The Cecil people's newspapers and broadcasts were very interesting. There was always news from afar. When Bertilla was still a human, she was interested in these two new things. After she became a plant, she became even more interested in these two things.
After all, as a plant, she had lost the ability to travel to afar.
In order to satisfy the Solin Tree's request, the Cecil people stationed here showed appropriate goodwill. They would bring the latest newspapers and magazines. Marguarita even ordered a magic net terminal to be placed beside the Solin Tree's trunk for Bertilla to control and watch.
Bertila had learned of Norris's name from a certain newspaper's agriculture section and a certain magic network program.
He was indeed a big shot, the head of an empire, and was said to be one of the founders of Cecil.
Even though he was just an ordinary person without any extraordinary ability.
Bertilla could not help but look at Norris again. She sensed that the old man in front of her was not as old as she had thought.
He was just aging too early.
She had seen this old and weak look many times. During the pioneering era, many of the ancestors who rushed out of the wasteland and struggled to survive in the wasteland looked like this. In the later era of the kingdom, the poor people who were still struggling to survive were also like this.
In an instant, she saw too many stories from Norris, so much so that she couldn't help but be a little surprised. However, her blunted face didn't reveal the slight fluctuation in her heart. She only asked curiously, "You're here for me?"
"I'm here to see the miracle of the Solin Tree. It is said that this place maintains the vitality of spring." Norris nodded slowly. "I saw it. It's really incredible … You've almost completely healed this area."
"Are you trying to rebuild the cities and villages of the eastern plains?" Bertilla asked curiously.
"You can see it?"
"A little," Bertilla said. "From the highest point of my tree, I can faintly see the tidal flats at the edge of Pine Valley. There's smoke rising from there recently, and I can also see the erected crystal towers."
Norris nodded. "That's the Pine Valley Camp. They're restoring the lumber and mines there in preparation for the Maple Camp's reconstruction project next year."
"It must be very difficult for you … I know it's winter outside," Bertilla said slowly. "Why do you have to do this in winter? You can wait until the snow melts in late spring — you can hide in the warm southern cities. "
"After a winter, hungry jackals and wolves will completely occupy the Wilderness. Until late spring, we still have to spend time building camps, repairing houses, and digging for water. Every time we miss the opportunity to start ploughing, we may miss another season of food, and people may starve to death," Norris said calmly. "The Southern Territory doesn't have much food, and the food collected from various parties in the Western Region is only enough for us to last until next year's harvest season. In those areas where there is a shortage of food... whether the people can survive or not may really be just a mouthful of food."
A few seconds later, Bertilla said softly, "… You don't want anyone to starve to death, right?"
"No one deserves to starve to death," Norris said.
"But there will definitely be people who starve to death, at least this winter, at least before the grain-producing areas in the Holy Spirit Plains recover …"
"Maybe, but that's not a reason." Norris shook his head. "I'm the Minister of Agriculture. His Majesty has given me the task of feeding every Cecil as much as possible. Having enough to eat is a citizen's right. Other than that, it's not something I have to consider."
A gust of wind blew from afar, bringing with it a slight chill. Although the chill was considered mild compared to the winter wind outside, it still made Norris cough a few times.
A rustling sound came from the crown of Thorin's giant tree, and the cool wind abruptly stopped.
"Thank you … This is your power, right?" Norris felt his body relax. He was no longer the ignorant farmer he used to be, and could guess the extraordinary power contained in it. "I feel a lot better."
"It's just a little trick. Don't worry about it."
Norris was silent for a moment, and suddenly waved his hand to the people who followed him. "You guys go and rest first. I want to stay here for a while."
A young official instinctively stepped forward. "Minister, you …"
"I'm in good shape now," Norris said to the young man with a smile. "I want to talk to this lady for a while."
"… Yes."
The entourage left.
Under the Thorin tree, there was only an old minister of agriculture and a former pioneer who had witnessed the ups and downs of seven centuries standing opposite each other.
"Your health is not good, Mr. Norris." Bertilla was the first to break the silence. "As a mortal, your lifespan is coming to an end."
Norris smiled and shook his head. "… I know, but it doesn't feel good to hear someone say it so directly."
"Sorry, I haven't tried to speak in a gentle way for a long time," Bertilla said. "So, you want my power to help you prolong your life?"
"I know a somewhat brilliant Druil … Although he has some problems with his personality, he is very capable. He said that aging is the fate of most mortals. Even the divine magic before the fall of Bai Xing could not reverse this law."
"… He's right. It seems that you're not looking for me because of your physical condition." Bertila stared into Noris' eyes. "So, you're really just here to see what Thorin's tree looks like?"
"I want to see if there's anything here that can help us with our reconstruction." Noris smiled. "Especially the problem of food … After all, the best druids of the empire are gathered here, and there's also a giant Thorin tree known as a 'natural miracle'."
Bertilla thought for a moment. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes, and a small gray beast ran out, holding a fist-sized red fruit in its arms.
Bertilla bent down, took the fruit from the little beast, and handed it to Norris. "This is my fruit. According to the humans here, it tastes very good and can fill the stomach."
Noris received the fruit with some surprise. He looked at it carefully and asked, "How many fruits can you bear?"
"Probably enough to feed the people of a medium-sized town. If you don't mind the taste and the mild toxicity, the leaves can also be eaten for a short period of time. It can feed two or three times the population, but please don't pick too much at once. I still need to photosynthesize. "
"… We have more than one town to feed." Norris shook his head. "But these fruits should be able to solve some problems."
