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TL: ALT
Chapter 147 – Day 39 of the Strategy Life
The next day, I built a training ground to the west of the demonic land.
I created a fork in the road leading to the entrance and a trail to the training ground. Since carriages are not required to pass through, it shouldn’t be a problem if the trail becomes overgrown with razor grass.
We will use the small forest surrounded by hills as a place for trainees to live in survival mode.
The plants in the demonic land are resilient, so transplanting them will be easy.
If I place egg mushrooms and sleeping flowers on top of the hills, the monsters will stay away. This will create a safe zone within the land. Of course, the vegetation may change in a matter of days in the demonic land. I should also look for poisonous plants suitable for the tops of the hills.
“We have a list of various wild plants, so let’s try them out.”
Jennifer and Lipa made a list of wild plants, so we will refer to it and try the ones that cannot be eaten—that is, the ones that have been determined to be poisonous. There is a use for failure.
In the training forest, we planted useful survival plants, such as cam fruits and palm trees, and then looked around.
Monsters are easy to identify, such as Field Boars, Emerald Monkeys, and Green Tigers. Golden bats occasionally fly by, but they don’t attack.
There are also many small monsters, such as birds and Forest Rats. A stream flows near the entrance, so starvation shouldn’t be an issue.
Anyone can pitch a tent or build a shelter out of palm leaves, so setting up a base here should be easy.
This seems like the safest forest in the demonic land.
“What do you think?”
I asked Chel, who was standing next to me on the hill.
“What? The training ground? I think it’s fine. But I think they’ll die.”
“I guess so…”
“But there are many things you can’t learn unless you almost die, so it’s fine. Let’s do it.”
Almost everyone living in the demonic land right now is probably closer to death than life. Even Ka-Ryu has experienced death.
“Are you sure? Can you and Jennifer replant the poisonous plants?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t worry. I have healing potions and herbs with antidotal properties.”
“I-I-I’ll bring a few Rock Crocodiles from the ranch to the swamp and have them stand by.”
It seemed that Hel and Sylvia had made preparations as well.
“Okay, once that’s done, let’s open the training grounds in the demonic land.”
I felt as if I had completed a major task.
Before lunch, I took a bath by the swamp and stared blankly at it, where the Haze Turtles were rampaging. Then, Chel, Hel, and Ka-Ryu arrived. They sat down on a makeshift bench and stared at the swamp as well.
“So, what are we going to do about the management?”
Hel asked me. I was naked.
“I think we should all manage the training ground together, but…”
What about a demon, an elf criminal, a golem, and a former noble’s daughter? Is that okay?”
“Sure. If anyone complains, just say, ‘We’re from the demonic land,’ and brush it off. If they try to harm you, fight back. The law of the demonic land is about survival, not discrimination.”
“But what about people who kill or steal?”
“Murder goes against ‘survival,’ so they’ll be detained and exiled immediately. As for theft, stealing food is a serious crime. There’s no use for valuables anyway. It doesn’t really matter, does it? But maybe we should break a bone or two just in case.”
“So, serious crimes mean exile to the island?”
Exile to the demonic land’s island means exile to the floating island.
“That’s right. One week of exile.”
“That’s almost a death sentence.”
“We have to make them understand that starvation is a terrifying thing. There’s no other way.”
“What about romantic affairs?”
“Do as you please. It’s not the lord’s place to meddle.”
That’s how the laws of the demonic land were established, with me standing there naked. With the population growing, the laws must be important.
Once the laws were mostly established, the three of them returned to the cave.
I stood alone, wrapped in a cloth around my waist, staring at the swamp. Standing there, I felt like I had nothing left to lose. Even though I owned the land, I couldn’t imagine the royal family, who claimed to be descended from dragons, ever allowing me to abandon it. Once I accepted that things would turn out as they would, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
As for my remaining role, there’s still the dungeon to explore. I need to figure out how to suppress my magical power.
I wish there were some way to rid my body of this power.
I relaxed my entire body, releasing all tension, and let the magic flow out of my hands and feet.
