Back at the Security Department, Ayesha had been dozing off when she heard there was a letter from Bella. She practically bounced out of her seat, her purple eyes wide with excitement. "What?! A letter from my sister?"
"We need you to verify it, Miss Ayesha," The soldier said, handing over the parchment.
"Let me see!" Ayesha shook her head to clear the cobwebs—she had stayed up far too late playing poker the night before. She untied the string, unfurled the sheepskin, and began to read.
Ayesha, it's been a long time. Didn't expect a letter from me, did you? I've claimed a piece of territory in the Chaos Lands and made a home here...
How are you doing? Is anyone bullying you? You should come visit the territory. If you do, come with Nancy; I miss you...
The population here is growing, but we lack development and supplies, especially wheat. I've liberated some goods and want to trade them for grain...
Ayesha finished the letter quickly. She recognized the handwriting and the blunt tone immediately. Only Bella would state so plainly that she had liberated (stolen) goods.
"Where are they? Where's Nancy?" Ayesha turned to the soldier.
"There are quite a few of them, so they're being held at the main border checkpoint," He answered honestly.
"Which one?" Ayesha grabbed her Overlord Spear from the wall. "Has the City Lord been notified?"
"The one by the farmlands. The manor was notified in advance."
"Right, let's go!" Ayesha shouldered her spear and ran out of the Security Department, only to find Freya waiting at the door with a squad.
"Lord Lucas's orders: you are in charge of this encounter," Freya said seriously.
"Got it!" Ayesha gave a bright, hearty laugh. This feeling of absolute trust was intoxicating.
The cow-girl mounted her horse and led the hundred-man team on a gallop toward the farmlands. Freya followed behind, her eyes flickering with thought. She hadn't expected Bella to actually stabilize a territory in the Chaos Lands, let alone send an envoy. She just hoped that madwoman wouldn't do anything to disrupt the peace; Sedona city was thriving, and Freya didn't want anything ruining what they had built.
*
Half an hour later, Ayesha's group reached the checkpoint. Across the spiked barricades, she spotted the familiar figures.
"Nancy!" Ayesha waved and shouted.
"Haha! It's Miss Ayesha!" Nancy laughed joyfully and spurred her horse forward.
"Let them through," Freya ordered the checkpoint captain, producing the token Lucas had given her.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers moved quickly to pull back the heavy wooden barriers.
As soon as the path was clear, Ayesha charged forward to meet Nancy. "Nancy! How's the Big Sister?"
"Lady Bella is doing well," Nancy replied with a smile.
"Miss Ayesha," Obi added, riding up and bowing respectfully, followed by the rest of the beastkin knights.
"Hey! If it isn't Obi! Has your strength improved at all?" Ayesha laughed boisterously.
"Er..." Obi's face stiffened, his mouth twitching. He was genuinely terrified of Ayesha bringing up strength. Back at the mountain stronghold, Ayesha loved to challenge people to feats of power; once, during an arm-wrestling match, she had accidentally snapped Obi's arm, leaving him in a cast for two months.
"Wait... is that... Miss Freya?!" Obi's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw the figure behind Ayesha.
"What?!" Nancy's jaw dropped. She stared at the wolf-girl in disbelief. What was a ruthless fighter like her doing here?
Freya gave them a flat look before focusing her gaze on the unit of beastkin knights behind them.
"They're here to escort the goods. The Chaos Lands are a mess, after all," Nancy explained quickly, sensing the tension.
"Alright, now that you're here, let's get you into the city," Ayesha said, her cow tail swishing happily.
"Lead the way," Nancy said, letting out a breath of relief.
Ayesha turned her horse around, leading the procession. Freya signaled her soldiers to fan out, flanking the beastkin knights on both sides. It was a standard security measure, and though Nancy and Obi frowned slightly, they didn't object.
As the party moved past the checkpoint, the horizon opened up into a vast expanse of lush green. Fields of vegetables and grain stretched as far as the eye could see.
"This..." Nancy and Obi stared, dumbfounded. In just a few months, this much food had been planted? It looked like enough to feed a hundred thousand people.
"Impressive, right?" Ayesha lifted her chin proudly. "The Master arranged all of this."
"Master?" Nancy repeated, stunned.
"Yeah. We don't have to worry about going hungry anymore," Ayesha said, her purple hair swaying. "Big Sister can buy all the grain she needs here."
Nancy and Obi exchanged a look, a bitter smile crossing their faces. They weren't just shocked by the fields; they were shocked that Ayesha—the proud warrior—was calling a human Master. If Lady Bella found out her sister was serving a mere human Baron, she'd hit the roof.
Freya, riding nearby, caught their expressions and smirked. Hadn't she felt the exact same way when Princess Annie first called Lucas Master? Now, she wouldn't have it any other way.
As they rode deeper into the territory, the wonders only increased. They saw laborers scattering powder over the crops.
"That's fertilizer. It makes the wheat grow better," Ayesha explained, repeating what Annie had told her during their last patrol.
"Oh..." Nancy and Obi nodded blankly, having no idea what fertilizer actually was.
Vroom... chug-chug-chug...
"Wait! What is that?" Nancy pointed toward a group of people gathered around a machine. Two men were pushing it forward, and the soil was being flipped over with effortless ease.
"I actually don't know that one. Probably some new experiment," Ayesha admitted, shaking her head.
Freya's eyes narrowed slightly. She knew. She had heard Annie mention they were testing a new motorized plowing tool.
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