Honest

Chapter 23: Honest

After breakfast, Merine instructed Meg to gather the slaves and reorganize the cavern. It would be best to clear the trees on the mountain and see if they could build a boat to explore the nearby lake. Meanwhile, Merine planned to inspect the area around the castle and find a suitable location to enhance the land.

In Merine's perspective, improving the land was a significant undertaking. Once the land was improved, their talents would have a stable foundation and a chance for a better life. Although she didn't understand the details of Zhao Hai's Spatial Farm, she observed that his ability was somehow connected to agriculture, as evidenced by his ability to grow 80,000 jin (50 kg) of radishes. Merine may not have known about the mystery of the Spatial Farm, but her intelligence and life experience allowed her to make an educated guess.

However, since Zhao Hai hadn't shared the details with her, she didn't feel the need to ask. She knew that Zhao Hai was the boss now, and he seemed to have more ideas than before. If she probed too much, it might not sit well with him.

Upon hearing Merine's plan to survey the terrain around the castle, Zhao Hai decided to accompany her. He had been occupied with different matters in the castle and had not yet explored the surroundings. Today presented a perfect opportunity to do so since this territory belonged to him, after all.

Zhao Hai insisted on taking Blockhead along while Stonehead remained behind to assist Meg in overseeing the slaves. Zhao Hai was concerned about the well-being of the slaves and wanted Stonehead to keep a close eye on them, as handling 100 slaves alone was quite a task for Meg.

As they ventured out from the castle, Blockhead traversed the mountains, carefully examining the terrain. On the other hand, Zhao Hai and Merine walked along the base of the mountain. Both Merine and Zhao Hai were not in the best physical condition, given their age and respective occupations as a magician and lord. Climbing the mountains would have exhausted them quickly.

It was the first time Merine and Zhao Hai had ventured this far from the castle, so they took their time to observe their surroundings as they walked. The Black Wasteland was indeed a peculiar place. The semicircular mountains were sparsely covered with small trees and weeds, while the vast plains stretched out around them, devoid of any remarkable features.

The terrain on the mountain was relatively intricate, but since the mountains were not very high and lacked dense tree cover, they could see the landscape clearly without any concerns.

After three hours of walking along the mountain's edge, apart from the increasing desolation, they hadn't made any significant discoveries. The Black Soil remained the same, and the barren hills continued to stretch endlessly.

Observing their surroundings, Zhao Hai turned to Merine and suggested, "Merine, let's take a break. Our fief is too vast to explore in just a day or two. Perhaps it would be better to return and wait for Green to join us. We can ride horses next time; walking is truly exhausting."

Merine was also exhausted, being a magician rather than a warrior meant her body wasn't as robust. Normally engaged in household tasks, the strenuous journey had taken its toll on her. They found a spot to sit, and as soon as they settled, Blockhead ran down the mountain to check on things.

Zhao Hai advised Merine, "You should rest here for now. I'll go and see what Blockhead discovers." Merine nodded in agreement, and Blockhead quickly made his way up the mountain. Observing his energetic demeanor, it was evident that he wasn't tired.

Sitting on Stonehead, Merine gazed at the seemingly endless expanse of the Black Soil, unable to see anything beyond it. She let out a long sigh and reminisced, "When we first heard that the Empire had granted us this land, we were filled with despair. We knew that the Black Wasteland was a deadly place where nothing thrived, and it was adjacent to Carrion Swamp. Upon arriving here, we felt like we were merely waiting for death, unable to do anything."

Merine paused, her gaze lowered, and a wistful expression appeared in her eyes as she continued, "Green heard the news and immediately used all the family's money to purchase various commodities. He wanted us to survive for a few years, hoping that after several years, when the established nobles no longer paid attention to us, we could find other means to make money. Regardless, we couldn't let the Buda Family perish under our watch."

As she spoke, Merine fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in the memories of that desperate time. Zhao Hai understood their feelings. The Buda Family was their birthplace, yet they were confined to the Black Wasteland, surrounded by the perils of a deathtrap. The feeling of waiting for death in such circumstances was undoubtedly disheartening.

