The Hidden Forestry Chief of the North
Wintervalt Grand Duchy Castle, Lord's Office.
The fresh scent of grass wafted in, prompting Kailan to look up. A servant's voice echoed from beyond the door. "Your Grace, the master of the Green Tower from the southern continent has arrived."
He granted permission, and the office door swung open. A woman in a green robe stepped inside. She was Aria of the Blue Shade, lord of the Green Tower from the southern continent and hailed as the empire's greatest plant mage.
"I greet Your Grace."
"Come in, Tower Master."
Kailan welcomed her in his usual dry tone. Aria's gaze drifted to a corner of the office, where a small treant trembled in its cage. Weakened by a solar magic stone, it seemed even breathing was a struggle.
"My goodness…."
Aria's eyes widened. "I've heard rumors of the northern monsters' ferocity, but I never imagined this level. The aura is worlds apart from the plant-type monsters on the southern continent."
"Is that so? I've lived my whole life up north, so I'm not well-versed in southern affairs."
Kailan replied leisurely, sipping his tea.
"May I extract the magic stone?"
"Go ahead. I captured it alive just to trade with you."
Aria gracefully placed her hand on the treant's forehead. Green mana poured from her fingertips, burrowing into its core.
"Kieeeek!"
The treant let out a chilling shriek before crumbling to dust. A clean execution. When it came to slaying plant monsters, no one on the continent could match her.
From the ashes, Aria lifted a massive emerald magic stone. "Ahh, it's been ages since I've seen such a beautiful stone…!"
Her ecstatic expression suggested no haggling would be needed. It was that rare.
"Flawless top-grade. At this size and purity, our tower can offer 16,000 gold. What do you think, Your Grace?"
Jackpot! Kailan's heart raced unusually. He wanted to leap onto the desk and dance a jig, but he maintained the monstrous duke's icy facade.
"Not a bad offer. We'll do it. There's no one in the north who specializes in plant magic anyway—good deal for both sides."
"Thank you, Your Grace! If you ever get more treasures like this, please come to the Green Tower first."
With the deal sealed, Aria handed over a check imprinted with her mana signature and departed. Once her presence fully faded, Kailan's face broke into a beaming grin.
"Hahaha!!"
He stood, and Eleanor, returning to the office, hurried over and hugged him from behind. "Congratulations, Your Grace. You fooled her perfectly."
"Hey, you. Someone might misunderstand. I didn't exactly trick her."
Kailan cleared his throat and pinched her nose tip. Capitalist smiles bloomed on the couple's faces.
A few days earlier, in the Grand Duchy Castle office. Kailan gazed down at the captured boss treant, chin propped on his hand.
How much should I sell this guy for to make waves as a good deal?
He was lost in happy contemplation over negotiation tactics when—
"Pl… please… spare… me."
"……What?"
Kailan's eyebrow twitched. Had he misheard?
"Spare… me… please."
"Hah…!"
"If you… spare me… I can… be of… help."
Kailan burst into incredulous laughter. In all his years guarding the Northern Wall, he'd seen monsters flee or charge, but begging for life? A first. In the original story, this thing was just an extra he'd sliced in one stroke. He'd only held back because he hated wasting money.
"Hahaha! Help, you say?"
"I can… block monsters… passing my territory… heading to the wall. And if… you need treants… I can… select suitable ones… and send them… whenever."
Kailan was floored. It was casually offering to sell out its own kind to survive.
"Eloquent for a plant. How'd a vegetable like you learn human speech?"
"What my minions… see and hear… ki-git… reaches me too. B-but could you… move that… thing? It's… hard to… ki-git speak."
The treant eyed the solar mana stone encircling it pleadingly. Kailan ignored it.
"Not worth hearing."
Kiiik. As he moved to smack it quiet, the office door creaked open cautiously. Eleanor entered, clutching a bundle of parchment.
"Your Grace, I faintly heard laughter. Something good?"
"Nothing much. This monster's begging me for its life, believe it or not. Haha, living long enough to get subcontracted by a tree stump—what a farce."
Eleanor's eyes sparkled at the explanation. The genius treasurer was already crunching numbers in her head.
"Your Grace…! Accept the offer."
"You think so?"
