Zayan sat just across from the elder in the modest wooden house. The tension from the earlier protest lingered in the air. The elder had returned moments ago, his expression was unreadable but heavy with thought.


    “Don’t mind them.” The elder told Zayan. “The villagers will grumble, but they are loyal to the village. Their trust is hard-earned. I believe you can gain it. Just focus on the tasks at hand for now.”


    Zayan was nervous but he nodded. “What should I do first?” he asked. His voice much quieter than before. “But… I don’t know how much of a help I can be of.”


    The elder studied him for a moment before continuing. “Let’s start with our most pressing issue: Food. No matter how much we gather and store during the harvest, it never lasts through the winter. Pests and spoilage are the main reason. People starve because of this. We have tried various ways to stop the pests and spoilage but there was never much progress.”


    Zayan frowned learning of the village’s tragedy. He leaned forward to examine the map. After a minute of remembering information related to food storage from his previous world, he asked carefully “How do you store your food now?”


    The elder gestured toward a barn that was visible through the window. “We dry and salt as much as we can. Some meats are preserved with ash or herbs. But it’s not enough. The pests find their way in, and some still spoil.”


    Zayan nodded slowly. It wasn’t so different from what he’d read about food storage of his world in the past. Zayan was hesitant but still spoke, “I… I think I know a way to help.”


    The elder’s sharp gaze met his. “Go on.”


    “In my world, we used sealed containers to keep air and pests out.” Zayan explained. “For meat, we smoked it—exposing it to wood smoke for days. It lasts much longer that way.” These were working but outdated techniques in his original world.


    “My original world and this place are very different. So here, we can use the clay pots (He didn’t speak of glass jars as he had only seen pottery in the village). They can be sealed with the help of wax. We can also make smokehouses to treat meat to smoke for a few days” Zayan spoke slowly changing his ideas according to his understanding of this world such that the elder would easily understand.


    The elder tilted his head, considering the suggestion. “Sealing containers… and smoking meats. Interesting. Do you believe these methods would work here?”


    Zayan hesitated. “They worked in my original world so I guess they will also work here. But I’d need some materials to test it. Pots, wax, and firewood.”


    The elder nodded. “We’ll discuss this with the administration. It is a group of 10 people in the village including me. They oversee the village’s supplies and other needs. If they agree, you’ll have what you need.”


    The administration meeting was tense from the moment Zayan entered the room. The short man was already seated, his arms crossed and his glare fixed on Zayan like a hawk watching prey. Though he backed away at the protest, he hadn’t given up.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The elder introduced Zayan to the 7 members of the administration present and outlined his ideas. Explaining the potential benefits of airtight storage and smoking meats. He then paused and gestured for Zayan to elaborate. Zayan froze, his mouth suddenly dry.


    “Um…” he began, his voice uncertain. “Where I come from, we… we sealed food in sealed jars to keep pests out. And we smoked meats to preserve them longer. It—it might help he...”


    The short man scoffed loudly, interrupting Zayan. His sharp tone cut through the room. “And why should we trust his ideas? He knows nothing of our ways, our land. His methods could waste our supplies?”


    “That could happen. Terul is right.”


    “Yes he is right.”


    “But it should be ok to try.”


    Some of the members talked to each other.


    Zayan glanced at the elder, who gave him an encouraging nod. “I… I think it’s worth trying.” Zayan said, his voice still uncertain. “If it doesn’t work, we can stop. But if it does, it could save many lives.”


    The short man’s glare deepened, and he leaned forward. “Easy to say when it’s not your food at risk. Do you even know what it takes to preserve food? Have you ever hunted? Gathered? Or are you just guessing?”


    Before Zayan could respond, the elder spoke firmly. “Enough. A small-scale trial will not harm us in any way. If it succeeds, we’ll expand. Alaric and Miles will oversee the process alongside Zayan. They will make sure he doesn’t do anything harmful to us.”


    The short man muttered something under his breath but didn’t challenge the elder’s authority. This was the main topic of the meeting. After its end, the meeting was soon over.


    Over the next two week, Zayan worked under the watchful eyes of Alaric, Miles, and a small group of villagers. Alaric and Miles had begun trusting Zayan after learning about him after their long conversation with him and hence complied with his plans wholeheartedly. Though they had been on village wall guard duty after that, they briefly talked about Zayan with each other. They crafted makeshift smokehouses and sealed pots of grains with melted wax. Every step of the process was met with skepticism by the other villagers, but Zayan persevered with the help of Aaric and Miles. They were his first friends in this place and the elder was a mentor.


    The first signs of success came quickly. The smoked meats retained their color and aroma, and the sealed pots showed no signs of pests after several days.


    One afternoon, the elder visited the storage barn to inspect the progress. He examined the smoked meats and the sealed pots. His expression was one of satisfaction. “This is promising.” He said, patting Zayan’s back being unable to pat his soldier due to their difference in height. “You’ve done well, Zayan. These methods could save lives.”


    An administration meeting was held again and the progress was reported. The short man still wanted to refuse this method but had to bow to the results that were seen. It was decided in this meeting that Zayan will be given the authority in the storage of food for the winter. This authority-giving decision was refused by some members but it ultimately happened on the condition that some guards will be constantly observing Zayan.


    This news was quickly spread throughout the village and Zayan even felt a flicker of pride. However, it was quickly overshadowed by the weight of the villager’s stares. Some watched him with curiosity, others with respect and thankfulness. But a few, like the short man, glared at him with open hostility.


    The short man stood at the edge of the storage barn. He watched as the villagers murmured among themselves about Zayan’s success. His fists clenched tightly and he bit into his own lips.


    “All these years.” He muttered, his voice low and bitter. “All these years of working for this village, and now, I am disregarded. But that new brat, he gets praise.”


    His resentment burned like a fire in his chest. Each whisper of praise for Zayan added fuel to his anger.


    “This isn’t over.” He whispered to himself, his glare fixed on the tall boy standing at the center of the gathered villagers. “Not by a long shot.”