"Remarkable," Bahir said, looking over an acre of land, now covered in ripe rye, ready for harvest.

Under the morning light, the field took on an incredible, peaceful aura. A gentle breeze rustled the plants, causing them to sway slowly as if engaged in a graceful dance.

"Yes," Bruno, standing beside the old man, agreed.

"And to think, it has only been two weeks since the field was prepared. I thought the idea of employing so many people to till the fallow land was absurd, but now..." Bahir shook his head in genuine astonishment.

One look at his face was enough for the young alchemist to recognize the sincerity of his shock.

"I told you I know what I'm doing. Now, get me that blacksmith because I will need him. I have other plans to further increase efficiency so I can shift my focus to the mines and tackle those issues," the boy informed.

"I will inform the king. You will have the blacksmith and everything else you require," the old man assured him. „We should begin preparations to introduce those changes in other parts of the kingdom as well. I saw with my own two eyes how capable you are, but… If I may suggest, you will need some help.”

Bruno didn’t respond immediately, thinking about the suggestion. He caught the true reason behind the idea, but nevertheless, he nodded. „Yes. I have my hands full with work, so traveling around Zoulan, teaching people, and overlooking everything is out of the question.”

„I’ll provide you with a few capable individuals. Smart young men. This way it will be easier for you to find the common ground, and they will catch your teachings quickly as well. Expect them soon,” Brish smiled.

Bruno was surprised by this smile, as it made the old man look like a grandpa cherishing the success of his grandson, even when he understood it was just a facade. A mask. "Good. We must strike while the iron is hot. Sooner or later, we will encounter problems with pests devouring our crops, and I prefer to address that before it happens. So, once again, get me the blacksmith," the boy stated before turning to leave.

Bahir remained behind, his gaze fixed on the swaying rye, long enough for Bruno to reach his workshop. Javohir, Viki, and Raul awaited him there.

"Did he have to pick his teeth off the floor?" the Exalonian asked with a wide grin on his face.

"Have you seen him? He doesn't have teeth," Viki responded with a nasty smirk.

"He has two," Javohir argued. "He could lose them."

"Silence," Bruno cut them short, earning surprised glares from his companions. "He is still here, so keep your mouths shut about him."

Viki rolled her eyes. "Can't we enjoy ourselves a bit? Isn't this a good day for us?" she asked.

"We will celebrate when the time comes. For now, keep your eyes on the prize. How is the deal with the rebels going?" The young alchemist asked focusing on her.

She sighed in response. „They agreed, and I already contacted the pirates for you. The shipment should be here soon. Hopefully, it will let me contact their leader.”

„Hasten your efforts. There is still some room to stale, but not too much, and I need to know where we are standing before things heat up.”

She snorted, clearly expecting to be praised for her good work instead of rather harsh words. Irritated she crossed her arms over her chest, gave Bruno a long glance, and then left. Raul decided to follow her.

"You shouldn't be so harsh with her," Javohir said once both were gone. „She did good.”

"I am only harsh because I expect great things from her. She is young, and that's why she is reckless. But the problem is that in our situation, we can't afford recklessness," he explained. „We are also running out of time. We need to be ready before things start escalating. Otherwise, it was better to not come here in the first place.”

"I understand... What do you want me to do?" the Exalonian asked.

"Do what you've been doing all this time. Keep working with the miners. Try to get on the good side of the militia."

"I've already told you, it's hard. They see me as an outsider, a smug kid... I’ve been there several times already and they barely talk to me. Until last time I was always accompanied by a guard," he sighed, then shook his head. „And the militia is even worse.”

"Keep doing what you are doing. Things will change soon. The news about the crops will spread, and they will cut us some slack. This is a crucial moment. We have to appear busy and focused on the job, so they won't bother us. But we have to remember that we have two jobs. One is this,” he pointed at the alchemical equipment on the few tables placed around the workshop, ”and the fields outside, but the other is to be ready when they make their first move. The old man is already trying to send his spies so they can steal my work. He might not go for my head, but I’m the first to be put in the dungeon, so they can squeeze me for my ideas, " Bruno pointed out.

His voice hinted at irritation, which surprised Javohir, as he had never seen his friend this agitated. "I'll do what you want me to do. Maybe you're right... But that guy, Brish... He doesn't like you, and because of that, he doesn't like me. For some reason, you keep ignoring that fact.”

"I have confidence in you," the young alchemist assured.

The Exalonian let out a heavy sigh. "Well... We got lucky with your alchemy, so maybe we'll get lucky with that as well."

Bruno suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring directly at Javohir. "We didn't get lucky. It was all measured action. An efficient approach to research. I don’t gamble with important matters. I make sure that I do everything to assure my success,” he responded with a noticeably harder tone.

"I'm not an alchemist... But I remember how long you worked with that old man, Mamun ... Here, it happened awfully fast," Javohir shrugged his shoulders once again.

Bruno snorted in response. "You know that I had a rough idea of how to create good soil for plants even before we came here. The rest was also partially prepared, and on top of that, I worked very hard. I wish you would be proceeding with your part as well as I’m with my."

"I know all that, smart-ass," Javohir raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Now excuse me... I have mines to visit." He let out another sigh before he left.

 

---

 

The gloomy morning arrived, bringing forth a swarm of gray clouds that blanketed the sky and drizzled upon the land. Emerging from the inn, after satisfying his hunger, Javohir immediately sensed the prevailing mood among the people.

