Lucian took advantage of the Voice's powers to go by with barely any sleep.
The Voice didn't seem to need one, so Lucian would often stay awake for longer than a normal person.
He currently had 20 large gold coins to his name, which he intended to increase by at least 600 by the end of the year.
One greenhouse would take around three months to build, and he already had three commissions, which he planned to complete before the winter season started.
The cost of materials was around 40% of the cost, labor (including his) 40%, which would leave him with around 20% as profit.
One greenhouse around the size of three three-storey houses would cost around 500-600 large gold coins, which meant that his profit would be around 120 large gold coins, give or take.
The interior landscaping would cost around 50 large coins with a 75% profit, which equaled 37 large gold coins and 500 large silver coins in his pocket.
That was around 470 large gold coins from his landscaping contractor business alone.
Herbs, spices, and scent extracts he produced would bring around 7 gold coins.
The rest (125 LGC) he planned to make through trade, where he could sell an item for more than ten times its price. He knew that there was a high demand for exotic fruit and silk in the north, while the south had a high demand for fine art and artisan products.
Four wagons. He needed to buy four more wagons and more horses. A better horse cost him around 55 large silver coins, and he haggled the price of a wagon down from 250 to 170 large silver coins.
Lucian wasn't sure how much money he would need to advance his first rank, which was copper, but he wanted to be prepared in advance. For that, he needed money. A lot of it.
He already passed the copper stage when he almost died in the desert during the sandstorm. If copper stage was this intense, the iron stage would cost him an arm and a leg, metaphorically speaking.
He already planned to increase the load of the wagons and push it to the south in hope it would awaken his iron stage. He already barfed his soul out the last time, so this was a logical next step.
Barf his soul again, but harder. The plan was foolproof, or at least he was the fool, and he had to prove it.
"WOOF!" A bark interrupted Lucian's calculations as a small kanghal puppy dragged its leash away from him, "Arf! Arf!"
It had pale fawn fur, with a black muzzle and ears that flopped to the front. Its tail was curled, and it bounced up and down excitedly at the sight of a butterfly.
The horses grazing on the field and chewing on the grass neighed and stomped the ground, spooked by the small creature.
"Hey," Lucian said, pulling the pup back to him, "If you behave like this before your future owner, I won't get paid. Now, be quiet."
"Arooo," the puppy whined in protest, its tail wagging faster and faster until it was a blur, "Arf! Arf!"
"Ah," Lucian sighed, picking up the small dog, "Come here."
The puppy tried to lick Lucian's face, but he kept it at arm's length.
The puppy, not happy with the treatment, tried to reach for Lucian's hand. After failing to do so, it started licking its own paw instead.
Lucian placed it inside a cage and closed the lid, carrying it into one of the wagons. It was the last thing on his checklist before he settled off to the south.
Fishbone connected the wagons, and Leaf helped him with the twelve horses, making sure they were all ready to go.
Lucian climbed to the front seat of the first wagon, and the rest of the group positioned themselves on the middle and last wagons.
"Let's go," he said, flicking the reins. The horses trotted forward, pulling the wagons along.
The trio glanced at the southern forest, which had a small part of it chopped off. A pile of wood was stacked on the side, waiting to be used once dried. 'Too fast!' Their boss moved around too fast! They were barely keeping up!
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It was a bumpy ride at first, but once the wheels started moving smoothly, they were able to pick up speed.
Once they left the border behind, the scenery began to change. The forests gave way to long stretches of dry, red land. The occasional tree was still visible here and there, but mostly it was just rocks.
Lucian not only barfed his soul out but also pushed it to the edge of its existence, 'Am I not iron yet?'
His head was spinning, his stomach was twisting and turning, and the only thing that was keeping him was the thought of reaching iron stage.
His stamina was almost completely depleted, yet he didn't stop until he was on the verge of collapsing. That's how iron was supposed to work. You had to take inspiration from its properties and embody them.
'Is it not enough? Is the load not big enough?' Lucian gritted his teeth, 'Iron stage! Come on! I am doing my best here! Even iron can't withstand this much weight!'
Lucan pulled the wagon to the nex town, the wheels bumping over the uneven ground and kicking up dust. He coughed, his eyes watering from the dirt in the air.
'At least my muscles are getting some good workout.' Lucian thought, 'Celine is going to appreciate my gains... muscled men are popular with the ladies. She'll swoon at the sight of me.'
Each village, town, or city was around six hours of traveling distance from the others. Lucian would drop off near a tree midway, his eyes rolling back in his head. Then, after taking a break, he'd continue the journey. He would only take the rest before entering the village, or when he couldn't go anymore.
Each stop was the same: a local would come out to greet them and swap the horses, and then they would leave.
"Umm," a young girl approached the wagon while they were waiting for the swap, looking shy and embarrassed, trying to offer a basket of fresh fruits, "Our inn would like to welcome you to our humble town. We have the best food and service in the area."
She was dressed in a simple white dress with an apron tied around her waist, and her red hair was tied in a ponytail with a ribbon. Her features were soft, and her eyes were big and innocent. She looked like a doll, but her expression was serious.
Jax, Fishbone, and Leaf gawked as the girl approached their Boss, who was sitting under the shade of the tree with the sleeping puppy in his lap.
She seemed to be nervous and fidgeting, but her eyes were determined to catch Lucian's attention, who was busy petting his temporary pet. "Excuse me...are you the owner of the wagons?" she asked.
Lucian looked up, his hand stopping mid-stroke on the puppy's fur. "Yes, I am."