Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Latifundium (2)
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Yeongsan.
A magical crop cultivation plant jointly owned by Count Gemernai and Duke Keter, just as he'd heard before.
To be more precise, the production of magical crops didn't happen on Yeongsan itself, but in the Latifundium—a canyon formed where the foothills of Yeongsan curved into a U-shape.
Mana Essence had to be misted into fog for growing magical crops, and the canyon slicing across the mountain was the perfect shape to trap that fog.
In other words, Yeongsan cradled the Latifundium within its embrace.
"Wow..."
Siwoo couldn't hold back his admiration.
He'd only heard about it before, never imagining the entrance alone would be such a breathtaking sight.
This wasn't the rocky wasteland image that typically came to mind with canyons.
The gorge, easily over 100 meters wide, was densely packed from the entrance with majestic trees forming an impenetrable forest canopy.
"Impressive, right? It's the off-season right now, so no other caretakers around. This is the only time you can stroll around this leisurely."
Odile's face lit up like she was showing off a golden calf in her own home.
She was bragging hard, but she had every right to.
"You'll be even more amazed once we go inside."
The trio parked the carriage as the path grew uneven and started walking together.
The closer they got, the more Siwoo's neck strained skyward, yet the treetops still eluded his sight.
Every single tree filling the Latifundium was an ancient giant, hundreds of years old.
It felt like there were world trees scattered everywhere.
"What's the off-season mean?"
"Yeongsan sits on incredibly fertile land, but even so, growing too many magical crops wears out the soil fast. After six years of cultivation, we let it rest for a year. Can't just dump chemical fertilizers on it, after all."
As they followed Odette's kind explanation into the canyon, darkness fell like night despite it being midday.
With sheer cliffs on both sides and thick branches and leaves forming a solid ceiling that blocked every sliver of sky, it was only natural.
Odette and Odile casually conjured four decorative lights each and hurried ahead.
Siwoo trailed behind, lunch basket in hand, taking in the surroundings.
It reminded him of a school trip to a cave—dark and damp all around, like he'd stepped into a massive cavern.
And after about 30 meters?
What greeted Siwoo's group was a curtain of vines draping from dizzying heights down to the canyon floor.
It was clearly artificial.
Stretched straight across like a theater curtain, blocking off the entire gorge.
"What's this?"
"This marks the start of the main production zone. It's a barrier to keep the Mana Essence fog from escaping."
"Assistant, stick close to us, okay? We've only got one pass."
"Got it."
Siwoo pressed close, led by Odette's hand—she seemed much more cheerful now.
Odile rolled up her sleeve, revealing what looked like prayer beads made from wooden seeds.
A faint glow emanated from the beads, shining on the vines. Layer by layer, they parted like dominoes, clearing a path.
And just like that, Siwoo understood why Yeongsan was so famed for its beauty.
In one word: fairy forest.
A dreamlike landscape and atmosphere straight out of a fairy tale.
A narrow stream wound through the vast woodland path.
Mist from each breath invigorated him, while colossal trees stood like pillars upholding the Latifundium.
Up to here, one might think it could exist somewhere on Earth.
"You could fit a fist in your mouth, Assistant."
"We were the same our first time."
The twins' giggles breezed past his ears.
Siwoo was too engrossed in the remaining scenery to care.
Enormous glass bottles hung from branches like fruit, filled with colorful liquids that glowed from within.
It was like capturing a lantern festival in a photo and freezing it there.
Thanks to them, even midway through the canyon, it was lit up as bright as streetlamps.
"What's that?"
Looking closer, hoses extended from the bottles like IV lines, aimed at the tree roots.
"A kind of nutrient solution. We inject various reagents into the trees to create the ideal environment for magical crops. The glow doubles as lighting too."
"And that?"
Siwoo pointed to firefly-like sparks rising slowly from the ground before vanishing.
They resembled will-o'-the-wisps, but rose at a languid pace.
"The mana density here's insanely high. Mana refraction lights occur naturally all the time."
"Incredible."
A landscape that never grew tiresome, no matter how long you gazed.
A commercial plant like this probably didn't aim for aesthetics, but it inspired awe for both nature and grand magic in equal measure.
"Glad I tagged along. Never seen a place this wondrous."
"Right?"
"Ask away anytime something piques your curiosity, Assistant."
Odile beamed with pride, while Odette circled Siwoo with a carefree smile.
Their casual closeness felt like they'd grown nearer since before.
"Can't rest here, so let's head to the production management building. Watch your step—it's slippery year-round from the moisture."
Odile hopped down from the massive tree root they stood on.
True to the trees' grandeur, the exposed roots rivaled truck tires, startling Siwoo a bit.
They walked along the streamside path between the trees.
The water sparkled regardless of light, so the fog-making Mana Essence was likely this stream.
The temperature was cooler than expected.
The humidity alone could pass for a tropical rainforest.