They moved sluggishly, their focus fixed on evading the raindrops to the best of their ability. Those responsible for tending to animals or tilling the fields found themselves in the most unfortunate position. Anger and frustration etched their faces, prompting Javohir to avoid exchanging greetings and head straight to the stables, seeking someone to transport him to the mines.

After a brief conversation, he found himself in a wagon, seated beside an elderly driver. Even the horse that pulled them appeared discontented with its task, but he listened to the instruction enforced with a whip, and soon they embarked on their journey.

Before nightfall, they arrived at a wooden gate spanning the base of the mountain—the gateway to the local treasure of iron ore and coal. It was flanked by two towers, where the soldiers kept a watchful eye on the whole area. Armed with bows they proved a threat to any bandit or peasant with stupid ideas. The guards opened the gate, granting them passage, and Javohir leaped off the wagon as soon as it stopped near the stables.

Wooden structures dotted the area— barracks for the militia, another for the workers, and warehouses filled with hoarded goods. Each clustered in groups of three, spreading in numbers all around the vicinity, and serving a clear purpose— ensuring that the teams of workers met their quotas.

Javohir had already familiarized himself with the entire system through observation and conversations with the miners.

The pervasive smell of sweat accompanied him everywhere, just as the dull sounds of work emanated from the various tunnels, disappearing deep within the mountain's core.

As was his custom, he made his way to the local ale house, which also housed a few rooms for occasional visitors such as kingdom officials. He entered the crowded establishment filled with workers who had obtained permits to visit, as well as the ever-watchful guards, to collect the key to his temporary room. The Exalonian kept his distance, not meddling with them, yet attracting curious glances from those around him. Some wore friendly smiles, while others remained cold and indifferent.

That night, he retired to his room, exhausted from the day's travels. Sleep came swiftly, and he awoke in the morning brimming with energy, making his way downstairs.

The room was nearly empty, as the workers and soldiers were likely having their meals in their respective barracks. Only a handful of drivers remained, awaiting their turn to transport the ore. And there, seated at a table with his stool turned to face the stairs, was Brish Navernaya.

Javohir paused as soon as he laid eyes on him, taking the final steps at a slower pace than usual, until he reached the floor.

"It seems you've been waiting for me. How may I assist you, my lord?" the young man inquired, raising his eyebrows in visible surprise, making no attempt to conceal his astonishment.

"You can gather your belongings and leave," the man responded, rising from his seat.

Approaching Javohir, Brish's presence sent an alarm through the senses of the Exalonian.

"Leave? Why? I came to visit the mines. It's important..." The young man began to respond, but his words were abruptly cut off.

"You've seen enough. All you do is stick your nose in matters that don't concern you. If you really want to help, then take action instead of offering drinks to those who should be working," the nobleman interjected.

"We are currently focused on the food supply, but as you may have heard, we are nearly ready with the solution for that problem. Soon, we will take care of the mines as well. And for your information, I only wished to ease the suffering of those people. It was just a sip of something to warm their hearts and ease their pain," Javohir spoke, his voice controlled to prevent it from wavering, yet he instinctively took a step back under the weight of Brish's presence, hitting the first step of the stairs with his heel, which almost made him lose his balance.

"Leave," the lord responded curtly before turning on his heels and walking away.

In the final moment, a subtle change washed over the nobleman's face. The stoic mask morphed, revealing a glimmer of concern. Javohir watched him depart, sighing heavily as soon as he was out of sight. He then went to eat something, before he made his way to the driver who had brought him, seeking a conversation about the journey back.

 

---

 

Despite the rain, people in town were busy. The end of the day was approaching, but they toiled hard preparing more fiends in the distance. The construction of the blacksmith’s workshop also began. The wave of changes made Viki realize how big of an impact she and her friends brought to this place. She smiled, recognizing her achievements.

She crossed the street, half running, half marching, and burst into the workshop.

Although the window under the ceiling was closed, to avoid the rain getting inside, the whole space was illuminated by dozens of candles, which allowed Bruno to mix his elixirs. He briefly paused, alarmed by the noise she made, but as he recognized her, his eyes immediately darted back to the work. Viki closed the door, and then hastily approached him.

„I have news,” she said, trying very hard so the tone of her voice wouldn’t betray her mood.

„I’m all ears,” he said, despite no change in his behavior. For somebody who didn’t know him, it would look otherwise, as if he was ignoring her.

„The shipment was enough,” she whispered. „They agreed to meet with me. I’m going in the morning to Razun.” A wide smile curved her lips.

This was enough to call for all of his focus, so he paused the work, putting away the bottles he held in his hands, and shifted his gaze to her.

„This is great news. We need their help, but we also shouldn’t be reckless. Take Raul with you. Remember to ask what is the reach of their operations. You might mention we are trying to help the citizens of the kingdom but do not mention we are planning to make any moves against the king. We need to be careful with our trust.”

„I don’t need Raul,” she grunted, crossing her arms on her chest. „And at this point, I’m aware of what I can say, and what I can’t.”

Bruno sighed. „It’s important V. I’m only making sure. This is a delicate matter.”

„I’m handling this matter!” She hissed. „You play with your elixirs. The shady stuff leaves to me,” she added before turning on her heel and leaving.

He watched her until she disappeared, then shook his head before resuming the work.