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As if clearing a game, the two people cultivated the land according to the region and selected the crops.
“Potatoes and sweet potatoes are crops that can’t be ignored. And we’ve chosen the vegetables and fruits according to the weather, so they should grow well, right?”
“Let’s come back for reconnaissance after some time. We can check it then.”
“How about we come once a year?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.”
“Right? You can handle that.”
Sylvia was worried about Duke Sabelisa collapsing again while grabbing the back of his neck, but with Barbara by his side, it seemed like it would be okay.
Although they called it a trip, they would have to observe for quite a while whether the magic they performed was being maintained properly.
“It would be nice to have someone who could build ships…”
“Shipbuilding?”
In front of a sea shining like sapphire, Sylvia absentmindedly muttered while examining the wooden boat she had made.
She answered his curious question.
“It means the job of professionally building ships. It might be difficult right now since there’s no sea, but I think it will be a necessary job in the future.”
Felix focused on her words. Even though he had seen part of the place she lived in, he couldn’t know everything.
“We need to observe the village by the sea more closely than other places. There will surely be someone who knows a lot about ships, and if that happens, we shouldn’t hesitate to support them. Ah, it might also be good to have blacksmiths live here.”
The more Felix looked at her, the more impressive he found Sylvia.
The nobles who gathered for the meeting couldn’t offer proper opinions about Capitis, which was almost being rebuilt from scratch.
They suggested absurd ideas like “We should bring in foreigners” or “This is an opportunity to invade the Corpora Empire.”
Really. He had seriously wondered whether he could lead the nation to a solid foundation with such nobles who had not even the slightest bit of substance in their ideas.
Felix looked at Sylvia, who was talking far more constructively than a dozen or so nobles, with eyes brimming with affection.
Just then, a fairy identical to Eryngium brought some wildflowers while sweating profusely.
Then, as if it was its rightful place, it settled on Sylvia’s head and began to place the wildflowers among her hair.
Felix’s eyes narrowed dangerously. It couldn’t be the same one, but strangely, it reminded him of the past Eryngium.
“For me?”
Sylvia beamed and patted the fairy sitting on her head.
In response, the bluish-purple fairy flapped its wings happily.
As Felix’s gaze gradually turned displeased, he felt a familiar pain in his chest and subtly brushed off the fairy sitting on her head.
The fairy fluttered away and glared at him with a pout, but Felix used wind magic to send the fairy flying even further away.
“Huh? Where did it go so quickly?”
Sylvia, who hadn’t seen the scene, belatedly touched the top of her head and looked around.
Felix, acting as if nothing had happened, pulled her into his arms.
“It’s right here.”
“What? Pfft.”
She immediately realized that Felix was jealous. Although he didn’t show it, she could tell just by the tone of his voice.
The low, displeased tone he tried to hide still gave him away.
“Oh, the only place left to visit is the lakeside, huh? I must’ve run out of patience.”
She waved her hand, effortlessly spinning the wooden boat she had just created.
Felix carefully examined the boat that had been formed by her hands. Though it was a simple wooden boat, it was crafted with precision. The front was sleek, and two long poles were fixed in the middle.
It seemed like the boat was meant to be moved with those.
“While making the boat, I realized it’s a bit crude. We should provide some simple devices here to help catch fish.”
“Sure, I got it.”
He planted a few essences he had brought along into the ground. Since he had done this by the lakeside before, he immediately infused them with magic and inscribed a magic circle to activate them.
As a result, fish from the deep waters were drawn to the shallow shore. Seeing that it was working well, Sylvia quickly wove some tough wood into a dense net and set it by the shore.
The fish, caught automatically, were well contained within the net. Watching the fish wriggle about, seemingly confused, Sylvia licked her lips and said,
“Let’s eat before we leave.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she used wind magic to swiftly clean and prepare the fish she had caught.
After removing the fins and guts, she threw them far away.
“What are you going to make?”
“I’m just going to grill the fish simply.”
It was a dish she had tried before. The salty taste was quite enjoyable.
The two of them worked quickly, showing off their hearty appetites as they devoured the grilled fish.
After placing the last fish bones down, Sylvia muttered,
“I still prefer seafood over freshwater fish.”
Sylvia then created mysterious and fresh peaches for dessert, washing them lightly with water before taking a big bite.
“Mmm! So delicious!”