"Yes. The Tower Master will pay handsomely, but if we can use this treant as the north's watchdog, it'll generate tens of thousands of gold long-term!"
It made sense. If it worked out, they'd get a free first line of defense against monster waves. Plus endless construction timber.
"But I've already promised it to the Green Tower Master. Backing out would tarnish the north's reputation. Problem."
Kailan clucked his tongue regretfully. Eleanor covered her mouth and flashed a sultry smile.
"Oh dear. Can't be helped then."
Whoosh! With mischievous eyes, she raised a finger, summoning a tiny sun atop it. The treant thrashed in terror but couldn't escape.
"I-I'll bring… a replacement… ki-kit!"
"Replacement?"
"My second-in-command… the next strongest! Same size… as me! I'll deliver him… to master!!"
Who said I'm your master? Kailan was dumbfounded, but pitying the writhing treant made him chuckle.
Still… a sturdier northern shield is always good.
Calculations done, Kailan nodded. "Fine. From today, your name is Pochi."
"……."
The treant's expression turned icy mid-thrash.
This punk? Kailan, the Northern Duke, had personally named a lowly monster—and it dared react like that? His hand went to his sword hilt. Pochi blurted desperately.
"Th-thank… you. Pochi… is a… great name. Master."
"Good, Pochi. Know what a mana oath is?"
Pochi tilted its branches quizzically, so Kailan explained kindly. A mana oath crippled the mana circuits of oath-breakers—the continent's strongest magical binding contract.
"But it can't be forced. Only forms under mutual, heartfelt fairness."
"I… don't get it… but okay."
No conscience, but sharp instincts. Yeah, sign anything to avoid death.
Kailan laid out simple terms even a dumb plant could grasp.
Article 1: I'll spare you, so block every monster passing your territory toward the wall with all your might.
Article 2: Deliver set quotas of magic stones and construction timber monthly to the designated spot.
Article 3: Never attack humans without my permission.
Perfectly fair contract.
"P.S., 'set quotas' means whatever my beloved Eleanor demands."
"Eek, Your Grace. You're embarrassing me."
Pochi's branches flashed red. The mana oath rejected the terms as unfair.
"Fine, die then. I'll chop you for firewood for the locals."
As Kailan moved to finish it—
"Your Grace! I have a great idea."
His angelic wife hugged his back gently. Gazing at Pochi with benevolence, she whispered, "How about letting Pochi's group consume half the magic stones they gather? Stronger treants mean a sturdier northern shield. For construction materials, we need to allow enough breeding—and feed them for that."
It checked out. With humans off-limits, they'd need premium nutrition somewhere. Time to extend performance bonuses to subcontracted monsters, not just knights.
Swoosh… At the assurance of fair pay for labor, Pochi glowed with blue mana. Its soul accepted the fairness.
"Tch. Know that Duchess Eleanor saved your hide twice. Repay that grace with bone-grinding work for life."
"Understood… Master."
And so, the forest's No. 2 treant was unjustly kidnapped and sold to Aria, while the real Pochi returned home, appointed as Wintervalt's hidden forestry chief.
Grand Duchy Castle conference room. Knight Walter reported with his usual bright face, his enthusiasm undimmed by age.
"Your Grace! Look at the marked spot on the map! Hans's gold-rank adventurer alliance discovered a mysterious forest!"
"Mysterious?"
Kailan swallowed a laugh, tilting his head.
"Yes! Part of the forest is littered with the remains of 'dead treants'!"
The retainers buzzed. Exiled treants seeking death?
"Adventurers call it the Silent Forest—a miracle from the gods to aid Your Grace!"
Walter ranted passionately. Obnoxiously flattering.
"With permission, the guild will post official logging quests for safe timber procurement! Barely any monsters—low quest fees for adventurers!"
Cheap fees for safe work. Capitalism 101.
Count Rian and the finance officials rose in applause. "Haha! Your Grace's lands are blessed by heaven!"
16,000 gold profit. Cheap, sturdy timber. Private guards cutting knight and civilian casualties yearly. Triple win.
Kailan hummed inwardly, nodding sternly as a sovereign. "Mm. The heavens aid Wintervalt's revival. With ample materials, accelerate the new city construction."
"As you command, Your Grace!"