SC1 18.3 – Precaution for the Worst
While holding two hens on their chest, Yunno and Yui jumped off the cliff. A few days after the incident in Tadaoka Household Yunno also had mastered Wind Step, so now descending from an eight meter cliff wall was not a problem for the two. Their body plunged down like a rock, but a meter before their feet touched the ground, they slowed down significantly and then gently landed like a feather.
As for me, I followed them while holding 24 hens using Shadow Hand. Then, we went straight to the green house. Other than suspended chicken feeder made of half-cut bamboo cane, the green house was practically still empty. Sunlight also could fully penetrate the ceiling and walls. So, the inside felt so big and bright.
In a corner, Otter and the others were busy making wooden boxes for honey bee. We didn’t disturb them and went to other corner before releasing Bonnie-01 and her sisters. Surprisingly, the new home didn’t puzzle them. After spread over to all direction, they just started raking the ground looking for worm.
“Uncle Deitoro,” Yui looked at me as she asked, “isn’t this place too big for Bonnie-01 and her sister?”
“For now yes, it’s too big for them, but later we will add about 100 hens and 400 quails.” I calmly explained. “And even with this number we still have to buy eggs from Sotora.”
“Will we buy the hens and quails from Sotora too?” Yunno asked.
“No, I and your teachers will capture wild hens and quail from Toka Valley.”
“Can we help?”
“Sure you can.” After a smiled I then explained to Yunno and Yui the reason I took them to green house. “Now, let me show you some plants I want to have in this green house, and how I will grow it. Watch it carefully.”
““Hai,”” Yunno and Yui replied at the same time.
“These are cacao seeds,” I said as I showed ten cacao seeds to Yunno and Yui. “It’s a native plant to rainforest. Its fruit produce cocoa beans and we can turn it into delicious dessert, drink, or snack.”
Without delay, I casted Growth Acceleration Spell on the cacao seeds before putting it to the ground 1.5 meters apart. A few seconds later, the cacao seeds turned into sprouts. Then, as the root penetrated the soil, the sprout grew into a cacao tree. The main trunk was as big as adult thigh, reaching 2 meters high with lush branches.
“Growth Acceleration Spell ensures these cacao trees will start to bear fruits in a month.” I explained. “However, their lifespan will no longer than three years. It’s far shorter than naturally grown cacao.
Therefore, other than for consumption, we also have to collect enough cocoa beans for seedling to ensure we have sustainable harvest cycle.”
““Hai.””
“Question?”
Yunno raised her hand and I immediately gave her a nod.
“Does the area in this corner will imitate rain forest climate to support the cacao trees?”
I nodded. “Sort of, the runes array and water pipeline on the wall and ceilings will do it.”
“Can we help Teacher Otter maintain this green house?” Yui asked while giving me expectant look.
“You can. Sanno will introduce the relationship of flora, fauna, climate, and ecosystem in your daily study later. It will give you basic knowledge on how to maintain this green house, so listen to him well because someday, maybe you want to have your own green house.”
““Hai,”” Yunno and Yui gave me another firm reply while determination flashed in their eyes.
Wasting no time, I then planted vanilla vine, coffee tree, pepper corn vine, cinnamon tree, clove tree, fennel tree, and star anise tree. There were still tons of other plant that were impossible to be grown locally without green house, but I would only plant eight plants a day.
Then, I took Yunno and Yui to the pantry, where no one could see or listen to our conversation.
---
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Accordingly to the plan, the pantry consisted of 60 interconnected chambers equipped with Preservation Rune, as big as 40-feet shipping container each, and were built inside the cliff wall. Most of the pantry was still empty, but some were already full with small game harvest.
“We will limit our hunting time, only from October to March. We call this period as open season, and we will maximize it as best as we can,” I said as I took Yunno and Yui to stop in front of a room fully packed with fresh-killed pheasants. “That’s why we need this pantry to store the harvest.”
“Uncle Deitoro,” Yui said as she turned her gaze to me. “Why do we limit our hunting time?”
“It’s to give the game we hunt enough period to restore its population.”
“What about other hunters?” Yui curiously asked. “They don’t limit their hunting time and will hunting the game year around.”
“No worry,” I firmly said. “I will carve lot of Misdirection Runes to protect the breeding ground and feeding ground. We will also provide enough natural food so their population will expand to nearby hunting ground.”
“What natural food we will provide for them?” Yunno curiously asked.
