Let's Burn Everything (NEW RELEASE)

As they made their way back to the site, traversing the familiar fields, Gibson broke the silence with a question.

"My Lord, you've never visited this part of the village, have you? This area specializes in livestock and agriculture. If you'd like, why don't we pay a visit to the farmers here?"

Lucien ran his fingers over the wheat stalks before responding, "Sure. Are there any serfs among the farmers here?"

He recalled from his readings that serfdom was common in medieval farming communities.

Gibson shook his head solemnly. "No, this village is free from serfs. It's considered a holy place. Everyone is a freeman here."

"Holy place? Then why is it so impoverished?" Lucien's curiosity was piqued.

Gibson's expression turned nostalgic and somber. "In the past, Euclair Village was prosperous. There was no hunger, and merchants thrived. We even had an adventurers guild and mage tower where many honed their skills in the forest."

"But it all changed when the 'Overlord of Abyssal Lupus' attacked. The village was ravaged. Crops failed, and livestock perished."

Gibson lowered his head, remembering all the terrified memories in his mind when the misfortune happened.

"This place became too perilous, driving people away. Even now, despite efforts to purify the village, fear lingers, keeping visitors at bay."

Lucien halted in his tracks, his mind reeling. "Overlord? Like a King of 'Abysall Lupus'?"

The thought of such a powerful entity sent shivers down his spine. How had they managed to defeat it in the first place? Didn't defeat the normal one already hard enough so this village needs knights to protect it?

Gibson affirmed with a solemn nod. "Yes, My Lord. That creature was colossal. It could summon tornadoes, and those it touched would be cursed. Their blood would turn black, and they'd suffer a painful demise."

"I'm the only family member who survived that day. It was the most horrific experience of my life."

Gibson looked at the sky, in his mind there were big fires everywhere. The sky was dark, the tornado in his eyes, while his parents were dead on his side.

Even now, everything seemed like a dream.

Witnessing Gibson's vulnerability stirred something within Lucien. He felt the need to do more for the village, to bolster its defenses and strengthen its prosperity.

As the newly appointed village chief, he needs to prepare some kind of system that will protect the village for the next Crimson Night and policy to make this village prosperous again.

Lucien was always serious when someone gave him a job and when he was serious, he would always do it perfectly.

Placing a reassuring hand on Gibson's shoulder, Lucien spoke with confidence. "Don't worry, Gibson. Together, let's revitalize this land, surpassing its previous prosperity. Let's strive to fulfill everyone's dreams."

Though influenced by the 'Sound of Sovereign', Lucien's words resonated deeply with Gibson, evoking gratitude and tears. "Thank you, My Lord," he managed to say.

Lucien envisioned a future where laughter echoed through the village, where families gathered around warm meals, and where each day brought smiles brighter than the last.

After that heartwarming chat, they headed over to meet one of the farmer leaders, Wilson. Gibson had briefed Lucien about him beforehand.

Wilson was known as the brains behind the village's agriculture. He'd worked with priests from the temple to rejuvenate barren land and boost crop yields, ensuring plentiful harvests of top-quality produce.

Gibson knocked on Wilson's door repeatedly, but there was no response. Eventually, he gave up and barged in, finding him engrossed in his work.

His house was a mess. Books and paper were on the floor, on the table, on chairs, and anywhere.

Gibson just sighed, "My Lord, please have a seat." he pointed at the only chair that free from books and papers.

Meanwhile, Gibson marched over to Wilson, giving him a firm shake. "Wilson, the new village chief is here!"

Wilson, with his long gray hair and heavy under-eye bags, seemed lost in his own world. Lucien couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy for the overworked man.

"Huh? Oh... Gibson. What brings you here?" Wilson's response was absentminded.

"I said the new chief's here!!!" Gibson practically bellowed into Wilson's ear.

"Oh... Yeah, yeah. New chief." he said, approaching the table and chair, after that, he pushed every book and paper on them and sat comfortably.

