Deliberate

When the first ray of morning sunlight pierced the horizon of the Golden Sea, Shane, who was sitting under the tree, opened his eyes.

Although he hadn't slept all night, he didn't look tired in the slightest.

As a necromancer, his activity level during the night was naturally far greater than during the day.

The reason he had stayed motionless under the tree all night was, on one hand, because the soul within him was still not used to a necromancer's routine, and on the other hand, he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble when facing the princess's entourage.

Fortunately, it had been a peaceful night, and nothing unusual had occurred.

Aside from the rotation of the watchmen, there had been no sign of activity from anyone else. Perhaps because they didn't know Shane's situation, even the bad actor in the princess's entourage had not made any rash moves.

Leaning against the tree, Shane let his gaze sweep casually across the camp, where the attendants were briskly packing up.

Occasionally, a few glances would drift over to Shane, lingering on him for a moment before quickly darting away.

He could sense that the hostility in them had faded significantly, which was perhaps his reward for sitting there all night.

Shane pursed his lips, suppressing a slight smile, and then pulled a handful of berries from the inner fold of his cloak.

The berries were a bright crimson with a hint of yellow, each only the size of a fingernail. They had all been plucked from those seabuckthorn-like plants.

He tossed one into his mouth. The first sensation was astringent, followed immediately by an abundance of juice that flooded his mouth.

After chewing a few times, a sweet, refreshing taste rose from the back of his tongue, overpowering the initial astringency.

The taste was very similar to the orange seabuckthorn berries in his memories. Every autumn, he and his family would harvest seabuckthorn berries to either make into pulp or eat directly with sugar.

That sweet and sour flavor could be considered one of the few comforts in a tedious life of desert reclamation.

However, compared to those seabuckthorn berries, these were completely different in color, much sweeter with almost no sourness, ridiculously juicy, and carried a subtle, minty coolness.

It was hard to imagine that such a tiny berry could hold so many layers of flavor.

Finally, and most importantly, after eating over a dozen of them, he didn't feel the slightest discomfort.

One had to know that seabuckthorn berries contained a large amount of organic acids and were extremely high in dietary fiber; consuming too many would usually lead to stomach aches and diarrhea, but none of that happened with these berries.

Was it because the berries of this world were different, or was it because of his own body?

Shane looked down at the berries in his hand. From the memories of his body's original owner, he knew that besides having abundant energy, a necromancer's physical constitution also drastically reduced their need for food.

Most powerful necromancers only needed to eat once a week, and a select few didn't even need to eat anything at all.

But he obviously wouldn't go that far.

Putting aside the fact that he wasn't heavily influenced by the original owner's memories, to him, “eating” was not just about survival; it was a culture and a connection to his previous world.

He could eat simply, but he couldn't eat food that lacked flavor.

Especially the memory that constantly surfaced of hot oil splashing onto chili powder with a sizzling sound, accompanied by the enticing aroma that drifted over.

That flavor...

“Mr. Leynas.”

A crisp voice snapped Shane out of his reverie. Looking up, he saw the princess walking over with a clay bowl, accompanied by Elon.

Shane stuffed the remaining berries in his hand into his mouth all at once, quickly chewing and swallowing them.

He then slowly stood up and bowed slightly toward the approaching princess.

It wasn't a formal etiquette, but since she was the princess and the legal owner of the land beneath his feet, he still had to show some courtesy.

“Your Highness.”

“Mr. Leynas.”

Alicia stopped in front of him. A hint of satisfaction flickered in her violet eyes as they swept over him, and she smiled, asking softly, “How did you rest last night?”

“It was fine. Your Highness should know that I don't require much sleep.”

Shane replied in a neither-haughty-nor-humble tone, then reached into his cloak to hand over the two repaired Ashstones. “These have been repaired.”

Alicia took the Ashstones, her eyes visibly lighting up.

In this resource-scarce desert, anything that could help one safely make it through the night was extremely precious.

But her next reaction caught Shane completely off guard.

The princess looked up, staring directly at Shane. The smile on her face held no falsehood, and her voice was clear and steady, evoking a sense of goodwill. “Thank you, Mr. Leynas.”

“If not for you, some members of our team might have had to spend the night in the freezing wind, and some might have suffered accidents. For our group, which has just arrived in the Golden Sea, that would have undoubtedly been a heavy blow.”

It had to be said that the princess's words were highly moving. Shane instinctively opened his mouth to utter some polite remarks engraved in his soul.

