A new day dawned upon St. Pavlov Foundation, yet the inner workings of this organization remain the same.
At this moment, located in the western part of the Foundation's grounds, inside the lobby where the new arcanists brought in by the Timekeeper were being put on hold, a man and an apple were conversing.
Seated across each other, with a small glass coffee table separating them, the man and the apple looked at each other whilst emanating an erudite air about them.
Surely the subject of their conversation was something of profound scholarly or academic knowledge, yes?
"...the ideal conditions to germinate seeds is to let them take root in likewise ideal soil they would enjoy." The apple spoke pensively, a calm and erudite voice emanating from him.
"I totally agree, but what about their surrounding environment? Soil is one thing, but what about sunlight, propagators, and most importantly, moisture?" Across the talking apple, a young man with a solemn expression nodded. "Obviously, the seed cannot get all of these conditions in one go and must require someone to do it in their stead."
"That's not always the case, but I get your point. Thus brings us the farmers." The apple, levitating on his chair, agreed. "Their main duties are to help the seeds grow and eventually reap what they sow."
At the apple's words, the young man chuckled a bit, finding it somewhat amusing. "Isn't that kind of grim to talk about your, well, kin?"
"You're right. As an apple myself, just because I am an Awakened Arcanist, that does not give me the right to feel superior about the other apples and seeds whose mundane characteristics I once embodied." The apple, self-aware of himself, tilted from side to side a bit as it levitated. Despite its obvious lack of facial features, it expressed itself well.
Then, floating down and resting on the seat's cushions, the apple asked the young man a question. "What about you, Mr. Isaac? Why the sudden inquiry about this subject?"
The young man sitting across him — who was quite obviously Isaac — smiled lightly at the apple's question. After a brief pause, he answered him. "To be honest, I needed an expert's insight in a project I'm about to do. That project is — unsurprisingly — farming. And what better person to turn to when it comes to this subject than our expert Mr. APPLe?"
"Farming, you say?" At the mention of this word, Mr. APPLe's arcanum was subconsciously used, enabling him to change the light around his body and producing an array of colors. Quite clearly interested in this matter, he subsequently asked Isaac a question. "Are you forming that farm near your cabin that's currently under construction?"
"Uh... Huh?" At the mention of his cabin which was supposed to be a secret from the others, Isaac's face momentarily froze. A moment later, he conjured a wry smile. "Haha... I didn't know that my little side project was already spreading from ear to ear... How'd you know?"
To be honest, he didn't really mind the others taking notice of his supposed secret base of operations. He was just worried that they'd frequently visit the location, leading to the complete opposite direction of his intended purpose for the cabin.
Still seated among the cushions, Mr. APPLe controlled his body and tilted forward, as if giving a light nod. "Well, it's impossible to not notice it when Ms. Druvis had been the one taking the lead in the construction itself."
"Captain was the first to notice when she saw the trees suddenly being plucked up in the wilderness. Following that, and some probing, she soon learned of what was happening inside the forest."
Captain referred to Regulus — Mr. APPLe's closest companion and friend.
'Well, we were indeed not being discreet enough...' Having given it enough thought, Isaac had to admit that his idea of making it a secret was absurd from the start.
They were in a suitcase!
The space was limited — of course others would immediately take notice of any anomalies that would occur within.
Amused by this thought, Isaac scoffed. "Well, alright... Seeing as there's no need to hide it, then yes. I'm making a farm right beside my cabin."
"What compelled you to do that, I wonder?" Analyzing the situation, Mr. APPLe's tone suddenly became pensive as he tried to scrutinize Isaac's intentions. "According to Ms. Sonetto, the suitcase has enough resources and food to sustain itself for a month or two should we be forced to hide inside. A farm could indeed be a great addition, but not a vital necessity currently. Hm..."
Seeing how Isaac was not interfering with his analysis, Mr. APPLe continued to probe further, as if trying to solve a puzzle being laid out by the young man in front of him.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Mr. APPLe's mind. Turning his body to the sides, he took a momentary glance at the Foundation's staff that were scattered all over the lobby. Though they appeared to be doing things on their own, a subtle connection between them was present, as if they were all interlinked to each other.
Coupled with the occasional glances at them, as well as the suspiciously loose guards that were supposed to watch over them, Mr. APPLe formerd a hypothesis.
Turning to Isaac, he voiced out his speculation in a measured voice, not loud enough for the staff nor the watchmen to hear.
"...are you perhaps preparing in case the Foundation forces us to retreat inside the suitcase?"
Now that he mentioned it, such a notion was indeed detrimental to them in the long run — and it wasn't completely impossible.
Currently, they are being confined by the Foundation and have no means of reaching the outside world. Although their needs can be fulfilled by the Foundation to some extent, it was merely akin to a prisoner asking for a favor — or even begging.
If the notion Mr. APPLe proposed was indeed true, and if it were to happen, they'd have no chance of putting up a fight in the long run as an under-prepared siege defense would inevitably fail due to their resources running out.
Noticing Mr. APPLe went silent, Isaac smirked. 'Indeed, sharing ideas with another erudite person is as easy as it gets. So long as I leave behind pieces for another curious mind to solve, they'd inevitably align with what I have in mind — especially Mr. APPLe, a keen intellectual.'
Having another person in on his plan won't hinder Isaac in any way at all. On the contrary, it would even serve him well since he'd have another like-minded ally.
But before he could share it with everyone else, he had to first test it on someone who can analyze the initial stages of the plan and acquire a feasibility from them.
Seeing Mr. APPLe still engrossed in his thoughts, Isaac decided to chime in, pulling him out of his contemplation.
"How about it, will you help me in creating my little farm? I've just talked with some guards earlier and received permission to request a couple of items. Obviously, I'm requesting some seeds to plant — specifically, potatoes."
"Potatoes?" Hearing this, Mr. APPLe pondered for a moment before levitating, as if enlightened. "Oh, yes, potatoes. They're the easiest to cultivate and grow relatively fast!"
"Indeed, sir APPLe." Isaac smirked. Then, standing up, he went to the apple's side and offered a handshake. "Well then, are you in? The more the merrier, after all."
Mr. APPLe lingered for a bit before tilting his body once more, giving a light nod. Then, out of nowhere, light condensed around his sides, forming small tendrils resembling arms.
That arm then shook Isaac's hand. "I'm in."
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A/N
Rushed this chapter since I'm low battery. I'm in a ship with no charger, and I'm writing this on 1% battery.
I'll post this quickly and proofread tomorrow morning.