episode_0163

“Field! Plow the field first! The field isn’t enough right now!”

When he said that he would buy the elves that were being sold as slaves if he could properly start a textile business, the elves began to move in unison.

To make fiber, raw materials are needed, and those raw materials were plants. Since all the fields that had been prepared immediately were filled with firewood seeds, the elves worked together to start making the fields.

This time too, I could see the mana chunks moving and creating a field, as if they were using spirits.

Kwagagagagagagak-!

Also, I saw the ground being broken up at an incredible speed. Even if I brought in a knight with fairly good physical ability, I felt like he wouldn’t be able to do it to this extent.

“… … That’s amazing.”

“Because it is to save our people.”

I nodded at Jiena’s words that an elf is willing to do difficult things for the sake of her people. Jiena also willingly gave up all the money she had saved, saying that she would save her people.

Of course, it was no different now.

“Boss. Can I go back to the city first?”

“Suddenly?”

“Because we need to grow flax to make fiber. I have to get the seeds first.”

While the other elves were creating the fields, Jiena decided to buy seeds since she could move freely. Seeing Jiena’s appearance as if she was ready to run away if given permission, she shrugged and handed over the cart skeleton.

Since it was a skeleton cart with a horse attached to it, it would have been easy to purchase the seeds and return.

“I’ll be back!”

Jiena responded vigorously, got on the skeleton cart, and quickly ran toward the city.

And, after a little more than an hour, Jiena returned with a bundle the size of my upper body. It was a bundle containing flax seeds.

“You got it quickly?”

“Yes. Flax seeds are also used as medicine, so when I went to the herbal medicine store, there were a lot of them! So I just brought them all. It was in perfect condition to grow.”

As I was laughing at the sight of Jienna raising her thumb with a bright smile, Jienna immediately handed over the bag containing flaxseeds to the elves.

The elves, who checked the bundle as if inspecting the seeds, gave Jienna a thumbs up and immediately took the seeds in their hands and began to sow them in the newly created field.

During the little over an hour that Jienna went to buy seeds, a large amount of seeds were scattered across the already completed field.

However, the elves who had scattered the seeds suddenly gathered in the center of the field where the flax seeds were sown. I wondered what the elves gathered in one place were going to do, but immediately their mana began to fluctuate wildly.

I wondered what on earth they were doing, but I couldn’t bear to ask the elves looking so focused. However, there was another elf here who could explain the elves’ actions.

“This is the secret that allows elves to grow plants faster, even artificially. Using mana, you stimulate the vitality of plants around you.”

“Oh… … . Is that so?”

As Jiena came to my side and explained, I looked at the elves closely. And, as Jienna said, I could feel the elves’ vitality trembling in response to the moving mana.

Although he was a warlock who dealt with death, he was also sensitive to life force. As I was the warlock, it was possible to feel the mana moved by the elves stimulating the seeds sown in the field and inducing vitality.

“Originally, it would have taken several days for the seeds to sprout, but by stimulating their vitality like this, it is possible to sprout them quickly.”

Jienna came a little closer and pointed to the seeds on the floor. As I looked at the seeds, it was true that little by little change was occurring.

It wasn’t enough that the seeds were already soaking up all the moisture that had been sprinkled on the field in advance, and even though it was only a little bit, I could see the seeds starting to germinate.

“… … Wow, that’s amazing.”

“That’s right. However, this method can only be used on plants. It stimulates vitality, but it does not affect other living things.”

“It looks like that.”

It was clear that the vitality of the surrounding area was being stimulated, but it was literally only being stimulated limited to plants. It had no effect on the elves, who were at the center of the life force, and it had no effect at all on me and the two women, who were a little outside but within the sphere of influence.

The only thing I could do was feel the vitality because I was a warlock.

So, I relaxed and watched the elves, and soon the elves stopped moving their mana. A couple of beads of sweat appeared on the elves’ foreheads, as if this act, which was said to be a secret technique, required some stamina in its own way.

But the elves’ work was not finished yet. It was to summon again the spirit that looked like a lump of mana that had been seen when planting firewood flowers.

Of course, the spirits that appeared like that did an outstanding job. Not only did they sprinkle water on the seeds that had already begun to germinate due to their vitality being stimulated, but the fire-type spirit also spread light and heat to the surrounding area as if it were the sun in the air.

Thanks to this, even in this situation where winter is approaching, a situation similar to a warm spring has been created. The water that sprinkled little by little from time to time felt like spring rain.

“Oh… … . If I do this, I can grow it even in winter, right?”

As I was admiring the sight that made the surrounding environment look like spring, Rajbub, who was not in control of the spirit, slowly approached me.

“You can raise it like this because you need it urgently, but… … . It’s not easy. It is especially difficult when it gets completely cold in the winter. It’s harder to make something warm when it’s cold than to make it warm when it’s cool.”

