Reincarnate as Prince: Change Magical World with Industry

68 Barriers

When they arrived, Teeko and Halbur were already there. The dwarf was inspecting the soil while the goblin was checking the latest batch of products which were lined up in barrels and sacks across Mr. Sandor's plot.

It was a curious sight. Mr. Sandor was one of the few who elected to grow purely vegetables in his plot, and his proposal to Janus months ago included a huge variety of products. But Janus only saw one plant across his huge acre of the plot.

From the stacks of sacks being carried by wagons to the leaves jutting out of the soil. They were all sweet potatoes.

The bearded man welcomed Janus and Haruna as they arrived.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, your highness? I trust that your recovery has gone well? I have sent a couple of sacks free of charge to those who were sorely hit by the fires. 'Tis the best that we can do. We've been very fortunate lately. It's always good to share the blessings, as my mum told me when I was a boy."

"It is my pleasure Mr. Sandor. I apologize for coming here on such short notice. But I've been curious about your upsurge in production so I came here personally to inspect. Previous encounters had led us to believe that the land is full of magical interferences, and if there's something that's unusual that's going on with the soil, it is worth investigating immediately. I've brought a few of our friends with us. I hope you don't mind." Janus said.

Already he noticed Haruna's attention go somewhere else. She was staring at the fields towards Halbur, who was now taking samples of soil into test tubes before cutting down a small crop and labelling it as one of his samples.

The goblin and dwarf had come here via their own ox-drawn wagon, but this was different from the rest. It was a mobile workstation where they could store their tools and carry their equipment with them whenever they were called for work across the territory. It was a mix of steam-powered goblin engineering mixed with the elegance and design of dwarven crafts. The alchemists were nothing but geniuses, and they were very efficient at that.

"Oh not at all," Sandor said. "To tell you the truth I am also baffled at what's happening here. If anything I'd like to find answers for this productivity myself. I tried beets and cabbages and regular potatoes, but their yields are mediocre at best. The sweet potatoes though, they just keep multiplying, so I just went ahead and planted more of them. The people seem to like it, and they can't get enough. So here we are now."

The man was clearly proud of his yield, and there was little to be gained from cheating his produce as they were always adjusting prices based on need and quantity.

"If there's anything I can serve while ye check out my fields. I would gladly oblige."

Janus nodded. "A few refreshments should do Mr. Sandor."

"As you wish." The man bowed down and went back to his home.

They approached the alchemists, who were now putting their samples into flasks of varying shapes and sizes.

Their workshop puffed steam with a multitude vents and whistles that surrounded its exterior. It had a desk and cabinet full of instruments and supplies, and at the top was a stove which held various experiments and brews.

Janus didn't know what he was looking at. Haruna seemed just as perplexed.

"So, what do you think? Anything out of the ordinary going on here?"

"Well, your highness I don't see anything different from the soil samples. They seemed to be the same as the samples that we've collected from other fields. I don't see anything wrong with its makeup or composition. And I've checked the produce as well. No untoward chemical reactions whatsoever."

Janus couldn't see how they came up with this conclusion by only looking at the steam dials and moving liquids. But perhaps that's why he's not an alchemist.

"Lady Haruna, any arcane anomalies in the area?"

Haruna raised her staff and focused her vision on the plot of vegetables. Janus could sense the undulation of arcane energies around her as it pulsed from her eyes to the length of the plot. It carefully swept across the field and dug through the earth like how he imagined a radar would scan for lost metals.

"I don't see anything in the soil that's out of the ordinary. What I sense is a surge in vitality. The crops are growing really really well."

"Are you sure?" Janus asked.

"As sure as I can ever be, and since we're here. Why don't you give it a try? The spell is called Arcane Vision. Try to stretch it out for a few meters at first."

Janus checked the spellbook that she gave her. The spell was in one of the first few chapters. It was a spell that was mostly used to check for traps or curses in any given area. It was also a helpful tool if you lost something of value, like missing coins or pens. Anything with unusual arcane energy will pulse with vibrant color and will be readily visible to the caster. Experts could even use it to see through the dark.

"Remember, only a few feet. Don't overdo it." She said.

Janus was suddenly hit by nerves. "Did you check our surroundings? Are you sure there's nothing dangerous lurking here?"

She shook her head. "It's fine. Trust me."

He took a deep breath, and envisioned his Wellspring.

Janus relished the feeling again, after a few days of debilitation it was good to get back to this place of vast glowing lights and endless streams.

"You're getting distracted... remember the spell. Focus your vision."

He snapped himself out of it and concentrated back to the real world as the spell book instructed. Just a few meters, he focused on a single dot, and then a line. There was immediate feedback, he could feel the richness of the soil. He could feel the roots clawing downward to the earth. Any distinct magic would show itself as a striking violet, neon green, or magenta. Depending on the magics makeup. There was nothing of the sort. He wandered his vision to the right, then the left and then upwards. Until he hit a wall.

He looked for the edges of the wall, there was none. It was a cylindrical shape that surrounded him and Lady Haruna, around four meters in radius by his estimation.

"Are you doing this?" he asked.

"Yes. That's how you block your magic from other onlookers, and this is also how you shield yourself from offensive magic. Although its strength varies on how many wellsprings you have, and it will fail if any incoming attack is stronger. This is what we should have done when Mudghardu was inside that pond. With a shield in place, he would have never been able to invade your Wellspring that easily. Alas, that time is done, but your lessons have only begun. This is the second spell I'd like to teach you for today. So watch closely."

Janus studied her spell. He had already read about barriers. The technique was simple, dip into your Wellspring, and carefully stack hexagonal shapes together to form a wall. The book specifically teaches you how to make a two-dimensional plane in front of you, and it already had ten pages of instruction. Haruna's barrier was a three-dimensional cylindrical shape. The thought of creating something like this excited him, but he had to take it slow.

She glanced at her. "Try it. One hexagon is fine. Take it slow." She said.

Janus steadied himself and opened the pages in front of him. He took a deep breath again and took a pinch of energy from the Well. He carefully traced the shape with his mind and lined them up straight in front of him. Separate techniques held together to form the perfect shape. Could that be it?

"Very good!" She said. "Now try it a little more straighter. It's best to try out different angles, they all have their uses."

Master Sandor came with some lemonade while his daughter prepared a table and chairs for them. 

He excused himself from Haruna for a minute and went back to the farmer.

"Master Sandor, about the sweet potatoes you brought with you? Was that sourced from any foreign merchant?"

"Not from what I remember Prince Janus, this is Gracewood Manor produce. The very same thing we grew during your tenure as leader. I remember how reluctant we were by then on switching our preferred crops. That was foolish in hindsight eh? I tell ya that."

Could it be that simple?

"No unusual chemicals, no trace of dark magic or necromancy. It's probably the soil then. We'll have to make tests."

He looked toward the alchemists, who were also coming by for refreshments.

"Master Halbur, Master Teeko, can you do some further experiments for me? My hypothesis is that the soil from the ashes of Brimstone, our fertilizer and the sweet potatoes are creating this reaction. Together they all contribute to this abnormal surge in production. Can you do some test cases and collect data? If this turns out to be true then we'll be swimming in sweet potatoes in no time. And we'll be able to meet the demand."