After surveying the market, I came to a realization—I needed a small piece of land, isolated from the surroundings, somewhere no one would stumble upon my secret if I decided to grow spices.
For that, I went to Nabeel and asked him to take me beyond the town's boundaries. I didn't tell him my true intention, only that I wanted to explore the outskirts for a while. He didn't question much, and soon I found myself riding on his donkey, heading away from Sous.
As we moved further from the city, the land slowly changed. Whatever little life existed near the walls disappeared, replaced by dry, cracked earth stretching as far as the eye could see. It was more barren than I expected—a harsh desert with only scattered cactus and a few stubborn bushes clinging to life.
This place… no one would bother coming here.
That alone made it perfect.
I carefully observed the surroundings, marking the terrain in my mind. If I were to use my method, it had to be somewhere like this—hidden, lifeless, and far from curious eyes.
After spending some time outside, I returned to the town with Nabeel. My mind was already working through the next step.
The following day, I went back to the market and approached one of the merchants dealing in rare spices. After some bargaining and hesitation, I purchased small quantities of embernut and moonclove. The price was high, painfully so, but I restrained myself from buying too much.
I couldn't afford to draw attention.
If this worked, even a small yield would be enough.
And if it didn't… I would lose more than just coin.