Chapter 99
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99
“Are you in any pain? This isn't a treatment you can get often, so we need to make sure everything is perfect while we have the chance.”
“Not at all! In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this light in my entire life!”
Perhaps because the chronic discomfort from her back injury had been so severe, Meisa shouted with the pure excitement of a child. As she stroked her waist—now smooth and without a single scar—she suddenly realized she wasn't alone and flushed with embarrassment.
“……Please pretend you didn't see that.”
“The fresh energy of youth is always a pleasant sight,” Lida said with a warm smile. She led Meisa toward a small side room to help her change. “First, get into some fresh clothes. What you’re wearing now is soaked in blood and quite unsightly.”
When they finally stepped out of the treatment room, Solif and Bije, who had been pacing outside, snapped their heads toward them.
“How did it go? Was the treatment successful?”
Because he was currently playing the role of a servant, Solif addressed Turan and Meisa with formal honorifics. When Turan nodded in response, Solif pumped his fist, unable to hide his joy. Beside him, Bije repeatedly spread and folded her wings to express her relief.
“Now, let us head out,” Lida urged. “If we stay too long, the Family Head will grow weary. He sent all the household staff away just for your sake.”
Indeed, for the residence of a Great Family’s head, the place felt strangely deserted. As they left the estate with Lida, Turan offered a quiet word of thanks.
“Thank you for your help, Lady Lida.”
“Did I do something to help?”
“You spoke up for us. You told the Family Head to trust us.”
“I did it because I felt you were friends worth trusting. So, please, do not disappoint me. I’ve been betrayed many times in my life, but being stabbed often doesn't make the blade hurt any less.”
“That will never happen,” Turan promised.
At Turan’s firm assurance, Lida gave a generous laugh. “Of course, of course.”
As they walked through the main estate, every Lavitas noble they encountered bowed deeply to Lida. Turan had noticed this when they first arrived, but recalling her conversation with the Family Head made the sight feel different. While a high-ranking noble would naturally be revered in a Great Family, these people treated her with a level of deference that bordered on fear.
“You mentioned the Family Head is your cousin, didn't you?” Turan asked.
“That’s right. In terms of age, he’s not much older than my grandchildren. But because of family issues, he wasn't raised by his parents, so I nursed and raised him myself. I happened to have a son the same age at the time. They were milk brothers, so he gets along well with my son too.”
It made sense now—why the Family Head was so flustered by Lida and why everyone else found her so intimidating. She was essentially his mother. Lida was likely revealing this now to remind them of her influence—a subtle warning not to break their promise or cause unnecessary friction.
Meisa, walking beside them, spoke up. “I heard the Coloa region the Family Head assigned to us is a very difficult place to reclaim.”
“Hmm, to be honest, I’ve never been there myself,” Lida admitted. “It’s a frontier located at the southernmost tip of the Sirafe Wetlands. I’ve heard it was abandoned because the environment is so harsh that the effort required to develop it doesn't yield enough profit.”
In other words, it was a place too difficult for the family to develop using their own resources, but perfect for putting a sudden influx of free labor to work.
‘I think he said it was about a hundred kilometers square.’
If it were just a distance to travel, it would take only an hour or two by running or flying. However, reclaiming an entire swampland of that size was a different story—especially since Turan’s group had zero prior knowledge of land reclamation.
“But is there a reason to reclaim such a remote area?” Meisa asked. “There are plenty of wetlands near the capital that could be developed…”
As Meisa suggested, if they just wanted farmland, there was no reason to go all the way to the southern frontier. Lida chuckled at the question.
“I hear there are several rich mines nearby.”
Indeed, more money was always the answer.
*
After returning to Lida’s mansion and discussing the logistics of the reclamation, Solif let out a long, weary sigh.
“With an area that size, we’ll be stuck here for years. Maybe even more than ten.”
“Will it really take that long?” Meisa asked, worried.
Solif created several diagrams in the air using light magic. “A hundred kilometers by a hundred kilometers? It might seem trivial because it takes less than thirty minutes to fly across on Bije, but in terms of total area, it’s massive. Well, I suppose we can’t complain about the workload when we’re borrowing the strength of a Great Family’s head.”
Moreover, they were borrowing Osel’s unique recovery ability—a power not even other Family Heads possessed—so the price was bound to be high.
