by Michael Sisa
Had he known that the Young Master was coming, he would have prepared at least some refreshments and a seat.
Lark waved a hand. “It’s fine.” He looked around, eyes inspecting the coops and the chickens roaming around. He nodded. “It seems that the poultry farm’s doing well. Good job.”
Pico felt proud after hearing that. He pushed his chest out and broadly smiled. It was a really refreshing feeling.
Bleating sounds were heard. Upon looking, Pico saw some servants pulling tethered goats out of the second cart. There were exactly eight of them.
“Two males, six females,” said the Young Master. “I know you already have your hands full with managing this farm, but I want you to take care of these guys. In the future, once I’ve secured the treasury, I’ll buy several more.”
Taking care of goats was a fairly easy task, especially since there was a vast field of grass in this area. Furthermore, they produce a lot of milk per day. As the one managing this farm, surely, it wouldn’t hurt to taste goat milk every now and then. Pico tried concealing his excitement after this thought.
“I’ll do my best, Sir!” Pico was enthusiastic.
Lark liked the eagerness within his voice. “About the Loi Plants.” The Young Master entered the fence and was immediately surrounded by numerous chicks. Before Pico could protest that there was no need for the young Lord to personally enter the coop, Lark had already arrived at the barricaded area where the Loi Plants grew.
“Only a few of them have grown fruits,” he said. He plucked out a fruit, about the size of a pebble. “It’ll take probably a month more before we’ll be able to produce enough Umami Salt.”
After plucking out a handful number of fruits, Lark said, “Pico, have you tasted these fruits before?”
Pico shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Young Master.”
Lark peeled open one of them and handed it to him. “Try it.”
A bit hesitant, Pico put the fruit inside his mouth. He cringed as the bitter-sour taste permeated his mouth. He coughed and spat the fruit out. Even the innumerable chicks around refused to touch the fruit fallen on the ground.
“Nasty, isn’t it?” chuckled Lark.
He handed the rest of the fruits to the still cringing Pico. “Peel them off, then soak them overnight in water. After that, take the fruits and dry them out under the sun. You’ll be surprised of how delicious it’ll become after that.”
Pico stared at the Young Master in disbelief. Tasty? These fruits tasted horrible! He would not eat a single one of them even if he was offered a month’s worth of his salary.
“After drying them… are you going to… ask me to eat them again, Sir?” Pico shivered upon the thought.
Lark amusedly looked at him. “Of course.”
Pico remembered the nasty taste. His stomach churned and he resisted the urge to vomit.
“But, Young Master!” Pico’s voice was hysterical, pleading.
“It’s fine. I’ll eat them together with you.” Lark tapped his shoulder. “Just do what I say. The reason why no one knew of Umami Salt until now’s probably due to the lack of knowledge on how to remove the bitter taste of these fruits. Believe me, once you’ve tasted Umami Salt, every other food will turn bland in an instant.”
Pico shuddered but nodded regardless. “Yes.”
“I’ll be back here tomorrow, at the same time,” said Lark. “Be sure to have the fruits ready by then.”
After the Young Master left, despite his reluctance, Pico soaked the peeled fruits in water. According to the Young Master, he needed to do this overnight then dry them under the sun afterwards.
An entire day passed. True to his word, Lark came back to the poultry farm at the exact same hour. This time, he came here alone, without any servants or guards.
“Did you dry them up?” said Lark.
Pico nodded. “I did everything as you’ve instructed.” He showed Lark the fruits dried during the morning.
Lark took one of them and, without hesitation, threw it inside his mouth. Pico was momentarily taken aback. He remembered the nasty taste as he grimaced.
Pico was expecting the Young Master to cringe, belch and puke on the ground. But instead, the Young Master delightfully chewed the fruit and swallowed.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten this stuff,” said Lark. “Now, you try it.”
Was the Young Master playing with him? Pico was not sure. But since the Young Master himself ate the fruit, he had no choice but to comply.
With trembling fingers and ready to vomit any time, Pico slowly placed a fruit on his mouth.
“Wha—”
A surprised voice escaped Pico’s lips.
The abhorrent taste was gone!
Instead, there was an indescribably good taste in the fruit that made his body beg for more. It was neither salty nor sweet, but a different taste entirely.
If he was asked, he would say that the closest taste would be probably the word “meaty.” It was as though he was eating meat grilled to utter perfection, soaked with several herbs and spices.
This taste was simply phenomenal!
Without him noticing it, Pico actually ate all the remaining fruits.
“How’s it?” Lark was almost laughing after seeing the stunned expression of Pico. “Tasty, isn’t it?”
Still overwhelmed by the unexpected taste of the Loi fruit, Pico simply nodded.
“The first batch of merchants will be coming here soon. I’ve ordered several Loi plants from the Merchant’s Guild. They’re fairly cheap, since the people in this Kingdom do not really have a use for it.” Lark looked at the coop being constructed nearby. “Same as before. Plant them in the coops. We’ll use them to attract insects which will serve as food for the poultry, then use the fruits to make Umami Salt.”
