Forbidden Region

by Michael Sisa

  Lark believed that the previous owner of his body deserved all the curses thrown at him by the priest. He smiled wryly as he realized that the original Lark was a far bigger bastard than he’d originally thought. No wonder the duke threw him to this faraway town, in the opposite direction of the Marcus Duchy.

  After meeting with the head mason, Lark went to the underground chamber of the mansion.

  He opened the large bag sitting in the corner of the room and took out the gold coins. The figure of the first Emperor of the Magic Empire was engraved on one side of the coin, and the image of a serpent eating its own tail—the ouroboros—was engraved on the other.

  The ouroboros represented the dragon vein below, the origin of all mana in this world. Coupled with the image of the first Emperor, these gold coins basically represented the unending glory of the Magic Empire. A nation that would never crumble, even with the passage of time.

  Lark found it ironic that the gold coins had been true to their meaning. With the dragon vein gone, the Magic Empire collapsed.

  The value of these gold coins was probably immeasurable in today’s time. Collectors would go crazy if these gold coins were auctioned in the capital. After all, anything related to the Magic Empire should have been lost a thousand years ago.

  Although Lark would have loved to auction these coins for a higher price, doing so would immediately give him away as the person responsible for the disappearance of the treasure in the Forbidden Region. The last thing he wanted was for Nickolai and his men to come and wreak havoc in his territory.

  Although he was far stronger now, Lark wanted to prevent unnecessary disputes as much as possible.

  He deemed that the best course of action right now was to melt these gold coins into a more ‘inconspicuous’ appearance. Melting a few hundred of these coins shouldn’t pose a problem. There was literally a mountain of gold coins left inside the statue, after all.

  After ordering the servants to get several crucibles from the masons, Lark immediately proceeded with the melting process. It was fairly easy, since all gold coins used in the Magic Empire were made of pure gold. Nothing would be lost during the melting process when using such coins.

  Lark used a gravity spell to lift the coins and used fire magic to heat them until melting point. The melted gold was then poured into molds.

  Lark patiently repeated this process and eventually, he managed to create fifteen gold ingots. With them, it should be possible to finance more projects in Blackstone Town.

  After molding and cooling the gold ingots, Lark went back to his office and summoned the butler.

  “You called for me, Young Master?”

  “Gaston, when is the next batch of merchants coming to Blackstone Town?”

  “They should arrive tomorrow morning, Young Master. I heard that Mavas City had a food shortage recently. It seems that Big Mona decided to use that chance to trade commodities there.”

  “Tomorrow, huh? Perfect,” said Lark. “Listen, I want you to send a message to Big Mona for me.”

  Lark handed Gaston a sealed envelope along with two gold ingots. The old butler stared at the bullions for a moment.

  “This much money…”

  “Big Mona should know what to do with them after reading the letter. Please make sure it reaches him.”

  “As you wish.”

  The content of the letter was simple. It was a recruitment notice for teachers and instructors in Lion and Mavas City. Since he had an astronomical amount of money stored away in the Endless Forest, Lark decided to use it to entice these people to work for Blackstone Town instead.

  Although Melody was doing a great job managing the school, there was a limit on what she could manage alone.

  The monthly salaries he offered in the letter were at least six times the normal rate. If he could accelerate the growth of Blackstone Town, and if he could drastically improve his subjects’ level of education, then the money spent would be definitely worth it.

  Two loud knocks were heard on the door and a servant whispered something to Gaston.

  Gaston nodded, dismissed the servant, and said to Lark, “Young Master, it seems that the princess and your disciples have finally returned to Blackstone Town.”

  Hearing this, Lark smiled. The kids were finally back. It had been a while since he’d heard the brothers’ boisterous laughter and the princess’ occasional banter.

  “They sure took their time.” Lark grinned.

  Lark stood up, donned his coat, and made his way toward the grand hall.

  As he approached the princess and his disciples, he noticed the gloomy air surrounding them.

  George was the first person to speak among them. “M-Master.”

  Lark realized that something was wrong. Even Anandra—who normally didn’t show any emotion—was furrowing his brow. A hint of anger was visible in his eyes.

  “What happened?” said Lark.

  “C-Chryselle,” said George. “She’s no longer coming back to us.”

  VOLUME 6: CHAPTER 14

  “What do you mean she’s not coming back?” said Lark.

  “It happened after we entered Lion City.” Anandra handed Lark a sealed letter. “She asked me to give this to you, My Lord.”

  After Lark received the letter, Anandra added, “Lady Chryselle spoke to me before she left.”

  “What did she say?”

  “It was… strange. She told me that our lives would be in danger if she stayed with us any longer,” Anandra said unhappily. “She said that an organization called the Grand Order is currently looking for her.”

  It was the first time Lark had heard of this organization.

  “Grand Order,” repeated Lark.

  “It’s a group of magicians under the direct command of the Magic Academy,” said Tomas, the most proficient in magic among the knights. “Basically, they’re the magicians tasked to protect the academy. Although they also reside in Wizzert, they’re an entirely different organization from the tower. But I wonder… Why they’re looking for Lady Chryselle?”