After a brief pause, Merine took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Hai, saying, "Fortunately, Young Master, you awakened, and you possess that mysterious ability to improve the land. It has given us hope. The future promotion of the Buda Family relies on you."

Green had also expressed similar expectations to Zhao Hai, and he understood that both Merine and Green had high hopes for him. However, Zhao Hai realized that fulfilling their expectations would be a challenging task. The abilities possessed by Green and Merine were beyond his reach, and if he wanted to achieve the same level, it would be difficult.

Zhao Hai desired to bring prosperity back to the Buda Family, but he was aware of the formidable opposition he would face from the established nobles of the entire Aksu Empire, including the Imperial Clan. However, he couldn't voice these concerns at the moment. Instead, he simply nodded and said, "Rest assured, Merine Grandma. I will do my best."

Merine nodded, smiling as she looked at Zhao Hai. She said, "Heaven has not forsaken the Buda Family. It has bestowed upon you this mysterious ability, which represents a chance for our family to prosper once again."

Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Merine Grandma, let me take you to a place." With a thought, they both appeared inside the Spatial Farm.

Before this, Zhao Hai had kept Merine and Green away from the farm because it contained many things he couldn't explain to them due to the need for secrecy. He also feared that they might discover his true identity as Adam's possessor. If that were to happen, he worried that Merine and Green might be the first to try to kill him.

However, he no longer had such concerns. He knew that Merine and Green hadn't suspected him, and they had placed their hopes on him as the sole successor of the Buda Family. Even if they were to discover his secret, they wouldn't harm him. Killing him would only lead to the downfall of the Buda Family, as without a successor, their noble title would be revoked by the Empire.

Merine was astonished when she entered the space. Seeing radishes sprouting from the ground and corn maturing rapidly, her mind was spinning trying to comprehend it all.

Zhao Hai explained, "Merine Grandma, this is the special ability I possess. In this space, I can cultivate grains and vegetables. The growth time for crops here is much shorter than outside, which is why I was able to produce 80,000 jin of Magic Radishes in such a short time."

Merine glanced at the land and then turned to Zhao Hai, asking, "Young Master, where did you store all those Magic Radishes? I didn't see them."

Zhao Hai pointed to the Warehouse and said, "Inside that room, it's like a space equipment. I can store many things in it, not just the Magic Radishes but also other items. They are all stored on the surface, and whenever I need to use them, I can retrieve them instantly."

Merine's eyes lit up with excitement. She was truly amazed by the capabilities of the Warehouse alone.

Zhao Hai continued, "The land in this space can be used to improve the Black Soil outside. Previously, I used a mixture of the land and water from this space to improve the Black Soil. And this," he gestured towards the cornfield, "is a new plant species I developed called corn. If this cornfield matures and produces seeds, it will be enough to plant on 1,000 mu of land and still have surplus. However, I'm not sure if the corn produced in this space can be used as seeds. That's something I need to experiment with. Cornstalks can also be used as fuel, making it the most suitable plant for us to cultivate at the moment."

Merine's eyes shone with understanding as she grasped the significance of the corn. Once the cornfield matured, they would have a solution to their food problem and a source of fuel.

Zhao Hai said to Merine, "Once we find a suitable location, we can start by improving 1,000 mu of land and planting the corn. When the corn matures, we won't have to worry about food or fuel. And we can sell the Magic Radishes for additional income. Little by little, our Buda Family can develop and expand."

Merine nodded vigorously and turned to Zhao Hai, saying, "Young Master, we shouldn't let others know about this. How many people are aware of this at the moment?"

Zhao Hai shook his head and replied, "Only you, Blockhead, and Stonehead have been to this space. Grandpa Green and Meg haven't been here."

Merine nodded and said, "Young Master, you can trust us completely, but we can't trust others. After this, don't mention this to anyone else. If others were to learn about it, you would be in danger."

Zhao Hai assured her, "Don't worry, Merine Grandma. I won't discuss this with anyone else. Let's go outside now. If Blockhead comes looking for us, he might get worried." With a thought, they appeared at the foot of the hill.