Two more weeks.
　In our vegetable garden, there was a very fine corn crop.

"It's too early. It grew many times faster.
"Yes. What I'm worried about is the taste and the safety.

Well, let's just pick it, shall we?

Sure. Put it in a magic bag immediately after harvesting. Even sweet corn loses its sweetness quickly if left unattended.

Got it.

　This variety is not expected to be sweet by nature. We should be careful about that.

　Harvesting corn is very easy.
　Just hold the seed and bend it downward.

　We didn't plant a lot of corn, and it only takes three people to harvest it.

　The appearance of the corn is comparable to that of corn sold in Japan, and even better than the ones we bought in Kerg.

　When we boiled one of them in a pot, it looked quite tasty.

　If you look at it this way, it's a great success. .......

"......Who wants to eat first?
"This is the role of Toya, isn't it?　I'll go get him.

　I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to get it.

I'm sure you'll have a lot of questions.　It is possible that even if Natsuki doesn't have a problem, other people won't?

That's right.　So, Natsuki's proposal is rejected.
I see. Is ...... okay?

No, I don't think it's a problem in the usual sense.　I'm sure you're not the only one.

　Yes, our normal diet is demon meat.
　The meat is used to make fertilizer, and it's too late to say anything about the crops grown with that fertilizer.

　It's just that they grow too fast, and it's creepy.
　It's not necessary, but it's an insurance policy.


Did you harvest the corn?
"Oh, it's a nice crop, isn't it?

　Without going into details, I called Toya and, just in case, Haruka to come with me.

Oh, I've boiled the water, you can eat it now. Here.

Oh, thank you. It's a little hard on the skin, but it's also a little tasty.　The skin is a little hard and a little powdery, but sweeter than I expected.

Oh, well, that's good.
Oh, that's good.　You don't have any for me?

　Yuki pulls Haruka's hand away and gently asks her if she has any.

　Then a look of understanding spread across Haruka's face and she looked at Toya as if she were looking at something a little pitiful.

　No, it's not mean that you didn't inform Toya, okay?

　I was just trying to get her honest opinion without prejudice.

　Toya didn't even notice us looking at him, and ate the whole corn in a short time.

"Yeah, it was good. I could make a lot of this.　What's wrong?

Is there a problem with ......?

Problem?　...... Hey, I don't see any other signs of corn being eaten.　Haruka didn't eat it either.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

You've noticed?

You're right, I did notice!　What is it?　You're experimenting on me?

That's not very polite. I didn't want us all to get sick to our stomachs, so I asked you, the hardiest of them all, to take the lead.

Same thing. - Well, it's a fair point. Tell me first, I won't refuse.

　Stopping in mid-sentence to complain to me, Toya sighs.

　I guess he understood that it was a rational decision, but he was not satisfied with it.

I wanted to hear your evaluation of the taste. If you ate it with suspicion, you wouldn't be able to get an honest opinion.

That's understandable.

I'm sorry, Toya. I was going to do it myself.

No, if you're going to do it, it's better if I do it, so don't worry about it.

　I was going to do it," he said, sighing again and shaking his head.

We'll eat tomorrow, then. If you're not feeling well, talk to Haruka.

Okay. I'm sure you'll be fine. I'm sure you'll be fine. Your status is still 'healthy'.



"...... Oh, yeah, didn't we have a feature like that?

　I forgot that you can see such things in the status.

That's a relief.

"Maybe.

　　　　The status "state" is quite interesting.

　It seems that the status is quite reliable.

　Fortunately, Toya was still alive and well the next day.

　He didn't seem to have any upset stomach, and we tasted the corn with no worries.

　The taste was just as Toya had said.
　Not as sweet as sweet corn, but sweeter than most sweet corn.

　The slightly powdery taste reminded us a little of potatoes, which was a new texture for corn.

　According to Natsuki, it's a little bit like Flint corn, but I've never tasted Flint corn, so I don't really understand the analogy.

　But I'm sure it's delicious, so I expanded my vegetable garden a bit and planted some more corn.

　At this rate of growth, I should be able to harvest two or three more crops during the normal growing season.

But even if we expand the garden area a little, we'll still produce far more compost than we consume, right?

Yes. It's a very good compost and we should sell it.

That's the only way to reduce the amount.

　The amount of compost continued to increase day by day.

　The amount of compost is increasing day by day. We don't have to worry about magic bags, but recently we have been throwing all the demons we have defeated directly into the magic bags and dismantling them when we get home. The advantage of this is that it takes less time to dismantle.

　The advantage of this method is that it takes less time to dismantle, so the search process goes faster, and there is no need to worry about the smell of blood attracting other demons or to be cautious.

　Besides, it's much easier to dismantle in the house than in the forest.
　The result is more compost that we can't use up.

But how do you sell it?　But how do you sell it? You have to emphasize that it's not like regular compost.

In a way, I don't mind paying a low price because I'm disposing of unwanted materials, but will it bother existing ...... companies?

　Farmers may be happy, but those who are currently selling compost would not be happy if they were sold high-performance compost at the same price.

　I don't know if there are any compost specialists, but if they make a living out of it, they will certainly be resented.

　On the other hand, if they make a living out of it, they may try to destroy the competition by dumping, but since they don't intend to go that far, they may not sell it cheaply.

"Well, she's the one for times like this.

　We looked at each other and nodded in agreement at Haruka's words.


"So you want to sell the fertilizer?

　I've come to ask you, Diora, because you're in trouble.

"Yes. Do you have a better idea?

A fertilizer that grows many times faster - if that were true, it would sell for sure. ......

