Chapter 43

Rumble...

It took a week to observe the transformation of the fist-sized stone lumps glowing at my fingertips.

-This is... quite impressive.

"How much power did you condense into it?"

The curse emitted by the giant mana stone killed the land.

But it's practically impossible to make something that exists disappear.

So, the giant mana stone didn't eliminate the land's qi but rather condensed it to an extreme degree, preventing it from escaping.

In the Haines Manor, most of the qi was concentrated deep underground.

Ultimately, the solution is to draw that qi to the surface.

Where did such power come from?

The power that has been charging for tens of thousands of years isn't going anywhere. Moreover, the size...

A week.

Although the land still looks dry and cracked, it took just a week for the qi to recover to the point where simple crops can be planted.

The ground is still hard, so you need to till it before planting, but that shouldn't be difficult.

The mana stone I have is essentially a simple situation board.

In other words, it's a tool that allows me to check the qi or other conditions of the land by maintaining a connection with the mana stones embedded in the ground of each region.

Additionally, although it's still a bit unstable, I can remotely control the mana array to change the weather in the manor.

Humans are creatures that develop because they are lazy.

Since it's too troublesome to go to the ruins every time, I need to find a way to change it with just a flick of my fingers from a distance.

-The power of the mana stone is impressive, but you're not exactly normal either.

"Mana stones are inherently incredible items."

Moreover, if the size is fist-sized, the power is even more impressive.

"I'll have to use the spatial expansion pouch for a while."

The small pouch with the engraved magic array, and the power of the mana stone inside, gives me a space as large as several hundred square meters, despite being only the size of my hand.

-Only you would use such valuable mana stones so casually. This is a waste of resources.

As Perserk said, this is indeed a waste.

But I can't sell them right now anyway.

"Think of it as an investment. Once I have a way to deal with it, I can sell them."

I'm building a system that's impossible with mana stones, so it's actually a good thing.

Whether it's stocks or land, it's not right to sell them just because they make money.

As the saying goes, even if your cousin buys land, your stomach will hurt. If I start doing well, unnecessary attention and jealousy will come my way.

This is not a desirable situation right now.

"Your Highness, the temperature measurement results are in..."

After organizing the mana stones and putting them in the spatial expansion bag, I stood up, and Amy cautiously poked her head in as if she had been waiting.

"How much did it come out to?"

In response to my question, Amy carefully looked down at the document she was holding.

Normally, I should check it myself, but I plan to make Amy responsible for the administration of this manor, not just a personal maid.

I wouldn't just leave such a capable talent in a clean and progressive company.

"According to the investigation by the militia, it's about 13 degrees Celsius..."

Even as she spoke, she seemed to find it hard to believe.

A part of the manor that had been in sub-zero temperatures until recently suddenly became warm, as if it had entered a different world.

"Perfect."

A smile crept onto my face.

The ground is still frozen, so you can't farm?

Just change the temperature.

How about that, pretty simple, right?

"Right, how many applicants gathered?"

"Excluding the minimum number of people left for defense, all the militia members and some of the manor residents gathered. About 60 people in total."

Such fanatical people.

I clicked my tongue in my mind but moved forward without hesitation.

With the ability to change temperature, rainfall, and the state of the qi, would I just farm normally?

No way.

"Tell them to bring the equipment I prepared. We're starting the work right away."

Overwhelming quantity and scarcity.

-You plan to do both, don't you?

That's right.

* * *

Suddenly, rain falls on the parched land.

And the cold winds that had been blowing over the fields for days have started to bring warm air.

The temperature is not just a perceived difference but a real spring temperature.

Although the sudden change in the manor might shock and raise suspicions, the residents, except for Monmither, already believe the absurd hypothesis that I have moved the heavens.

"Quite a crowd."

Some of the gathered residents chuckled at my words.

"Would we just stand by and watch what the lord does?"

"We must repay the lord's great kindness, or we would be no better than beasts."

An awkward smile appeared on my face at the old woman's words.

No, I'm going to make them do some intense labor. I wonder if they'll be okay.

As I silently looked around, I saw a familiar face.

Lini, was it?

The little girl who had been captured by the goblins.

I told her to get treatment, but she followed me here.

The militia members all had large shovels and were dressed in work clothes, not their usual weapons or armor.

"Well, our manor is like a clean company. At least there won't be any wage arrears."

Those who didn't understand my meaning just stared at me blankly, while those who did laughed happily.

"Don't laugh, get used to it."

