Novgar grinned, his lips curling awkwardly around his jutting tusks. “Novgar secured all the participants in the battle royal! They will start to come from tomorrow!” He puffed out his chest, shoulders rolling back, and looked at Lux with open pride and expectation, his breath fogging slightly in the cool night air.

  A laugh burst from Lux, bright and genuine, the tension of the day loosening from his chest. “Novgar, I think you are my Lucky Charm!” He clapped Novgar on his broad back, feeling the heat and solid muscle. He could hardly wait to put all those Large Worlders to work! The possibilities buzzed through his mind like fireflies.

  Lux kept the praise coming, showering Novgar with thanks until his cheeks ached and sleep started to pull at the edges of his awareness. The man had earned it. Before turning in, Lux made sure Constance and Grace were settled into the empty house next to his own.

  When morning came, Lux blinked awake to the soft orange light spilling through his window and the distant crow of a bird he still couldn’t name. He scratched the twenty-ninth line into his wall with the stone he kept beside his bed.

  Lux rose, dusted off his hands then stepped outside, the brisk morning air biting his cheeks, and headed for the fire pit. The smoke from damp logs stung his nose, and he relished the gentle warmth on his face as he approached.

  The logs around the flames were crowded, conversation a low hum. Only one seat was left, right beside Novgar, who was waving him over enthusiastically, nearly knocking over his mug in the process. “Morning Lucky Charm! Novgar saved you a seat.”

  Someone handed Lux a plate, the ceramic still warm from the fire. The smell of toasted bread and something sweet made his stomach growl.

  As he glanced at the food, a sudden pang of guilt hit him, he’d forgotten his promise to cook for the group. The realisation prickled at his skin, but no one had mentioned it. He had enough to do already without adding breakfast chef to his list. Lux decided to stay quiet.

  Trella struck up a conversation as Lux ate, “Lux, we couldn’t start on the main roads yesterday because we were waiting for materials. Instead, we started building the granary and mill. Also, the caravan will return today, so we’ll need to harvest the next batch of produce.”

  Lux had completely forgotten about the caravan’s return. A jolt of excitement and mild panic shot through him. He rubbed his hands together, feeling the hope of profit. “Great, let me know as soon as the caravan gets here. Building the granary and mill was a smart choice, we’ll need both to start stockpiling grains. Where did you build them?”

  “We started the granary near the current farms,” Trella replied, eyes bright with pride. “It’s right where the main road will be, leading to the new fields. That way, it’s close to the centre of the city for distribution but also makes supply easy.”

  “The mill is in the same area for now. We built it to be easy to dismantle, since it’ll need to move when the farm moves. So, it’s only a semi-structure at the moment. It might affect grain processing a little. Sorry.”

  Lux waved his hand, brushing the apology aside, and offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who changed my mind about where the farm should go.” There was a flicker of embarrassment in his chest, his grand plans shifted often, and he knew it. “You did the right thing making the mill easy to move. We’ll make it permanent once it’s in the official spot.”

  As Trella described the placements, Lux could almost picture the city’s future, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and new sawdust. “After harvesting today, keep working on the granary and mill. How long will it take?”

  “Not long, two more days at most. That’ll also give time for the supplies you ordered to arrive.” Trella looked satisfied and returned to his breakfast, the steady clink of his spoon on the bowl grounding the moment.

  Lux scanned the group, searching for Constance. She was sitting next to Ruby, their heads bowed in quiet conversation, voices low and private. Lux hesitated, heart tapping an excited rhythm in his chest, but decided to wait until breakfast was done before pulling Constance aside to talk about the winery, he needed to get it running to bring in more income.

  As the group broke up, Lux approached Constance, the morning sun catching the auburn in her hair. Grace was nearby, gathering the dishes, her movements quick and practiced. “Constance, I wanted to talk to you about the winery.”

  Constance smiled and patted the log next to her, inviting him to sit. The log was cool and slightly damp under Lux’s fingers. She called Grace over as well.

  Lux took a good look at Grace for the first time, noticing how the freckles across her nose mirrored her sister’s, but her eyes were a startling, bright hazel that seemed to catch the light and hold it. The siblings’ resemblance tugged at something in Lux, a pang of longing for his own family.

  Constance interrupted his thoughts with a gentle laugh. “Grace is a mechanical engineer. You’re lucky Novgar picked us both up. I couldn’t design a fully working winery without her. She’ll handle the machines, and I’ll handle the structure.”

  Lux’s eyes widened, his breath caught. “That’s wonderful news!” He couldn’t help the delighted laughter that followed, a lightness rising in his chest. He wasted no time showing them the city plans, unrolling the parchment with eager fingers, then moved on to his ideas for the winery. “What do you think?”

