The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects: Volume 2

????—Dias

Y-You’re going to try your hand at farming? Sir Dias, such a thing is impossible in the plains. As I’m sure you’ve noticed already, all that grows out there is grass. Not to mention, many before you have tried their hand at cultivating fields on the grasslands, but all have failed.

My own father, Enkars, ignored the laws of the royal family and tried to use the plains as though they were part of his own domain, but his scheme failed. He tried everything to grow produce, but none of it worked. Sir Dias, farming is not the only way for you to acquire food...

That’s what Eldan told me in the midst of a murky fog. He was clearly very worried and was really trying to persuade me to put my efforts elsewhere. I took his feedback and thought about it, but in the end I just had to tell him how I felt.

I still have to give it my best shot, I said. Better to try and fail, and all that.

I thought that’s what I said. I felt like that’s what I said.

Well, if you’re most certain, then okay! I will do everything in my power to support you in your endeavor! Once I’m back home I’ll arrange for some farming tools and have Kamalotz bring them to you! We still have mountains of them from when my father tried to cultivate the lands himself; they’re yours to use as you wish!

As he finished, Eldan thumped his chest with a fist, and his face filled with a huge grin. I wanted to tell him how grateful I was, so I said...something to that effect, though I don’t know exactly what. All the same, Eldan nodded.

That was about the time I realized I was dreaming. The things that Eldan and I had talked about when we first met were coming back to me in my sleep and replaying in my dream. Well, maybe not quite as they had happened, considering Eldan had never flapped through the skies with his gigantic elephant ears. Also, there had been no murky fog surrounding us back then either. What the heck was going on in my dream?

Once it hit me that I was dreaming, I woke up and found myself in the dim dusk of my yurt, in bed. The morning sun was just starting to peek from the skylight. My head felt heavy and I was still a bit groggy from lack of sleep.

The previous night, Alna had picked up some foolish bandits with her sensor magic, so we’d taught them a lesson, taken their weapons, and driven them out of the domain. Then we’d come back to Iluk Village, stashed the weapons in the storehouse, and finally jumped into bed.

The problem was, all that excitement so late at night meant I couldn’t get a restful sleep; those pesky bandits were annoying me even after I’d kicked them out. That left me groggy and lost in my own thoughts until I heard a couple of voices.

"Francis, Dias’s hair is not delicious," said one on my right.

Yeah, you can’t eat it, said one on my left.

It was Senai and Ayhan, both talking in their sleep. I slipped out of bed quietly so as not to wake them, astounded that they seemed to be sharing the same dream. I looked around the yurt, but I couldn’t see Alna anywhere, which meant she was already up and outside somewhere. I knew she was an early riser, but I was surprised that she was out of the yurt so early; usually she would have been preparing breakfast around this time.

And if she is then I guess I’ll help her.

I left the yurt and was met by a morning mist, surrounding the plains in a gentle haze that was chilly on the skin. I headed first to the village’s well, where I found Alna and the grannies, all hunched down around buckets of water, washing food for breakfast.

The ladies laughed when they saw me and told me I was a very sleepy-looking early bird. When Alna noticed, she joined in. I listened to the laughter while I splashed my face with well water, washing away my drowsiness and cleaning myself up.

I told Alna that I’d help out with breakfast, but all I could really do was keep an eye on the heat of the stove and stir the pot to make sure our breakfast didn’t burn. It wasn’t much, but Alna was always happy for it and she always thanked me.

The sun rose, and breakfast was ready by the time the haze had cleared under the sunlight. There wasn’t a cloud under the vibrant blue sky, and that meant we’d all be eating outside. Alna woke the twins, and now that Klaus was finally up the two of us went about putting the rugs and the tables in the village square. When the tables were set up Maya and her troupe of grannies started putting the food out.

Once we were done everybody came together at the tables and we all had breakfast. We chatted among ourselves, and I asked the villagers if there was anything bothering them and how they were feeling. There were no real problems to speak of though, and everyone was pretty comfortable and in fine health.

In fact, Grandma Maya and her friends were all looking sprightly. Compared to how they used to live they were the very picture of health; they slept well and woke early, and the aches and pains in their joints had eased up.

I had to think this was thanks to Alna’s use of medicinal herbs. I’d noticed an improvement to my own health since I’d started eating them too. Those herbs were part of each and every day, whether in our food, in Alna’s tea, or in her other herbal concoctions, and when I thought about it, I realized that we really used a whole lot of herbs.

If our small village uses this many herbs, then the onikin village must use so much more, I said as the thought dawned on me. Alna, where in the world do the onikin get so many of them? Do the herbs grow somewhere?

We gather herbs when we find them, and we trade with merchants for whatever else we need, but for the most part we grow them to ensure that we always have enough.

Huh? The onikin people grow herbs? But that would mean...

