are too close, they compete for nutrients and don't grow right!
I explained the issues I'd spotted and went over it once more.
The viscount nodded, admitted the mistakes, and promised to fix them.
"Good thing—no other major problems stand out."
They were growing oats right now.
Oats have low difficulty and are a staple here.
Nobles eat bread often, but oats are essential.
Commoners eat them a lot.
Wheat's for noble bread and drains soil heavily.
Oats thrive in poor soil, so they're commoner staples.
Of course, fertilizer could boost wheat yields.
Over time, wheat production would explode.
But that takes time.
And class divides mean commoners rarely touch wheat.
Got sidetracked—oats are easy, so fixing this should do.
"Now, let's check the fertilized spots."
The area I was looking at hadn't been hit with chemical fertilizer yet.
So I crossed over the ridges to where seedlings were planted and fertilizer spread.
"You're spreading it well."
"Thank you."
"No trouble. Nothing else for me to oversee here."
Other nobles had ignored instructions and caused chaos, so I'd been worried.
But Viscount Pentrin was handling it fine on his own.
So while I was here, I decided to lend a hand.
He waved it off at first, insisting it wasn't necessary.
But I was bored anyway, and could teach while fertilizing, so he relented.
"Very well. But you don't need to stick around till the end."
Just passing on the tractor and new methods was help enough, he said.
I agreed and helped him—no, them—tend the fields.
I spent the next few days assisting, checking conditions, sharing info.
Digging furrows and ridges.
Spreading fertilizer, discussing checks per section.
Even tuned up the tractor for free.
Thankfully, no major issues, so I decided to head back to Rerangbur.
"Thank you, Lord Edn."
"Ahem, you followed along well, Viscount."
I waved to him as he bowed and made for home.
We agreed to exchange letters on any issues or fertilizer matters.
On the way home, gazing out the window, I suddenly felt a chill.
It came from the Rerangbur direction, and one presence came to mind amid that cold.
"Ah, Katiranya."
Come to think of it, I'd left after promising her the next work.
What should I tell her when I get back?
She'd definitely be waiting.
I might get summoned the moment I arrive.
The sudden chill muddled my thoughts.
* *
The Little Prince is selling like hotcakes.
Reviews are split oddly, but sales are stellar.
The break between books seems to boost demand, even.
Makes sense—familiar flavors grow stale if overdone.
I wondered if I should do the same this time, then thought of Katiranya.
I still can't forget how she looked when I got back yesterday.
"Ahem. No helping it."
More like, I couldn't avoid thinking of her.
I'm feeling that chill from somewhere even now.
Honestly, part of me wants to ignore her.
The urge to just crash and rest is creeping up.
But her power's the issue.
She's helped a lot before and still aids my experiments.
From her attitude, she'll keep helping as long as I don't quit writing.
The giving tree? No, bad metaphor.
Better: a weapon that costs a fortune in upkeep but can shift a war's tide in one use.
"Not quite. For me, upkeep's cheap—unlike others."
Bringing Earth works here wasn't a huge deal for me.
Not huge, but still a hassle.
Deciding the next one.
"Did The Little Prince, so maybe something darker this time?"
Not too grim like tragedy porn.
Something with a touch of ode to humanity.
That vibe.
Sitting at my desk, I pondered.
What from my knowledge would fit?
"Hmm, should factor in the nobles' and emperor's recent moves?"
Word is, the emperor did something dumb, sparked massive noble backlash.
Ended up repealing it.
"Ah, The Old Man and the Sea. How about that?"
Dark enough, but with that human spirit.
I recalled the plot, nodded.
"Perfect, that's the one."
I grabbed manuscript paper and started writing slowly.
Of course, this one needed tweaks too.
The empire's advancing thanks to my tech, but culture and society still mismatch some parts.
Above all, being inland, sea descriptions needed extra explanation.
From what I know, books on the sea are scarce here.
Slip in natural explanations while keeping it fun.
"Man, this'll be tough."
Honestly, I'm no sea expert.
But I remember the story, so I can fill gaps with research.
I outlined a quick writing plan and got to it.