Forbidden Region

by Michael Sisa

  “Come on, get going. We’re coming back here tomorrow anyway. It might be dangerous if we’re still in the forest by dusk.”

  “But there are no monsters in the Endless Forest.”

  “Monsters, no. Ferocious beasts, yes. I’ve encountered wolves in this part of the forest before. If you’re confident of killing an entire pack, then feel free to gather frost moonlight lilies here as much as you want.”

  Hans looked around nervously. One of the reasons he left Lion City was due to the frequent monster attacks. Although he was quick on his feet, he wasn’t confident of outrunning wolves in this forest.

  “R-Right, let’s go back,” said Hans.

  Their baskets almost full, Mores and Hans went back toward Blackstone Town. Upon reaching the forest edge, a figure suddenly fell from the sky and landed softly on the ground. Mores and Hans were startled and terrified at first; they were ready to leave their gathered herbs behind to run for their lives. But they soon realized that it was not a monster, but a human.

  “W-Who are you?” said Mores.

  The figure turned around and faced the two of them. “Ah, that’s right. I’m still wearing this mask, huh?”

  It was a familiar voice.

  The figure took off his mask and smiled. “Herbalist Mores, correct? It’s been a while.”

  Mores eyes widened. He hadn’t expected to encounter this person here, of all places. “Young Lord? I thought you went to the capital with the princess?”

  Hans grabbed the arm of the herbalist and whispered, “Young Lord? Don’t tell me, this is the ruler of this territory? The Lord of Blackstone Town?”

  After seeing the series of developments made in the town, Hans had been curious about what the lord was like. He’d heard various rumors regarding the lord—from demon commander, womanizer, the illegitimate son of Duke Drakus, great tactician, to cold-blooded tyrant.

  But after seeing him in person, Lark Marcus did not look like a demon incarnate nor did he look like a great tactician. He was surprisingly young. He looked quite handsome, Hans had to admit, and he had this inexplainable air of authority around him.

  “Stop whispering in front of the Lord,” reprimanded Mores. “Show some manners.”

  Hans immediately shut his mouth.

  “The princess and my men haven’t returned to Blackstone Town yet?” said Lark.

  “We’ve been gone from the town for almost an entire day, My Lord,” said Mores. “But I’m pretty sure that before we left, they hadn’t yet returned.”

  “I see,” mumbled Lark. “I’ve arrived earlier than them because of Blackie, huh?”

  “Blackie?”

  “Ah.” Lark smiled. “It’s nothing. I was just talking to myself.”

  Lark noticed the baskets on their backs. “You’re gathering herbs in this weather?”

  Mores glanced at the basket filled with herbs on his back and nodded. “Yes. There’s this herb called frost moonlight lily which grows only during winter, you see.”

  “The herb used to make painkillers and antidotes,” said Lark. “So it grows in this region? Interesting.”

  Mores realized that the Lord had vast knowledge. Although most alchemists and herbalists knew that the herb could be used to make painkillers, not everyone knew that it could also be used to make antidotes. Even he, a herbalist, only found out about it a few years ago.

  “Yes, Young Lord.” Mores pointed to a particular direction in the forest. “Continue walking straight from here for two to three hours and you’ll arrive at the place where the lilies grow.”

  “I see.” Lark nodded. He fell silent for a moment, pulled something out of his bag, and said, “Mores, do you have experience growing roots?”

  “Roots, My Lord?”

  Lark handed Mores two small, black roots. “Ever heard of mandrakes?”

  Mores’ hands, holding the roots, trembled upon hearing the words of the Young Lord. Mandrakes were mythical plants—monsters—capable of assuming the form of a human. Creatures heard of only in legends.

  “Although they look like roots,” said Lark. “These two are mandrake seeds. Just feed them blood every now and then and they’ll eventually grow after several weeks.”

  “B-Blood?” said Mores. “My blood?”

  Seeing the color drain off the herbalist’s face, Lark patiently explained. “Even the blood of animals—say, chickens—should do. I’ll tell Oliver to provide you with animal blood every day. All you have to do is to feed them with blood and make sure they’re receiving enough sunlight. Sounds easy, right?”