  “Lux… how do I say this nicely…” Constance let out a slow breath, her gaze steady but kind. “Your plans are too ambitious. A city takes time to grow.” She paused, watching his reaction. Lux felt heat rise in his face but forced himself to stay open, bracing for critique.

  Constance chewed her lip, glancing at Grace for support, then went on. “I hate to dissuade you, but you need to scale down your plans. Unless you have a way to attract a major influx of people, you’ll end up bankrupt.”

  Lux nodded, his anxiety started to disperse. Two days ago, Trella had given him the same advice. It had felt good, knowing Trella was worried about him, and now that same mixture of embarrassment and gratitude welled up as he looked at Constance. “Thank you for your advice, Constance. It means a lot. But I do have a way to bring in a massive influx of people. I’m actually worried my plans aren’t grand enough.”

  Constance raised a sceptical brow. “Can you share your plan?”

  Lux shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I can’t tell you how, but I promise Silver City will flourish.” His confidence was clear in his tone.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Constance scrutinised him for a moment, then her features softened into a smile. “Okay, I believe you. This will be exciting, then. I always like watching things grow from nothing.”

  Constance held out her hand, her skin cool and dry against Lux’s. “Lux, I think I’m going to enjoy working with you.” Lux shook her hand, his own palm slightly clammy.

  “Should we draw up a formal contract?” The negotiations with the sisters began, the air filled with the soft murmur of their voices and scratching of pens on paper.

  When Lux finally had the contract in hand, he groaned, rubbing his temples. Who knew architects and mechanical engineers were so expensive? Five gold a day for each! A headache threatened behind his eyes.

  Luckily, after hearing about the potential for Fire wine and Ice wine, they agreed to delay their salaries for now, as long as he provided food and shelter.

  He spent the next hour talking through his plans for the orchard and winery, the sun climbing higher and the sweat starting to bead at his temples. Constance and Grace let him go when a female Large Worlder suddenly appeared at the camp. “Papka is looking for Novgar of the Bluehill Boulder Tribe,” she said, her voice rough as gravel.

  Novgar hadn’t lied, workers were arriving, starting today. Papka’s muscular green arms looked ready to uproot trees with ease. “Follow me, I’ll take you to Novgar,” Lux said, “so Papka what tribe are you from?” queried Lux trying to make conversation as they walked toward the lake.

  Papka met his efforts with silence, her heavy footsteps crunching over loose stones. Lux shrugged off the cold shoulder, this was his new worker, after all. He didn’t care if they weren’t friendly, as long as they got the job done!

  They found Novgar by the lake, his huge hands already plucking trees from the damp earth, the smell of crushed leaves and soil hanging in the air. Papka left Lux’s side without a word, heading straight to Novgar. After a few quick hand gestures from Novgar, Papka started working immediately.

  Lux’s grin widened as he saw Papka wasn’t the only Large Worlder gathering trees. She wasn’t the first to arrive! Lux waved to Novgar and got a beaming smile in return, pride swelling in his chest. Things were really working out.

  A shout pulled his attention away. Trella was running toward him, breathless, cheeks flushed. “They’ve arrived!” He stopped in front of him, catching his breath and clutching his side. “The convoy is back, Lux.” Trella motioned toward the farm. Lux hurried off, heart pounding with anticipation, eager to see how much they’d earned.

  The caravans were lined up neatly by the farm, Pigbulls stamping and huffing, the clatter of crates and shouted instructions filling the air. Behind the wagons, workers were already collecting the next harvest.

  A middle-aged man, dressed in spotless, neat clothes that seemed almost comically out of place among the mud and sweat, stood out as he directed a worker loading baskets of tomatoes into an empty caravan.

  “Trella, is that the man you chose as merchant?”

  Trella, following close behind, nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yes, that’s George. He’s a crafty old fox when it comes to negotiating. He’ll have gotten you a good price.”

  Lux approached George eagerly, feeling the crunch of gravel under his boots. The man recognised him and smiled, crow’s feet deepening at the corners of his eyes. “Here’s the payment for the produce.” George handed over a money pouch and a parchment. Lux’s fingers tingled with anticipation as he opened the parchment first.

  It was a breakdown of the produce sold.

  Rice: 5,500 gold

  Wheat: 5,000 gold

  Potatoes: 20,000 gold

  Carrots: 30,000 gold

  Beans: 20,000 gold

  Tomatoes: 15,000 gold

  Total: 95,000 gold.

