Lux felt his hands trembling and his legs go weak. Ruby was damn scary when she was angry. He made a mental note to never get on her bad side, unless he suddenly developed a death wish.

  Fortunately, Violet stepped in at that moment, her voice lilting with amusement: “You are covered in dirt, my dear Fire Princess.”

  Ruby’s glare snapped to Violet, and with a flick of her wrist, she hurled a ball of flame at the blonde woman.

  Violet reacted instantly, conjuring a sword out of thin air and batting the fire aside with a twirl that almost looked like a dance. “So touchy,” she giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she dodged another swipe of fire. “Is this how you flirt or just how you incinerate your friends?”

  “Shut up!” Ruby snapped, flinging another ball of flame. The two women immediately got into a scuffle, fire and steel flashing, a whirlwind of heat and cold steel, with Violet darting nimbly, almost gleefully, around Ruby’s attacks.

  Lux ducked behind Azura, the man’s broad frame blocking any stray attacks. He peeked out, heart pounding, and muttered to himself, “I should have gone on a holiday to a deserted island.”

  “Cut it out! If I have to do extra work because you two damaged the fields, you’ll have to give me compensation!” Azura roared, voice booming, but still managing to keep his cool.

  The fight stopped immediately, both women turning to stare at the field. Only a small section of the channels had collapsed. “Why is this hole so flimsy?” Ruby grumbled, jamming her foot into the broken earth like she was punishing it for existing.

  “I’m not fixing that. Both of you made the mess, so both of you can fix it,” Twiggs said, hands on his hips, his tone as sunny as ever.

  Both girls groaned but started grudgingly repairing the channel walls. Lux felt the grip on his heart loosen. Maybe he’d survive another day. Being near dangerous people was bad for his health, he was pretty sure his life expectancy had dropped by ten years already.

  While the girls worked, Lux asked Azura to hand him the seeds. The sacks were hefty, each stamped with the type of seed inside. “Let’s see, rice, wheat, potatoes… and not a single deadly plant. We’re off to a good start,” he thought, sorting through them.

  He intended to plant a full acre each of rice and wheat, and half an acre each for the others. Violet and Ruby finished quickly, and Lux began distributing the seed bags. When he approached Ruby, he hesitated, last time he’d gotten close, he’d nearly become human barbecue.

  To his surprise, Ruby snatched the bag from him. “Sit. I don’t need you collapsing when there’s real work to do. Fragile humans are more trouble than they’re worth,” she said, her voice gruff but her actions speaking louder than her words.

  “Ruby’s right. Shoo, off to the shade with you. We’ll have this done before you can complain again,” Violet said, steering him toward a tree at the edge of the field. “Go on, delicate petal.”

  Lux didn’t argue. He’d already done more exercise today than in the last six months. His muscles ached in places he didn’t know existed. He quickly explained where each crop should go, then gratefully collapsed under the tree’s shade, making a mental note to see if he could entice someone to buy him a hammock.

  A chuckle escaped as he thought about himself basking lazily in the sun swing from side to side as he relayed orders. “Like that would ever happen.”

  Lux rolled onto his stomach so he could watch them work, however none of them had started working. All four were animatedly talking to Twiggs, probably plotting to make him do all the work, Lux suspected. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but from Twiggs’ wide grin and enthusiastic nodding, he suspected he was about to witness some plant magic.

  After a few minutes, they must have reached an agreement. The girls slashed open the seed bags and dumped them in front of Twiggs.

  The ground rumbled. Instantly, the pile of seeds was sucked into the earth, vanishing from sight. Then, all over the field, small mounds began to appear.

  Lux shook his head. “I could’ve just handed Twiggs my sketch from the start,” he thought. If he was still in Silver City when it was time to expand, he was definitely putting Twiggs in charge.

  He paused, smirking to himself. He was starting to believe his own lie about being a city planner. Lux forced himself to focus on the field. It was time to see if his design actually worked. He groaned as he stood, muscles protesting every movement.

  When he reached the group, the rumbling had stopped. Excited chatter filled the air.

  “He’s pretty smart for a human. This looks like it’ll work,” Ruby said, crossing her arms, her tone grudgingly approving.

  “Yes, I agree. One person should be able to water the fields every day. I was worried when he first mentioned building a farm that I’d be stuck carrying a watering can,” Azura said, nodding. “After working with him today, I can see why Silver brought him to Silver City.”

  Lux’s mood soared at the praise, maybe they wouldn’t kill him after all. “Are you done, Twiggs?” Lux asked as he walked up, doing his best not to look too smug.

  Twiggs was the only one who noticed him approaching. The others swung around at his voice, but Lux pretended he hadn’t heard them talking about him. He could get used to being the unsung genius around here.

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  “Yes, all that’s left is to connect the channel to the lake.” Twiggs pointed to the flat space at the water’s edge.

  “Then let’s go and connect the water to the fields!” Lux clapped. Twiggs quickly joined the channels. Lux watched in fascination as water began to flow through the furrows, proof that, at least for today, he wasn’t completely useless.

  They split up to open the gates. It was almost suspicious how efficient it was, the water flowed in all directions, and before Lux finished blinking, all four fields were already being fed. Not even a puddle of wasted effort! Was this what achievement felt like? Four entire fields sown, the irrigation system done, and all in a single day. Lux just stared at the watery channels, feeling proud.

  Take that, high school gym teacher, who always said he would never amount to anything! Lux wanted to shout it out, but settled for grinning to himself. He’d done it.

  He’d never felt so proud in his life. He couldn’t wait to tell his parents, if only interdimensional texting was a thing. They’d never believe he’d managed such a feat.

  Lux spent the next hour checking everything was still in working order, then headed back with the others. He was so tired he barely tasted the dried meat Twiggs handed him before crashing for the night.

