12. Edea New Kingdom
We were invited back to the mansion again, as they could not let us leave without offering hospitality, and we were served tea, which is said to be Lina’s only hobby and also something that sustains her daily life. I’ve heard that it’s a brand that they always make sure to order from the nearby town. It’s not a luxury product, but it tastes good.
There is a road from the town to this frontier territory. It was just a simple road where the grass was lightly trampled down and stones were moved aside. I also traveled on this road by carriage, but surprisingly, it was only completed in Lina’s generation. Even though the request had been made for quite some time, it was only after the pandemic incident that the government finally decided to approve it… It’s frightening that it actually took another twenty years after that for them to actually start working on it.
When they sent guards from the city as part of a containment measure to prevent the disease from spreading outside the territory, they had a lot of trouble due to the lack of well-maintained roads, and yet this is still the case, so there is really no hope. At the time, even the voices of the soldiers on the scene were probably not heard.
Lina’s health condition is clearly not good, so I took out a special herb as a gesture of thanks. All of them, except for me, showed a startled expression at the pitch-black leaf that had appeared out of nowhere, but nothing in particular was said.
“If you boil or brew it and drink it, you’ll get a mild dose of my magic power. The effect is just as we saw earlier… That said, it’s not as dramatic. Think of it as a tonic. It might be a little difficult to take a sip at first because of the unique flavor, but I recommend drinking it.”
“I will definitely drink it.”
Without a second thought, Lina received the black leaf. Wow, what an incredible decisiveness. It makes me feel a little strange to think that she might be doing this out of fear or gratitude towards me, but if she’s willing to drink it then it’s fine. I’m seriously worried about her unhealthy way of losing weight.
Even though we have just restored the land, it would all be ruined if anything were to happen to the manager.
“Since we have the opportunity, I will give enough for both of you.”
“Is it alright?”
“Me too…?”
Alf has a refined smile on his face, while Celia has a worried look on her face. This is where one’s wisdom of age comes into play. I think Celia’s fear comes from the fact that she understands me better than anyone else, but it’s really shocking that she’s so worried about something I’m giving as a gift.
“It’s okay because there are plenty of them. A few days ago, I cleared away the trees where this was growing. It’s a big harvest.”
“Eh── is that about the Black Forest you are talking about?”
“Of course.”
“So, what about that place now?”
“There’s nothing there. I also dismantle the house.”
That said, similarly most items like this black leaf are stored in Eidos, so they can be taken out at any time. I have also used this as an opportunity to reorganize my storage space, the number of items has increased compared to before, but it has become much easier to find things. It is no exaggeration to say that this was the work that occupied most of the three days that kept Celia waiting, rather than the demolition of the forest and the house.
Of course, the culture tank and its contents are there, so even if I don’t have a house, all my belongings are here. The black forest was merely a result of coincidence, so I felt no hesitation or deeper meaning in deciding to get rid of it, but Celia seemed to have been shocked to learn about it.
“The Black Forest, did you hear that, Alf? They say that’s where the primordial witch dwells.”
“Yes, Mistress Lina. So, there was indeed some truth in the legend.”
As the Aurio lord-retainer duo seemed to be having fun, I said to Celia.
“There’s nothing to worry about, right? This something I did myself.”
“But it is all because I made that request… When I saw that forest, I was terrified at the same time… I was also in awe. A tale of the witch legend, which I had been told since childhood, certainly exists right before my eyes. I can’t even begin to describe what I was feeling in my chest that day. That is why when I thought that the Black Forest had disappeared because of me…”
It seems that when Celia becomes somewhat timid, her true self starts to show. She seems like a different person than when she explained the situation to Lina as clearly and logically as she could. I opened my mouth to speak, thinking that she probably put up a brave front most of the time.
“No, I’m planning to build my own place again. If you have such strong feelings about the black forest, I could set it in the forest again, but what do you think?”
“A-are you going to make it again…?”
“That’s right. Didn’t I already tell you? This black leaf contains my magical power. The tree on which this grows is also the same. If I pour a generous amount of magic power into the earth, it will soon become a black forest. As for construction, well, it still needs a bit more work.”
I don’t really understand why it becomes black when poured excessively, but it’s not a problem. If the bizarre appearance has become a legend, it will not be difficult for me to recreate the forest again.
