Saplings could be seen growing at a visible speed as the formation of beautiful collections of vines began to make themselves apparent. The vines were white in color, holding small pointy ends that shone dangerously in the light. Small blue fruits could be seen growing sparsely on the many vines that sprung up in the acre of snowy land. I checked the panel for the plants yet again.
[Snow Vine] :: Time until maturity- 4 months.
I had to shake myself out of my stupor as I saw the period of maturation for the plants go from 8 months to 4 months. Now the question was, if I continued casting [Budding Farmer], just how much further can I bring down that time?
[Budding Farmer] was cast multiple times after that, where I found the skill to be taking an exorbitant amount of mana that even the LEGENDARY [Sigil of Hegemony] had less energy usage than the skill that propagated the growth of plants. This was my first time coming across a lower-ranking skill that took more energy than another skill 2 ranks above it.
I visibly observed the continued growth of the [Snow Vines] in front of me as the blue fruits growing out sparsely shined more and more, becoming even larger. This process continued until I was presented with the sight of five-meter tall white vines with large blue fruits standing gloriously in the formerly blank snowy field. I checked the Plants section yet again.
[Snow Vine] :: Time until maturity- 2 weeks.
2 weeks. From a period of 8 months that the fantastical plant needed, it was brought down all the way to 2 weeks. No matter how many more times I cast [Budding Farmer] on the now populated acre of land, I couldn't reduce this number anymore. It seemed some time still had to pass before such treasures could be ripened.
Still, these were plants that could only be planted in this Spiritual Land, specifically for the purpose of raising the strength of the beasts in it. It was something that required a significant amount of time to mature, and yet I had brought it down to a period of two weeks. I looked forward to other surprises from these peculiar skills like [Budding Farmer] and {Spiritual Land Management} as my figure moved to try out even more things.
Chapter 122 - Spiritual Lands II
The next thing to look at was the other plant I could cultivate currently.
Sacred Rye :: A grain that very few get the chance to enjoy. Slightly strengthens the body, boosts mana sensitivity momentarily, and relieves negative effects. Time until maturity- 1 month.
Seeing this plant reminded me of the project that Adelaide had begun with, and the fact that I still haven't gotten back to the Frozen Kingdom after the battle ended. I didn't know how much time had passed when I blacked out from the extensive hundreds of years of broken memories from the Demon King, so I had to move quickly and take care of the important things in the Spiritual Land before moving out.
The plant, [Sacred Rye], seemed like it could be enjoyed by the beasts born from the Frozen Plateau and others without discrimination as it still provided the same benefits. There were many more plants that I would be able to work with once the tier of the Spiritual Land was raised, and their effects would no doubt be even crazier. I looked through the many regions of the Spiritual Land as I played with a blue hologram of it through the use of {Spiritual Land Management}.
There were still many empty snowy lands that could be cultivated as the beasts in the Spiritual Land could be moved around. Even the wide expanse of tall [Whitefall Trees] could be cleared out as they disappeared into particles of essence and drifted back into the Frozen Plateau.
I was looking at multiple acres like this where I selected [Snow Vine] and [Sacred Rye] to be cultivated en masse. The fantastic formation of seeds that formed in the skies and then shot down like a bullet into the ground could never get old. The seeds for [Sacred Rye] were much smaller that the [Snow Vine], with the required time for maturity also being lesser.
I used [Budding Farmer] on all of these new acres of fields and watched the magical sights of the plants that quickly grew all around me. The [Sacred Rye] seemed mystical with its colors of blue and gold on the plants that grew around a meter. Similar to the [Snow Vine], I could not continue to reduce the days for maturity completely, even though the maturity for the rye was significantly less.
[Snow Vine] :: Time until maturity- 2 weeks.
[Sacred Rye] :: Time until maturity- 2 days.
The time for maturity was significantly reduced from 1 month to two days for the [Sacred Rye], still showing just how astonishing the capabilities of [Budding Farmer] were. The first time I used this skill in the outside world was when we visited the Shadow Dukedom. The plant there had taken a single cast of the skill to cause it to mature and ripen. The only limitation to appear were these extravagant plants in this Spiritual Land.
The last thing I wanted to finish up before heading to the outside world was the absorption of the LEGENDARY cores the Demon King had dropped. There was a significant amount, showing just how thick the essence Gremory had collected over the years was. The process took me another hour as I felt the continued strengthening of my body.
The attributes I had currently matched those of someone legitimately in the LEGENDARY rank. Even the support skills that were rank A and S did not make me feel as great as the increase in this power felt.
The boosted [Vitality] and [Strength] made me feel like I had endless strength and could take on any hits. Although I always preferred to protect myself with even more defensive skills and barriers so that no hits even came near my body. Defense was the top priority for this life of mine that was connected to something huge.
I looked around the Spiritual Land where I wanted to stay and do even more things, but I forced myself to go out and check the situation of the Frozen Kingdom first. I had to prepare for the movements that the demons would take after the True Death of Gremory was registered and they began to move. I already had an idea of what would come as I continued to sift through the memories of the dead Demon King.