  When he woke the next day, he marked another tally on the wall. Today was his eighteenth day in Mystic Beau.

  Lux glanced at the golden book lying on the floor. He’d left it there since it was a pain to carry around. He wasn’t worried about it being stolen, only he could move it. He wondered how long Silver and Novgar would be gone.

  But there was no way to find out, so Lux let the thought go and headed outside.

  “Lux, you’re finally awake!” Twiggs called him over to the campfire where everyone was gathered. Lux greeted them and accepted a plate of fried meat.

  He frowned at the plain lump of food. “Do you all really only eat meat? Can’t you add some spices at least?” he complained.

  Suddenly, small paper packets flew at him. He was hit in the face, though they didn’t hurt. “Someone is nice enough to cook your food, and you complain? If you’re so clever, season it yourself next time,” Magenta snapped, her purple eyes coldly assessing him.

  Lux glanced at the grumpy woman, then at the packets. He picked one up and apologised. “Sorry, Magenta. Thank you for the food.” He opened the packet.

  Salt. He pinched a bit and sprinkled it on the meat. He opened another packet and laughed in delight, pepper! He quickly seasoned his steak and happily finished his breakfast.

  Once he was done, another thought struck him. If Magenta had spices, did she have other ingredients? “Magenta, do you have any other food?” Lux asked hopefully.

  She flashed a sweet, razor-edged smile. “Unless you’ve suddenly come into money, don’t expect anything extra from me. I’m not running a charity.”

  Lux automatically considered using the funds Ruby had given him, then dismissed it. That money wasn’t his to spend. He sighed. Looked like he’d be a carnivore for the foreseeable future.

  Twiggs interrupted his thoughts. “Can you cook, Lux?”

  “Yes,” Lux replied. He’d spent plenty of time in the kitchen at home and helped with pastries at his part time café job.

  Five pairs of eyes turned to him, sparkling. “Can you cook other food besides meat?” Azura asked so fast Lux almost missed it. He took a moment, then nodded. Was cooking really so rare here?

  Lux looked at their eager faces. Instead of embarrassing them, he came up with another plan to get more ingredients.

  “If you get me fruit and vegetables, I’ll make one meal a day for everyone.” Lux watched as five smiles bloomed. He could have them eating out of his hand with food! “I’ll also need one of those special storage pouches.”

  Chaos erupted as everyone started bombarding Magenta with requests. Magenta raised an eyebrow, her lips curving in a predatory grin. “Don’t get greedy. If you want something, you pay for it… no exceptions.” Her tone was brisk, and she wasted no time negotiating payment for collecting all the orders, making sure no one got more than they bargained for.

  Lux watched the scene in awe. He made a note to stay on Magenta’s good side. She was the only one who could bring him things from a city.

  Once Magenta left on her errand, Lux turned back to the others. Today, he’d continue his game of city building! His eyes gleamed as he looked at the group. “It’s time to get to work!”

  Before he could start construction on Silver City, he’d need to clear trees and shrubs around the current houses.

  The day went smoothly. The others cleared trees with brute force, thanks to the strength of Violet, Ruby, and Azura. Twiggs cleared the rubble, smoothed the ground, and watered the farm. Lux spent most of the day giving instructions and drawing up plans for new buildings.

  Magenta returned just before dinner and handed Lux a pouch. “Keep track of this. If you lose it, don’t expect a replacement,” she said, tone clipped and businesslike.

  He opened the strings and peered inside. Instantly, an image of the bag’s contents appeared in his mind: food, cooking utensils, seeds, and money, all neatly displayed like a game inventory.

  “This is amazing!” Lux forgot about his drawings and ran to the firepit. He could finally eat something besides meat! He began preparing bread and a simple vegetable kebab. Magenta sat nearby, watching him with critical interest.

  “Trying to impress me with burnt vegetables now?” Her sarcasm was as sharp as ever.

  Lux looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not marrying you,” he said pre-emptively.

  Magenta’s eyes narrowed, a cold smirk twisting her lips. “Don’t flatter yourself. I have standards.” She turned her attention to a parchment, dismissing him with a flick of her gaze.

  After a few minutes, she spoke again, her tone cool and almost bored. “Is this your so-called plan for the next part of Silver City?”

  Lux looked up and realised she had picked up his new city plan. “Yes. There are some important buildings we’ll need to construct, but we’ll need proper workers for those.” He nodded toward the shoddy houses as proof.

  Magenta followed his gaze and hummed in agreement, her eyes calculating as she considered the logistics. As they talked, the others drifted over and sat down. Lux finished skewering the vegetables and kneading the dough; now he just needed to wait for it to cook.

  While he worked, Magenta passed the blueprint around, her expression unreadable as she sized up each person’s reaction.

  “What are these buildings, Lux?” Azura finally asked, tilting the parchment.

  Lux took it back and smoothed it flat on the ground. “I’ll explain while we wait for dinner.”

  He tapped the largest structure near the lake. “This will be the heart of Silver City, the town hall. A proper hub for governance will be vital once we expand. I plan to use strong materials and have room for extensions as the city grows.”

  He slid his finger across the map. “I moved the living area closer to the lake. That gives us a cleaner water source, better access, and a view that could impress future visitors. I also plan to upgrade the houses, we can’t have people living in ramshackle huts.”

  Lux’s finger shifted again, landing on an open space. “The market. Silver City needs a proper place for trade.”

  He traced the outline of a blocky structure. “Storage depot for supplies.” Then another near the farms. “And a granary for food reserves.”

  Finally, he tapped a set of straight lines drawn under the map. “But before any of this, we need a sewage system. And a power source.”

  He looked up, expecting interest. Instead, the group just stared at him, blinking as if he’d spoken another language.

  Lux frowned. What did he say this time?