A month passed by.
The meeting of the elders and the prophecy of the future were all hidden from the general public. No one knew death was approaching the central continent at breakneck speed.
Alex, who didn't have an inkling of the danger was roasting peanuts in his backyard. For the past month, he was wholly concentrated on developing his farm. And the produce from the farm was sold directly in Blue Gem City.
His business grew at a tremendous speed. Unknown to him, Alex had already become a major player in the economy of the blue gem city.
Other than medicinal plants and magic herbs, the crops from Alex's farm were considered the best among the rich. So, the demand was always higher than the supply. And it was a good thing for Alex. He could sell some crops at a premium and make a lot of money. And the money he amassed was in thousands of gold coins.
Although it was less than one-fifth of the income generated from the interdimensional farm. It was better due to the unlimited potential to grow. He can just expand the farmland to increase the production rate. As long as there are people to work for him, he was sure that he could make more money than the interdimensional farm.
"Unda, Take this…" Alex said while handing over the roasted peanuts to Unda. Unda was the chubby little kid of Mani. He was excited to receive the treats. Smiling heartily, he took one peanut and ate it.
"No, you can't eat it all alone. Give some to your friends." Alex implored. The kid was quirky and spontaneous. So, there was assurance that he would do as Alex said.
But this time, Unda happily shared the peanuts with the little kids who were following him.
'Maybe he is full.' Alex thought.
"Big brother Meru. Can we have a barbecue in the evening? We want meat."
"Ah…" Alex sighed hearing his words. As a single man, living alone. He didn't even have privacy in his own house. The kids had already declared his backyard as their play area.
They occasionally march in to see what he was cooking. And Alex was happy to feed the little munchkins something he prepared. However, nowadays, they were requesting specific things to cook.
'When did my house turn into a hotel? Sigh…' The deep sigh went on for minutes.
Fortunately, someone came to help at the right moment.
"Meru, the Mupan is calling you." A messenger came to notify Alex.
'Mupan? Why is he calling me now? The budget for this month has already been allocated. Hundred people to look after fifty hectares of land was feasible. After all, the people of this world are different. There is no issue looking after the farmland. I could let the same amount of people work to look after hundred hectares of land if they have proper tools.'
'Damn! The metal shortage. If only I could make proper tillers and tools.'
'If the budget is not the problem, why was he asking for me?' Alex mused while he walked to the Mupan's house.
Occasionally, he met the villagers along the way. They nodded their heads and smiled at Alex while he walked through the village. Alex was now a celebrity in the village. And it was not because of his strength. It was because of the work he had done in the village.
Due to Alex's diligent work in making and improving farmable land in the village. The weaker hunters could relax. They could farm rather than risk their lives to earn the food they need to eat. It was a blessing for the village.
They now have a stable source of income. Alex would pay them actual money for the work they were doing on the farm. Rather than depend on someone else, they could now work for themselves to gain food. It was beyond any goodwill for the people.
The truth is that no one likes to live by depending on others.
The tribal society may seem functional. But, deep within, each person has this thought of owning something of their own. And that wish was being fulfilled due to Alex's intervention. And the villagers liked that.
Now, the young, old and weak had a feeling of presence in the village. They felt alive and important due to the work they were doing.
This was all achieved by Alex. And the people knew that. So, they respected Alex for what he had done.
Alex quickly reached the Mupan's house. From the outside, the house didn't undergo any changes. But inside, it was completely different.
Like everyone else in the village, once he secured a stable source of income. The Mupan too, began to invest in lifting his standard of living. He had imported new furniture from the woodland tribe. And it was placed right in the centre of the hall.
A small tea table was placed in the centre while cushioned sofa was placed on either side. Although it was not luxurious, it was not cheap either.
Just as Alex entered the house, the first person Alex saw was the Mupan sitting on the sofa. So, like usual, he walked like a dandy and sat on the sofa opposite the Mupan.
"Why did you call me? I have much more roasting to do. Now it is peanuts, later it will be meat. If I am late, the kids would bury me alive. Still, they are way better than my previous tenant. The haughty princess was a true nuisance…ha ha…" Alex stated the obvious fact.
Mupan, who heard this didn't know how to respond. He panicked a little and rolled his eyes.
"Why are you rolling your eyes? Did dust get in your eyes?" Alex asked.
"Cough…Hm…" The Mupan rolled his eyes to the side and blinked one eye. It was like he was pointing to the side with his eyes.
To check that, Alex looked to his side.
"Shit…!!!" He said without batting an eyelid. With him, sitting on the sofa was Kalina. The haughty princess of the ice phoenix tribe.
Alex knew he messed up. Unfortunately, he said some words without realising she was sitting next to him.
'How did I not see her? Was she hiding her presence?'
Alex was as strong as a tier 3 warrior. His senses were nothing to scoff at. Now that he was trying to be a mage, his senses seem to have dulled. It was temporary due to the phenomenon of converting mana to cores.
Unlike normal mages, he was not planning to make one giant core in their navel to hold all the mana. He was planning to make many tiny cores and distribute them all across his body. This way, with his high mana control, he was hoping to keep both the traits of a warrior and a mage.
However, currently, he was in a transition phase. So, it seems like his mana senses have become dull.
'Oh fuck! There's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube. Let's roll with it.'
While Alex was thinking like that, Kalina sat still without moving a muscle, like a deer caught in a headlight. She didn't know how to respond.
She was not offended by what Alex said. But she couldn't squeeze out a smile in this situation. It was an awkward situation for both.
"Hmm…It…"
"I am sorry. I was just joking with Mupan." Before Kalina could complete her words, Alex interjected.
"I don't mean any harm," Alex said expecting Kalina to explode into anger.
However, all that he could see was a disappointed look in Kalina's eyes. She didn't explode into anger or twist his head off. She just calmly sat there without speaking a word.
'Did I do something wrong?' Suddenly, Alex thought.
'I don't think I did anything wrong.'
However, Kalina had a hard time dealing with Alex's words. Although they were not friends, they were acquaintances who worked together. They were on friendly terms according to her. He even saved her and her sister on several occasions.
And yet, his reaction seems to indicate that he still saw her as a spoiled brat. A haughty princess who acts on anger. This disappointed her.
Growing up as the princess of the ice phoenix tribe, she didn't have any friends. She had people that took care of her and helped her, some even tried to exploit her. It was only later in life that he realised this.
So, by interacting with the people outside her tribe. She was slowly beginning to form trustworthy relationships. But knowing that a person that she thought as a friend still felt fear towards her woke her up from her delusion.
Remembering the things that she had done. She realised where the problem was. She was the problem. Although it was disappointing to know, she decided to change for the better.
"Hm…" She nodded after receiving Alex's apology.
"I am here to conduct business and to invite the Stone head tribe for the champion's tournament. This year, the Ice Phoenix tribe will be hosting the champion's tournament. I hope the younger generation of your tribe will participate in it."
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