Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 132: In the Mountain Village
　After climbing the slope, Tauro’s party stopped and waited.
　They assumed someone from the mountain village would come to guide them.
　Approximately five minutes later, Bandi hurried out from a narrow mountain path with two young men.
“We’ve been waiting for you! Haah… haah… When you didn’t arrive on the scheduled day, we began to fear that you weren’t coming. Welcome!”
　Bandi greeted Tauro and the others with obvious relief.
“How much longer are we expected to wait before someone takes us to the village?”
　Aeris asked.
“This way, please!”
　Bandi and his companions immediately led them along the mountain road.
　The village was surrounded by rich forests, but its fields were small and its houses crudely constructed. The land appeared to have received little cultivation.
　Surprisingly many people seemed to live there. Cooking smoke rose from numerous homes, showing that the settlement was active despite its poverty.
　As they walked toward the village chief’s house, Bandi explained the community’s circumstances.
“We have traditionally survived through hunting and forestry. During the past several years, those occupations stopped providing enough for everyone, so we began expanding the fields. Unfortunately, our farming hasn’t gone well. Thanks to the money you lent us, Tauro-san, the villagers have at least eaten proper meals for the past week. We’re deeply grateful.”
　Bandi thanked him on behalf of the village.
　His respectful manner was completely different from the unpleasant behavior he had displayed while attempting highway robbery.
　Tauro thought Bandi might be better suited to representing the villagers than to criminal work.
　He was apparently not unskilled with a sword, however; Shin had commented on his ability during their earlier encounter.
“Why are hunting and forestry no longer sufficient?”
　Tauro asked, wanting to understand what kind of help the village needed.
“For one thing, lumber prices have fallen. The other problem is… Ah, we have reached the chief’s house.”
　Bandi ended the explanation midway and announced their arrival.
　He called inside, and an elderly man hurried out.
“Are you Tauro-san and his companions? Thank you for lending our village so much money!”
　The old man dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
“Please, there’s no need to do that!”
　Flustered, Tauro looked to Bandi for assistance.
　Seeing his discomfort, Bandi hurried to the chief.
“Chief, Tauro-san is troubled. Please stand.”
　Bandi offered his hand and helped the elderly man to his feet.
“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to embarrass you, Tauro-san.”
“Perhaps we should invite Tauro-san and his companions inside first,”
　Bandi suggested.
“Of course. Please come in, everyone.”
　The invitation finally allowed the travelers to settle down.
　Inside the house, the village chief thanked them once more and apologized for his excessive greeting.
　Still embarrassed, Tauro repeated the question he had asked Bandi.
　The chief nodded.
“In addition to the falling price of lumber, the number of animals in the forest has declined so severely that our traps remain empty and hunting brings almost nothing. The past several years have been especially difficult. We tried to compensate by expanding the fields, but the crops have failed.”
“Did you ask experienced farmers to teach you?”
　Tauro asked.
“We did, but they said fields at this elevation behave differently. The methods they taught us haven’t worked well here.”
“Then try planting these in the fields you already have.”
　Tauro removed the seeds he had purchased in O’Circus from [Magic Storage] and spread the packets across the table.
“What are they?”
“These are tomate seeds, these are tomoro seeds, and these are karashin seeds. All three crops can grow at high elevations. Plant a portion of each, and I’ll explain their cultivation in detail.”
“Such crops exist? We were just discussing what to plant next. I’ll have the villagers begin preparations immediately!”
　Grasping eagerly at the new possibility, the chief handed the packets to one of the young men who had accompanied Bandi.
“I also noticed many jagamo plants growing outside. Do you not eat them?”
　In Tauro’s previous life, jagamo had been called potatoes. He wondered why the plants grew beside the road instead of in cultivated fields.
“Jagamo? They produce beautiful flowers during the proper season, but their berries are poisonous, so no one eats them.”
“I understand. The berries, sprouts, and green portions are poisonous, but the underground tubers can be eaten after any sprouts or green areas are removed. Please make certain every villager understands that precaution.”
　Tauro continued explaining.
“The tubers can be boiled, steamed, or fried. They’re filling and can provide a substantial amount of food.”
　Now that he considered it, Tauro had never seen jagamo served anywhere in this world.
　He appeared to have discovered, entirely by chance, a crop that might save the village from starvation.