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46. Infinite Water Source

「I placed Vritra’s egg in the deepest part of the dungeon and made him the new king. This village will live together with the White Dragon and the Farthest Ends of Blue.」

When the dungeon reaches maturity, a “Dungeon Break” will occur. This depends on the power of the “King”, and can also be said to occur when the “King” reaches full maturity. The current dungeon, which was originally limited to 52 floors by the “King”, will definitely grow even further with Vritra crowned.

「The question is whether Vritra will have the will to coexist with humans… If not, I will take responsibility for re-capturing the dungeon.」

Even if that were to happen, it was still several years in the future. If the dungeon lasts that long, the resources we are searching for should also work. I turned to the prisoner swordsman to listen to his report.

「So, did you find what I asked for?」

「We found it. This is a sample.」

By the way, his name is Bellman. According to what I learned from Mello before she escaped, he seems to be a “knight-ish person”.

It’s a bit of a dangerous idea to let them live in a demi-human village, but… Ever since he learned that Mello sacrificed her lifespan to revive them, he has been running around the dungeon every day, saying he will fulfill her will.

The jar I received from Bellman was filled with a clear liquid.

「Asagi, what do you think of this?」

「This is… water, am I right? The quality doesn’t seem to be that different from the water source in the village.」

The resource I was looking for was “water”.

Koe-san confirmed that the water quality in the fourth floor was good. So I had them search for something similar on the first floor, and they seem to have found it not far from the entrance. I was also glad that the quality of the water was the same as the water in the village.

「Why water? We already have enough water to grow a wheat field.」

「The wheat field failed. Do you know why?」

「Probably because the soil has been sucked out of everything necessary for the wheat to grow.」

If you continue to grow the same crops in the same field, they may grow poorly or become infected. This is called “continuous cropping hazzard.”

“We understand that much,” Asagi and the others said, their expressions darkening.

「We know that if we grow other crops, the lifespan of the soil would be extended by several years. But we were limited by not being able to cultivate fallow land.」

「…To think you have learned that much without having anyone to teach you.」

「It’s for survival, after all.」

Outside the village, methods have gone a little further and found ways to grow wheat, root vegetables, barley, and legumes in order each year.

It seems to be an excellent method for raising livestock as well… But each land has its own compatibility, and inspection takes a long time. If you’ve tried other crops without success, you shouldn’t stick to them.

「I was also concerned about continuous cropping problems. Then I remembered that I had heard about crops that can be continuously cultivated for hundreds of years even on small plots of land.」

「Oh! What kind of crop is that?」

「It’s called “rice-plant”. It’s made by planting seedlings in a field filled with water. The water washes the soil and renews it, which apparently helps maintain a constant balance in the soil.」

「That would certainly require a lot of water.」

Normally, it would be done in lands with a lot of rain and plenty of water. That would have been difficult in this surrounding area, but if we could maintain an infinite water source, it is a different story. The “water problem”, which can be said to be the biggest challenge in agriculture, should now be completely resolved with this.

「I call it dungeon-style irrigated farming. For the time being, we’ll turn what we get in the dungeon into food in Kinui to make ends meet. I’m thinking of establishing farming methods and becoming self-sufficient in the meantime.」

「I can’t believe you have thought that that far ahead… And, do we have seeds for that crop?」

「Not right now. That’s why I’m going to give Shizuku my first order as king. You should be the most qualified person.」

Shizuku took a step forward and knelt on the ground.

「As you command.」

◆◆◆

「Although I suffered a considerable loss…my days are far from over.」

Staring at the numbers in his ledger, Kinui businessman Guran’s face twisted into laughter. He lost all of his money in the conflict with Shizuku and Marge, resulting in even the children of the town starting to make fun of him.

However, he used his remaining assets to restart his business, and it was just starting to get back on track.

「If things go on like this, by next year… Gufufufufu.」

「S-Sir, there’s a customer.」

Eldro, his subordinate, knocked on the door that had been repaired. His body, which used to be a mass of muscle, seems to have shrunk a little over the past few weeks.

「Customer? I don’t have any meetings today.」

「B-But they insist on meeting you.「

「I’m busy. Who the hell is it?」

Instead of Eldro’s reply, a werewolf with flaxen hair and a tail appeared next to him.

「It’s me.」

「…Not againnnnnnnnnnn!!!」