Translator

Corner

Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!

Another chapter. Will finish another one by

this week.

DISCLAIMER: There is no

guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was

wrong.

Author:

Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan

Editor:

Online Grammar

Editor

Enlightenment Arc

Interlude 6 – A Certain Research Investigation

The academic inst.i.tution 『Ginger’s

Training School』 located in the

former slums of Parnam, the capital city of the Kingdom of Friedonia, was

started under the sponsors.h.i.+p of King Souma as a part of the plan to secure

talented people and to diminish the slavery system. Nowadays it had its size and

scope upgraded into what is now called 『Ginger’s Vocational Academy』.

While still retaining its primary education inst.i.tution, various faculties had been

created for the study of various specialized academic disciplines. The faculties

that were deemed as successful in this place would be established on the other vocational

school in the other cities.

There were already several faculties

that had become independent and began to be established on the vocational school

in the other cities, but the 『Agriculture』 and 『Medical』 faculties still remained in this vocational academy. This was because the Minister

of Agriculture and Forestry Poncho Is.h.i.+dzuka ​​Pannacotta, and the physicians Hilde

Nouge and Brad Joker took their residence in Parnam. This displayed how Souma,

who aware that the improvement in food supply and medical care are directly

linked to the improvement and growth of the population, highly regarded these

two fields.

Now two couples of men and women were

facing each other across the main gate 『Ginger's Vocational Academy』.

One couple was a combination of a almost-thirty years old man with a round stomach

and an elegant and intelligent beautiful woman. The other couple was a

combination of a gentle-looking boy who look like a girl on first glance and a slightly

older, impressive strong willed eyes and beautiful Racc.o.o.n Tribe girl who had.

The queer thing would be that both women were wearing a cla.s.sic long skirt's maid

dress.

The men and women who are about

to enter the Academy’s premise were the current Kingdom’s Minister of

Agriculture and Forestry – Poncho, and the Chief Maid of the Parnam Castle and the

Personal Maid of Princess Liscia – Serina. The pair who greeted them on the

premises was the Princ.i.p.al of this 『Ginger’s Vocational Academy』 -

Ginger Camus and his Secretary plus Maid – Sandria. Poncho and Ginger shook each

other’s hands while smiling.

「We welcome

your visit to our place, Poncho-dono.」(Ginger)

「Gi-Ginger-dono

also seems to be in good health, yes.」(Poncho)

「Um……

There is no need to speak that formally with me. Aren’t Poncho-dono more senior

than me and also a minister of this country?」(Ginger)

「Th-this

is a habit, so I can’t do anything about this, yes.」(Poncho)

「I am

a fainthearted person, so please refrain from that way of speech.」(Ginger)

When Poncho was fl.u.s.tering sweat in

that conversation, Serina interjected.

「Good

grief…… Despite your knowledge have saved the lives of countless people, why

don’t you have a little more confidence in yourself already.」(Serina)

「Umm,

you are?」(Ginger)

「Pardon

me for interjecting. I am employed as the Chief Maid of the Castle. My name is Serina.」(Serina)

While introducing herself, Serina

bowed with a refined gesture.

「S-so

courteous. I am the one who had been entrusted with the position of the

princ.i.p.al of this academy, Ginger.」(Ginger)

When Serina bowed to him, this

time it was Ginger who in a panic. Seeing Ginger’s reaction, Serina slipped out

a smile.

「Because

Ginger-sama is the princ.i.p.al of this academic inst.i.tution, there is no need to speak

that formal with a mere maid like me, don’t it?」(Serina)

「Well,

that is……」(Ginger)

「So Master

is weak against a beautiful onee-sama.」(Sandria)

This time, Sandria interjected.

「San-san!?

What are you suddenly spoke like that!?」(Ginger)

「Since

that is a fact. Aren’t you always being nervous in front of a beautiful person

like Hilde-sama?」(Sandria)

Sandria picked up the hem of the

ap.r.o.n dress and bowed while spouting a rude remark at Ginger.

「Nice

to meet you. My name is Sandria, the secretary, maid, and cherished love-slave

of Ginger-sama.」(Sandria)

「Stop!

That will hurt my reputation! I only employed you as the secretary. Isn’t the

maid work something that San-san did on your own, right? Also, what do you mean

by the last one!?」(Ginger)

Ginger protested like this, but

Sandria brushed it like a wind unbothered.

「I

presume you are Poncho-dono? I had heard a lot of rumors about you. I heard

that the resolution of the severe famine of my comrades is all thanks to your

action. On behalf of everybody, please let me express our grat.i.tude.」(Sandria)

「T-there’s

no need! Please don’t mention it, yes!」(Poncho)

Poncho hastily replied as Sandria

bowed towards him. Seeing his actions, Serina stared at him with rather cold

eyes.

「Poncho-dono.

