Where to Dig for Potatoes?

By the time the four left the alley, it was nearly noon. Alice kept casting Cleaning Spell on herself, but while it removed dirt, it couldn't get rid of moisture, leaving the fabric around her shoulders still damp and giving her a constant sense of disgust.

Edward had already dismissed "High-Profile Invisibility," lowering his arm that had grown sore from holding it up and stretching it out.

Edward had initially suggested riding the "Sidecar" to continue on their way. But four people couldn't fit on a three-seater vehicle. Edward thought the princess sisters could squeeze in behind him, but the Knight Princess said Alice was wearing a skirt and couldn't do anything so unladylike. Edward had no choice but to drop it.

Since City Gate Street wasn't far off anyway, Edward and his group of four walked toward the city gate.

"Mr. Smith, can the potatoes you mentioned really solve the famine?" Pastor Elvin had lost his usual composure, pestering Edward like a child.

"Potatoes were originally an ornamental plant, something like tomatoes. They bloom with small white flowers, very pretty.

Later, people discovered their tubers were large and plump, about the size of a Horse Bell. That's why they're also called 'horse bells.'

Nowadays, most people think these horse bells are mildly toxic. They're usually processed and fed to pigs.

But the yield is incredibly high—you wouldn't believe how much per acre. It's over ten times that of wheat.

In truth, people can eat them. Just peel off the skin and remove the eyes. You can even make bread with them.

To make bread, just mix in twenty to thirty percent flour with boiled and mashed potatoes, then let it ferment..."

Edward walked along, sharing knowledge with the other three. Before they knew it, they had passed through the city gate.

On the way past the Seafood Shop from last time, Edward bought a few fish and some lobster.

The four eventually arrived at the Rainforest Trading Company, the same place Edward had visited before.

"Welcome, my mage lord. You've brought friends along too. Truly an honor for my humble shop." Smiling Mr. Gonzalez recognized Edward, his distinctive rolled 'r' conveying the warmth of a southerner.

"Oh, look at that. I knew a handsome mage lord like you wouldn't stay single forever. What a shame—I was going to introduce my niece to you. Now let me guess, which of these two lovely ladies is your girlfriend?"

The Beautiful Girl Mage smiled, subtly emphasizing her Runway. Beside her, Pastor Elvin quickly tugged at her sleeve.

The Knight Princess shyly pulled at the brim of her cowboy hat, turning her gaze away.

"Ahem, no jokes, Mr. Gonzalez. We're here on business today." Edward smoothly changed the subject without introducing the people beside him.

"Oh, is this the 'Big Deal' you mentioned a few days ago?" Mr. Gonzalez said with a chuckle.

"That's right, the 'Big Deal.' A very, very big deal." Edward replied with a smile as well.

"Well then, ladies and gentlemen, please follow me." Mr. Gonzalez pulled out a ring of keys, lifted the counter flap, and invited Edward's group to follow him through the back door of the shop onto the dock.

The group followed Mr. Gonzalez along the stone-paved road on the dock, heading south along the Coastline.

After walking a few hundred meters, they came upon a cluster of warehouses. These were built spontaneously by several major trading companies on the dockside by the sea.

Mr. Gonzalez stopped in front of a massive warehouse. It had a large door for cargo wagons, but it was tightly locked. He took out his keys and opened a small door set within the larger one.

The group filed in after him. The warehouse was dim. As soon as they entered, a smell of earth hit their noses.

Edward was about to pull out his Flashlight when Alice rubbed her hands together and cast Illumination Technique. A bright beam of light shone from the delicate Small Wand in her hand.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't realize this young lady was also a mage lord." Mr. Gonzalez turned back in surprise.

At that moment, the three besides Edward were stunned by the sight before them. The entire warehouse was piled high with dirt-caked, earth-yellow potatoes, rising like small hills.

"Well, everyone, impressive, isn't it? These things grow all over the southern plains and Hills. The farms down there can't use this many, so they ship them over by the boatload. But around here, most farms raise cattle, not many pigs. They can't absorb this much either." The old man cheerfully introduced his goods.

"A few days ago, I couldn't sell these potatoes and was thinking of dumping them into the sea to feed the fish. But Mr. Smith heard about it and advised me to keep them well. He said a big buyer would come to purchase them. If you're interested, we can negotiate the price. I sell them by the basket—one Copper Coin per basket. Just help me clear out these warehouses. I have three or four more like this one."

The group walked to the edge of the potato pile, picking up tubers to examine them closely. The potatoes might have been bruised during digging and loading, but the weather was cold, and there was no sign of mold or rot.

