Every weekend, whether Tori was in the delta or not, there was a village eting in the largest of the dining tents. It started off with statuses on various large and small projects around the camp and on the islands; reviewed problems and what was being done to try to solve them; then, topped off with announcents and calls to action before ti was spent taking questions from the villagers.
It was a standard project eting and, while Tori knew it was important to keep everyone updated and on track, she still hated doing presentations. She hated doing them in her original world and she hated having to do them now.
Nurous things were covered this week including the arrival of wood piles for the beginning of phase ones foundations, the estimated ti of arrival of more stone and roof tiles, the drawings of the modest brick and wooden hos they hoped to build on the islands, and the announcent that the first batch of fishern were coming.
Through Daybreak Garden, Tori was able to find a handful of fishern who seasonally fished on the delta. After contacting them and much discussion and negotiation, Tori was able to secure a handful to co to the delta to teach all those who were interested in this particular occupation about what could be harvested from the waters and how to do so. They would stay for about three weeks and would bring their own equipnt.
Tori reviewed the current progress of the test island and the start of phase one construction, which were the islands closest to the shore for habitation. She also revealed the rough plans for the largest of the islands. While modest in appearance, it would be set up like a basic rural town with a main plaza to be shared by the community and double as a marketplace. This was where the church, school, and any governnt buildings would be located.
The smaller islands would be used for hosteads and it was up to the villagers to co to an agreent on who was to live where once the plots were staked out, as family units tended to want to stay in areas close together and Tori didnt want to get involved in assigning everyone hos. That was much more trouble than it was worth.
Brother Cassius also announced that hed gotten approval from the Church of Belcoy to open a temporary shrine at the encampnt and that eventually, they could build a church or temple compound to their choice of deities. For now, the shrine would be for Asarri, goddess of diligence and determination, who was often prayed to at the start of new projects or operations.
Lastly, Tori let the villagers know that she was starting to hire suitable teachers for the children and that she was looking for individuals to go to selected marches to learn professional skills such as accounting, dicine, and law, which she felt were very important to the village. She knew a few people had the education to go, but it was really up to them if they were willing to leave. Tori would give them a month to decide, but several people had already expressed interest.
All this news excited the villagers and with the encampnt now much more organized and providing so semblance of normality for many of them, it had been more peaceful and far less stressful. Everyone felt they were striving towards an achievable goal, though understood it would take so ti. At the very least, the community etings kept things as transparent as possible and tracked the progress.
This was very important to Tori, as keeping people happy and motivated was essential to their productivity and collaboration.
Ilyana and Henrik spent a lot of ti speaking to groups of people while Tori surveyed the islands, checked on supplies, confird orders, and adjusted plans along with the professors and village representatives. She was even found by Margo, Johans sister, to be shown an area where they had recently found river otters.
Tori had assigned a small group of villagers to map out the imdiate area and take note of its flora, fauna, and the change in environnt as the seasons shifted. They were under the guidance of a few Universit students who volunteered their ti and were interested in the delta.
Seeing the cute otters gave Tori a happiness boost she needed.
What do they eat here? she had asked as they watched the sleek, brown water-loving creatures twisting along the river.
Ive seen them eat shellfish, fish, and frogs, Margo reported.
Tori nodded. We should be careful not to overfish, then, to make sure they continue to have food. Trying to keep the industries they developed sustainable was very important to her. She narrowed her eyes. I wonder if people would be interested in taking boat cruises up and down the river and around the delta to admire the scenery and look for animals.
There was a good number of waterfowl already present and the delta was relatively scenic. The sunrises and sunsets were gorgeous. As long as the environnt was clean and relaxing, she could tout it as a place to go to unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This was the primary reason people of ans traveled for leisure in her original worlds past.
It wasnt for sothing thrilling or to sightsee. It was to relax and recover. She made a ntal note in her tourism folder to think about that later.
Ilyana had decided upon a core team of villagers who wanted to sell their embroidery and lacework; a traditional style from the border region that wasnt common. Ilyana thought it was pretty and could be applied to things to be sold on the delta and in Horizon.
