"I open my eyes after a well-deserved rest and walk over to the window. The moment I pull back the curtains, powerful rays of sunlight wash over my face. Even though it's still early in the morning, the sun is already blazing. The weather remains a little chilly, but sunlight like this makes it feel much warmer.
When I turn around, I see Brendu sleeping peacefully. She has absolutely no intention of waking up early, so I quickly close the curtains again to avoid putting her in a bad mood.
Several times during the night I got up to drink water, and every single time she was still buried in paperwork. The princess is helping plan the new city, deciding where everything should be placed strategically to ensure it becomes a prosperous settlement.
Brendu is basing her plans on several newly established towns within her own territory. Ritmo is officially in charge, but he trusts Brendu's judgment completely. He knows how capable someone with a royal education can be.
What should I do now? I don't have much planned for today. I don't want to train because my Cube is still a little worn out, my family doesn't want me anywhere near them because they'd rather I get some more rest, and the other girls are all at school.
It's been a long time since I've had this much free time to myself. That's something incredibly unusual considering how busy my schedule normally is.
I take a quick shower, put on the most comfortable clothes I can find, and head out into the streets. I'm wearing a cap to hide my hair and cover part of my face. It doesn't have any enchantments or strange magic capable of changing my appearance—it's just an ordinary cap.
The bustling atmosphere of the city center draws me in instantly. Several caravans are ready to depart, others are looking for additional personnel before setting out, small street food stalls line the roads, and people are enthusiastically chatting with one another.
"Did you hear the latest news? Apparently a new town is going to be established soon. They're hiring a lot of construction workers, and there are plenty of requests for building materials."
"Yeah, the territory is going to get a lot busier over the next few weeks. A lot of people are thinking about moving there to become pioneers and have a chance to grab one of the golden eggs."
"My company is already well known across the three towns. I'll do everything I can to secure the biggest advantages in the next town and establish us as one of the best transportation companies."
People everywhere are talking about the latest developments in the territory. It's impossible to hide news like this from sharp-eyed citizens. Besides, creating this kind of excitement is good for the territory. It'll attract the attention of many more people.
I can clearly hear how many of them are already planning to move to the new town if they're given the opportunity.
The population of the three towns has grown enormously over the past few months. Every day, more people arrive hoping to settle here and start a new life. At first, the news that our territory offered favorable treatment to newcomers was dismissed as nothing more than exaggerated rumors. Now that so many people have confirmed it's true, the territory has become incredibly attractive to all kinds of people.
Eventually, Talar and Mancor will officially be recognized as cities in every sense of the word. Their populations have already surpassed every minimum requirement. It's only a matter of time.
Perhaps they'll both receive city status at the same time my father is officially named Baron. That would be the perfect opportunity. They would become the first cities of the new Vichag Barony.
The people responsible for governing that territory will be Cokue and Patt. Both will hold the same position. They've earned it through their own merits. Both are well trained in bureaucracy and are powerful fighters, although Cokue will focus slightly more on combat.
Since they both already hold the rank of knight, there's no need to grant them another title at the moment. Something twists uncomfortably in my stomach whenever I remember how Patt was demoted from Baronet to Knight when she moved to our territory, but it had been necessary.
The best thing about this new territory is how vast it is. Another town could easily be built halfway through it. Mape has been established near the far end of the newly claimed territory so that it's as close as possible to the forest leading toward Lady Mirtha's territory.
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Plans are already underway to build a small town between Puntsal and Mape. In the near future, Sers will govern that settlement. My older brother receives lessons from my parents and grandmother every single day. Joaki and the entire Owl group will most likely relocate there as well to provide support.
Sers may become the first person from our territory to be formally knighted, while Joaki will likely become an honorary knight. That town is necessary to make travel easier. A normal caravan journey between Puntsal and Mape can take nearly ten hours or even longer, so the town will serve as an ideal resting point.
After using mana to ensure no one else could hear the voice of a street food vendor who shouted after recognizing me, I continue walking peacefully with my breakfast in hand.
My eyes are still far too distinctive. As soon as people connect their color with my appearance, they realize who I am. I need to be careful not to let anyone cause a commotion over my identity.
