My Farming Domain Is Broken

When Carlos went back to Ironroot again, he looked around and found it smaller as compared to Glasswood Basin.

But knew that was not true. The walls were still high. The guard towers still watched the empty plain beyond them. The fields still held the work of every person who had stayed while he chased a district larger than his territory.

But after seeing forty Lords build a camp around a forest, he understood how far Ironroot still had to go.

Cedric stopped the moment he crossed the portal. His eyes moved from the iron reinforced walls to the guard towers, then to the fields and the buildings placed between them.

His own territory had one wooden wall, two small houses, and a storehouse was still yet to be fully made. His Axemen slept close to the gate because there had never been enough space to build them a proper barrack.

Ironroot was not as large as Glasswood Basin, but it was alive. People had work. Troops had positions. Food grew behind protected walls instead of being counted every day with fear.

"You built all this already?" Cedric asked quietly.

Carlos looked at the territory he had nearly died for more than once. "Yes, everyone here was a part of its development"

Cedric nodded, but he kept looking around. For the first time, Carlos understood why the man had asked to come under him. Cedric did not only want safety. He wanted a place that was becoming something real.

Mira reached him before he stepped fully away from the portal.

"You are back." She looked at the mud on his clothes, then at the blood on Cedric’s bandage behind him. "What happened?"

"Someone attacked the cultivation district. We stopped them."

Mira went quiet for a second.

Then she looked at Carlos properly. "Are you injured?"

"No."

"Good. Eat first and then we will talk."

Carlos opened his mouth to refuse and Kaia looked at him. He accepted the bowl Mira pushed into his hands reluctantly.

The food was simple vegetable stew with pieces of Razorback Meat. It was not a feast, but after running back from Glasswood, it was enough to make his body remember how tired it was.

Cosmic sat beside him without asking and took his own bowl.

"Mira, your food saved us from making bad decisions," he said.

"That is what food is for," Mira answered. "Now tell me why Cedric looks like he will see god soon" She spoke making Cedric just look at her in surprise, he didn’t expect that wording at all.

Cedric told the story himself.

He did not make it sound heroic. He explained where Derek’s troops entered, how Tomas held the channel, how One kept them away from the regulator, and how Rhea’s group carried water to save the beds.

Mira listened without interrupting and when he finished, she gave him another bowl.

"You can eat this one too," she said. "People who protect my lord and his people can get 2 servings"

Cedric looked embarrassed. Carlos looked away before anyone noticed that he agreed.

Rowan did not return through the portal with them. He had stayed at the district because the repaired channel still needed watching.

But Boro and Elias were waiting near the small test field inside Ironroot.

Hearthpod One had changed.

The plant was taller than Carlos remembered. Its round green body leaned toward Boro, and three pale pods hung beneath its lower leaves.

Boro stood beside it with both hands behind his back.

"It made those this morning," he said.

Carlos walked closer but did not touch them.

"Did Rowan say they are ready?"

"He said to wait until you came back."

That was enough for Carlos to use Inspect.

--

[Hearthpod One]

[Caretaker: Boro]

[First filling pods: Ready for harvest]

[Yield: 3]

[Care condition: Continue ordinary water, loose soil and caretaker presence]

--

Carlos looked at Boro.

"Harvest them."

Boro carefully twisted the first pod free.

It was no bigger than Carlos’s hand. The skin was pale green and warm from the plant. When Boro opened it, soft yellow beans filled the inside.

Mira took one bean, smelled it, then put it into a small pan rather than letting anyone eat it raw.

"We test food before celebrating," she said.

Carlos smiled. "You and Rowan should start a club."

"You could be the leader of that club, my lord"

The beans became a small thick paste after cooking. Mira divided it into tiny portions. One volunteered first, but the Slime could not taste it, so Elias took the first bite.

Everyone watched him. Elias chewed slowly.

"It is plain," he said. "But filling."

Mira waited a few minutes, then gave him another spoonful.

But nothing noteful happened.

No system reward appeared. No one became stronger.

Carlos was still satisfied.

Three small pods were not enough to feed Ironroot. But a Common crop had already produced food because Boro cared for it every day. If they learned how to grow more, that mattered.

It was territory building in its simplest form. One plant with one caretaker and one future harvest.

Carlos opened the warehouse panel after the meal.

The Glasswood remaining from the trade was listed under district materials. Forty lengths remained after the emergency channel repair.

He almost transferred some to Ironroot immediately.

Then he remembered Rowan standing beside the damaged beds.

"Leave it at the district," Carlos said. "The channel gets priority."

Cosmic nodded. "That is true, we should keep the glasswood as stock too, its price could skyrocket anytime as I see those glasswood trees dissapearing in maybe a few more days with how frequent they are cutting them"

Carlos nodded and turned toward the northern wall.

The unfinished iron reinforcement still left parts of Ironroot exposed. The warehouse needed more space before they started growing food in serious quantities. The troop barracks needed training supplies before he summoned anyone else.

He could see ten things that needed resources.

That was the problem with getting stronger. The work never ended. It only became more expensive. Kaia joined him near the wall.

"The Settlement summons is active," she said. "Who travels?"

Carlos thought about it.

He wanted everyone with him. That was how he had survived so far. But Ironroot could not be left weak just because the system opened a gate.

"You come. Brann and Nessa come. Cosmic comes with his Lizardmen. Lydia is already a recognized operator, so she comes too."

Kaia nodded.

"Rowan stays at the district. Cedric stays there too. Mira stays here with Boro and Elias. Blue goes where Rowan needs her."

"And One?"

Carlos looked toward the small blue Slime near the Hearthpod.

"One stays with the district."

Kaia accepted the plan without a question.

Carlos opened the regional map.

The western road shone brighter than before.

Several marks were moving toward Aurelian Settlement. One was Mara’s Glasswood Cooperative. Another came from Red Prairie. Three more had no names Carlos recognized.

Then a message appeared beneath the gold road.

--

[Aurelian Settlement Authority summons]

[Time remaining: 10 hours, 03 minutes]

[Verified operators may bring one security party]

--

Carlos closed the panel.

He looked once more at Hearthpod One and the three empty stems where its first harvest had grown.

"Keep growing," he told Boro.

Then he turned back toward the portal. Ironroot would still be here when he returned.

The question was whether the rest of Aurelian Basin would be waiting for him too.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!