When I woke up, there was dirt on my cheek.
Not metaphorically.
I literally had dirt on my cheek.
I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the sky for a few seconds.
Blue.
Clear.
Far too beautiful for the situation I was in.
I blinked.
Then I turned my head.
Yeana was standing a few feet away from me.
Staring.
Arms crossed.
Her expression was completely blank.
I slowly sat up.
"How long did I sleep?"
"Three hours."
My eyes widened.
"Three hours?!"
"Yes."
I looked around.
The crops were still there.
The river was still there.
The dirt was still there.
And Yeana was still staring at me as though she were waiting for me to say something particularly intelligent.
I couldn't think of anything.
"Well..."
I wiped my cheek.
"At least I got some rest."
Yeana didn't answer.
That was never a good sign.
I stood up.
"Can we go back to the house?"
"No."
The answer came so quickly that I didn't even have time to feel hopeful.
"Why?"
"Because you haven't finished your work yet."
I looked at the crops.
Then at Yeana.
Then back at the crops.
"Finished what?"
"Your work."
"Oh."
Right.
The experiment.
The reason I had spent the last few hours lying on the ground like someone who had simply given up on life.
I dusted off my clothes.
"Okay. Where do we start?"
Yeana pointed toward the crops.
"You're the one who had the idea."
"That doesn't mean I know how to do it."
"That's precisely why you're here. To learn."
I stared at her.
"Sometimes you're really cruel."
"And you're rather slow."
"Ouch. That actually hurt."
"That was the intention."
I sighed.
Perfect.
My laboratory assistant was a woman who insulted my intelligence every chance she got.
What more could I ask for?
I walked over to one of the crops and crouched down.
The soil was dark, damp, and quite fertile.
I picked up a little between my fingers.
In my world, if I wanted to improve soil, I couldn't simply create a chunk of metal and bury it.
Plants didn't need an iron ingot.
They needed nutrients in small amounts.
Very small amounts.
And that was the problem.
I looked at my hands.
I could create metals.
I already knew that.
But being able to create something didn't necessarily mean knowing how to use it.
It was like having a printer and assuming that automatically meant you knew how to manufacture a computer.
It didn't work that way.
"I need three things," I said.
Yeana raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Iron."
I raised one finger.
"Manganese."
Another.
"And zinc."
Yeana remained silent.
"What are they for?"
I paused to think.
"Well... plants need them for different processes."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"I know."
I sighed.
"Iron helps with chlorophyll formation and several processes related to photosynthesis. Manganese also participates in photosynthesis and the function of certain enzymes. And zinc helps with enzymatic processes and growth."
Yeana stared at me for several seconds.
"How do you know that?"
I froze.
Shit.
"I learned it."
"Where?"
"In..."
I looked toward the sky.
"Somewhere."
Yeana narrowed her eyes.
"That's not an answer."
"It's technically a valid answer."
"No."
"Well, it's the only one I have."
Yeana sighed.
Fortunately, she didn't press the matter.
I knelt down again.
"But we have another problem."
"What?"
"The amount."
"Can't you simply create however much is necessary?"
"I can."
"Then do it."
"The problem is... I don't know how much is necessary."
Silence.
Yeana stared at me.
I stared back.
"See?"
"See what?"
"That awkward moment when we both realize my brilliant idea wasn't as well thought-out as I thought."
"I knew that from the beginning."
"Thank you for your emotional support."
"I'm not here for that."
Of course.
Why had I expected anything else?
I took a deep breath.
I needed to think.
Plants didn't simply absorb nutrients because they happened to be buried nearby.
The chemical form mattered.
The concentration mattered.
The soil mattered.
The water mattered.
And if I got it wrong...
I could end up killing the entire crop.
I looked at the plants.
No.
I couldn't do that.
Not after everything Yeana had done to keep them alive.
"First, we need to test it on a small area."
Yeana nodded.
"Good."
"And we need to compare."
"Compare what?"
"One section without any modifications."
I pointed to one part of the crop.
"Another with a small amount."
I pointed to another.
"And another with a slightly larger amount."
Yeana immediately understood.
"You want to determine which produces better results."
"Exactly."
I stood up.
"And if one amount is too high, we should be able to observe it."
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"Then?"
"Probably several days."
Yeana looked at me.
"We don't have several days to waste on a crop."
"I know."
"Then you need to make it faster."
"Do you want me to make the plants grow in five minutes?"
"You can manipulate the soil."
"I'm not a lycanthrope."
"I never said you were."
"Your tone implied it."
Yeana ignored my comment.
I knelt beside one of the plants.
I extended my hand.
I felt that sensation again.
The earth.
It was strange.
It wasn't like Nella's fire.
It wasn't something I could simply throw around.
The earth was there.
Beneath my feet.
Everywhere.
It was silent.
Heavy.
Patient.
I closed my eyes.
I tried to feel it.
And then...
Something appeared.
A sort of response.
Not a voice.
Not exactly.
It was more like a perception.
As though I could distinguish tiny differences within the soil.
Moisture.
Rocks.
Roots.
Minerals.
I opened my eyes.
"Oh."
Yeana stepped closer.
"What?"
"I think I can feel them."
"Feel who?"
"The minerals."
I extended my hand again.
The soil beneath my fingers reacted.
Very slightly.
But enough.
I could distinguish small concentrations of different materials.
Iron.
There was iron.
But very little.
Manganese.
There was some too.
Zinc...
An almost insignificant amount.
I went still.
"This is incredible."
