[Lord of Abundance] Chapter 38: The Changes in Fertility Territory

 Chapter 38: The Changes in Fertility Territory

“Besides, didn’t I already promise you? I’d help you step into the Heroic Realm.”

“That potion I mentioned before has actually already been developed. The only thing missing now is a suitable super-tier bloodline compatible with you. I’ve already sent people out to search for one, so don’t rush.”

—

The blood of the Sky God was technically suitable for Dawn’s fusion as well.

It wasn’t that Kun was unwilling to part with a little divine blood.

Rather, Dawn was fundamentally different from Li Tianyun.

After all, Dawn didn’t have a hundred lives to gamble against a ninety-eight percent mortality rate.

—

As for the Golden Sacred Beetle bloodline, while it was generally compatible with most warriors, it actually wasn’t an ideal match for someone like Dawn—a wind-attributed warrior who specialized in agile combat techniques.

Even if Dawn barely managed to force his way into the fourth tier through that bloodline, it would come at the cost of his future potential.

Kun naturally wouldn’t do something as shortsighted as slaughtering the goose that laid golden eggs.

—

Dawn simply looked at Kun with deep gratitude.

For a pure warrior like him, someone trapped before the gates of the fourth tier without being able to advance even a single step…

Entering that supreme realm was the pursuit of his entire life.

If he could truly step into the Heroic Realm and break through that eternal bottleneck, he would willingly die the very next day without regret.

—

If Dawn knew that Kun already possessed the confidence to help him reach the fourth tier, but was deliberately choosing to wait in order to avoid damaging Dawn’s future achievements…

He would probably be stunned speechless.

—

To Dawn, the fourth tier was already an unattainable supreme realm.

As for beyond the fourth tier?

That was something he didn’t even dare dream about.

—

After sending the overexcited Dawn away to treat his injuries, Kun, still wearing his sleeping robe, did not return to his bedroom.

Instead, he headed to the study.

From a small chest filled with childhood toys and memories, Kun dug out a tiny image-recording pearl no larger than a fingertip from the corner of the box.

—

These image pearls came from a low-tier magical beast called the Mirage Clam, which lived in the Sunset Desert.

Unlike ordinary magical beasts, Mirage Clams possessed no magic crystal cores.

Instead, they produced these peculiar pearls capable of preserving images.

—

Each Mirage Clam could nurture anywhere from a few pearls to several dozen.

The rounder and larger the pearl, the more valuable it became.

—

As Kun injected a thread of magic into it, the slightly yellowed pearl—aged by time—projected a magical recording into the air.

It showed a little girl wearing a fluffy princess dress, apparently playing happily with friends.

—

As for her face…

It was horrifying.

One eye was crooked all the way to her ear.

Her mouth sat directly in the center of her face.

Her nose grew where the eyes should’ve been.

The entire thing looked like random childish scribbles.

—

“Ugly.”

—

Kun casually tossed the extremely valuable image pearl into the trash bin.

Yawning repeatedly, he returned to his bedroom, planning to squeeze in another nap before dawn.

—

Heaven knew how exhausted he was today.

He had planted four hundred mu of farmland in one go.

Even bears would collapse from that kind of labor.

After finally getting a chance to rest and sleep peacefully, he’d been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night again.

And all he did was punish those people who interrupted his precious sleep with three days of reflection in the dungeon.

Honestly, Kun felt the king ought to award him the title of Most Benevolent Lord for such kindness.

—

Still clutching the spatial necklace he’d seized as war spoils, Kun collapsed onto the soft bed.

Before drifting off to sleep, one final thought crossed his mind.

—

“I’m just far too merciful.”

—

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The rhythmic sound of wooden mallets striking cold cedar planks echoed through the morning air.

In Fengrao Territory, dawn was no longer greeted by roosters—

But by the sounds of construction.

—

With the support of the mountains of gold coins Kun kept pouring into the territory, Fengrao Territory could truly be described as changing with each passing day.

Life and vitality filled every corner.

—

The old low wooden huts and straw houses had almost all been demolished and rebuilt.

In their place stood rows of sturdy and beautiful new homes.

—

These practical new housing designs had all come from Li Tianyun.

They preserved the architectural style of Eternal Dawn Continent while incorporating Blue Star’s modern construction concepts.

The residents of Fengrao Territory were overwhelmingly satisfied with them.

—

Outside the residential district, a major road stretching from Blackstone Castle all the way to the river valley had already begun taking shape.

Though it still couldn’t compare to the asphalt roads of Blue Star’s countryside or the capital’s Grand Avenue, the road had been paved with neatly laid gravel and compacted more than a dozen times by the Azure Armored Bear King dragging massive stone rollers back and forth.

The result was smooth and solid.

—

Kun’s next plan was to extend the road to the lumberyard at the edge of the Everdark Forest.

Then he intended to build two horizontal roads through the farmland on both sides of the valley.

That alone would save workers an enormous amount of travel time.

—

Beyond basic infrastructure, strange new buildings had also begun appearing on both sides of the main road.

Grace’s Potion Shop.

Antonio’s Blacksmith Forge.

Allen’s Clothing Store.