So do the onikin people have fields of herbs then? I asked.

Dias, don’t be stupid, replied Alna bluntly. We have to be ready to move our entire village at a moment’s notice, so of course we don’t. We grow our herbs in pots that we can carry with us.

Oh, I see. Potted plants, huh?

Admittedly, I was hoping that I’d be able to learn something from them if they had fields, but when I thought about it some more, I realized that there was probably a lot I could learn from the onikin’s potted plants too.

Alna, could you tell me more about how the onikin grow their herbs? I think it’ll help me when I try my own hand at farming.

Sorry, Dias, but I don’t really know all that much about it. You’re better off asking the chieftain.

That took me by surprise. Alna was so knowledgeable about using the herbs, but she didn’t know anything about growing them? As it turned out, the growing of the herbs was left to the village’s elderly and those who couldn’t hunt due to injury or whatever else. Alna had never been a part of growing the herbs. It was actually considered inauspicious for healthy onikin to take part in the growing process, so while they were taught all about how to use herbs, they weren’t taught a thing about how to grow them.

Moll was pretty much at the center of the village’s elderly, so she was the best person to ask for quick answers to any questions I had.

Hm, I murmured. Well, if that’s the case, then I guess I’ll be making a visit to the onikin village to see Moll. Anybody want to join me?

Alna and the grandmas said that they had chores to do, so they couldn’t go. As for Klaus, he had to stay to ensure there was someone to guard our village, so he couldn’t go either. Senai and Ayhan stubbornly refused to go somewhere full of people they didn’t know, so in the end it was just me, Francis, and Francoise.

It wasn’t a long trip to and from the onikin village, and I didn’t have to worry about danger on the way, so I didn’t need to prepare all that much. I left my axe in my yurt and headed right out.

At the Onikin Village

While we walked, Francis and Francoise ate their fill of grass, and I stared out at the plains and wondered about where best to start cultivating fields. We did a little wandering along the way, but we made it to the onikin village before noon.

I told the guards at the entrance why I was there, and they let me inside without a fuss. I could hear a few of the onikin men mumbling about how I’d stolen Alna away, but I tried not to pay it any mind as I walked to Moll’s big old yurt, located right in the middle of the village.

Moll, are you in there? I said as I stood at the door. Got something I wanted to ask you about. Do you mind if I come in?

No need for long introductions. Just come on inside already! she shouted back, louder than I’d expected for a woman her age.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I entered the yurt with the two baars. It seemed to me that Moll still had a lot of pep left in her and would live a lot longer yet. I took a seat in front of Moll, who was at the far end of the yurt, and got straight to the point. I told her about how I was planning to do some farming and explained that I wanted to learn about what the onikin did with their potted plants since it might help me in my own efforts.

With each word I spoke, Moll’s expression grew grimmer; her face filled with wrinkles as her brow furrowed deeper and deeper. All that pep from before seemed to desert her as she replied in a low voice.

Farming, she muttered slowly. I don’t think you’ll meet with success in that endeavor. Now I don’t know why, but crops won’t grow on the plains. You may as well call it impossible. Some generations ago our ancestors had a special method for farming here, but the methods have since been lost to war and time. I’ll tell you all about our herb cultivation, but I don’t have anything for you when it comes to farming the lands.

Eldan had told me pretty much the same thing. He’d said that the only thing that grew on the grassy plains was, well, grass. I could tell then that it really was tough to farm the lands. But I didn’t think that was any reason to just give up. If the onikin people had succeeded in the past, then that meant there was a chance that I could succeed too.

I’d really like to learn more about how you grow your herbs, I said. I’ve already been told about how difficult the lands are to farm, but I still want to give it my best shot. I’m hoping I can learn something from your ways.

Moll nodded, still frowning, and then she pulled a leather bag over from the corner with her cane. She took from it a big green gem, which she plonked down in front of me.

Well, if you’re that insistent on it, I’ll tell you what we know. But let me tell you, it’s a very simple thing. We use these verdant leaf stones to do it. We dig up some soil, put it in a pot, then mix it with crushed animal bones, crushed leaf stones, and water, and leave it all to sit for a while. Once the soil is ready, all that’s left is to plant the seeds or bulbs. Without the verdant leaf stones, however, the herbs grow poorly, if they even grow at all.

Stones? You grow herbs with stones and bones? I always knew you needed water, but still...

Say what you will, but if it works, it works. That said, when we try the same methods for vegetables it doesn’t work. Not ever. It’s a strange thing. We prepare a field and spread the seeds, and it doesn’t work. Even when we try growing potatoes and beans in pots, the most we get are a few sprouted leaves before it all withers away.

I reached out for the verdant leaf stone, awed that a simple-looking gem was capable of so much. I gripped the stone in my hand to get a feel for how hard it was, and it gleamed with a vibrant green as it shone in the rays of the sun.