Even if you are praised by an “underage girl” you so fond of, please don’t lose

your composure like this.」(Serina)

「P-please

don’t put that strange label on me, yes!」(Poncho)

「A

strange label?…… But, I am aware of it, you know?」(Sandria)

Serina replied while smiling, but

her eyes weren’t laughing at all.

「The

food “Hot sandwich”[1] that

you developed with His Majesty not long ago; you only share it with Tomoe-sama,

isn’t it? You never spoke nary a word about it with me.」(Sandria)

「Is

this perhaps, the cause of your bad mood these days!?」(Poncho)

If anyone was asked “Who is the

most glutton person in Parnam Castle?”, they would answer, “Without any doubt, it

would be Aisha”. Then if they were asked, “Who is the second place?”, the

answer will be, “Serina”. However, there was a subtle difference in their glutton

t.i.tle. Unlike Aisha who more like, 「I’ll eat anything if it’s delicious (especially if it’s

sweet)!」, 「Please more food!」, Serina

didn’t request for quant.i.ty, rather she expressed strong interest, especially, in

the so-called junk food or B-cla.s.s gourmet cuisine[2]

made by Souma and Poncho.

Souma and Poncho had invented many

dishes until now. Though accurately, the dishes were only a reproduction of the

cuisine from Souma’s world, amongst those dishes, there were dishes that couldn’t

be found in a luxurious restaurant such as Napolitan bread or yakisoba bread,

which completely captivated Serina.

Actually, Serina's House was a

famous House that had produced many personal butlers and maids for the Royal

Families. For that reason, they received ethic and esthetic education from

childhood so as to not disgraceful in front of the Royal Family. Even in the table

manner, they would always pursue to eat good food in a good manner. Of course, buying

and eating food from a mere streetside stall won’t be deemed as acceptable. For

Serina who was brought in such environment, the dishes that were made by Souma

and Poncho were shocking.

(To put a staple food on top of a staple food!)[3]

Serina, who was exposed to the Napolitan

bread for the first time, felt that such notion that she had so far were completely

broken the moment she had a taste a bit. How can this vulgar food taste so delicious?

Ever since then, Serina often accompanied Poncho. After all, if she hanging around

him, she could partic.i.p.ate in the trial eating of delicious prototype dishes. The

dishes made by Poncho was the only thing Serina interested at– other than cute

girls –…… Hence the reason why she held a grudge at Poncho due to him excluded

her from eating new dishes.

「Th-that

is still a sample dish, so its quant.i.ty wasn’t much……」(Poncho)

「I had

received an order from His Majesty and Princess to accompany you who aren’t that

accustomed in dealing with the public, so I endeavored to wholeheartedly a.s.sist

you. Even so, you didn’t give me a chance to sample the food, is it because I

am already an adult woman?」(Serina)

「When

we return! When we return, I will you properly treat you with food, yes!」(Poncho)

Poncho panicked when Serina made a

sad expression. Then,

「It’s

a promise.」(Serina)

 Serina said that with a completely nonchalant face.

Apparently, she was just acting to obtain Poncho’s promise. Poncho dropped his

chest crestfallenly. Seeing these two’s interaction, Ginger was dumbfounded,

but Sandria repeatedly nodding for some reason.

「It

looks like their relations.h.i.+p is similar like the one between Master and me.」(Sandria)

「? My

employer is the Princess, however.」(Serina)

「Not

in that meaning……」(Sandria)

Sandria showed a troubled smile at

Serina who t.i.tled her neck in confusion. Meanwhile, both of the men were

watching these their conversation while question mark floating over their head.

◇ ◇ ◇

After the greeting finished, Ginger

took Sandria, Poncho, and Serina and leave 『Ginger's

Vocational Academy』 to head towards “Outside”.

In the 『Vocational Academy』,

there was a research building for the agricultural technology, where research about

crops and compost or selective breeding were conducted. However, there was no

field inside the Vocational Academy where those research result could be seen.

The former slum was located close to the City Walls, so they established the

field beyond the City Wall. The research building and the field were separated

by the castle wall, but the distance was really short that it was easy to

travel between the building and the field.

Pa.s.sing through the city gate, Ginger

guided Poncho and the others to the field owned by the 『Vocational

Academy』. While greeting the Guards who watched the field, the

four people arrived in front of two fields. It seemed that none of the two

fields had planted with crops, but the first field’s soil looked like a normal

black soil[4],

while the second field’s surface was dried up and cracked. After showing these field,

Ginger then asked Poncho.

「The

reason for Poncho-dono’s visit today is related to the research of “that”,

correct?」(Ginger)

「Yes.

Since His Majesty and I too have great expectations for the “that” research

result.」(Poncho)

After hearing Poncho reply, Ginger

shook his head with an apologetic expression.

