Pico brushed the sweat off his forehead using the palm of his hand. Working on the poultry farm was arduous, since he had to take care of hundreds of chickens. Peeping sounds filled the air as the younglings pecked the ground, eating soil, worms, and insects.

At first, Pico was hesitant to plant the Loi saplings on the farm. They were known to attract pests. But after heeding the advice of the young master and incorporating the plants into his farm, he had been stunned by the results.

The Loi plants indeed attracted insects, even large ones, but those pests became prey for the hundreds of chickens roaming freely around the poultry farm. Pico could also supplement their feed with lentils obtained from the mansion.

Near the first coop, several more were being built by the workers. The speed had slowed considerably; the production of cement couldn’t keep up with the rate of the town’s development, though it was still far greater than those in the cities.

As Pico was feeding the chicks, two carts stopped right at the f entrance. He stiffened when he saw the young master climb out.

Immediately, he wiped his face with a towel and dried his sweaty hands. He ran through the gate, and while panting, greeted the lord of Blackstone Town. “Young Master! I didn’t know you had returned already!”

Had he known the young master was coming, he would have at least prepared some refreshments and a seat.

Lark waved a hand. “It’s fine.” He looked around, inspecting the coops and the chickens roaming around. He nodded. “It seems the poultry farm’s doing well. Good job.”

Pico felt proud after hearing that. He pushed his chest out and smiled broadly. It was a refreshing feeling.

They heard bleating sounds. Pico looked up to see some servants pulling eight tethered goats out of the second cart.

“Two males, six females,” said the young master. “I know you already have your hands full managing this farm, but I want you to take care of these guys. In the future, once I’ve secured the treasury, I’ll buy several more.”

Taking care of goats was a fairly easy task, especially since there was a vast field of grass nearby. Furthermore, they produce a lot of milk. As the one managing the farm, surely it wouldn’t hurt to taste goat milk every now and then. Pico tried concealing his excitement.

“I’ll do my best, sir!” Pico promised enthusiastically.

Lark liked the eagerness in his voice. “About the Loi plants.” The young master entered through the fence and was immediately surrounded by dozens of chicks. Before Pico could protest that there was no need for the young lord to enter the coop personally, Lark had arrived at the barricaded area where the Loi plants grew.

“Only a few of them have grown fruit,” he said. He plucked a piece of fruit, about the size of a pebble. “It’ll take probably another month before we’re able to produce enough umami salt.”

After plucking a handful of fruit, Lark said, “Pico, have you tasted these?”

Pico shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Young Master.”

Lark peeled open one of them and handed it to him. “Try it.”

A bit hesitant, Pico put the fruit in his mouth. He cringed as the bitter, sour taste coated his tongue. He coughed and spat the fruit out. Even the innumerable chicks around refused to touch the fallen fruit.

“Nasty, isn’t it?” Lark chuckled.

He handed the rest of the fruit to the still cringing Pico. “Peel them, then soak them overnight in water. After that, take the fruit and dry them out under the sun. You’ll be surprised how delicious it’ll be after that.”

Pico stared at the young master in disbelief. Tasty? It was horrible! He would not eat a single one of them even if he was offered a month’s salary.

“After drying them… are you going to… ask me to eat them again, sir?” Pico shuddered at the thought.

Lark looked at him in amusement. “Of course.”

Pico remembered the nasty taste. His stomach churned and he resisted the urge to vomit. “But, Young Master!” Pico’s voice was hysterical, pleading.

“It’s fine. I’ll eat them with you.” Lark tapped his shoulder. “Just do what I say. The reason no one knows of umami salt is probably the lack of knowledge about how to remove the bitter taste of the fruit. Believe me, once you’ve tasted umami salt, every other food will seem bland in comparison.”

Pico shuddered but nodded. “Yes.”

“I’ll be back here tomorrow, at the same time,” said Lark. “Be sure to have the fruit ready by then.”

Despite his reluctance, Pico soaked the peeled fruit in water after the young master left. According to the young master, he needed to do this overnight, then dry them under the sun the next day.

A full day passed. True to his word, Lark returned to the poultry farm at the exact same hour. This time, he came alone, without any servants or guards.

“Did you dry them?” asked Lark.

Pico nodded. “I did everything as you instructed.” He showed Lark the fruit dried during the morning.

Lark took one and, without hesitation, threw it into his mouth. Pico was taken aback. He remembered the nasty taste and grimaced.

Pico was expecting the young master to cringe, belch, and puke on the ground. But instead, he chewed the fruit and swallowed happily.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten this stuff,” said Lark. “Now, you try it.”

Was the young master playing with him? Pico was not sure. But since the young master himself ate the fruit, he had to comply.

With trembling fingers, and ready to vomit any time, Pico slowly placed a fruit in his mouth. “Wha—” A surprised gasp escaped Pico’s lips. The abhorrent taste was gone!

Instead, the fruit was indescribably delicious. It was neither salty nor sweet, but a different taste entirely. If he was asked, he would say that the closest description would be probably the word “meaty.” It was as though he was eating meat grilled to perfection, soaked with several herbs and spices.

This taste was simply phenomenal!

Without noticing, Pico ate all the remaining fruit.

“How is it?” Lark was almost laughing after seeing the stunned expression of Pico. “Tasty, isn’t it?” Still overwhelmed by the unexpected taste of the Loi fruit, Pico simply nodded. “The first batch of merchants will be coming here soon. I’ve ordered several Loi plants from the Merchant’s Guild. They’re fairly cheap, since the people in this kingdom don’t really have a use for it.” Lark looked at the coop being constructed nearby. “Same as before. Plant them in the coops. We’ll use them to attract insects which will serve as food for the poultry, then use the fruit to make umami salt.” Two birds with one stone.

“But this time, after drying the fruit, I want you to grind them into smaller pieces,” said Lark. “I’ll provide you with equipment for that. From now on, in addition to kalranes, we shall export umami salt to the kingdom.”

Although they wouldn’t be able to produce that much salt, the taste alone would have a great impact in the kingdom. The salt itself might even become more popular than kalranes in the near future.

Lark smiled at this thought.