The Black Soil
Harasa Carifna, a barren desert that experiences only a few rains every year and every time it happens the whole desert will be flooded. The geography of the kingdom is similar to Egypt. They are a desert and more importantly they have a very wide and deep Urmamar river. Every year when the rain falls down, the river will overflow and flood the desert with fertile rich silt.
However, we apparently can't farm this silt as it came from the Mountain of Death where Black Magic is apparently a thing. The Mountain of Death is a popular execution ground where criminals are wrapped in a sack and dropped in the mountain.
Even though everyone calls it a mountain, it looks more like an inactive volcano with a very ominous crater. That dark crater is amazingly connected to an underground tributary of the Urmamar river and the black ashes of the dead suffused with the dead's resentment became the black silt which will then be deposited to us.
The black silt is very concentrated with black magic as all kinds of negative emotions of the criminals thrown down the mountain feeds black magic and strengthens it.
In short, the silt is poison to all living things and as an added bonus the sand forms into undead golems from time to time.
Because this land is barren and unhabitable for human life, no one even tries to pretend that they own it. Except this brat who got exiled because he molested a princess delegate from another kingdom. Of course its me, who else if not me.
Sigh, we can't do anything about the past and we can't also predict the future.
We can only live in the present and solve all the problems one by one.
"First off, what the f*ck is your problem?" I uttered with authority as the poor old farmer visibly flinches.
"You-Your Highness! It is my fault! It is my fault! Please punish me! I am the one who caused the Flood Dragon's Wrath, please kill me Your Highness!" The farmer repeatedly says as he slams his head to the floor with every syllable.
Apparently, they have this myth they call the Flood Dragon. It is said to be the cause of the yearly floods of the Urmamar River. The people apparently refuse to believe that the rain caused the flood, because a hundred men doing their business has more oomph than the rain. I am also very curious about that, but who cares. This is a sword and magic world for God's sake. I will even believe it if there really is a dragon under the river that yearly regurgitates water because of its bad stomach.
"The f*ck you talking about! I asked what's the problem, so you f*cking say it and not waste my time!" This old farmer really has severe PTSD. Being scared with just a casual talk, tsk. Probably malnutrition, who cares.
"You-your Higness, the crops we planted did not grow well in this land. The-they are all dead, bu-but we can wait until the black curse was healed by the earth." The farmer says nervously, bowing as low as he can possibly get.
"Umu, get me a sample of that soil.", I calmly ordered. Not even 10 seconds later, a female maid gently hands me what looks like a very black earth.
Uy, this is even blacker than VantaBlack! It's almost 100% absorption rate. Wow, this soil is so smooth like dust. Its grains are so small that it practically doesn't exist. It feels more like a black sludge with the consistency of slime. Is this even soil at this point?
"Ouch! What the f*ck is this! Why does it sting?" I furiously shout to my retinue who immediately removes the soil from my hand and puts it in a wooden box.
"Your Highness, the black soil is hostile to all forms of life and prolonged exposure to this soil will decrease your lifespan." the female maid that gave me the soil explains.
"Then why the f*ck did you gave it to me without protection?!"