He quickly followed her lead, grabbing one of the peaches piled high on the table and taking a bite.
Though they looked the same, there were two distinct flavors.
“This tastes similar to the one I had before, but the skin is different?”
“Yes, you can eat this one with the skin on. Of course, the peaches I made before are also edible if you wash them thoroughly, but this is more convenient.”
“Why did you only make this now?”
Felix, showing curiosity about the new fruit, began devouring the peach at an incredible speed.
“Oh, well. To be honest, I had forgotten about it.”
Unlike regular peaches, she had only received and eaten these a few times, so it had slipped her mind. This delicious fruit.
Sylvia chuckled softly, watching Felix happily enjoy the peach.
Though he had started eating other things well, he still showed more interest in fruits, which she found adorable.
After making and finishing off another round of the mysterious and fresh peaches, the two of them left the seaside village.
◆
The lakeside they hadn’t visited in a while was still as beautiful as ever, but there were a few noticeable changes.
For one, the village now had a more developed appearance. When they first arrived at Ansi Village, they noticed smoke rising from the chimneys of the houses.
They also saw wild boars trapped in pens.
As the two of them passed through the village entrance, the villagers watched them with wary eyes.
Sylvia pushed back her robe and smiled brightly.
Benjamin, who was approaching after hearing the news, recognized her, but he tilted his head in confusion, likely because of her changed hair color.
A moment later, Benjamin recognized Felix, who had just removed the hood of his robe, and rushed over in a hurry.
Sylvia wondered if it was okay for someone of his age to run like that, but a young boy quickly ran past him and stood right in front of her.
“Sis!”
The boy, Louis, who had looked much younger back then, had now grown to nearly shoulder height with Sylvia and was smiling cheerfully.
“…Louis?”
“You remember me?”
“Of course.”
Sylvia patted the head of the well-grown boy.
“Brother! It’s great to see you!”
Louis greeted Felix with equal enthusiasm.
“Yes, it seems you’ve been doing well.”
Benjamin, who had arrived late, grabbed Louis’s shoulder with a shocked expression.
But Felix was quicker.
“It’s alright.”
Realizing what Benjamin was worried about, Felix shook his head slowly with a calm expression.
“But… still…”
“By the way, the village has changed a lot,” Felix remarked, cutting off Benjamin’s still-nervous attempt to speak as he surveyed the village.
The small, cozy houses had been reinforced and expanded, becoming sturdier and more spacious. Around the area, the crops that Sylvia had planted before had been cultivated into fields, growing well.
It was evident how diligently the village had been maintained.
Sylvia, unable to hide her joy, greeted Benjamin warmly.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
Deciding to keep up the formal tone in front of Louis, she continued to speak politely.
However, this time Benjamin shook his head more emphatically, clearly unwilling to accept it.
“Please, don’t shock this old man any further.”
“Hmm, will that really happen?”
Sylvia decided to abandon her attempt to blend in. She still wasn’t accustomed to speaking informally to someone she had known from before.
“I have something to say to you first.”
At that moment, Felix stepped forward.
“Yes, please go ahead,” Benjamin replied.
“Previously, I planted a magic-infused gem in the ground here. It was a device to prevent monsters from approaching.”
“…I see. I didn’t notice at all.”
“That’s actually good news.”
Felix, rarely smiling at anyone other than Sylvia, made a few gestures with his fingers and retrieved the Black Dragon’s gem that had been buried in the ground.
“It seems it won’t be necessary anymore, so I’ll take it back.”
“Truly, life has become so much better without the threat of monsters. And now that this place has become part of Capitis, we are still Capitis citizens,” Benjamin said.
Felix responded with a deep, serious gaze.
“You were my people then, and you still are now.”
Hearing this, Benjamin’s eyes reddened with emotion, recalling the promise Felix had made back then.
“You said you’d come to take us back… But as you can see, we’ve grown attached to this place.”
“As you said earlier, this place is also part of the Capitis Empire. It’s only natural for imperial citizens to live within the empire.”
Despite Felix’s reassuring words, Benjamin couldn’t help but feel a lingering anxiety. Rebuilding a home was no easy task.
“Oh, I wonder if the white conchs are still coming up well?” Sylvia mused aloud, shifting the mood.
Louis, eager to please and happy to join in, quickly responded, “Of course, they are, Sis! Let’s go check them out together!”
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