  Tomas mumbled the last part of his statement. The princess and her knights weren’t aware of Chryselle’s true identity even now.

  “Then the Headmaster of the Magic Academy is probably involved in this incident,” said Lark.

  “I think so too, Lord Lark.” Tomas nodded. “He would be the only one with enough power to mobilize that elite group of magicians.”

  Several questions started popping up one after another. Lark remembered that Chryselle had mentioned that her great-great-grandfather was the founder of the Academy. Lark surmised that it must have something to do with that.

  Lark opened the letter left by Chryselle and read it.

  The handwriting was beautiful, and the way it was written made it apparent that she had already thought of everything she would say before writing this letter.

  I’m sorry for leaving without telling you first, Master. A messenger from my grandfather spoke to me in the capital after you left. It seems that my brother finally found out the real identity of the person who attacked the tower that night. He has been pressuring the Grand Order to mobilize their magicians. I’ll talk to my grandfather, the current Headmaster, personally regarding this. Please don’t look for me. I’ll take care of things on this side and make sure this doesn’t inconvenience you in the slightest. There’s no need to involve Blackstone Town in this mess. Please trust me. I’ll be sure to return soon, Lord Evander.

  Lark stared at the last part of the letter for a long time.

  How did she know his real identity? Although he’d performed magic far beyond the capabilities of the original owner of his body, it shouldn’t be enough for her to suspect him as the late Evander Alaester.

  Various thoughts ran through Lark’s mind.

  His blatant interest in the history of the Magic Empire. His deep understanding of magic. The way he rejected the teaching of the Grand Magician—Algrove Aria. His knowledge of magic towers, demons, and curses. Kn
owledge that should have been lost along with the fall of the Magic Empire.

  Although all of this pointed to the fact that he was a far greater magician than what he made himself out to be, it shouldn’t have been enough for her to arrive at the absurd conclusion that he was Evander Alaester. There was no definitive evidence for her to single out a magician who died over a millennium ago.

  Then realization struck him.

  The book he’d written back then. Principles of a Just Sovereign .

  Chryselle was incredibly smart for her age. No wonder she was the youngest Elder of the Tower. She must have connected the pieces of the puzzle after reading it.

  “The pen name,” Lark clicked his tongue and said in a low voice, “I shouldn’t have used it after all.”

  Lark had found it amusing to use his previous name as the pen name for the books he’d written and distributed in Blackstone Town. But he realized that he had been too naïve. He should have accounted for situations like these.

  Lark sighed, folded the letter, and tucked it in his pocket.

  “What did she say, Master?” said George.

  “She’s coming back, don’t worry.” Lark patted the kid’s head. “She has something to take care of at home. That’s all.”

  “Really?” said George.

  “Of course.” Lark smiled.

  George nodded in satisfaction after hearing this reply.

  ***

  Time passed by quickly.

  Winter had ended and spring had finally arrived, but Chryselle still hadn’t returned to Blackstone Town.

  A small feast, sponsored by the lord, was held in Blackstone Town. This was to celebrate the opening of the Town Hall—a massive building that towered over all other structures. At the same time, the school was also opened. And as though the Gods were smiling upon Lark, the teachers Big Mona recruited in Lion City and Mavas City finally arrived in Blackstone Town.

  Lark expected two or three of them to answer the recruitment, but surprisingly, there were a large number of them. Five men and two women.

  “Ah, welcome,” said Lark. “Pardon me for asking the servants to lead you here and not the mansion. It’s the opening ceremony for the Town Hall, you see.”

  The teachers looked at the flowers currently adorning the entrance to the massive structure in front of them. Next to the entrance was a four-meter long bronze placard. The words ‘Town Hall’ were carved on it.

  Not far from them, several servants were handing out free food sponsored by the lord. People were chatting excitedly with each other as they ate, casting admiring glances at the Town Hall every now and then.

  Although it looked plain at first glance, it was the largest building in Blackstone Town. Moreover, rumors that this building would one day become the core of this territory had already spread far and wide. Several people had been showing interest in working together with the ministers Lark had appointed.

  “You must be tired from your journey,” Lark said to the teachers. “We’ve prepared a small feast for the ceremony. Please eat to your heart’s content.”

  Some of the teachers looked at each other. More than half of them came here out of curiosity and not because they had been swayed by money. After hearing that they were going to be teaching commoners instead of nobles, most of the teachers decided to see the Lord of Blackstone Town himself. They wanted to know what he was like, and what his aim was for offering an exorbitant amount just to let his commoner subjects obtain an education in Blackstone Town.

  He’s a lot more… polite and refined than the rumors suggest , the teachers thought.

  The teachers accepted Lark’s offer and partook in the feast. Meanwhile, Lark started introducing the officers in charge of the ministries. Oliver, Pico, Silverclaw, Clarkson, Melody, and the rest of the officers delivered a short speech one after another.