But facing her sincere gaze, his rationality made him swallow the words that had reached his lips, choosing instead to respond in a different manner.

He lowered his head and offered a faint smile, saying, “You overstate it, Your Highness.”

It was that simple. There was no refusal, nor was there excessive humility; he merely accepted Alicia's gratitude with poise.

At this, a flash of surprise crossed Alicia's eyes, and the smile on her face deepened.

She quite liked this unpretentious response.

Then, the princess held out the clay bowl to Shane. A light fragrance immediately drifted into his nose, and he looked up at her with a questioning gaze. “This is?”

“Bean soup. Mentor Elon prepared it especially for you.”

Hearing her explanation, Shane took the clay bowl, which felt warm to the touch. He saw a slightly cloudy broth, inside of which lay evenly sized beans, each plump and round, bobbing gently in the liquid.

Standing nearby, Elon took a step forward. His expression was still somewhat tense, clearly still unaccustomed to interacting face-to-face with a necromancer, but his voice sounded steady enough. “These are dry beans.”

“As mentioned before, it is a bean crop that is exceptionally drought-resistant and heat-tolerant. Not only does it have a short growth cycle, but it also has low soil fertility requirements and yields a high output. It is the future staple food I specially prepared for the Golden Sea.”

Holding the bowl, Shane listened quietly without rushing to drink, because he could sense that the other party seemed to want something else.

“The princess and I have discussed this.”

Elon continued to look at Shane with that tense expression, but a hint of testing had entered his voice. “Your oasis is currently the only area we know of where stable cultivation is possible. So... I would like to borrow a plot of land from you to trial-plant these dry beans.”

After speaking, he pursed his lips, and after a few seconds of silence, added, “If there is a harvest, we can share a portion with you.”

Upon hearing this, Shane looked at Elon with some surprise, then cast a glance at the princess.

One had to remember that this was the Golden Sea, and the princess before him was the legal lord of this land. As an exile here, they were actually asking him if they could plant crops in a “borrowing” tone.

It made him sound like he was the actual master of this land.

But on second thought, Shane understood.

This was not mere politeness like before; it was respect.

Because they had seen that he had built this oasis single-handedly.

Every plant had been sown by his skeletons, and every drop of water was planned and utilized by him.

Therefore, in their eyes, this oasis was no longer just “a part of the territory,” but “the fruit of Shane Leynas's labor,” his personal property.

Thus, even as the lord, she would not take it for granted and seize it.

This kind of attitude...

Shane looked up at the princess once more. She was quietly waiting for his answer, without any intention of rushing him, just as before.

To be honest, it wasn't annoying at all.

Shane made his assessment in his mind, then brought the clay bowl to his lips, blew gently on it, and took a large gulp.

Light—that was his immediate impression.

The soup was warm as it entered his mouth, carrying the unique fragrance of well-boiled beans. It tasted somewhat like bean sprout soup, but richer.

The seasoning was just right, showing that the cook was quite skilled.

The beans inside were also quite chewy without sticking to his teeth. Once crushed, they slid easily down his throat along with the broth.

As a breakfast, it was excellent.

With the soup in his stomach, Shane made his decision. He looked up at Elon and said, “Borrowing land to plant beans is fine, but...”

Hearing Shane agree, Elon visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart clenched again upon hearing the transition.

Shane turned and pointed to the surrounding sandy land. “You can see the actual situation. The plantable area is very small right now. If you want to grow crops that can feed over a dozen people, you will have to wait until I improve the soil quality.”

Then he turned back to Elon and the princess, his voice flat. “This process will take a long time—maybe a year, maybe two, or perhaps even longer.”

Shane then fell silent, quietly awaiting Elon's reaction.

However, to Shane's surprise, Elon was not disappointed; instead, he smiled.

That was the first time Shane had seen such a relaxed smile on the druid's face. The deep creases between his brows had vanished, and a mysterious confidence gleamed in his eyes.

“I can solve the issue of the growth cycle.”

As he spoke, Elon took a pouch from his waist. Shane's gaze fell upon it.

It was a seemingly ordinary linen pouch, no different from the kind sold in any grocery store on the market.

Yet with Elon's movement, the slightly dispirited air he had carried since yesterday due to his shattered worldview instantly dissipated, and a composure fitting for a druid filled his entire being.

Such a dramatic shift naturally piqued Shane's curiosity. He looked at the pouch in Elon's hand, his brow arching slightly.

What was so special about this pouch?