Chapter 16

"Hey, isn't that kid...?"

"That's the eighth son of the manor, I think it's Vendelin..."

"I wonder what he's doing?"

"Who knows? Even children are valuable labor here. Rumor has it that he's not much of a worker."

"Well, he is the son of the manor. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, it's not a problem."

One month after my eldest brother Kurt and second brother Hermann got married and the other older brothers left home, I was running through a plain within the territory that hadn't even been planned for cultivation. Along the way, I could hear the farmers heading to their fields talking about me.

I already understood that they saw me as a "spoiled youngest child who doesn't help with household chores." No, it was actually intentional that Father and my eldest brother Kurt made it seem that way.

Even though I'm just a seven-year-old, if I were to use magic to quickly cultivate the farmland and dig irrigation canals, I could finish it in no time. In reality, I've already mastered even advanced magic, so it would be a breeze for me.

The fewer capable people there are, the more a high-level magic user can demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, since Father and the others don't fully grasp my magical prowess, they haven't even considered asking me for help.

I've made sure that Father and the others see me as someone who can use magic to enhance physical abilities to the point where I can hunt Holoholo birds alone in the forest.

Moreover, I finally got permission to go outside during the day. Once outside, I should be able to move around more freely.

After all, the Baumgarten Knight's Territory is vast. The area that Father and the others recognize includes three villages with a population of 800 people, located at the foot of the northern and western mountain ranges, along with the farmland and forests that can support them.

However, in reality, there are undeveloped regions in the east and south, including the Demon Forest and the coast beyond it. The territory and rights of the Baumgarten Knight's Territory actually hold the potential to become one of the most prominent noble families in the south if developed.

There is a significant gap between the potential and the actual ability to achieve it, though.

According to Father, the sea is particularly regrettable. It's difficult to develop without overcoming the Demon Forest, but since no other nobles can intervene, if we can monopolize it, the possibilities for fishing, trade, and shipping are vast.

Moreover, being able to produce our own salt is a huge advantage. Despite the territory bordering the sea, the Baumgarten Knight's Territory usually buys salt from traders who cross the mountains. The price is reasonable, but it's still more expensive due to the transportation costs.

That's why our soup is always lightly salted.

In any case, this is the current state of our Baumgarten Knight's Territory. I was moving to expand my range of activities. In the morning, I would do a light training session with swords and other weapons, grab two small black bread rolls for lunch after breakfast, and head out.

Incidentally, I had been exempted from submitting the game and foraged items from the forest. The people who had been borrowed for the construction of farmland and irrigation canals had some spare time for hunting now that the initial phase was complete.

Our family also takes turns with Father and my eldest brother Kurt going into the forest for hunting and foraging. They don't rely solely on the Holoholo birds I catch, as they have their pride.

However, Holoholo birds are a difficult prey even for professional hunters. Since I often return empty-handed, I usually bring back two or three grass rabbits on my way back.

The southern part of the Baumgarten Knight's Territory is mostly undeveloped forests and grasslands. So, it was easy to catch something on my way back.

"Alright, today I'll finally see the Demon Forest."

The two magic spells I've been focusing on are "Flight" and "Instant Teleportation." Flight is a familiar spell from comics and games in my previous world.

Like the "Fly" spell in a certain RPG, or the "Birula" spell in its manga. It's also similar to the "Kamehameha" technique in "Dragon Ball."

Both spells were usable almost immediately. The first time I increased the speed of my flight without much thought, I almost suffocated, but that hasn't happened since I started protecting my body with an air barrier.

The speed is comparable to a car on a highway, so that's not a problem. Additionally, I can instantly teleport to any point I've memorized.

Thinking about it, reaching the sea should be a breeze, but I hadn't even arrived at the Demon Forest yet. That's because, over the past three weeks, I've been creating a map of the undeveloped areas, which are as vast as Hokkaido, to move around freely.

As a result of these three weeks of effort, I've successfully placed nearly a thousand points across the remaining three-quarters of the undeveloped area, which is about a quarter the size of Hokkaido.

These points are not marked with signs; they are just detailed maps with numbers assigned to safe landing spots for instant teleportation.

To reach a point, I just need to visualize the number and general location in my mind and use the instant teleportation spell. Even if the position is slightly off, I can fine-tune it with flight.

However, I've learned over these three weeks that this undeveloped land is a treasure trove. There's plenty of cultivable land, and while water management is essential, there are many rivers, so water isn't a problem. The scattered forests and woods are rich in various resources, and there are multiple mines producing iron, copper, gold, silver, and various gemstones, as well as mithril and orichalcum.

If developed, the Baumgarten Knight's Territory could not only become a marquisate but even establish an independent small kingdom.

However, that's just a dream at this point. The kingdom hasn't even finished developing the central region, and while there are nobles in the southern border, they also have undeveloped land in their territories.

In short, there's a lack of people and funds to send to the undeveloped areas of the Baumgarten Knight's Territory. Development of this land is likely to start several hundred years from now.

So, I've been using this land as a second arrival point to hunt rabbits, catch fish, and practice new magic spells. The undeveloped land, with no one around, is perfect for practicing high-power advanced attack spells.

Additionally, I've been practicing earth-based special magic.

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