So they grow herbs by crushing this up and mixing it with soil, huh?

So you can grow herbs by mixing the stones with soil in pots, but you can’t do the same with any other produce, I muttered. But what’s the difference? To me they’re all just plants...

It’s as much a mystery to us as it is to you, replied Moll. If you really want an answer, you’re best off asking some forestkin, if you can find them.

Hm? What are they?

They’re exactly what it sounds like. They live in the forest, and they know all about growing plants and fields and the like. It’s said that they can turn any wasteland into thriving greenery with the wave of a hand. But I’ve never seen one myself; I’ve only ever heard the stories, so I don’t even know if they really exist.

Ah, I see. And they certainly sound like something out of a fairy tale. But if we ever found one, they’d potentially be able to help us with our fields. Still, I’m better off relying on these verdant leaf stones than a race of people who may or may not exist. I’ll crush the stones up and spread them over the fields to try and grow some vegetables, and maybe even try some fertilizers outside of bones and stones too.

My mind was made up, but there was still something I had to ask Moll.

And uh...just how valuable are these gems? I asked, looking down at the verdant leaf stone in my hand. It looks like they’re worth a whole lot more than just crushing into dust.

Hmph, snorted Moll in response. What are you even talking about? Did you say gem? Verdant leaf stones are nothing of the sort. They’re just rocks, and all they’re good for is crushing up for fertilizer. Head south and do some digging and you’ll find more than you’ll ever need.

They’re just buried under the ground? You don’t have to mine them out of stone? And they’re plentiful?

I couldn’t begin to imagine that something so beautiful wasn’t even considered a gem by the onikin people.

If there really are so many, would you mind sharing some with me? I asked. I’d like to take some back to Iluk Village.

If you want them, take the whole bag, replied Moll, pushing the bag of stones over to me with her cane. And if you need more, just come here and we’ll give them to you.

She was so rough with how she handled the stones. She wasn’t joking when she’d said they were worthless. I put it down to a difference of value, but I still couldn’t believe it; I really thought that with a bit of polishing you could make a fortune selling the verdant leaf stones in the royal capital.

I took the bag in hand and had a look inside, and Moll’s face softened somewhat as she watched me.

We’ll give you as many leaf stones as you need, and we’ll share all the knowledge we have, she said slowly. We’ll even give you a hand if you need it. In return, will you teach us what you learn if your fields grow? With stable food sources we can grow in number and expand our village. We long for fields of our own, here on the grassy plains.

I could tell by the look on Moll’s face that her words were something of a plea, but she never had to worry about a thing.

Of course, I said. The growth of the onikin village will be a boon to my people as well. Should I succeed, I won’t just tell you how to grow fields, I’ll bring you mountains of potatoes to boot!

Moll’s wrinkly face morphed into a kindly smile, and she cackled with laughter.

I see, I see! I should have expected as much from you, Blue Dias. In which case I’ll be hoping for good news, just as I hope for Alna’s children. In fact, shall I prepare you some herbs to help with just that thing? It’s a treasured herb, but you will have little time to make children if you spend too much time working the fields. For you, Dias, I do not mind sharing such resources.

"Uh, you know what? How about we talk about those herbs another time? And uh, I didn’t even know that such herbs even existed in the first place. But look, really, I never really intended to rely on that kind of help, and we really don’t need them just yet. No, really, we don’t. And uh, anyway, just how does it help with, you know, that? Is it like a stimulant for men? Anyway, look, please, I’m begging you, please don’t give something so dangerous to Alna. Please...?"

Upon Return to Iluk Village

With my bag of verdant leaf stones in hand, I returned to Iluk Village. Senai and Ayhan were drawing something on the ground with some sticks, but they dropped everything the moment they saw me and came running over.

Wow! You really came back early today!

Welcome home!

The two girls beamed up at me.

Hey, girls, I said, I’m back.

They each gave a satisfied nod and ran off to the village square and shouted, Dias is home!

Then they ran over to the clothesline, which we’d made from spare yurt materials, and made sure to inform Alna and all the grandmas that I was back.

Okay, replied Alna with a chuckle.

Thanks for letting us know, added Grandma Maya, who gave the girls a pat on the head.

The girls then ran back to me, looking very happy with themselves as if they expected a pat from me too. That was when they noticed the bag in my hands and their eyes went wide. They jumped up and down excitedly as they pointed at it.

What’s that? Did you get it at the village?

Show us what’s inside!

I knew that the stones inside weren’t toys to be played with, but I also knew by the light in the twins’ eyes that they were going to keep on bugging me all day long if I didn’t show them what was in the bag. So I let out a sigh and resigned myself to my fate; I put the bag down on the ground and opened it up so the girls could see inside.

I knew that the girls loved jewels, gems, and crystals, so I expected them to want a verdant leaf stone too, but as soon as they saw what was inside, the