“I wonder where I should create a forest next. After all the trouble I went through to move out, it also seems boring, or rather uninspiring, to return to the same place…”
“In that case, Lady Edea!”
“Oh, what?”
I ask Lina, whose face lights up, thinking she has come up with something good, but it turns out that her idea was more of a suggestion.
“If you don’t have any specific places in mind, then how about this, would you consider making your residence in the Aurio territory? I would like you to witness up closely the restoration of the land blessed by Lady Edea’s power.”
Hmm. Well, it’s not too bad, I suppose. At the end of the day, as far as the location of my home is concerned, anywhere is fine. It can also be a refreshing change to live with acquaintances just a stone’s throw away.
Since there is already a marker (totem) in the royal castle, I can teleport there at any time. If the same thing is placed here, then, even if my home is in a remote location, there will be no particular inconvenience.
“Well then, maybe I should do that? Celia would be happy that the Black Forest is back, wouldn’t she?”
In response to my question, Celia gave me a subtle look and nodded.
◇◇◇
I’ve been pretty busy since then. Focusing on the center area between the three villages, removing all obstacles and creating the black forest. Build a house in the middle, just as before. It had been a long time since I had planned a floor plan, and it was interesting to make changes as I actually built it. Maybe that’s why I can’t finish it right away, and in between tasks, I find myself going to the royal capital.
At the same time that I check the status of Morow and Dambus’ policies, I occasionally consult with them about national policies. They have a lot of questions that have no definite answers, so since I am only a decorative crown, I will only be the one in charge of the general direction. If I were indecisive in this situation, the two of them would have been troubled, but rest assured, that’s not the case. In any case, unlike the previous king, I don’t have any particular material desires. I’m aware that the country has become mine, but I don’t think it’s for my own sake, so anyway, the motto is that people should be able to live reasonably and happily without starving. I can’t think of any other slogan, you see.
Celia, who volunteered to help for the sake of the country, has become my attendant, the king. In corporate terms, it’s like being the secretary to the president. I am quite the lazy type myself, so having someone else take care of scheduling and communicating with others is really helpful. Of course, I welcomed her, and in the meantime, I also put up a totem at Celia’s residence. Even when we’re going to the royal capital, it’s not necessarily always the right decision to teleport directly to the royal castle.
I heard from Lina about the situation in Aurio territory and went around the village with her and said, “I’m Edea, the new king. I am the primordial witch,” I greeted, and while building a house in the Black Forest, I felt the totem’s magical response and immediately teleported to the royal capital when I knew I was being called.
When I lived that way, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Time passed quickly when I was alone at home living a mundane life, but when there was a rapid change taking place, the days seemed to speed up. However, the density of the experience is much better now. When I think about it, the past twenty years spent solely on research that yielded no results feels like a waste.
When there is nothing to do, time also becomes longer and I would probably have quickly grown tired of living alone. Despite having a goal, the absence of a deadline or sense of urgency leads to a lack of progress, resulting in a cycle of unproductive days. It is human nature to find relaxing more enjoyable precisely when there are things to be done. It is also a karma. I was not an exception to that either. Even though I don’t need to sleep, I love to sleep, and I even take naps.
Even now that I’m busy, the research itself hasn’t progressed at all, but well, that’s no different from before. What is different, however, is that I now have new insights and, above all, the certainty that I will soon acquire a large number of experimental materials. The discovery of the first successful example, known as Morow, is almost tantamount to proof. For the first time in decades, my chest is dancing with the excitement that the experiment might move to the next stage. I don’t have much of a chest, though. This is an eternal young girl body joke.
And so, one day.
“──Lady Edea, I am sorry for bothering you from early morning.”
“Good morning, Morow. I’m the one who told you to that you can call me without worrying about what time it is, so don’t apologize. So, what brings you here today?”
“Yes. I would like to make a report and confirm it as soon as possible… Is that alright?”
When I nodded to let him know to go ahead, Morow unfolded a piece of cloth that he was holding in his hand and showed it.
“This is! It will be the flag of the Edea New Kingdom! So what did you think?
“…………”
I looked back and forth between the cloth, which had an intricate design on it, and Morow’s eyes, which were sparkling brightly. Then I spoke my thoughts.
“No, before that… What is this Edea New Kingdom?”
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