The Great Tree and the Ant

Chapter 16: The Great Tree and the Ants

Amber Xiu locked himself in the Laboratory, focusing intently on his research into Golems.

The land reclamation plan for his territory was also proceeding haltingly. Although Raul possessed sufficient deterrent power, neither he nor Isabelle were skilled in management.

But it wasn't a major issue. Few Lords on this Continent were adept at management; having strong troops was enough to suppress any dissent.

These hundred or so Freemen would find ways to work as long as they didn't want to starve.

Normally, reclaiming wasteland required a significant amount of manpower. For an ordinary family to reclaim one mu of land, at least three laborers would be needed to work for half a year to a year.

The three most troublesome aspects of land reclamation were weeds, rocks, and pests.

Weeds had to be pulled out by the root, or they would grow back in a few days. Burning them all down wasn't easy either; lush green grass wouldn't burn on command unless one used several bottles of Flame Magic Potions, but the cost would be too high.

Rocks of all sizes were scattered everywhere, and digging them out one by one was tiring enough. Those that couldn't be moved required repeated heating and dousing with water to make them crack before they could be moved, a process that wasted an unknown amount of time and firewood.

Insects posed a great threat to crops, requiring a lot of time to eliminate.

However, with the help of magic potions, all of this became incredibly simple.

The Fossilizing Potion, concocted by Isabelle under Amber Xiu's guidance, could make rocks brittle, shattering them with a light tap. When sprayed on weeds, it also caused them to rapidly evaporate moisture, turning them yellow and flammable.

After spraying the potion and waiting a day, a single fire could thoroughly clear the wasteland. The roots underground and insect eggs would be completely incinerated, converting into fertile soil.

Once the fire died down, all that was needed was to grab a hoe and turn the soil.

Having never witnessed such an easy method of land reclamation, those who had been dissatisfied dared not utter another word.

In truth, this wasn't some secret technique, but a matter of cost.

If these potions were purchased from Alchemy City, they would cost at least a thousand Gold Coins, and one Gold Coin was enough for an adult male to eat well for a month.

Calculated this way, reclaiming land with manpower was still more cost-effective, as human lives were cheap these days, and labor even cheaper.

But Amber Xiu could concoct these potions himself, significantly lowering the cost. Including Isabelle's labor, it only amounted to about a hundred Gold Coins.

Furthermore, Amber Xiu was a Lich. If he didn't offer these humans some benefits, they might not be willing to live peacefully in his territory.

Everything was progressing as planned, both Amber Xiu's experiments and the territory's reclamation. Simple wooden houses had been erected, and patches of wasteland had been converted into fertile fields. If all went well, cultivation could officially begin in another month or two.

With arable land, everything would fall into place.

However, not everyone wanted to see a Lich's territory flourish.

Amber Xiu's territory was not small, but viewed from the sky, it was tightly surrounded by neighboring human Lords, leaving no gaps.

The territory to the west was the largest, almost half the size of Amber Xiu's domain. The Lord of this region was a decorated Knight.

Twenty years ago, during a monster subjugation war, he had bravely killed a griffon while clad in porcupine hide, earning him the title of Porcupine Knight and this territory.

Amber Xiu had had no interaction with this Porcupine Knight when he was human, and after his transformation into a Lich in recent years, he had been completely ostracized by the nearby Lords, cutting off all communication. But today, the Porcupine Knight had no choice but to ride his steed to the outskirts of Amber Xiu's territory.

After circling the area on his tall horse, the Porcupine Knight's brow furrowed deeply.

He wore a suit of shining silver chainmail, and his cloak bore a large porcupine emblem, making him appear imposing and mighty.

In contrast, his accompanying attendant, also on horseback and clad in a Mage Robe, seemed quite frail. Yet, the Porcupine Knight treated this person with considerable respect, lowering his head politely and saying, "Mr. Harvey, as you can see, this Lich has gone too far."

