The prisoners of Neranka had another monotonous day. Their daily routine was to sow, weed, kill pests, and then harvest mature wheat or other crops.
Before entering the prison, they were all renowned professionals who were respected wherever they went and were watched with awe. Unexpectedly, after committing a crime, they could only come here to farm for atonement, and they were truly regretful. Initially, these people believed that the law could not punish them, and they could simply run away if worst came to worst, but the management of the Neranka prison was very strict. Even the chefs cooking in the kitchen were top-tier experts. Someone thought of a method of escaping from prison, which was to hide in the garbage truck of the kitchen to leave the prison, but they were knocked out by the chef with a large iron spoon as soon as they entered the kitchen, and then they were thrown back into the cell. Those who saw no hope of escape could only count down the days, looking at how long their sentence was left.
Anxia was an alchemist, at the bottom of all the professionals in Neranka. In terms of strength, alchemists were not as strong as warriors, and they were not fast enough to swing a sickle; in terms of spells, alchemists could not match the range of water spells used by wizards; in terms of pest control, alchemists were not as professional as necromancers, and the potions they made were even denied because they were poisonous. The greatest use of alchemists was to help everyone repair farm tools.
So, with the same crime, alchemists had the longest sentence because they contributed the least. Anxia was sentenced to years of prison for the improper operation of an experiment, which destroyed two neighboring houses. Fortunately, no one was killed, but because she had no money to compensate her neighbors for their losses, she was sentenced to years in prison, and it has already been a full year.
However, recently, Anxia finally had a turn of luck. She got the news that if she could be selected to create a certain mysterious magical machinery, her sentence could be shortened by half or even more.
During her time in prison, Anxia always missed the little treasures in her lab, she could only simulate experimental operations in her mind every day, and the new inspirations she came up with were engraved on the wall by her bed, regretting that she could not verify them immediately, she was so distressed that she didn't want to stay here and farm for a day!
Therefore, as soon as Anxia heard about the possibility of a reduced sentence, she eagerly signed up with the knight who was guarding them. The knight looked at her suspiciously, "I remember you were here because of a failed experiment, right?"
Anxia was very unconvinced, "That was just an accident, I'm one of the best in Whitesand City, and if you just ask around, you'll know my name."
The knight pondered for a moment and felt that Anxia's abilities were indeed strong. As he recorded Anxia's name, he replied, "I don't need to ask, I already know your nickname in Whitesand City - 'Home Wrecker Alchemist.'"
Fortunately, Anxia was finally selected. She was assigned to make a part for a certain machine, just one part. This left Anxia completely ignorant of the overall picture of the whole machine.
She communicated with other alchemists and found out that everyone was making different parts, these parts were big and small, the tiny ones were only as big as a fingernail, while the large ones could fit a person.
This might be some kind of secret weapon, Anxia boldly guessed. Everyone knew that the Neranka prison was completely under the control of Duke Elvys, using the alchemists in the prison to produce weapons for him was indeed an excellent approach.
However, this had nothing to do with Anxia. No matter where Duke Elvys's secret weapon was aimed, all she knew was that she could leave the prison in six months.
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At the Thunder Fort Farm, the first batch of mature wheat began to be harvested. This batch of wheat was grown using seeds produced by the seed store and was fertilized with high-quality fertilizer that could speed up crop maturity from the fertilizer store. From planting to harvest, it only took a dozen days, reducing the normal wheat harvest period by more than six or seven times.
In the golden, endless wheat field, huge magical machinery started working. Wherever it went, the wheat fell neatly, entered the machine, and the first process the wheat went through was threshing. The separated wheat grains were then divided into seeds and wheat husks. Finally, the clean seeds were stored in the huge space gate inside the combine harvester. The wheat husks and some grass leaves were thrown out from the rear of the harvester, leaving a trail of wheat husks behind the harvester, with a faint wheat fragrance in the air.
The efficiency of the harvester was astonishing. Even a group of immensely strong professionals would need a day to harvest the wheat field, but the harvester completed all the work in just two hours.
With these agricultural machineries, to achieve such speed, in addition to some magic crystals, all you need is two ordinary people who can drive the harvester.
However, while the harvester is handy, it does consume a lot of magic crystals. Especially now, when magic crystal mines are extremely scarce on the continent, and no new mines have been explored for a long time, the price of magic crystals has been rising.
Ina almost immediately thought of Lillith's energy charging solution. Although one of the essential materials in this solution is Glowstone powder, Ina thought about it and concluded that only a small amount of Glowstone is needed to make a large amount of energy charging solution. It permanently transforms the magic crystals immersed in it into easily rechargeable Glowstone magic crystals. The longer these Glowstone magic crystals are used, the less the cost of Glowstone is shared, making them more economical to use.
