The professional prisoners of Neranka were told they didn't need to work on the original farm today. They were assigned new tasks, mostly chores, which were unusual on normal days. It wasn't until they got involved in the farming activities themselves that they realized that farming wasn't just as simple as sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn. The miscellaneous tasks in between were numerous, keeping them busy every day.
"It's strange, just a few days ago they said they were going to open up a new piece of wasteland. Don't look at me like that, I don't enjoy reclaiming land, I just find it strange."
"Maybe a batch of newcomers has arrived, and we can finally take a break for a few days. I'm afraid I'll develop a habit. When I pass a farm in the future, I won't be thinking about what specialties the owner will serve me, but that this piece of land looks too dry and needs watering."
Some prisoners were quite informed: "I saw some huge magic machines shuttling through the fields."
The others were surprised: "I haven't been in here long, has the price of magic crystals outside dropped to this point? If that's the case, I need to ask someone to help me stock up."
In Neranka's endless fields, more than a dozen machines were operating at the same time. Deep ploughing machines, powered by large magic crystals, were able to break up both soil and stone.
Driving these machines, apart from the Rize people who first learned how to drive farm machinery, were members of the Imperial Knights who had helped guard the Thunder Fort Farm. They quickly learned how to use these simple and easy-to-operate farming magic machines.
Such a deep ploughing machine, given enough magic crystals, could plough thirty hectares of land in a day, which was hundreds of times the capacity of human labor. These dozen machines completed the planned work in just half a day.
Other types of machines were also not resting, there were still places in Neranka's farmland that could be used, but now all were replaced with machines. Magic crystals are almost free now, how could they miss such an opportunity?
When Ina went to deliver the promised gold-veined magic crystals to Vilanthe, she also brought up the matter of farming magic machinery. Vilanthe got excited as soon as she heard about it: "Are there really such efficient machines?"
After Ina nodded, Vilanthe pondered for a while and did not rashly ask to buy such agricultural magic machinery. Such magic machinery is of great importance. Vilanthe is one of the heirs to the Orlan Empire, and Elvys is the ruler of the Silver Empire. The relations between the two countries are not very friendly. If Vilanthe hastily proposes a trade, it would be Ina in the middle who would be in a difficult position.
"I've got a few dozen tons of blank magic crystals from somewhere else. I'd like to exchange part of the reward for these blank magic crystals for gold-veined magic crystals, and could the rest hire these magic machines to help me plow a piece of land?" Vilanthe proposed such a request.
Ina asked curiously, "These large agricultural magic machines can only perform at their best in open fields, didn't you complain to me before that Flemington's land is both scarce and fragmented..."
As she said this, she paused for a moment, and then she realized, "Did you really get that piece of land?"
That was the first time she received a letter from Vilanthe, which mentioned the issue of food security in Flemington. Flemington couldn't be self-sufficient in food, which troubled Vilanthe greatly. At that time, Ina's response was to color a map, which was a map of the surrounding area of Flemington. The colored part was a duchy near Flemington, Harrop, just like the Duchy of Doman, it was also mired in war, with civilians displaced and starving.
However, the land of this duchy was still fertile. Ina merely hinted to Vilanthe, and it was up to Vilanthe whether she would take her advice or indirectly possess the land there in any way.
Unexpectedly, Vilanthe not only made up her mind in a short period of time but also completed the plan.
"I've fostered two forces in the Duchy of Harrop, they've taken over most of the land of the duchy. The priority now is to sow these long-abandoned lands as soon as possible, so I'd like to hire your farming magic machinery and people who can operate them." Vilanthe said with determination in her eyes.
"Two forces?" Ina repeated.
"Yes," Vilanthe nodded affirmatively. There was nothing to hide from Ina. She explained carefully, "These forces are used to strife and betrayal and probably won't willingly be under my control for long. If I only support one force, they will absorb more and more land, acquire more and more wealth, and their ambitions will endlessly expand, and they will want to break free from me. So I can't do that. I need to create a pair of equally matched enemies to achieve a balance. If one side is powerful, I will strengthen the other, ultimately making both forces dependent on me, that's when I've truly obtained what I want."
"This time when we sow the land, I will only help the weaker side."
At this moment, Ina seemed to see the true trick of being an emperor in Vilanthe. As Vilanthe spoke about these things, her eyes sparkled with ambition, even surpassing the sapphire necklace around her neck. She was radiant, breathtakingly beautiful.
"I'll bring the agricultural magic machinery and the workers who can operate them to the Duchy of Harrop soon. Give me the contact information of a liaison."
On the surface, it was best for Vilanthe to stay as far away from the internal affairs of the Duchy of Harrop as possible, so Ina didn't want her to send someone to guide the way, just a liaison would do.
