Chapter 214: Portal Keep City
Two days later, Irwin was walking across the hardened road away from New Degonda, looking at the cultivated fields around him. In the distance, some farmers still working on the unfinished fields waved at him.
"Who would have thought," Greldo said, barking a laugh.
"Thought what?" Irwin asked as he waved back the farmers.
"That there would be a time when the farmers would have the strongest cards!"
Irwin grinned as he looked around. The rangers and guards were technically stronger, but he knew what Greldo meant. Right now, nearly every farmer had six cards, and although most had no combat cards, just the fact they had that many cards alone was incredible. Besides, he'd found that most cards that could be seen as farming and physical work cards increased endurance, strength, and constitution. He'd seen two farmers as burly as the smiths, could easily wrestle with any guard besides Basil, and had a high likelihood of winning.
Irwin's eyes drifted to the fields furthest east, which, according to one of the farmers who determined the soil fertility level, was the best one they had in the area. A mass of knee-high green plants stood there, resulting in the Cartofs planted and grown by the farmers.
Although it took all of them, including Susin, from dusk till dawn, and they nearly fell unconscious when the sun sank, the first fields would be harvestable in another two weeks. It was a speed unheard of, combined with the first fish arriving from Tréanbá and the wagons filled with nuts from New Malorin. It would be just enough to save everyone from starvation.
Well, not everyone, Irwin thought sadly, remembering the slowly growing graveyard north of the city.
They walked silently for a while, the cool breeze blowing around them as they reached the end of the hardened road and stepped onto the wide sandy path leading to Central Crossing. It was what people had called the empty space where the Portal to Giard had been weeks ago, and from there, the road split up to the other cities and towns. South led to Portal Keep and beyond that to New Malorin.
"So, you are sure you want to have a look at Portal Keep instead of just passing it and heading straight to New Malorin?" Greldo asked as he patted Coal, who was walking beside him.
"Yes, we need to check how the crew is doing," Irwin said. "I wonder if they are alright."
He'd not spoken to Rindiri, Zender, or the others since he returned from Giard, and all he knew was from Greldo.