「…… Let

me preface my reply with an apology. We did not get a result you expected.」(Ginger)

A research that Souma or Poncho

put great expectations into. It was a research of the 『Failed

Creation』 that had been invented

by the Over-Scientist Ginya Maxwell. During the previous reign of the King Albert,

Ginya developed a plant-seed inserted arrowhead so that a battlefield could be full

of greeneries. However, due to the effect of the light magic enchantment endowed

to that arrowhead, the plant grows and proliferates at an extremely rapid rate

and nearly engulfed half of the research building with vegetation. So it was a

failure creation with a major defect.

Ginya was transferred to the Royal

Army and her research was frozen. However, King Souma, in his interaction with

her, became aware of her research and noticed its usefulness, and so he ordered

for the resumption of that research. Ignoring the arrowhead part, if they

researched about how the vegetation grow at such speed that could engulf a building,

then it might be useful for desert greening[5]

and food productivity improvement. However, since the genius Ginya no longer had

any interest in that research, Souma ordered the Agricultural Technology

Research Department at Ginger's Vocational Academy instead.

However…… Ginger said that they couldn’t

show a successful result.

「Certainly

we achieved the rapid growth of the plants. Between the growth and

proliferation plant trait, we had succeeded in eliminating the proliferation part,

so being engulfed by vegetation won’t happen anymore.」(Ginger)

「So it

becomes controllable? Isn’t this a success, yes?」(Poncho)

「No, not

at all. Although this research is performed with expectation for being employed

in food productivity improvement and desert greening…… The research found out

that it would be useful for that purpose. Ginya-dono’s magic arts is “only”

accelerated the plant’s growth. Poncho-dono, do you know what plants needed for

their growth?」(Ginger)

After thinking for awhile, Poncho

answered,

「It

should be a fertile soil and water…… and, sunlight, yes?」(Poncho)

Ginger nodded.

「Yes.

There is no problem with the sunlight. For the water, we could manage one way

or another. The problem is the fertile soil. Even when the plant had its growth

accelerated, the amount of water and nutrients absorbed from the soil doesn’t

change. Ginya-dono also recognized this point, so in her magic arts, she also included

a function to absorb nutrients and water from the soil.」(Ginger)

Ginger said this word as he

pointed at the cracked dried field.

「This

field is the aftermath of the growth-accelerated wheat harvest.」(Ginger)

「…… It's

completely similar to a desert sand, yes.」(Poncho)

「Even

if we can accelerate the plant’s growth, fertilizing the soil would take a considerable

amount of time. As a result, the plants would absorb moisture and nutrients from

the soil and ended it this dried up field. In this state, nothing can be planted

on it anymore.」(Ginger)

「Can’t

you continuously provided the nutrition into the earth one way or another?」(Poncho)

「It

is impossible. Unlike water, providing continuous nutrition to match the growth

speed itself is not realistically possible. In the first place, fertilizer itself

is limited. If the fertilizer is depleted due to the increase the growth speed,

as a result, the productivity improvement might not happen at all.」(Ginger)

「So

that is…… impossible.」(Poncho)

When plants decayed, it will

return the nutrition back into the soil, but it won’t happen with the food

crops. Indeed, it is impossible to return every food part that had been

consumed by human back to the field.

「This

is the reason why we judged that this method not suitable for growing food crops.

The other purpose, the desert greening, will also impossible since it lacked

water from in the first place. Even if we could provide it with water ca.n.a.ls, this

time the rapid growth rate would be the bottleneck problem. The plants also

decayed at a rapid rate, after all.」(Ginger)

「So

it’s something that can’t be done either way, yes……」(Poncho)

Poncho dropped his shoulders dejectedly.

It was disappointing that the research that he put hopes for had produced zero

results. However, Ginger shook his head again.

「It

doesn’t mean that it is completely without result. Please look at the neighboring

field.」(Ginger)

「…… But,

there is only a soil-covered field?」(Poncho)

「Yes,

the soil in this field is just a normal soil. A created “normal soil”.」(Ginger)

While saying this, Ginger took a handful

of soil.

「The

soil in this field is brought from the dungeon inhabited by many undead-type

monsters. Of course, when it was first brought here, it was contaminated by

miasma released by the undead-type monster.」(Ginger)

「Miasma!?」(Poncho)

Poncho unconsciously yelped. An

undead-type monster such as Skull Dragon, scattered miasma that harms living

beings simply by being present in the environment. The miasma spreads disease,

corrodes things, and prevents living creatures to reside on that location.

Moreover, it has the characteristic of remaining on the ground for long period

of time. As a result, the land where the Skull Dragon once rampaged or where there

is a large outbreak of zombies and so on, will end up as a barren land where no

crops will grow in that location for a long period of time.

However, Ginger picked up that should

be dangerous soil in his hand without any hesitation. Poncho closely examined

that soil with an intense stare.

