Jack had always been a modest seed merchant from the south, making a meager living selling grain and fruit seeds. Though his wealth was modest, he at least had enough to eat and drink.
But a few months ago, Jack overheard a merchant boasting loudly in a tavern: ever since the Northern Wasteland Reclamation Order was issued, nobles had rushed north to reclaim land. Demand for seeds had skyrocketed, far outpacing supply!
Jack's heart raced. In the south, seed merchants were as common as horse manure on the roadside—hundreds of competitors fighting for every scrap of profit. But the north was different: barren, desolate, seed-strapped—if he could just get there, buyers would snap up his goods!
"This is my chance to get rich!" he thought with exhilaration. So he converted all his savings into seeds, loaded his small cart, and raced north, dreaming of striking it rich overnight.
Upon arriving in Frost Halberd City, however, Jack's hopes quickly crumbled.
Is this supposed to be the largest city in the north? he thought, aghast. The city was dilapidated. Streets were muddy. Pedestrians wore tattered clothes and walked wearily. There was none of the bustle or prosperity he had envisioned.
Jack's heart sank. A dreadful premonition crept over him. "How will I ever recoup my investment?"
But he'd come this far—he couldn't give up now. Summoning resolve, he set up his little stall on the market's east side. As he began laying out his seeds, three knights, still dusty from travel, rode up wearing mud-splattered armor and urgent expressions.
"Are you Jack, the seed seller?" the lead knight asked.
Jack froze. How did they know his name? Had news of "the little prince of seeds" traveled from the central provinces all the way here?
Straightening up, he cleared his throat and prepared a confident pitch. "What do you gentlemen need? I've got potatoes, rye, oats, wheat…"
But the leading knight cut him off: "We'll take it all."
Jack blinked. "Wh-what?" Was this northern generosity or some trick?
The knight repeated, "We'll take it all. How much?"
Jack's mind whirred as he ran numbers. Panic and hope warred inside him. Finally, he mustered, "Since you want everything, I'll give you a discount—five gold coins."
That was all! The cost of his entire stock had been under one gold coin in the south (potato seeds cost just two iron coins per bag). He expected haggling. But the knight simply tossed five gold coins into his hand without hesitation, and they hurriedly loaded up his entire stock and departed.
Jack stood speechless in the cold wind, staring down at five gleaming gold coins in his hand.
He flipped them over, confirming each one was real.
Glee surged through him. He nearly leapt in joy.
He had spent under one gold coin and now had five—netting him four gold in profit! Almost effortlessly!
Was it really this easy doing business in the north?
Clutching the coins, his mind raced. If he simply tripled his inventory, wholesaled a few hundred bags, he could earn hundreds of gold coins!
A manic smile curled across his face. The north was a gold mine!
He'd return home, take out a loan, and become the top seed merchant in the north!
Of course, he didn't know that some of those seeds—the frostblood redberry variety—were worth over a thousand gold coins per bag. Otherwise, he might have felt regret instead of exhilaration. And the story of how he later lost everything… well, that's for another chapter.
Meanwhile, Lambert rode back toward Red Tide Territory with a cart filled with seeds. Elsewhere, Louis was on horseback, inspecting the progress of the sowing in the fields.
Farmers were hard at work planting. Whenever they saw Louis pass, they respectfully bowed. But unlike the trembling, fearful submission shown to other nobles, here the farmers' eyes shone—especially the former slaves. Their gaze held fervent hope. They wanted their toil to be recognized, hoping it might earn them freedom.
Louis observed, but his face remained composed. In his view, slaves or free men—they were all laborers, the livestock of Red Tide Territory. He wasn't in a rush to abolish the system. For now, it drove productivity. Perhaps later, he'd offer structured paths to freedom. But right now, he judged, they needed to prove their worth.
At that moment, Mick approached, resting on his hoe. He looked jubilant.
"My Lord!" he greeted, wiping sweat from his brow. Wrinkles crinkled at the corners of his eyes. "The fertilizer is amazing! This season is going to yield big!"
Louis surveyed the plowed fields. The soil looked dark, rich, and moist—clearly fertile.
"What are the first crops?" he asked calmly.
Mick replied, "Rye, turnips, potatoes. They're cold-resistant and mature quickly. If nothing goes wrong, we'll harvest in three months!"
Louis nodded thoughtfully.
Rye could be ground into coarse flour. Turnips were useful as food and animal feed. Potatoes were easy to grow, store well, and perfect as emergency provisions.
While parts of Red Tide Territory enjoyed geothermal heat and were better suited for horticulture, most land remained too harsh for delicate crops. Prioritizing sturdy, cold-hardy staples was a prudent choice.
But Louis's ambition extended further. Once greenhouse cultivation was perfected, he planned to diversify crops—ensuring long-term food security for the entire territory.
He stood quietly on a field ridge, surveying the bustling workers and fertile soil. Under his thoughtful guidance, once-barren permafrost was now teeming with life.
A deep pride stirred in Louis's heart as sunlight glinted off the dark earth, the farmers bent in earnest labor. He felt the first whispers of accomplishment: he had begun to reshape a land once lifeless into a burgeoning domain.
Summary
Jack's Leap of Faith
A southern seed merchant, Jack gambles everything on a rumor of northern opportunity.
His risks pay off big: he sells his entire stock immediately to three knights for five gold coins—four gold profit—fueling dreams of fortune.
Unknown to him, some seeds he sold are extremely valuable, hinting at regret to come.
Louis's Northern Campaign
Riding through his territory, Louis inspects the fields and sees hopeful farmers—particularly former slaves.
He remains pragmatic: loyalty and productivity earn favor, but full emancipation will await later.
With successful fertilizer tests and the planting of cold-hardy crops, early harvests seem likely.
Louis dreams of greenhouse technology to expand agriculture and secure food for his entire realm.