Gardener of Eden

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Start of Something New

As the late afternoon sun began to dip behind the terracotta roofs of the market plaza, the heavy rush of shoppers finally dwindled to a quiet trickle. The once-crowded avenue was now quiet, with vendors wiping down tables and sweeping away loose husks and straw.

Rowan’s mother smoothed down her apron, leaning against the wooden counter with a tired but immensely satisfied smile. On the display tables, every single wooden basket lay completely bare—not a single tomato, ear of corn, or soybean remained.

”I don’t think we have a single piece of produce left to take home,” she said, looking over at Rowan’s father, who was wiping down the legs of the folding canopy before collapsing it into its travel sling.

”Not a single leaf,” his father chuckled, rolling his shoulders and setting down his guard baton. ”And we didn’t have a single issue with thieves or rowdy crowds after Brokk’s cart pulled up. Once the market saw the Ironforge family picking up crates directly from our stall, nobody dared step out of line.”

Rowan sat at the corner of the table with the brass ledger box opened before him. Beside it sat several heavy canvas pouches bulging with copper, silver, and gold coins accumulated throughout the day. He began sorting the coins into neat, metallic stacks, counting them methodically while logging the numbers into his notebook.

Rowan tied off the main gold pouch with a sharp tug on the drawstring, setting it down in the center of the table.

”Here’s the final count for today’s retail stock,” Rowan said, gesturing to the breakdown written in his ledger. ”The forty kilograms of High-Vitality Tomatoes brought in seven hundred and twenty gold. The sweet corn brought in four hundred and fifty. From our remaining twenty percent share of the D-Grade produce, the retail portion added another four hundred gold.”

His mother gasped softly, looking at the heavy pouch. ”Fifteen hundred and seventy gold pieces in a single day... Rowan, that’s more than our household usually earns in months!”

”And that’s on top of wiping out the first major installment on those Grade-C tools,” his father added, leaning over to clap a broad, proud hand onto Rowan’s shoulder. ”You’ve built something incredible here, son.”

”This is just the start,” Rowan smiled, handing the profit pouch over to his mother to manage the family expenses. ”With the domain expanded and the soil matrix stabilized, our next harvest will yield even higher quality.”

Together, the family packed up their empty crates, folded the canvas canopy onto the handcart, and began the quiet walk back home under the warm evening twilight, their pockets full and their reputation firmly established across the district.

When they arrived back home, the house was quiet and welcoming in the evening twilight. Rowan’s mother set the heavy pouch of gold on the kitchen table while his father unbuckled his guard belt with a long, tired sigh, rolling his sore shoulders.

Rowan pulled out three chairs around the dining table and motioned for them to sit.

”Dad, Mom, I want to talk about our long-term plan,” Rowan began, his voice filled with quiet conviction. ”Today proved that our crops aren’t just a small side income—they’re a massive market opportunity. We need to set up a permanent storefront in the city’s central marketplace.”

His father looked up, surprised. ”A permanent store? Son, prime marketplace leases require serious capital and a constant supply of inventory.”

”We have the capital starting today, and the supply will only grow,” Rowan replied, gesturing to the gold on the table. ”Dad, you’re currently working three separate jobs just to keep our household running. I want you to quit every single one of them.”

His parents exchanged a stunned look. Rowan leaned in, laying out the blueprint.

”We’re going to incorporate our own official family business—a specialized company focused exclusively on producing and retailing high-quality, mana-enriched crops. Dad, you’ll manage the storefront, security, and logistics as the head of operations. Mom, you’ll run customer relations, sales, and retail inventory.”

”How will we handle the daily supply if you’re living on the academy grounds during the week?” Martha asked, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

”That’s the best part,” Rowan smiled. ”Every morning before my classes start—around 6:30 AM—I’ll bring the fresh daily harvest from my domain directly to the main gates of the academy. Dad, you can pull our cart up to the gate, collect the fresh crates from me, and take them straight to the marketplace to stock the storefront for the morning rush.”

Arthur stared at his calloused hands, then down at the pouch containing over fifteen hundred gold pieces earned in a single day. The strain of working endless shifts across three different manual labor jobs seemed to lift from his posture all at once.

”A family company...” Arthur muttered, a profound sense of pride lighting up his face as he looked at Martha and then back at Rowan. He reached across the table and gripped Rowan’s hand tightly. ”If you can supply the stock, son... I’ll build us the finest storefront in the district. No more three jobs. We do this together.”

”Together,” Martha agreed, her eyes shining as she squeezed Rowan’s other hand.

With their grand strategy mapped out, the family toasted to the birth of their new enterprise, ready to transform a humble produce stall into the city’s premier agricultural brand.

Before leaving the house, Rowan drew a small canvas pouch from the stack on the table and counted out twenty gold pieces, tying the drawstring tight at his belt as an emergency fund for his academy expenses. He swept the remaining fifteen hundred and fifty gold back into Martha’s hands for the startup capital and lease funds.

With his travel bag slung securely over his shoulder, Rowan turned toward the front entrance. Just as his hand touched the iron latch of the door, Martha leaned forward across the dining counter, her eyes bright with anticipation.

”Wait, Rowan,” Martha called out, a warm smile gracing her face. ”If we’re going to register the lease tomorrow and file the official merchant charter with the city clerk... what should our company name be?”

Arthur looked up from the table, nodding in agreement as he waited for his son’s answer.

Rowan paused, turning back toward his parents. Without a moment’s hesitation, he met their eyes, his tone firm and full of quiet ambition.

”Eden International,” Rowan replied.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, tasting the name on his tongue. ”Eden International?”

”Eden, after the legendary garden of ultimate abundance and pure, untainted life,” Rowan explained, his gaze resolute. ”And International, because our goal isn’t just to dominate a local marketplace plaza. Our goal is to become the leading crop-producing power in the entire world.”

A silence fell over the room as the sheer scope of the vision hung in the air. Arthur let out a low, proud laugh, clapping his hand down on the table, while Martha beamed with unbridled pride.

”Eden International it is,” Arthur declared, nodding firmly. ”I’ll have the clerk register the charter under that name first thing in the morning.”

”See you at the academy gates at 6:30 AM, Dad,” Rowan said with a confident nod.

He pulled open the door and stepped out into the evening air, heading back toward the academy grounds to prepare his domain for the grand debut of Eden International’s first official commercial delivery.