“But does anyone actually know how to do land reclamation?” Solif asked, shaking his head. “This is my first time in a swamp, so I have no clue.”
He and Meisa both turned to look at Turan.
“I don’t know much either,” Turan admitted. “That’s why I was planning to ask for some advice.”
As he spoke, Turan pulled a jewelry box from his robe.
“From the Librarian?”
“He knows a lot, so surely he can help us with land reclamation.”
“I suppose so.”
“Once we know the proper technique, it shouldn't take that long,” Turan added. “I can use the abilities of the Shoal and Earthkeeper bloodlines.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that.”
They hadn't decided on a method yet, but bloodline abilities that could manipulate water and earth were bound to be useful. Furthermore, Meisa and Solif were both exceptionally talented in magic compared to other nobles and were quite skilled with those types of spells.
When Turan opened the jewelry box, the Librarian opened his eyes with his usual bleary, disinterested gaze.
“I haven't finished analyzing the fragment you gave me yet. The traces were too faint; the information itself is corrupted.”
“I’m always grateful, Elder. I came to ask about something else today.”
“Something else?”
“Elder! Do you happen to know the secret to reclaiming swampland?” Solif blurted out.
The Librarian snorted. “I do not.”
“Gah.”
“There were no books written on such mundane methods, so it cannot be helped. However, based on the knowledge I possess, I believe I can deduce a way.”
The Librarian’s knowledge of natural laws was so deep and vast that Turan’s group often found it difficult to keep up. That evening, the three of them skipped their meals and became students again, listening to his lecture. Bije, who had been sitting quietly and listening, eventually closed her eyes and fell asleep out of pure boredom.
*
Three days later, Turan’s group left Lida’s mansion and headed south from the city of Merem. Lida saw them off at the city gates.
“If it gets too difficult, feel free to come back and rest once in a while. The Family Head didn't set a strict deadline.”
“Thank you for the kind words, Elder. We’ll visit again when we have the chance.”
Their stay at Lida’s mansion hadn't been bad at all. If Solif hadn't had to act like a servant, it would have been almost as comfortable as staying at the Berk estate.
After saying their final goodbyes to Lida, they walked toward a man and a magical beast waiting nearby. A middle-aged knight, appearing to be in his forties, bowed politely.
“Greetings to the Great Ones. I am Yoz.”
“Are you our guide?”
“Yes.”
Yoz was the guide sent by the Family Head to lead them to their destination and act as an overseer to ensure they worked diligently without fleeing. He was also, personally, Lida’s great-grandson.
“I’ve heard much about you from Lady Lida. I look forward to working with you.”
“It is an honor. Then, please, follow me.”
Beside Yoz, a massive lizard magical beast, over six meters long, lay coiled. A large saddle, big enough to sit or even lie down on, was strapped to its back. The Family Head had lent them this beast, noting that walking to the Coloa region would take far too long.
“Now, Lady Kiki, we are in your care.”
Perhaps because it was the Family Head’s beast, Yoz even used honorifics for the lizard. The lizard itself, however, was trembling; Bije—annoyed at having her spot as the primary transport taken—had perched on its head and was pecking at it with her beak.
A short while later, once Yoz confirmed everyone was aboard, he tapped a mechanism on the saddle. The giant lizard rose and began to move. Its pace seemed leisurely, but it was fast enough to match the light running speed of a noble.
“Come here, Phil,” Yoz called out to Solif. “If I should happen to die, you’ll have to drive Lady Kiki. I’ll teach you the basics.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll learn whatever you have to teach.”
Amusingly, Solif, playing the role of the wandering knight-turned-servant ‘Phil,’ had become Yoz’s subordinate. They were both knights, but Yoz appeared more than twice his age and was a direct subordinate of the Family Head.
Of course, Solif, being the type of man who could laugh even when pirates stabbed him in the back, calmly treated Yoz as his superior. He even took being scolded for being a "clueless servant" in stride.
Watching this from the side, Meisa whispered to Turan, “I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for him. How long does he have to keep acting like that?”
“Until we reach our destination? They say it’s a very remote area, so rumors won't spread. Besides, he seems to be enjoying himself, so I think it’s fine.”
As he spoke, Turan used tracking magic on a hair from Solif’s father, Godis. He felt his presence far to the northwest.
