The Tree and the Ants

Amber Xiu locked himself in his laboratory and devoted himself to studying Soul Puppets.

The territory's development plan was also progressing, though with plenty of hiccups. Raul had enough presence to keep people in line, but neither he nor Isabelle was good at managing this sort of thing.

But it wasn't a big problem. Few lords on this continent knew how to manage, either. As long as they had a strong army and could keep people under control, that was enough.

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

Under normal circumstances, reclaiming wasteland took a great deal of labor. An ordinary family would need at least three able-bodied workers to toil for a year or more just to clear a single acre.

The three biggest headaches when reclaiming land were weeds, rocks, and pests.

Weeds had to be pulled out by the roots, or they would grow back in just a few days. Burning them all away wasn't easy, either. Green grass wouldn't catch fire just because you wanted it to. You'd need a few bottles of Fire Potion, and that would cost too much.

The land was scattered with rocks of all sizes, and digging them out one by one was exhausting. If they came across one too heavy to move, they had to heat it until it glowed and then douse it with water, over and over, until it cracked apart. No one knew how much time and firewood that wasted.

Insects were also a major threat to crops, and getting rid of them took a great deal of time.

But with the help of Magic Potions, all of that became very simple.

The petrification potion Isabelle prepared under Amber Xiu's guidance made rocks brittle, so they crumbled with a light tap. Sprayed on weeds, it also made them lose their moisture quickly, turning them yellow and easy to burn.

After spraying the potion, they waited a day, then set the land alight. The fire burned the wasteland thoroughly, killing the roots and insect eggs underground and turning them into nutrients for the soil.

Once the fire had died down, all they had to do was turn the soil with a hoe.

The people had never seen land cleared so easily. Even those who had been a little unhappy didn't dare say another word.

This wasn't some secret technique. It was simply a matter of cost.

If the potions had been bought from Alchemy City, they would have cost at least a thousand gold coins. A single gold coin was enough to feed an adult man for a month.

By that calculation, using labor to clear the land was still more economical. People's lives were cheap these days, and labor was worth even less.

But Amber Xiu could brew the potions himself, which greatly lowered the cost. Even counting Isabelle's labor, it came to only about a hundred gold coins.

Besides, Amber Xiu was a lich. If he didn't offer these people some incentive, they might not be willing to settle down in his territory.

Everything was moving forward as planned, both Amber Xiu's experiments and the land-clearing project. Simple wooden houses had been built, and the wasteland was being turned into fertile fields. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be ready to sow their crops in another month or two.

Once they had arable land, everything would fall into place.

However, not everyone wanted to see a lich's territory prosper.

Amber Xiu's territory was fairly large, but from above, it was clear that it was completely surrounded by human lords, with not so much as a gap between them.

The territory to the west was the largest, nearly half the size of Amber Xiu's. Its lord was a knight with an impressive record.

During the monster-hunting campaign twenty years ago, he had worn porcupine hide and bravely slain a griffin. For that, he had earned the title Porcupine Knight and been granted this territory.

Back when Amber Xiu was human, he'd had little to do with Porcupine Knight. In recent years, after becoming a lich, the surrounding lords had blacklisted him entirely, cutting off all communication. But today, Porcupine Knight had no choice but to ride his horse to the edge of Amber Xiu's territory.

After riding around half the perimeter on his tall horse, Porcupine Knight frowned deeply.

He wore gleaming silver chain mail, and a large porcupine emblem was embroidered on the cape hanging behind him. He looked tall and imposing.

By comparison, the man beside him, also on horseback and dressed in a Mage Robe, looked rather small. Yet Porcupine Knight seemed quite respectful toward him, lowering his head politely as he said, "Mr. Harvey, you can see it for yourself. This lich has gone too far."

The young man called Harvey gazed into the distance. He could just make out people clearing the land, and there was no doubt they were all human.

Quite a few Freemen had fled from Porcupine Knight's territory. He had assumed they had slipped into the wilderness to fight the Goblins and Gnolls for territory, but it turned out they had gone to the lich's land. Even more shocking, the lich had welcomed them.

Could a lich really coexist with humans?

Harvey considered this for a moment, then said, "My lord, as your Magic Advisor, I recommend filing a complaint with Alchemy City."

Porcupine Knight asked, "You mean you don't recommend attacking the lich's territory directly?"

According to Alchemy City's rules, lords were forbidden from stealing one another's people. If someone reported such an act to Alchemy City, they would be granted the right to attack the offending lord's territory. A victory would bring plenty of benefits. At the very least, they could claim a large sum in war reparations, and with luck, they might even expand their territory.

But Harvey was advising Porcupine Knight to file a complaint. That meant asking Alchemy City to send someone to settle the matter. Even if they won in the end, Alchemy City would take the lion's share of the benefits. A minor lord like him would be lucky to get a small amount in compensation.

The difference in potential rewards was so great that Porcupine Knight couldn't help feeling reluctant.

Harvey said earnestly, "My lord, the undead aren't easy to deal with, especially a high-ranking undead like a lich. We don't even know this lich's name. The moment we step into his territory, a thousand skeletons could rise from the ground."

Porcupine Knight replied, "We can join forces with the neighboring lords. They've all had Freemen run away, and I expect they've all ended up at this lich's place. A well-trained militiaman can take on three or four skeletons in daylight. With all our forces together, even a thousand skeletons would be nothing. Besides, we can ask that person for help."

Harvey fell silent. He knew who Porcupine Knight meant.

A powerful Paladin from the Lyne Empire had been visiting Porcupine Knight's territory for the past few days. He wasn't alone, either. He had brought an elite adventurer team with him. If the lich was just an ordinary, unknown one, that team alone could probably handle him.

The Lyne Empire hated the undead more than anything. Hiring them to deal with a lich wouldn't cost much. They might even come after one on their own if given just a few clues.

With this kind of support, Porcupine Knight was confident enough to bypass Alchemy City's judgment and attack the lich's territory directly.

Reason told Harvey that his lord's plan had a good chance of success. But whenever Harvey looked toward the gloomy Ancient Castle, his instincts warned him frantically to stay away. As an Apprentice Mage of the School of Prophecy, Harvey trusted his instincts more. This lich was definitely more dangerous than they imagined.

"My lord, if you've already made up your mind, then I suggest preparing for both possibilities. First, join forces with the other lords and arrange to cooperate with the Paladin, then declare war on the lich in a way that follows the rules. Be sure to obey Alchemy City's laws and give the lich no grounds to object. That way, even if our attack fails, as long as we withdraw from his territory, he won't be able to pursue us. Second, while making preparations, I recommend you look into this lich's background. There may be other options."

As an advisor, Harvey could only give his lord the best advice he could. He couldn't make the decision for him.

Porcupine Knight nodded. "Good point. We should learn more about the enemy before going to war. I'll contact the other lords. Mr. Harvey, I know nothing about magic, and I know just as little about the undead. I'll leave the investigation to you."

Harvey replied respectfully, "That's part of my duty. It's just that..."

"Just what?" Porcupine Knight asked.

"My lord, Alchemy City's finances are collapsing rapidly. This is only the beginning. Even if you win this war, it might not be enough to satisfy those alchemists."

Porcupine Knight's expression changed, but he soon steeled himself. "Compared to Alchemy City, we're just ants beneath a great tree. But even if we do nothing, does that mean the tree won't fall? We should strengthen ourselves while we still can."