The wind blew, carrying my magic to the center of the demonic land.
Waves rose in the swamp, and the imps flew away, crying.
On the opposite shore, plants stirred, and the Rock Crocodiles of the crocodile ranch hurriedly covered themselves with rocks.
The Spider Guardians activated all at once.
As the “migrating” monsters of Midgard raised their young, I looked up at the sky.
I suddenly realized that I was standing there with a cloth wrapped around my waist, taking a deep breath. What was that? My magic power must be significantly depleted. I concentrated the magic power circulating throughout my body in my lower abdomen and slowly rotated it. Maybe it doesn’t matter where in the body I rotate it. When I rotated it around my chest, my legs felt lighter.
I decided to return to the cave as I was.
Ka-Ryu was waiting there.
“What did you do?”
She couldn’t see, so she was observing my magic power.
“I tried discarding my magic power. Is it gone from my body?”
“On the surface, yes. But isn’t the magic power you released causing a lot of trouble?”
“It’s just magic power. It was blown away by the wind.”
“Did you see anything?”
“At the ruins of Midgard, I saw monsters raising their young.”
Thinking something strange was happening, everyone stood up and gathered around despite it being lunchtime.
“Does that mean he has gained the ability to see from far away?”
Chel asked Ka-Ryu.
“No, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“I just blew the magic away with the wind, and then I could see what was happening in the distance. Strange things happen sometimes.”
Makyo always says things that make him seem like a weirdo or a rare person.
“If he could do something like that, wouldn’t he be strange as a living creature?”
Hel and Sylvia furrowed their brows.
“I-It might have just been a vision. If the Rock Crocodiles at the crocodile ranch were protecting themselves with rocks, then it would be true, but…”
With that, Sylvia went to check.
Today’s lunch was a spicy stir-fry of wild grasses and boar meat. It came with soup and was incredibly delicious.
“I-It’s true. What Makyo saw was real!”
Sylvia returned and reported to everyone.
“Makyo!”
For some reason, Chel was angry.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re going to change the history of magic in various countries!”
“I’m not changing anything.”
“You are. That’s why Hel and Ka-Ryu are holding their heads!”
Sure enough, Hel and Ka-Ryu were crouching down.
“Hey, your food is getting cold.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!”
“What the hell is going on?”
“Yesterday, you used your magic to break a spell. Are you having fun breaking the rules of magic every day?”
Chel was eating the bread she had made while ranting.
“I didn’t mean to. I just tried it, and it worked! If it works, what can you do?”
“That’s not the point! Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Besides, if magic can be created so easily, how are we supposed to explain that?”
Chel’s accent gradually faded away.
“What? Another academic discussion? Sorry, I’m not very educated!”
As they argued, Lipa rushed out of the cave with charcoal and paper in his arms.
“What are you doing, Lipa?”
“I thought you wanted to keep it. We should pass on to future generations what effect the new magic has!”
“That’s right! Take me with you! I’m good at magic research, so don’t worry.”
With that, Hel clung to Lipa.
“Hey!”
By the time I called out to them, Lipa was already running along the edge of the swamp. There was no stopping him now.
“You guys, make sure you eat properly!”
Jennifer and Sylvia, who were left behind, wolfed down their spicy meals and chased after Lipa and Hel.
Jennifer took the shrunken Ka-Ryu with her, leaving me alone with Chel.
“Makyo, let’s open the dungeon egg in the leather bag. We should make a dungeon.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s better to do magic experiments and try out new spells in the dungeon. It could have an impact.”
“You’re right…”
When she explained it, I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“But I just think of things on the spur of the moment.”
“Maybe that’s the weakness of the inhabitants of the demonic land. You can’t overcome your curiosity.”
Looking at the dirty plates left behind by those who had left, I understood.
The demonic land’s law is survival, but its residents’ personalities are driven by curiosity, which cannot be suppressed by reason. Considering how more curious individuals will emerge in the future, creating dungeons might be a necessity for the demonic land’s lord.
“You’re starting to resemble the demon race.”
“There are some things I don’t want to resemble.”
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