[Lord of Abundance] Chapter 49 — New Sun Festival

 

Chapter 49 — New Sun Festival

Fortunately, there were very few fools in the Fengrao Territory who believed that studying was useless and that farming was all anyone needed. As a result, Reinhardt rarely had to make personal appearances.

In fact, not only were the daytime classes packed to capacity, but the evening classes for adults were just as crowded—far exceeding even Kun's original expectations.

The people of Eternal Dawn seemed to possess an extraordinary thirst for knowledge.

In the past, they simply had no opportunity to learn. Now that a free school existed, even those exhausted from a full day's labor would still drag themselves to the Emerald Academy at night just to attend lessons.

Most of them barely understood what the teachers were saying.

Yet somehow, simply sitting inside a classroom filled them with immense satisfaction.

As the academy's headmaster, Melwald found himself plagued by endless headaches.

He had originally thought it would be an easy assignment.

Instead, it had become one endless stream of problems.

There were far too few teachers.

Far too many students.

And most of those students were merely filling seats. A teacher could spend half a day explaining something, only to discover afterward that the audience had understood little more than a funny story.

There were mountains of administrative work waiting every day.

He was busier now than when he had worked for the Mage Association.

If not for Lord Kun's support, he would have thrown in the towel long ago.

Originally, Kun had intended to coax the elderly mercenaries from the Ice Fang Mercenary Company into giving lectures at the academy, helping ease the shortage of instructors.

They didn't even need to teach formal subjects.

Simply sharing stories from their years of adventuring would be enough.

Compared to dry lectures on continental history or basic magical theory—which most laborers found painfully difficult to follow—the adventures of traveling mercenaries were far more engaging.

Kun placed tremendous hopes on the children studying at the academy.

As for the laborers attending evening classes...

He only hoped they could learn basic literacy and arithmetic.

That alone would satisfy him.

There was no helping it.

Once a tree had fully grown, all one could do was trim its branches to help it grow better.

Its fundamental nature could no longer be changed.

Unfortunately, plans rarely survived reality.

Those old mercenaries had "voluntarily" taken on the task of operating the merchant caravan instead.

Compared with gaining a handful of mediocre lecturers, establishing a permanent trade route between the Fengrao Territory and the outside world was infinitely more important.

At present, the Fengrao Territory produces almost nothing for export.

But it desperately needed cloth, iron ore, spices, and countless everyday necessities.

None of those could yet be produced locally.

Someone had to travel elsewhere to purchase them.

Now that the territory finally had a merchant caravan...

The wages the residents earned through their hard work finally had somewhere to be spent.

Kun had always believed one thing:

Making money was merely a means.

Spending it was the goal.

Or more accurately...

Living a better life was the real goal.

"My Lord, you summoned us?"

Dawn and Nia entered together.

Standing beside the window, Kun turned around with a smile.

"How's the new arm?"

"Getting used to it?"

Dawn clenched his fist gratefully.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"It feels excellent."

"After several days of training, the initial awkwardness has almost completely disappeared."

"I can hardly tell this arm isn't the original."

"It just still feels a little weak."

Kun rolled his eyes.

"'Isn't the original?'"

"That arm was reconstructed using your own flesh."

"The discomfort you're feeling is nothing more than a psychological barrier."

"The sooner you forget that your arm was ever severed..."

"...the sooner your new arm will recover its full strength."

"The hardest obstacle is always the one in your own heart."

"But I doubt that will stop you."

"I understand."

"Thank you for your guidance."

Kun nodded.

He casually tossed a sky-blue potion toward the perpetually stern Dawn.

"You brought tremendous gains to the territory."

"You refused the Lifesever Shortblade."

"Rebuilding your arm was merely compensation."

"This..."

"...is your true reward."

"I seek no reward."

"Oh?"

Kun smiled.

"This just happens to be what you've desired most."

"The key to reaching the fourth tier."

"You still don't want it?"

"...The key..."

"...to the fourth tier?"

Dawn stared blankly at the crystal-clear potion in his hand.

It was as blue and profound as the open sky.

His entire body trembled.

Even someone as calm and disciplined as he could not remain unmoved before such temptation.

Beside him, Nia's eyes widened with curiosity as she stared at the potion.

During this period, she'd spent considerable time studying, and she was no longer the ignorant, reckless girl she'd once been.

At the very least, she understood the warrior rankings.

She herself was now a first-tier warrior.

Most of the guards Kun had brought from the royal capital were also first-tier.

Her master, Dawn...

Was a third-tier Great Warrior.

Not merely an ordinary Great Warrior, but one standing at the absolute peak.

The next step...

Was the Heroic Realm.

The legendary Sword Saint.

But just how difficult was that final step?

One only had to compare the countless Great Warriors across the continent with the tiny handful of Sword Saints.

The Kingdom of Dansu alone had gone three hundred years without producing another Heroic Realm expert.

And now...

This tiny bottle of potion supposedly held the key to that supreme realm.

