This man I’d thought so brazen, with a face chiseled by the gods, was asking me a favor and looking so worried…
And beside him stood Seren, smiling sweetly. So unfair!
Still, it’s not like I’m the type to get a kick out of spreading rumors about Archmage Viol being a dessert fancier in the first place. But that handsome face, so earnestly entreating… Yikes.
“Of course, I won’t tell anyone,” I promised.
“I see, thank you. That’s a relief.”
“Lord Riesz keeps a tight lip. You don’t need to worry.”
Seren’s trust in me warmed my heart and saddened me at the same time. An odd feeling.
“…Incidentally…” As if suddenly remembering something, Archmage Viol looked at Mother. “I’m sorry. The sweets were so amazing that I almost forgot to say it, but the roll cake we received the other day was so delicious that I wanted to come and thank you in person.”
Oh yes, my brother mentioned the thank you for the thank-you gift. Archmage Viol really does love sweets. He seemed delighted by Mother’s choice of gift.
“Oh, my! I’m so glad you liked it. That cake is called a Cortile Roll and is very popular among dessert lovers.”
“Not only was it delicious, but each one was so gorgeous that it was almost a shame to eat them.” Seren smiled happily, too.
“Right? A dessert’s appearance is important as well.” Archmage Viol nodded firmly.
“Not only could we browse your wonderful book collection, but you treated us so well and even gave us that lovely sweet treat as a gift… Words cannot express our gratitude,” Seren said.
“Goodness! The pleasure was all mine!” Then Mother jumped to her feet and hurried to the window. “Look at the scenery outside! That is what you two have given to us!”
We all exchanged glances, then went over to the window and looked out. The view outside was quite different from what it had been a year ago.
To the west of the castle, it had previously been forest as far as the eye could see. Now, it had all been cut down and turned into farmland, where our workers were busily working, and many small saplings were already sprouting.
Really? Archmage Viol and Seren reclaimed that much land?
“I felt like I witnessed the true power of magic. In just a few hours, the forest was transformed into farmland,” Mother said.
“Ah, typical of your work, Viol. But how did you do it?” my brother asked.
“I used wind magic to cut down the trees, used earth magic to till the soil and soften it while digging up the roots, used fire magic to burn the roots, used wind magic to scatter ashes on the soil, and finally used water magic to put out the fire and water the land.”
All I could do was gape in disbelief.
“You really are incredible.”
My brother didn’t seem surprised at all. He was smiling wryly, but I was speechless. And Archmage Viol spoke of it as if it was no big deal… As if it wasn’t close to a miracle. Archmage Viol’s mastery of all the elements was the only thing that had made such a feat possible.
He was like four mages in one. Any normal mage would have run out of stamina and magical energy halfway through the job.
“But Seren did all the intricate work, like collecting and stacking the cut trees to use as lumber and controlling the wind direction so the fire wouldn’t spread. I only did the easy stuff.”
“You’re both completely unbelievable…” I found myself muttering aloud… But I was just so amazed!
“Since the land started out as forest, plenty of leaf mold had accumulated, and the soil is rich in nutrients,” he said. “If you mix that with ash, it makes excellent land for farming, right?”
“They also loosened the soil so it was soft and easy to handle,” Mother added. “Our workers have been delighted!”
“So, the reclaimed land is being used just like normal land…?”
“Of course! We’ve been able to plant crops without issue. Everyone’s been amazed by it.”
“Has anything else happened here lately?” Archmage Viol asked.
“Just farming. With this much more land, everyone’s been busy!”
“I see, that’s good then.” Archmage Viol looked relieved for some reason after hearing Mother’s answer. Seeing this, my brother tilted his head.
“What? Are you worried about anything?”
“Ah, well. I had a few teensy little concerns.” Archmage Viol’s way of speaking had grown more casual. He’d clearly relaxed.
“What concerns?”
“My father also grows vegetables and fruit, and I thought hearing about what we did here might be useful to him, so I told him. And he told me that if you suddenly do large-scale farming, the climate can change, so it’s better to be cautious.”
“Ah, I see… That might well be true.”
