The village has grown, whether it's the population or the buildings, it's just that the supply of daily necessities comes from me, fortunately they don't ask where it comes from. We have to circulate money in this village, but the people in this village don't have enough money for themselves, not only that, they don't have any income.
What are the advantages of this village?
Water?
Of course, we have plenty of it.
"...."
Can we sell it?
How about selling it to the Land of Wind?
How can we sell it?
"...."
What about building a pipeline from here to the land of wind?
That doesn't seem possible at the moment. What about bottled water?
Or gallon water?
"...."
That seems possible, but how do I make plastic bottles and gallons?
"...."
No, plastic pollutes the environment. What about clay?
But is it sterile and hygienic to store water in a clay container?
"...."
Wait, I can make a seal on the container to kill germs and bacteria and also make a water cooler seal. It can be done, but what do I call it?
A clay gallon?
Or just a gallon?
What about clay bottles?
"...."
I don't think I need to make bottles, I can also strengthen the gallons.
Wait, so what I'm selling is gallons of water or just water?
Or both?
"...."
If I sell gallons of water, when the water runs out, they can fill it with any water. Of course, if they have a water source, what about the Land of Wind, can they do that?
Or I can give them a reason why the water we make is much better than ordinary water.
"...."
Wait, how can I improve the drinking water?
Can I use the seal?
Yes.
But isn't it supposed to raise the pH of the water, so you have to filter it and add something?
I remember baking soda can raise the pH of water, and I remember there are possible side effects, so maybe not.
What about extracting the water in my inventory?
Well, not that I'm familiar with such things. It's times like this that make me regret not studying chemistry more.
*Sigh*
Doesn't every isekai MC have a speciality?
Well, I don't think so. And it's not like I'm a MC either, but that doesn't mean that I'm not confident enough to think that I'm an NPC.
Well, the word NPC doesn't seem to fit, more like extras.
But what about sodium bicarbonate, wait, do I have any in my inventory?
I checked my inventory for baking soda or sodium bicarbonate. Well, both may or may not be the same.
"...."
Nothing.
"...."
What if I make it?
"...."
I can only laugh at my own thoughts.
But as I recall, at least to make sodium bicarbonate, you need carbon dioxide and sodium hydroxide.
But I forgot the sodium hydroxide. Isn't sodium in salt?
So... what?
Add it to water?
"...."
I also tried to extract the salt in my inventory to get some sodium.
"...."
Oh, it worked, the extraction result would have a name if I really knew about it.
"...."
Oh, finally, another Buff. Now there's a chemical process menu, which is weird, shouldn't it be chemical reactions?
Well, I can imagine that this chemical process in my inventory might not be logical at all.
And yet another menu addition to my inventory, doesn't that seem like overkill for in-character power development?
But since I got it, of course I happily accepted it. Why should I be upset or disappointed with this gift, only someone else would be jealous.
Well, because they don't have it.
And yes, they're not grateful for what they have just because someone else has it and they don't.
Well, what can I say, it's human nature.
"...."
But actually, with gratitude, life will feel easier. Don't you believe it?
Well, never mind. The power of suggestion is strong, if you believe it strongly, you'll feel it. If you don't believe it, no problem. That's everybody's individual belief.
And who am I to try and give advice, well not advice, this is just an experience of life that I have felt, at least you can give yourself a feeling of relief.
"...."
I then selected pure sodium and water and processed them in my inventory. The reaction was quite simple, really. I just have to wait a few seconds and voilà—sodium hydroxide was formed.
I combined the sodium hydroxide with carbon dioxide I had stored from the air and created sodium bicarbonate.
"...."
It works, it's that simple.
"...."
Now let's test it with water. I put some sodium bicarbonate in the water. Then check my inventory.
I looked in the description options menu and the pH of the water has increased to 8, isn't that high?
What was the water like before I added sodium bicarbonate?
I also checked the normal water in my inventory. Oh, it was at 7.
That's good, now let's see if I can change it. I opened the modification options menu, oh I can change the pH of the water, I can also remove the side effects and amazingly give a healthy effect to the body.
Can I change the taste?
Oh, you can, but I'm going to leave the taste of the water as it is. Of course, this water is fresher and healthier.
"...." I let out a sigh of relief.
The water is ready, now it's just the gallons that aren't. Perhaps I can ask the villagers to make gallons out of clay, and when the profits are made, I can pay them and they can have a steady income.
That sounds reasonable.
---|||---
Then I called Ise, Satoshi and a few other residents. "I want to discuss something," I announced, holding up a glass of water.
"What is it?" Satoshi looked at the water with a puzzled expression.
I took another glass of water beside me. Then I put both glasses of water on the table. "This is the water we drank." I pointed to one of the glasses. "But this," I pointed to the other glass, "Is better water than we drank."
Ise and Satoshi looked at me curiously. "How so?" Ise asked.
"Yes, aren't they both water?" One of the residents asked.
