A week went by before Logan recovered his full strength.
The markings his veins had left on his skin faded, and mana finally coursed through them as before.
The day was as cold as ever, but he was happy to have a good meal.
Eager to see his plants' growth, he went outside wearing a large coat made from a creature that Scorch had hunted and a villager had pieced together to fit him perfectly, with Ruri's help.
He felt good now that he was ready to face the cold and his strength was back to its peak condition.
The boy felt even better today since he was finally able to speak to Lisa, who had tried to contact him for a few days.
Reaching his first plant that had been placed near the house, he saw that the small sapling was now a full-grown tree.
It had drained a third of his mana water, but with it, all the plants had grown to their mature state.
"What form are you taking today..." Logan wondered as he looked up to see various nuts on the underside of the tree's green crown.
The mimic tree had not only perfected the art of mimicking other trees but also the ability to grow their fruit permanently and maintain a certain shape for much longer.
It had taken the form of a hazelnut-type tree that thrived in the cold tundra plains for the past week.
It was perfect for this weather and even dropped its fruit when Logan asked for it.
The next tree he checked on was the Phoenix Redwood, which was placed near the entrance of his estate.
This location was to prevent fires, as the tree loved to keep itself warm.
Its body would burst into flames at times, making it dangerous to keep near the house or fields, but it made for a perfect guard.
It would light up the place at night, giving the night watch visibility whenever someone approached the gates.
Its wood would also be given out to keep the villagers warm.
The third tree, however, was a problem; he had to search for it every morning.
With his power to enhance his tamed beings, the Wanderwillow grew fast, but instead of becoming a huge tree, it remained thin and long, like a palm tree.
Logan had no idea what to do with this tree yet.
Its ability to move was probably the only thing that attracted him to make a pact with it, but other than that, it was just like a child playing tag—it needed to be chased to be fed.
The shrubs were next on his agenda.
The Regen Hazel Brush was probably everyone's favorite, as the sweet fruit it provided not only made for good medicine but produced so much fruit that Logan was able to send some to the villagers so they could eat.
Nolan the merchant constantly nagged him about selling the fruits, but Logan told him he needed to find a way to feed the villagers first.
What he did give the merchant was the leaves that could be made into a tea that would have great medical properties.
Unlike the trees, which grew tall, each of the shrubs spread out to the sides.
The Quillbush had grown wide enough to cover most of the backyard fence.
Just as the Phoenix Redwood protected the front, the Quillbush protected the back.
As for the large field, this was the Pyrothorn territory.
It had learned to distinguish between friend and foe and did not harm those that Logan introduced to it.
The good thing about the Pyrothorn was the warmth it emitted, which warmed the fields enough for crops to grow.
A villager skilled in farming began using them to start producing food.
Logan decided not to meddle with the process or try taming these plants, giving the villagers work for which he paid them.
After finishing today's duties, Logan got ready to go with his mentor.
Today, they would be looking for a particular animal that Logan needed.
Unlike before, when Logan did not worry about the creatures he would tame, he now needed to be more selective with his choices.
He had ordered for farm creatures to be brought.
Spring would soon come, and they needed animals to tend the fields.
Logan ordered poultry, horse-like beasts, cattle, and other creatures from this world that would be good for the rural village.
However, something urgent came up before all this: the need for more mana crystals.
For this, Logan needed specific monsters capable of finding any mana mines that might be in his territory.
He thought about the large tunnels created by earthen moles in the capital and how, with their help, he was able to find the underground passage into the mine.
"You ready, Logan? We will be heading to some old mines. There should be creatures you probably need there," his mentor said, leading the small expedition.
Valeria had already explored more areas of his vast land compared to the soldiers.
As soon as the day's plans were discussed, everyone in the group wanted to join.
Yet his mentor reminded them of the amount of work that still needed to be done on the new estate.
New goods were arriving that needed to be checked, and the planned outer walls that would surround the town were already mapped out and ready to be built.
With Chloe and Kai helping, the construction was going faster than ever.
Silis the Basilisk, who had been trained and was almost ready to evolve, also pitched in whenever she felt like it.
"The old mine should be around here. It's an open-pit mine, so it's not like we have to enter a cave or anything like that," Valeria said, pointing to a crater in the ground that was dug out in layers.
The center of the pit was teeming with various creatures that feasted on minerals. Some looked like moles, while others seemed to be a type of worm.
Logan wasn't sure how long it would take to get down there, but it needed to be done stealthily since he saw how easily the beasts could dig their way to safety.