The Honeycrisp tree had become self-sufficient and started growing faster. So, we planted it on a field with the Count’s permission. I gave him a brief explanation that this was our personal project and might eventually take over the whole world, making this place super famous. Basically, we were paying him in exposure, so we didn’t have to pay anything for the land. But I doubt that’s why he let me do as I please. It had more to do with the fact that he was trying to score brownie points with me.
Anyway, we were selling the potted saplings at a premium to local nobles. Normally, you couldn’t get fresh Honeycrisps in the Western continent. This place was a bit different. It was close to the port, and often got plenty of imports. However, even so, fruits weren’t as fresh as you’d find them on the southern continent. What’s more, a good fruit was going to cost you from anywhere between five to ten times its original price. Sometimes, even more.
So, pricing the trees at 5 gold was utterly reasonable and people were buying up our whole stock. The mother tree was fast but it couldn’t regenerate instantly, so we tried jacking up the price to 10 gold; no luck. We were stock out again. Apparently, with both my and Anya’s name on the line, people found us far too credible and bought up on the idea that they could make a lot of profit from this particular type of honeycrisp that grew on the western continent. I bet they were thinking they could easily propagate the trees, and grow their own, selling them and stuff-
But some of them were just buying from us and selling at much higher prices to neighboring lands. We of course stopped selling to high-risk customers like that.
At one point we had to raise our prices to 50 gold and even had to assigns guards to the main tree. Fun stuff this was; money making.
The money problem was solved for now. But I had to deal with two other things. One, gather a crew capable of pulling this off. And two, find someone who would guard me on this voyage and help me not die.
I could figure out the latter later but for now, I had to do something about a crew. However, I had absolutely no knowledge regarding that so I went over to Alustur. He was on break and soon would be teaching kids again.
“I don’t think we can rescue them,” he said, flat out rejecting my proposal. He’d rejected me the last time too.
“You’re not working for-”
“No,” he shook his head. “If the mailing company couldn’t find them, they’re beyond our reach. Taking a ship there wouldn’t do much.”
“Look, I got that. But they’re plenty of places they could be. Heck, they could be in the bottom of the ocean, swimming with mermaids.”
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Alustur snorted once, a bit rare. “I suppose.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s say we go there, and we find a wreckage. No sign of any survivors. What then?”
“We’ll come back.”
“You sure? You sure you’ll come back?”
I figured if I told him, I wanted to head over to the uncharted sea after that, he was probably going to flat out reject me again. “Yeah, sure.”
“Alright.”
“What do you mean, alright?”
“I’ll gather a crew.”
“Thanks. How much money would you need?”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Well, I’m making a fair bit and can afford-”
“Sol,” he stood up, put a hand on my head. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll take care of it. Just prepare for the journey.”
I didn’t really know why but when he said it like that… I couldn’t help but feel- everything was going to be alright.
***
Two days later, I got whipped by the half demon lady.
“Why can’t you remember something so simple!” She was furious.
Nay, that was an understatement. She probably didn’t intend to hit me, but she hit me anyway.
“No violence, please,” the librarian warned. Luckily it was near midnight and students had already left.
“But he’s such a good student! It’s like he’s not even taking this seriously!”
“Not everyone has the same level of talent as you,” the librarian said. “He’s trying plenty hard himself. Give him time.”
“But he’s so much better than me,” the lady grumbled.
Apparently, I excelled in certain things the lady did not. Particularly magic and spirit taming. So, she’d developed this odd opinion about me that I was just superior to her and hence she couldn’t beat me, a literal child.
However… she probably understood she was just making up excuses and hence she was only getting more and more furious.
Still, I did not appreciate physical abuse. “Please refrain from touching me,” I said. “Next time, you might not have your hand intact.”
She grumbled. “Sorry,” but ended up apologizing. As stuck up as she was, she was fairly courteous when it came to respecting others.
Her temper was a real problem though.
“So, how fares your preparations,” the librarian said.
“Pretty good,” I moved over to her. “Alus says he found a captain. All we have to do is now buy a ship and hire some sailors-”
Which was going to cost a lot of money. Alustur was probably trying to be a good guy by helping me. Perhaps it was his way of making up for the fact that he tried to kill me. Honestly, I wasn’t holding it back against him. I tried to make that clear too, but the guy just wasn’t listening.
“Not that you imbecile. I’m talking about your hunt for answers. I’m sure Alus would take care of the rescue front. What about the ‘Search’ front?”
“About that, I’ve been thinking about trying the forbidden continent, if nothing works.”
After going through everything, I was about eighty percent sure they’d be near that place. Maybe on a cursed island or maybe on the actual shallow water front.
“Where did you learn that name?” Her face went pale.
“Remember that Sarton book you gave me-”
She sighed. “I should have been more careful.” She face palmed herself. “I thought you’d be out of their reach and I was in such a hurry…” she sighed.
“Why?”
“Never utter that name in front of anyone from the church,” she whispered. “They want you to believe that continent does not exist.”
Meanwhile- we both glanced at the lady on the other side who was not paying attention; good.