Li took in a breath and sighed. Now he was getting to the part he wanted to: the recruitment of the farmers and beastwomen. Even for an immortal being with infinite stamina, he felt something resembling tiredness, or maybe that was the human part of him conjuring up a familiar feeling for him.

Still, Li felt more anticipation for what was to come. This would be, if all went right as it should, the beginning of a new era for his farm. Finally, he would expand beyond his acre and revive the old ways of tending to the land, ways that gave justice to the term 'husbandry', ways that would bring forth a true appreciation of everything the soil had to offer.

Li spoke to one of the vampire knights. "Round the farmers up and move them downstairs. I need to talk to them."

The knight nodded, and as he moved, several others moved concurrently with him, entering into the rooms to retrieve the farmers. While they did that, Li moved downstairs. As his steps carved out wooden echoes through the staircase, he thought about what Meld had told him.

Meld said she would put up Chevrette's assets for auction. That was a seemingly highly unrelated and random statement, especially coming in light of an even more out of place question about Alexei's finances. However, as Li thought about it, he realized Meld had done him a massive favor.

By putting those assets up for auction and asking about Alexei's money, Meld was implicitly telling Li to have Alexei buy up Chevrette's assets. Count Alexei, the man whose maids came from the streets, whose outward generosity was just second to Chevrette's own.

Then it occurred to him that this was Meld's way of trying to make sure Ella Chevrette had a good future for her. She was hoping that Alexei would take her in and let her live a life of relative comfort.

Not only this, however, but Li also gained an immense amount of power over the farmers. He, by having Alexei under his thumb, would essentially also have the farmers' livelihoods under his control. He did not know if Meld had intended this, but she could not have been ignorant of the fact that this would happen. No, she had wanted to help Li as well for some reason or another.

If ever Li encountered Meld again, he would think to thank her, though on second thought, he was better off not doing so. After all, the reason she had hinted at the auction was because she probably did not want anything on record indicating that she had tried to help either Li or Ella.

Regardless, Li did appreciate the sentiment, and he would put it to good use.

Although Li knew this would break some amount of the secrecy he upheld, he was willing to thin the veil for the greatness of his farm and the sake of the farmers and beastwomen.

================

Before the farmers got around to coming downstairs, Li found Azhar with Iona, working together to talk with beastwomen and answer their questions. He tapped his shoulder to get the bowman's attention.

"Can you take them up to their room?" said Li as he pointed back to Sylvie and Jeanne's sleeping forms. "They've done enough already. You should get some rest, too. Despite whatever training you might have gone through, you're only human."

"Ain't that right," said Azhar as he looked knowingly at Li. "But you know, if yer' gonna' be doin' somethin', Sylv and Jeanne are gonna' be sad they slept through it without helpin'."

"And you're sure all of you are in good enough condition?"

"Probably. Worst case we sleep in durin' the morrow'. Adventurers like us ain't real friendly with the concept of a good night's sleep anyhows."

"I guess you're right. I've underestimated you all," said Li. It was odd. He felt the adventurers so fragile, bound by things like a need to sleep and eat and even breathe. He tried to remember what it felt like to feel those same thing, when he used to struggle to keep his eyes open after hours and hours of studying into the dawn, but he could only come up with faint feelings. Vague, dream-like impressions.

So he tried to be considerate with the adventurers, but at the same time, he had to acknowledge that they were superhuman compared to humans of his previous world.

Li nodded. "Then prep them to wake up. We're heading to the farm soon."

================

The farmers came down and gathered around the center of the room. The beastwomen looked at them wonderingly, mostly, though there were a few suspicious stares here and there. The younger folk among the farmers were positively terrified, eyeing the beastwomen and their sharp claws and teeth like panicked stares.

The older ones, however, had the composure of rooted oaks, standing still as they stared at Li who stood in front of them. At the corners of the room were the adventurers, watching to see nothing went too wrong and being a comforting presence in case the farmers were afraid of the beastwomen.