“Really? It’s a shame.”

I thought I would get more benefits if I could grow crops in the winter, but I felt a deep sense of disappointment when I heard that it wasn’t easy.

Of course, that regret was short-lived. Even if crops were grown during the winter, there were no tools to make the crops into thread or cloth. All we had to do was create the tools during the winter.

“Then, first, quickly grow the flax you have planted now. Because we have to first check whether the fiber can actually be produced.”

“Yes. So, should we prioritize growing flax over firewood flowers?”

“Hmm… … . Do that. There are plenty of firewood flowers to spare right now, and the ones you plant will grow even if you don’t take care of them.”

Since firewood flowers grow well even when left alone, I thought I could focus on growing flax for now. In any case, they had instructed to secure enough supplies to be used until spring.

I immediately turned around to see Rajbub seeming to understand. There was nothing more to do here until the elves fully harvested the flax.

But as I was about to board the carriage to return to the city, I remembered something I had forgotten.

“Oh, and Balang has to go with me, so please bring him.”

“Yes… … ? Bae, Mr. Balan… … ?”

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that. I just wanted to ask about the tools needed for the fiber making process.”

When I heard that they were taking Balang with me, I could guess what they were thinking when I saw them look shocked. He was obviously worried that I might be dragging Balang into bed.

I don’t know if it was because my thoughts were revealed, but Rajbub’s face turned bright red.

And Rajbub, who was blushing, quickly called Balang over, as if trying not to show that he had misunderstood. Perhaps because I had explained the tools in advance, Balan got into the carriage with me without showing much concern. Of course, the same was true for Gienna and Amy.

“After making the tools, Valan will send them with Jienna, so he should pay some attention to farming.”

“Yes. I will work hard to harvest it as quickly as possible!”

The elves, including Rajbub, clenched their fists as they realized that rescuing new compatriots was possible simply by creating fiber. I felt a strong will to harvest flax as quickly as possible, even if it meant cutting down on sleep at night.

Of course, it was a good thing for me, so I told myself to cheer up and immediately returned to the city. No, to be exact, I headed to the blacksmith shop within the city.

“Uh, boss? What are you doing at this hour?”

The head researcher, who was sitting on the floor in the empty space between the blacksmith shop and the magic tower, smoking a cigarette, noticed me approaching the blacksmith shop and approached me.

“I have to make something special this time. Are there any researchers with free time right now?”

“Uh… … . Yes, it exists. But most of them are doing joint research with alchemists, so there are only beginners.”

“The kids who were originally students? Ah, they are enough. Because I’m not trying to make something great. First of all, it is no different from making a prototype.”

“Okay. So would it be better to load it? Or do you send it to the workroom?”

“To the workroom.”

Watching the head researcher rush out following my instructions, I took Balan at a leisurely pace and headed to the workroom.

When I entered the workroom with Valan, who was curiously watching the skeletons working hard to produce steel products, several researchers were waiting for me. They were students of researchers whom the head researcher described as beginners.

After waving to those who greeted me enthusiastically, I sat down with Balang. I need to make a tool, but since I don’t have any knowledge about the tool, I thought I’d listen to the explanation first.

“Tell me about the process of making flax linen. Map of what tools to use. Oh, do elves use different types of tools than the spinning or looms that humans use?”

“Je, there wasn’t much difference in the items used by the noble family where I was previously held as a slave. There were some things that were a little different, but… … It was not at a level where there was a difference in quality.”

“Really? But first, let’s talk about the tools that elves use. Textiles made using elf methods can serve as promotional elements in their own way.”

Balan nodded at what I said and began to explain the point at which flax is harvested.

“The harvested flax must first be soaked in water and then dried. This is how you can separate the stem part that will become the fiber. Then, pound the dried product to break the outer skin. Place it on a pillar and hit it with a wooden stick.”

“What next?”

“You need to comb and organize the stems. Shake off the broken bark and clean up the messy stems. When brushing, there is also a method of hammering several nails into a wooden board. If you do that, only a long stem will remain, and if you weave it and spin it on a potter’s wheel, it becomes thread. For reference, you can also use combed short stems.”

“You make cloth using thread made by turning it on a potter’s wheel, right? So you said it was a loom? Please also explain the loom that can weave cloth.”

Balan, who explained how to spin yarn, nodded in response to my question and immediately continued his explanation. It was a story about what the loom looked like, how it moved, etc.

And, after listening to Balan’s explanation to the end, he turned his attention to the researchers.

“How about you, can you make the necessary tools just by listening to what I’m saying?”

“… … It’s not impossible, but if Elf watches your work, you can make it a little more accurately!”

The researchers who were exchanging glances at my question nodded in unison. Although there was a condition that Balang had to help, it was said that it was possible.

Since it was not a difficult request, he ordered the production of spinning machines and looms to begin immediately.