Henrik was intrigued by the possibility of what food could be developed in the delta and then sold in Horizon.
People had already begun to fish, but it was very much only for food and not for further developnt. The dishes with fish so far were rather bland and not every household knew how to gut and clean fish, so there had been so resistance.
Axton held a class on cleaning and gutting fish, as hed done his fair share of fishing and cooking them while training. Tori loved seafood, but it was always a hassle for her to make it, so she usually ordered take out or went to a restaurant if she wanted it. She also only cooked specific types of fish and didnt know how the recipes she knew would work with the fish available.
Then again, frying with a little salt is good with pretty much anything, but wed need to source cooking oil and thats limited here right now. Scarcity is a bitch.
Tori zoned out, staring out at the water as she sat on the edge of a pile of ifana stone in the holding area. She found it was a nice place to go and gather her thoughts when she was there, although she was sure she looked strange sitting on top of a pile of stone nearly a story tall. But she liked the view.
If only they were closer to the sea and didnt have to take a boat out further, then maybe they could find fish she was familiar with without much trouble. And also, fish sauce...I miss fish sauce. Why dont they have it here? It was in the kitchens of Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted. There should be so here. Wait, it was a southern European thing...I should try that market Kasey told about.
You should see the expressions your face is making, a voice said from the bottom of the pile. Tori looked down and saw Axton looking up at her, as if wondering what she was doing up there. Is everything all right?
Her legs were hanging over the edge and she took a deep breath. Its hard being ripped from everything you know, and were used to, and tossed into a completely new environnt. You have to figure everything out...relearn so much.
Axton smiled a bit. He rounded the pile and began to climb up the stacked blocks to reach her. But they have you to organize guidance for them, he said as he took a seat beside her and hung his legs from the edge. To have soone to depend on in a foreign environnt is as lucky as one can get in that situation.
Tori closed her eyes and nodded silently. Everyone is trying so hard. Im constantly worried that Ill let them down. For a mont, she wasnt sure if she was talking about the refugees or her family and friends.
Tori, you are already doing so much, Axton told her softly. Its all right to rest.
She took a deep breath and nodded once more.
I think I yelled at half of Lyces staff when I got my project, she said. I kept telling them this is not sothing for an inexperienced child. They cant play with the lives of hundreds of people. I didnt understand why theyd even agreed to give such a task to a student and no one could give an answer. She swallowed hard. They said that soone needed to oversee this and of the academic students, I was the only one who stood out to do it. No one else would be able to.
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. The headmaster kept repeating the sa answer, but even he seed a bit confused as to how she received such a complicated project. In the end, he could only apologize and offer any contacts he could from within his circle that could be of use.
Axton sighed and leaned back against his arms. You do a good job with sothing and you get more work in return.
Tori let out a scoff. It seed that was true everywhere. Even so, I dont want to go about this half-heartedly. There are 1,583 people who were torn from everything they knew and loved and thrown into a strange new world, she said as her voice shook as she phrased it. They need help.
The more ti she spent with the refugees, the more they reminded her of herself. There was no one she could tell this to and it was sothing she silently carried with her. Tori knew she had the biggest advantage anyone in their position could have, which was her wealthy and powerful family that loved her. Shed integrated well because she had help. Massive amounts of it.
Her brothers literally held her hands and walked her to the gates of her school. Her family was willing to go through their treasury and liquidate assets for her. Her friends gave her support and defended her. Piers moved the imperial family for her. There were days where she felt she could do anything and she could deal with the consequences with ease.
As long as the consequences were shouldered by her.
For the ga to dangle the lives of fifteen hundred people in front of her was a dirty trick and she willingly stepped into it because she couldnt bear the guilt of abandoning them. Perhaps others in her situation wouldve simply refused, unable to accept the project, and walk away for their own well-being. She would be lying if she said it never crossed her mind.
How many fantasies had she had where she just took as much money as she had and left Lyce without a word? But she had friends. She had to be accountable to her family. She would leave behind an environnt where, Alessa and her love interests aside, she was actually enjoying herself with good company and learning interesting things.
