Pushing open the door, the farm landscape had completely transformed.
The shy budding greens of Spring had faded, replaced by the bold, passionate hues of Summer.
Daeron looked out over his fields.
On the tilled land in front of the cabin, the twelve Basic Sprinklers, neatly arranged in a 6x2 grid, had just finished their work.
The fine mist settled, moisturizing the forty-eight plots of soil he had prepared in advance.
Swish! Swish!
Daeron took out his tools, clearing away the weeds and debris that appeared with the change of seasons. He checked the sprinklers and the condition of the soil.
Everything looked good. Time to buy Summer seeds.
Just like the profiteer Pierre's general store, the seeds available in the shipping bin updated with the seasons.
Summer Seeds:
Blueberry: 80g
Matures in 13 days. Regrows every 4 days.
Hops: 60g
Matures in 11 days. Regrows every day.
Melon: 80g
Matures in 12 days. Single harvest.
Poppy: 100g
Matures in 7 days. Single harvest.
Corn: 150g
Matures in 14 days. Regrows every 4 days. Continues growing in Fall.
Tomato: 50g...
There were 11 types of Summer seeds in total, with Corn being the only one that could grow through both Summer and Fall.
"I'm going all in on Melons!"
With a tap of his finger, Daeron bought 48 Melon seeds.
In the game, Melons looked like pink, luscious fruits, modeled after cantaloupes or honeydews.
Just like Cauliflower in Spring and Pumpkins in Fall, planting Melons in a 3x3 grid gave a chance to grow a Giant Crop.
Growing a giant crop was one of the joys of an old farmer.
However, Daeron wasn't doing it for the aesthetic.
He was heading to Dragonstone and wouldn't have time to tend to the farm daily.
Melons were simply convenient.
He looked at the Hops seeds on the vendor panel.
Daeron sighed wistfully. "My Farming level isn't high enough, and I haven't gathered enough Copper Bars and Wood to make Tappers, let alone Kegs for brewing."
Hops, when processed in a Keg, could be turned into Pale Ale.
The selling price was substantial.
But the requirements for crafting Kegs were strict.
The Keg recipe unlocked at Farming Level 8.
Keg Recipe: 30 Wood, 1 Copper Bar, 1 Iron Bar, 1 Oak Resin.
And to get Oak Resin, you needed to craft a Tapper and place it on an Oak Tree.
The Tapper recipe unlocked at Foraging Level 3.
Tapper Recipe: 40 Wood, 2 Copper Bars.
Dragon-Tongue Farm was still in its infancy; he couldn't afford to start a winery yet.
"Westeros has lost a potential alcohol tycoon."
Daeron felt a genuine pang of regret.
Buying 48 Melon seeds cost him 3,840 gold in one go.
[Current Funds: 4,649g]
Daeron planted the Melon seeds and double-checked the soil and sprinklers to ensure the seeds wouldn't stop growing due to lack of water.
Bang!
He took out some materials and crafted a Scarecrow wearing a straw hat.
Scarecrow Recipe: 50 Wood, 1 Coal, 20 Fiber.
Once a farm had more than 15 crops, crows would start showing up to eat them.
A single Scarecrow protected a circular area of 248 spaces—roughly an 8-tile radius—preventing crows from attacking crops within that zone.
Since no crows had appeared before, and Daeron had been on the farm all day, he hadn't bothered making one.
But now that he was leaving for a while, a Scarecrow was essential.
He placed the Scarecrow in the open field.
Daeron patted its straw shoulder and said, "I'm leaving the farm to you. Protect the crops."
Scarecrow: !!
Good man. Full of motivation.
Daeron petted the chickens again, collected the eggs, and checked the fence around the barn construction site.
Once he was sure everything was in order, he started his final spending spree.
Copper Pickaxe Upgrade: 2,000g, 5 Copper Bars.
Upgrade!
Fiberglass Rod: 1,800g.
Buy!
Daeron consoled himself. "You have to spend money to make money!"
Checking the panel, his funds had plummeted to 849g.
The fruits of a whole Spring's labor were almost gone in the blink of an eye.
But it was worth it!
Upgrading the pickaxe would increase mining efficiency.
The Fiberglass Rod was essential for early-game fishing.
His trip to Dragonstone would allow him to catch plenty of fish to supplement his income.
"Need to craft some Bait too."
Daeron went back into the cabin, took out the Bug Meat dropped by insects in the mines, and turned it all into Bait.
1 Bug Meat = 5 Bait.
135 pieces of Bug Meat turned into 675 pieces of Bait.
The Fiberglass Rod was superior to the Bamboo Pole, primarily because it had a slot for bait, holding up to 999 pieces.
Click!
Bait loaded.
Daeron said, "My fishing income on Dragonstone depends on you."
He organized his inventory, keeping Neptune's Greatsword, the Hoe, and the Fiberglass Rod.
He packed the TV.
That little artifact could predict daily luck; he couldn't leave home without it.
He did a final sweep of the cabin.
He packed the dragon egg from the fireplace, the exquisite gift box on the table, and the three Solar Essences dropped by ghosts in the mines...
Bang! Bang!
Finally, he spent 100 Wood to craft two Chests to bring along, just in case.
In total, 8 inventory slots occupied.
"Let's go!"
Packed and ready, Daeron walked out the door.
Woof, woof, woof!
Doro, having just finished his water, saw the farmer leaving and scrambled to follow, clearly wanting to go too.
"A dog that can't guard the house isn't a good dog."
Daeron looked stern.
Awoooo...
Doro lay on the ground, exposing his soft belly, whimpering urgently.
Daeron rolled his eyes and scooped Doro up into his arms.
"You're still too small. You can guard the house alone when you're bigger."
Woof, woof!!
---
King's Landing.
The Mud Gate, Harbor.
The refurbished royal ship was docked, sailors at their stations, ready to depart at a moment's notice.
"Prince, we are ready," Davos reported, his expression serious and formal.
"Good."
Daeron said his goodbyes to the people on the dock.
Shaena wore a sea-blue dress, her beautiful face calm and rippleless as she stared out at the horizon.
Her hands rested on her brothers, one on each side.
"Second Brother!"
Jaehaerys looked reluctant to let him go as he handed over Doro.
He really wanted to go to Dragonstone with his brother.
Daeron patted his little brother's head and smiled faintly. "Be good. Let me scout the path to Dragonstone first. If everything is fine, I'll send someone to pick you up."
"Okay."
Jaehaerys couldn't hide his disappointment, but he forced a bright smile.
Daeron rubbed his head again, then turned to Viserys.
At this moment, Viserys was staring at the bustling scene on the docks, muttering in awe, "Yummy, yummy..."
"Sigh."
Daeron couldn't do anything about that. As long as he was happy.
"Take care of our brothers, and take care of yourself."
When it was Shaena's turn, Daeron hesitated. He didn't have much to say.
Her aloofness was just an outward appearance; it didn't mean she lacked intelligence.
"You too."
Shaena came back to reality and naturally opened her arms to hug him, her tone soft. "My brother, remember to take care of yourself."
The girl's soft body smelled sweet, and she felt as gentle as the softest vanilla pudding.
It was a healing kind of happiness.
Daeron closed his eyes comfortably and hugged her back.
This was his right as a brother!