Finding a Foothold

The first Count Perast had been a highly ambitious Great Knight. While following the King of Salar, he had hoped to establish a small duchy of his own and had even prepared several possible locations.

Unfortunately, the Beast Tide broke out back then, bringing the Salar Kingdom's expansion to an end. The national defense line was too far from the places the Great Knight had chosen, and he had never managed to become a Sky Knight. In the end, he could only give up helplessly.

The count had always hoped that a Sky Knight would appear among his descendants, so he hid those locations in his notes and left them to his direct line.

Salar's borders had indeed gradually expanded over the past thousand years, but sadly, few of his descendants had even become Great Knights.

If Salar had not required nobles to be at least Knights in order to inherit, Perast probably would not even have had any Knights left.

On the second day after becoming a Sorcerer, Hill began analyzing which of those locations would be suitable for building a Mage Tower. Peraster Grand Knight had possessed many ingenious ideas, but his lack of strength had made him deliberately choose places that were easy to conceal, making them perfect for Hill.

Hill ultimately chose a valley about fifteen days' travel from the Salar Kingdom's border. Including the surrounding mountain range, it was almost exactly the size of a count's territory.

The place Peraster Grand Knight had considered too small in every way was just right for him.

After all, Hill had no desire to build a duchy. Legendary was what he pursued.

Hill took out paper and pen and silently calculated his supplies. He was about to have a home of his own.

After an unknown amount of time, Bourne knocked on the window several times. "Baron, it's time to rest and eat."

This was a campsite, and Bourne had already set up an alchemical tent.

Hill got out of the carriage and stretched properly. Lina had already prepared dinner for him. Before entering the tent to eat, Hill looked at the busy Lina and said to Bourne, "Buy a few maids when you see them on the road. Lina can train them properly. A housekeeper shouldn't have to do miscellaneous chores!"

Bourne said with a grin, "Got it! It's just that Mom doesn't want to buy servants around here. She'll consider it if she sees any good ones."

Hill rolled his eyes at him. "Then go help her! Have Lina sleep in the outer room with the children tonight. You sleep in the carriage!"

"Fine, fine!" Bourne said helplessly. "How could I possibly let Mom sleep in the carriage?"

After Hill went inside, Bourne found Lina. "Mom, His Lordship says you can buy servants now!"

Lina glanced at him. "Did you tell him this isn't a suitable place?"

"Of course I did!" Bourne said. "He just feels bad seeing you so busy! Also, he said you should sleep in the outer room with Dean and Sunny."

"What do boys know?" Lina said firmly. "This place is so close to the royal capital. All the good ones have been sent there! We'll wait until we get closer to the border to buy people, and pick up a few good horses as well. Fine, I understand. Once the Baron is asleep, I'll let Dean and Sunny sleep inside!"

Locke walked over. "How about letting the two of them sleep with me in the carriage instead?"

"Just take good care of the horses!" Lina said. "His Lordship just doesn't want the children to suffer. No matter how comfortable a carriage is, it isn't a bed. The children are sensible and won't make noise. Resting well is what matters most! We still have a long road ahead!"

"Mm-hmm!" Locke agreed and went to feed the horses.

Hill smiled as he listened to the conversation outside. After summoning two Earth Elementals to stand watch, he immersed himself in meditation.

Hill left everything to Bourne. Every day, he meditated and copied from memory, and the journey went smoothly. Hill was truly glad that he was not some webnovel protagonist. He had no desire for a dramatic, turbulent life. A smooth and peaceful journey was all he hoped for.

After traveling for a month, they finally reached Fisher, the western Border City. Lina had bought around ten young servants in the previous cities and carefully trained them. They could finally be of some use.

Locke chose two older boys to train. Having them follow behind the group and drive the carriages was enough, while Lina decided to buy several good horses in the Border City.

Dean and Sunny had spent these past few days in Hill's carriage. Whenever Hill was bored, he taught them how to read. Every time Bourne saw it, his face turned ashen.

Hill found it delightful. It had been a long time since he had seen Bourne make that expression.

In the count's castle, no one liked Hill. But he was still the master.

The servants could only vent their resentment on Bourne, Hill's personal attendant.

During those four years in the castle, although Bourne did his best to avoid them, there were always times when he was caught. They did not dare injure him seriously, but bumps and bruises were unavoidable.

Though those experiences tempered Bourne's will and made him mature quickly, even awakening a trace of mana in him, Bourne felt proud of it while Hill still felt miserable. Bourne had originally been cheerful and lively, but he had become increasingly quiet, cautious, and reserved.

The pain of being unable to protect his childhood companion made Hill desperately crave strength. Perhaps that was one reason he had suddenly awakened as a Sorcerer. The farther they traveled from White Horse City, the more of Bourne's hidden liveliness emerged. Hill was truly happy about that.

They would rest in Fisher for a week. Hill dug out his Mage robes and put them on. No one would easily offend a Mage. Salar was a nation built beside the Wilds, and land could only be developed more than twenty kilometers beyond the border. Even a Sky Knight would have to abandon their territory if they were unlucky enough to encounter several Beast Tides.