"Exactly, but this one," I said, pointing to the modified glass, "This is different, by drinking this water every day you can keep your body healthy, I have made this water with herbal ingredients that I can be sure are safe to consume and there are no side effects at all."
The villagers looked at the glasses with fascination.
"Haruto-sama, does drinking this water cure diseases?" A villager asked.
"No, this water is not medicine, but if you drink this water and take medicine, the recovery will be much faster, not only that, drinking this water keeps your body healthy, because this water helps to strengthen the body's immune system." I explained with a gentle smile.
They nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation.
"But Haruto-sama, we have no money or anything to offer but ourselves to drink the water Haruto-sama has made." One of the villagers spoke up, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Don't worry," I assured them, "The water is free for now, but once you have an income it won't be free, but don't worry, it's not expensive."
"It's not that we don't want an income, it's just that we don't know what the future holds." Satoshi spoke up, his eyes reflecting the concern shared by everyone in the room.
"I see," I nodded, "but that's why I've gathered you all here." I added, "Are any of you good at making things out of clay?"
Several villagers raised their hands tentatively. "Good," I said, "Can you make something like this?" I showed them the gallon I had drawn.
"...."
They nodded eagerly, "But, we're not sure about the water tap, do you want to make this out of clay too?" one of them asked.
"Yes," I smiled, "Can you do it?"
"It's quite complicated, but we will try." The villagers murmured among themselves, looking at the gallon sketch with determination.
"One of you can teach the other if they want to learn." I suggested.
They nodded, eager to begin their new venture. The next few days were a flurry of activity as the villagers learned the art of making clay gallons. I watched with pride as they worked together, sharing their knowledge and skills.
As for me, who was still training with Konan and Nagato, Gentoku even taught us earth nature transformation.
Not only that, but I also make medicines from the herbal ingredients in my inventory, using the Chemical Process menu in my inventory, and then modify them in the Modification Options menu.
And Kashiki, who had been in the clinic for the past few days, drank the medicine and water I had made. It was very effective in restoring his condition.
That's why they want to return to their village now that they've fully recovered.
"...."
"We've been away from our people for too long," Gentoku said, his expression serious. "We need to let them know we're safe and bring back the information they need to know."
"I understand," I said, nodding. Ise and the others understood this too.
"We are very grateful for what you have given us, we can't even give you anything better, at least to repay your help a little." Kashiki said, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Don't worry about it," I replied.
"Yes, we don't expect anything from you, just to see you healthy again is enough for me." Ise said and Fuso nodded in agreement.
"Thank you very much." Gentoku and Kashiki bowed their heads. "We will not forget your kindness. If there is anything we can do for you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask." Gentoku added, "And don't worry, we won't reveal any information about you or the village. It's the least we can do at the moment."
"Thank you," I nodded.
"...."
When Kashiki and Gentoku went back to their village, it felt like something was missing, maybe because they lived here for so long, we got used to their presence.
As they say, where there is meeting, there is parting, but life must go on. Our paths may be different, but in the end our goal is the same, to reach the end of this road.
---|||---
It took a few days to make the gallon prototypes. The villagers marvelled at the simplicity of the design, which included a tap also made of clay.
"It's incredible!" exclaimed one of the villagers, "Water can come out of this like a real tap!"
"Are you stupid? Of course it's a tap, it's just that it's made of clay." Then one of the villagers added, "To make this clay tap work and have the same properties as a normal tap, that's amazing."
I nodded in agreement. It's not really amazing, I just fused this tap to a normal tap, so this clay tap won't break easily.
"Now," I looked around the room, "Can you make more? We'll sell them later."
The villagers nodded in unison, motivated by the potential of a new income source. After that, they started making gallons of clay.
The news spread quickly and soon the whole village was buzzing with excitement. Every member of the community had a role to play in this new activity. Some collected clay from the riverbanks, while others moulded it into the gallons under the guidance of the more skilled villagers.
The first batch of gallons was a success, I also gave them a gallon of water each. The villagers were amazed at how much fresher and better it tasted compared to the water they were used to.
"This is amazing, Haruto-sama!" one of the villagers exclaimed after taking a sip. "It's like we're drinking from a clear mountain spring!"
I nodded, "Satoshi-san, what do you think if we sell it to the land of wind?" I looked at old man Satoshi.
Satoshi, who was one of the villagers who knew the value of trade, looked at me with sparkling eyes. "But, Haruto-sama, how will we transport the water there? The journey is long and Not to mention the war."
"You're right." I nodded my head in agreement.
"Haruto-sama, how about we sell it to the Hidden Rain Village first? Instead of the Land of Wind." Satoshi suggested, "They're closer, and at least it's safer, although I can't guarantee that."
"That's a good idea, Satoshi-san." I added, "But I'm not sure about the sale, unless we sell it to the Daimyo."
Satoshi nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Haruto-sama. We can even sell them at a higher price. The Daimyo will surely appreciate the quality of the water and the benefits it brings."
"But how will we prove its quality?" asked Ise, his eyes filled with concern.