During my walk, I arrive at a large courtyard where I stop to watch several children practicing magic. They're all trying to hit the only two training dummies standing in the middle of the yard, dummies sturdy enough to withstand Emerald-rank magic and even relatively powerful Sapphire-rank spells.
Every one of the children is at the Amethyst Rank. When I look around to see whether this is a school, I'm surprised to discover it's actually an orphanage. After constantly pestering my family to spend a little more of the territory's income on improving orphanage conditions, it seems they finally listened.
My parents are well aware that outstanding talents may emerge from these orphanages, largely thanks to the pressure I kept putting on them. It's far better for children to learn the basics in a warm environment. Otherwise, many of them would end up stealing and walking down a darker path. I hope every one of them finds a future where they can contribute positively to society.
After watching them for several minutes, all of the children notice me. I can see them whispering among themselves while covering their mouths so I can't hear them. One little girl who had simply been sitting nearby watching everyone else train timidly walks over to me. She looks no older than ten and hasn't awakened her mana yet.
"Are you lost, big brother? If you need something to eat, the manager can give you a meal at lunchtime." Although the little girl's voice is soft, it's perfectly clear. Her gentle voice and kind words warm my heart. I look at the little girl with bright eyes, silky black hair, and an adorably round face with nothing but affection.
A boy about the same age comes running over a moment later. He has dark brown eyes and black hair as well.
"Yeah, big brother. The manager is a really good person. If you'd like, you can come play with us until lunchtime. I'll even talk to him for you." The boy proudly puffs out his chest. Both children do everything they can to sound mature and polite. They must be taking etiquette lessons.
They look at me expectantly after receiving no answer for several seconds. I had simply become lost in my own thoughts while admiring how warm-hearted these children were. This wasn't a common sight in orphanages around the world.
"I'm not looking for something to eat. This big brother can get a meal on his own." The children's eyes dim slightly. They must have worked up quite a bit of courage to invite me. "But I'd love to join you and play if that's alright." Huge smiles immediately spread across both of their faces.
As soon as I enter, I can sense some uneasiness among the older children. They don't completely trust me, which I understand. I'm a complete stranger. When I sit down in the middle of the garden with the younger children, I begin creating several ice dolls. I even sculpt a remarkably lifelike dragon several meters tall. It has its flaws, but it's still a piece of work I'm proud of.
The moment they see me manipulating my mana so effortlessly, they all come running over. They sit down on the ground around me to watch the spectacle. The children's laughter feels like warm embraces during the harshest winter.
"Big brother... will you teach me how to use my mana better?" The boy who seems to be the oldest among them asks after watching me with sparkling eyes for nearly ten minutes.
The green-eyed boy with wavy brown hair isn't the only one waiting for my answer. Another boy with slightly tanned skin, black eyes, and black hair stands beside him. A slightly taller girl with black hair tied into a ponytail waits patiently as well.
The one who surprises me the most is the obviously youngest girl standing beside them. She's the reason I stopped here in the first place. She'd been practicing with dual swords off to the side, repeating the exact same movement dozens—perhaps hundreds—of times until she was finally satisfied. Someone so young, yet incredibly diligent.
I take several toys out of my storage bracelet for the younger children. "I'll help the older ones improve a little. The rest of you can keep playing or watch from a safe distance like you were doing before."
"What are your names?" I ask as we walk toward the training dummies.
"I'm Marcus, that's Mauricio, she's Adria, and the youngest one is Rafaela." The boy who first asked me the question answers. They all bow politely as they introduce themselves.
"Alright, everyone... pay close attention." I create several ice swords with the strength of an Emerald Rank construct. Controlling the flow of mana is a little difficult at first. I explain the fundamentals of mana constructs, how they need to understand what they're naturally good at and focus on that category to maximize their strengths before working on their weaknesses.
The little girl still can't use mana properly. She frowns slightly, so I pick up two wooden swords from the side, just like hers. "I use dual swords too. I can teach you a few things." Little Rafaela's smile shines as brightly as the midday sun the moment she hears those words.