"Master Lucien, the fields have all been plowed. After a day of drying, we can begin sowing!"
Several farmers hurried over to Lucien, who was training his Dratini by the riverbank, and reported their progress.
For the past two days, they had worked tirelessly from dawn until dusk, determined to reclaim the land and get the seeds in the ground as quickly as possible. Finally, they had managed to plow a wide stretch of fertile soil.
Hearing this, Lucien nodded thoughtfully.
He wasn't very knowledgeable about clearing wasteland, so he looked toward the dark brown fields nearby and asked, "Don't we need fertilizer?"
One of the farmers shook his head. "The soil here is rich enough. Being close to the river, it's already moist and fertile. Fertilizer won't be necessary yet."
"Good," Lucien replied. "Then I'll leave the rest to you. Go to Elif for the seeds, he'll deliver them. Also, bring me a basket."
"A basket?"
The farmers blinked at him in confusion, but, without question, they fetched a sturdy vine-woven basket from camp.
"Wait here," Lucien told them. Then he turned to his partner. "Dratini, get in the river and use Thunder Wave!"
The weather had warmed a little in recent days; even yesterday, the sunlight had thawed the ice on the river.
At his command, Dratini dove into the water with a splash.
The next moment, bright yellow sparks burst from her slender body.
From the shore, it looked like a glowing orb of electricity rapidly expanding through the current.
"Draaaa!"
Carried by the flowing water, the shock spread instantly across a wide area of the river.
Within seconds, shadows began to float up from below. When they surfaced, the farmers realized they were looking at plump, unconscious fish.
"W-what?!" several of them cried out in shock.
"Dratini, herd those fish to the bank," Lucien instructed calmly.
The little Dragon-type swam deftly, using her body to nudge the stunned fish toward shore.
"Gather them up and take them back to the settlement," Lucien said.
"Y-yes, sir!"
Though startled at first, the farmers quickly obeyed, scooping the paralyzed fish into their baskets while sneaking awestruck glances at Dratini.
Before long, two large baskets were filled to the brim with fresh river fish.
It was a bountiful harvest, and the farmers' faces lit up with excitement.
Lucien dried off Dratini with a handkerchief and tucked her against his chest beneath his coat so she could warm up.
When he turned back, one of the farmers was holding a bright red, flopping fish.
"Put that one back in the river," Lucien said flatly.
"Huh? Why, Master Lucien?" the man asked in confusion.
"That's a Magikarp," Lucien explained. "They're all bone and scales, completely inedible. And they're stubborn by nature. If you let one grow, there's a good chance it will come back to cause trouble later."
"A… a magical beast?!"
The farmers paled and quickly tossed the Magikarp back into the river without hesitation.
Lucien cleared his throat lightly. "Alright then, good work. Let's bring the catch back."
At the thought of steaming fish soup to warm their stomachs, everyone's faces brightened. Nothing could be more comforting on a winter's night.
After training, instead of returning to his own tent, Lucien carried Dratini to the healer's quarters.
Inside, Lila was busy mixing herbs into a bubbling potion.
She looked up in surprise. "Your Highness? What brings you here?"
"I need a potion to treat frostbite and restore stamina," Lucien said gravely.
Both medicines were important for Dratini. The frostbite salve would warm her chilled body, while the restorative draught would help replenish her energy after exhausting training.
"Of course, I'll prepare them right away!"
Lila quickly turned around, rummaged through her medicine chest, and pulled out several bottles. She carefully placed them into Lucien's hands.
"Thank you," Lucien said, accepting the potions. He was about to leave when Lila suddenly called after him.
"Your Highness…"
Lucien turned, slightly puzzled. "What is it?"
"I want to thank you, on behalf of everyone." Lila's eyes shone with gratitude.
He had not only shared his herbs with the common folk but also provided her with valuable potion formulas.
"These recipes you gave me will save many lives," she said earnestly.
Lucien smiled. "No need for thanks. To me, all of you are more important than any formula."
After all, what was a territory without its people?
Lila froze for a moment, her heart stirred, while Lucien simply turned and left with Dratini nestled in his arms.
By evening, news from the lumberyard reached him.
Later that night, after finishing dinner, Elif, the old butler, entered Lucien's tent with a report. The first thing he noticed was the basket of fish on the table.
"My goodness… so many fish!" Elif exclaimed in surprise.
Lucien chuckled. They had been caught earlier that afternoon by Dratini's Thunder Wave.
The settlement had no fishing nets, and catching fish by hand was far too inefficient to feed so many people and magical beasts. But with Dratini's help, fishing had become effortless.
Together with the caravan's provisions, the people could now enjoy fresh fish as well, whether simmered in soup or roasted over the fire.
Of course, fish spoiled quickly if left untreated. Fortunately, Ice-type Pokémon like Snover had joined the settlement. Their powers could freeze the surplus, allowing the fish to be stored for weeks.
Between the gathered berries, wild fruit, and the baskets of river fish, the territory's food supply was finally secure.
They could face the coming winter with confidence.
After a brief moment of shock, Elif finally reported the day's events at the lumberyard.
"Those three Snover actually helped us a great deal today. Thanks to them, we cut down far more wood than usual!"
"If this continues, the housing problem in the territory could be solved in less than a month!"
The old butler couldn't help but grin.
"Those Snover are becoming very popular with the townsfolk."
Lucien raised an eyebrow in surprise. Snover, helping with tree-cutting?
From Elif's words, it was clear the people were beginning to accept the three Snovers.
That was no small thing. It was an excellent start.
Still, Lucien didn't linger on the matter. There were too many other problems waiting for him to solve.
With housing and food temporarily secured, the next pressing concern was heating.
His gaze fell to the brazier in the tent, where the charcoal smoldered. "Do we have enough charcoal to last a month?" he asked.
The wooden cabins might keep out wind and rain, but they could not truly block out the bitter cold. Especially such simple, hastily built huts, they needed a reliable source of heat.
Elif shook his head. "We've already used a great deal these past few days. At this rate, we'll run out before the month is over."
"I see." Lucien sank into thought.
If only there were Fire-type Pokémon here.
They could solve the problem of heating through the winter, and next year they would be invaluable for making charcoal, smelting, and even firing bricks for sturdier houses.
But this was the dead of winter. Other than Ice-types, most Pokémon had all but vanished. Even Grass-types were difficult to find.
Still, Lucien wasn't ready to give up.
"We'll have to send out scouting parties," he muttered.
They needed to learn what kinds of wild Pokémon lived within range of their territory.