  Since most of the officers here were original residents of Blackstone Town, most of them were familiar faces. The residents cheered when the men came to the rostrum and delivered their stutter-filled speeches. Only Silverclaw remained unperturbed when speaking in front of so many people.

  After the introductions were finished, one of the teachers said to Lark, “These officers of yours. It seems to me that they are quite… loved by your people.”

  Lark smiled. “Of course. They’ve been working so hard to improve this town, after all. Without them, it would have been impossible for me to make all of these developments happen. They’re the treasures of Blackstone Town.”

  The teachers were surprised that such humble words came from Lark’s mouth. He had a terrible reputation, after all. Although nowadays, after the war with the Empire, some people had started praising him as a hero.

  “Lord, please forgive my impertinence, but I believe that all of us have been meaning to ask you this question,” said one of the teachers. “I heard that the reason you are recruiting this many teachers is for the sake of the commoners.”

  The other teachers listened attentively to the conversation. They were also eager to find out the answer to the upcoming question.

  “I wonder,” said the teacher, “what is the reason behind this, Lord Lark? I would have understood if it was for the sake of the nobles. But commoners… They have no way of paying you back. For them, the cost of education is simply astronomical.”

  In the entire kingdom, only nobles were capable of availing the service of educators like them. Only nobles and the children of wealthy merchants had enough money to enter academies. This was why a common soldier did not even know how to read or write. The only exceptions were those who served the royal family, since those soldiers came from exceptional backgrounds before enlisting as guards and knights.

  Even Melody, the so-called scholar, was simply lucky to have learned her knowledge from the noble she served back when she was living in Lion City. Lark had taught her the rest.

  “There are no expectations. They don’t have to pay me back,” said Lark, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Education is free in Blackstone Town.”

  The eyes of the teachers widened. Free education for commoners? How absurd. It must have cost the lord a fortune to hire all of these teachers, but he was going to let his subjects study for free? It was akin to throwing money on the streets.

  “As much as I like King Alvis, I believe that he’s at fault for our kingdom’s current predicament,” said Lark. “He focuses too much on diplomatic relationships and the nobles. He has forgotten to focus on fundamental things. He should have abolished slavery long ago and given the commoners free education. Even a simple merit system for non-noble students should be enough if the problem lies in the lack of funds.”

  The teachers looked around, worried that someone had heard Lark badmouthing His Majesty. Had the royal guards heard this, Lark would have been forcefully dragged into the dungeons for slandering the royal family. Thankfully, everyone around them was enjoying the festivities and it seemed that none, aside from the teachers, heard it.

  “Well, he loves his subjects, I’m sure.” Lark shrugged. “And I’ve heard that he’s a lot better than our previous ruler. That tyrant king who even waged war with the Great Empire and the United Grakas Alliance.”

  “L-Lord, please stop. You could get dragged to the chopping block if someone hears these things and reports it,” said one of the teachers.

  Lark grinned. He playfully said, “Not if every one of you remains silent about it.”

  Lark looked at the teachers gathered around him. His voice turned serious as he said to them, “The farmers, the soldiers, even the paupers living in this town. I consider all of them as my children. The children of Blackstone Town.”

  It felt incongruous hearing these words from a young man like Lark, someone young enough to be their son. But for some strange reason, the teachers felt that he was telling the truth.

  “Blackstone Town will always treat its children equally. No matter their race, gender, status, no matter their age. I see no reason why
the commoners shouldn’t be given an opportunity to obtain even the most basic education.

  “Money will never be an issue. You will be given the promised salary each month. You have my word for it. My only wish is that you treat each of my subjects equally. Please teach them well so that they may someday become the pillars of Blackstone Town.”

  VOLUME6: CHAPTER 15

  For several days, the raw materials Lark ordered from the merchants guild arrived at Blackstone Town one after another. At the same time, the number of people migrating to the territory started increasing again as soon as winter ended.

  Just today, they had gained almost a hundred people. It seemed that King Alvis was upholding his promise and was posting recruitment notices for Blackstone Town in various territories.

  Since it had been a while, Lark decided to meet today’s new migrants.

  “Young Master,” said Silverclaw. “Are we really going to accept all of these men?”

  In front of them were the migrants who had arrived today. This was the largest group so far. According to one of them, more than half of them were from a village north of Mavas City. After several people in their village had died from the cold and hunger during the winter, they had decided to move to this territory.

  “Of course,” said Lark. He looked at the group of migrants. Although most of them were skin and bone, the majority were young men and women. They would definitely become a boost to their workforce. “What we need the most right now is manpower. We should be grateful that the recruitment notices issued by the royal family are enough for people to start flocking to this town.”

  “Ah, L-Lord.”

  An elderly man, who seemed to be the leader of this group of migrants, stepped forward. Although he was clearly afraid of Lark, he still did his best to look the lord in the eye.

  “I-Is it true that we’ll be provided homes and food if we move to this town?” said the old man.

  The other migrants waited anxiously for the lord’s reply. They must have felt that the recruitment notice was too good to be true. After all, a lot of territories were devastated by the black famine last year, despite the fact that they had finally found a way to kill the swarm.