The Spiritual Land would be of huge importance to me, not just with its magical features, plants, or beast, but because it provided a space where I could do whatever I wanted without prying eyes.
This Spiritual Land effectively meant I had a place to spam my many destructive skills and do whatever I wanted without worrying about prying eyes from the outside world. I left my Holy Blight summoned as he waited dangerously in front of rows of green zombies in another section of the Spiritual Land.
The zombies ranged from ferocious demons, all the way to valiant humans that had faced their death in the recent battle. This wasn't to mention the large disfigured bodies of a variety of [Komodo Dragons] and [Mephitic Turtles], the Holy Blight had gone out of its way to collect many interesting things.
This wasn't to mention the many beasts that could be raised in this Land, and the possibilities of me doing the cruel thing of taking their skills through instituting a dungeon-like scenario similar to the Trial of Supremacy that took place before I gained ownership. All of these functions were capable through the Spiritual Land, and I was looking forward to seeing how many more surprises there were after its tier rose from 2.
The sleek [Emperor Penguin] was giving me a less unyielding look after the show of my power against the Demon King, its beak slightly lower than it was some time ago. I chuckled at the arrogance of this penguin as I looked favorably on the [Teleport] skills that it provided for me.
Its beak pointed even lower after it and the many beasts that congregated around the Spiritual Lands felt the usage of large amounts of mana and then observed the fantastic growth of [Snow Vine] and [Sacred Rye].
Almost all of the EPIC beasts that were weakened and had some of their origin eaten up by me in the Trial of Supremacy cl.u.s.tered around the still maturing [Snow Vines] as they looked towards the white blue fruits vibrantly growing amidst the sharp vines. Even though they could only cl.u.s.ter and enjoy the vibrant air the plants gave, none of them would be able to enjoy the resplendent fruits without my permission.
As most of the things seemed to be se
ttled in the Frozen Plateau for now, I began to move out. I flashed out of the miniaturized Spiritual Land and took it in my palms, using [Anchor] to stably attach it to myself. I looked around the few miles around me using [Regal Archer's Eyes] as the scenes of the deadly battle played themselves out. Soldiers could still be seen in the surroundings of the snowy mountains.
My figure was hidden with the many covert skills that I had active, at this moment looking like my normal self and not the beastial figure of a huge beast carrying around a large sword. I gazed around the snowy mountains a bit longer and then used [Teleport], disappearing and then appearing in a grand room in the Manor at the center of Snowy Peak.
Chapter 123 - A Hero's Return
The Snowy Peak was much different than it used to be as I could feel the presence of many powerful figures moving around. There were even more Royal Guards surrounding the large manor, many of them being rank S and a few rank As.
My hidden figure walked around the manor, the guards passing by not being able to even spare me a glace as I went towards a large hall in the manor where most people were condensed at.
The hall was full of nobles and ministers that busily moved around. A sense of frustration was in the air as some could be seen sending accusatory and unsavory words to others, with a few having a sense of calm trying to bring everything down.
"The commoners will soon begin rioting if nothing is changed. Hmph, they never were a thankful bunch."
"Tsk, stop with that attitude. You're still holed up in your castle with reserves of grain and food that could last you weeks, you would never understand the feeling of not knowing if you will have something to put in your belly the next day."
Nobles could be seen trading words back and forth as the talks continued.
"What of the heroes that took down the Demon King? If we could just get in contact with them..."
"Hah, those powerful figures were most likely from one of the Mythical Kingdoms, do you really think after doing all that they would still hang around to help your pompous ass?"
It seemed to be more arguments that anything effective actually being done, and frustration was in the air.
At the center of all of this was a Princess surrounded by even larger groups of nobles as it looked they were pleading with her to do something. As I was walking in, the face of the Princess that was impassive with a hint of tiredness lit up. She tried keeping her emotions under control as her clear voice rang out above everyone else in the room.
"Everyone, clear out for a moment."
The voice was low, but resounded all around as it hushed the squabbling nobles who looked at her in a confused manner. When they saw she was being serious, the figures of people quickly scrambled out of the large hall, only taking a few minutes before the huge doors were closed.
I felt multiple Shadow Guards silently appear behind the closed door as a barrier that prevented any prying eyes erected itself around the hall. I found the impassive face of the princess to be showing more emotions than usual as an expression of distress moved to relief when my figure became visible to her.
"You...you!"
The princess seemed to almost be huffing as she stopped talking and breathed in and out, calming herself down before she talked again.
"Esteemed Sir, I...am glad you're back safe and sound, but do you know how many days had passed without a word from you? I was...I was.."
The girl seemed to have a trace of anxiousness as she spoke, and I tried to calm her down by replying with a smile. I had taken a look at the communication medallion on the way here and found some messages from her, so I expected this.
"Something big happened after I took down the pest aiming its fangs towards the kingdom. How many days have passed?"