"I'm afraid I can't solve the food shortage problem in the plains." Bertilla shook her head. "Even if I draw more heat from the ground and turn the open land around Thorin Fortress into fertile land, it probably won't be enough."
Norris thought for a while and asked, "Can the miracle of the Thorin tree be replicated?"
"… I'm afraid not. The formation of the Giant Thorin Tree was complicated by many factors. It required the power of the gods, the lives of a large number of high-tier druids, the accumulation of mana over a long period of time, and an incalculable amount of luck. Even so, I still didn't fully understand how this transformation happened to me. Mr. Norris, there won't be a second Thorin tree. At least, I don't know how to recreate this process. "
Norris sighed deeply. "Sigh, I should have thought of this. The problem of feeding the people is really not something that can't be replicated. "
Bertilla listened to Norris and suddenly repeated softly. "Miracle that can't be replicated …"
"Yes, tens of thousands of people need food. The Empire needs a large area of food production. What we need is something that can be replicated, spread, and used in many places, not a miracle. Otherwise …" Norris looked at the red fruit in his hand and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Otherwise, it will be a cake on the table of the nobles."
"A cake on the table of the nobles?"
"Delicious, but only for a few." Norris shook his head. "And most people will starve to death outside the castle."
Bertilla suddenly fell silent.
The wind blew through the canopy of the Thorin tree, rustling the branches and leaves.
A few seconds later, she broke the silence. "We have never thought of this path …"
Norris did not hear her clearly. "What path?"
"No, nothing." Bertilla shook her head. "I just suddenly remembered something. Not long ago, I arrogantly scolded a young man for never looking down at those lowly people. Now that I think about it … it's a bit funny."
After a pause, she said, "Mr. Norris, if the only help I can provide here is these fruits, what do you plan to do next?"
"Plan? Of course we will continue to rebuild this land. "Norris smiled and said calmly." We will rebuild the main areas on the east coast of Gorgon and around Maple. We will build camps in the important woodlands, mines, and water sources. We will measure inch by inch and rebuild foot by foot. Sooner or later, this place will come back to life. As long as people are still here, there will always be hope. "
Bertilla did not speak. She was silent for a long time as she looked at the old man who was about to reach the end of his journey.
But what she really saw were the people behind the old man.
Those who were setting up camps in the snowy plains of the Holy Spirit Plains to prepare for farming in the coming year; those who were trekking on the deserted roads to transport supplies for the reconstruction project; those who were negotiating with neighboring countries at the borders of the Empire to solve the food shortage; those who were exhausting themselves to solve the food shortage.
One percent of Transcendents, and ninety-nine percent of ordinary people.
These ordinary people were going to achieve a miracle that even the Transcendents thought was impossible.
She closed her eyes, but she could only close the eyes of this pseudo-body. The perception of the Thorin tree was still open, allowing her to see the entire Thorin area and clearly sense herself.
The giant tree was almost the size of a town, towering into the clouds, a powerful natural force field, and unimaginable Transcendents.
What a miracle the Order of All Things Will Die had created, a miracle that could make any extraordinary person tremble in fear, a miracle that could be painted on a scroll and hung in a king's castle, a miracle that could be sung by bards for a thousand years.
The fruit of this "miracle" could not even feed one-tenth of the population of the Sacred Plains.
Bullsh * t great cause.
Bertilla opened her eyes.
"I'm a Druil." She looked at Noris and suddenly said without thinking.
Noris did not understand for a moment, "Huh?"
"Nothing, I just remembered my identity." Bertilla smiled. That smile was no different from a human's. "Perhaps, it's time to do something that the first generation of pioneers should do."
Yes, pioneers. She had almost forgotten that she was a pioneer.
She had also experienced those difficult times. When they rushed out of the wasteland, everyone was in a barbaric wasteland, lacking food and clothing. Without medicine, they were isolated and helpless. All magic tools had failed, and they could only be carried by people on their shoulders to reclaim the land. They had to chisel stones from the mountains to use as plows and excavate earth to build houses.
The starving people walked on the road, and one of them would fall as they walked. The king led the army to defend the border, and died on the highlands before the war ended. An unknown plague broke out in the pioneer area, and she led the Druil of the Church, relying on her superior vitality, and tried to find the medicine … Didn't those days come?
The pioneers at that time did not have any "miracles" to count on.
She seemed to understand why the "extraterrestrial wanderer" left her behind.
"Mr. Noris, I wish you all the best," Bertilla said, "As for here … I will think of a solution with the Druil here. In fact, they have been trying to cultivate seeds that are more suitable for cold areas before this, but they have not made any progress. "
She had accumulated hundreds of years of knowledge, some from the Holy Ghost Church, some from the Perish Society.
There were still leftover culture sacs underground. Those culture sacs were used to create terrible monsters, but if used properly, they could also be used for good.
Cecil people did not know how to use those dangerous things, but she did.
She had wasted too much time. Although she wanted to live like a plant, and no longer recall the dark and crazy past, she could not waste all her time on photosynthesis.
Noris' eyes brightened. Although he did not understand what had happened, he seemed to feel that the lady in front of him, who was lacking in energy just a moment ago, suddenly had a fighting spirit.
Anyway, this was a good thing.
"Thank you for your help," he said sincerely. "This is a blessing for countless people, and even countless generations of people."
Bertilla smiled and nodded. "Don't forget to take my fruit when you leave. I can still provide the rations for a medium-sized town."
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