"Know much about magical crops, Assistant?"
"Nah, barely anything on alchemy. No time to study it with everything else."
"So just incantation magic and magic circles? The boring stuff..."
"Had to prioritize."
"Guess we need to explain then."
And so began Odile's crash course on the world of magical crops.
"Plants that can be mutated and cultivated via magic are pretty limited."
"Usually mosses or mushrooms. Easier to breed and manage."
Now that she mentioned it, most things clinging to trees and rocks were moss or fungi.
Their bizarre shapes caught the eye immediately.
Pink-tinged moss or fluorescent mushrooms glowing like lamps.
"Is that a button mushroom?"
Siwoo pointed at one that looked deliciously edible, clustered neatly in a tree hollow like those at a barbecue joint.
"Wanna try one? Eek!"
Odile smacked Odette's butt hard as she said it.
"Don't say stupid stuff!"
"S-Sis... It was a joke...!"
"Never do it. Most magical crops are toxic raw. That's why we detox them for days—or years—during prep."
"R-Right..."
Beyond the scenery, the cultivated crops growing here fascinated Siwoo.
Seeing in person what he'd only known from textbook text and illustrations felt like another world.
"What's that?"
"'Red Root Moss.' Strong nullification properties—used a lot as a neutralizer."
"And that?"
"White Crown Clown Mushroom. One of the few safe to eat raw. Boosts cerebral cortex activity, accelerating thought and calculation speed."
"Like overclocking."
"Exactly. But Lady Gemernai said hands off. It gives a temporary efficiency boost and godlike feeling, but it's not real skill.
Anyway, higher ranks render it useless."
Odile and Odette tirelessly pointed out crops to Siwoo.
Like touring a botanical garden with two pretty guides.
Deeper in, the mana stream narrowed to a brook.
"Hopscotch!"
Odile and Odette bounced across the stepping stones ahead, while Siwoo carefully crossed basket in hand.
Climbing a gentle mossy slope revealed a wide clearing.
Sap-filled bottles hung from branches above, now plunged straight into the ground below.
Pale purples, light greens, soft pinks.
Misty clusters wafted up.
"This area's for root crops. Heard of mandrakes?"
"The ones that scream when pulled?"
Odette laughed at Siwoo's dopey reaction.
"Thieves used to steal them, so witches wove illusions over whole fields. Popular for hallucinogens and aphrodisiacs."
"That's how the legend got twisted."
"Almost there. Let's take a break."
Not a soul in sight, even for fallow land.
Practically monopolizing this stunning view.
Felt like renting out an entire amusement park—his heart raced.
"Over here!"
They arrived at a massive oak, like the others.
The difference? A treehouse midway up, like the one in Border Town—but far higher.
"This is the production management building."
They ascended the spiral stairs wrapping the trunk and entered.
Seemed higher and the stairs flimsier from below—vertigo hit hard.
Witches love heights, or treehouses are trendy in Gehenna? He'd seen a lot lately.
"What now?"
"Just gaze at the pretty view, sip tea, chat."
Dragging his shaky legs into the treehouse.
Vast space, but starkly utilitarian.
Piles of papers like Amelia's lab, only a central sofa for relaxing.
But the view out the window was spectacular.
Explained the needless height.
From here, the entire Latifundium sprawled below.
"Pretty, huh?"
Odile slipped beside Siwoo as he stared blankly.
The mystical vista tickled his heart.
A wild thought: like a luxury hotel with a hot girlfriend, city lights swapped for this.
"Glad you like it, Assistant. Worried Sis dragged you here against your will."
Odette poked out from the other side.
Siwoo gave a wry smile and edged back.
Truth was, either twin was a handful alone—together, overwhelming.
"Shall we open the basket?"
"Perfect timing—starving."
"Great!"
"Hold up, got something special prepped for today."
As they unpacked the basket on the sofa table, Odile rummaged a cabinet and hauled out a huge bottle.
Nearly as long as her torso.
Her mischievous grin screamed wine.
"Sis! When'd you hide that?"
"Told Assistant last time I'd let him taste Mendell Hills red."
"You remembered that long?"
"Of course~ I never forget promises."
Wine?
A twinge of worry, but temptation won.
A glass amid this scenery? Pure romance.
"Huh?"
Odette, who'd been eyeing the contraband excitedly, tilted her head.
Her gaze fixed on a corner outside.
"What?"
"Sis, didn't you see something pass by?"
"Like what?"
"Big and black... Think it slipped through those branches..."
Odile and Siwoo crowded the window, following her gesture.
Nothing.
Just layered branches heavy with twinkling mana sap.
"Nothing there?"
"Quit joking and eat your sandwich."
"Not a joke!"
"Who else'd be here?"
"True, but... I swear I saw it..."
"You were up late last night—hallucinating. C'mon, drink this."
Odile dragged Odette, still peeking out, back in.
And so the picnic proper began.