"How did you make it this far without employees?" Jax asked, his mouth filling with the cooling taste of mint, which helped with the dryness of the desert. It was something that would sell well in the south.
"Whatever those people that worked for me before are, they certainly weren't my employees," Lucian said with a shudder.
"What happened?" Fishbone asked.
"They betrayed me," Lucian said simply, his eyes looking at the fire, "Took advantage of my absence to steal my money, my goods, and still acted as if they were the best thing that ever happened to me when I came back. So I let them go. They should be begging somewhere for scraps by now."
The group laughed awkwardly, not knowing how to react to such a story. It was meant to be a warning for them.
"Ungrateful bastards," Roland grumbled, spitting into the fire.
"Indeed," Lucian said, "That's why I'm hiring you. It's easier to trust someone who admits to being a scoundrel than someone who pretends to be a saint."
They were stunned by the compliment, feeling their chests swell with pride at the boy's faith in them.
"Damn right," one of Roland's men said, puffing out his chest. The kid had a vision, and he had a plan to make it happen. He was a dreamer with the feet firmly on the ground, a rare combination.
Lucian spent the rest of the evening explaining their duties, sipping on water as they, too, had to switch to water.
He had a way of talking that made everything seem so simple, so achievable, and they couldn't help but feel excited with each passing moment.
The fire was slowly dying down, and the stars were out in full force, illuminating the stony desert with their silver light.
Everyone was getting ready to sleep, while Lucian continued to stare at the sky.
'Aren't the stars beautiful, Voice?'
'...' the voice was silent for a while, 'I have no interest in such mundane things.'
'You are boring, Voice. You should take some time to appreciate the beauty of the world once in a while.'
'...' The world was suddenly beautiful now? What had gotten to the boy this time?
Lucian connected a few stars in his mind, 'I can see her face. The nose is a bit crooked, but it is her.'
'Astronomy has nothing to do with face-reading,' Voice said. Of course it had something to do with that duke's daughter.
'The constellation of the Little Wife, I shall call it.'
'She will be the death of you.'
Lucian's mile was small, but it was there. He was aware of the risks of being with her, of the dangers that it would bring to both of them.
But if she was ready to face them, then so was he. Her last words were enough to give him the strength to keep going.
'It would have been great if we could bind each other like the southerners do. Maybe if I pray to the Goddess of the Sun, She will hear my pleas and grant my wish.'
Lucian clapped his hands twice, and then prayed.
The men saw him praying to the stars, and they did the same out of respect for their new boss. Whatever god he was following, they shall follow too.
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Lucian accompanied Fishbone for a two more trips to the south until he got a grip of the business. As for protection, he had Roland find the right people.
After all, he had some experience with leading people, and he knew which ones would follow his orders and which ones would cause trouble.
"Ugh," Jax grumbled, carrying a backpack filled with tools and equipment, his sandals crunching on the gravel and dry soil.
He followed a few locals Lucian had hired to guide them through the hills. There was just tall grass, a few trees here and there, and a lot of rocks.
Plants that lived in such harsh conditions usually had beneficial properties, or the opposite. The one Lucian was after was the second kind.
Smell of rotten flesh soon hit their nostrils. A dead animal was lying on the ground, near a patch of strange flowers.
The locals called it "Devil's tongue" because of its long, tongue-like spathe that was dark red with purple spots.
Lucian covered his nose with his sleeve and took out a small trowel from his bag. He carefully dug around the small patch, taking care not to damage its roots.
He then placed it in a special container filled with soil from its original habitat, sealed it, and placed it inside the larger bag.
"Alright," Lucian said, "Let's go."
"Are we done?" Jax asked, hopeful.
"No," Lucian replied, pointing to the distance. "We need to check out that rocky area over there. There might be some succulents growing there."
He had already found three new species of plants, and he had his eyes set on a few more. The more he found, the more his collection would grow.
A cactus with long white hair-like spines. A shrub with small yellow flowers and thick, waxy leaves and devil's tongue. All of them were carefully documented and labeled with their location and date of discovery.
The further they were from the ocean, the drier and more barren the landscape became. It was the perfect place to look for plants that could survive with little water.
As expected, the rocky area was home to a variety of succulents. Lucian's eyes lit up as he collected samples, placing them carefully in his bag. Any parts of these succulents could usually be regrown into an identical plant, so he never took more than he needed.
Some could be poisonous, some could be medicinal, and some could be both. Only testing would tell.
Jax helped him, and the duo managed to collect a good number of samples before the sun became too scorching to continue.
They returned to their wagon, parked in the shade of a large tree.
They had some spare time to build a small fire and roast the gazelle they captured earlier.
"For how long do you plan to stay in the north this time? Before returning back to the south," Jax asked, flipping the meat over the fire.
"Longer than usual," Lucian said, "My next three greenhouses are in the north, and I need to supervise their construction."
He also wanted to see Celine, but he didn't say that out loud.