Bridges' heart began to pound violently. He knew he was being delusional, but he couldn't help but ask, "When you say 'pre-order'... do you mean custom-made? Or does it mean waiting for it to be in stock?"

Su Yao replied with a smile, "It means custom-made."

"Custom-made! It's only ten thousand more than the regular one!" Bridges felt dizzy. "I'll still give you sixty thousand. Please, boss, make sure the custom one is a bit better."

"You don't need to worry about the craftsmanship being careless, the low price is just for this one order," Su Yao said to Bridges, brushing back her wind-tousled hair. "To be honest, the person making your weapon is me, and I'm a novice at crafting this type of offensive weapon. Your weapon will likely be my first creation, so..."

"I even worry that you might mind."

Bridges quickly shook his head. "How could I possibly mind? The machines the boss makes are all incredibly impressive, so the weapons surely won't be any worse."

Although it was the first time, Bridges trusted Su Yao very much.

"I really got a good deal. A level-four weapon sells for forty thousand outside, and I only need to add another ten thousand to get a custom weapon!" Bridges was already starting to feel happy and was about to take out gold coins to place an order on the spot.

It was Su Yao who stopped him, "No rush, let's talk when we get back to the hotel."

Because everyone came over here to experience the seeder, Su Yao and Bridges couldn't go back just yet.

"Everyone, come one by one. Gerard and I will be directing together. Gerard will be inside, and I'll be watching from outside. If you want to give it a try, you can all go up and have a go."

Gray cheered, "That's great! But boss, we won't just experience it for free. I can pay an experience fee! Or we can stay until mid-month and help you deal with the beast uprising."

"This is not necessary. But—" Su Yao thought for a moment, "there really is something else I need your help with, if you don't mind the trouble."

"Of course, it's no trouble!"

As soon as Su Yao finished speaking, Bridges immediately responded.

Even if Su Yao asked him to plow the field now, he could plow two acres for her overnight!

"How did you know I wanted you to help plow the field?"

Bridges was stunned. It was only after seeing the surprised expressions of Su Yao and the people around him that he realized he had just spoken his mind out loud.

Su Yao touched her head and smiled sheepishly, "It really is plowing. I have a piece of land that needs to be turned over to plant seeds, but relying solely on the inn's staff might take several days to finish. We might not make it in time for sowing."

"Of course, this isn't something I'm forcing. I know none of you really like farming."

On the Dragon Chant Continent, many magicians leave their homes from a very young age to become mercenaries, simply because they don't like farming. In the eyes of most people on the Dragon Chant Continent, farming is the last resort, while magicians who go out to fight evil spirits and beasts are the most respected.

Su Yao didn't know why these people became mercenaries, but most of them probably didn't like farming.

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, two people wanted to back out.

Su Yao quickly added, "It's fine to give it a try, whether you help or not doesn't matter."

"After experiencing it, we have to work. Boss, you don't need to worry too much about me," Renata shook her head, disagreeing with Su Yao's words. "What's wrong with farming? Everyone lives off the food that's grown. Besides, we have strength and can use magic. We just haven't farmed before, but there's absolutely no problem with doing it."

Su Yao felt a different sensation in her heart the moment she heard those words. It was as if someone had pricked her with a toothpick—not exactly painful, but with a slight sting.

She had been here for a long time, had her own inn, and quite a few employees. By all accounts, she was a small business owner, but her inner self didn't match her external circumstances. She still didn't feel like a boss; she still carried the aura of a downtrodden corporate worker.

"Alright, I won't force anyone to help me. I'll use the experience fee as an equivalent exchange." There were many people in front of her. Su Yao temporarily set aside her thoughts, straightened her back quietly, and confirmed the deal.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It might have been because of Renata's recent words, but this time no one voiced any objections, nor did anyone back down. Even the two mercenaries from earlier were now standing quietly at the back of the crowd, waiting for their turn.

The wind rustled the leaves, and the seeder roared incessantly. It was as if everyone had returned to their childhood, experiencing the seeder like a beloved toy, repeatedly exploring and experimenting with it.

Everyone had a great time, including Peng Er. Although he arrived a bit late because he was taking a bath, he still got his turn.

During this time, some lone beasts, not knowing any better, heard the noise and came running, intending to attack the humans. However, none of the people here were weak, and they quickly dealt with the threat. On one occasion, they resolved it so swiftly that Su Yao, who was in the very center of the group, didn't even realize what had happened.

"Do you want to try again?"

"No, it's getting late, we should get to work."

"Yes, yes, that's how I am. When I have fun, I also have more energy for work. Boss, just tell me, where's the land?"

