Chapter 14

When the necromancer's airship landed at Florence's Galileo Airport, the entire Maya Great Forest whispered the same phrase: "Welcome..."

Alright, I know this sounds exaggerated, but the druids really went all out. Twenty flaming vines led the way, and two rows of primitive treants used their thick roots and branches to build an aerial path to the main city. The beasts of the forest accompanied them, the forest's masters were peaceful and quiet, and a hundred birds sang in the sky, flying up and down along the aerial path... The scene was low-key yet magnificent, with the druids' nonchalant, nature-loving flair. In short, it was amazing.

The necromancers, who had zero social skills and a worldview far from the norm, didn't feel much, only marveling at how well the druids wielded the power of nature. However, Sigma, who still had some sense of shame, felt his face burning. Comparing the druids' etiquette and welcoming ceremony to the howling and wailing welcome at the outskirts of Atlas City, he wanted to hang his mentor, Chamberlain, on the bell tower as a target—his poor performance was practically a diplomatic incident.

The druids were very hospitable, with a dedicated escort for each member of the delegation. These eloquent and warm-hearted druids introduced the Maya Great Forest in the most interesting way, and they were very perceptive. If they noticed the guests were not interested, they would naturally end their narration and accompany them forward with a smile, maintaining a respectful distance.

The magnificent welcoming ceremony and the warm hospitality of the druids formed a stark contrast to the necromancers' boorishness, especially when Sigma saw a few necromancers ignoring the enthusiastic and lively druid maidens. His anger instantly flared, and he roared, "Sandro! You damn fool, listen up!"

Sandro, the necromancer, turned around in surprise, a faint annoyance in his eyes. Sigma, you may be a genius, and the masters may treat you like a treasure, but I'm still your senior. I haven't provoked you, so why are you yelling?

But when he met Sigma's gaze, his head throbbed as if he had been hit with a club.

Eyes are called the windows of the soul and are the primary medium for mental magic. Many eye techniques on the continent use mental energy to produce wondrous effects. Although Sigma didn't know any eye techniques, his anger inadvertently triggered the power of death, and two angry glares solidified into a tangible force. Without casting a spell or chanting, a terrifying aura of intimidation struck Sandro's mind through eye contact. It's said that saint-level necromancers can awaken the purest fear in living beings with just a glance, paralyzing hundreds or even thousands of elite soldiers. Sigma's accidental glare had the雏形 of such a terrifying gaze.

Sandro, caught off guard, was momentarily at a disadvantage, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Fortunately, the druid maiden beside him was kind. She thanked Sigma and said, "It's okay, this gentleman isn't very talkative," which earned her a slightly grateful look from Sandro. Watching Sandro awkwardly start a conversation with the druid maiden, Sigma grunted and then cast a series of threatening glares at the other necromancers. The solidified threat in his gaze made the necromancers feel as if needles were piercing their backs. Although these guys were a bit boorish, they weren't stupid. They had heard of Sigma's reputation as an unpredictable and unreasonable person who would publicly beat someone up over a minor issue. So... they forced smiles and began interacting with the druids.

Only then did Sigma收回目光, turning to the humorous, outgoing, and talkative druid, who unfortunately was a middle-aged uncle, and said, "...Where were we?"

Luluvi observed everything and quietly shook her head.

Admiring the natural beauty along the way, the group headed towards Florence's main city.

According to the druid uncle, many, many years ago, the druids found a secret and fertile settlement in the vast Maya Great Forest and established the first natural academy. They built the initial stone towers with giant stones and vines, blending with nature and gradually developing a unique lifestyle. Over the years, their industries expanded, and they established a druid nation centered around Florence, primarily involving forestry, agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry, and the pharmaceutical industry. The druids, who specialized in nature and life forces, were incredibly profitable, rivaling or even surpassing modern agriculture from Sigma's previous life. Their hybrid breeding and crossbreeding speed was unparalleled, and they excelled in vertical and physical agriculture. Last year, the druid nation accounted for almost half of the continent's total grain exports.

As for labor? The necromancer nation was also resource-rich, with a large number of undead and alchemical puppets capable of farming, logging, mining, smelting, and performing detailed tasks like raw material processing and manual production. They created a continuous trade surplus for the necromancer nation each year. The necromancers, lacking morals, exploited the labor of the dead, while the druids were equally ruthless, not sparing even animals. Yes, animals—cows, horses, chickens, monkeys, wolves, bears, leopards—any creature in the forest could be put to work. Even the clumsy rhinoceroses knew to collect the animal waste and deliver it to the gibbons for composting. Even small insects and treants had tasks. So, the supposedly peaceful druids were also ruthless capitalists, exploiting the labor of forest creatures while paying them only a fraction of the food and meat, or even crop stalks, making these poor animals work for them...

Damn, I thought there would be bloody primitive capital accumulation, but it turns out that the mages, the biggest capitalists in this world, didn't even bother to buy slaves. They just used local resources. Only human societies with primitive productivity... I heard that the elemental mages also used golems and summoned elemental beings, equally lacking morals...

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PS1: Well, let's address an issue. A reader in the book review section bluntly said that the fiancée mentioned in the last chapter had no charm, which was quite disappointing. The fiancée hasn't officially appeared yet; the last chapter only mentioned her. Please don't jump to conclusions so quickly. I believe building a successful character requires a gradual buildup of plot and text, not just a few words. The last chapter only provided a part of Sigma's description of his fiancée. Defining her based on that seems a bit hasty. So, please keep reading. I will respond to sharp questions and issues in the book review section, as long as you don't start by being overly critical. Even if you want to stop reading, I'll try to save you, as every reader is important. In short, respect is mutual.

PS2: So, I added a couple of sentences to the last few paragraphs of the previous chapter. These settings will be gradually revealed... However, it will take a day to update the chapter. The gist is that the protagonist's fiancée believes that if you want to bed a girl, you should do it with your own abilities, not by paying for it in a brothel. So...

PS3: You perverted people, yesterday I couldn't think of the names of those erotic books, so I closed my eyes and randomly typed a few names. You actually associated them with those impure books, truly a sign of moral decline! (Heartbroken)

PS4: Well, I continue to ask for recommendations, favorites, and clicks...

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