Chapter 312: Chapter 312 Progress
Even Zion, Maxwell, Levi, and Lance, along with the warriors guarding the borders, couldn’t return to eat. Instead, omegas were tasked with delivering their meals so they could continue their watch without leaving their posts.
By the time Addison reached the fields again, the paths were already lit with rows of lamps, casting a steady glow over the land. A few donkey carts rumbled past, carrying away the neatly stacked bundles of wheat.
After finishing with the wheat field, the next task was the rice paddies. Fortunately, the fields had already dried since harvest season was near, so there was no need to keep them wet and muddy, making the rice easier to reap.
That night, Addison and the other farmers worked tirelessly, pushing through the hours until they finally cleared the wheat field. By dawn, everyone was too drained to even think about the long walk home.
Some managed to drag themselves back to their rooms, but many simply collapsed in the warehouse. They spread out straw mats along the ground and dropped where they stood, too exhausted to move another step.
Going home would only waste precious time and energy, and they knew that once they woke, the cycle would begin all over again.
During this time, Addison had already sent word to the neighboring packs, urging them to finish their harvests as quickly as possible. She and Lance were tied down in this particular pack because it had the largest granary but too few hands to manage it, so they stayed behind to help.
As for the other packs, Addison assumed they could handle things on their own, at least until now. To be sure, she finally sent requests for communication through the crystals, hoping to get in touch with their Alphas and gain a clearer grasp of the situation.
"Good day, Princess..." The Alpha of the neighboring pack greeted Addison with a curt nod as soon as he saw her. Addison, however, wasted no time on formalities and immediately cut to the matter at hand.
"Alpha Roderick, thank you for receiving our communication on such short notice, and my apologies for the rush. I know you must have rearranged your schedule for this, so I’ll get straight to the point."
"My entourage and I will need more time assisting here; there are simply too many acres of farmland to leave unattended, and the locust swarm is growing more restless by the day. That’s why I need to ask: how much progress have you made on your end, and in your estimation, how long will it take before your harvest is finished and you’re ready to move?"
As she spoke, Addison pulled out her fountain pen and began jotting notes into her notebook, carefully recording the specifics from each pack so she wouldn’t miss a detail.
Alpha Roderick frowned slightly, looking momentarily stumped when Addison mentioned her focus on helping the largest pack in the west. No matter how dissatisfied he might have felt, he couldn’t voice it; Addison was still a princess, and she was directing her efforts where they were most urgently needed.
His own pack, though a neighbor of the Golden Hue Pack, was still miles away. The only reason they were relocating was as a precaution, to ensure they wouldn’t suffer fallout if things went wrong.
In truth, the pack that would be the most affected if disaster struck would be the Golden Hue Pack, while other neighboring packs might escape with little consequence. The uncertainty lay in the unknown reach of the Corrupted Energy. If it spread farther than expected, evacuation was the only safe choice.
At first, the concern had been that the locust swarm might break through the barrier and ravage the nearby packs, or that the biochemical agent might get carried by the wind, which might turn out to be toxic later on.
But now, with Addison uncovering the true main component of that biochemical agent, it wasn’t far-fetched to assume it was poisonous to all living beings. Worse, if the Golden Hue Pack became a breeding ground for demons once it was engulfed by Corrupted Energy, then keeping any packs nearby would be far too dangerous.
"Princess, we’re doing our best to harvest all the crops and grains within our territory. So far, we’ve managed about forty percent, but with the lack of manpower, we can’t push the pace any faster."
"Honestly, the Golden Hue Pack may be the largest granary in the West, but they also have the most pack members to rely on. Even they’re struggling to speed up their harvest, so what more can be expected of us?" Alpha Roderick replied, his tone edged with passive aggression, making it clear he felt his pack’s need for support was being overlooked.
Addison didn’t let herself get angry. She understood that tensions were high and didn’t take Alpha Roderick’s sharp tone to heart. In truth, he wasn’t entirely wrong; his pack might not have as many acres to harvest as the Golden Hue Pack, but they also lacked the manpower to move faster.
Completing forty percent of the work wasn’t bad under any circumstances, yet with time pressing, it still wasn’t enough. Addison herself didn’t have that many people to spare either, and the Golden Hue Pack had to remain her top priority, not only because it was the largest granary in the West, but because it sat at the very heart of the crisis.
"Alpha Roderick, that’s already a solid progress," Addison said evenly. "And you’re right, the Golden Hue Pack has the advantage of numbers. We’re doing everything we can to finish here quickly so we can rush to your side and help as well. If any of the other packs manage to complete their harvests before us, I’ll make sure they’re sent over to assist you."
Her tone was neither harsh nor yielding. Calm, steady, and diplomatic, she showed Alpha Roderick that she understood his concerns but also that she would not be swayed by frustration. And, just as she hoped, her composure began to settle him, his earlier aggression softening as he slowly calmed down.
"Alright, Princess. Please keep us informed as soon as possible. If we finish here faster than the neighboring packs, including the Golden Hue Pack, we’ll send word immediately and dispatch more people to assist. Let’s stay in close contact."
Alpha Roderick bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees through the communication crystal, showing his utmost loyalty and respect. He knew he had lost his composure earlier, and this was his way of humbling himself and making clear that he wasn’t as unreasonable as his frustration had made him seem.
"Thank you, Alpha Roderick." Addison gave a small nod before the communication crystal dimmed and then shifted to connect with another Alpha. So far, there were at least three packs she needed to check in with, possibly more.
She had to understand their progress and where each Alpha stood so she could decide how best to allocate help and rearrange the order of importance.
Her earlier exchange with Alpha Roderick soon repeated itself with the others, though she quickly realized that he had actually been one of the more reasonable ones. Most of the other Alphas spoke with sharper aggression, their tempers frayed by stress and lack of manpower.
If they diverted too many people from their borders to speed up the harvest, rogues would seize the chance to attack, and they’d end up losing even more time and resources. As a result, their efforts were forced into a stalemate, their progress crawling at a frustrating pace.
Addison felt stumped.
She didn’t have many people at her disposal; everyone was in a rush, and the Royal Capital itself had few reinforcements to send since their forces were already stretched thin. In the end, it felt as though all the responsibility had fallen squarely on Addison’s shoulders.
By the time her meetings with the rest of the Alphas wrapped up, it was already past lunch. No one had managed to come up with a concrete solution, but at least Addison now had a clear picture of each pack’s progress that needed to be relocated.
This only strengthened her resolve to see Elric and the researchers succeed in creating a machine or device that could revolutionize planting and harvesting. She turned to Elric with wide, expectant eyes, eyes so intense they made him shiver. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Addison was quietly plotting against him.
Once Elric finished facilitating Addison’s meetings, he wasted no time and hurried off to assist with the barrier, while Addison returned to help with the rice harvest.
With so much work demanding her attention, she barely had the chance to check in on Zion, Maxwell, Levi, or Lance. Instead, warriors were sent to report their condition, assuring Addison that all was well.
In truth, they were doing more than fine; they were practically ready to wage a guerrilla war in the forest, lying in wait for any rogues unfortunate enough to stumble into their traps.