Volume 2 - CH 17

Despite being attacked by the bandits on our way home, we safely arrived at our territory.

We immediately started to arrange support for the new village. We couldn’t build the village right away, so after discussing it with Patrick we decided to provide food aid for the time being.

I know poaching other fief’s residents means breaking the rule but we eventually would need villagers and take them anyway, so we might as well.

Although worried about the ulterior motive behind the proposal, they accepted the migration proposal. It was the result of a civil and calm discussion. Patrick said it was half threatening, but I just talked to them normally. How people perceive what I said is not my problem.

After a week, we came to the new village’s location to level the ground. Incidentally, Patrick and Ryuu also tagged along.

We arrived at the grass-covered plain with scattered trees. It made me wonder if it’s the right place since there are no landmarks. Patrick, who stood still next to me, asked.

「This… is the place, right?」

「How many times did you check from the sky? Based on the nearby mountains and rivers, I have no doubt this is the right place.」

I felt relieved and looked around. After observing the location, many things might get in the way, such as small hills and large rocks.

Thinking carefully where to start working on, Patrick said,

「Why did you choose this place? Isn’t this place is your last choice?」

「I didn’t pick this place. This was the only appropriate place.」

When I asked Damon to choose some potential places, this was the only place that he suggested.

We excluded the place where we would need to flatten the mountains or dig the rivers since we can’t afford to spend a lot of time and can’t ignore the potential environmental impact. Our criteria were: No place inhabited by monsters or areas that are too far from the highway and no place where the soil will take a lot of time to improve.

These requirements inevitably narrowed down the village’s possible locations and this was the only place we ended up.

It seems that my plan to flatten out my territory had failed from the start.

When I said this, Patrick didn’t look all that surprised.

「Ah, really?」

「It’s lucky that we found a place to build one. Shall we start?」

I raised the staff that I brought as a secret weapon high in the air. The staff has elaborate carvings and is adorned with a shiny oversized magic stone on its top.

The staff has the effect of improving the magical power of its user. I never use it since my firepower is enough to get by. The same applies to Patrick who uses a sword.

He looked at my staff, which he has never seen, curiously.

「A staff? Why would you bring those?」

「I thought I’d use it to conserve my magic. Besides, it’s awesome! It’s for all attributes!」

Magic staff usually can only support one attribute. I never got a staff that supported all the attributes in the game, occasionally I saw the one who supported two attributes. So this item is really valuable.

「I thought you only used the dark attribute? Isn’t it just useless?」

「Didn’t I tell you? I can use every attributes except light.」

I can use the four major attributes, but it’s way too inferior compared to my dark attribute. I know it’s unfair, but what can I say? I’m a genius.

What should I do first… If I wanted to level the ground, then it’s earth attribute? Thrusting my staff forward, I imagine a towering wall of earth. A tower higher than the royal capital’s rampart.

Sensing that I’m in my one of serious mode, Patrick tried to stop me as usual. But it was too late.

「O’ earth! Break through the limit to the sky!」

「Oi, stop it! If you use your magic earnestly… huh?」

The earth magic worked wonderfully.

There was a thick pile of ground in front of me. The height is… enough that it could trip your feet?

The pile crumbled easily when Patrick poked it with his foot.

「Seriously, that’s it?」

「Uhh.」

I never thought I would hear the words Patrick would never say number three. Of course the number one being 「Stop bothering me, I hate you.」

When it comes to magic, I have no patience for being thought of as weak. Then with all my might, I’ll make a prison flame. But what appeared in front of me was a small flame the size of a lighter.

「…I have no trouble with fire magic.」

Uhh, it’s hard to see Patrick’s tender gaze. I couldn’t let it end like this, let’s try dark magic since it’s my most compatible attribute.

「Dark—」

「No, no, that’s not good.」

My staff was snatched before I could even finish. He already anticipated this. I looked at him, offended.

「I already know that Yumiela is strong. There’s nothing to prove here.」

「Then, what about your full strength? Your level has increased, why don’t you give it a try?」

I still haven’t got a grasp on Patrick’s magical aptitude. By any means he isn’t specialized in magic like I am, he’s more of a melee attacker. It’s even harder to tell since he doesn’t use magic to attack, which is easy to keep track of.

He’s thinking about my suggestion for a moment before responding.

「All right, it’s not like every day I’d get an opportunity like this. I’ll give it a shot.」

Patrick grabbed the staff with both his hands and closed his eyes. I felt a surge of magic next to me. It’s not tingling like dark magic but gives off a gentle atmosphere instead.

He opened his eyes and muttered,

「Soil.」

The ground in front of him rose with a deep sound. After the earth rumbling subsided, the soil piled up in front of me was so high that it hurt my neck to look up at it.

It’s even higher than the rampart at the royal capital, it’s pretty wide, stretching as far as my eyes can see.

He was speechless looking at the wall that he built.

「Look who’s talking. Now you can’t tell me that my magic is too strong.」

…Eh? I was waiting for him to react but he didn’t say anything.

He looked up at the dirt wall when he suddenly collapsed and fell on his knees.

