Following Ksaz's exclamation, everyone's gaze landed on the bean field. Even from a distance, they could spot something unusual—the plants seemed to be a much deeper, richer green than they had been that morning.
Shane took the lead, with Elon close behind, while the princess and Isha quickly followed.
When the group reached the edge of the bean field, everyone's breath caught in their throats.
They had glanced at these bean plants—kept aside as seed crops—just that morning. At the time, most of them were about fifty centimeters tall, barely reaching a person's knees.
But now, the plants had shot up significantly, standing a full sixty centimeters tall, with the tallest ones even reaching up to their waists.
The foliage was much denser than before, with layers of deep green leaves shimmering with a faint bluish luster under the moonlight.
But the most eye-catching part was the bean pods. These pods, which they had planned to harvest today after dealing with the quicksand, were now so plump they looked ready to burst. Some of the yellowing pods even had a shimmering sheen of moisture on their surfaces, looking as though they had been plated with a thin layer of silver foil.
“How is this possible?!”
Standing at the edge of the field, Elon scanned the bean plants and couldn't help but mutter, “They weren't like this this morning.”
Shane, standing beside him, didn't reply. He walked straight into the field, carefully avoiding the low-hanging pods, and knelt in front of the most remarkably grown plant.
Reaching out, he gently touched the surface of a pod.
There was no dampness on his fingertips; instead, it felt incredibly smooth, like touching fine silk.
Then he pinched a leaf. It was plump and hydrated, with no signs of withering or disease. On the contrary, it looked bursting with vitality.
Driven by curiosity, Shane plucked a pod and weighed it in his hand. It felt heavier than a typical dry bean pod.
Standing up with the pod, he looked over at Elon, who was not far away. “It seems fine. What about on your end?”
Elon was also holding a pod, turning it over and over to inspect it. Judging by his expression, he couldn't figure anything out either. “I'm not sure. Perhaps we have to try it to find out.”
He looked up, his gaze meeting Shane's. Shane teased him, a rare occurrence, “So, what do you say? Should I go first again?”
Elon glanced at him without a hint of apology, then brought his pod to his mouth. “If you're unwilling, then I'll do it this time.”
With a squeeze of his fingers, the pod popped open with a soft snap. The plump beans popped out, and Elon swallowed them in one gulp.
Seeing this, Shane didn't idle either. He split open his own pod, popped the beans into his mouth, and bit down gently.
Crisp. That was Shane's immediate impression.
Perhaps because they were raw, the beans felt a bit hard, but they didn't have any unique flavor. They tasted no different from ordinary dry beans.
He glanced at Elon and saw no particular expression on his face either. In fact, Elon looked slightly disappointed, clearly unsatisfied with the taste.
But the moment Shane swallowed the chewed beans, a refreshing coolness suddenly welled up from his stomach.
The sensation was extraordinary, like stepping out of a sauna and immediately plunging into cold water. It instantly revitalized Shane.
His brain, which had felt somewhat heavy from continuous spellcasting, cleared up instantly, and... he could clearly feel a slight recovery in his depleted mana.
Shane's eyes gradually widened, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.
He instinctively looked at Elon, only to find the man with his eyes closed and his head tilted back, seemingly immersed in some sort of bliss.
Only after a few seconds did Elon slowly open his eyes, looking at Shane with a look of surprise.
“You felt it too?”
Elon nodded vigorously, his voice sounding much lighter. “Not only did my mana restore, but my mental fatigue has eased as well. This feels less like a crop and more like a magic potion.”
Elon lowered his head in thought. In his experience, plants that naturally contained mana did exist, but without exception, they were rare species that grew in specific environments, such as near the World Tree in the elven realm or around dragon nests.
Those were precious materials that alchemists and mages fought over, with a single specimen commanding astronomical prices.
As for an ordinary crop containing mana, that was completely unheard of.
“What do you think caused this?”
Clearly, Shane didn't understand the underlying principle, so he hoped Elon could explain. But Elon shook his head as well. “I don't know either. I've never heard of anything like this.”
“Think about it. Even if ordinary dry beans are planted in soil bursting with life force, they would at most grow a bit sturdier or yield more. They would never contain mana.”
Elon looked up at Shane and voiced his hypothesis. “Perhaps our intervention during their growth triggered a mutation, and then the infusion of pure water elements from the quicksand caused another. That combination might have led to this result.”
Shane remained silent. This was merely a guess; the exact reason would likely require experimental verification.
“Did you say there's mana in the beans?”
While the two were lost in thought, Isha's voice rang out. Alicia and Isha had also stepped into the field.
However, compared to Alicia's relatively calm demeanor, Isha was completely unable to suppress her excitement.
The young girl's eyes were wide and round, the gleam of gold coins reflecting in them nearly rivaling the moonlight. There was even a suspicious trace of drool at the corner of her mouth.
“No way, no way! How could there be mana in beans?”
Isha rushed into the bean field and stopped before Shane. Staring at the pod in his hand, she leaned so close her face was almost touching it. “Mr. Leynas, you aren't teasing me, are you?”
Shane wasn't annoyed. He handed her the pod. “Taste it yourself.”
Isha didn't stand on ceremony. She took it, quickly peeled a bean, popped it into her mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed. Then, she froze.
“It's... it's true! I felt it!”
Her mouth hung slightly open. She cast a surprised glance at Shane, then looked at Alicia. “I feel so much more energetic! All my exhaustion from today is completely gone!”
“Instructor, what does this mean?”
The princess walked over to Isha, observed her state, and then looked at Elon. “Can we cultivate these on a large scale?”
“I'm not sure yet.”
Elon shook his head, his voice dropping slightly. “But regardless, this news is enough to shock the entire world.”
Elon spoke with great solemnity, his expression grave. Yet, rather than feeling pressured, the princess let out a knowing smile.
She looked down at Isha, about to say something, when she noticed that Lena had walked up to Isha at some point, watching her with a hint of anxiety.
The princess glanced at Lena, her smile deepening. Instead of taking any other action, she spoke in a clear, ringing voice, “Isha, would you like to become the exclusive merchant of the Golden Sea?”
The moment those words left her mouth, Isha—who had still been lost in her own world behind Lena—shuddered. She dashed in front of Lena, looking up at the princess with a flushed face. “Ex... exclusive merchant? Your Highness, are you serious?”
“Of course.”
Alicia nodded gently. “You brought the goods I needed and helped us resolve this crisis. I will remember this friendship.”
Her gaze swept past Isha to Lena behind her. The moment Lena met her eyes, her body stiffened. She quickly took a step back, bowing her head in a salute, a layer of fine sweat already breaking out on her forehead.
But the princess made no comment on it, continuing, “Therefore, I believe the Golden Sea needs a friend, and I think you are the most suitable person.”
“Of course, if you feel the risk is too great...”
“I'm willing!”
Isha practically screamed the words, completely abandoning her composure. The blush on her face had spread all the way to her ears, her chest heaving slightly, her gaze unwavering. “Your Highness, I swear in the name of the Val Merchant Guild that I will become someone worthy of your trust!”
The princess chuckled softly. She looked up at Shane, then turned her gaze back to the bean plants.
The pool had expanded, and the beans had mutated—and this man had accomplished all of it. Though it had only been a short time, the news would eventually reach them.
Those in the heart of the Empire—her family.
Rate on N.U.