Salar was a new nation with only a thousand years of history, and it still had plenty of room for development. Minor nobles from branch families and new Knights could still earn merits in the army guarding the borders, receiving land and titles. Those who now left the border to establish territories were mostly second sons of great nobles like Hill—capable people unwilling to remain at home under their elder brothers' control.

To Salar's south lay the royal family's homeland, Hephasaldo. To the east stretched a long coastline. To the north was the most powerful barbaric land, and several small duchies had already been established beyond Salar's territory.

The west was likewise Wilds, but it was filled with mountains and wasteland, unsuitable for building a nation. It was, however, ideal for little Sorcerers like Hill, who merely wanted to build a small territory and hide away.

Few territories established near Salar's Western Frontier had endured, and all of them were fortresses built among the mountains.

Salar's Western Border Great Wall was primarily meant to guard against Beast Tides, so there were few illicit dealings within the cities. The merchants all delivered goods outside the city to noble territories, while purchasing furs, horses, and local specialties along the way.

Bandits liked robbing merchants delivering goods to noble territories. And merchants and bandits capable of surviving in such places inevitably had powerful figures backing them. In truth, this formed a kind of balance.

Few people dared provoke Mages leaving the city. A Mage taking servants beyond the border might be heading out to build a Mage Tower, but it was even more likely that they had offended someone and were leaving to live in seclusion for a few years. After all, lords were spending money and effort to invite Mages to settle in their lands.

All valuable items were stored in rings. They could not be besieged, and could leave whenever they wished. An ambush might fail, and any retaliation would certainly go straight for the person behind it. Anyone who caused trouble for their patron would be finished after one incident. No one was willing to do work that offered little benefit and might cost them their life.

Hill settled into the best inn in the city and did not go out again. Locke took Bourne to buy horses, while Lina trained the newly purchased servants at the inn. Only on the last day did she go out and buy enough food to fill an entire carriage.

Hill, meanwhile, took out two more alchemical carriages. The people secretly watching them all gave up. Another miserable Mage heading out to live in seclusion—he actually had two carriages in his ring! Carriages were valuable, but robbing a Mage over a few carriages would be idiotic.

The Western Border Great Wall had cost the Salar Kingdom enormous manpower and resources. Built from massive stones between two mountain ranges five hundred kilometers apart, it was a wall three hundred meters high and one hundred meters wide, with protective magic arrays carved across both sides.

From afar, the Great Wall winding its way up the mountains looked majestic and imposing. But when Hill reached its base and saw the gigantic black wall stones gleaming with magical light, he could only feel awe. In this tunnel reserved for leaving the city, after presenting his noble documents, Hill looked back at the road behind him. He did not know how many years would pass before he returned.

The land within twenty kilometers outside the city was cleared regularly, but the pitted road beyond the city was difficult to travel. Hill took out an Alchemical Map and handed it to Bourne, then glanced back at the Great Wall.

There were four Border Cities along the Great Wall. He had deliberately presented his noble documents. Though the count's side would also learn where he was going, he had to let Falan know that he had left, and where he had departed from.

Hill activated the array on the Alchemical Carriage, and Bourne drove the lead carriage forward.

Hill placed a Wood Spirit on each of the four carriages. Their mana was enough to activate the floating arrays. Each carriage had two horses taking turns pulling, and they traveled swiftly.

Wood Spirits could soothe horses and restore their stamina, while the magic stones in the carriages were enough to maintain the defensive arrays. Hill sat in the carriage at ease, waiting to see whether anyone truly foolish enough to provoke them would appear.

Yet even after they left the safe zone, no one attacked. Hill sighed in relief and regret. He knew he was cowardly, but he truly did not want to kill anyone.

Bourne was much stronger than him. Ever since Bourne gained mana and could go out, the scrolls and potions Hill gave him had been used up. Hill knew that Bourne must have encountered trouble while traveling outside.

But he knew Bourne kept silent because he did not want Hill to stop him from going out. Hill could only silently prepare protective items for him, giving Bourne two of his four rings. He filled one of them with scrolls, potions, and alchemical bombs.

Hill had read plenty of novels before. Those protagonists had also been children raised in the sheltered greenhouse of modern society, and many had never even suffered society's harsh lessons, yet they could immediately kill without hesitation! How hard-hearted did one have to be to do that?

After graduating from university, Hill had spent more than ten years working on construction sites. He had encountered countless clients who made him want to beat them to death. Every day, he hovered on the edge of losing control in anger, but he had never laid a hand on anyone. He had been raised by a modern society ruled by law. He did not want to kill.

But now he lived in this terrifying world, where human lives sometimes seemed so cheap. Even Melanie, so innocent in his eyes, would casually kill a thief who entered the manor with a Fireball. Warm and enthusiastic Lina, and steady Locke, showed no mercy when whipping servants who made mistakes.