「Sorry, that was out of line. Are you okay?」

「…Ah, I felt my power increasing with all the level up but I never expected it to be this much.」

Patrick was feeling really dejected. Why? Aren’t you supposed to be happy?

It took him a while to recover. He stood up and handed over the staff.

「This staff is amazing, it adapts well to the magic.」

「Right? Moreover it’s compatible with all attributes, it can enhance your wind magic and my dark magic. Isn’t that amazing?」

「Why did you have this kind of thing?」

「…There was a merchant that came to the residence a month ago.」

The family heirloom staff was bought from a door-to-door merchant. For a merchant visiting a noble’s house is normal and looking at the goods’ quality, the price was fair. I’ve done nothing wrong. Compared to the usual goods, the price was a bit expensive.

This staff wasn’t a handcrafted item but a dungeon drop, for a moment I thought about going to find the same one myself. However, I had a bad experience with dungeon gacha. Gacha is not something I want to pursue.

Pointing at my prized possession, he said.

「But is that really necessary? Is it really a good deal?」

「I don’t think so, if I saw this staff being sold in a store I would have bought it anyway.」

「How much did you pay for it?」

「…About fifty times price of a normal staff, I guess?」

The usual staff here referred to the highest quality that is compatible with a single attribute. As expected, he thought it was a waste of money and expressed his disapproval.

「We are going to need a lot of money for village development. I’m not saying you couldn’t spend money, but please bear in mind to save a little more, couldn’t you?」

「It’s fine, I never bought dresses or jewelry anyway. See, it’s cheaper?」

「How many dresses do you think you could have made using that money?」

Probably a hundred dresses. Eh? Could it be that I was wasteful?

Nobles don’t seem to separate their private and public finances. The budget for the territory administration is coming from my pocket, I could spend the tax money on extravagance if I wanted to.

I’ll be more careful about spending money since I’m not the only one who would get in trouble for wasting money. But the staff was a necessary expense. There is no compromise.

「Yeah, I don’t waste money on frivolous things. I spend my money on things I actually need, okay?」

「I don’t think you need that staff, tho.」

What a horrible thing to say. Don’t you feel sorry for the staff wasting away and covered in dust in the corner of the room? I can’t think of an effective way to use it at the top of my mind, but it’s absolutely necessary.

Let’s get back on track, time to start working. The first thing we need to do is clear up the wall that someone has put up. It’s hard, it’s especially hard cleaning up after other people. Fufu, let’s do this.

As I was thinking about how to destroy the wall, whether using physical force or magic, Patrick put his hand on the wall.

「Return.」

Not long after he said that, the huge wall of dirt turned back in reverse. Isn’t that impressive?

I don’t know the law of physics behind that move but I won’t question it since my dark magic could do the same. It’s a different world with magic so anything is possible.

「Let’s begin. I’ll do the rough leveling to make it even, then you can work on the details.」

「Okay.」

It’s not efficient to remove the small rocks and the soil. First of all, what I would do is remove everything that I didn’t need.

It’s been a while since I used high-level dark magic.

「Black Hole.」

A huge dome of darkness appeared, swallowing the trees, rocks and hills.

It started from the ground, in a shape that looks like a hemisphere… but actually it was a sphere. It’s just you can’t see the bottom part since it’s swallowing the ground.

Patrick looks impressed by the dome.

「Can you do other shapes? It looks like it’s going well, maybe I won’t need to do anything.」

「Sorry, I can only did this.」

「Hey, don’t you think…」

Once the magic was cast, it can’t be canceled. The black sphere will disappear along with the thing that gets swallowed by it.

When it disappeared, the surrounding air gathered making a strong wind that blew from behind.

The landscape in front of us changed drastically, the ground was replaced with a large nice circular hole. The bottom was covered with a shadow, a place no sunlight could reach.

I completely changed the terrain, but this is awesome.

「…Maybe we could use it as an agricultural reservoir?」

I asked that myself but I knew it was impossible. If the water filled up this hole, it would either become a pond or a lake. I don’t even know the difference between the two.

What should we do? If we don’t do something, our village will end up sinking under the water. Should we make it into a dam?

My magic is too specialized in destruction, it’s unlikely that I could fill up the hole. I’m good at getting rid and destroying things, so I’d thought I’d help clear the land.

Patrick looked at the hole looking dead in the eyes, said in a flat voice.

「Give me your staff, I’ll put it back.」

「Sorry.」

I acted without thinking, I’m sorry.

Using earth magic that the staff enhanced, Patrick began to fill the hole little by little.

The staff is a great help. My decision to buy it wasn’t wrong. Of course, I didn’t voice my opinion out loud.

In a few hours Patrick ended up cleaning after my mess. The ground was leveled, we could now build the houses and cultivate the fields any moment now.

Today’s work finished without my help. Patrick said I look sad.

「Listen, even with all this mess, I like you. So don’t worry about it too much.」

「…Patrick.」

I’m really lucky to have such a kind fiance. Then, does he like it when I’m causing trouble?

「I will continue to do my best and keep making trouble!」

「Please don’t do it, I’m don’t like it when you did that.」