Chapter 371: Adding to the To-Do List
While keeping an eye out for crocodiles, we took a break.
During the reflection meeting, Haulon told me that even though it was training, I shouldn’t push myself to the limit. He mentioned that when we were digging for water, I could have chosen to rest there until evening.
Now that I think about it, I remember being told to pile up sand on the southern side to create some shade… Was that a hint to rest there until evening?
Well, if they said it was training in the desert, I guess I would have walked on.
Right now, though, I was genuinely taking a break. I drank some water, lounged in the shade of a tree, and let the breeze cool me down. The desert was indeed tough, as Dean, Chris, and Retze were all asleep.
Dinoss and Shiva leaned against a date palm, cradling the children in their laps. The two adults were awake, but the kids were sound asleep.
Ash was also resting against a tree, eyes closed. The butler was next to him, tending to the tea set we had used earlier.
It was just me, Karn, and Haulon on guard against crocodiles and demon beasts. Karn looked like a statue with his eyes closed.
“Is Gene’s secret open to everyone here?”
“Yeah. I’m not actively talking about it, though.”
When it comes to clear discussions or consultations, I usually talk in Kanum’s House’s Card Game Room, mostly with Retze, Dinoss, and the butler.
“What about the kids?”
Haulon glanced at the children napping against Shiva and Dinoss’s laps under the date palm.
“Yeah. They’ve known something was off about how I move since we came to Kanum as a family.”
Maybe even before that? They were surprisingly smart kids, full of youthful exuberance, and they got along really well as siblings. A truly wonderful family.
“In Kanum, everyone here knows everything.”
“What about outside Kanum?”
Haulon didn’t miss a beat.
“There are people helping with the business. We have a contract that keeps secrets safe.”
“I see.”
Haulon’s gaze drifted off a bit.
Speaking of which, I had exchanged an Oath Document with Haulon. He was the only one among us.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Haulon.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Oath Document.”
“Oh, I don’t mind it. That was more about Note and Retze being cautious; you were the one who overshared.”
Hmm…
“When I thought about the contract with Gene, I felt sorry for the spirit that had to witness it.”
Now that I think about it, when it was Haulon’s turn, Rudil had shown up.
With Kingin and the Changeling, the Gods had dutifully attended the contracts.
“What kind of business are you running?”
“Distributing daily goods and delicious vegetables.”
“That sounds more mundane than I expected. I thought you were selling magic circles or magical tools.”
Recently, we started limited sales of Spirit Lamps. Just daily goods, daily goods.
“What’s wrong?”
I shifted my gaze from Haulon, noticing Karn had opened his eyes and was looking out at the desert.
“I was just thinking that this area would be covered in barley once summer ends.”
“Yeah, I heard they plant barley after the floods.”
The dry, cracked land Karn was observing would soon be submerged by the Es River’s floods in a few months. After the water recedes, they would plant barley and a type of wheat called emmer in the fertile soil.
By the way, they have this rather peculiar farming method where they scatter seeds and then let sheep trample the muddy ground to bury the seeds. They also use cows and donkeys for threshing—these Es people really like to trample things.
Speaking of which, the wheat and rye fields I saw in Kanum and elsewhere were surprisingly different from what I imagined. The heads of grain weren’t all standing in the same direction; they were leaning at odd angles, which caught me off guard.
Those beautifully aligned golden fields of grain must be the result of careful breeding. It would certainly make harvesting easier.
I wonder if what Karn is feeling is nostalgia. Or is he thinking about the country we’re going to build?
The past is unchangeable, but we can cooperate for the future. For now, I should look for the goddess of the Es River and see if she can help with the meandering.
If we were to establish a country along the current Es River, there would likely be a lot of disputes over interests and rights. But once we create the country, I don’t think anyone could complain if the Es River meanders and forms a riverside.
Oh, but without a river, transporting materials to build the country would be tough. My island had its challenges with transporting building materials too. It’s quite a tricky situation.
After our break, we moved towards the riverside. The town of Es was just ahead, and the children’s steps were light.
We decided to stop at the inn for another break. Until it cools down in the evening, we’ll stay quietly inside our room.
“This is some lotion. If your skin feels prickly, it’s better not to use it, but if not, go ahead. And this is peach in syrup.”
I distributed the items to the four of them.
“Thanks.”
I noticed Ash’s forehead was slightly flushed as he expressed his gratitude. He has fair skin, but maybe he’s prone to sunburn or has sensitive skin?
“Hehe, thank you. This peach in syrup is the one I got before, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded at Shiva’s question. It’s supposed to be good for the skin and has a nice effect on the backside too.
“Oh, thank you.”
Haulon was counting the women for some reason.
“Gene, thank you.”
Finally, Tina gave me a kiss on the cheek.