She looked to be surprised as her expression fully calmed down as if she understood. She seemed to have become her old safe as she said,
"As long as something occurred and there was a reason, then all is well. It has been more than two days since the Kingdom's forces came back from the war against the demon forces. When you weren't with them nor answering through the communication medallion, even with the word that victory was ours I couldn't help but worry."
I looked at the girl that seemed to have gone through a flurry of emotions she would normally never go through and felt apologetic.
"Don't worry, it was my fault. I'll make sure to keep you up to date whenever something like this arises again. I'm curious to know the state of things at the moment though."
Adelaide had fully calmed down as a slight happy expression came on her face, and I found her doing a curtsy once again.
"Let me first thank you for going out of your way to save my father and the people of this kingdom who have yet to know the hero that slew the Demon King. We owe you our lives."
I scratched my nose at the sight of this beautiful girl bowing to me once again as brushed off the thanks and asked to fill me on the current state of affairs. I had to know if any movements were made, even though I was confident that my enemies would not move this fast.
Besides the mourning that was taking place for all those that fell in the war, many were looking for the heroes that appeared to save the day. The gallant Saint that rained down blessings which healed all wounds, The Sword Beast that pulled away the Demon King, and many others who disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared that day.
The Saint they were praising was an unholy poisonous abomination that was now standing guard over a small army of corpses in a Spiritual Land with the other beasts that also made their appearance. As for the large white-furred beast flinging around a cold blade while dishing out spectacular skills, maybe they would see it again soon enough.
A small issue over the appearance of these 'Heroes' arose from the actions of the Holy Blight of raising all the corpses on the battlefield. Adventurers, mercenaries, and other soldiers had people they knew that fell in battle, and they couldn't even reclaim their corpses.
This raised some negative sentiments amongst others, but it was quickly quelled down by the majority positive opinions of the heroes who had saved the Kingdom. This issue made me think a bit about the actions I allowed the Holy Blight to take as I wondered if I should have limited it just a bit.
The other issue besides this was the fact that the Kingdom was experiencing an inflow of many refugees from the surrounding lands as the perpetual winters of the North had become even harder to live in with the invasion of demons. Famine was on the horizon for many people if something wasn't done.
At the mention of this, both the princess and I smiled. It seemed she had already made the plans as we both recalled my actions that caused the instant maturity of the crops on an entire acre of land in an instant some time back.
"I've already put plans into progress to move forward. Whenever you are available and with your permission, I would love to start putting them into action."
The girl had already had people clear out and cultivate many acres and fields of barren lands where produce would normally take quite a while to grow or not grow at all. Modes of transportation, farmers to harvest the products, and many more things that overlooked the entire process of farming and distributing the produce were all ready to be put into place.
I gave Adelaide much deserved recognition for setting everything up so quickly and planning things this early. I even had my own surprise of the [Sacred Rye] that was an extremely fantastical plant that would be ready in just two days.
"No, things like this are the least I can do while you continue to fight for us. After some time, I will go have another talk with my father to see if I can achieve something earlier and be able to move many more pieces. He hasn't been the same since he returned."
A slightly sad expression appeared on her face as she talked about her family. Even with the powerful heals from my Holy Blight, the king that I saved from the clutches of two [Blue Manticores] and a Demon King was still heavily injured. The cause was of course the son that had fallen under the Dem
on's grasp. I had the sparse memories of Gremory, so I knew a bit more about the story behind all of this. A betrayed father and a stupid son, how would this play out?
Chapter 124 - Adelaide's Ambitions
I didn't have any pity for the older brother that colluded with Demon King though, as he was rotten long before he fell under the influence of the demon's illusory magic. He was now jailed, with nothing to his name as his fate hung in the air. Adelaide had a cold expression as she talked about him, seemingly not caring the least bit if he lived or died.
"There were too many incompetent people in positions of power. With the miracles you continue to bring out, there are countless possibilities of moving forward."
Adelaide was becoming more and more straightforward as time passed, and she continued to talk about the huge project she wanted to undertake.
"Agriculture moves the world. No matter if it is powerful adventurers or the common people, food is the number one thing. They spend their days risking their lives or working odd jobs just to be able to have the next meal. Now, if we correctly play things with the Esteemed Sir in the lead, I...I…"
She seemed to be careful with the next words she wanted to say, as if she couldn't pull them back once they were out. I found Adelaide doing something surprising again as lifted her dress, her knees touching the ground as the future Queen of the Frozen Kingdom bowed her head once again.
"I...can promise to not just deliver you a kingdom, but create for you an Empire."
The words were calm and clear as they left the red lips of the Princess. I looked towards this girl and continued to be surprised by her actions and plans, it wasn't bad to have someone like this helping me out. I quickly moved to pull her body up as I just had not gotten used to someone this grand looking doing something as kneeling.
"All in due time, my Princess. Let me show you something first before we move out to the fields you've prepared."
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