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CHAPTER 17 - I, A FORMER TEACHER, BECAME THE VICE CHIEF OF THE DRUG VILLAGE
As Sota was led by Asugi to the village meeting hall, people continued to gather.. Among them was the forest elf he had met at the drinking party, so the feeling of being an outsider wasn't as pronounced as he had thought.
"Asugi-san, what exactly am I supposed to do at this village gathering?"
"Well, just sit down, sit down."
"I mean, in my life, just sitting down has never led to anything going well, so I'm slightly uneasy about this."
"It's okay! I don't know the details either, but it seems like my father has something important to talk about!"
――Seriously, I'm absolutely hopeless. What am I being dragged into? Are they planning to bury a body or something? Come to think of it, I wonder how that annoying bureaucrat is doing?
As he mused vaguely, Assam entered the meeting hall. Naturally, when the Village Chief entered, the previously chatty atmosphere in the hall became more formal. Assam ascended the podium in the hall and raised his voice.
"Everyone's here! Let's begin!"
There was no more room for whispers.
"First, let's talk about the human man who's ended up in our village. Whether to accept a drifter or not is something that must be decided through village deliberation. Asugi, what's your impression after observing him?"
"Me? Well... in my opinion, he's a good person."
"Is there nothing else?"
"Oh, and... he helped me when I got lost in the woods."
"I know that already."
Assam sighed.
Sota, at this point, finally understood the meaning behind Ayahi's words in the morning.
――Certainly, in general, he seems quite unreliable... this guy!
――I could start speaking, but it would make a bad impression if I spoke up before anything's been said.
――I should observe a bit more.
As Sota stayed silent, Assam turned his attention to someone else.
Nilgiri, the one named, hastily stood up and began speaking nervously.
"His insect repellent works well. He's good company for drinking. I believe he should be accepted as a member of the village. He doesn't seem to be snooping around the village, and if he's not an enemy, then I think it's a waste to kill him, Chief."
"That's right, that's what I wanted to hear. Next is you, Sota."
Assam pointed at Sota.
"You can speak for yourself. Do you have the intention to become a member of this village? Also, do you bring any value for us to accept you?"
Sota put on a friendly smile. Given his experience presenting at academic conferences during his doctoral program, he found the question to be quite mild.
――Moreover, Assam seems to be interested in me, more or less.
――This meeting is just for appearances. They're already planning to welcome me.
"I will increase opium harvest by 1.5 times. Not only for a single household's field, but for the entire village."
――So let's put it out there. To demonstrate my usefulness and attract more attention.
He answered promptly, smoothly, and without any tension.
The assembly hall buzzed.
――This is getting fun, huh?
Sota's lips curled upward, unconsciously.
"That's not just a bluff, right? Are you expanding the fields? How much time, effort, and labor is needed?"
"I will make the change from this year's harvest. What's needed is the knowledge and tools to efficiently extract opium from poppy pods."
"Are you well-versed in poppy pod extraction? I heard you were a teacher, but are you an alchemist?"
"Something like that. How many years has poppy been cultivated in this village?"
"Since we were driven to this land. It's been around twenty years."
"When harvesting, you damage the poppy pods to collect the seeds, right?"
Using a technique called a "picker," a method also employed on Earth in the 21st century. While it can be done with minimal equipment, it's quite inefficient. It works well when collecting from trees, like with maple syrup, but in the case of poppies, planting the seeds yields flowers only within the same year. Extracting fully grown poppy plants with organic solvents is much more efficient in that case.
"They ordered me to do so. Is there any other method?"
"There is."
――Given this atmosphere, it seems that the knowledge of extraction, separation, and synthesis isn't present in this world. If there really were no facilities, there would be no need to use the inefficient picker method just to hassle me.
Assam's intrigued expression was clear to Sota as well.
"Tell me."
"Depending on where you ask, the Village Chief seems to know about alchemy. I have been teaching children about alchemy, including more efficient methods to extract opium from poppy pods. Using organic solvents for extraction would greatly improve the efficiency of the process."
Sota intentionally included scientific terms to gauge Assam's reaction.
"You seem knowledgeable, but is alchemy actually practical in the human lands?"
Assam didn't understand the scientific terms, but he had a natural way of responding that didn't reveal his lack of understanding. He grasped the crucial points important to them and probed deeper.
――I suspected this old man was shrewd, but his intuition is keen.
――In this village, he's the one with the level of mental agility that requires caution.
――How I deal with him will become crucial.
Having finished probing, Sota promptly answered the question.
"Where I come from, it is indeed practiced. With this method, not only poppy pods but even stems can be used to extract opium. It's simpler than using a picker in this vast flower field and the current method of harvesting. Can I offer the required technology and knowledge?"
"You're an interesting man. Let's try this method with the group that typically harvests faster in our village. Even if your method proves to be correct, there's no assurance that it would be suitable for this land."
Sota genuinely appreciated Assam's consideration, which even included the possibility that the method might not suit the land.
――As expected, this old man's mental agility is on a different level. He was steering a village with various issues, after all. Can't let my guard down.
"Thank you."
"Hmph, don't get it twisted. I just thought your talk might benefit us."
After saying this, Assam glanced around the assembly hall at the people who couldn't keep up with the recent conversation, letting out a slight sigh. Then, as if to blow away the melancholy, he raised his voice.
"You lot! We're deciding whether to accept Sota as a member of the village! Those in favor of welcoming him, raise your hands!"
Elves didn't quite understand politics. Hands went up here and there based on the vague atmosphere. Many of the men raised their hands. Most of the women raised theirs too. At least more than half of the elves were in favor.
"Anyone opposed?"
No hands were raised on this side. Elves don't quite understand politics.
"Alright, then from today, he's one of the villagers."
The village chief nodded with satisfaction. The villagers gathered in the assembly hall also applauded with joy. Especially the men who had shared drinks with Sota seemed pleased. Even elves understand the taste of alcohol.
"Now, Sota. Here's the first order as the village chief. You're going to help me with my work."
"Huh?"
"Your answer?"
"Yes!"
"Good. I'm appointing you as the deputy village chief. Be prepared, if you're not useful, suspicious, or if I don't like you, I'll kill you!"
――I see. So the surveillance continues for now.
Sota offered a wry smile, a look that extracted as much bitterness as possible.
"Yes! I'll do my best."
"That's a good answer, Sota. I'm called Assam. Count on me."
With a strength that one wouldn't imagine from his wrinkled arms, Assam firmly grasped Sota's hand.
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