  Lux’s jaw dropped at the total. For a moment, the world went silent except for the distant chirp of a bird. Was food in Mystic Beau as precious as gold? How had they managed to pull in so much from just one harvest? His heart pounded, ears buzzing. When Lux finally caught his breath, he realised why the haul was so massive.

  What would take months to grow had been produced in just a few days. The glittering ninety-five thousand gold was all thanks to Twiggs and his uncanny ability to coax rapid growth from the plants.

  Thinking of Twiggs made Lux want to cry, a twist of gratitude and worry tightening in his chest. He’d have to send the man away soon to secure the Frozen North Glacial Bees for the Icebreath flowers. While Twiggs was gone, his main source of income would dry up.

  Lux looked at the fields being harvested, the scent of crushed grass and sun-warmed earth rising on the wind. At least he could get one more big payout before Twiggs left. Twiggs had also expanded the fields, adding six more acres to the original four.

  He planned to keep all the wheat and rice from the current harvest for the granary, but the vegetables would be sold for even more profit than last time.

  Lux opened the money pouch, the cool metal coins clinking together, and transferred the funds to the city account. He checked the ledger and smiled, feeling the weight of responsibility, but also hope, settle on his shoulders.

  Silver City

  Treasury: 465,000 gold, 608 silver, 215 bronze

  Population: 8 (Permanent), 25 (Temporary)

  Contracted Workers: Labourers, Merchant, Architect, Mechanical Engineer

  Buildings: 10 shoddy houses, Farm, Dirt Path, Town Hall, Logging Factory, Granary (under construction), Mill (under construction).

  He’d almost made back everything he’d spent on materials the day before.

  He wondered how much would be needed for the winery. Hopefully Constance and Grace could come up with a design quickly, so he could set aside the funds and use the rest for other projects.

  George cleared his throat, snapping Lux out of his thoughts with a soft, polite cough. “That was the best offer I could get. Sorry, Lux, I’ll try harder next time.” George bowed his head in apology, the gesture genuine.

  Lux realised he’d been standing there in silence, still reeling from the numbers. George must have misread his reaction. Heat crept up Lux’s neck, and he hurried to clear up the misunderstanding. “No, George, you did a great job. I was just so amazed at the result that I was momentarily stunned!”

  At his outburst, George brightened instantly. “I’m glad you’re happy with the results.” George’s eyes crinkled as he launched into a story about his travels and the sale. Lux listened patiently, the cadence of George’s voice soothing. But when he spotted Twiggs, he excused himself, the urgency of unfinished business tugging him away.

  Twiggs was bent over, tickling a leaf and cooing at a plant, his hands gentle, the soft green glow of his magic making the veins shimmer. Lux waited for him to finish, savouring the earthy scent that always surrounded Twiggs’ work. “Lux, do you need me for something?” Twiggs raised an eyebrow, his tone patient but curious.

  “Yes, I need you to go and secure the Frozen North Glacial Bees.” Lux wasn’t worried about being overheard, his contract with Trella’s group included confidentiality. Still, a knot of worry twisted in his gut as he made the request.

  Twiggs hummed, thoughtful. “I was wondering when you’d ask. But are you sure you want me to leave now? I won’t be able to help with the land or encourage plant growth while I’m away.”

  Lux had already weighed the pros and cons, but a wave of uncertainty still washed through him. He needed a steady income to finish his projects. He’d also thought about what would happen if Twiggs was no longer able to help with the farms.

  The new farms, planned outside Silver City’s borders, would have to get by without Twiggs’ help. Lux needed a secure food source without putting all the burden on one person. As he was about to confirm his choice, another thought struck him.

  “Twiggs, are you all healed? If you’re still recovering, forget about going. Your health is more important. Maybe we should cut down on your work, too.” Regret pinched at Lux’s chest, he’d been so focused on progress, he’d forgotten to check on a friend.

  Twiggs chuckled softly, the sound somehow reassuring. “Lux, I’m all healed. Azura gave me some potions to help with speeding up the process.”

  Lux paused, searching Twiggs’ face for any hint of pain or fatigue. “Was it a healing potion?” Twiggs nodded, a gentle smile accompanied the movement.

  “Holy shit, this world really is like a game sometimes!” Lux said, shaking his head in amazement. Once again, he was struck by how Mystic Beau resembled the games from earth, magic, dungeons, potions, people from other worlds, it really was like living inside one big open world game.

  He soon set aside his wonder and discussed Twiggs’ trip. They decided Twiggs would leave tomorrow. At the time, Lux had no idea how much he relied on Twiggs to get things done in Silver City. A week later, it was crystal clear.