Henry took a large bite of the carrot in his hand. Even with his mana-reinforced teeth, it was like biting into solid stone.
"My lord—" Cautes, the scarred farr, spoke hesitantly, his voice filled with concern. "That carrot… it needs to be boiled and cooked before it’s edible. If not, it’s as hard as the hardest stones of the North. Let —"
However, before he could finish his sentence, Cautes found himself lost for words. His eyes widened in shock, nearly popping out of his skull. He had just witnessed sothing unbelievable, sothing even the strongest nobles he t before would be unable to accomplish.
The frozen grayish-orange carrot, as hard as stone, was effortlessly crushed between the king’s teeth. There was no strain, no hesitation, just a clean snap. As Henry chewed, the loud, crunching sound echoed in through the small food warehouse.
"I don’t think it tasted like this…" - Henry thought, trying to recall the flavor of Earth’s carrots. He was certain it wasn’t the sa. This one was oddly salty, as if it had been soaked in seawater for days. He chewed thoughtfully before finally speaking - "It’s quite salty."
Cautes, still staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the king, blurted out reflexively - "Y-Yes… I apologize for not warning you sooner, Your Highness… We have to boil it for an entire day, changing the water at least six tis before it’s edible." - His voice wavered as he fidgeted, his gaze darting between the king and the two woman beside him, especially the silver-haired one with that sharp blue eye.
Leier’s hand rested lightly on the hilt of her short sword, and the sight made Cautes swallow hard, his throat suddenly dry.
"It’s fine." -Henry’s voice was calm as he tossed the remainder of the carrot back onto the pile inside the warehouse - "It was not the taste I expected, but at least it is sothing different from the sa fruits and at we eat every day."
"T-Thank you, Your Highness." Cautes stamred, barely hiding his relief. Still, his eyes flicked nervously between Henry and Leier, unsure whether the danger had truly passed.
Without care, Henry shifted the conversation - "So all it takes is ashes to grow these crops?" - He glanced at the neat rows of stored vegetables before turning his attention back to the farr - "Since we have increased blacksmith production and intensified weapon manufacturing, we have been burning through a lot of wood. As a result, we have mountains of ash that are simply being tossed away, buried beneath the snow in land that will never be able to grow life like this."
Henry’s words lingered in the air, and for a mont, Cautes was at a loss for words, unable to find the words to respond. The forr queen and Leier stood in silence.
"Do all villages to the south grow carrots and potatoes?" - Henry asked, turning his attention to Inacia, who knew these lands better than anyone else in the room. The forr queen nodded slowly, her eyes strangely focused on the piece of carrot that the king had just thrown in the mix.
"Great..." Henry muttered, expecting as much. Despite the slightly warr climate, the land was still too cold for many crops to thrive. The upside, however, was that there were no pests to harm the crops - "Do you think it’s possible to expand the farm?"- he asked his gaze shifting to Cautes.
The farr hesitated, his body trembling as he stamred "I-I do not know, your highness."
Henry let out a soft sigh - "Why not?"
Cautes trembled even more, sensing so displeasure in the king’s voice - "The land has been treated for generations to reach this state" - he explained nervously - "And we never tried expanding before. The village has not grown much… the number of new children each year has stayed the sa for the last decades."
"I see…" Henry said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin - "Then I want you to start testing expansion. Stretch the farmland as much as you can. I will make sure to send more new hands and provide enough ashes for the soil."
Henry knew that managing the kingdom’s logistics was growing more complex by the day, especially with all blacksmithing concentrated in the capital. But he had no choice for now. Once the number of blacksmiths increased and the army’s demands were t, he could focus on spreading them across different regions. Eventually, if he could convince more dwarves to leave the Screaming Valley, they could help develop even more specialized hands across Stahl.
"What do you think, can you do it?" Henry asked.
Cautes stiffened. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. Seeing the fear in his eyes, Henry softened his tone and gave a reassuring smile. "I am not asking you to succeed imdiately. Just try. If you manage to expand the farmland, the throne will reward you well."
The farr nodded quickly, though his expression was still filled with unease. He was not thinking about rewards. In his experience, nobles who were not pleased with the results of their orders often answered with blood, filling the ground with heads, like the crops he had been planting his whole life.
Cautes took a shaky breath and lowered his hand. "I-I understand, your highness," he said, though his knees still felt weak. He had survived battle, but this was different. There was sothing more terrifying about standing before a king.
"Great," Henry said, giving Cautes a light pat on the shoulder. "I will send soone to catalog and docunt every one of your farming techniques. He’ll also visit the surrounding villages to compile their thods into a single book for the entire kingdom. I expect your cooperation."
With that, Henry turned, exchanging a brief glance with Leier and Inacia before stepping out of the warehouse, leaving Cautes standing alone in stunned silence.
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The mont they stepped outside, Henry felt a slight tug on his coat. He turned his head, only to see Leier’s sword pressed lightly against Inacia’s throat. The forr queen, however, seed unfazed, simply raising a finger and pointing toward the sky.
Henry followed her gesture, his sharp gaze cutting through the gray clouds above.
"A bird?"- he muttered, spotting a white eagle soaring rapidly through the sky. His mind imdiately recalled the letter Inacia had received just days ago - "Shoot it down."
At Henry’s command, Agusa, who had been standing guard by the warehouse door, instantly unslung his bow. Though he couldn’t see the bird as clearly as Henry, years of hunting had trained his instincts well. He nocked an arrow, steadying his breath as his sharp eyes locked onto his distant target, one that seed like a speck to the naked eye
A heartbeat later, the arrow flew.
It whistled through the air, slicing through the wind with precision. The force of the shot snapped the bowstring against Agusa’s arm, but he didn’t even flinch, his eyes tracking the arrow’s path.
A faint cry echoed as the bird was struck, its wings faltering as it plumted toward the ground.
"Good work," Henry said, watching the eagle disappear into the distance. "Bring it to . If it’s still alive, keep it that way."
Then, his gaze flickered back to Leier - "Lower your sword."
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