Chapter 64: The Cultivator

Cradle of the Sea, Castello Island, three stellar days before the arrival of spring.

A woman with bronze skin, about twenty years of age, walked over carrying four bags.

"Lady Malena, the labels on these four bags of seeds are gone, and our family cannot tell them apart."

She placed the seeds on the ground and said anxiously.

Castello Island is located in the center of the Cradle of the Sea; every school of fish in the Coral Sea passes through here in different seasons, and the islanders have never had the custom of farming since ancient times.

Their family was the first to follow the call of the Shaman, trading hunted seafood for seeds to prepare for cultivation.

Because they did not know which kind was best, their family purchased four types.

The Shaman had said that the light, soil, and other conditions on Castello Island were very suitable for growing these fruits, and that tending to them was very simple.

They decided to observe the harvest to determine what to plant the following year, and how much.

Now that the labels were gone, their family had looked through them for a long time, yet they were unable to distinguish what they were from the four types of seeds, all of which were oval-shaped and dark brown.

Thus, they could not follow Malena's instructions to plant them in the areas most suitable for their growth.

"Kairui, don't worry, let me see."

Malena's magnetic voice immediately soothed Kairui's anxiety.

The Cultivator untied one of the bags, glanced at it, and identified it.

But she knew that to let the islanders master the method of identification, she picked up a handful of seeds with her fair, delicate hands and said patiently.

"These are papaya seeds; besides being larger, their surface is relatively smooth. Do you understand?"

Kairui nodded vigorously and asked curiously.

"What about the others?"

"These are sweet potato seeds; their surface is much rougher."

A moment later, Kairui picked up the four bags of seeds, and before leaving, said worriedly.

"Lady Malena, will there really be no salt mist in the spring?"

Spring on Castello Island sometimes sees tides erupt, and because it is near the equator, the salty mist formed after the evaporation of water droplets splashed by sea waves covers the entire island.

Whenever this happens, not only do metal equipment and buildings suffer corrosion, but even plants like wild grass that do not rely on the sea will die.

What Kairui's family fears encountering most is salt mist weather.

"Absolutely not."

The Cultivator said firmly; she knew the first attempt was important, but with her Spiritual Enhancement, she could predict the weather, and she could be certain that no salt mist phenomenon would occur.

After Kairui left, Malena took out the data slate containing the backup Star Map and continued her research.

——————

Autumn, four stellar years later, Castello Island.

Banana trees stood in rows by the seaside, their broad leaves swaying in the wind.

Bunches of green bananas hung from the branches, as if they would bend the trunks at any moment.

In the pineapple fields, golden pineapples were embedded among emerald leaves, emitting an alluring sweet fragrance.

In the center of the island, in the reclaimed farmland, rice ears hung low, and the golden grains shimmered with the radiance of a harvest under the sunlight.

In the cassava fields, thick stalks stood upright.

The islanders, taught by the Cultivator and having mastered the use of various farming tools, were busy with the third harvest of the current stellar year.

For the first time in thousands of years, the islanders did not need to risk their lives going out to sea to fish during tsunamis or other weather events.

Relying on the stored grain after a season's harvest, they did not need to worry about food for a year.

Disaster prevention and relief facilities were being rapidly constructed under the guidance of technical experts sent by Ninglu.

The leader of the Trani, Vieri Barera, stood on the top floor of the palace looking out at the prosperity below; he had once been forced to submit to Ninglu.

At the time, he had no other choice, but in these few years, he had not only witnessed the rapid development of agriculture but also seen fishermen board advanced fishing boats to fish more safely and efficiently.

Now, other larger islands were also eagerly requesting to join the development ranks, and ten islands had already been luckily selected in the second batch.

Vieri had long since pledged his loyalty to Ninglu from the heart, and had ended his year of service not long ago.

He had successfully passed Ninglu's assessment and become a "Sailor".

While Vieri was sighing with emotion, Ninglu was processing official business in the palace of the New Nest Capital when he received a communication message sent by Wojciech Berek.

"My King, the Battlecruiser built for you by the Adeptus Mechanicus is complete. Sage Kivior-9 requests your presence to receive it."

Upon hearing this, Ninglu decided to begin executing his new round of expansion plans.

After unifying Vostonia, he had been developing the two worlds under his control all these years.

The Vostonia system only had two planets suitable for human habitation, and he had no new targets for conquest within the system.

In the vast galaxy, the conditions of each star system vary greatly.

Many star systems do not even have a single planet suitable for human habitation, and the cost of terraforming these planets is too high, so they are naturally not worth developing.

Of course, Ninglu also knew of some special star systems; the yet-to-be-discovered Koronus Expanse and the Serpent's Cradle had twelve habitable worlds that could be classified as Paradise Worlds.

The ships he previously possessed were designed for intra-system travel and were not designed for Warp travel.

Ninglu did not rashly proceed with expansion; on one hand, he focused on developing Vostonia, and on the other, he dispatched various regiments to take turns boarding ships for void training.

He also used the grain produced by the Cradle of the Sea to reach terms with the Adeptus Mechanicus for ship refitting and upgrades.

Not until the new flagship was completed could he finally begin a new round of expansion.

Ninglu sent a message to Yelena to convene a cabinet meeting.

After one shift, having received the report and with everyone gathered at the palace, he finally rose and headed to the palace.

After sitting on the throne, Ninglu looked at the people below, all dressed in black robes, and began issuing orders rapidly.

"I am about to embark on an expedition. During my absence, the cabinet will remain under Yelena's responsibility, and development will continue according to the existing system."

"As you command, my King. I wish you a triumphant return."

After Ninglu finished arranging the administrative affairs, he looked at the Leaders below; they were full of fighting spirit, longing to follow the monarch they pledged loyalty to on a crusade.

"Howard, while I am away, you are responsible for overseeing the defense."

"As you command, my lord."

Howard replied; although he was joyful for Ninglu's trust, not being able to join the expedition still left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Bukayo, Juerjuer..." Ninglu called out the names of ten Leaders in succession, "You will accompany me on the expedition."

The lucky ones who were named clenched their fists, while the eyes of the other Leaders were filled with disappointment.

Ninglu took ten legions and boarded ships, sailing toward Sopot.

As the ships sailed into Xinggang, he had already spotted his flagship through the viewing window of the Bridge; compared to the other ships around it, it was a behemoth.

The hull was generally long and narrow, with a front as sharp as a spear and a rear as heavy as a mountain.

Its surface was covered with turrets and weapon platforms, the most unique being the Ether cannons on both sides.

The entire ship was like a giant beast poised to strike, ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.

Ninglu subsequently met the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel who had come to welcome him at Xinggang, and Kivior-9 bowed slightly.

"Monarch Ninglu, welcome to your arrival."

"Sage, it is a pleasure to see you."

After the pleasantries, Kivior-9 said.

"Requesting to fulfill contractual obligations."

"Granted."

Ninglu replied, and then the Sage's faceplate lit up.

"Initiating identification procedure/Delivery target verification passed."

Kivior-9's mechanical tentacles connected to the interface of the Data Slate in Woyiqiehe's hand, and at the same time, a synthesized voice sounded.

"Identifying contract/Executing delivery obligations/Please proceed to Pier A-2/Receive transaction object//Battlecruiser."

(End of this chapter)