Chapter 93 - The Next Step

“Why do I have to suffer so much just to make your life easier?” 

In the end, Nightstorm didn’t say anything, he just looked pretty full of himself while snorting. While Zelos waited for a reply from Liry, he did his best to improve the main building of the farm, and he checked that everything was on a rainy night, so soon he began to work on building the greenhouse as well. 

While his knowledge of that field was limited, he had some idea of what he needed to do to achieve the results he wanted. The main one was to make the trees feel like they were in the right period to bear fruit. The rest would be easy.

“I can just expand everything afterward, and I don’t have to make anything massive for now. Still, I have to make one big enough for some apple trees that are already grown and others that will grow inside as well. I also need the right kind of soil… the better kind that is as rich in nutrients as possible.”

As Zelos began constructing the greenhouse on the side of the main building, the farm workers couldn’t help but frown. The space was already sizable, and adding another structure seemed unnecessary to them. Nevertheless, Zelos was focused, and each day, he continued to build upon his vision.

The first step in building the greenhouse was laying the foundation. Zelos carefully measured and marked the area where the greenhouse would stand, clearing away any debris or obstacles in the process. With a shovel in hand, he began digging trenches to accommodate the foundation.

Once the trenches were dug, Zelos laid down a layer of gravel to ensure proper drainage and stability. Then, he assembled the framework using sturdy wooden beams, securing them firmly into the ground. With precision and care, he ensured that each piece fit together seamlessly. That worked for several people, but he did it by himself…

Despite their doubts, Zelos remained focused on his task. Day by day, he continued to add to the greenhouse, incorporating features such as doors, windows, and ventilation systems. With each addition, the workers began to see the potential of Zelos’s project, though they still couldn’t quite grasp its purpose.

Although Zelos had a lot of money left, he still felt bad seeing his income always be negative. He had a lot of people to pay after all, and his investments in the farm had yet to show any results. 

Speaking of investments, when he was thinking about the fact that Liry’s response was starting to take too long to come, he saw a caravan coming from the south, and they were bringing some large trees with them.

Zelos couldn’t help but sigh… it seemed that Liry decided to speed things up for him instead of letting him be informed of what he had been asked.

“Delivery from Her Imperial Majesty and future ruler Her Majesty Liry. Where shall we plant the trees?”

It seemed that she wanted to make Zelos feel like he owes her a lot, but he was planning to send the money for all of that, he didn’t want to owe anyone anything. In any case, he told those guys to replant the five grown trees and the saplings inside the incomplete greenhouse. They warned him that it wasn’t the best place for them to be, but Zelos had already bought all the materials necessary for its completion, and soon they will arrive on the farm.

“Oh, it looks better than Irlan mentioned… Why did you plant trees inside a building?”

While Zelos was deep in thought, planning his next steps for the farm, Heirina suddenly appeared with a small group of soldiers in tow. Without wasting any time, they headed straight for the stables. Zelos watched as they quickly saddled up fresh horses before riding off to various areas of the territory.

It was clear that Heirina had urgent matters to attend to, and Zelos could only wonder what had prompted this sudden flurry of activity. He knew better than to pry, trusting Heirina to handle whatever situation had arisen.

As he watched them ride off, Zelos returned his focus to his own tasks, his mind buzzing with possibilities for the future of his farm. He knew that there was much work to be done, but he was determined to see his vision through to the end.

“Are you planning to explain to me why you planted trees indoors?” 

“Eventually. Anyway, aren’t you here too soon? I am not going to leave this area for a while.”

“I am aware of it, but father sent me here to learn the job of handling urgent messages as well. We received reports that there were some activities at the border. The clans in the south are working with the imperial guard to keep some possible attackers there in check, so we can’t afford to let another battle break up here.”

“We can never catch a breath…” 

“Well, this is just prep work. It is too soon for them to make any move. The clans recovered pretty fast in the area, so you don’t have to worry too much. Besides, even if something were to happen, it won’t happen in a few months time and when it happens, you won’t be here or hear about it.”

The mountains of the natives were a pretty isolated place, but while Reina had informants everywhere, it was unlikely that she could obtain information about a battle before at least one of them started. She also didn’t have any reason to share her information with him. Under normal circumstances, Zelos would ignore that and focus on his training when the time comes, but not when his investments are at risk. The border was only one hundred kilometers away from his farm. Any decent army would reach it in three days.

In the end, Heirina began to work, but there wasn’t much for her to do aside when some riders arrived. They only have typical reports, though. They talked with the closest clan groups in the area and the villages and confirmed the sightings of some enemies, but nothing like an actual army.

Still, the soldiers from Erenzis were so insane that a small unit could easily wipe out a village or two. All caution was absolutely necessary. 

“I hope that you aren’t expecting that I will do the same as you and carry all that stuff when you are gone. I will just give the orders. I also can’t stay exhausted in case something happens.”

“That works well for me, I will just pay you less then.”

Before Heirina could leave two weeks after she came, the greenhouse was complete, and she couldn’t help but frown while seeing the trees still alive and showing the signs that they were going to bear fruit… it didn’t make any sense, and Zelos’s explanation didn’t make much sense either.

“Unless you are planning to use the knowledge yourself, you shouldn’t do anything with it, so keep your mouth shut about it.”

“You said that you saw something like this in the capital, but I can’t remember and I am sure that we stayed together the whole time.”

“Too bad for you, then.”

Heirina felt like she wanted to learn more about the greenhouse, but she also felt that it was useful knowledge that she would never put to use, so it didn’t matter at all. At the same time, she had some work to do. Although she was his superior, Zelos told her to send the message to the old man farmer and start producing some cheese as well for him. His way of thinking and doing business didn’t make any sense in her mind…

Zelos had two months left before leaving on his training journey, so he had to prepare the final adjustments about his farm. The first would be to make the workers there do the harvest appropriately and then store the potatoes before selling them. There wasn’t much to do about that, they already knew what to do at first, and the next step was the complicated thing.

With the destruction of other farms in the area, Zelos found himself in a rather good position. His farm, though rebuilt from nothing, was now flourishing, standing out as a beacon of productivity amidst the devastation of the area. The news of his success had spread quickly, and letters from potential buyers started flooding in.

These letters weren’t just expressions of interest; they were offers for contracts, some of them quite lucrative. Merchants, traders, and even local markets were eager to secure a supply of Zelos’s produce. Half of his production was already promised to these buyers, ensuring a steady income for his farm.

However, with great demand came great responsibility. Zelos now had to manage the logistics of distribution. This involved organizing transportation for his goods, negotiating deals with buyers, and ensuring timely delivery. It was a task that required careful planning and execution.

Despite the challenges, Zelos saw this as an opportunity to expand his business further. He began strategizing ways to streamline the distribution process, researching efficient transportation methods, and establishing some good partnerships.

“Let’s see… What else should I do? My goal is to sell some easy dishes in times of war for soldiers. I guess the best option would be to open some restaurants first to sell all that and become a bit more famous in that aspect. Can’t use my fighting fame to make money like that.”

In the end, Zelos decided to look for some buyers in the areas nearby and then sell the remaining potatoes perhaps to the clans that were fighting in the front lines. Perhaps selling the food in a moving stall would be a good idea… but who would do that for him? It had to be someone trustworthy.