  “But Young Lord! I-If these are really mandrake seeds, aren’t they… too dangerous?” protested Mores. “I’ve heard they hate humans. Won’t they kill me once they grow?”

  “Those rumors,” said Lark, “are pertaining to dryads. Mandrakes are mindless creatures. Although they are capable of magic, it’s limited to healing spells. There’s no harm to your life at all. If mandrakes were that dangerous, I wouldn’t have asked you to take care of them. I’m not that cruel.”

  Mores sighed in relief. “I see.”

  “Mandrakes are quite rare,” said Lark. “So I hope Herbalist Mores can grow them properly.”

  Mores stared at the black roots in his hands. “I’ll do my best, Young Lord. Please leave it to me!”

  After giving the seeds to the herbalist, Lark immediately made his way back to the mansion. Along the way, he passed by the newly built Town Hall. It was larger than the mansion itself and could easily accommodate five hundred people. Although its exterior looked ordinary due to prioritizing functionality, its towering height made it a landmark in Blackstone Town. Near the Town Hall was the newly built school.

  “The waterway’s almost finished,” said Lark. “The Town Hall and the school are done. Impressive. As expected of Silverclaw.”

  Lark was really glad that he had competent subordinates overseeing Blackstone Town during his absence. Just the presence of the head mason alone greatly alleviated Lark’s burden

  Upon arriving at the mansion, Lark was immediately greeted by Gaston. Judging by the sweat on the old man’s forehead, he must have hurriedly come here after hearing of the Young Master’s arrival.

  “Young Master!” said the butler. “Welcome back!”

  Although the old butler tried his best to be stoic, he failed to conceal the excitement within his voice.

  “I’m back,” said Lark. “How’s Blackstone Town been during my absence?”

  The butler cleared his throat.

  “The number of migrants had dwindled a bit upon the arrival of winter,” said Gaston. “We still do not have enough population to qualify as a city. The Town Hall and the school were finished a few weeks ago, just before the arrival of winter. As for the temple, two priests of Nereus are currently staying here in the mansion.”

  “Priest of Nereus?”

  “Yes, Young Master,” said Gaston. “After you gave your approval to have a temple built in Blackstone Town, the Temple of the Water God immediately sent two of their priests. Until the temple is done, I’ve decided to let them stay here in the mansion.”

  “I see,” said Lark. “Good work. You made the right decision. The Temple of the Seven Gods holds a lot of power in this kingdom. The Temples of the Water God and the Sun God are probably the most powerful among them. It would be foolish to antagonize them.”

  “I agree, Young Master. The temple is a fearsome enemy and a reliable ally. And based on what I’ve heard from the priests, it seems that the high-ranking officials of the Temple of the Water God see the Young Master in a favorable light.”

  Lark remembered the elderly female royal court magician he’d met in the capital. Lark was sure that she was among those who were pulling the strings. It seemed fortunate that he’d gained a reliable ally.

  “I’ll greet them personally tomorrow morning,” said Lark.

  “As you wish.”

  “The princess and my men aren’t back yet?”

  The butler looked at
Lark quizzically. “No. Did you come back here on your own, Young Master?”

  Lark fell silent. Although he knew that the Scylla’s speed was incomparable to a carriage’s, for some strange reason, he was bothered that the princess and his disciples hadn’t arrived in Blackstone Town yet.

  Well, Anandra and Chryselle were with them, so nothing too dangerous should happen.

  VOLUME 6: CHAPTER 13

  The next morning, as promised, Lark greeted the priests staying at the mansion. The first priest was a tall, elderly man with balding hair. He was reading a book about the scriptures when Lark knocked on the door and entered the room. Next to him was a young, stubby male priest with numerous freckles on his cheeks.

  “Please pardon me for not visiting you the moment I arrived, honorable priests of the Water God.” Lark placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head. “Lark Marcus, Lord of Blackstone Town.”