The Lord’s Citizen Affairs Office, used to handle complaints and daily disputes among the residents.

And the kingdom’s very first—

“Department Store.”

—

Food.

Seasonings.

Daily necessities.

Books.

Swords.

Magical tools.

Everything was sold there.

—

And it accepted no gold coins.

Only merit points issued by Fengrao Territory itself.

—

Most residents loved wandering through the store after work.

Especially when it came to admiring the expensive and extraordinary items on display.

People would gather together, point at things, discuss them enthusiastically, then buy a little food before heading home.

—

Those earning a bit more might even splurge on two pieces of pastry.

—

Even if they couldn’t afford the good stuff yet…

There was no harm in enjoying the sight of them first.

—

Maybe one day, after saving enough contribution points, they really could buy one or two treasures for themselves.

Every time they walked through the department store, they felt energized all over again.

Life was already good now.

But tomorrow somehow felt like it would be even better.

—

Housing.

Roads.

Canteens.

Pharmacies.

Public toilets.

These had all been priority construction projects.

—

Especially the public toilets.

Under the strict orders of Lord Kun—a nobleman with something bordering on a severe cleanliness obsession—Registrar Old Tate had personally led the lord’s guards on patrols everywhere, eyes wide open.

—

Anyone caught relieving themselves in public was punished immediately.

First offense: warning.

Second offense: fine.

Third offense: expulsion from the work crews.

—

Under Old Tate’s brutal “three-strike” tactics, Emerald Heart finally began to resemble the beauty implied by its name instead of the filthy village built atop piles of excrement it once had been.

—

Black smoke curled from rooftop chimneys.

Carrying cold cedar planks over his shoulder, Xiluo looked enviously toward the blacksmith shop where the constant clanging of metal echoed endlessly.

—

Everyone knew the lord treated skilled craftsmen exceptionally well.

Housing was provided for free.

There were monthly subsidies too.

—

Unlike laborers like him who were illiterate, lacked any special skills, and possessed nothing but brute strength for hard labor.

—

Master Antonio’s forge had once recruited apprentices from the public.

Unfortunately, the competition had been terrifying.

Only five apprentices were accepted.

Xiluo had tried.

He’d been eliminated in the very first round.

“They said I had no talent,” he muttered bitterly.

—

Grace’s potion shop only recruited female assistants.

As for becoming an apprentice there?

The requirements were even stricter.

Allen’s clothing shop was even less realistic.

A rough man like him had no business working in a tailor’s store.

—

Even so, those jobs were already considered dream opportunities.

You could learn valuable skills and earn more money.

Everyone fought desperately for a chance to get in.

Xiluo was no exception.

—

But the most desirable positions in Fengrao Territory weren’t those jobs.

It was entering Blackstone Castle and becoming one of the lord’s own staff members.

—

As the territory expanded, the amount of administrative work had increased dramatically.

Just Butler Tate, Chief Constable Dawn, and Tax Officer Vittorio alone clearly couldn’t handle everything anymore.

Rumor had it the lord was preparing to expand the territory’s official administration system.

All residents could register to compete for positions.

—

The only prerequisite?

You had to know how to read and write.

—

If only I had studied…

Xiluo shook his head, tossing away those unrealistic fantasies.

It was more practical to think about what to eat tonight.

Learning…

That was a dream even more luxurious than eating one’s fill.

—

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Reaching another construction site, Xiluo delivered the custom wooden boards from his shoulder.

Then he took out his work card and waited for the supervisor to stamp it.

—

“All stamped. Here.”

“Keep it safe.”

—

“Thanks.”

Xiluo carefully stored the work card away.

If he lost it, not only would an entire day’s work be wasted, he’d also have to spend money to replace it.

A huge hassle.

—

“Oh right, big brother,” Xiluo asked curiously, “what’s being built here this time?”

“It’s huge.”

“Is this some kind of magic research building for those mage lords?”

—

“Haha, of course not.”

“Mages conduct research in Mage Towers.”

“Towers, understand?”

“Like the lord’s castle—built stone by stone from massive rocks.”

“Why would one be built here?”

—

“This place is going to be a public bathhouse.”

—

“A public… bathhouse?”

Hearing the word public, Xiluo immediately developed a headache.

The last “public” thing—the toilets—had gotten him fined more than once already.

Now there was another one?

—

“A bathhouse. You know what that means?”

“A place for bathing and washing.”

“I heard the lord is extremely dissatisfied with the territory residents’ current hygiene standards, so he ordered this built.”

“Once it’s finished, everyone will be able to use it.”

“And workers can use it once for free after work.”

—

Xiluo’s mouth fell open.

“The lord still isn’t satisfied?”

“We already have to drink boiled water.”

“Wash hands before eating and after using the toilet.”

“No relieving ourselves anywhere we want.”

“Wash dirty clothes regularly.”

“Don’t throw trash around.”

“My cousin said even city residents don’t have this many rules.”

“Bathing every single day… isn’t that something only nobles do?”

—

The site supervisor narrowed his eyes.

“The lord’s letting you enjoy noble-level living.”

“What, he treats you too well and now you’re unhappy?”

