Bunta City had enjoyed a considerable harvest that autumn.
Actually, "considerable" was hardly an appropriate description. "Good," "excellent," or even "unbelievably good" would have been more fitting.
Once that year's autumn harvest was complete and the final figures were tallied, Bunta City's total wheat production had reached a staggering 570,000 tonnes-more than four times its usual total of 130,000 tonnes!
Food production was a matter of paramount importance to every country on the Sains Continent. For the Lampari Kingdom, which had only recently recovered from turmoil, it was even more crucial.
When the figures came in, the city lord, Count Samo, was so delighted that he broke with custom and held a grand banquet specifically to celebrate, inviting every prominent figure in Bunta City.
Naturally, Xu Yi was among those invited.
He had not wanted to waste time attending such a banquet, but the Xinfei Merchant Guild's farmland magic machinery had played the most important role in making that autumn harvest so successful. Count Samo had specifically insisted that he attend, leaving him no way to refuse.
The banquet's opening concluded with a lengthy, rather excited speech from Count Samo. Then the guests were free to mingle, each seeking out the people they wished to speak with.
President Lanke of the Salank Merchant Guild approached Xu Yi at once.
"President Xu, your Xinfei Merchant Guild has stolen the spotlight again. The count practically praised you and your guild to the skies just now. I imagine that if anyone in Bunta City dared cause trouble for you or the Xinfei Merchant Guild now, the count would be the first to object," President Lanke said with a broad smile.
"The count has always been very supportive of our guild," Xu Yi replied with a smile. "Of course, that's because the farmland magic