"Alright, Mr. Gonzalez, I'll take all the potatoes you have. Tomorrow—no, this afternoon—someone will come to discuss the details with you." Princess Andrea, who had been keeping a low profile, suddenly spoke up, exuding the air of a Domineering Female CEO. After all, hoarding strategic resources like grain was paramount.

Hearing this, Mr. Gonzalez's wrinkled face broke into a beaming smile. Though the potatoes were cheap, the stock amounted to thousands of tons. A Big Deal like buying them all at once was unprecedented.

When the group left the Rainforest Trading Company, Mr. Gonzalez happily saw them to the door, claiming he had plenty of supply channels for potatoes and could ship over a few boatloads anytime if needed.

Before leaving, Edward helped himself to two baskets of potatoes, stashing them in his Spatial Ring. Just as he was about to pay, Mr. Gonzalez told him to take as many as he liked, considering them a thank-you gift for introducing the client.

Edward rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, How stingy—only two Copper Coins' worth of commission for such a 'big' deal.

The four headed back. This time, Edward invited everyone to his place for a meal and promised to demonstrate how to make Potato Bread for the eager Pastor Elvin.

As they passed the city gate, Princess Andrea called over the City Gate Guard Captain on duty, gave a few instructions, and then the group made their way to the entrance of Smith's Alchemy Shop.

The large Glass Door was pulled open. The Copper Bell on the door chimed a crisp, pleasant sound. As they entered, they saw the red-haired lad Harry in Denim Overalls chatting behind the counter with a girl around seventeen or eighteen.

"Welcome!" Harry called out from behind the counter without getting up. Spotting Edward, he greeted him.

"Hey, Edward, Yini came to hang out with me. Since you're back, I'm taking Yini out to eat today. This is Yini. Yini, this is my boss, Edward."

Edward nodded cheerfully, greeting the freckled, cute girl who matched Harry. This kid's got some nerve, he thought, openly dating on the job and introducing his Girlfriend right in front of me without batting an eye. Guess I'll have to give him a raise this month... or he might not have enough to spend...

The other three entered as well. Harry recognized the Big Shot from last time, greeted them hastily, and quickly pulled his girlfriend to leave the shop.

Edward simply said to Harry, "Harry, go enjoy your afternoon. I'm giving you half a day off."

After Harry and his girlfriend left, Edward walked to the counter and opened a Hidden Compartment. Inside was a switch with a red handle. He pulled it, and the Roller Shutter outside came down.

With the shutter closed, the indoor light dimmed only slightly. Only then did they notice the lamps overhead emitting a glaring light.

"Mr. Smith, are these Magic Lamps? Why don't I sense any magical fluctuation?" Princess Andrea asked a question she'd wanted to ask last time.

"Princess, please don't be so formal. Just call me Edward. These aren't Magic Lamps. They're just light I channeled from the mountaintop. The principle is to install a large mirror up there to collect sunlight, then draw glass into fibers to turn them into light pipes for transport," Edward explained.

"Alright then, I'll call you Edward from now on. Please don't stand on ceremony either—just call me Andrea. But can light really be transported?"

"What I call 'transportation' is simply letting light travel through glass. Pure glass is an excellent medium for light. The brighter it is outside, the brighter it is inside."

"After all that talk, you're just saying the brighter it is outside, the brighter it is inside, and if it's cloudy out, your room goes dark too. What's the use of that?" Alice was clearly sharper than her female cousin. She was a girl who knew how to spot problems.

"You're not wrong. But don't you think using sunlight to brighten a dark room is a very cost-effective method?" Edward explained with a smile.

"Then what do you do when it gets dark in here? Light candles too?"

"No need. I have real Magic Lamps." Edward walked to the back door of the shop and opened another Hidden Compartment.

Edward made a few adjustments. The indoor light vanished. Then Bright Yellow lights lit up one by one.

"Right now I've blocked the incoming sunlight. These are the real Magic Lamps. Well? Can you sense the magical fluctuations now?"

"The magical fluctuations are so faint. Nothing like the Magic Lamps I saw at the Magic Academy." Alice said.

"Yes, I optimized the output of the Magic Array. These lamps require very little mana and waste very little. One pound of standard-cut Redstone can keep these lamps lit for about a month."

"That really is cost-effective." Alice exclaimed in admiration.

Princess Andrea, standing nearby, was already considering whether to install a set of these Magic Lamps in her own castle. Meanwhile, Pastor Elwin beside her was thinking about how to convince Princess Andrea to donate a set to his church as well.

Afterward, Edward restored the sunlight lighting, deactivated the early-warning Magic Array in the Backyard, and invited everyone into his home.

The three followed Edward into the Backyard and couldn't help letting out a "Wow!" of astonishment.