Arvind remembered the last three months of reform. On one particular day, Bramir informed him that the wheat field was facing a water shortage. Bramir, overwhelmed by the immense pressure, almost cried, but Arvind offered comfort and strategized with him to solve the water issues.

Using available bamboo, they made holes in them and connected them end to end to create something like a pipe. They then encountered another problem—they didn't know of a nearby river. After organizing a search, they fortunately found a river not too far away. They connected the bamboo pipes to the river, and it worked.

Arvind noticed the farmers and guards working on the field, smiles appearing on their faces, which made him feel warm and happy.

However, the happiness was short-lived as Bramir came again with new challenges. Magical beasts like birds and others were eating and destroying the wheat. Arvind's head started to ache as he thought about the difficulty of solving the issue.

Despite assigning more guards and farmers to keep watch, the issue persisted. The magical birds did not scare away and still disturbed them.

The comforting part was that they could not damage the crop; they only ate the pests. But happiness didn't last long as more pests infested the crop, attracting more magical birds. The birds, being large and capable of using elemental energies, started to destroy the crop.

As the crop began to bear wheat ears, the magical birds did not leave the wheat grains alone and feasted on them. Despite all these difficulties, Arvind and Bramir made a plan. It barely worked, as this was Arvind's first encounter with such a situation, and Bramir had no idea what to do either.

Although Arvind was upset with the magical birds' behavior, he appreciated their help with the pest issue. He planned to solve the problem next time by either taming the birds or creating pesticides for pests. He hated feeling helpless.

Being a visionary leader and bringing change to his territory was not as simple as he initially thought. When encountering problems and issues, he always found himself in difficult situations requiring immediate action.

The enormous pressure almost made him want to stop everything, as he didn't know the outcomes of his decisions. What if they were disastrous? These thoughts had bothered him a lot over the past three months.

It was his first time being a ruler. In his previous life, he had just graduated and was reborn here. He was a novice, and the immense pressure he bore was unimaginable. But ambition and passion led him to reform his territory despite the regrets about it.

The growth of wheat, infrastructure progress, increasing smiles on the townsfolk, and the growing confidence of his subordinates—especially Anika and Shankar, who were close support during difficult emotional times—fueled his hope. These factors validated his efforts, particularly the wheat.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Bramir, who reported that the wheat field was ready for harvest.

"My lord, the wheat is ready for harvest," Bramir said enthusiastically. "The wheat ears are golden and plump, my lord. The seeds are truly high-yield, and your reform plan worked perfectly. But my lord, the magical beasts and birds have been sighted eating our hard work. I recommend we harvest it immediately before the weather changes and they cause further damage."

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Arvind listened intently while eating, not showing joy or sadness on his face. Sitting with him were Aldric, Faelan, and Bramir, while Anika and Shankar stood on either side of him.

Aldric, visibly tense when Bramir mentioned workers again, couldn't help but comment.

"My lord, we cannot do that. Our wall project is only half-completed, and the knights have reported beast sightings. We need more workers to complete the wall project faster, and I have to remind you that we are short on knights."

He had been under tremendous pressure for the past three months, and the target to complete the wall project had been dashed, as the beasts didn't leave him alone.

Shankar, knowing the critical nature of the harvest as food supplies were dangerously low, stressed, "We have to harvest the wheat faster; otherwise, if the magical beasts eat our precious wheat, your loyal butler will cry," showing a crying expression.

Faelan, silently happy, gave Arvind an encouraging smile and raised his cup of ale. Arvind responded by raising his cup, and they both drank.

"Your efforts have borne fruit, and many are more confident in your leadership, my lord," Anika said quietly as she refilled his cup. "Even I admire your vision and intellect. You can do it, my lord," she said, raising her clenched fist close to him.

Arvind, amused by Anika, secretly laughed at her behavior. He then addressed everyone, "Thank you for your encouragement and valuable suggestions."

Turning to Aldric, he said, "Don't worry, Aldric. I know your difficulties, and I will not disappoint you. We will work together after the wheat harvest."

He turned to Bramir and solemnly said, "After breakfast, wait for me. We will visit the wheat field."

Time passed as they finished their breakfast.

---

The field was covered in golden wheat, the plump and golden wheat ears bringing pride and a smile to Arvind's face.

He came with Bramir and Anika to see the fruit of their hard work. Seeing the farmers working and smiling at him, he smiled back, feeling their shared effort.

As they continued the survey, Arvind abruptly stopped, his face grim as he looked at the barren stalks devoid of wheat ears. He turned to Bramir and said grimly, “What is this, Bramir?”

Bramir replied helplessly and angrily, “The beasts, my lord. We’ve guarded it as best as we can, but… we’re powerless against them. We must harvest immediately.”

Arvind responded, “Tomorrow, then. Inform the farmers and prepare for the harvest. We can’t let our sweat and effort go to waste.”

His heart bled seeing their efforts eaten by beasts. He felt like crying and wanted to hunt them all down, but he knew he couldn’t let emotions cloud his judgment.

---

The next day, as the sun rose above the horizon, its rays cast a golden hue over the field.

The farmers, composed of serfs and commoners, gathered at the wheat field for the harvest. They had worked hard to plant and care for the wheat over the past three months.

One of the farmers, seeing the plump and golden wheat ears, smiled widely, while others shared his enthusiasm. The wheat condition sparked growing admiration for Lord Arvind, both for his methods and seeds.

An elder farmer who had previously criticized Arvind now felt a sense of guilt as he looked at the wheat ears. He decided to apologize.

"My lord, please forgive me for criticizing you previously. I am sorry, and I finally understand your great intelligence and hard work for all of us," he said, his hands trembling as he tugged at his patched cloth, sweating nervously.

While Arvind was still deep in conversation with Bramir, Anika poked his back. Arvind, confused, turned to Anika with questions in his eyes. Seeing him act like a fool, she whispered what the old man had said.

Realizing what happened, Arvind turned to the old man, "It's okay. I forgave you long ago. I know your doubts and concerns from that time. Don't worry, your lord is not unreasonable."

The old man, still baffled, was relieved as Anika clarified Arvind's words. Seeing Arvind's magnanimity, many farmers' admiration for him as a leader grew, especially among the young townsfolk.

Today, Arvind came with Anika, Aldric, and his knights. The knights were there for security. There were also servants to help with cooking, as today they celebrated the fruits of their hard work together.

As they started working, everything went smoothly without disturbance. Seeing the wheat grains made them smile. After a hearty lunch, they began again.

---

A group of farmers worked in a distant section of the wheat field. One serf, far from his group, noticed a movement among the stalks. Curious, he approached and saw a beast feasting. His face turned pale, and his heart almost jumped in terror.

He nearly shouted but instinctively placed his hand over his mouth, adrenaline surging. Standing still like a robot, his rationality eventually returned. He slowly left the place to inform the group and Lord Arvind about the beast he encountered.

**To be continued...**