Mushroom growth requires two important external environmental conditions—temperature and humidity. Humidity is not a problem. The Argent Dawn chose to establish a base on this high ground because there are several mountain springs here. According to Oakleaf, there are several Caves dug out that are very damp and can neither be used as warehouses nor for living, so they have been left unused and are perfect for growing mushrooms.
As for the temperature, winter will arrive in two months, so artificial means will be used to heat the cave. People in this era used to keep warm by burning stoves in winter, so a stove also needs to be prepared in the cave. In this case, fuel and ventilation become major problems.
Wood is not only fuel for the stove, but also one of the substrate materials for cultivating mushrooms. However, the Master Oakleaf forbids indiscriminate logging. Unas Druid requires Unas to selectively cut down trees that are already dead or infected with disease, which will undoubtedly greatly limit the scale of cultivation.
Unas argued his case until the Druid agreed that he could also cut down overly dense trees, but only under his supervision. As for ventilation, that was left to the Dwarf architects, who were experts at drilling.
After the matter was discussed and the meal was almost over, Unas couldn't wait to go and explore those damp mountain areas.
Master Oakleaf didn't ask Nightmoon or Beryl to do it for him, but led the way himself. It seems he's quite concerned about this matter, and Unas's dissatisfaction with him regarding the tree-cutting issue has lessened somewhat.
The future mushroom cultivation base was not far from the Druid's hut. The group soon arrived at their destination. Several Caves appeared side by side on the mountain wall, all only about half a person's height, clearly the result of the Dwarves ' labor.
"This is where Beryl and I conducted our experiments," Master Oakleaf said, gesturing to Unas before walking to a cave entrance. He then addressed the other three, "It's too cramped inside, and there's not much to see. You three stay outside and keep watch. Lord Unas, please come in."
Unas nodded, bent down, and entered the cave. After a few steps, the space became more spacious, allowing him to stand up straight. Just as he was about to take out the Lightstone, a bright green light emerged from behind him. The tip of the staff in Master Oakleaf's hand emitted a warm and soft glow, illuminating the entire cave.
Several small, square experimental plots filled the cave floor. Unas walked around the plots a few times. Each plot contained a different variety of plant, and each plot was divided into different areas according to its growth stage, which looked very scientific.
Unas had no interest in becoming a mushroom expert and asked directly, "Which one has the highest yield?"
"Over there, we've already eaten," Oakleaf pointed to the section on the left. "It's pale yellow and has a banana aroma, so I named it Yellow Banana Mushroom. It takes three months to mature."
Unas leaned closer to look. The fully ripened ones were about the size of two palms, wrinkled and looking quite ugly. "Can you shorten the ripening time?"
"If there's more fertile Black Soil, it might shorten the time by one to two weeks," Oakleaf pointed to the other side, "There are also varieties that mature faster; the White Sprout Mushrooms over there can fully mature in a month, but in terms of average yield, harvesting three times is far less than harvesting one Yellow Banana Mushroom."
This is a question of long-term versus short-term. Given limited resources and land, the long-term approach is slower but yields greater returns, while the short-term approach is faster but yields smaller returns. Unas was immediately caught in a dilemma.
Seeing his hesitation, Oakleaf suggested, "Why not try both..."
"No, I don't want to regret it when people starve to death, so I'll plant Yellow Banana Mushrooms!"
The supplies at the outpost should last another three to four months, Unas thought. Unas didn't want anyone to starve under his rule; they had to get through this winter safely. "Where are some fertile Black Soils around here?"
"At the boundary between the Spider Forest and the Canyon lies a Swamp, where the Black Soil is a treasure trove for nurturing life."
That place was practically the lair of Poison Spiders, and the journey was fraught with danger. The fact that Oakleaf could penetrate so deep into it shows that the Druid truly deserves to be called the guardian of nature.
"Please cultivate more spores of the Yellow Banana Mushroom, and I'll find a way to get the Black Soil." These are things that can't be rushed. The first thing to do is to connect these Caves and then enlarge and deepen them; otherwise, large-scale cultivation is just a pipe dream.
"Actually, there's one more thing," Master Oakleaf interrupted Unas's thoughts after a long silence, "It concerns the former Warden."
"Even the master is getting involved in this?" Unas was greatly surprised. Could the Druids also be connected to Holiya's death?
"Someone has asked me to act as arbitrator; I hope you can go easy on them."
"What's the meaning?"
"You'll find out tonight," Oakleaf said, turning and leaving before Unas could ask any more questions.
"That stubborn old fogey, "Unas cursed under his breath. Judging from his tone, the person responsible for Holiya's death seemed to be confessing tonight. Could it be Redbrow?
Based on the information Unas has, the matter is actually quite simple. Holiya kidnapped Emily to rescue his friend from the dungeon, and somehow this was leaked. The angry Gnomes will definitely try to retaliate, and since Gnomes have always been vassals of the Dwarves, Redbrow, as the Dwarf leader, is very likely the mastermind behind Holiya's murder.
After witnessing Redbrow's actions this morning, Unas became even more certain of his suspicions. Now that the Dwarves had brought in Master Oakleaf to mediate, wasn't there also an element of threat involved?
Indeed, without the help of the Druids and Dwarves, the mushroom project would have been a complete failure. If Unas had beheaded Redbrow because of this, the Dwarves would have certainly broken with him.
Being threatened was a bitter pill to swallow. Deep down, he felt that Holiya deserved his fate, but from the perspective of the Human, he didn't deserve to die. Moreover, Emily was eventually rescued unharmed by him, which was probably why the other party was willing to confess to him. They also felt indebted to him.
How should this matter be handled? On one hand, Holiya was a Paladin had been tested in many wars. To put it bluntly, he was an important asset of the Argent Dawn. He just disappeared so inexplicably. Unas must give the One-Eyed Baron an explanation.
On the other hand, the Dwarves are the most powerful of the alien races, and Unas needs their support in every aspect. Not to mention, he has a good personal relationship with the Stonebrow Redbrow brothers. He originally planned to delay the investigation, but he didn't expect that Redbrow would be so easily frightened that he immediately confessed. What a brainless idiot.
In short, this matter must be resolved privately and absolutely cannot be made public; otherwise, there will be no way out.
"Brother Unas!" Beryl's small head appeared at the cave entrance. "Someone's looking for you."
Unas snapped out of his daze; he had been in the cave for quite a while. He replied, "Who is it?"
Beryl didn't answer, playfully sticking out her tongue before pulling it back in. Unas shook his head, bowed, and walked out of the cave.
Oakleaf and Nightmoon had already gone ahead, leaving only Raphael and Beryl, the young boy and girl, and a bewitching figure in a pure white Priest's robe— Sally Whitemane, outside the cave.
She was still breathtakingly beautiful, and every time I saw her, I was amazed. But at this moment, incongruous with her noble holy robes, this beauty seemed to be emitting rays of resentment all over her body, and their target, of course, was Unas, who had just emerged from the cave.
Under the warm midday sun, Unas felt a sudden chill and a sense of amusement welled up inside him.