The young man called Mr. Harvey looked into the distance, vaguely seeing many figures reclaiming wasteland. These were undoubtedly all humans.

Quite a few Freemen from the Porcupine Knight's territory had fled. He had initially thought they had ventured into the wilderness to compete with goblins and jackals for land, but unexpectedly, they had gone to the Lich's territory. What shocked the Porcupine Knight even more was that the Lich had actually accepted them.

Could a Lich coexist with humans?

Harvey pondered for a moment before saying, "My Lord, as your Magic Advisor, I suggest you file a complaint with Alchemy City."

The Porcupine Knight asked, "Are you suggesting I don't attack the Lich's territory directly?"

According to the rules of Alchemy City, population poaching between territories was forbidden. If such an act was reported to Alchemy City, it would grant the aggressor the right to attack the offending territory. If successful, the rewards would be substantial, at least a large sum of war reparations, and with good luck, the expansion of one's territory.

But Harvey was suggesting filing a complaint, which meant hoping Alchemy City would send someone to mediate. Even if successful, the lion's share of the benefits would go to Alchemy City, leaving him, a minor Lord, with little more than a pittance in reparations.

The vast difference in potential gains made the Porcupine Knight somewhat unwilling.

"My Lord," Harvey said very seriously, "Undead are not easy to deal with, especially high-level undead like Liches. We don't even know this Lich's name. Perhaps as soon as we step into his territory, thousands of Skeletons will emerge from the ground."

The Porcupine Knight retorted, "We can unite with the nearby Lords. They all have Freemen escaping, likely all heading to this Lich's domain. A well-trained militiaman can handle three to four Skeletons during the day. With our combined forces, even if he has a thousand Skeletons, it won't be much. Moreover, we can ask for help from that person."

Harvey fell silent. He knew who the Porcupine Knight was referring to.

A powerful Paladin from the Lyne Empire was currently visiting the Porcupine Knight's territory. He wasn't alone; he had brought an elite team of adventurers. If this were just an unknown, ordinary Lich, this adventurer team alone would be sufficient to handle it.

The Lyne Empire detested the Undead the most. Hiring them to deal with a Lich wouldn't cost much, and sometimes, just providing a clue would lead them to seek out the Lich themselves.

With such assistance, the Porcupine Knight felt confident enough to bypass Alchemy City's judgment and directly dispatch troops to attack the Lich's territory.

Reason told Harvey that his Lord's plan had a high chance of success, but every time Harvey looked at the gloomy Ancient Castle, his intuition screamed at him to stay away. As an Apprentice Mage of the School of Prophecy, Harvey trusted his intuition more. This Lich was definitely more dangerous than imagined.

"My Lord, if you have made up your mind, I suggest you prepare for both eventualities. First, unite with other Lords, coordinate with that Paladin, and then declare war on the Lich in a manner that complies with the rules. Be sure to adhere strictly to the laws of Alchemy City, so the Lich cannot find any fault. This way, even if the attack fails, as long as we withdraw from his territory, he cannot pursue. Second, while preparing, I suggest you gather intelligence on this Lich. Perhaps there are other options."

As an advisor, Harvey could only offer suggestions to the best of his ability, not make decisions for his Lord.

The Porcupine Knight nodded and said, "Indeed, you are right. Before going to war, one should gather more information about the enemy. I will contact the other Lords. Mr. Harvey, I know nothing about magic, nor about the Undead. Gathering intelligence is a task that must fall to you."

Harvey replied respectfully, "That is my duty, however..."

"However, what?" the Porcupine Knight asked.

"My Lord, Alchemy City's financial situation is deteriorating rapidly. This is just the beginning. Even if you win this war, it may not be enough to satisfy the appetites of those Alchemists."

The Porcupine Knight's expression changed, but he quickly said with determination, "Compared to Alchemy City, we are merely ants beneath a great tree. But if we do nothing, will the tree not fall? Before the collapse, we should strengthen our own power."