The Mondstadt wilderness at night was indeed extremely dangerous.
Rushing along while monsters were active was tantamount to courting death. Arkz's movements while traveling attracted the greedy gazes of quite a few monsters.
The wild boar that had trembled in fear upon seeing Arkz during the day now dared to charge at him under the cover of night. Arkz could only thank the heavens for this gift and accept the delicious wild boar meat.
If Ellin could persuade her parents tomorrow, then her parents and Ellin would most likely visit his farm as guests. At that time, he could use the wild boar meat to treat Ellin and her parents.
Hmm, since I have a fishing rod now, I can go to the riverbank to catch a few fish. There are many small rivers near Springvale, and the fish in them are quite plump.
Should I get some more ingredients and go to Mondstadt's commercial street to buy some vegetables and seasonings?
Arkz thought as he sped towards the direction of Springvale Farm.
Whenever monsters on the road tried to ambush him, he would simply kill a few that weren't paying attention. Knowing that Arkz was not to be trifled with, these monsters naturally retreated.
Finally, with Arkz traveling at full speed, he successfully returned to the farm before the moon rose.
The Patrol Team's patrol mission started in the middle of the night. This was Amu's first day on the job, and being late would not be good.
Therefore, upon seeing Arkz return, Amu, who was anxiously guarding the farm while worrying about being late for the upcoming assembly time, greeted Arkz from afar and immediately rushed towards the assembly point for the Patrol Team.
Watching Amu's departing figure, Arkz waved his hand from a distance.
After returning, Arkz did not rest immediately. First, he walked around the farm to inspect it once, and then he carefully checked the plant seeds he had just sown.
Seeing that all the seeds he planted were intact, not damaged by wild boars or Hilichurls, and not eaten by crows, Arkz nodded with satisfaction.
It seemed that Amu gaining wisdom had its benefits. Previously, Arkz had worried that the wooden puppets he summoned had intelligence that was too low to properly care for the farm. Now, it appeared that under Amu's leadership, these farms were being well protected by the wooden puppets.
Because he was curious whether these wooden puppets would turn into monsters like Amu, Arkz made these wooden puppets permanent. They only required periodic replenishment of Elemental Power to prevent them from dissipating.
However, from the current perspective, these wooden puppets had not yet developed intelligence like Amu.
Since Amu performed well today, Arkz planned to reward him handsomely tonight with a surprise.
Previously, as a condition for Amu joining the Patrol Team, Arkz had promised to build a temporary rest outpost near the farm for the Patrol Team to use. Since he had time now, he might as well finish it immediately.
Thinking this, Arkz arrived at an open space next to the farm. This spot was conveniently adjacent to the main road connecting Springvale to Mondstadt City, which the Patrol Team passed through every night.
Building a pavilion here would also allow passing travelers to take shelter from the rain and rest for a while.
No sooner said than done, Arkz immediately summoned the wooden puppets to start working. If there was one thing Arkz didn't lack now, it was wood.
Although these wooden puppets had no brains, they were excellent at manual labor. As condensates of Dendro Elemental Power, they could recover stamina and injuries by absorbing Dendro Elemental Power, and they felt no fatigue or exhaustion, making them very easy to use.
Under Arkz's command and the hard work of the wooden puppets, the pavilion was built in less than three minutes.
Although Arkz had not studied carpentry, and the coordination between the wooden puppets was insufficient, resulting in the pavilion built in three minutes looking rickety and seemingly ready to collapse in a gust of wind, there was no need to worry. This was Teyvat; this was a fantasy world possessing Elemental Power.
Arkz waved his hands, and Dendro Elemental Power enveloped the entire pavilion.
Nourished by the Dendro Elemental Power, the originally lifeless wood began to sprout and grow anew. The growing branches twisted and turned according to Arkz's will, moving as he commanded.
A moment later, under the magical refinement of the Dendro Elemental Power, the entire pavilion became seamlessly integrated, exquisite, and magnificent. It looked exactly like a work of art meticulously carved and designed by a master carpenter.
Arkz waved his hand, dismissed the wooden puppets, and then slowly walked into the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, under Arkz's control, benches and a tea table made of branches grew. Sitting inside to drink tea and chat seemed to possess a unique charm.
After simply decorating the interior of the pavilion, Arkz left with satisfaction.
He was exhausted today. Arkz lay on the bed, just about to sleep, when he remembered he still had work to do, so he could only reluctantly get up.
Yesterday, as Amu's guardian, Arkz had to display his skills and brew a pot of calming and refreshing Raspberry Mint Tea to apologize to the Patrol Team members who were startled by Amu.
He didn't owe the Patrol Team anything now, nor did the agreement he reached with Grey stipulate that he had to provide tea. Naturally, he wouldn't stay up late to brew tea for the Patrol Team.
Although it only required Arkz to sprinkle a handful of Raspberry and a handful of Mint, wait two minutes for it to brew, and then hand it over to the other wooden puppets to keep warm on the stove, Arkz, who was too lazy to even brew tea or boil water for himself usually, was unwilling to exert this effort.
Unfortunately, since he needed a favor from Grey tonight, he had to work hard and stay up late.
While lying in bed just now, Arkz suddenly thought that since Old Man Grey had been in the Knights of Favonius for so many years, he must be very familiar with the internal intricacies of the Knights.
Considering that he had confidently promised Ellin earlier that he could help her pass the Knights' assessment within a month, Arkz planned to ask Grey, this senior of the Knights of Favonius.
Although he knew Noelle had sufficient strength and only failed the assessment due to a personality flaw, what if, after a month of arduous training by him, Ellin failed for reasons similar to Noelle's? Wouldn't his promise become a joke?
Thinking of this, Arkz decided to put extra effort into the tea he prepared tonight. To curry favor with Grey, he also planned to specially make a plate of pastries for him.
Oh, and a reward for Amu. As a member of the Patrol Team, when the other members were drinking tea, he couldn't let Amu sit on the sidelines. So, he would prepare a cup of highly concentrated liquid drink of Dendro Elemental Power for Amu.
That was guaranteed to make Amu very happy.
With this thought, the list of tasks requiring his attention grew longer.
He had initially chosen to become a farmer because the farm work seemed limited; how come it felt no easier than before?
While Arkz was preparing for the arrival of the Patrol Team here, a fierce argument erupted in Ellin's home on the other side.
Ellin's Home.
Herman slammed the table, roaring angrily, "No! I forbid it. That kid must have taken a liking to our Ellin and is trying to trick her into being his girlfriend."
"I cannot allow my daughter to be deceived by someone whose background is unknown."
Ellin said helplessly, "Father! You are overthinking things."