Chapter 94 - Test

While vexing, it couldn’t be helped that Zelos needed help to make a large business like that. Once a tomato is ripe and ready to be consumed, its lifespan can vary depending on several factors. Storing them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight can help extend their shelf life.

If the tomato is fully ripe, it will generally last for about 3-5 days at room temperature. If it’s slightly under ripe, it can last longer, sometimes up to a week or more. Tomatoes are delicate fruits, and rough handling can cause bruising or damage, which can accelerate spoilage. Handle them with care to avoid unnecessary bruising. Zelos had to consider all that to maximize his profits…

Those problems kept bothering him for quite a while. In the end, the only thing that came to mind was not to plant all of them at the same time and make them ripe in small amounts over a long period to sell them. Zelos knew that he could produce over two stations, so that idea wasn’t so bad. After that, he would use the land for tomatoes and then let the land rest for three months in winter.

“Yep, the best option is to invest some money on restaurants for half of it and force my dishes to be sold on them as well… Heirina can handle that when the time comes.”

Zelos didn’t have to invest anything else on the farm aside from the seeds and the workers, so he could use the profit in that aspect. He won’t need money while training, after all. Once the whole plan was complete, time began to pass faster, and soon, two months passed in the blink of an eye… 

Zelos was able to guarantee three-fourths of the potatoes as sales and he made his workers make the delivery. Naturally, Zelos checked his own products by making all kinds of dishes with them so he could guarantee that they were of high quality… The baked potatoes were the best that he had… because they were the first he had in that world.

“Are you really fine leaving all this money with me?”

Zelos was packing his things since it was time to travel to the mountains. He left a bag filled with coins in Heirina’s hands in order for her to manage the farm with Irlan. In the end, as much as it pained Zelos to admit it, they were the only ones that he could count. Besides, they had to maintain the post that was his farm as well. 

“There isn’t much to do aside from just giving orders. I even hired some extra people, even though that would cut my gains quite a bit. When the money starts to increase instead of fall, you can invest it in the restaurants that I mentioned. I already talked with the owners, and they are willing to accept the money.”

“I guess if there is nothing else to do, then I can do this for you. Don’t mind me if I eat some apples for free here.”

“Do as you like. Anyway, I am going. You can talk with your father about my departure. I am planning to return in less than six months, but I can’t say what Reina has in store for me.”

“Six months, huh? Well, I wish you good luck.”

“I will probably need it since most of those guys don’t like me.”

While riding Nightstorm, Zelos had to travel for seven days to reach the mountains. It has been a while since he stayed alone for so long… when he thought of that, Nightstorm grunted in annoyance.

“Don’t read my mind.”

The temperature in the mountains felt as nice as ever and the gentle breeze of the wind made Zelos feel like he was going on a vacation. Still, staying there for so long wasn’t a part of his plans. He wanted to learn as much as possible in a few months and then leave since he knew that most people in the mountains hated the plains folk.

Before long, Zelos reached the river that the natives used. The sun had already set, so he wondered when they would find him… it wasn’t like there was a specific date for them for him to arrive, after all.

In the end, Zelos set up his camp and then decided to train for a bit since he had plenty of energy left since he didn’t train during that week. Eventually, he went to sleep… 

Zelos woke up in the middle of the night when he heard the sound of the waters moving and when he got up, he saw a boat heading to the mountains. The sun was about to rise, but the boat was full. In any case, the natives there opened his eyes widely when they saw him… a stranger using that place was troublesome for them.

“I am a guest of Reina, and you can ask her as soon as you arrive there,”

Zelos wanted to say that he was in a hurry as well, but he avoided that since he didn’t want to stir any kind of trouble. Still, he soon wished that he had done that since the natives didn’t even respond and just went their way.

Zelos contemplated his relationship with the mountain natives. Despite being in close proximity, they rarely interacted with him directly, unless it was at the behest of Reina. It seemed there was an unspoken understanding to maintain a certain distance. Perhaps they viewed him with caution or suspicion, or maybe they simply preferred to keep to themselves. 

Either way, Zelos didn’t mind. He hadn’t journeyed to the mountains to forge new connections. His focus remained on his objectives and the tasks he needed to accomplish. As long as they didn’t obstruct his plans, he saw no need to intervene in their affairs or seek their company.

In the end, Zelos soon realized what had happened three days after that… no one ever came to pick him up. Even if Reina was too busy, it was hard to believe that those guys wouldn’t have passed the message to her.

“Now I am pissed, don’t blame me for the damage.” 

Zelos was determined to give Reina and her people a piece of his mind. So, for starters, he broke the entrance of the cave that was supposed to be hidden with his sword. After that was done, He chopped down some trees and then put them on the river to stop the flow of the water.

While stopping the water flow was almost impossible, Zelos was fine with just slowing it down to some extent. After all, he would need all the help he could get to go upstream in a wooden boat while keeping Nightstorm with him.

After that, Zelos made an improvised boat with everything he was able to find in the forest. He was lucky that he learned some construction tricks while he was building the greenhouse… making sturdy hopes from vines was pretty easy now.

The boat was actually a raft, and his roars were basically some staffs that were long and sturdy enough to reach the bottom of the river. Using them, he touched the bottom of the river and then propelled himself toward… It didn't take long for Zelos to realize that he would have to put in a lot of effort for quite a while, but persisted until he crossed the first mountain.

When that was done, he took a break on the side of the river since his arms were shaking thanks to the effort. As Zelos stepped into the base of the natives, his weariness was palpable. The journey had been taxing, fraught with challenges that had tested his resolve and endurance. What should have been a mere day-and-a-half trip had stretched into a grueling four-day trek, each meter forward feeling like a battle won against the unforgiving nature.

As he entered their domain, the natives’ gazes fell upon him, a mixture of surprise and wariness coloring their expressions. None had ever breached their mountain defenses quite like Zelos. The sight of this outsider breaking through their final barriers left them both awed and alarmed. They exchanged surprised glances, whispering among themselves.

Some approached cautiously, eyes narrowed with suspicion, while others held back, observing from a distance. The people nearby who had weapons soon drew them when Zelos landed on the shore. Still, they hesitated when they saw the look of annoyance on his face. He didn’t look like he wanted to fight, but he would entertain them if they attacked first.

In the end, Zelos pulled Nightstorm toward Reina’s office, and no one tried to stop him until he reached the building and saw the people who trained there leaving. 

“Move.”

The warriors touched their weapons with the intent to use them, but soon, they felt something coming from behind them. They gave up on fighting and opened the way. Zelos felt like they had sensed Reina’s bloodlust, but something felt off. He should have felt that as well, but he didn’t.

In the end, Zelos headed to Reina’s office and soon found her sitting cross-legged on the ground while she was meditating. 

“It seems that you have something against me and decided to show it this time around. Well, I don’t care and I am not planning to stay here even a minute more than I have to, so let’s finish this already.”

Reina opened one of her eyes once and studied Zelos, but soon she closed them again. She wasn’t emitting any kind of ill feelings, so Zelos wondered if that was some sort of test. That whole thing seemed off, considering how much she thanked him and the others the last time and gave them some powerful relics.

The most obvious choice would be for him to copy her and meditate as well. Testing his patience was something that she had been trying for a while, so it made sense, but Zelos decided to test hers first.