Chapter 38: Increasing Food Security
Author’s note: Thank you to both deletedplayer and Liam Hanly for supporting this work through their Patreon subscriptions.
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Kaiden stood before the crowd gathered at the heart of the farmland. The first harvest was an exceptional occasion for the territory — so most of the villagers had been summoned, and even the craftsmen's assistants had temporarily left their duties to participate and complete the process at maximum speed and efficiency.
Before him, rows of men and women stretched out, waiting only for his signal.
Kaiden didn't delay. He cleared his throat lightly, then raised his voice:
"Thanks to the dedication of our farmers over the past two days, we have an abundant harvest waiting to be gathered. Let us honor them with applause — they deserve all the praise!"
Standing before a crowd was no longer a challenge for Kaiden after five days in this world. His voice came out loud and clear, reaching every ear in the gathering before him.
The applause erupted thunderously.
Kaiden and Casper clapped along with the crowd, while the six farmers stood in a single row, wide smiles of pride growing on their faces. A warm feeling washed over them as they received the praise of the Lord and the crowd.
The applause continued for a full minute, then Kaiden raised his hand and silence gradually settled.
"From today onward, our food security will increase considerably, and our meals will improve in a notable way." He paused for a moment, scanning the waiting faces with his eyes — and feeling the timing was right, he smiled and said: "And now… let us all begin! I officially declare the harvest open!"
Despite the large number of people, Casper's shrewdness and professionalism allowed him to organize the scene swiftly. The villagers were divided into six groups, each led by one of the six farmers.
Kaiden nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this — organization was essential to ensure no part of the vegetables went to waste.
Everyone was working, activity filling the six fields, smiles on every face — including Kaiden, who watched from a distance.
Unlike the majority of human Lords, Kaiden was more connected to this world than to his old one, immersed in it with his whole being.
In this world, everything had proceeded with a smoothness he could never have imagined.
There was no longer any anxiety about paying rent for his dreary room at the end of each month. No exhausting work for long hours at meager pay. He no longer worried about health problems — he had gained an active, athletic body he would never have dared to dream of in his previous life.
To Kaiden, this world was magical and wonderful.
He stepped toward the nearest row of vegetables and picked a ripe tomato, red and gleaming under the sunlight.
Without hesitation, he took a large bite in one go. It was clean — didn't even need wiping. No chemical pesticides here, no toxic fertilizers.
"Ahh… incredibly delicious!"
His eyes lit up suddenly. This taste… he hadn't experienced anything like it since his earliest days at the orphanage. He had completely forgotten what real tomatoes tasted like.
In the modern era of his previous world, even naturally ripened vegetables had become the privilege of the wealthy and middle class. As for him — a poor orphan — he had no right to be selective. He simply bought the cheapest… the flavorless kind.
But he had never been content with his circumstances in that world.
That was why he had never felt attached to it. That was why he had striven relentlessly to change his fate — and so despite being an orphan with no support or guardian, he had learned programming through sheer persistence.
And nothing had changed here. He was still giving everything he had to change his fate. The only difference? Here the opportunity was greater, the ambitions were higher, and the path toward them was clearer. All he had to do was put in the effort to grow stronger.
That was why, unlike other Lords, Kaiden loved this world more than his old one.
Even if this world was dangerous and brutal… even if he died in the attempt, it was worth it from his perspective.
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While he was submerged in his whirl of thoughts and feelings, the villagers continued their work with diligence and order. Men and women alike moved between the rows of vegetables under the supervision of the farmers and Casper. Those who had baskets placed their pickings inside, and those who didn't used the hems of their robes as makeshift baskets.
In front of the farmland, clean mats made from monster hides were spread out, and piles of ripe vegetables began rising on them — each type kept separate.
Lucky Gatherer Aura: +1 unit Tomatoes
Lucky Gatherer Aura: +1 unit Cabbage
Lucky Gatherer Aura: +1 unit Cucumber
Lucky Gatherer Aura: +1 unit Onion
Kaiden had grown completely accustomed to the Lucky Gatherer Aura notifications that had accompanied him since his very first day in this world. Throughout the past days, they had appeared several times daily — but their gains had been small and scattered, so he had paid them little mind.
Now, however, things were different. The notifications looked as though they had been injected with stimulants. Since the harvest began, the chimes hadn't stopped for a single moment. Every two minutes or less, a new notification appeared for a different type of vegetable. Kaiden's smile widened further — the high-quality soil had granted the crop exceptional growth, and with the added effect of the Lucky Gatherer Aura, the harvest was exceeding his expectations.
The harvesting process didn't take long. Although the planted area was only two hundred square meters, the abundance of helping hands made the work flow with remarkable smoothness. In roughly one hour, all types of vegetables had been fully picked.
And then the notification he had been waiting for appeared.
[Quest "The First Harvest!" Completed! Reward dispatched to the Lord's inventory: Fruit Tree Sapling Bundle ×1 (Common).]
Kaiden immediately opened the sapling bundle. It contained four types of fruit: twenty saplings each of mango, lemon, apple, and apricot.
He quickly glanced at their information. The maturation period ranged from three days to a full week. He had grown accustomed to this world's illogical maturation timelines — but the real problem was the land. He didn't currently have enough suitable area to plant all these saplings.
"Never mind… I'll find a solution later."
Kaiden murmured as he stepped toward the abundant piles of harvest arranged before him. It was time for inventory.
He opened his storage — which consisted of twenty slots, each holding a maximum of ninety-nine units of the same type. With a quick motion of his hand, all the tomato units disappeared into storage, then he took them out again.
"One thousand and eighty-eight units of tomatoes!" Kaiden exclaimed in a voice overflowing with joy.
At his side, Casper stood holding paper and pen. The moment he heard the number, he recorded it precisely in the ledger.
"Nine hundred and eighty units of eggplant!"
"One thousand and one hundred units of cabbage!"
"One thousand and ninety units of cucumber!"
"One thousand and sixty-nine units of onion!"
"One thousand two hundred and two units of potato!"
Kaiden paused to catch his breath. The large quantities, once converted into numbers, became even more astonishing.
The harvest was truly extraordinary.
By a quick calculation — estimating roughly one and a half kilograms per unit — the total of this harvest batch exceeded nine tons.
It seemed farming in this world was going to bring him considerable wealth… and this was only the beginning.
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— End of Chapter Thirty-Eight —