「Is

this soil…… safe?」(Poncho)

「Yes.

It had completely cleaned from miasma.」(Ginger)

「What

had you done, yes?」(Poncho)

「By using

that same method. There is a flower that blooms only in a dungeon where many

undead-type monsters resided.」

As Ginger said this word, he

asked Sandria to bring out a stalk of flower. That flower was reddish violet colored

with a greenish-black spots, obviously, this was a poisonous-looking color combination.

A flower that you don’t want to give as a gift for an auspicious celebration

even as a mistake.

「This

flower is called 『Miasma Flower』 amongst the adventurers who went into the dungeon. The location where this

flower bloom indicates that it is the active domain of ​​the undead-type

monster. That’s why when they discover this flower, they would prepare

countermeasure for the miasma.」(Ginger)

「So

there is a flower like this. Wow, to think that I don’t know about this.」(Poncho)

Poncho is very well-informed

about edible plants. Not only about ingredients that are edible, but also ingredients

that are inedible. Because Poncho’s knowledge is rooted from his appet.i.te.

Therefore, he wasn’t that well-informed in plants that are inedible just by

looking from its appearance or plants that are virtually inedible, which didn’t

pique his interest. Ginger unintentionally chuckled.

「As

the name suggested, this Miasma Flower grows with miasma as its nutrient. This is

the reason why it grew in throngs inside the dungeons with a large number of

undead-type monster. If we plant the Miasma Flower combined Ginya-dono’s magic

arts to accelerate the plant growth in a contaminated soil like this one, then……」(Ginger)

「!? I

see! The amazingly fast rate of growth will absorb the miasma from the ground!」(Poncho)

*pon* Poncho

hit his hands. If they used the method on the normal plants, they would absorb the

soil nutrient and left it barren. But in Miasma Flower’s case, only the miasma that

will be absorbed. Ginger nodded.

「Afterward,

we can harvest the flowers and incinerate them. Since the miasma had been used

for its growth, only ash remained after they are burnt. If we repeat this

process twice, the contaminated soil will return to a normal soil like this

one.」(Ginger)

「Isn’t

this- isn’t this a truly wonderful discovery! It could counteract the effect of

the undead-type monsters on fields and crops, yes!」(Poncho)

Poncho was delighted. Its application

wasn’t much, but since the antic.i.p.ated research wasn’t without any result, he

was delighted none the less. Poncho suddenly had a thought.

(This reminds me…… When gathering the talented people,

His Majesty had spoken these words, 『I will decide whether or not it is useful.』 Perhaps his words mean that there are no useless thing

in this world. Even me who don’t have any talent other than eating…… could help

this country even just for a little bit.)

Poncho, who thought like this, felt

slightly more confident in himself.

Serina and Sandria were watching

the men engrossed in serious conversation from a slight distance away with a

slightly dismayed expression. Without throwing a single glance at them, the two

men were having an exciting exchange of opinions about the research. It was as

if in the men’s head, the women’s existence had disappeared. Seeing her master

behaving like this, Sandria asked Serina.

「…… Are

every man always behave in this manner?」(Sandria)

「That

maybe so. Princess oftentimes appears to be jealous when watching His Majesty[6].

I felt that even if she trusts His Majesty who worked hard running the nation, in

some respects, she looks frustrated.」(Serina)

「How

about Serina-sama?」(Sandria)

「Me? Of

what?」(Serina)

「Are

you currently feel jealous?」(Sandria)

「Not

at all? My employer is Princess. Certainly, I have been given the privilege to

be at Poncho-dono’s side, however, to feel jealous when seeing him talking with

another person is something that perhaps won’t happen.」(Serina)

Serina replied with a serious expression,

and after Sandria thought about it for a bit, she looked straight at Serina’s

eyes and asked,

「Well,

what if Ginger-sama is a woman? In this case, will you still not feel jealous?」(Sandria)

Serina looked at Poncho and Ginger

who were in the midst of conversation. If the one Poncho is talking with is a

woman, then…… After pondering for a few moment, Serina finally gave her answer.

「Whoever

he is talking with to, I don’t feel anything.」(Serina)

「I

see……」(Sandria)

「…………

However, if Poncho only gave that person to taste his new cuisine…… Then…… I

don’t…… like it. Even if eating together with that person is not something that

is wrong for him……」(Serina)

Serina replied with an expression

of not understanding why she was thinking like this. Sandria made a slightly

surprised face, but she didn’t ask any further.

Serina herself didn’t really understand

if her words “only” came from her gluttony. However, she predicted that this ‘fuzzy’

feeling will be cleared after she returned back to the castle and ate the

promised hot sandwich.

☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽

The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.

That’s why don’t be cheap and take her to

fancy restaurant!

Also… All aboard! s.h.i.+p is setting sail!