Drawn Mochi Volume 4 Chapter 21.1: Dragon’s Bed*5

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“Huh!? Create a spirit vein!?” (Fay)

“Yep.” (Tougo)

　I immediately went to Fay to ask for advice, but I was met with a blank stare.

“Um, I’m not talking about creating a place where magical power can flow. Instead of drawing water from somewhere, I would like to create a spring where water gushes out and increases the amount of water itself. I thought…” (Tougo)

　As I continued to explain, Fay… started laughing out loud.

“That’s great! Then no one will have to suffer through it! …Whether or not it can be realized is a different matter.” (Fay)

“Yep…” (Tougo)

　I agree. I don’t know if it can be done. I know what a spirit vein is from books, but I don’t really know what and how it’s formed.

　…But apparently, Fay liked my idea.

“Um, what’s it really like? Can’t you even create a spirit vein?” (Fay)

“Well, I don’t know, I think so.” (Tougo)

“Well, I guess that’s true. Just because you became a Great Spirit, I don’t think you’ll be able to create a spirit vein…” (Fay)

“In the first place, how do I create a spirit vein? Is it something I can draw?” (Tougo)

“The main thing is to create magic power, right? The first step is to draw a magic stone like you always do. If you draw a magic stone and bury it in the ground, something will happen.” (Fay)

　…Is that okay? Well, if that’s okay, I’ll do it.

　I was worried about the stone, so I decided to do a little more research.

　I had done all my research in the Redgarde family library, so the next day I went to the library in the Royal Capital.

　…Actually, Fay’s brother and father were also planning to come, but it would be suspicious if the whole Redgarde family were all together doing some research in the capital. So, the ones moving are me, Fay, Laocles, and the Celeste siblings. …Ms. Croix has refrained from activities in the Royal Capital for a while, so she is staying at home. We can’t help it.

“I’ve been in the Royal Capital for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve been in a library.” (Tougo)

“I see” (Fay)

“Wow… So many books…” (Ange)

　Lian and Ange’s eyes sparkle at the library in the Royal Capital. Well, if you’ve spent your whole life away from libraries, you’re probably very emotional about coming to one.

“You can look at any book you like.” (Fay)

“I don’t want to. I’ll help you. Let’s go, Ange. You’re going to help me search with the fairies, right? You find it, and I’ll get it for you.” (Lian)

“Yeah!” (Ange)

“I see. Well then, please take care of me. I’m counting on you.” (Tougo)

　I was fine with the angel siblings having fun reading books, but since they seemed to be completely willing to help, I asked them for a favor.

　When I asked, Lian laughed happily. …Yes. I’m not sure if he likes working or not.

“The books that fairies choose are quite special…” (Fay)

　And we read books again. As expected, there are a wide variety of books available in the Royal Capital’s library. There are also old books. Thanks to this, I’ve come to understand some things that I couldn’t understand in the Redgarde family archives.

　Also, I’d probably prefer a book chosen by a fairy. They also choose books whose titles are so worn out that I don’t really understand them, but there is good information in those books.

“It is interesting to know that when a powerful magical beast lives in a place, it becomes a spirit vein. Well, I understand that if there is a creature that uses magic power, it sucks the magic power from the land, and the sucked magic power flows to create a spirit vein. I see.” (Tougo)

“I remember that a spirit vein is also called a dragon’s vein. If there is a place where dragons live, that place will become a spirit vein.” (Fay)

　Apparently, spirit veins are surprisingly easy to make. … However, what Fay discovered is that “When a powerful magical beast settles in, that magical beast absorbs magical power and creates a flow.” It does not only change the flow of the river but increases the water in the river, so I’ll put it on the back of my mind for now.

“…Hey. How about this?” (Laocles)

　While I was reading a book, Laocles showed me a book he was reading next to me.

　It says, “When a creature with much magic power dies, as the corpse decays, much magic power seeps into the land and may form the source of a spirit vein. It is said that the spirit veins that remain today are the remains of the corpses of dragons who died in ancient times.”