"My parents are both farmers. I helped out in the fields since I was a child, and in recent years, I would go back to help during the busy farming seasons. I'm really good at the work!"

……

Everyone was quite anxious, but the road to get there was really too far. It was best to set off early in the morning; otherwise, there simply wouldn't be enough time.

"How about this... shall we go hunt some more evil spirits?"

Bridges' tone was filled with regret, and after thinking it over, he still wanted to find something to do to vent his energy.

Su Yao was being watched by pairs of expectant eyes, and for the first time, she felt a sense of leading a team. Although she appeared calm, she was actually frantically flipping through the system's task interface. Finally, she braced herself and suggested, "How about we go back to the hotel and discuss a contract?"

"What contract?"

……

Ten minutes later, everyone returned from outside and gathered in the hotel lobby. Only Gerard and the three Peng brothers remained outside, practicing with the seeder.

Su Yao moved a few stools and had everyone sit around the counter. She asked the group, "I just heard everyone say that each of you has some land at home, right? So, specifically, who has land?"

After Su Yao asked, the four people below raised their hands.

Grey and Renata didn't bring many mercenaries, only eight including themselves, and unexpectedly, half of them owned land.

"The boss asked us what this was about. Is it to promote the seeder?"

"But I don't have much land. A machine as big as a seeder would only need to turn two or three times to finish. My neighbor, on the other hand, has a lot of land, but the plots are not adjacent, and some are even on hills. It might not be very convenient for the machine."

Su Yao hadn't spoken yet, but a few people had already started chattering below.

When there are too many people, this is the downside—everyone has something to say, and there are just too many words. Su Yao patted the table to get everyone to quiet down. "Listen to me," she said.

"The promotion of the seeder is not urgent. What I want to discuss with everyone is the issue of promoting seeds." Su Yao took out a packet of rice seeds. "I have some seeds here called rice. It is a type of grain that can replace wheat, very filling, and a very good staple food. I want to ask if you are willing to promote the cultivation of the seeds I provide."

"Oh, by the way, this rice is what you eat as rice."

Rice also exists on the Longyin Continent, but it is only found in a few places and is known to very few people. Most people still primarily eat coarse black bread. These mercenaries saw rice for the first time at this inn, and they thought it was the inn's secret, so no matter how curious they were, they didn't dare to ask much. Now, Su Yao had brought up the topic of rice on her own.

"Can we also plant these rice seeds? How will they be distributed? Can I take some back to plant?" The speaker was very excited. He was the one who had grown up in the fields and still occasionally went home to help with the farming. He understood the land better than anyone else and was the first to sense the precious value of this bag of seeds.

"First, tell me where your family lives. This seed is particular about the climate and environment; it can't be planted just anywhere."

"My home is in the southern capital, but it's a small town a bit of a distance from the capital."

"My home is in a small town in the southern region."

"My home is near Zhonghe."

"I am in the south..."

"I am also in the south..."

The four people lined up to speak, and in the end, a middle-aged woman somehow slipped in.

Everyone turned to look at her, and she laughed heartily, "Although my family doesn't have any land right now, the man I'm about to marry, who is a widower, does. After we get married, I might not be traveling around so much anymore. I should be staying in my hometown with him to farm the land."

The middle-aged woman also noticed the quality of the seeds and couldn't help but want to join in and settle down.

"I am considering this for my future self."

"Sure, the more people involved, the better. What I fear most is not having too many people, but too few," Su Yao nodded, allowing the woman to join. "However, besides the climate and environment, I have other requirements as well."

These people are all in the south, where the climate is suitable for rice cultivation, so this point is consistent.

However, Su Yao also had to consider the size of the fields, the experience of the planters, and various transportation issues. Most importantly, there was the matter of profit distribution.

With Gerard as a template, Su Yao's planning of the planting contract went more smoothly this time. She spent some time discussing all conceivable issues with five people.

A few people finally settled on a time, and only then was the contract tentatively confirmed.

"Let's wait for the experimental field of the Gerard family to be harvested, and then we will reallocate the benefits. For now, let's keep it this way. If anyone doesn't want to participate, they must inform me a month in advance, otherwise, a breach of contract fee of 5000 gold coins will be deducted."

Before the official planting, Su Yao would give special lessons to these five people. The high breach of contract fee was also because the courses were very valuable.

The next morning, the mercenaries from the shop and Gerald set off with Su Yao towards the Black Soil Region.

At the same time, the mercenary mission undertaken by Peng Yi and Peng Er had also spread thoroughly across the North.

The Earl of Aston shattered a set of tableware in a fit of rage. "Someone, go and bring me the leader of the Wolf Pack Mercenaries!"