"Alright."
————
When Austin woke up, Ina happened to be by his side. Seeing him wake up from a long, beautiful dream, Ina held back the words "You're awake, the surgery was successful" that were on the tip of her tongue, and instead asked, "Are you alright?"
"The tequila was great," Austin suddenly remembered his responsibilities, and was startled, "How long have I been asleep?"
Ina immediately replied, "Not too long, just ten days."
Hearing this, Austin breathed a sigh of relief. As a dragon with a long life span, it's not uncommon for him to sleep for a year or more. "That's fine."
Austin got up and started walking towards the door. Everything went smoothly. He successfully traveled through space and returned to the Moro Continent, received hospitality from his kin, enjoyed a feast, and then took a nap. It was time to get down to business.
He felt that his mood was as clear as today's weather.
Wait a minute, clear?
Austin looked up, and the sky was as clear as a translucent sapphire, with a few thin clouds slowly drifting. The villagers of Misty Town came out of their homes, their smiles brighter than the sunshine. A blonde girl brought a lot of flowers, some potted and some picked and placed in vases, and was distributing them house by house.
Lilith handed a pot of pink-purple geraniums to Hannah: "Now our little town can also grow such beautiful flowers!"
Hana held the geraniums and couldn't put them down, urging Beck to quickly bring some desserts and snacks for Lilith.
"No need, Aunt Hana, I still have to deliver flowers to other people's homes." Lilith waved her hand.
"Oh dear, you've bought so many flowers, I should pay you for them," Hana said, reaching into her apron to get money.
Lilith ran away cheerfully: "No need, I'm very rich now!"
What Lilith said was true. Due to the invention of the charging solvent, she received a large amount of patent fees, which could completely secure her lifetime. But she had already planned the use of this money, first to buy a batch of beautiful landscape trees and shrubs to plant in the town, and then to find a way to open a more convenient route between Misty Town and the outside world.
Her mother, Rosa, even joked that Lilith seemed more like the mayor of Mist Town than she did.
The joy of the townspeople was obvious. They all moved their chairs to the yard without any agreement, bathing in the sun, staring at the sky with nothing but a few clouds, as if the clear sky would run away when they were not paying attention.
Only Austin was unhappy. He was so grieved that he could barely stand, asking repeatedly, "Where's the mist?"
Ina felt a great pity in her heart, but she couldn't tell him the truth.
"It's over," Austin muttered.
Ina handed him a cup of tequila: "How about drinking some more?"
Austin drank the full glass of wine in one gulp and couldn't help but start to complain: "We don't have three hundred years left, they won't last until the next time the accumulated fog bursts open a space passage. The god of that kingdom of God has long fallen, and the ruins of the old gods will collapse without enough support sooner or later."
Ina also drank a big gulp of wine, but the bitterness in her heart had no way to express it. She only had sympathy for those people in the ruins of the old gods and also hoped that they could return to their hometown. But not to mention that Austin's method of opening the passage is based on the sacrifice of the civilians of Mist Town and several surrounding cities, the decline of the Moro Continent itself, and the slumber of the World Tree, making it unpredictable what kind of terrifying disaster will occur.
Maybe they have gone through all the hardships of the Moro Continent, only to find that it is also turning into another hell.
"Do you hate me?" Ina suddenly asked.
"Why should I hate you?" Austin was puzzled.
"Not hate me, but the races in the ruins of the old gods, do they hate us who are lucky to stay outside?"
Austin stopped talking. Only they could understand the pain they had experienced. It is impossible to say that there is no resentment towards these people on the continent. But the fact is also before them, that is, the human empire controllers who had once deceived them into the ruins of the old gods in such a shameless way are already dead.
A pure human, whose life will not exceed one hundred years, even if he is a powerful practitioner like a high-ranking mage, it is difficult to live over three hundred years.
That is to say, their enemies are now lying in the grave. And the humans who are active on the continent are just lucky enough. They did nothing wrong and knew nothing about the conspiracy of the human empire at that time. Humans inside and outside the ruins have common ancestors, most of whom just made drastically different choices when they learned about the scam of the old god ruins.
Austin became even more depressed. He cursed human's short life angrily, and his anger had nowhere to vent.
Ina was worried that he would completely turn to the dark side, such as carrying out some indiscriminate retaliation.
"Aren't there any living ones among our enemies?!"
"There should be one actually," Ina spoke cautiously. Although one of the three empires at that time was said to be a human empire, the real power behind it was the Blood Race hidden in the dark. For a high-level blood race, living for three hundred years is still an easy task.
Austin stood up: "Where is he?"
" Safi."