If anyone else had said such a thing...

She would never have believed it.

Suppressing his excitement, Dawn asked,

"Didn't you say..."

"...that this wouldn't be completed for at least another year?"

Kun couldn't help smiling as he remembered a certain unfortunate individual who, after spending half a month recovering, had only managed to wiggle a few fingers.

"I did say that."

"But..."

"Even the gods don't know what tomorrow will bring."

"First, the necessary materials were obtained much sooner than expected."

"You're lucky."

"The attributes happen to suit you perfectly."

"And second..."

"A certain willing guinea pig generously sacrificed himself."

"He provided a great deal of valuable experimental data."

"That significantly accelerated my research."

"So..."

"You're the first beneficiary."

Then Kun's expression became serious.

"But let me be clear first."

"The primary ingredient of this potion is extraordinarily special."

"That means the effects are extraordinary."

"But so are the risks."

"Even now..."

"It still carries a twenty percent chance of death."

"Are you certain you wish to gamble?"

"Or would you rather wait until I acquire safer materials and prepare a more stable potion with a much lower failure rate?"

"An eighty percent chance of success..."

"...and a twenty percent chance of death."

Dawn quietly repeated the numbers.

His eyes wavered for only an instant before his decision was made.

"No need."

"I'll take this one."

"Thank you, my Lord."

Without another word, he uncorked the bottle and swallowed the entire potion in one gulp.

To him...

An eighty percent chance of success was already miraculous.

Even if the odds were reversed—

Eighty percent death...

Twenty percent success...

He still would have taken the gamble.

Watching Dawn display exactly the same reckless behavior as Li Yuntian, Kun twitched helplessly.

Master and disciple indeed...

The eighty percent success rate only existed because Kun intended to assist him with magic.

Yet the man hadn't asked a single question before drinking it.

Was he trying to commit suicide?

Didn't people read the instructions before taking medicine?

Couldn't he at least ask whether there were dietary restrictions?

As expected...

Dawn immediately clutched his throat and collapsed in agony.

Kun sighed.

"Honestly..."

"Every single one of you is impossible to manage."

He lightly stamped the floor.

A magic array appeared beneath Dawn.

In the next instant, the unconscious warrior vanished, transported directly into the special formation inside Kun's laboratory, where countless seals immediately surrounded him.

If Dawn succeeded...

He would walk out of that formation himself.

If he failed...

Kun rubbed his temples.

Finding someone capable of replacing Dawn's responsibilities on short notice would be almost impossible.

Perhaps this reward had been given a little too rashly.

Still...

Dawn's contributions to the Fengrao Territory had been enormous.

Aside from the Divine Blood Fusion Potion...

Kun possessed nothing worthy of rewarding him.

"Master Dawn..."

Nia looked deeply worried.

Dawn had always treated her exceptionally well.

Having grown up without parents, she had long regarded him as the father she'd never had.

"You don't need to worry."

Kun smiled gently.

"He has chosen his own path."

"You should congratulate him."

"Having the opportunity to pursue one's own dreams..."

"Isn't that one of life's greatest blessings?"

"You'll understand someday."

Nia stared blankly at Kun.

His eyes burned with a fervor she'd occasionally glimpsed in Dawn's as well.

She suddenly realized...

That was the greatest difference between her and the two of them.

It wasn't merely a matter of strength.

Even her senior brother Li Yuntian—far weaker than she was—possessed those same eyes.

Eyes willing to throw away life itself for something else.

Could anything truly be more important than life?

"Nia."

"...Nia?"

She snapped back to reality, blushing with embarrassment.

"My apologies, my Lord."

"I was distracted."

"What were you saying?"

Kun smiled.

"I said..."

"I'm sending you to the royal capital with the guards."

"I've entered into a business partnership with someone there."

"I need you to deliver the goods."

"As for the Lifesever Shortblade..."

"Since your master declined it..."

"You may have it instead."

"Consider it payment for the job."

Nia stared blankly at the broken blade being offered to her.

She had certainly seen lords who collected taxes in advance.

But she'd never met one who paid rewards before the work was even done.

Judging by appearances...

It was only a broken sword.

Surely it couldn't be that valuable.

Without hesitation, she accepted it.

"Please leave the delivery to me."

"I will not fail."

Kun smiled.

"Try the weapon."

"It's quite short."

"Most warriors aren't accustomed to that style."

"But it makes an excellent off-hand weapon."

Nia nodded.

Gripping the weapon in reverse, crimson battle qi burst forth like the blazing tail of a meteor.

She casually swung.

A nearby expensive yellow camphorwood chair instantly lost an entire section.

Kun's face turned black.

You stubborn child.

I told you to test the sword...

Not destroy my furniture!

That antique chair was over a hundred years old!

I'd have a hard time buying another one even if I wanted to.

Fine.

I'll quietly deduct this from your salary later.

Nia looked at the chair in surprise.

