The day after Eliza returned to the imperial capital, I continued my tour of the territory.

　After giving sacks of fertilizer to low magic lords to make fertilizer with the opposite effect of accelerated decay, I continued to tour the territory to spread it around and see if I could find something that would further boost the harvest.
　I began to look around the farmland in the territory more than ever before.

　This day I came to a village called Linetola.
　The fields are lush and the lords are tending to them.

What do you think, Master Alec?

　My counterpart, a young man named Sol, the village representative, asked me, "You look good.

He said, "You seem to be doing well, I have a good feeling that you have a good harvest.
Yes, the weather is good this year, and they are growing nicely. That's all thanks to Mr. Alec and the Duke.

　Walking with Sol, we came to the main body of the village, beyond the farmland.
　I saw some houses under construction.

What's that?
It's really thanks to Alec. A lot of people have been able to save money thanks to Alec, and nowadays it's a boom to rebuild houses and get married to them.
I see, that's a good thing.

　Even if you don't rely on the Philosopher's Stone, you know from your past life that marriage is expensive.
　It's easier to get a bride when you have a decent house--properties, and weddings are expensive to begin with.
　It's good that it can be done, and that it can be done collectively as it booms.

　I'll even leave my sack in Linetra's village and let her produce more fertilizer to boost her crop - and then...

Oh, my God!

　In front of me and Sol, another man came at me with a different look on his face.
　On the way, he stumbled over a stone and lost his balance, and he rolled halfway in front of us.

What's the matter with you?
"Lo, the Locust!
"What!
"There's the Locust, they're coming straight at us!
"What?

　The two people in the village looked desperate, as if the end of the world had come.

　　　　　☆

　Using a flying spell, I looked down at the earth from the air.
　It's a great sight!

　A huge, four-legged creature came lumbering over the horizon.
　It was no bigger than a small mountain, but it was slow and didn't seem to have any ill will.

　A huge herbivore, such a creature.

　But the aura emanating from its body was outrageous.
　Every plant that came into contact with its aura instantly withered.

　The birds and beasts around them were flabbergasted, not knowing what had happened.
　Only the plants are dead, and the animals are not harmed.

　With that aura, the four-legged monster zunks straight ahead.

　Locust.
　It's one of those natural disaster-grade monsters that decay all plants and plant-derived matter.

　Ahead of its path is the village of Linetra.

　All plants along the Locust's path are now dead. If we continue onward, Linetra's crops will be wiped out.

　I landed once and went to a despairing Sol.

"Evacuate everyone just in case.
"Okay, I see. Where is Mr. Alec?
I'll try to manage ......
"Huh?　It's so dangerous!
"The humans themselves aren't harmed, are they?　It's okay, go ahead.
"Ah--

　He overcame Sol's attempts to stop him and flew toward the Locust with his flying magic.

　The closer you get to the Locust, the more massive it looks.
　By the time you're in range (、、、、), you'll be overwhelmed by the sight of a monster that looks like the mountain itself is moving, even bigger than your parents' mansion.

Sorry, I'm going to have to stop ......!

　Release the magic, make a magic ball in the manner of a platter spinner.

　If you ask about the Locust, the Philosopher's Stone

"Impossible to repel, nullify any attack.

　I said.
　But I still managed to defeat it and hit it with the seven-colored magic sphere.

　Fire, ice, and wind--the seven attributes of which hit the Locust--but it didn't falter, it wasn't at all responsive.
　but it didn't flinch, it was completely unresponsive.

　As if he was attacked and not at all attacked, the Locust moved on, further rotting the plant.

My--My clothes!

　As I approached to attack, I was harmed.
　My body was fine, but the clothes I was wearing were rotten, tattered and partly melted off.

　I rushed to get away from it with my flying magic.

　If the seven simultaneous attacks didn't work, now I had to focus on one point.
　No poke, nearly all of his magic, and kneaded it into a giant red magic ball of fire.
　It's bigger than a house in a rural village and it throws a magic ball of magic.

　The Locust went up in flames--but within seconds the flames were gone.

　It's still like nothing happened and we just keep going.
　Just keep going. Keep going and let every plant along your path rot.

　Locust.
　The monster spreads natural disasters just by existing.

　The Locust's aura will decay and wipe out any fields that are growing well.



　What to do, what to do.

　While I was fretting, the Locust moved on.
　The distance narrows, and my clothes are affected by the corrosive aura again, making them even more tattered.

　Potts, something falls out of the tattered clothes and onto the ground.

　The bag.
　A bag made from calamity claws. A new bag I thought I could use to fertilize the village if need be.
　Unlike the tattered clothes, it was quite safe.

　I picked it up, and just as I wondered why, a downward glance caught an intact leather shoe.

"I see, the bag and the shoes are animals, so they're not affected--

　The motion stopped, my eyes were glued to the bag.

　The thought of possibly ...... crossed my mind.

　All the while, the Locust continues to move straight ahead, there's no time to get lost.
　Instead of worrying, I'm going to try first.

　I'm determined to shove the Locust.
　As I shove it, I register the bag for myself.

　My clothes were rotting at an accelerated rate as I got closer, but I didn't care.
　I went straight ahead and touched the Locust anyway.

　Even a natural disaster monster that would have rotted all plants could not harm a human with its touch.
　Just grab it--and put it in the bag!

　When the skin of the body stretched out a bit and entered the bag, it was as if it was primed and the Locust's entire body was sucked into the bag at great speed.

　The bag's owner's magical power gradually increases in capacity.
　The bag swallowed a small mountain of the Locust's massive body!

"......

　Close the bag, watch for a while.
　It's the first time I've ever put a creature in there, but the Locust doesn't seem to be coming out, and there's no sign of a corrosive aura leaking out.

　It seems that we were able to capture it, even though we couldn't defeat .......

"Master Alec!

　I heard a voice from behind me and turned around to see all the villagers of Linnetra running towards me.

The Locust isn't coming. ...... What happened?
"You're not really going to beat the Locust?

　The villagers of Linnetra looked at me expectantly, their whole body and eyes shining.
　The natural disaster Locust, far more terrible to the peasants than the storm.

　I will do this for you...

"Yeah, it's all right.



　There were cheers.
　Sol and several other men suddenly picked me up and threw me in the air.

"That's what I'm talking about, Alec.
"Thank you, Baron!
"Wow!　I've never heard of that, wow!

　For a while, I kept getting tossed up by the Linnetra villagers.
　At any rate, I'm really glad that the crops are safe.