It was hitting two birds with one stone.
“But this time, after drying the fruits, I want you to grind them into smaller pieces,” said Lark. “I’ll provide you with an equipment for that.”
“From now on, aside from Kalranes, we shall export Umami Salt to the Kingdom.”
Although the amount of salt they would be able to produce was not much, just the taste alone would be enough to make great impact in the entire Kingdom. The salt itself might even become more popular than Kalranes in the near future.
Lark smiled at this thought.
Chapter Three
A week quickly passed. It was finally time for the first batch of merchants to arrive at Blackstone Town.
Pancho, an upstart merchant from the Lion City, was tasked with the first haul. Under the orders of Big Mona, he travelled from the Lion City towards this place, just to get the second batch of Kalrane stones. It was a relatively simple task, since the deal itself had been made, the prices and quantities of goods have been decided, and all he needed to do was deliver.
Accompanied by some servants, he made his way towards Blackstone Town. He momentarily stared in surprise upon seeing it up close. It was not like this two years ago, when he last visited.
The most notable change was the main road. Unlike the muddy, uneven road before, the road stretching through the heart of the town was cobbled. The carriages hardly wobbled as it passed through. Pancho was sure that even if it rained, it wouldn’t be muddy at all. The entire road itself was not yet fully finished, but judging by the number of workers working on it, it would only be a matter of time before its completion.
Roads represented the transportation ability of a region. Thus, it represented its power of commerce. Whoever implemented the reformation of this road knew what he was doing. From the main road, numerous streets branched out into different directions.
As he went deeper in the town, the more stunned Pancho became. This was supposed to be a ghost town, a region abandoned by the Kingdom. Since the Black Famine struck the Kingdom of Lukas last harvest season, food became a luxury. Even nobilities had to cut off rations for their personal armies.
Pancho expected the reside
nts to be lifeless, to be skin and bones, but reality gave him a different picture. On the contrary, the locals were walking with purpose, their gait filled with life. Several of them would stare at his group, before going about their own way, doing their everyday tasks.
He could see children playing on the streets, their laughter creating mellifluous background.
His mind still filled with various thoughts and questions, he finally arrived at the Mansion. There, he was immediately greeted by the servants.
“Ah, the Young Master has been expecting you!” said one of them. He bowed, looked around, then scratched his cheeks. “But the Young Master and Sir Gaston have left for the northern farmlands about an hour ago.”
“Is that so?” Pancho did not really mind. Personally, he wanted to take a tour of this town. This would be the perfect excuse for that. “Then, could you lead me there?”
“It’s a bit far from here,” said the servant. “But if Sir Merchant doesn’t mind, this servant will lead you to where the Young Lord is.”
Accompanied by the servant, Pancho and his men headed towards the northern farmlands. According to Big Mona the land around Blackstone Town was barren, non-arable, and it was the same reason why merchants seldom visit this place at all, since the town had nothing to offer.
Several roads were under construction, and they had no choice but to pass through the Eastern Border before heading towards the northern region. Along the way, Pancho saw a peculiar sight. Dozens of workers were constructing houses. The sound of hammer striking stone and wood filled the air. Several houses were being built here and there.
Strange. Why do the houses look… similar?
Pancho immediately noticed this peculiarity. The two-story stone houses were all built with the same design, with uniform spaces between each other. Every now and then, in between intersections, a wooden post was seen erected. Pancho was not sure what it was, but looking up, he could see a tiny crystal installed above.
A group of men wearing leather armors passed by. They were all holding spears, their movements uniform and steady.
“Soldiers?” mumbled Pancho.
The servant from the Mansion nodded. “Blackstone Soldiers, Sir. Personally formed by the Young Master himself!”
There were probably enough soldiers to form a platoon or two. For a personal army of a Lord of a small town, the number was quite high. Furthermore, everyone was well equipped, with a full set armor each. Judging by their movements, those guys have undergone a certain degree of training.
Pancho could not understand why the Lord of this town needed to train so many soldiers, when monsters and bandits rarely attack this area.
And what the hell is going on with the construction? It’s like the Lord’s trying to renovate the entire town!
Pancho could simply imagine the amount of gold being used left and right for these developments. Even a Baron would have a hard time providing for such finances.
Soon, their group arrived at the northern farmlands. Pancho was at loss for words at what he saw.
Spread out into the distance was a vast land plowed numerous times. Numerous wheats have already been planted, creating a beautiful shade of brown and green. Pancho noticed the water canal that spread through the northern farmland. Upon tracing its origin, he realized that it came from the forest beyond, probably connected to a river in that area.
Pancho quickly realized that advantages and benefits of this ingenious device! With this, the farmers would not have a hard time watering the fields, and the risk of the crops dying during a drought would be reduced somehow.
“A watering device,” said Pancho. “I’ve got to report this to Big Mona.”
He was sure that the fat merchant would be extremely interested with this find. As he was wondering of the peculiar things he saw in his short visit, something else caught his eyes. It was a device with a large tube in front, resembling a bicycle. The person riding on top would grip the handles, move the pedal, and the device would plow the ground.
