Chapter 1

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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"Is this the territory we'll be living in from today? It's like a dream come true. I'm so excited, I could throw up. Right, Mathilda?"

"Exactly as you say, Master Noein."

Facing the forest that seemed to stretch endlessly, endlessly, endlessly, endlessly deep, Noein Arquvist let out his thoughts.

Beside him, showing her agreement, was Mathilda, a rabbit-eared woman who was his slave and, for now, his only servant.

"There's no point in lamenting. Let's take our first step into this beloved piece of shit territory, Mathilda."

"Yes, I will serve you wherever you go, Master Noein."

Despite his words, the forest before them, untouched by human hands, had no paths, not even animal trails.

So, the ones to take the first actual step were not Noein but the wooden golems he controlled—wooden puppets, each over 2 meters tall, with the strength to match. They stood before him, pulling out bushes, breaking obstructive branches, and trampling the grass as they walked.

Behind them followed Noein, then Mathilda, and at the rear, a horse-shaped wooden golem pulling a small cart.

---

A little over three months ago, in the capital of the Kivireft Earl's territory, located in the southern part of the Roadberg Kingdom, Noein stood face to face with Maximilian Kivireft, the current head of the Kivireft family and his biological father.

There was no warmth or affection between them, only a tense atmosphere that could be described as a confrontation.

"…It's been a while, Noein."

"Yes, Father…or rather, Lord Kivireft."

"Even though you are a bastard born from a servant, it is known that you are my blood. It's quite troublesome… That's why I've been feeding you until you turned 15. This is the end. Today is the last time I'll see your detestable face."

With a bitter expression, the nervous-looking man spoke. Noein maintained a smile.

"…However, you are still my blood, a son. I will grant you a small territory that our earl's family received from the king, along with the Arquvist knight's title. Do as you please with it, whether it's development or something else."

Maximilian smirked, speaking in a patronizing tone.

While "a small territory and a knight's title" sounded good, in reality, it was just a piece of the kingdom's border forest and a curse attached to it.

The earl's family had been unable to develop this land, which was far from the main territory and required significant investment with little return. Giving it to Noein and cutting ties would dispose of both the troublesome son and the land at once. This was Maximilian's plan.

Of course, Noein could sense the twisted motives behind this.

"I'll also give you some severance money… Is that acceptable?"

"One more thing… May I take one of the earl's family's slaves with me?"

---

Noein's father was the Earl of Kivireft, who governed one of the largest territories in the southern part of the kingdom, but his mother was a poor commoner.

At the time, his mother worked as a servant in the earl's household and was reasonably attractive. The younger and more carefree Maximilian Kivireft had a fling with her.

The result of that fling was Noein.

Usually, when a nobleman has a child with a servant, they would pay some compensation and cut ties. However, Noein's mother was shrewd. She spread the news of her pregnancy with the earl within the household and the earl's territory, forcing the earl to recognize Noein as his bastard son.

She successfully secured a luxurious life as a concubine, a great success for a woman of humble origins. However, she showed no affection to Noein, who was merely a tool to become a concubine, and died of an epidemic when Noein was 9 years old.

After that, Noein's life was unbearably dull.

To put it bluntly, the Earl of Kivireft was a coward.

While he found Noein a nuisance, he lacked the courage to commit the taboo of killing his own blood, especially a child known to be a bastard.

On the other hand, he couldn't defy the earl's wife, who insisted, "Keep that concubine's child away from our family."

As a result of his cowardice, Noein was confined to a cottage at the edge of the earl's estate, given a small allowance, and kept isolated from his father, stepmother, and half-siblings for six years until he came of age.

Books and golems were what alleviated the boredom of these days.

Noein would send his slave, Mathilda, to borrow books from the earl's library and absorb various knowledge, which he believed would be useful after being kicked out of the earl's household.

Like every citizen of the kingdom, he received the "Blessing Ceremony" at the church at the age of 10 and discovered he had the unfortunate talent of "puppet magic."

He saved the allowance given by his father to buy golems and immersed himself in learning how to control them.

On his 15th birthday, his father visited the cottage where Noein lived, and they met face to face for the first time in six years, leading to the scene described earlier.

---

While Noein did not entirely lack gratitude for his father for feeding him until he came of age, even if it was for twisted reasons, he could not deny that his father had fulfilled his duties as a parent better than his greedy, pleasure-seeking mother.

On the other hand, he harbored resentment towards his father for directing ill feelings towards him simply because he was a bastard, robbing him of his freedom during his teenage years.

He also despised his father's cowardice, lacking the dignity and responsibility expected of the head of a noble family.

To top it off, his father pushed the knight's title, which was essentially a chain to a remote area, onto him with a tone that seemed to bestow a favor.

Even with the gratitude for being fed and kept alive, the resentment towards his father was overwhelming.

However, this cut the ties with that family. He would never have to feel his father's presence again.

About three months after leaving home, Noein arrived at the northwestern edge of the Roadberg Kingdom, the territory of the Count of Koenitz.

The Bessel Great Forest stretched long and wide, separating the Roadberg Kingdom from the neighboring country to the west.

A small part of this forest, located directly west of the Koenitz territory, was the land granted to Noein Arquvist, the knight.

After paying his respects to the current Count of Koenitz, who would be his "noble neighbor," Noein set out for his own forest.

Following the path trampled by the golems, Noein was determined to lead a life filled with happiness and love, a life better than that of his "damn father," almost as a matter of pride.