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TL: ALT
Chapter 64 – A Definite Response
They set up a plastic greenhouse at the ancient ruins.
The combination of ancient and modern elements gave Wataru a strange sensation—somewhat mystical yet mismatched.
“Herb cultivation isn’t something you start today and harvest tomorrow, so I want to get started as soon as possible. I’m sorry to ask again, but you’ll need to go back to the ancient city. Aire and Cloche, be especially careful.”
“Got it. I’ll properly guide Cloche.”
“It’ll be hard on Aire, but I’m counting on you.”
“Nishishi.”
“Uuuu… I have no words in response this time. I’ll make up for my mistake the other day with today’s work.”
Cloche hung her tail dejectedly. It was an unpredictable situation.
Even with some carelessness, it was difficult to foresee completely.
They are not Edison, but they must view failure as an opportunity to learn and apply that knowledge next time.
None of Wataru’s group are experts at dealing with magical disasters.
“All right, I’m counting on you. Call me immediately if anything happens.”
“Got it!”
After passing through the gate and transporting the entire group to the ancient city, they split into two teams, just as they had the day before.
Wataru and Mariel were assigned to clean the shrine.
Wataru carefully dug up the accumulated soil with a shovel, taking care not to damage the floor stones, and carried it to the side of the entrance.
“Yesterday, we had to stop right after starting, so I want to reach a good stopping point today.”
“Yeah, hopefully nothing happens to either of us.”
“If something happens today, that’s when you’ll get punished.”
“Fufu. Then Cloche might fail again.”
“Please give me a break…”
Mariel swept the accumulated dirt off the shrine with a broom.
It was impossible to wash or wipe anything down until the large debris was removed first.
Mariel scraped away the dirt with a shovel while the broom swept away soil and dust with swift, sharp strokes.
Once most of the dirt was gone, Mariel pulled out the watering can.
It was one of the tools crafted by an alchemist that channeled magic to make water flow out.
Apparently, the watering can was engraved with a spell that allowed it to gather water from anywhere.
The watering can was very small.
There was no need to store the water it produced, so it was small in size.
Its design, which only required a spout, a handle, and enough surface area for the engraved spell, seemed utterly baffling to Wataru precisely because he was familiar with existing products.
〇〇〇
After cleaning for a while, the interior of the shrine was reasonably tidy.
The interiors of shrines don’t vary much between towns.
The capital’s shrine was slightly larger, with more inscriptions and complex markings.
This likely relates to the capital’s gate being able to move to multiple locations.
“Hopefully, this stabilizes the gate’s operation here.”
“Who knows? The barrier protecting us from magic power is still constantly active.”
“I guess we’ll have to hope that things like storing grass will solve that problem over time.”
It wasn’t the kind of issue that could be resolved all at once.
The magic power disaster was likely occurring across the entire city.
Wataru couldn’t even begin to imagine how much magic power had accumulated.
What difference could scooping up lake water with a bucket possibly make?
Still, doing nothing wouldn’t improve the situation.
Wataru could only hope that the city would improve, however slightly, while using whatever means he had at his disposal.
“Master—it’s done!”
“Oh, looks like it’s ready. Shall we take a look?”
“Yes, let’s.”
They moved to the shrine’s entrance, where a plastic greenhouse stood before them. Inside, Aire and Cloche waved at Wataru and the others.
The greenhouse had been built right in front of the shrine, just outside the entrance.
Anyone visiting the city would immediately notice it, but currently, there’s no sign of visitors.
The best location was right next to the shrine, where safety could be ensured as much as possible.
Additionally, it was hoped that lining the shrine’s perimeter with anti-magic material greenhouses would reduce damage to the shrine itself in the future.
The vinyl house was constructed by stretching a special plant membrane over a metal frame reinforced with a material derived from monster bones and coating it with an alchemical liquid that blocks the transmission of magical power.
It was somewhat like a cloth umbrella coated with oil or waterproof spray.
The membrane is extremely thin, allowing light to pass through while seemingly blocking magical power.
“Oh, you’ve made a splendid one. Thank you both. Well done.”
“Ehehe, seeing you happy makes me happy too!”
“O-ohohohoho…! With my hands, this is child’s play.”
“Why are you holding back? Cloche did a great job, too. Truly, thank you.”
“Y-you’re welcome. Kufu, kufufufu…”
She’s embarrassed.
She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact, yet her tail wagged frantically from side to side, as if it might snap off.
She must have been really upset about yesterday’s failure.
He’s going to properly praise her today.
“How’s the magic concentration inside?”
“It’s pretty dense right now, but I think it’ll decrease as we use it.”
“If we keep the door open, it should be easy to replenish the magic from the air. We can adjust the amount by controlling the opening time, don’t you think?”
Things seem to be going pretty well.
They can both move around in this high-concentration magic field, and Cloche is also a skilled magician.
If they say it’s okay, then he can trust them.
Things are looking promising, and he feels a little relieved.
If this fails, they’ll try again, but repeating the process is burdensome and expensive.
“Next, let’s plant some storing grass and see if it grows as quickly as yesterday.”
“Alright, I’ll plant it.”
“I’m counting on you.”
She dug holes in the soil with a shovel and planted the seeds.
Hopefully, it won’t fail.
Everyone fell silent and became tense.
They held their breath, watching the outcome.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.
“Sprouts are coming up! What will happen?”
“Cloche, stay alert just in case.”
“Understood.”
A tense atmosphere enveloped them.
Please, just work somehow.
“…It seems they won’t grow much more right away. More than I expected.”
“The total amount of magic inside the greenhouse isn’t that high, so maybe it’s adjusting?”
“Or rather, it was strange that they grew so much right after we planted the seeds!”
“Aire’s right. Well, whatever. Now, we just have to wait and see. It should be a success, right?”
“Master, we’re one step closer to success. Congratulations!”
“That’s great, Master!”
“I knew it would succeed!”
Now, they just have to wait for the grass to grow and then work it into the farmland.
If the medicinal herbs grow to be rich in magic power and gain the official seal of approval from the Pharmacists’ Guild, then…
That will be the moment that preparations for mass-producing potions are complete.
The road ahead is still long, but this ambition is by no means unreasonable.
Wataru felt a tangible sense that this new step was now firmly within reach.
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