"Apologies for my rudeness. I'm Wilson, agricultural researcher, and farmer," he introduced himself with a weary grin.

"It's alright, Mr. Wilson. I'm Lucien, the new village chief. Thank you for all of your hard work, and I apologize for only meeting you now," Lucien greeted the old man with a warm smile.

"Huh? Harvesting crops? Yeah, they'll be ready in two months," Wilson replied nonchalantly.

Lucien exchanged a puzzled glance with Gibson, who then explained, "I'm sorry, My Lord. He's a little hard of hearing."

Understanding the situation, Lucien raised his voice slightly. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Wilson! Do you have any concerns or issues that need addressing?"

"It's fine, My Lord. It's my duty to serve this land. As for issues, I think we need more funding so I can continue my research," Wilson replied casually.

Gibson couldn't help but facepalm at Wilson's request. "This research is for his personal gain, My Lord. Don't mind it."

"I don't have a problem with that if the research will benefit the village," Lucien responded, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the sunlight streaming through the window.

Gibson took it upon himself to explain further, "It's actually research about 'animafolia.' They're vegetable and fruits that move more like animals than typical plants."

"Animafolia is the pinnacle of agricultural discovery in Nereidia! Thanks to the water flowing from the 'tree of life,' it is imbued with mana and purity, causing them to develop hands, feet, faces, and even the ability to fly! It's truly a remarkable species!" Wilson exclaimed, his excitement overcoming any hint of deafness as he stood up energetically.

Lucien furrowed his brows, it was the first time he heard about this kind of species. It seems interesting, but if it didn't have value in it, it would be troublesome to invest in something like that.

"So, what exactly is the purpose of this vegetable and fruit?" Lucien inquired.

"It's primarily used in alchemy. Animafolia is a highly coveted material with significant value in the market. However, it's extremely rare compared to ordinary crops," Gibson explained.

"Rare and valuable? How much does it cost?" Lucien's interest was piqued, imagining the potential benefits of mass-producing such a plant.

"It fetches around five gold coins per vegetable or plant. But mass production is virtually impossible," Gibson clarified, tempering Lucien's enthusiasm.

"Five gold coins?!" Lucien's eyes gleamed at the prospect of such wealth as if his eyes changed into gold coins.

"But, it's a rarity, only has 2% to appear in every fifty plant. These vegetable possess a unique ability to absorb mana from the water, allowing them to evolve in such extraordinary ways," Wilson added.

"I don't understand, why only a specific plant can absorb that much mana? What differentiates it from the other?"

"It remains a mystery! No one has been able to solve it, making it the pinnacle of agricultural achievement," Wilson reiterated.

"Also If there's ample mana here, why haven't more mages emerged?" Lucien questioned, delving into the complexities of the situation.

"As for mages, after the 'Overlord of Abyssal Lupus' attacked, no new mages were born among the surviving villagers. It seems the dark tornado affected our ability to produce and sense mana," Gibson explained with a tinge of disappointment.

"That's unfortunate," Lucien sighed, realizing the extent of their limitations despite the abundance of mana.

"But... even with all these crops, the village is still impoverished?" Lucien probed further, growing increasingly frustrated with the situation.

"That's because... we've always been forced to sell at lower prices. There's a group of 'mages' and 'merchants' who blackmail us into underselling our produce," Gibson revealed, his tone heavy with resentment.

Lucien's eyes narrowed in anger. He despised those who exploited the weak for their own gain. His fists clenched and his tone was low as he spoke.

"Let's burn them to the ground."

"Excuse me?" Gibson's confusion was palpable.

"I mean it. Let's rid this village of anyone who profits from its suffering," Lucien declared fiercely, his eyes ablaze with determination.

As Gibson and Wilson exchanged uneasy glances, they realized they were witnessing a side of Lucien they had never seen before—a leader ready to take decisive action to protect his people.

But for Lucien, it was personal.