Yeana didn't seem impressed.
"What did you discover?"
"That I can detect them."
"And?"
"And that means I can know how much is already there before adding more!"
Yeana finally showed something resembling a smile.
Very small.
But it was there.
"Then stop talking and do it."
"You're very bossy."
"Do it."
"Yes, ma'am."
I concentrated.
First, I created iron.
It didn't appear as a massive piece of metal.
This time, I tried to create something much smaller.
Particles.
A tiny amount.
I let them fall onto the soil.
Then I used my magic to distribute them.
Not bury them.
Distribute them.
I felt the metal slowly mixing into the soil.
But something wasn't right.
The plant didn't react.
"Too much."
Yeana frowned.
"Too much?"
"No."
I looked at the soil.
"Too fast."
That was different.
If I placed the mineral in a concentrated area, I could alter that small section too drastically.
I needed to distribute it.
More.
Much more.
But in microscopic amounts.
"I have an idea."
"Another one?"
"Don't start."
I concentrated again.
This time, I didn't try to create a block.
Or a piece.
Not even a visibly measurable amount.
I tried to create dust.
Extremely fine.
Almost invisible.
The effort was much greater.
I felt a strange pressure in my head.
But I continued.
A tiny metallic cloud appeared above my palm.
"That looks dangerous," Yeana said.
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Carefully, I made the particles descend.
The soil received them.
Then I distributed them.
One area.
Another.
Another.
Until I was finally done.
I stood there breathing heavily.
"Was that it?"
"No."
"Then?"
"Now we wait."
Yeana looked at me.
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"Ana."
"A few hours, maybe."
"Fine."
"Can we go back to the house?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you said we had to observe it."
"Yes."
"Then we'll observe it."
"While sitting?"
"Yes."
"Here?"
"Yes."
I looked at the sky.
Then the soil.
Then Yeana.
"You're annoying."
"I don't care."
We sat down.
For approximately five minutes.
Five.
Then I stood up.
"I can't do this."
Yeana didn't even open her eyes.
"Sit down."
"I'm bored."
"Sit down."
"I could be doing something useful."
"This is useful."
"I could be reading."
"No."
"I could cook."
"No."
"I could sleep."
Yeana opened her eyes.
"You already slept for three hours."
"I could sleep for four."
"If you go back to sleep, I'll bury you here."
I stared at her.
"That was a threat."
"Yes."
"I'm glad you clarified."
I sat back down.
Another hour passed.
Nothing.
Two hours.
Nothing.
I started losing patience.
"I don't think it worked."
Yeana looked at the crop.
"It's still too early."
"But I can't see any difference."
"You wouldn't be able to see it with your eyes yet."
She was right.
The plants weren't going to grow ten centimeters right in front of us just because I'd given them a little metal.
But then something happened.
One of the leaves looked slightly greener.
I leaned closer.
"Wait."
Yeana stood up.
"What?"
I pointed at the plant.
"Look."
She examined it.
"It looks the same."
"No."
I touched one leaf.
Then another.
"This one has more color."
Yeana leaned closer.
Her expression changed.
"You're right."
I froze.
Then I smiled.
"It worked."
Yeana said nothing.
"It worked!"
I jumped to my feet.
"It worked!"
"Ana."
"IT WORKED!"
"Don't shout."
"I JUST DISCOVERED I CAN MAKE FERTILIZER WITH MAGIC!"
"Not exactly."
I stopped.
"What do you mean, not exactly?"
"You're adding minerals directly to the soil."
"That's basically fertilizer."
"Not necessarily."
"Let me have my moment."
Yeana sighed.
But this time, she was smiling.
Just a little.
Almost imperceptibly.
And somehow, that made me feel something strange.
Pride.
Not in myself.
In us.
Because for the first time since we'd escaped...
I had done something genuinely useful.
I hadn't run away.
I hadn't caused trouble.
I hadn't needed Yeana to save me.
I'd found a solution.
A small one.
But a real one.
I crouched down again and studied the crop.
"We're not done yet."
Yeana nodded.
"No."
"We need to determine the correct amount."
"And test whether it works with different plants."
"And make sure we aren't accumulating too much mineral in the soil."
"Exactly."
I thought for a moment.
"This could take days."
"Yes."
"So..."
I looked toward the house.
Yeana followed my gaze.
"No."
"I haven't even asked yet."
"I know what you were going to ask."
"Can we go back?"
"No."
I sighed.
"Why?"
Yeana pointed toward the crop.
"Because you haven't finished."
I looked at the sky.
The sun was beginning to descend.
Then I looked at my hands.
Then the plants.
And finally at Yeana.
"You know?"
"What?"
"I think I'm starting to understand why you get annoyed with me."
Yeana raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
I smiled.
"Because I'm unbearable."
Yeana remained silent.
Then she nodded.
"Finally, you understand something."
"Hey!"
She turned around and started walking.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To get more seeds."
I followed her.
"Does that mean we're done for today?"
Yeana stopped.
She looked at me.
"No."
My smile disappeared.
"Then?"
"It means we just started."
I looked at the field again.
And for some reason, I didn't mind.
Maybe because for the first time since I had arrived in this world...
I wasn't just trying to survive.
I was starting to build something.
Something that could help Yeana.
Something that could help the people dying from the plague.
Something that might one day become a much bigger solution.
And although I didn't know it yet...
Somewhere far away, in the heart of the Empire, several people were trying to figure out exactly what I was.
While I was out in a field...
Making fertilizer.
Life had a pretty strange sense of humor.