Volume 6 Chapter 1 The Path Of Wheat
Under the clear blue sky, Cain, Barvish, Gardy, and Sasha stood gazing over the vast wheat fields stretching before them. Cain murmured softly as he observed the neatly sprouting seedlings.
"At first, I was really worried. But now that we've come this far, I think things will be okay, right?"
"Yes, we can't get careless yet, but we've definitely passed the hardest part," Gardy replied with a confident nod.
"What are you worried about? I blessed these wheat seeds with spirit magic—there's no way they won't grow well!" Sasha puffed out her chest proudly toward Cain.
"That's true. Everyone worked hard on these fields. When Elder Sister Alice returns, she'll be amazed at how much they've grown."
Imagining Alice's surprised face, Cain looked at Barvish for confirmation. Barvish nodded seriously. "Indeed, she will be."
* * *
After completing their first trade with World Tree Village, Cain and the others gathered in his room to plan their next moves. Before, it had just been Cain, Barvish, and Gardy, but now Sasha, serving as their guard, and Lala, Cain's official maid, joined them. The five of them sat around the table discussing.
"Next up is building a public bath for the townsfolk. The fountain in the square still needs some work to function well. Barvish, is there anything else I should focus on?"
Cain asked, trying to remember everything.
"...Sir Cain, what about planting more Satsuma this year? If we act this month, we still have time," Gardy reminded him, recalling an offhand mention.
"Hm, I'd like to try selling roasted Satsuma this winter if possible. I want to double the planting, but besides the seedlings, we don't have more space, right?"
"Yes, the mansion grounds are full. Though there's some land outside the town walls..."
Gardy hesitated, thinking about the empty land beyond the walls.
"No, Gardy. Thanks to the slimes, the forest has gotten richer recently. Maybe the Horn Rabbits don't venture outside the forest much anymore?" Barvish offered advice to Gardy, who murmured "Indeed," his eyes slightly widened.
"Hey, hey! We've been talking about Satsuma, but shouldn't we consider planting more wheat too?"
Sasha, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up. The other four looked at her with surprise, unaccustomed to her giving an opinion.
"W-what? Did I say something weird? I just mean—the town walls are expanding and the population's growing fast, right? So, I think the wheat fields are too small... And isn't the harsh winter coming soon? I'm worried if we have enough food," Sasha explained, stepping back slightly as the sudden attention made her shy.
"Harsh winter? What's that? Do you know?" Cain glanced around, curious about the unfamiliar phrase.
"Harsh winter? I see... I've never heard of it before. From the sound, it must mean a really cold winter, right?" Gardy repeated, intrigued. Lala also tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term.
"Huh? You don't know? Is it not common on this continent? Roughly every 80 years, a brutally cold winter hits, causing wheat crops to fail for about three years, including that year. In the World Tree Forest, we prepare by increasing our planting three years before that harsh winter hits."
Sasha, surprised that Cain and the others had no idea, explained patiently.
"Barvish, Gardy. Please ask Randolph if the Floral Kingdom has the same harsh winter cycle every 80 years. I'll also check with my father and Mother Lydia. If we don't know about it and it's coming, that could be really bad. Sasha, when exactly is the harsh winter supposed to come?"
"I think in three years? But it's better to confirm during the next trade. I haven't dealt directly with the preparations, so I might be off," Sasha answered, a little caught off guard by Cain's serious tone.
After researching various sources and old documents, Cain and the group confirmed that about 80 years ago, the region suffered two or three consecutive years of severe crop failure. Unfortunately, no earlier records existed, so they assigned Margrave Shield and Benjamin in the royal capital to investigate if this cycle had happened before.
When the harsh winter finally arrived, it became clear harvests would be poor for two to three years. They hurried to plant more crops as a countermeasure. From these discussions, Cain was tasked by Luke to create as many wheat fields as possible along the roads outside the town walls. But since Cain's group of five couldn't manage everything alone, they were advised to hire new residents who hadn't found steady work yet.
With three months left in the year, they had to sow seeds by mid-next month—just three weeks away. Since the cobblestone paving and town wall expansion were nearly done, they secured workers from the Maintenance Bureau. Cain's team knew those officers from the Sanroze Territory paving project, so they accepted the offer gladly.
A few days later, a meeting for the reclamation project was held. The Head of the Maintenance Bureau and three officers participated.
"Sir Cain, we're truly grateful you asked the Maintenance Bureau for help. All our officers are ready to work hard," the Head announced confidently.
"No, no. If you overwork from the start, you'll burn out quickly. Let's work at a steady pace," Cain advised. The Head and his officers briefly looked disappointed but quickly agreed.
"We don't know exactly when the harsh winter will come. If it arrives in three years, how much should we plant this year? I want to plant as much as possible, but I'm guessing seed supply might be limited," Cain asked.
"We checked with the Finance Bureau, Tax Bureau, and Storage Bureau. They requested planting as much as possible along the road from the town gate within visible range," the Head of Maintenance Bureau replied, a little embarrassed by the vague answer.
"None of the bureaus could give a precise number? Sounds like they're planning for the worst-case scenario, but that seems unreasonable," Barvish muttered in frustration. Gardy nodded beside him.
"Barvish, Gardy, what can we do? We're the ones who gave advice without confirming the timing. Using my Earth magic, I can prepare farmland quickly. Let's just plant as much as we can with the seeds available," Cain said cheerfully, surprising everyone.
And indeed, with hard work and planning, you will reap what you sow. Just as the wheat fields require nurturing and preparation, so too do our lives require effort and determination to yield a bountiful harvest.
Notes:
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
• Sasha - Female. A young and energetic warrior. She has a confident demeanor and wears a short sword at her waist. Her appearance is typical of an elf, with pointed ears and a slender build. She is determined to prove her strength and has a playful rivalry with her seniors. She admires Sir Cain and is responsible for waking him gently in the morning.
• Alice - Cain's Elder Sister, from the second wife.
• Lala - Cain's companion, likely a servant or minder, cautious and protective.
• Lydia - Cain's Stepmother.
• Margrave Shield - Cain's grandfather. An elderly man, robust, with white hair.
• Benjamin - The second son from the first wife, wise and calm, experienced in magic.
• Luke - Cain's father.
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