Chapter 1946 Payne''s POV


    Progress was everywhere one looked in the city.


    Payne had to hand it to Baymard for knowing how to conduct business. Baymard had a Spice subscription package for business people like themselves where for 15 Bays a month, they got a briefcase style load of spice samples sent to them no matter where they were. So every month, they had the advantage of getting newly developed spices from Baymard. It''s because of this that they knew what spices they liked and those they didn''t. I''d also because of this that they seeded in developing their unique sauces too. So after knowing what spices they liked and didn''t like, they could then order wholesale rates,pletely sure of their purchases. Payne had to admit that in just 1 year, the economy has improved so much that it made his eyeballs pop out when assessing it all. The death rate was drastically dropping, the amount of starved people on the streets also dropped considerably. And in Payne''s eyes a good chunk of people were no longer in the Extreme Poor ss, but also became moving to Middle ss too. …


    As Payne passed the rows of uniquely designed homes, he noted the thatched roofs and exposed wooden beams, a testament to their heritage. Yet, many houses now sported ss windows that gleamed in the sunlight, and he could see the faint glow of magical lighting crystals through some of the open doors.


    It was amazing how beautiful the new windows were. All the windows here were 2ter windows. The firstyer exposed to the outside, was a barred criss-cross metalyer, and the 2ndyer behind it was the ss windowyer many admired. The barred metal frame in front of the window protected the ss from the weather elements. And during times when the tornadoes and whatnot were not ring about, people open the barredyer, exposing just the beautiful sster for all to see. A woman sweeping the streets curtsied as Payne passed. "Good day, Lord Payne. How fares your inspection?"


    "Splendidly," he replied warmly. "The city grows more beautiful each day, thanks to the hard work of its people, especially you and the sanitation team."


    Payne truly loved his weekly ''inspection.''


    As he reached the outskirts, the farms came into view. Tobat the weather and the numerous loss of crop yields whenever the tornadoese by, they contracted Baymard to build various open space designed Greenhouses with reinforced bearings. One could see over 200 giant ss homes that had the strong iron protective frame inches away from the actual ss dome itself. How to say it? Imagine that the ss dome was a human body, and another metal skeletal frame was built slightlyrger than the dome and ced around it. The metal frame was slightly bigger than the dome itself, allowing at least 1 meter of space between both structures. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, despite the domes and metal frames enclosing the farms, any passerby could still see the lush green fields dotted with workers tending to the crops. All domes were connected to each other, so workers can continue working in peace no matter the weather outside. .


    Payne stepped into one of the domes and approached a group of farmers gathered near a flourishing wheat field.


    "Ho there, good farmers!" he called out. "How goes the harvest?"


    The oldest among them, a weather-beaten man named Collins, stepped forward with a wide grin. "M''lord, you won''t believe the yields we''re seeing! That new fertilizer mix has worked miracles!"


    "Yes, yes!" Another farmer nodded enthusiastically. You have to know that thanks to the Soma Empire being part of the UN, they now had ess to several Baymardian books and UN knowledge too.


    Several people who did internships in the Ministry of Agriculture, and those who visited the library severally after visiting for 3 months, now came back and put the brief theory learnt to the test. And what did they see? Cow shit can actually make crops grow better? Mixingxxx and xxx gives a good conviction that thend lives? The more they tested and experimented, the more amazed they became. "M''Lord, the manure management techniques from the Baymardiannds have made a world of difference. Our crops are growing faster and stronger than ever before!"


    "Indeed. The irrigation techniques alone ensure that water gets distributed evenly across the space." Typically, the downside of an enclosed farnd, was that when rain falls, it doesn''t water the space inside. However, Baymard''s domes were unique because they caught the rain water and then sprinkle it down into the space like rain from above. Payne beamed when hearing the news. "This is wonderful news! Keep up the good work. If we did things like this before, who in the Soma empire would ever die of starvation?" Several people nodded with misty eyes when thinking of the past. "We''re grateful for your support, m''lord. These innovations have changed our lives. We''ll have plenty to feed our families and themunity atrge."


    "And we have to thank you and his Majesty Artemis for bringing these ideas to us," A woman added, her voice thick with emotion.


    Lord Payne sighed,pletely understanding their emotions. "Alright, I don''t want you all crying on such a hot day. Your dedication and skill bring these ideas to life. Together, we''re building a brighter future for all!"


    "Yeah!!!" Several people agreed, willing their teary eyes. (:T0T:)


    .


    Soon, Payne left the scene, continuing on with his inspection. After strolling about some more, Payne''s heart swelled with pride and hope after seeing how much his city had improved. Traffic officers on the streets, sanitation workers keeping the ce tidy, school children chanting rhymes, soldiers training and jogging across the ce, some patrolling and some exercising. Payne stared at the bustling city with a warm smile. His beloved city was a shining example of how tradition and progress could coexist, creating amunity that honored its past while embracing the future. With each step, Payne felt grateful for the trust his people ced in him and excited for the innovations yet toe. Such was the progress in Omania, as several UN empires began seeing progress in theirnds.


    Like that, days turned to weeks and weeks to months. November arrived, ushering in Landon''s birthday, as well as the final examination period for the the first semester of Fall. But this wasn''t all it came with.


    It came with the promise that war was closing in, unbeknownst to the happy Baymardians. But while they were clueless to the impending war, Landon was indeed aware of theing of special visitors top his home.