Pancho realized that those things were the reason behind the uniformly plowed land spread in all directions. This area was really vast, but for despite the lack of manpower, the farmers were able to plow the land.
A young man with silver hair approached their group. The carriages halted to a stop. Upon stepping out of the cart, Pancho was greeted by the young man’s smile.
“The Merchant from the Guild, I suppose?” The young man was grinning.
Pancho nodded. “Pancho, representative of the Merchants Guild. I went to the Mansion but the Young Lord is no longer there. I’m here to meet the Lord of this domain.”
The young man spread out his hands. “Lark Marcus, Lord of Blackstone Town.” Despite the young age, this noble exuded the air of a ruler. “Had you notified us beforehand, we could have prepared at least some refreshments.” He looked at the carts. “The kalranes are currently stored in the warehouse near the mining area.”
For some reason, Pancho did not really care about that. He could simply get them later. His thoughts were currently occupied by those things he saw – those tools used to plow these fields.
He pointed at them. “Those things. What are they?”
Lark looked at the direction he was pointing at. “Ah, plowing devices. The northern region’s vast, so I created those things for my men.”
“Plowing devices. I know that,” said Pancho. “But how could those men move that thing?”
Judging by the size and shape of the device, it would take great strength to make the wheels in front rotate and plow through the land.
Seeing the curious stare of the merchant, Lark chuckled. He playfully said, “I can’t tell you that. It’s a trade secret. But if Big Mona himself comes here and asks me, then maybe I’ll consider disclosing the mechanisms.”
Normally, those words would be considered haughty, but Pancho could not help but see the ingenuity behind those devices. He was sure that had Big Mona seen them, he would be also be gawking right now.
“Ah, that’s right,” said Lark. He took out a small pouch and handed it to the Merchant. “Just in time. We’ve finally finished the first batch of this product.”
Pancho opened the pouch and stared at what was inside.
“Salt?” he said.
“Umami Salt,” corrected Lark. “Give that to Big Mona. Tell him that aside from kalranes, we could also provide him that. Of course, it needs to be at a competent price. It’s a limited resource, after all.”
It’s just salt, was what Pancho thought. He could not see the merit of actually selling such a common thing. Although the price of salt had been rising lately, it was not like there was shortage of it.
He scooped out a speck of it and placed it on his tongue.
His entire body shivered. What was this taste? He had never tasted something as delicious as this before!
He noticed that the young Lord was grinning at him, his eyes dancing with glee.
“How’s it?” said Lark. “Delicious isn’t it?”
Chapter Four
[Lion City]
“Still no response from Zen?” said Alfonse, the leader of Blood Tachi, one of the nine divisions of Black Midas. Along with a dozen other assassins, their figures blurred through the night. They moved through alleyways and streets, unnoticed by the passersby.
One of his subordinates shook his head. “None, Sir.”
Several days ago, they suddenly lost contact with the assassin stationed in Lion City. Although Zen was not among the elites of Black Midas, he was still part of the reconnaissance group. Each of their members specialized in concealment magic and escape. If Zen was really dead just like they speculated, then there must have been a noteworthy opponent. Someone skilled enough to catch and kill an assassin specialized in concealment magic.
Upon entering Lion City, Zen should have contacted them by now. As moments passed, their suspicions intensified.
Blood Tachi first visited Zen’s house, which was located in the Commoners Di
strict. After searching around, they saw the encrypted message sent directly by the leader of Black Midas. This meant that Zen received their message.
Although the room was neat, dust have already started forming on the windowsill. It must have been at least several days since Zen left this place.
“He probably went ahead and kicked the bucket,” spat one of the assassins. “That idiot.”
“This is why the Reconnaissance Division is trash. They can’t even wait for us to arrive,” said another. “Stupid bunch.”
“Enough,” said Alfonse. Just like the other members of the group, he was clad in pure black, revealing nothing but his crimson eyes. “Seth. Could you track where he went?”
A female voice replied, “Sure, sure.”
The female assassin took out a small vial filled with strands of hair. She chanted her magic and a small hexagram glowed under her feet. She pulled out the strands of hair and scattered it around the magic circle. After a long time, the magic circle broke into numerous particles of light. A small sparrow made of light manifested itself before them.
“Guide us there,” Seth said to the sparrow.
The sparrow flew around the room, before flying through the window. The members of Blood Tachi quickly followed.
To the assassins’ surprise, the sparrow led them to a nearby place. A rundown inn near the Middle District. They discreetly entered and went towards a room at the second floor.
“Nothing’s here,” said Alfonse. The room was tidy, with a small bed and a wooden table near the window.
“Strange,” mumbled Seth. “My Tracking Magic never failed me before.”
But just like their leader said, there was nothing here.
“Who are you people?” said a trembling voice. Upon looking at the door, the inn keeper stood, agape, as he held a lamp in his hand.
Alfonse nodded at his subordinates. On cue, the assassins struck the inn keeper to the ground. The old man coughed twice as he struggled to get up. “What are you doi—”
A cloth was stuffed inside his mouth.
