In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

Why are the crops you grew on these two plots of land not the same size?

Seeing the two experimental fields growing in completely different ways, Dixia asked in confusion.

She knew that Rod was growing things in his own yard.

However, when she went on her last mission, neither of these plots of land had sprouted yet.

Let's look at it again this time.

Dixia was surprised to discover.

The crops in one plot are almost ripe, while the crops in the other plot have only just sprouted.

Desia knew that Rhodes possessed the Fertile Resources.

With such a magical farming tool, how could the land turn out like this?

At this moment, Dixia really wanted to say something.

If you don't know how to farm, you don't have to. Why waste so much money?

In Sumeru.

The abundant resources are truly a magical tool for farming.

After adding this to the ground, as long as you water it on time, the crops will grow vigorously.

This was the first time Desia had ever seen someone use the Blessing of Abundance in such a way.

"Oh, that piece of land, that piece of land did not benefit from its abundance."

Rod knew what Dixia was asking and what she had misunderstood, so he pointed to the experimental field that had not been supplemented with Fertile Spring and said, "It was cultivated using traditional methods."

"Traditional farming methods?"

Dixia tilted her head.

She hadn't heard that word in a very, very long time.

I only heard my father mention it once when I was a child.

But that was all before the bountiful harvest.

Back then, people could only rely on the weather for their livelihood. If a natural disaster struck, the harvest would be reduced at best, and at worst, there would be no harvest at all.

Until the bounty of abundance appeared.

Wherever there is water, people can easily grow large quantities of food, enough to feed both people and livestock.

It was precisely because of the bountiful harvest that Xumi's national strength entered a period of rapid development.

"With such abundant resources, why bother with traditional farming methods?"

This is yet another point of confusion for Dixia.

"Because I live in Aru Village now."

Rod replied, seemingly irrelevantly.

Next.

He shared some of his views on Aru Village with Dixia.

Desia, who had initially looked quite relaxed, became increasingly serious as Rhodes spoke.

She used to come to Aru Village.

It's because this place is truly a pure land, where she and her brothers from the Blazing Beast Hunters can sleep soundly for a few days.

Her friendship with Candice also began around that time.

Dixia never quite understood why Candice was so distrustful of the village that she wouldn't even give herself a day off.

Does Arru Village cease to function without Candice?

until today.

Rhodes's words provided a reasonable explanation for this problem.

Candice really can't leave Aru Village easily.

If you had to describe the current situation of Aru Village in four words...

That is, internal and external troubles.

The reason this place can be a haven in the desert is entirely due to Candice's personal prestige and her overwhelming military power, which is enough to crush all invaders and infighting parties.

If the successor doesn't have Candice's abilities.

Then all these internal and external troubles will erupt in a short period of time.

If they're lucky, Aru Village will revert to its previous state as a closed-off and backward desert village.

If things go wrong, Aru Village could very well split into two factions: conservatives and reformers each occupying one side.

And what Rhodes is doing now.

It is enough to eliminate some internal troubles and a portion of external threats.

"People must have enough to eat."

"Although people may do a lot of useless things when they are full, if they can't even get enough to eat, then there is nothing they won't do."

Rhodes's concluding remark plunged Desia into a long silence.

Many tribes in the desert are starving.

Dixia had seen many things they would do to fill their stomachs.

Therefore, she deeply resonated with Rhodes's two sentences.

"Ugh--"

"Do you have enough money? This must be very expensive for you. By the way, do you know Candice? You can talk to her; she might be able to offer some help."

While sighing, Dixia began to worry about Rhodes's wallet again.

He did make some money selling sand pupae resin in Kavanyirod last time, but compared to the complex experiments he described, that amount of money, plus his monthly guard salary, was probably just a drop in the bucket.

However, to Desia's surprise...

As soon as she finished asking, Rhodes said, "During the last sandstorm, I killed over a hundred monsters. Candice gave me a sum of Mora as a reward, so I have enough money for the time being. I haven't talked to Candice yet; I'll wait until my experiments come to a conclusion."

Talk about it.

Rod exclaimed again, "This is truly a timely help!"

After the last great sandstorm, Rhodes had almost used up all his money by buying books and cultivating experimental fields. Just when he was short of money, Candice gave him a sum of Mora as a reward to recognize his contribution in guarding the suspension bridge.

A full ten thousand Mora, more than all the Mora he had seen since he arrived in Teyvat.

After hearing Rhodes recount his exploits of severely wounding a sacred beast with a single sword strike during the great sandstorm, and then slaying hundreds of demons, Dixia couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I knew it! A genius like you was bound to shine someday."

As she spoke, she seemed itching to show off her skills and immediately started moving her hands and feet. Then she beckoned to Rhodes and said, "Come on, let's practice and see how much skill you really have now."

Will Rhodes refuse?

of course.

will not.

This sparring match didn't take long.

The story ended with Dixia's defeat.

This was an outcome she had long been mentally prepared for.

Back in Kavan Station, Rhodes was able to kill someone without her noticing, which meant that Dixia already possessed Rhodes's martial arts skills, which had now surpassed her own.

to be frank.

At that moment, Desia was itching to have a match with Rhodes and see just how strong this genius really was.

However, she had a mission to complete while she was at the time, and she couldn't find a suitable time.

This result is perfect; it satisfies her curiosity.

The only thing that didn't quite satisfy her was that she lost too quickly.

Rhodes is now superior to her in strength, speed, and reaction time. Moreover, Rhodes was trained by her, so he is extremely familiar with Desia's fighting style.

They have advantages everywhere, plus they are familiar with the moves.

Almost instantly, Desia was suppressed by Rhodes. The two exchanged blows for more than ten rounds, and Desia didn't even get a chance to attack. Every time she tried to make a move, Rhodes easily suppressed her.

That makes it impossible to continue the fight.

The gap is too big.

Realizing this, she readily admitted defeat.

Dixia is not a petty person.

Even though she had lost, she was happier than Rhodes, the victor, and even opened the bottle of dandelion wine, wanting to have a good drink with Rhodes.

Alcohol alone is not enough.

Rod went to his experimental field, picked two handfuls of edible vegetable sprouts, fried a plate of bald beans, and added his own sun-dried spicy meat, thus preparing a sumptuous meal to go with drinks.

Dixia enjoyed the food even more than the drinks.

After three rounds of drinking.

With a slight blush on his cheeks, Rhodes put down his wine glass and earnestly invited Desia, "Any missions coming up? If not, come with me to catch slimes."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 24 What about you?

Although Desia didn't quite understand why Rhode wanted to catch grass slimes to raise, she still agreed to go with him to catch slimes.

The Blazing Beast Hunter suffered heavy losses this time.

Despite the fruitful harvest, two members of the team were left behind forever in the depths of the desert.