"I trust that all of you are feeling a load off your shoulders now that you're no longer bound to Chevrette?" said Li.

The farmers shifted around as they nodded, trying to see where Li was going with this by talking to them.

"Should I introduce myself?" said Li.

"No need," said one of the farmers. A gruff man, square set jaw, wild stubble, faded blue eyes sunken in with creases. An older man. Salt and pepper hair, though more salt than pepper. "We know who you are. The Easterner. Old Thane's boy. The miracle worker of the fields, they say. Man of the golden grain."

"Looks like my reputation precedes me," said Li. "Then I'll get to the point. Now that Chevrette's chains have loosened from your necks, your farmlands are free to return to. In fact, they weep for you to return, most of them having gone untilled and unloved for so long.

I give you the opportunity to come back to your farms under the condition that you work these lands under my oversight."

The gruff farmer stepped forwards, acting like a spokesperson for the rest of the farmers. "Unlike you, I don't have much of a name. You can call me Theo. Now, why would we cede our lands to you? They be ours by birthright."

Another man from the group stepped forwards. Standing side by side with the farmer, the man was an entire generation younger, not much older than a teen, if even that. He had wide, curious eyes and a spring to his step that spoke of boundless energy.

"And why should we return? The farms have nothing for us. As you have said, now that Chevrette has paid for his sins, we are free to steer at the helm of our businesses."

Li remained unfazed.

"Now that Chevrette is gone, your businesses may no longer be used to fuel the slave trade, but at the same time, they will no longer be funded. In all likelihood, though some of you may succeed, without access to the supply chains and outreach that Chevrette had, the majority of your shops will fall under, leaving you with nothing."

Li watched the farmers' reactions. Oncemore, it was the younger group that showed signs of worry. The older ones simply stared ahead, waiting for Li to speak more.

Li crossed his arms. "But you do not have to worry about that. A friend of mine, the nobleman Count Alexei Alarie whose knights have guarded you so generously tonight, can replace Chevrette's role. He can keep your businesses afloat. I say this because I am not here to force you to work the lands under me.

I am here because I know there is still faith within you, especially among you with years under your belts. You know of the old ways, and I know that the lands still speak to you, the cries of the overgrown fields still whispering in your ears every night you sleep.

Can you truly return to your businesses tainted from years of holding slaves? Can you truly accept that tonight, you chose to spend the rest of your days toiling away under roofs built by bloodstained coin while shirking your duty to the fields, a duty you swore yourself to so very many years ago to the goddess Morrigan?"

A ripple ran through the older farmers as they looked at each other almost dazed, having heard the sacred name of their goddess for the first time in decades. A name that had been purged from historical records and actively hidden from their children for fear that the temples of Light would brand them heretics.

The younger group among the farmers were left entirely confused, but Li would deal with them later.

Theo narrowed his eyes. "How be it you know our ways so well, foreigner?"

"That is where you are wrong. I am no foreigner." Li called out, "Ada, are you there?"

"Yes sir," said Ada as she wiggled out of the crowd, her posture demure.

"Bring forward your father to me."

Ada stared confused at Li, and he repeated the command. "Bring him to me. I mean him no harm," he said, gentler.

Ada nodded and retrieved Ivo's hunched and doddering form. She led the old man's doddering figure up, helping him up by the crook of his arm. As soon as Ivo saw Li, he detached himself from his daughter's arm and used all his energy to limp to Li, stretching out his bone thin arms like a beggar holding out his hands for food.

Li knelt down to match the old man's height and clasped his hands around the old man's. He could feel the crevices and wrinkles drawn upon the old man's skin by the stylus of years inked with suffering. Suffering that would last no more.

"Great…one," whispered Ivo, baring a toothless smile.

"You were the greatest of all the farmers, Ivo, the one to lead the charge against the full might of the demons themselves when you felt your blessed fields under danger. I bring to you the life and hope of your goddess once more so that you may lead your people again."

Ada was the first to gasp in surprise, but that surprise spread around the room like wildfire, the farmers trembling as they stepped back.