—

“Unhappy?!”

Xiluo nearly jumped in fright.

“No! Absolutely not!”

“I may be uneducated, but I still understand one thing.”

“If someone treats you well, you should repay them when you get the chance.”

—

The supervisor’s expression softened slightly.

“At least you’ve got some sense.”

“Don’t look at all the lord’s rules and think they’re troublesome.”

“They’re all for our own good.”

“You know Grace, right?”

“She’s a famous master pharmacist even in the capital.”

“Even she personally said the lord’s policies might seem troublesome, but sickness in the territory has already dropped by at least sixty percent.”

—

“If my own child hadn’t died young from illness back then…”

“He’d probably be about your size by now.”

“Ah…”

—

“So that’s why…”

Xiluo suddenly understood.

So simply boiling river water…

Not relieving yourself everywhere…

And washing hands more often…

Could reduce illness so much?

—

For commoners—especially villagers living in places like Emerald Heart without doctors or temples—

Illness was a terrifying trial.

Survive it, and you lived.

Fail, and you were buried.

Sometimes even a minor cold could kill someone who had been lively just yesterday.

—

Xiluo was long accustomed to such things.

He actually had two older brothers.

Neither survived to adulthood.

Both died from illness.

—

As long as you reached adulthood and became physically strong, you rarely got sick.

As for old age…

Wasn’t dying from illness perfectly normal?

—

“If only the lord had come ten years earlier…”

Xiluo sighed sincerely.

If the lord had arrived sooner…

Would his brothers still be alive?

—

“Bullshit.”

The supervisor burst out laughing and cursed jokingly.

“Ten years ago the lord was only six years old.”

“He was still a child himself.”

“How was he supposed to come govern Fengrao Territory?”

—

“Heh… true.”

Xiluo scratched his head awkwardly.

—

“What was Lord Kun like ten years ago, anyway?”

“It’s hard to imagine him as a child.”

“But I bet even at six years old, the lord was already loved by everyone.”

—

“What nonsense are you asking?”

“Of course he was.”

“The lord is the son of a marquis.”

“He carries the noble Thornbloodline too.”

“He was definitely cherished at home.”

“Forget food and clothing—he probably had ten servants surrounding him every day.”

“And don’t forget, the lord is a mage.”

“A Grand Mage.”

“Materials for magical research are all measured in gold coins.”

“For someone so young to become a Grand Mage…”

“How many mountains of gold must’ve been burned?”

—

“I’m not jealous.”

—

“What?”

—

“I said… hearing that the lord had such a good childhood doesn’t make me jealous at all.”

“Honestly…”

“I’m happy for him.”

—

“…Yeah.”

The supervisor suddenly sighed with emotion.

“If all noble lords were like ours…”

“They’d deserve every bit of wealth and luxury they had.”

“They’d deserve a lifetime of blessings.”

“Unfortunately…”

“Heh.”

“Forget it. No point thinking about depressing things.”

“Just focus on your work.”

“Thinking too much won’t help.”

“Wages are the only thing that matters.”

—

“Heh, true enough.”

—

After saying goodbye to the supervisor he’d gotten along fairly well with, Xiluo stepped out of the still-half-finished open-air public bathhouse.

As he prepared to return to the lumberyard, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure at the street corner.

After hesitating for a moment, he walked over to greet her.

—

“Little Leia?”

“What are you doing standing around looking everywhere?”

“Where’s your brother?”

—

Joel’s younger sister, Leia, immediately lit up when she saw Xiluo.

—

“My brother left before dawn with the lord and the guard corps to go into the Everdark Forest.”

“They said it’s something very important.”

“Brother Xiluo, this is for you.”

—

Before Xiluo could react, Leia stuffed a pamphlet into his hands.

He stared at it blankly.

—

“Over there.”

Leia pointed behind herself toward a newly completed building and whispered softly:

“The Emerald Academy.”

“It was only finished yesterday.”

“The lord ordered that all children in Fengrao Territory under ten years old must attend school here.”

“Butler Tate asked me to promote it to everyone passing by…”

“I just…”

“I’m a little too scared to speak loudly.”

—

School?

A trace of envy flashed through Xiluo’s heart.

Still, he smiled and comforted her.

—

“Don’t rush.”

“Lord Kun’s orders will eventually be announced to everyone in the territory by Lord Vittorio anyway.”

“You can take your time.”

“I think Butler Tate just wants to help you become braver.”

—

“I-I know…”

“But I’m still scared…”

—

Xiluo forced a smile and was about to leave—

Only for Leia to grab the corner of his clothes.

—

“I-I’m not finished asking yet.”

“During the daytime, this place teaches children.”

“But at night…”

“They said it’ll become a classroom for workers after they get off work.”

“They’ll teach everyone reading, writing, and arithmetic.”

—

“Brother Xiluo…”

“Are you going to sign up?”

—

“……”

Xiluo opened his mouth three separate times.

Not a single word came out.

—

He wanted to slap himself awake.

Yet he didn’t dare.

Afraid this was all just a dream.

—

A beautiful dream he wouldn’t even dare imagine in his sleep.