  As lord of the territory, there was no real need for Lark to bow his head before mere priests. But Lark had heard that they’d been waiting for an audience for quite some time now, ever since he’d given the approval to have a temple built in the town. Showing this much respect was the least he could do for these men.

  The elderly priest snapped the book closed and stood up. He looked at the stubby priest and wordlessly told him to return Lark’s gesture. Together, the two priests returned Lark’s greeting politely.

  “Thank you for taking the time to meet us, Lord Lark,” said the elderly priest. “I am Wallace Ramford, a priest of God Nereus. And this young man next to me is Dean Arte, a newly appointed priest of the temple.”

  Although the words and gestures of the elderly priest were polite, he looked at Lark with a hint of disgust. The stubby priest, on the other hand, was clearly terrified of Lark. He could hardly look the Lord of Blackstone Town in the eye.

  “We’re glad to finally meet the esteemed ruler of Blackstone Town,” said Wallace. “We’ve been hearing a lot of… rumors regarding the lord lately.”

  “Rumors? I hope they’re at least pleasant ones,” Lark joshed. He chuckled. “I’ve prepared a small feast below. Let us discuss matters concerning the temple in the grand hall.”

  The two priests obliged Lark’s request and followed him to the grand hall of the mansion. The elderly priest frowned upon seeing the various dishes prepared on the table.

  “A lavish lifestyle,” mumbled the elderly priest. “As I thought. He never changed, huh?”

  Although Wallace said it in a low voice, Lark heard everything clearly. He studied the elderly priest discreetly as he led them to their seats.

  “Is the food not to Priest Wallace’s liking?” said Lark the moment they sat down.

  Priest Wallace furrowed his brow and shook his head. “No. That’s not it. The prepared feast is satisfactory. How should I say this…” There were several seconds of pause. “It’s too excessive. We could probably feed two or three families with this, don’t you think?”

  Lark replied carefully, “I agree, Priest Wallace, that there is enough food here to feed several families for the day, but I can assure you that none of it will go to waste. The servants are permitted to eat the leftovers.”

  Priest Wallace sighed and nodded lightly. “Is that so?” Although he wasn’t entirely convinced, he finally started eating the food served on his plate.

  While eating, Lark and Wallace started discussing the establishment of a temple in Blackstone Town. To Lark’s surprise, it seemed that the Temple of the Water God planned on shouldering all expenses for the project. The only things they asked of the Lord of Blackstone Town were manpower and a piece of land in the center of the town—sold at the cheapest price possible.

  Lark happily agreed to their demands and even offered to give away the land for free. Lark believed it was a small price to pay if he could gain the favor of the temple.

  “You’re giving it to the temple for free?” Wallace stared at Lark in bewilderment.

  One needed a large amount of money to buy even a small piece of land in the center of a territory. Moreover, judging by the number of developments the priests had encountered during their stay here, it was apparent that this town would one day become a city—it was only a question of when.

  Although there had been similar instances before, wherein nobles gave away their land to the temple for free, such cases were extremely rare. Wallace hadn’t expected someone with a notorious reputation to make such offer.

  “The temple is vital for the growth of Blackstone Town,” Lark said after sipping his wine. “As lord of this territory, I believe it necessary to support the temple in any way possible.”

  Normally, such words would have been nothing but empty talk. But the fact that this young man before him was giving away the land for free made Wallace reconsider his true intentions.

  “I didn’t know you’re a devout believer of the Water God,” said Wallace.

  “I am not.”

  Priest Wallace raised his brows in surprise. “You’re not? Then why—”

  “Like I said before, the temple is vital for the growth of Blackstone Town.” Lark smiled. “Priest Wallace, do I need any more reason than that?”

  Priest Wallace fell silent. The Lord of Blackstone Town was right.

  “I see. But Lord Lark, I was wondering… Why are you giving us the land next to the border of the Eastern District? I believe it would be better for the temple to be built at the heart of this territory.”

  “It’s simple. The Eastern District will someday become the heart of Blackstone Town. It’s inevitable since I plan on expanding the town further after clearing trees in the Endless Forest.”