“We will plant enough fig and mulberry to provide them abundant food in spring, summer, and fall. As for the source of food in the winter, we will plant trees that produce pine nut and acorn.
If we do it correctly, we and other hunter will have abundant harvest in sustainable manner.”
“Other than wild game, will we use this pantry to store other cooking ingredients, like harvest from the green house?” Yunno asked another question.
“We do.” After a pause I asked, “Other question?”
“…”
After Yunno and Yui shook their head I said, “If you have no other question, I will teach you how to unlock your innate skill as Dragon Warrior.”
““Hai,”” Yunno and Yui firmly replied.
Without delay, I thought Yunno and Yui to unlock their Essence Pulse. With ease they followed my instruction and a moment later they had already skillfully deployed their Essence Pulse.
“How far you can deploy your Essence Pulse?”
“Five meters,” Yunno replied.
“Three meters,” Yui replied.
“It will grow as you breakthrough to higher level.”
““Hai.””
“Next, I will teach you how to unlock spatial storage in your essence sea.”
““Hai.””
With ease, Yunno and Yui unlocked their internal spatial storage. Then, I tried to confirm its size.
“How big your internal spatial storage?”
“About three times of this pantry,” Yunno replied as she pointed at the pantry next to us.
“About six times of the pantry,” Yui added.
“I see.” After a pause I explained, “It will not grow bigger, but it’s already much bigger than ordinary spatial ring.”
““Hai.””
“Now, listen to me carefully.” I put a drop dead serious expression in my face as I continued, “Don’t ever tell anyone that you have Essence Pulse or internal spatial storage, as it will give some people a clue that you have strong dragon as your soul mark, and who know if among those people some will try to steal it.”
“Can’t we tell Big Brother Sanno about it?” Yunno asked while giving me an expectant gaze.
“No, not anyone, including Sanno, your aunt, and your teachers. You have to keep your Essence Pulse and internal spatial storage a secret until you reach Level 25 and know how to defend yourself well,” I said in drop dead serious tone.
““Hai.””
“If someone asks you how you can track their stealth movement, just tell them you have super good eyes, ears, and nose. As for your internal spatial storage, mask it with your spatial ring.”
““Hai.””
Without delay I then took out a few sets ordinary clothes, a few sets warrior clothes, a set of kitchen utensil and eating utensil, huge amount of hot ration, dry ration, pickled-fruit and pickled-vegetable, raw food ingredients, and ten money bags of 300 monn each.
I arranged everything in two piles and explained, “Put these things to your internal spatial storage. These are goods for emergency.”
“Is it the emergency like when we have natural disaster?” Yui curiously asked.
“Natural disaster is one of it, along with other emergency.”
“Along with other emergency?” Yunno asked as big question mark popped up in her forehead.
“Life is full of unexpected,” I said. “For example, I almost lost both of you because your aunt sent you to Tadaoka Household. I really never thought she would do that, so I fail to prevent it.
We can’t be sure that another unexpected will not happen again, and maybe you will be separated from me and have to survive on your own until I can reach you. In such scenario, the goods and money I have prepared will help you a lot.”
“Hai.”
Yunno firmly replied as determination flashed in her eyes. It seemed she recalled her plan to send Yui to survive on her own, in case Kazuyori managed to convince me to not take them back from her.
As for Yui, she nodded while her expression became tense. It seemed she also recalled the unpleasant experience, when the possibility she would be separated from big sister she loved so much was only a step away before her.
Wasting no time, Yunno and Yui put the goods and the money to their internal spatial storage. Then, Yunno turned her gaze to me.
“Aunt Kato gave us monthly allowance 25 Monn each. Should we put it in our internal spatial storage too?”
“No, just put it to your spatial ring and feel free to use it. As for the emergency money, don’t ever use it other than for when you have to survive on your own.”
““Hai.”” Yunno and Yui replied at the same time.
“Let’s talk here again in a few days. I will teach you some knowledge in case you have to survive on your own.”
““Hai.””
We then exited the pantry as if our conversation never took place. Today, Yunno and Yui just had a primary test, so they won’t have kitchen work and afternoon training. After asking my permission, they then returned to green house to play with Bonnie-01 and her sisters.
I had used all money I received as payment for the first order to prepare the emergency good and money, but I had no regret. The goods and the money were directly related to Yunno and Yui chance to survive in case shit happen, so I considered it as a good spent.
Not to mention, I already had everything I need to produce the next order. I also still got some money from selling the wild game.
*****