“The trees were cut down so they could be used for lumber, so it wouldn’t be called slash-and-burn farming, but the roots were collected and burned, and most importantly, a wide area was developed in one go, so at the very least, the vegetation of the area and the scope of the animal territory would be affected, right? Minor issues are one thing, but it wouldn’t be good if something like a drought were to occur, so it’s better to evaluate the situation regularly,” Archmage Viol explained.
“So that’s why you both came all this way? To evaluate?” Brother asked.
“Well, of course, my main purpose was to thank your mother in person for the sweets, but I also wanted to see the area with my own eyes and explain things to her so that she could keep an eye on the progress.”
“Thank you, Viol. But you don’t need to worry so much. We were the ones who asked you to cultivate the area. You don’t need to feel so responsible.”
“Hehe, Lord Borden, I’m sorry to have worried you, but we’re mostly here for sweets shopping,” Seren said. “We just thought it would be a good idea to fly up here now and then for a change of pace.”
“Anyway, I’m relieved there doesn’t seem to be any problem for now,” Archmage Viol said. “After this experience with land clearing, I started wondering if we could use High Mages to expand farmland. But I’ve also been thinking that we need to be careful when it comes to manipulating nature.”
Seren and Archmage Viol looked at one another. No doubt they were worried about making us feel overly indebted to them. I’ve always known that Seren’s a good sort, but I’d never imagined that blunt and brazen Viol would be so considerate.
As I stood there surprised all over again, Archmage Viol smiled softly. I was getting used to him smiling, though.
“Caution is still needed, but if the farm workers are happy, then that’s great. Now, could you possibly tell me where I can buy the delicious treats we had earlier?”
“…Tsk. We’re no match for you, are we, Viol?” My brother laughed and rolled his eyes.
Seriously.
How could I possibly compete with this?
All right, it might be true that Viol was shy and had issues communicating. But, get to know him better, and you’ll find a man who’s earnest, kind, and responsible.
No wonder Seren fell in love with him…
Even my brother claims he’s no match for him. What hope do I have?
Mashlo called Archmage Viol an old man, pointing out he was a decade older than Seren. And I felt the same way. But now I think I’ve seen what an extra ten years can do to a person, how it can strengthen them and make them wise.
Perhaps in ten years, if I worked hard, I could approach Archmage Viol’s level.
To be honest, I’m not sure.
I sighed softly. It was great that Archmage Viol was so invested in our territory. But it also made me feel sort of useless.
“Viol’s big plan directly correlates to increasing our power as a nation, but it would certainly be better to verify it a bit first,” my brother said. “I’ll observe the situation in our territory for a few years and then propose it to the king.”
“By then, the magical device we recently developed will be well installed, and our mages will be free to focus on other tasks. Perfect,” Archmage Viol said.
“It may be best to start slowly and not go too big at first.” When Seren quietly stated her opinion, my brother nodded vigorously.
“Yes, that’s true. If we roll this out as a national plan, there will be dissenting voices and various issues.”
“Such fun. If we expand your land, Borden, you’ll have more space to grow that fruit we ate today… Anlu, was it? Ah, I’d love to be able to eat that every day,” Archmage Viol said in a surprisingly excited voice.
“It’s difficult to cultivate. It’s susceptible to disease. And insects go crazy for it.”
“So why not try improving it? Lord Viol, this fruit might be something your father’s interested in cultivating,” Seren pointed out,
“Right… That may be true. Well, it depends on what Borden and the others think.”
The conversation continued, regardless of how conflicted I was feeling. I forced myself to cheer up despite feeling left behind.
Right… I didn’t have the luxury of moping around. Seren was giving her opinions. Surely, I had something of value to contribute as well.
I shouldn’t be standing here feeling frustrated, thinking about how I can’t compete. I should say something to Archmage Viol and Seren, who were showing such interest in our territory.
“I think selective breeding is interesting,” I chimed in.
“Riesz?”
“I think the Anlu’s only flaw so far has been that its production volume has been too inconsistent.”
“Exactly.” My brother looked pleased. “Mother, could you get some seedlings?”
“Of course! I’ll have it taken care of right away. They should be ready tomorrow!” Mother seemed to be enjoying herself as well.
I still didn’t have a lot to say, but I wanted to honor their kindness by engaging in the discussion. I could do that much, at least.
Yes… This day, these revelations… they certainly made me feel that way.