"Were there any adverse reactions?" Lucas asked, his brow furrowing slightly. Stomach pain can be caused by many factors, with dietary issues accounting for about 80%, while the rest might stem from cold exposure, underlying pathologies, or other causes.
"We have tested it on over a hundred people and found no negative reactions," Poison Fang replied earnestly. "The person who has been under observation the longest is now at forty-seven days."
"Excellent. Mass-produce this one as well," Lucas said, satisfied. With these three medicinal powders, common ailments could be self-managed by the populace, effectively cutting off minor illnesses before they escalate into major conditions.
"Yes, My Lord," Poison Fang acknowledged. The medicinal garden was essentially functioning as a processing workshop for these powders.
"Come, let's take a tour," Lucas said with a light chuckle. He decided that upon his return, he would have the newspaper announce the usage instructions for the three powders so the commoners would know how to use them safely. As for exports, internal demand would be met first; only when herbal supplies were abundant would he consider selling to other cities.
Tramp, tramp, tramp...
As Lucas walked, he observed people weeding by hand. He frowned slightly; artificial cultivation often caused herbs to lose some of their natural potency compared to wild varieties. He wondered if he should buy a vast amount of herbal seeds from Earth and use hot air balloons to scatter them over the hills surrounding Sedona City. In a few years, they would have a wave of wild herbs to harvest.
"It actually seems worth a try," Lucas murmured to himself, weighing the feasibility of the plan.
"Master, what are you saying?" Mina asked curiously, her cat tail swishing.
"Nothing." Lucas shook his head, momentarily setting aside the expensive plan.
"Wow, so much glass was used here!" Annie exclaimed, her brown eyes turned toward the sky. The entire overhead structure was paneled in glass.
"We're still far from finished," Lucas noted. The main supports of the greenhouse were steel, supplemented by wooden framing. Currently, only one side was fully glazed, giving it a semi-arched appearance from a distance. To cover the entire garden in glass would take at least another half a year.
"Master, look! Red fruits over there!" Annie pointed toward lush green vines hanging with thumb-sized red fruits.
"Those are cherry tomatoes," Lucas looked up and smiled. "Go ahead and pick some if you want to eat."
This garden served as Lucas's treasure trove of otherworldly flora. It contained many plants brought from Earth—out-of-season strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and more. Compared to the agricultural pits, this medicinal garden was far more precious. Many items grown here were currently reserved as special supplies for the castle. Broad promotion would only happen once staples like wheat were secure enough to satisfy the commoners' hunger.
"Can I really pick them? You don't need them for research?" Annie asked, her eyes full of longing.
"Go on. They were grown to be eaten," Lucas said, gently patting the fox girl's head.
"Yay!" Annie gave a happy hop and scurried off toward the cherry tomatoes, her fox tail swaying with excitement.
"My Lord, regarding the ingredients you asked me to find, I have discovered two substitutes," Poison Fang spoke up.
"Oh? Which ones?" Lucas paused, searching his memory. "The ones for the Spice Project?"
He had delegated so many tasks that he sometimes had to check his notebook to track progress. After all, everything was being built from scratch.
"Yes," Poison Fang nodded respectfully. "I've found a tree similar to cinnamon, as well as star anise."
"Have you tested for toxicity?" Lucas asked seriously. Spices were crucial for improving the quality of life. He was already planning for the future, and spices were a key factor. In the essentials of life—clothing, food, housing, and travel—food was inseparable from spices.
Cooking without spices robbed food of its soul. Lucas didn't want to rely on transporting everything from Earth forever; self-sufficiency in spices was the goal. Furthermore, spices were a powerful tool for accumulating wealth. On Earth's Silk Road, spices were a primary trade good. In an era where cooking relied almost entirely on salt, spices could drive people to a frenzy. Lucas knew from Earth's history that regimes had gone to war over spices, which proved their strategic value.
Lucas had brought over some spice seeds for cultivation, but it would take years for them to become widespread enough to be traded as commodities. Some spice plants had very long growth cycles, making substitutes highly necessary. Given their proximity to the Forbidden Mountain Range and its vast biodiversity, it would be foolish not to search for local alternatives. Besides, many spices double as medicinal herbs.
"So far, no toxicity has been found, though the flavor profiles differ slightly," Poison Fang said, grimacing as he recalled the strange sensation in his mouth after taste-testing the two substitutes.
"Give me samples of both," Lucas said. He intended to take them back to Earth for rigorous safety testing. He would also have the three medicinal powders analyzed; only after confirming they were safe would they be fully promoted.
"Yes, My Lord."
"And the document I gave you last time—have you looked at it?" Lucas asked. He was referring to the experiments on plant hybridization. He wanted to crossbreed Earth plants with local varieties to see if they could inherit the traits of Earth flora, similar to the principle of hybrid rice.
"I have reviewed it and assigned people to begin trials," Poison Fang reported. He had a lot on his plate currently.
"No need to rush that one," Lucas nodded. Hybridization would take years to show significant results.
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