Fushi no Kami: Rebuilding Civilization Starts With a Village (Manga)

When the civilizations of yesteryear fade from memory and become fanciful fantasy, the only evidence of their existence...are books. Ash, a young boy living in a remote farming village, holds a secret—he possesses memories of a distant and more bountiful past life. Days of toiling in the fields have given rise to a burning desire: to bring more enjoyment to the everyday doldrum of his dreary present day! And while books may be the answer, Ash...can’t actually read! But where there is a will, there is a way. Join Ash as he battles illiteracy and sets his sights on a better life!

A youth named Ash has memories of a previous, more bountiful life. Eager to bask in all the splendor of yore, Ash dives into the world of books, uncovering past conveniences one at a time. What’s Ash to do when he gets stranded during the wild herb forage? For one, he doesn’t panic! Instead, he turns his misfortune around when he discovers a plant that can revolutionize Noscula village! Ash knows that if he plays it smart, he could earn enough money to really start improving the village... But will everything go as smoothly as Ash expects? As he hatches a plan to lift the village out of poverty and usher in a golden era, unforeseen problems lurk around every corner. Rebuilding civilization doesn’t come without its fair share of difficulty!

So long as hope is there to light the way, the world will never stop turning. However, for a small farming village, winter is the season of death. Ash, a boy who is trying to recover pieces of a lost civilization by deciphering ancient texts, has finally resurrected the art of beekeeping. His next ambition is to bring back medicine that reduces fevers in order to take the life-threatening danger out of the common cold, the sickness that stole away his friend. However, as his research proceeds, he learns that using the medicine isn’t without risk. To make matters worse, Maika has just come down with a fever. The village trembles at the threat of winter, but will this unraveled wisdom from the past help to eliminate their fears forever?

With newfound determination in his heart, a boy flies free, leaving behind the nest of his hometown. To start things off, Ash finds himself face-to-face with a hungry bear descended from the mountains! He barely scrapes a victory, but is also seriously injured. Wandering between the borders of life and death, he is saved by none other than the ancient wisdom that he himself deciphered and revived for his friends. However, finding that he is nearing the limits of what he can learn and accomplish in the village, Ash decides to go study abroad in the local capital. Thus, a new chapter of his journey begins! The boy who made a bevy of miracles happen in a sleepy little farming village is about to take another giant step for mankind in the fourth volume of this civilization-building series!