She'd intended to split it cleanly in half.

Looking down at the weapon...

She realized the blade wasn't even sharpened.

Awkwardly, she muttered,

"...It's an excellent sword."

Kun snorted.

"Excellent?"

"I specifically asked Anton to reforge a layer of hundred-fold steel over the original artifact."

"It doesn't even have an edge."

"Right now, it's duller than a woodcutter's axe."

"If this counts as an excellent sword..."

"Then every cheaply made piece of scrap metal in the world must qualify as a divine weapon."

"...A..."

"...divine weapon?"

Nia's hand trembled.

She nearly dropped it.

"Exactly the kind you're thinking of."

"A divine weapon."

"This blade carries an incredibly dangerous curse."

"Ordinary people only need the slightest scratch..."

"...and every ounce of life will be drained from them."

"You saw what happened to Dawn."

"His arm was severed by this very blade."

"Because it's too dangerous, I sealed it with magic."

"Until you reach the Great Warrior Realm..."

"Don't even think about breaking the seal."

"Right now..."

"It's nothing more than a dull knife that's barely useful for chopping firewood."

"I..."

"It's far too valuable."

"I can't accept it."

"Please take it back."

"Dawn recommended you."

"He said this weapon suited you best."

"And didn't I already tell you?"

"This is an advance payment."

"Of course..."

"If you can't even handle something as simple as delivering cargo..."

"You'll return the blade."

"Don't disappoint either your master..."

"...or me."

"Yes!"

"I won't disappoint either of you!"

After fastening the Lifesever Shortblade to her waist, Nia left the reception hall with an excited expression.

It wasn't just Dawn who believed in her.

Kun had extremely high hopes for the wild young woman as well.

Talent.

Character.

She excelled in both.

Perhaps...

She might become the next Falling Star Sword Saint.

Though admittedly...

She was a bit too wild.

Then again...

True geniuses were rarely content living beneath someone else's shadow.

Kun wasn't the sort of paranoid ruler who eliminated anyone showing the slightest hint of future potential.

Likewise...

He possessed his own pride.

He welcomed challenges.

He was an Abundance Mage.

The caretaker of a nursery.

To put it plainly...

He was merely a gardener.

But flowers cultivated within his own garden...

Naturally, it ought to bear his mark.

Whether it was teaching her battle qi techniques...

Or deliberately telling her that the Lifesever Shortblade was a divine weapon...

Everything served the same purpose.

He wanted that wild girl to understand who had treated her well.

Where her true home lay.

To make the Fengrao Territory occupy a greater place in her heart.

Geniuses weren't tempted by petty profits.

But genuine sincerity...

Could move them.

"Why is it..."

"...that no one ever chooses to meet my sincerity with sincerity?"

Kun quietly reflected on his own behavior.

Eventually...

He concluded that the problem certainly wasn't his.

He had no attachment whatsoever to this world.

Like a dandelion seed carried by the wind...

He could drift anywhere.

It made no difference.

With no roots...

His heart naturally felt detached.

Nothing here was worth clinging to.

Everything could be abandoned without hesitation.

People missed their hometowns because those places held people they loved...

And people who loved them.

The farther they traveled...

The stronger the longing became.

Kun worked tirelessly to build the Fengrao Territory because he wished to create such a place for himself.

A home.

A place where his heart could finally come to rest.

Perhaps...

When the Fengrao Territory was truly complete...

He would no longer feel so detached.

If this world contained nothing worth cherishing...

Then he would build such a place himself.

That...

Was Kun's answer.

Calling over a maid to remove the now-ruined chair, Kun also left the reception hall.

For the moment, affairs within the Fengrao Territory had finally settled down.

He planned to rest for a couple of days...

Then return to Blue Star for a little fun.

He'd heard that Hai City was holding an anime convention.

It sounded lively.

Perfect for joining the festivities.

Naturally, Eternal Dawn had its own festivals as well.

The king's birthday was celebrated.

The birthdays of the six major gods—such as the Sky Goddess—were also observed.

But these were all local holidays.

Every kingdom celebrated its own.

No true continent-wide festival existed.

After all...

Kings weren't born on the same day.

And because every kingdom worshipped different deities...

Even the divine birthday festivals varied from nation to nation.

The Kingdom of Dansu...

Simply celebrated none of them.

It almost seemed as though the kingdom held a grudge against all six gods.

There was only one festival recognized across the entire continent.

The grand celebration is held at the end of every year.

The New Sun Festival.

It was an odd name.

New Sun.

New Sun.

After all...

Wasn't every tomorrow a new day?

Stranger still...

The festival hadn't originated among humans.

It had been passed down since ancient times—

Older even than the Ancient Elven Empire.

So ancient...

That no one any longer remembered why it had begun.

Or when.

Kun had searched through countless ancient texts.

Only scattered fragments remained.

Those records suggested that the "Sun" in the New Sun Festival...

Referred not to an ordinary day—

But to the sun itself.