She also didn't know how the ga would react if she tried to abandon ship completely. At least in Lyce, she had an idea of the level of trouble shed face.
Even being assigned the resettlent as her project was better than being hunted alive for whatever bullshit reason the ga gave to use her as an excuse to give Alessa encounters and raise romance points.
Well, Im sure if you ask them, they will agree that youre the best help they could ask for, Axton told her with a knowing look.
The corner of Toris lip curled up and she raised a brow. Even the village elders?
There are always exceptions. Tori laughed and Axton chuckled. In all seriousness, though, do you have any idea what youve given them? The carnelian cooking plates and heating packs have changed their lives for the better.
Tori smiled. Crystals werent affordable to everyone, especially specific use crystals for heating and chilling, but she thought theyd be essential for cooking and preserving food on the delta, as well as keeping the people warm.
Its cold and so people carry around carnelian palm stones to warm their hands. I figure if we can just buy a bunch of really cheap, scrap carnelian, we can charge them and put them in bags to be worn or hung around the tents. Theyre enough to warm spaces, but dont have any sparks or embers that could cause fires.
And the cooking plates, Axton said, looking at her seriously. How did you co up with them?
Carnelian heating slabs have been around. Instructor Ignatius developed them when he was in Lyce, Tori said. Hes made quite a lot of money because of it, actually. The problem he found was that while you can control the temperature, once its programd into the crystal, it cant be changed. So, if you charge a piece to keep your hands warm, itll only get that hot until the energy runs out. If you charge a piece to sear your skin like a fla, itll stay at that temperature until its energy runs out, albeit faster since its using more to stay hotter.
We were doing my crystal charging pad experint and I asked why he didnt just use multiple pieces with different temperatures and then used clear quartz to seal the energy of each piece individually, isolating different temperatures at a ti. Instructor Ignatius started working on it that night and we spent a few days carving Old Sulfae on corresponding quartz pieces to control which parts were heated and which werent. It took us four weeks to get a working model and that was with existing technology from his previous experints, my book on old charms, and many calls to my brothers.
But its worth it, Axton said, looking back towards the village. The villagers dont need to scour the groves for wood and dry them before theyre burned. That saves ti and energy that they can put elsewhere.
Tori nodded. Instructor Ignatius says well be able to make money off of the cooking plates, too, so thats so investnt money for the delta.
Because they were on an energy vein, Tori could get away with buying the cheapest crystals available. They would still last long and work as well as normal crystals while on the energy vein. In fact, all the crystals shed purchased were the cheapest she could find and shed used the excuse that she needed practice materials so as not to alert anyone unnecessary.
The project is giving you a lot of ideas for your crystal experints.
I have a whole list, but we still havent secured a place to continue. After the explosion, everyone has been wary of where we do tests. Instructor says if it cos to it, hell contact his Universit professors, Tori told him.
Are they prepared for crystals to explode?
Tori was quiet for a mont and her eyes drifted away. Maybe?
Axtons eyes squinted with concern and then slowly beca thoughtful. Why dont you just buy a place to do experints?
My finances are a bit tied up right now.... Also, I want to build one here, but I need to wait. My needs can wait.
What about Instructor Ignatius?
I cant let him spend so much money because of . He already paid for all the crystals wed used so far.
Thats because hes excited to work with crystals. I wouldnt be surprised if he was using you as an excuse to do crystal experints, Axton said, rolling his eyes. Its like he has a terrifying new research partner.
You know what. If I were older and he wasnt my teacher, I wouldnt mind being his partner, Tori said with a small nod of her head. Axtons amusent seed to lt from his face as his eyes widened and his light brown skin paled a shade.
...What?
Being his research and business partner to work with crystals that we can utilize and put on the market, Tori said, waving her hands in front of her. She heard Axton let out a low, relieved breath beside her and she gave him a curious look. Are you all right?
Yes, I just...heard wrong. He offered her a weak smile. Speaking of partners, did you rember to call Piers to remind him about the prototype exhibition next weekend?
Toris eyes widened. She forgot.
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