Chapter 58
Chapter 58
And the next morning.
As he had said he would, Leopold was nowhere to be seen from breakfast on.
Baron Forman awkwardly played host to us in a house that was not even his own.
'He must really have urgent business.'
I tilted my head and thought to myself.
'He's so well versed in etiquette that he would have tried to see to at least one meal himself.'
The fact that he had not even left a simple greeting made it seem he had truly gone out before dawn.
"Ah, Leopold is not the sort of child to do this. He must truly have urgent business."
Baron Forman sighed deeply, looking at a loss.
"It doesn't even seem he went to Seldoche Plain, where His Highness is staying......."
In the meantime, Alpheus said brightly.
"It's quite all right! The food is delicious even without the two of them here! Though of course it tastes even better when many people gather to eat together......."
The newly minted marquess ate comfortably and heartily in the mansion without its master.
As it happened, both the Grand Duke of Nozen and Leopold had ended up absent, but it was no fault of theirs.
"Ah, well then, now......."
After finishing breakfast like that, I spoke calmly.
"Shall we go to Seldoche Plain?"
The place where Hilbury, the Grand Duke of Nozen, was staying.
A plain that had officially become "useless land," where no crop of any kind could grow anymore.
Baron Forman slowly nodded.
"Yes, I will guide you. I shall see you before the front gate shortly."
* * *
Hilbury had stayed up all night.
The soil of Seldoche Plain was crumbly. No matter how much fertilizer was applied, not a single sprout came up.
"Give it up."
The Magic Tower mage shook his head from side to side.
"This is not something humans can resolve. It has simply been devastated."
Hilbury could not believe it.
For this vast land to suddenly fall into ruin like this.......
"This land has been 'Contaminated.' There are records related to it. Though the story is older than the founding of the empire......."
The mage sighed deeply as he explained.
"It is said that there have been cases where land suddenly lost all productivity and became unable to grow even a single blade of grass like this. Such 'Contaminated' land was mainly in the north, and when Bakahun 'Purified' that land, it became the territory of House Bakahun."
Hilbury pressed his forehead.
He had thought it was all merely a founding myth that sanctified the Founding Five Houses.
For such a disaster to strike the west, of all places.......
Moreover, Bakahun had long since lost the Purification ability.
The Bakahun direct line itself had also been cut off during the civil war, and a fairly distant branch line was carrying on the name. Even that was a lord hastily installed after the Second Imperial Prince and Alpheus had settled the Northern Civil War.
"Is there truly no way?"
"What about building a residential area...... or something of the sort? It is only that crops cannot grow; it is not a place where people cannot live."
It was not a particularly reasonable suggestion. The west had plenty of land.
"As you know, we are not short of places to live. There is no reason to build people's residences in a place with no farmland."
"In that case, a market or something of that sort would also be fine...... would it not?"
Around Seldoche Plain, they grew herbs, leafy vegetables, and fruit vegetables. In other words, it was a center of production rather than distribution.
"Who would come to a market built on this vast empty land?"
"Hmm, travelers with unusual tastes, or perhaps...... the very few mages who cannot adapt to crowded places?"
"That market would do splendidly, I'm sure."
Hilbury, who had let the sarcasm slip without realizing it, pressed a hand to his forehead.
It was utterly vexing.
On top of that, strange rumors were circulating. Rumors that all of this had happened because impurities had mixed into Sears, causing them to lose the founding blessing.
Frankly, it was nonsense.
But blaming an "outside enemy" was the easiest thing for anxious people to do, so such baseless rumors spread quickly.
'At a time when the entire empire is in an uproar trying to stockpile food, of all times.......'
What was more, if the fact that Seldoche Plain had been Contaminated spread, food hoarding could become even more prevalent, with people fearing that other lands might become Contaminated at any time.
The mere thought of it was a disaster in itself.
It was then. Far off in the distance, a carriage was rattling toward them.
Whenever the carriage passed by, people came out of the houses and watched with wide eyes.
'What is that?'
After a moment, the carriage's identity became clear. The carriage bore the crest of Sears.
'......What is the meaning of this!'
When anti-Sears sentiment was already so strong! And in this region especially, even more so!
It was just as Hilbury, fearing some great trouble might arise, hastily moved his prosthetic leg and headed that way.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Alpheus Sears."
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Brisa Sears."
Alpheus and Brisa, having descended from the carriage, greeted him boldly, as if for all to see.
As if making sure everyone heard, Alpheus spoke confidently.
"There is trouble at Seldoche Plain, is there not? We have come in case we might be able to resolve it."
The mage, who had followed belatedly, shook his head.
"Ah, that is impossible. It is not something ordinary people can resolve. It is 'Contamination' of the land. As of now, there is nothing that can be done."
At that, Baron Forman, who had also descended from the carriage, stepped forward.
"If there is nothing that can be done anyway, how about entrusting it to House Sears?"
His face, too, showed no particular certainty. But his voice nonetheless carried firm trust.
"These two led the central region even when the Warp malfunctioned, and yesterday they also resolved the tomato field problem in the east."
Hilbury understood at once that Brisa had been the one to resolve all of it.
Brisa was a girl who had just turned twelve.
She wasn't even old enough to contribute much physical strength.
Yet if one said "the two of them resolved it" rather than "the marquess resolved it," it meant Brisa had clearly played a role.
The physical work would have been done by Alpheus or the people under him, so Brisa must have been the one doing the thinking.
"Let us hear it, then."
Hilbury looked at them and spoke.
"What method do you have?"
Sure enough, the answer came not from Alpheus but from Brisa.
"First, let me ask. Are there enough summer wheat seeds?"
"Seeds are plentiful enough. The problem is that there is nowhere to sow them."
"I heard there are herb and leafy vegetable fields around here. Is that right? Are those all right?"
"Those are fine."
"Good."
Brisa spoke confidently.
"Then we can plant summer wheat in those fields."
A mix of jeers and criticism erupted from the local farmers who had gathered around.
"Good heavens, then what about all the herbs and leafy vegetables!"
"There's demand for those crops too, and that's supposed to be a solution?"
"And besides, it's absurd. Wheat doesn't grow well in those fields! We're saying this because we've all tried growing it!"
"You're going to listen to that little girl and plow under perfectly good leafy vegetable fields right now? Then we won't even be able to eat leafy vegetables anymore!"
Before Hilbury's servants could shout that they were being impertinent while nobles were speaking, Brisa raised a hand to stop them.
"Of course, you can't plow under the leafy vegetable fields just on my word alone."
She looked around with calm eyes.
"First, let's try growing herbs and leafy vegetables on Seldoche Plain. If the yields are good enough, then we can plant summer wheat."
The mage frowned.
"Young lady? Did you not hear? The soil of this plain cannot grow anything."
"I heard you clearly."
Brisa raised an eyebrow.
"But I never said I would grow leafy vegetables in soil."
Now everyone was looking at Brisa as if she were mad.
Brisa slowly continued.
"I will grow them in water."
At that, everyone tilted their heads in surprise. The words "grow them in water" did not register.
With a face that showed she had not expected them to understand, Brisa declared.
"You said nothing can be done with that land anyway, didn't you? So entrust it to Sears for just a few days."
It was the moment hydroponic cultivation began for the first time on the continent.