There was another reason. During the prosperous period of the Moro Continent, a rare Glowstone could be auctioned off at a sky-high price. But once there was a shortage of food, a stone that couldn't be eaten might not be worth as much as the same weight of flour. The World Tree had fallen into sleep, and the situation on the continent would definitely not be good. But as long as it's not instant destruction like meteor strikes or continent sinking, the more stored food, the better. She had already ordered all the granaries on the farm to be cleaned out, and the flour made from the harvested wheat should be properly stored for emergencies.
In addition to the one she had embedded in the wall of the restaurant in the Mist Town before, she only had one world-rare giant Glowstone left.
When Ina proposed to take out this Glowstone, Elvys stopped her.
"I've already privately asked several commercial associations to keep an eye on Glowstones for me, and the ones I've bought now are enough for temporary use," Elvys held Ina's hand, "it's all going to be ground up and used, it's certainly more cost-effective to use the smaller ones."
Ina, of course, was also heartbroken: "Now these agricultural machines are only used in Thunder Fort Farm, the charging solution is temporary enough, didn't you say you wanted to promote these machines in Neranka, where the land is more than a hundred times that of Thunder Fort Farm ."
Elvys recently told Ina that the major food-producing city of Beilun in the Silver Empire has not seen a drop of rain for four months, and other places are also showing abnormal weather signs. Only Neranka remains as usual, but the reason is that Neranka is a city with harsh weather, hot all year round, and scarce rainfall, where the wheat survives only through the rain spells of the mages.
Crises followed one after another, forcing Ina to worry. "If there's really no way, you trade the same volume of gold with me, I'll reluctantly help you out." Ina had made up her mind to give up this Glowstone, but she was still putting on a brave face.
Elvys noticed the pain in Ina's eyes and smiled, "You underestimate the collections of those nobles, now it's time for them to contribute to the empire."
He continued, "Agricultural magic machinery, energy charging solution, all of these could be put into use because of you. The Empire should reward you, how could it requisition your Glowstone? Let me think about how to reward you, how about building a pure gold agricultural magic machinery for you to commemorate your merit in letting them see the light of day again?"
Upon hearing this, Ina blurted out, "I don't want a tractor made of gold, that's too ugly!"
Seeing the teasing look in Elvys's eyes, Ina realized he was teasing her. "Then I'll give you a gold statue of the same scale as you, and I'll take it wherever I go in the future, it's much more likable than you."
Elvys pulled Ina into his arms and pleaded, "I think I'm still a bit better than a cold statue."
The Viscount Reed's investigators sent back a series of jaw-dropping reports about Thunder Fort Farm.
Thunder Fort Farm hadn't hired a single farmer! All the lands of Thunder Fort Farm had been sown! Thunder Fort Farm was preparing to harvest wheat?! The wheat at Thunder Fort Farm had been harvested? Thunder Fort Farm had planted another batch of wheat???
Viscount Reed began to suspect that his subordinates were pulling his leg. Wasn't it said that there were only four or five people managing the entire farm? Even if each of them had ten arms, they wouldn't be able to plant that much land. Moreover, was the growth period of wheat that short? Although he had never farmed, he wouldn't be fooled by such absurd answers.
"Go back and check it out properly, what on earth is going on!" Viscount Reed scolded. The fact that the farm didn't hire farmers as he expected, not giving him a chance to infiltrate his men to stir up trouble was one thing, but the sowing was completed in such a short period of time.
The strangest thing was that everyone knew that wheat takes at least 7 months to mature. Unless the crops in Thunder Fort Farm were weeds, it's impossible to harvest now!
His subordinates, reprimanded by Viscount Reed for their incompetence, didn't dare to just observe from outside the farm anymore. They tried to sneak into Thunder Fort Farm on a dark and windy night, and then they were promptly knocked unconscious.
Although the farm was vast and difficult to manage, Ina had equipped Thunder Fort Farm with dozens of mechanical worker bees and guardian puppets. Elvys had also sent a squad of elite knights from the Imperial Knights to guard the farm and the magical machinery inside. Viscount Reed's men were knocked out before they saw anything.
The knights casually threw Viscount Reed's unconscious men onto the streets. In less than half an hour, their clothes were divided by the passing civilians. These men woke up shivering in the morning light, ran naked into Viscount Reed's castle, and were driven out by an angry Viscount Reed.