Chapter 26

Chapter 26

#The Wizard is High-level Personnel (1)

The following day,

Upon waking, the leaders of three households made their way to the watchtower to meet with Dominic. They nodded in agreement as they listened attentively to Dominic's explanation.

"So, you're suggesting that we engage in farming without the use of fertilizers?"

"Yes, it will be challenging, but it's essential that you adopt this approach."

"Um... Would you mind examining these?"

Farmers who had recollected Dominic's advice from the previous day had brought various crops in baskets since the early morning.

The assortment included root vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, fruits like tomatoes, eggplants, and pumpkins, as well as leafy greens resembling lettuce.

"What are all of these?"

All the crops in the baskets shared a common characteristic.

They were relatively small in size and displayed irregular shapes. Occasionally, the coloration wasn't particularly appealing either.

"We made an effort to select those that are least susceptible to pests... but they don't appear very appealing, do they?"

"Is this...?"

"Yes, Chief. These are crops cultivated without the use of fertilizers."

The farmers, who had been suffering crop losses under the watchful eye of the Rondo Trade Company, revealed their strategy after much deliberation.

"In truth, they've been discarding the oddly-shaped ones because they had no market value. We figured we could take those without raising any eyebrows... So, we intentionally refrained from using fertilizer on certain fields."

But how could anyone survive on just a few bags of potatoes?

The answer to that question finally emerged.

While it was undoubtedly a clever ruse, who could blame them?

"So, if you've been doing this in secret, the quantity can't be all that substantial, right?"

"Well..."

Dominic had assumed that the amount grown for the three households' consumption wouldn't be significant, but...Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

"Actually, we were planning to make our escape this autumn. We thought we'd need to save some money for that..."

Laki's father scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed, and let out a chuckle.

"Feeling like it's now or never, we expanded our operation quite a bit."

"In that case... Oh my! I'll purchase everything!"

"R-really?"

"Of course! I'll make a separate payment for this. Thanks to you, we can expedite our plans! Hahahaha!"

Dominic was filled with joy.

"Things are turning out this way?"

After being led by Laki's father to the fields where no fertilizer was used, Dominic was once again pleasantly surprised.

"It's actually much larger than I imagined?"

The farmers of this farm possessed the audacity of rural folks. Abstaining from using fertilizer on half of their farmland, especially under close scrutiny from the overseer, required extraordinary courage.

"What would you have done if you had been caught?"

"We had planned to claim that the crops had fallen ill. The folks at the watchtower don't know much about farming. We might have faced a few lashings, but we considered it a reasonable trade-off..."

"Chief, right here."

Laki, who seemed to have prepared ahead of time, presented a piece of cloth.

The cloth bore a rough charcoal sketch of the farm, with some sections marked to indicate where each crop was growing.

"Did you draw this?"

"Yes, I thought it would make it easier for you to understand."

Despite his illiteracy, the boy clearly possessed a sharp intellect.

'I should definitely teach him to read and write.'

With proper education, he might even secure a position at a guild office in the future.

And if things didn't go as planned? Not a problem. He could always find a fallback job at Anton Trading Company.

Unbeknownst to Laki, Dominic had his educational aspirations well thought out.

"Excellent. You'll oversee production and harvest as you go back and forth between the farm and the village. For crop deliveries, you can liaise with Anton Trading Company."

"Me, me?"

"Yes. Or should I handle it? Do you have any idea how busy I am?"

Now that he had prepared and enjoyed tteokbokki, the next tasks on his list were to fry chicken and make jjajangmyeon.

"So, you need to learn how to read and do arithmetic as well. There's quite a bit to do."

"Just leave it to me, and I'll do my best! Village Chief, thank you!"

Carlon had casually taken up residence in a corner of Dominic's workspace, lounging and engaging in conversation.

"Is there any food?"

"You just had lunch, didn't you? You even had seconds."

"Snacking is a different matter. Men like me naturally have hearty appetites."

"Whatever..."

Dominic grumbled, but his hands were busy creating something.

"But Dominic, why are you pounding the dough with a meat mallet?"

"I'm making waffles."

"What are those?"

"They're delicious."

"Then I'll take five."

"What will I eat then? Have three."

"Dominic, look at my size. Where would I go with just three?"

"Then don't eat any from the start. It would be nice not to waste your taste buds."

"Ugh."

He wasn't unfamiliar with baking, but it wasn't something he did frequently.

'It's quite labor-intensive, this.'

Desserts could never constitute a full meal, at least according to Dominic's philosophy. The intricacies of dessert preparation were beyond description, and so he naturally steered clear of it. Moreover, the sensitivity of dessert-making to temperature variations made it easy to mess up, further discouraging him from trying. But today, for some inexplicable reason, he was craving something sweet and had decided to whip up some waffle batter.

"Old man, can you grab some apple jam from over there?"

"I prefer strawberry jam."

"Hey, waffles pair perfectly with apple jam. Take what you're given."

These weren't Belgian waffles, adorned with fresh fruit, whipped cream, ice cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. Nor were they croffles, with their buttery layers and delicate crumbly texture.

"Sometimes I just crave simple waffles like these. There are days when I prefer frozen pork belly over premium cuts, you know?"

In reality, these waffles were a humble street-food version because he couldn't quite master the temperature control needed for luxurious whipped cream. But once they were done, they looked mouthwatering enough.

After freshly baking the thin waffle batter, he generously spread the apple jam he had prepared earlier. The jam melted slightly, trickling down like honey and glistening with a golden hue.

"Enjoy your meal!"

Crunch!

"Ah, it's hot! Phew, phew!"

Calron rushed in immediately.

After taking a sizable bite, he reacted as if the roof of his mouth had been scorched. Then his eyes widened as large as lanterns.

Crunch-

"What's this? It's crunchy."

"It's pearl sugar. Nice texture, right?"

"Pearl sugar? You're always coming up with something unique, huh? Heh heh, I like it though."

Dominic, who aimed to infuse an element of fun even into a simple waffle, had prepared pearl sugar first thing in the morning.

"It's my first time making it from scratch, and it turned out better than I expected."

After melting the sugar over very low heat, he went through the meticulous process of drying, crushing, and breaking it into pieces.

By incorporating this pearl sugar into the batter, the sugar wouldn't dissolve while baking, maintaining its form. When you bit into the finished waffle, it would crunch like cracking ice, providing a delightful texture.

Calron, who seemed to relish the playful texture and sweet pastry, managed to devour the large waffle in just three bites.

"Want another one?"

"Yes, please. You should have some too, Sir Knight. It's best when it's hot."

"Thank you."

Ian, too, hesitated for a moment at the first bite but then consumed his treat faster than usual.

All three of them were deeply engrossed in savoring their snacks, mouths too full for conversation.

It didn't take long for just one waffle to remain among the many they had prepared.

"I'm the oldest here, so it's mine!"

"Hey, I'm the one who made them! Step aside, please."

"Hmm, hmm. I've only had two so far..."

Even Ian, who rarely indulged in overeating, was turning a bit red from his desire, making Dominic feel a tad guilty inside.

'I should make sweet treats more often.'

As the three of them continued to face off over the last waffle, it somehow mysteriously floated into the air.