　I see. Is it when a creature with a lot of magical power dies? As of now, the creature with the most magical power in the forest is… me. Yeah. In other words, I…

　…No, let’s stop thinking about it. Yeah. This is not good.

“Apparently, it would be good if the land was imbued with magical power. Creatures with a lot of magical power, such as dragons…” (Lacoles)

　Then Laocles suddenly looked at me.

“…I hope you’re not thinking anything strange.” (Laocles)

“I-I haven’t thought anything like that.” (Tougo)

　I did almost think about my corpse in the forest, but I stopped thinking about it right in the middle of the thought. It’s okay.

“Imbued with magical power, huh? …When a living thing dies and its corpse rots, it becomes a spirit vein. If you just give out magic stones, it takes time for it to become a spirit vein.” (Tougo)

　I still don’t understand magic, but I think that when the body of a creature with magic decomposes, the magic that was there cannot stay in the corpse and comes out.

　…Which means that the magical power of a place increases just by having a creature with a lot of magical power continue to inhabit it. Recycling, or rather, if living things are alive, they will inevitably return what was taken. When they decompose and returned to the land, the magical power increases… Ah, maybe that’s how the forests of Redgarde territory secure a certain amount of magical power? …Yeah. That forest might be a forest that consumes a lot of magic power, produces a lot of magic power, and recycles a lot of magic power.

“So, does that mean I should just materialize creatures and kill them? But I wonder if that’s right…” (Tougo)

　One, I know how to create a spirit vein, but I don’t like it. I don’t want to materialize a dragon just to kill them.

“No, the point is, you just need to have magical power, right? It doesn’t have to be a living thing. Um… oh, wait? I remember reading somewhere that magic stones can be used as fertilizer…” (Fay)

　Yes. Fay came up with something!

“Brother Fay, please take this, said the fairy…” (Ange)

　And it seems that Ange just found the perfect book for us.

　We all read the book that Ange brought.

　…It seems to be a book about agriculture.

“The magic of the land is fulfilled when the magic stone is crushed into sand and the magic power seeps out and soaks into the land. In ancient times, it was recorded that crushed magic stone was used as fertilizer for fields, but now that the production of magic stone has decreased, it is not practical to use crushed, high-purity magic stone as fertilizer. Research is underway to see if it is possible to cause a similar phenomenon using waste magic stones…” (Fay)

　I see.

　In other words, it doesn’t have to be the carcass of a living creature. I guess the best way is to take out a lot of magic stones, break them into pieces, and scatter them like powder.

“…Are you going to scatter powder all over the forest?” (Lian)

　As I was thinking about it, Lian looked at me strangely.

“Hmm… I’ll probably spread it outside the forest as well.” (Tougo)

“If you did that, you’d be in a lot of trouble. You know, insects and all that…” (Lian)

　…That’s right.

　Well, it would be quite difficult to spread the powder all over Redgarde territory, but I don’t think it would be good to have it all covered in powder. Both in terms of agriculture and the living environment of living things.

　I thought it would be a good idea to sprinkle magic stone powder, but I don’t think it would be good to have the whole Redgarde territory covered in powders.

“I wonder if I can just materialize magic stone power and spread it around.” (Tougo)

“Hey, that’s what the alchemists at the castle are trying so hard to do…?” (Fay)

　Oh, is that so? After all, extracting and refining substances is difficult in any world…

“If you were to sprinkle it… maybe with water or something?” (Fay)

“Then, should sprinkle sand with crushed magic stone mixed with water?” (Tougo)

“No, I wonder if that’s all there is to dissolve magical power in water… Oh damn, I’m not good at alchemy either…” (Fay)

　Yep. I’m no good either.

“I think the reason they spread magic stone powder on the fields is because the crops absorb the magic power of the magic stones. Plants are good at absorbing magic.” (Fay)

　Is it so. …Hmm, maybe bamboo? Yeah, it kind of makes sense.

“So, like, you plant plants in the magic stone powder, grind up the plants that have grown, mix them with water, and then spread it around, or something like that…? Well, that would take quite a while.” (Fay)