  Priest Wallace nodded in understanding. “I see.” He looked at Priest Dean, who’d been silent until now, then at Lark.

  Priest Wallace wiped his lips with a napkin. “We hope that we can start building the temple once spring arrives. Until then, we’ll be staying here in the mansion under your care.”

  “Please stay as long as you like,” said Lark. “I’ve already told the servants to attend to your needs. Please make yourselves comfortable during your stay here.”

  Priest Wallace stared at Lark for a moment, as though observing him.

  After everyone was done eating, the priests stood up and bade farewell to Lark. Priest Wallace still held the same gaze as when they first met, while Priest Dean still did his best to avoid Lark’s eyes.

  Lark did not understand why the stubby priest seemed so afraid of him. He hadn’t spoken even once during their discussions.

  “Excuse me,” said Lark the moment the priests were on their way out. “Priest Dean. Is something the matter?”

  Priest Dean finally looked at Lark in the eye, but immediately averted his gaze afterward. Seeing this, Priest Wallace clicked his tongue and sighed.

  “I thought you wished to settle the discussions regarding the temple in a peaceful manner,” said Priest Wallace. “That’s why you were pretending not to know each other. And now you had to ask something so… distasteful.”

  The last few words were said hesitantly.

  Lark shot him a quizzical gaze. He did not know what the priest was talking about.

  Seeing the expression of Lark, Priest Wallace raised his voice in anger. He snapped. “Stop pretending not to know, Lord Lark! This kid—this priest here! Are you going to continue to pretend that you do not know him?”

  Priest Wallace’s outburst was uncharacteristic of a priest. Furthermore, he no longer tried to hide the disgust in his eyes.

  “I do not understand—” said Lark.

  “You! How shameless!” Priest Wallace’s eyes widened in rage. “Do you know how much suffering Priest Dean underwent because of you? You broke his limbs, crushed all of his fingers, and battered his face! If you truly did forget, then you’re nothing but a demon incarnate! How can a person do all those things and forget all about it! Disgusting scum!”

  Cruel words were thrown at him one after another, but Lark simply stood there in silen
ce. He finally understood everything. Why Priest Wallace’s gaze held a hint of disgust. Why Priest Dean did his best to avoid him.

  Lark remembered the rumors about the previous owner of his body. He was certain that there was an incident where he almost killed a priest over some squabble. It was also the incident that finally made his father give up on him.

  He’d never expected to meet that priest here, of all places. Moreover, he was the priest assigned to oversee the temple in his domain.

  Although Priest Dean had fully recovered his health, the trauma of being beaten to near-death was definitely still there. The way Priest Dean’s body trembled whenever Lark looked at him was a dead giveaway.

  Lark realized that he was actually fortunate that Priest Wallace had been reasonable enough to converse with him despite everything that happened.

  Although it was the previous owner of his body who did all those things, Lark had no intention of shirking responsibility. The sins of the previous owner were his sins now. He had no intention of running away from this reality.

  Lark bowed his head low. “I apologize for not realizing Priest Dean’s identity until now. I know that this might sound like empty words, but I am really sorry for what happened. If there’s anything I can do to atone for my sins… anything.”

  Priest Wallace’s face contorted for a moment. He looked conflicted. Priest Dean, on the other hand, was staring at Lark with wide eyes, as though he’d never expected in his wildest dreams that the arrogant noble would lower his head and apologize.

  “Words are cheap.” Priest Wallace snorted. “If you are truly sincere, show us through your actions.”

  “Of course,” said Lark, his head still bowed low.

  “It seems that the Seer has taken a liking to you, Lord Lark,” said Priest Wallace in disgust. “She even went as far as purposely sending Dean here. I don’t know what’s going through that mind of hers. That crafty woman. Sometimes I wonder why God Nereus favors her so much.”

  ***

  After the priests left, Lark immediately summoned the head mason and ordered him to help with the construction of the temple to the best of his abilities. Lark even went as far as allocating a hefty sum for the project, even though the temple had declared that they would shoulder all of the costs for the construction of the temple.