Oh, I can give you a sample, can't I?　If you know any farmers, ......".

　Haruka suggested this to Diora, who looked at him somewhat skeptically.

　We thought it was crazy too, so how can we believe it without actually using it?

I understand. Can you give us a few bags?　I'll have a few farmers I know try it.

Thank you. Thank you.

No, no, no. If it's true, it's great. But ...... you're adventurers, aren't you?

It's just a byproduct of growing a few crops in the ...... garden.

It's true that you can grow some vegetables in that garden. But I'm sure you make enough money that you don't need to grow vegetables in your garden.

　He looked at us with a dumbfounded stare, and we smiled.

　In fact, if we could kill even one demon for the time we spend in the vegetable garden, our profits would be higher.

　But that's not what vegetable gardening is all about, is it?

　You can't calculate the cost and labor of the harvest. It's a waste of time.

This is that, this is that?
It's a hobby.

Most adventurers can't even afford to pay for a day's lodging, but you and your friends are so elegant.
Thanks to you.

It'll be a while before you see the results of your fertilizer use. ......

I don't mind. If you could let me know what price is appropriate and how much farmers can afford, that would be great.

All right. I'll ask him.

　　　　I'll ask him.

　It's been about a month since I provided Diora with the fertilizer samples.

　It was about that time that she told me the results, somewhat excitedly.

What the heck is that?　It's really growing three times faster than before!

"Oh, so it worked. And what's the price?

It works too well. To be honest, it's difficult to price ....... If you consider the yield, it's 30 times cheaper than ordinary compost. The farmer said he'd buy it for that price.



　The value of the fertilizer explained by Ms. Diora was much higher than I had imagined.

　First, the effective use of land.

　A crop that can normally be grown only once can be grown three or four times, which greatly increases the yield.

　The amount of work required to grow the crop will increase, but it will not simply triple or quadruple, so the profit will increase significantly.

　Next, pest control.

　Just because the growth rate of plants has tripled, it does not mean that the growth rate and movement speed of insects will also triple. By simply taking the same measures as before, the damage can be reduced by a factor of three or less. The advantages go without saying.

　Especially in this world where labor costs are low, there is no reason not to spend more time and effort if it will increase the yield.

　The only disadvantage is water, as the plants grow so fast that rainwater alone is insufficient and irrigation is necessary, but this is not a problem in this region where water is relatively abundant.

But more than that, it could also be a strategic asset.
Strategic goods?

Yes. There's a relative surplus of land here, but in places where there's not much land suitable for cultivation, this fertilizer would be of tremendous value. So, there's a possibility that we might get sidetracked. ......

　I see.
　If more food can be grown on less land, it will be a force multiplier.

　In the modern world, population is not simply proportional to national strength, but in this world where people fight with swords, the larger the population, the stronger the national strength.

So we shouldn't sell it?

"No, I'm afraid it's too late for that. We've already given it away to a few people. ......

　Diora raised her eyebrows in annoyance.

　If there are already a number of people who know about the effects, even if you keep quiet about it, it will probably leak out from somewhere.

　If that's the case, there's not much point in stopping the sale now.

I don't think it's going to be that bad, but maybe the government will ask us to disclose the manufacturing process.

If that's the case, well, ......
Yeah. It's not like we're going to make a fortune out of it.
Okay. I don't mind disclosing it if it gets me in trouble.

Is that so?　But for now, I'll make some moves on my end.

　With a slightly surprised look on her face, Diora said this to me.
　You can count on me.

"Thanks, Diora. How do you think I can sell it?

You said you'd go anywhere to buy them if they'd sell them, but it's hard for you and Haruka to deal with all of that, isn't it?

Well, maybe we can make a ...... vending machine.

"A vending machine?

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　It's not surprising that there are no vending machines in this world.

　In addition, there are no unmanned vending machines. The security and morals of this world are not that good, so if you leave it unattended, you can be sure that it will be stolen.

"A magic tool that makes a certain amount of fertilizer come out when you put money into it?

"I didn't know such a thing existed. I've never heard of it.

No, it's not in the book.　I was thinking of making one.

I was thinking of making one. ...... Come to think of it, Haruka-san is an alchemist. That's great. Then it won't take much effort.

In our case, we are not at home most of the time. We're not at home most of the time. The price is about ten times as much as ...... regular compost, right?

That's good, isn't it?　As long as we make a moderate profit.

　When I agreed with Haruka, Natsuki and the others also nodded.
　In all honesty, it's enough to sell the compost in moderation, since it's a problem that needs to be solved.

You can sell it for more?　We can sell it at a higher price.

"No problem, I can make a good profit. --Can you give me some vegetable seeds or something in exchange?　I want to grow them in my garden.

That's a good idea. I'd like some leafy greens, if possible. Fresh produce is hard to come by.

All right. I'll collect the seeds. That vending machine?　Let me know when it's ready. I'll let the farmer know.

Please. It should be ready in a few days.


　Because it was a simple structure that sold only one type of product, the vending machine was completed in just a few days, just as Haruka had said.

　It was powered by human power.

　Only the counterfeit money part is powered by magic stones, but the part that pumps out the fertilizer is powered by people who come to buy it and turn the handle.

　Roughly speaking, it is a large capsule toy vending machine.
　We hollowed out a part of the wall outside our house and installed it.

　The instructions are well illustrated, and the farmers seem to have no problem understanding how to use it, and the sales volume is steadily increasing.

　The vegetable seeds that I had asked Diora for were also successfully obtained, and are now growing in the garden at a steady pace.


　Thus, we have a new source of income and fresh vegetables.