Chapter 56 The bright future of Tomato Village

After lunch, Liszt said to Gort, "There's a farmer in Tomato Village named John Pole. His tomatoes are huge and excellent. Let's go take a look and see if there's anything interesting about them."

Gort was puzzled. "Liszt, how did you know?"

"Observation and listening to others, Teacher Gort. A competent lord cannot be ignorant of their territory. One must pay attention to every detail."

"Alright then."

Gort still couldn't figure out how Liszt knew things that he didn't – perhaps Liszt had spies in the town? Coupled with the mysterious activities earlier that morning and the tunnel excavation, he realized he needed to work seriously, as his every move was likely under Liszt's scrutiny.

This wasn't a good sign, indicating that he could lose the lord's trust at any moment.

...

"Lord, this is John Pole," the clerk pointed at a taciturn serf.

John Pole rushed to kneel before Liszt with his wife and two children, saying respectfully, "My Lord." He was extremely nervous, unsure why the lord had summoned him. If it were the previous tax collector knight, he would have been terrified; nobles seldom sought after commoners for anything good. However, since Liszt's arrival in Flower Town, his reputation had been excellent, which was why John was merely nervous.

Sure enough.

The lord of Flower Town gave him a warm smile. "No need to be nervous, John. I've heard that your tomatoes grow the best, is that true?"

"Y-Yes, my lord," John replied.

"Do you know why they're the best?"

"I'm not sure, my lord, but this season, our tomatoes have been flourishing. The free folk in town prefer to buy from us. Even Mrs. Abby in your castle has praised our tomatoes as the finest," John said proudly.

For serfs, there could be no greater compliment than being acknowledged by the castle.

Liszt skipped further interrogation and stated directly, "In that case, show me the tomato field where you cultivate them."

Following John Pole, the group quickly arrived at Tomato Village, where vast tomato fields stretched out. Unlike wheat fields, tomatoes were cultivated in smaller plots. John's family's allocated tomato field was located near the center of Tomato Village, clearly more prosperous than others around it.

"Certainly, regardless of who tends the fields, they belong to Lord Liszt," John said with enthusiasm, referring to his tomato patch. "The officials from Flower Town taught us farming techniques. I dug for pond mud and collected manure daily to fertilize them, and they've been growing splendidly."

The tomato seedlings were robust, showing no signs of harboring an elven worm. However, Liszt had a way to distinguish today.

He swiftly cast his Magic Eye, observing the tomato field. Soon, he noticed one particular seedling with a faint green magical aura coursing through it - undoubtedly the wormgrass.

"I believe I have figured it out," Liszt dismissed his Magic Eye and turned to Gort. "This is the sign of an elven worm's incubation. Teacher Gort, you have another task. Protect John's tomato plants, especially this one; it will be the wormgrass."

"Oh, my goodness, is it true? Another elven worm is about to be born in our town?" Gort exclaimed dramatically. "The knight's glory shines upon you, Baron. Flower Town is on the rise! Have no worries, I will safeguard this adorable creature and ensure its peaceful development."

Marcus, who followed closely, expressed equal surprise and admiration. "Two elven worms in such a short time, my lord, the knight's glory truly favors you!"

He felt that his loyalty and service were well-rewarded.

All these signs indicated that Liszt was far from an ordinary nobleman.

His demeanor, his thoughts, and his luck all spoke volumes. Especially his luck—sometimes, luck was more crucial than strength.

Lister smiled slightly. With the existence of the Smoke Mission, how could there be no surprises? He remained calm and announced in a gentle tone, "The Tomato Elf Worm is about to hatch and bring forth a brighter future for Tomato Village. In recognition of John Pole's meticulous care, I have decided to reward him with one Narda."

"A fortunate serf," Gort said, somewhat envious. His daily wage was ten copper coins, and it would take him over three months to save up a gold coin—if he didn't buy any alcohol or meat.

...

"An elf worm?"

"One Narda?"

"The lord has rewarded me with one Narda?"

Even after Lister and his group had left for quite some time, John was still in a daze as if he were dreaming. He had been planting tomatoes, and suddenly, he had grown a gold coin? After all, a serf might not even earn a silver coin from a year's worth of farming, let alone see a Narda in their lifetime. Yet, he now possessed one.

"Daddy, Daddy, show me the Narda! Wow, I've never seen a Narda before!" his eight-year-old son exclaimed, trying to snatch the gold coin from his hand.

John snapped back to reality, gripping the coin tightly and giving his son a sharp glance. "Out of the way, Nelda isn't something you can touch!"

He turned to his wife, his hand trembling as he reached out. "Anne, look, Nelda, granted by the Lord himself! We've struck it rich! We have Nelda!"

Anne trembled too, but with excitement. "Oh my God, John, is this real? Am I dreaming?"

"You're not dreaming, neither am I. This is real, the Lord handed it to me personally! Anne, we're wealthy now!"

"Ooh hah hah, ooh hah hah, our family is rich!" Their four-year-old daughter clapped her tiny hands in delight.

"Daddy, let me see Nelda!" Their son still stretched out his hand for the coin.

John ignored his son, lost in the thrilling anticipation with his wife. "Thank heavens, thank the glory of the Knights for blessing the Lord. With the Lord, Flower Town will become richer and richer."

Anne took Nelda and held it gently in her palm, her unattractive square face softening with emotion. "John, we can use Nelda to buy our freedom!"

"To buy our freedom?" John shook his head. "I don't want to."

"Why? Didn't you always want to become free citizens, leave Flower Town, and live in another village?"

"That's because in Flower Town, we could never have our fill of food. But now, Anne, look at what we have. Seafood, very cheap seafood – a copper coin can buy a heap of clams! Just look at Carl and Lucy, they've plumped up! It's all thanks to Lord's grace that we can eat our fill in Flower Town, and this Narda is also a gift from the Lord!"

He spoke with the fervor of a devout believer, "I believe that Lord will make Flower Town even better, and I want to farm for Lord my whole life! Anne, will you support me?"

"You're the head of this household, John. You decide, and besides, I've grown accustomed to life in Flower Town." Anne replied with a smile. "I'll prepare dinner. How about white bread for tonight?"

"Ha ha, of course, that sounds great. I miss the soft and sweet white bread on our wedding anniversary."

Their youngest daughter clapped her hands and laughed, "Ooh ooh ooh, white bread for dinner tonight!"

While their eldest son was already wailing, "Mom, show me the Narda, Mom..."