(＾▽＾) Because—you're a noble.

---

Lucas clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Because I'm a noble? You're telling me social status makes muscles recover instantly now?"

[DING!]

(・∀・) Not your status. Your body itself is noble.

---

Lucas exhaled lazily. "A noble body… that still sounds like nonsense. It's probably just because nobles eat better. More protein. More milk. More meat. Of course their bodies would be stronger. It's not because of some so-called 'blue blood'."

[DING!]

(≧▽≦) Wow, Host, you're sharp.

---

Lucas frowned. "Host? You're not calling me King anymore?"

[DING!]

(￣▽￣)ゞ Ohohoho… do you like being called King that much?

---

"Whatever," Lucas muttered, turning his face away. "Call me whatever you want. Just give me an answer."

He stared at the ceiling in silence for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you think… the tomato harvest will be enough to pay off my family's debt? Especially when Silvara says part of it has to go to the healer."

The System hesitated.

[DING!]

(・_・;) I don't know.

--

Lucas's lips twitched in irritation. "So useful. What a useless chatbot."

[DING!]

(￣^￣) Hey… I don't know, okay? But I do know this: tomatoes in this world are not insignificant. And besides—you do know how much the debt is, don't you?

--

Lucas stiffened.

"…No."

[DING!]

(;・∀・) ...

---

"…Damn," he muttered under his breath.

Closing his eyes, he let his head sink deeper into the pillow.

"So I've just been working blindly this whole time, huh."

---

Meanwhile — Liona's Room.

Silvara sat quietly at the edge of the bed, one hand resting on the side of her lower thigh.

Faint memories resurfaced—of claws grazing her skin, of heat and chaos inside the cave, of the moment Lucas wore Lucina's body.

"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why does he act… like nothing happened back then?"

Liona leaned back in her chair, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Maybe he's just trying not to disturb you."

Silvara turned toward her. "Disturb me…?"

"Yeah. There's no way he just forgot something like that."

Silvara fell silent, her gaze lowering.

"…I don't know. I just hope that creature really isn't trash."

"Creature?" Liona let out a quiet laugh. "That's an odd way to put it."

Silvara exhaled slowly and looked away.

"He's strange. Far too strange to be just an ordinary farmer."

The two girls continued talking late into the night—

about the man who had taken residence inside the body of Lucian Voss,

about the cave they could not forget,

and about the weight that still lingered between silence and confession.

Silvara found herself returning to the incident again and again, unable to let it go.

And each time, Liona would gently reassure her—

that perhaps Lucas was thinking about it just as much as she was.

----

The next morning.

Lucas and Silvara were already on their way to the field.

Silvara stole a brief glance at Lucas's neck.

He has to be thinking about it too, she told herself.

There's no way what happened in that cave exists only in my head.

Lucas walked beside her.

When they reached the field, they were greeted by the golden light of the morning sun.

"Ah…"

Silvara stopped.

Geralt was already standing among the rows of plants, a hoe resting on his shoulder. His chest rose and fell slowly, as he enjoyed the fresh morning air like a soldier who had just finished a patrol.

And not far from him—

"Anya?"

The little girl was crouching on the ground, staring at the young tomatoes that had just begun to grow, brushing their leaves with her fingertips as if she were greeting tiny living creatures.

Silvara froze for a moment.

Just yesterday, they were only sprouts…

As Lucas and Silvara came closer, Geralt was the first to notice them.

"Ah, Young Master!" he greeted loudly. "What a beautiful morning."

He planted his hoe into the soil and bowed slightly.

"The results of your alchemy are truly remarkable. I've never seen tomato fields grow this fast in my entire life."

Lucas scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Ah… yeah… something like that."

Anya turned around.

Her eyes widened immediately.

"Miss Silvara!"

A second later, the little girl straightened up, her expression serious in a way far too dramatic for her small body. She stomped her foot lightly on the ground and raised her hand like a tiny knight.

"I, Anya, daughter of Geralt and Elin!"

Geralt blinked.

"…Anya."

"Am ready to learn how to conquer letters again today!" she declared proudly.

Silvara was startled—then held back a smile.

"That's quite the spirit."

Before Silvara could ask anything more, her gaze fell on something in Anya's hands.

"Anya… what's that?"

In one hand, Anya was holding a smooth white stone.

In the other, a rectangular piece of cloth, old but clean.

Anya's face lit up.

"Oh!" she said excitedly. "This is a magic stone!"

Lucas and Silvara both glanced at it.

"A magic stone?" Silvara repeated.

"Mhm!" Anya nodded quickly. "A long time ago—when I was playing by the river… I found it! It's pretty, right? White and shiny!"

She spread the cloth on the ground like a small scroll.

"And then… when I scratched it a little… look!"

Anya dragged the stone across the cloth.

A faint white line was left behind.

"This can be used for writing!" she said brightly. "I want Miss Silvara to write letters here!"

She grinned widely.

"Miss Silvara's handwriting is pretty… hehe."

Silvara fell silent.

A few steps behind her, Lucas watched the scene, emotions he couldn't quite name stirring in his chest.

A cheerful child.

A stone from the river.

A worn piece of cloth.

With those… she was learning how to write.

Lucas lowered his gaze to the white stone.

Strange…

For some reason, that simple rock felt more meaningful than all the crayons he had once used to scribble all over the walls.