“It looks like the Baraha nobles have moved west. They seem to have followed the clues I left.”
It would take them a very long time to wander the west and eventually find traces of Turan’s group. For now, there was no need to worry.
And so, the group—consisting of two nobles, one noble pretending to be a servant, and one knight—steadily made their way south atop the giant lizard.
Kiki, the lizard beast, was perfectly adapted to the environment. Despite her massive size, she navigated through forests and pathless swamps with ease. In every village and city they passed, people saw the Lavitas flag on the saddle and bowed low, offering their best accommodations. The travel time was long, but the journey itself was comfortable.
“When will we arrive, sir?”
“At this speed, probably in a week. Great Ones, if we descend directly down the cliff ahead, we can save a significant amount of time.”
“I’ll handle it,” Turan said.
Yoz was bold enough to make such requests of Turan, despite being an attendant. Technically, he wasn't Turan’s subordinate but a direct agent of the Lavitas Family Head.
Turan activated the Earthkeeper bloodline through his relic and cast an earth manipulation spell. He manipulated the slope of the cliff to create a smooth path downward. He could have done this with normal magic, but using the bloodline ability consumed far less mana.
“Wow, that’s incredible, Lord Turan! Truly a descendant of the gods!”
At Solif’s mocking banter, both Turan and Meisa chuckled.
After about ten days of traveling south, the group finally arrived at the Coloa region, the southernmost tip of the Lavitas territory.
“We are here.”
“Wow…”
“I’d heard stories, but this really is a magic realm.”
The Sirafe Wetlands were already known for their harsh environment and low population, but the Coloa region was exceptional. The area they were to reclaim began about fifty kilometers south of the nearest city, Coloa. One could clearly see the boundary where the reclaimed land ended and the swampy wilderness, thick with jungle and standing water, began.
“If you head straight south from here, there is another large river. To the east are mountains, and to the west are hills. The area inside that boundary is the reclamation zone designated by the Family Head.”
“Let’s take a look around first.”
“As you wish.”
At Turan’s request, Yoz drove the lizard in a large circle around the area. While magical beasts were common in the wetlands, the ones here were unusually hostile toward humans and attacked frequently.
“Another one.”
While riding the lizard, Turan casually flicked his finger, incinerating a giant insect beast that was flying toward them. Because they had to stop repeatedly to absorb and disperse the mana of the creatures they killed, it took nearly ten hours to circle the entire reclamation zone.
After completing the circuit, Turan used tracking magic on the wooden stakes driven into the ground for surveying to estimate the distance.
“How is it?”
“I’m not sure if it’s exact, but the range doesn't seem much different from what was described.”
Then again, it wasn't likely that the Lavitas Family Head would try to cheat them over something like this. Once they had confirmed the entire area, Yoz bowed deeply to the group.
“Then, I shall return Lady Kiki to the Family Head and then come back here.”
“Are we to proceed with the reclamation on our own in the meantime?”
“It is not for me to say.”
His words were polite, but the message was clear: figure it out yourselves.
“Then go ahead and return her. Will it take a month or two to get back?”
“Probably about that long. I wish you good health until my return.”
After Yoz departed with the lizard, Turan’s group was left alone in front of the reclamation zone. Solif took off his mask, revealing his true face.
“Phew. To think this handsome face was hidden from the world for so long. Truly tragic.”
When neither of them reacted to his usual nonsense, Solif handed over the mask with an awkward expression and rolled up his sleeves.
“Alright! Let’s get started. But… what do we do first?”
“The Librarian told us, remember? We have to drain the water and stabilize the ground first.”
“Ah, right.”
“Let’s start by creating a boundary to hold the water we drain. It’ll be easier if we start from the river side.”
Following Turan’s suggestion, they flew to the southern riverbank on Bije. The river overflowing and flowing north was one of the primary causes of this swampland.
“We need to block this off first.”
Turan manipulated his relic to activate the Earthkeeper bloodline and then cast an earth manipulation spell. Unlike when he had made the path down the cliff, he felt a massive amount of mana being consumed—enough to make him feel momentarily hollow.
It was a testament to the sheer scale of the phenomenon Turan was manifesting.
The result of combining a technique he had practiced many times, a bloodline ability, and mana nearly on par with a Family Head was staggering. Starting from where they stood and extending for hundreds of meters, a massive wall of earth rose from the ground.