"Ha ha ha!"

I shouldn't have said that.

After silently raising my head to look at the sky, I gazed at the vast wasteland.

At first, the land was hard and cracked, and it was doubtful whether plants could grow, but it seems to have recovered quite a bit.

To recover this much in just a week, the ancient civilization's curse-class power in the mana stone is indeed extraordinary.

"What I'm going to do now is simple. The knights drew a boundary in the nearby land yesterday. We're going to cultivate all of it."

Monmither, who was standing next to me, opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

"If you can't do it, you can stop. I'll pay you thoroughly."

Even if no one from the manor had come, I would have had a plan.

But since they came, I might as well use them.

"The deadline is four days."

Monmither's face showed even more shock at my words.

"I'll guarantee your working hours, but it depends on how well you do."

Monmither rushed to me.

"Lord!"

"Hmm?"

"Even if the climate suddenly changed and the ice in the ground melted, it's impossible to cultivate this vast land in four days..."

"It was used as farmland before. There should be a basic structure, right?"

"That's..."

His meaning was simple.

You're demanding too much labor.

"Ha ha, are you betting your balls that I'll show you something again?"

"What the hell are you going to do with them?"

However, unlike Monmither's words, the militia members were joking and laughing as if it was nothing.

"Lord... I haven't forgotten that you saved us from the goblins and rescued the manor residents... but this is too much."

"Too much? Do you really think so?"

His face turned red at my question.

He must have realized that I wasn't asking out of ignorance.

Unable to say anything, he fidgeted, and I ignored him and called a few of the manor residents.

"Make sure the team leaders control the work properly."

"Yes!"

"Let's start."

As soon as I finished speaking, light slowly spread around me.

"Oh... Lord."

"Our savior..."

"Yeees, take me!"

I heard a slightly embarrassing word...

'He's sleeping again.'

I woke up the divine power that was complaining about not wanting to get up.

Then, I lightly stretched my hand toward the 60 or so manor residents gathered in front of me and cast two simple spells.

Strength enhancement and stamina enhancement.

However, since this requires high-intensity labor, I didn't stop there.

...

If the strength is insufficient, I can stack it, and if the stamina is lacking, I can stack the stamina enhancement spell.

However, even a simple spell becomes incredibly difficult when stacked multiple times.

If the difficulty of one stack is 1, the difficulty of two stacks is 2, three stacks is 4, and four stacks is 8, and so on, exponentially.

It's almost impossible to stack more than three times, but I have proficiency and knowledge.

Now that the total amount of divine power is also supporting me, it's not impossible.

Since the proficiency remains...

This is a hard-to-get buff, isn't it?

I'd like to cast a buff efficiency amplification area like before, but using it on this vast land would likely lead to divine power exhaustion, so I had to hold back.

'Sip... It would have been nice if Kaldras was here.'

-You see the divine sword as a divine power storage...

Perserk's muttering, as if he's tired of it, but I ignored it.

"Uoo!!"

"Strength is surging!"

Monmither's face showed shock at the roaring manor residents, who seemed to have become supercharged batteries.

"What are you doing? Let's start the work. If you slack off, your wages will be cut."

I said this lightly to them.

* * *

Monmither, the militia leader, opened his mouth wide at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Zzzaaah!! The strength is overwhelming!!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"I should have plowed the fields like this when I was young!"

He rubbed his eyes several times, unable to believe what he was seeing.

A spell that slightly enhances strength, when stacked a dozen times, allows an old woman to lift a giant man like a tree branch.

A spell that slightly enhances stamina, when stacked, allows a child who gets out of breath after a short run to have the stamina to run a 42-kilometer marathon at full speed.

Cheating?

Try it yourself.

"How is it?"

Monmither, who had been staring blankly, was startled and looked at me.

"Our manor is a clean company. I wouldn't give you an impossible task. The welfare of the employees is the face of the company."

It's a metaphor, not a real company.

"H-How is this possible..."

He must have heard that I am a prince with a holy mark and that I used mysterious powers to strengthen the manor residents to defeat the goblins.

But there's a difference between hearing about it and seeing it firsthand.

He probably thought it was just exaggerated, but the reality is different.

The old woman who came as a volunteer is flying around the desolate field, plowing the land as if she's a master of the shovel.

I patted his stiff back, frozen in shock, and smiled.

"How about it, at this speed, we can finish in four days, right?"

"My goodness..."

The reality he saw with his own eyes finally sank in, and he couldn't close his mouth.