Lucas cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Silvara. Mind doing it again?"

Silvara glanced at him. "Mana?"

Lucas nodded like a man who had already given up explaining.

Without asking anything else, Silvara walked closer.

Lucas summoned Loticentra.

The device appeared quietly in front of them, looking far too serious for something that was about to become a fancy sprinkler.

Anya's eyes instantly went wide.

"Eh…?" she whispered. "What is that thing?"

Then she tilted her head dramatically.

"Yesterday… wasn't it only sitting in the middle of the field?"

Lucas didn't answer.

Because honestly?

He didn't have a good answer either.

Fortunately, Silvara already understood everything.

She placed her palm on Loticentra and began pouring mana into it.

The device glowed.

Then stopped glowing.

Very dramatic.

Very unnecessary.

Lucas picked it up and placed it right in the center of the field.

A heartbeat passed.

Then—

PSHHHH—!

Water burst out in all directions like an overenthusiastic fountain.

Anya gasped.

"WAAAAH—!"

The water sparkled in the sunlight, turning the entire field into something straight out of a fairy tale.

"It's soooo prettyyy—!!"

She took two excited steps forward.

"I wanna plaaa—"

Freeze.

Anya locked up mid-step.

Her posture straightened.

Her face hardened in determination.

Then—

she struck her knight pose.

"No…!" she declared.

"I am currently on an important mission to conquer letters!!"

Lucas covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

Too late.

A snort escaped.

Inside his head—

[DING!]

(uWu) Sup, Unc~

---

Lucas winced.

Seriously… now you're calling me that?!

[DING!]

C'mon, it suits you so well~ (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)ﻭ

---

He sighed heavily, watching his magical sprinkler continue watering the field like it owned the place.

A short while later.

Lucas looked over the field briefly.

"That's enough."

He dismissed Loticentra just like that.

Then he turned to Geralt.

"Let's get to work. We continue what we started yesterday, old man!"

Geralt stood straight. "Yes, Young Master."

Lucas raised his hand and summoned The Great Hoe into his grasp.

Without saying much, he started digging.

Geralt immediately worked beside him.

The field was once again filled with the sound of labor.

Silvara immediately took Anya to carry out her mission of conquering letters, and Anya jumped happily.

---

Evening came.

Lucas stood in the middle of the field.

He summoned Loticentra once again.

Silvara recharged it with mana.

The device appeared lightly in the air, and he placed it in the same spot as yesterday.

Water sprayed again, soaking the rows of tomatoes in neat patterns.

Lucas watched from a distance.

I was careless yesterday…

I forgot the evening watering.

This time, he refused to repeat the same mistake.

On the other side of the field, Silvara stood watching the stream of water.

Her fingers curled slowly at her side.

Again…

She drew in a quiet breath.

He treats me like a mana bank.

Just standing there.

Being called.

Filling it.

Repeating it.

Damn it…

She didn't say anything.

She didn't let it show on her face.

Before sunset, Geralt and Anya finally went home.

Anya waved enthusiastically until they disappeared down the path, while Geralt gave Lucas one last respectful nod.

The field fell quiet.

Then—

[DING!]

(￣▽￣)ゞ

Field Defense Constructed

Basic protection against underground pests established.

Rewards:

+30EXP

+20 PP

---

Lucas read it once.

Then ignored it.

…Yeah. Figures.

He flicked the window away without interest and turned to Silvara.

"Let's go."

They left the field together as the sky dimmed into evening blue.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

After several minutes, Lucas finally broke the silence.

"Silvara… how much does the Voss family actually owe?"

She slowed to a stop.

Then answered.

The number left her lips quietly.

Lucas halted mid-step.

"…That much?"

Silvara nodded.

His jaw tightened.

He resumed walking, saying nothing more—but his steps were noticeably heavier.

That number echoed in his head the entire way.

Heavy.

Unreal.

By the time the manor came into view, the sun had fully set.

They passed through the gate and entered the main hall.

Almost immediately, Liona appeared from the corridor.

She looked relieved when she saw them.

"Lucas—" she stopped herself, then corrected softly.

"I mean…Young Master, you're being called to the Baron's study."

Lucas lifted his eyes.

"Now?"

Liona nodded.

"He's waiting."

Lucas exhaled once.

Then turned toward the stairs.

Lucas walked down the manor corridor with calm steps.

Silvara followed beside him, silent.

The air inside the manor felt colder than usual.

In front of the study door, Lucas stopped for a moment.

He knocked.

"Come in."

The Baron's voice came from behind the door.

Lucas pushed it open.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.

Behind the large desk, Baron Voss sat upright as always—his expression calm, yet his eyes showed faint confusion.

Someone else was standing there,

with a wide smile.

"Oh," the man said lightly, his voice brimming with confidence.

"Good evening, Young Master."

Lucas looked at him briefly.

An unfamiliar face.

He didn't answer.

He didn't ask.

He simply stood quietly beside Silvara.

Silvara could feel a faint tension coming from him, but she didn't move.

The Baron raised a hand slightly.

"Aldric," he said shortly.

The man's smile widened even more. "It is an honor to meet you on such a fine evening."

Lucas remained silent.

The Baron placed both hands on the desk.

"Lucian…"

His tone shifted.

Heavier.

"This is about your land."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.