"Leave that to me," I said with a smile. "We'll demonstrate the water's purity and health benefits. I can even show them that the water they are used to drinking is not as clean and healthy as the water we have. It will be easy to convince them once they see the difference."
With glasses that contain microscope seals, yes microscope seals, this is completely unscientific, how can just a seal do so many things?
But that's the reality.
And this seal was also created because I wanted to make anti-genjutsu glasses, not to mention a seal that can see the flow of chakra in a person's body and a seal that can see a person's internal organs, it's like Superman's vision I guess.
And the glasses I gave to Ise were only the ones with the microscope seal.
"Here," I handed the glass to Ise, "Look at this."
"Glasses?" Ise took the offered glasses and looked at them curiously.
"Yes, these glasses are special," I explained, "These glasses have a microscope effect, by looking at the water through these glasses, you can see the impurities and bacteria in the water."
"Look at these two different water." I put down two glasses of water, one from the gallon and one from the river.
Ise took the glasses and examined the water carefully. His eyes widened when he saw the difference. "This is incredible," he murmured. "The water from the river is so... dirty compared to what's in the gallon."
"Exactly," I said with a nod. "It's not just about the taste or the convenience, it's about the health benefits."
"Haruto-sama, aren't we going to sell it to the commoners?" A concerned villager spoke up.
"Of course, we will," I assured them. "It's just that we'll sell it to the Daimyo first, because I'm sure our water will be bought, and then we can sell it to the public."
"Um... Isn't the Land of Rain a poor country? How did Haruto-sama know that the Daimyo would buy it, and... Where did the Daimyo get the money from?" Another villager questioned, looking around nervously.
"This is... Even I don't know about it." Satoshi spoke up, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But as for the reason why the Daimyo would buy it, I think I know, it's because of health, even a Daimyo would worry about his health."
"Exactly," I said, nodding. "And as for the price, we'll make it reasonable for everyone. This way, everyone can enjoy clean and healthy water."
"But didn't we sell it to the Daimyo at a different price? Is that all right?" One of the villagers raised her hand, her voice trembling with fear.
"It's fine," I said calmly, "We're not cheating anyone. The price for the Daimyo will be a bit higher because the water they will buy is different from the water we sell to the public. For the common people, we'll sell it at a price that's affordable."
Well, there is no difference in the water, only in the quality of the gallons and their functions, because the gallons sold to the Daimyo have cooling and heating seals. They don't have to boil the water to get hot water. And also on the appearance of the gallon which is given a luxurious impression. Well I have gold that can be melted down to decorate on the gallons. The seal on the gallon also works because there is a chakra battery seal, so it doesn't need to use anyone's chakra to activate the function of the gallon, and if the chakra battery runs out, they can buy it from us.
I also asked the others to make gallons to sell to the Daimyo.
"But, Haruto-sama, what if they don't want to buy it?" A young villager spoke up, her eyes wide with concern.
"We'll find someone who will," I replied calmly.
After that they started to work on special gallons for the Daimyo.
---|||---
At the moment I'm in my workshop and Konan is here too.
"So... You and Ise-san are leaving?" Konan said, her voice filled with a hint of sadness.
"Yes," I nodded, "We will leave after the gallon is finished."
Konan looked at me with a mixture of understanding and disappointment. "I know you have to go," she said, looking down. "But I can't help feeling a little sad. We've come so far together."
"Oh, does Konan-chan feel lonely without me?" I teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.
Konan stared at me for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe a little," she admitted.
I laughed at her words, "Don't worry, It won't be long before we come back with good results." I said with confidence.
"And I will miss you too." I said, my voice filled with sincerity.
Konan looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine. "Un... Me too." She said, blushing slightly.
Yep, Konan is indeed cute.
---|||---
The days passed quickly as the villagers worked tirelessly on the gallons. Each one was crafted with care.
Finally, it was time to make our way to the capital of the Land of Rain.
"Be careful," Fuso said, her eyes filled with worry as we prepared to leave.
We decided to go with a few other people, as we would be carrying the goods in a cart. I had wanted to carry the goods in my inventory, but on second thought, they would probably be suspicious of my abilities. I mean the Daimyo and his retainers, not to mention these people. Well, who knows?
And unbeknownst to these people, I had also placed curse seals on them, so that I would know if they were in a good state, or if they were being controlled, consciously or not.
I didn't tell anyone about my abilities because Ise and Fuso told the others not to ask about my abilities. And they followed suit out of gratitude for what I had given them. But that doesn't mean I didn't take precautions, and this curse seal is harmless, well, if they betrayed me, it would be harmful to them.
We said goodbye to the villagers and set off on the journey to the Hidden Rain Village. Why the Hidden Rain village?
Because we had to pass through it first before getting to the capital.
"...."
Our long journey was accompanied by wind and rain. Occasionally we found a place to rest.
I thought something would happen, like being attacked by bandits or meeting ninjas from another village. But I didn't expect it to be so smooth.
I had even put various seals on the vests they were wearing for their safety, and fortunately nothing happened.