“I did stumble a few times in front of your place.”
Seraphie admitted the truth. However, Orkis’s narrowed eyes did not return to normal.
“So I’ve been working on it, and my stamina has improved lately.” Seraphie boasted.
Now, Seraphie even bragged about being able to walk around the garden three times without resting. The way she slightly raised her chin while boasting was quite amusing.
“Besides, I didn’t even collapse in the carriage today.”
Just as Seraphie was proudly boasting about such a trivial thing, Orkis noticed something that bothered him.
“Did you collapse when you went with my father?” He squinted one eye.
“I didn’t collapse, I just slept.”
“You did what?” Orkis asked in a surprised voice. For a moment, he thought he had misheard.
“Your father was so sca—I mean, I was particularly tired that day. So I asked the duke for permission and took a nap.”
“Impressive.”
It was the most chilling story Orkis had heard in years. Indeed, Seraphie seemed to be no ordinary person.
“Let me know if it gets tough.”
And just like that, the topic of the hat was dropped. However, Seraphie felt grateful for the hat Orkis had brought, yet also sorry for causing him concern.
I feel bad for making him worry.
Adjusting the hat to sit more comfortably, Seraphie began to seriously survey the wasteland with Orkis.
The wasteland, surrounded by a green forest, had nothing in it. It was so barren, without even a single blade of grass or a small stone, that it was surprising it hadn’t been discovered by the world until now.
The legend that a god once stayed here doesn’t seem to be unfounded.
Orkis, who had been looking around, finally spoke. “It looks like there’s a lot to set up.”
“Should we start setting up guards now?”
Seraphie was worried about how unprotected the area around the wasteland was. If someone secretly mined the god’s treasure, the damage would be immense.
“Is it really necessary?”
Orkis, who had ventured somewhat into the wasteland, kicked the ground lightly. Sand scattered over his shoes. Muttering something incomprehensible, Orkis looked down at Seraphie. Seraphie blinked, waiting for an answer.
“This land is cursed.”
Seraphie immediately turned around, ready to flee from the wasteland.
“I’m joking.”
Orkis quickly grabbed Seraphie, who was trying to escape. With a thick arm wrapped around Seraphie’s slender waist, there was no way to move. She flinched at the unfamiliar figure suddenly touching her back.
“It’s nearly impossible to steal anything from here.” As Orkis set Seraphie back on the ground, he continued. “There’s very little known about The Land Abandoned by God.”
Even the few known facts were all unexplained phenomena. For instance, why The Land Abandoned by God is forgotten by people. Such strange occurrences were only observed, but the specific reasons remained unknown.
“So, when you say it’s impossible to steal?”
“Exactly as it sounds.” Orkis repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hand, seemingly deep in thought. “…Actually.” Then he spoke. “I once came here secretly with my father without Countess knowing.”
Seraphie’s eyes widened at Orkis’s confession. “How am I supposed to take that right now?” Flabbergasted, she glared at Orkis. Her quickly cooling eyes held a hint of betrayal.
The fact that they had come here without her knowledge, as the landowner, was more than enough to arouse suspicion. It was a clear breach of trust.
“But we didn’t come with any ill intentions.”
Despite the sincerity in his excuse, the disappointment on Seraphie’s face remained. It was hard to forgive them easily, considering what they might have done here.
“Explain.” With that word, Seraphie fell silent. It was a clear indication that if his explanation didn’t satisfy her, their contract and everything else would be over.
“Countess.” Orkis gauged Seraphie’s stern expression. It was the first time he had to speak so cautiously, mindful of someone else’s feelings. “You visited this place with my father, didn’t you?”
Seraphie nodded. To investigate The Land Abandoned by God, she had previously visited this wasteland with Duke Felicia. And with the duke’s magic, they confirmed that a massive amount of God’s treasure was buried beneath this land.
“So what of it?” Seraphie growled.
To Orkis, Seraphie looked like a small animal—like a little dog that believed itself to be a fearsome hunting hound.
“As you know, my father, Duke Felicia, is a very powerful magician.”
“…”
“But he said he couldn’t use his magic here.”
Both of them simultaneously looked around the wasteland as if on cue. It was still a desolate land. The mysterious ruins surrounded by the forest had been forgotten by people for a long time.
“The duke used magic.” Seraphie retorted.
“That’s because you allowed it.” Seeing Seraphie’s puzzled expression, Orkis asked. “Were you afraid of my father?”
Seraphie twisted her lips. It was too humiliating to admit and too terrifying to deny. Fortunately, Orkis didn’t press for an answer.
“So, what kind of magic was he trying to use? Were you planning to kill me and take the land?”
“Your imagination is quite dramatic, but my father was just trying to light his pipe.”
When Duke Felicia arrived at the wasteland, he took out his pipe and, as usual, tried to create a small flame with magic. But no matter how many times he tried, even resorting to the simplest finger snap that beginners use, he failed.
“That’s impossible.” Seraphie immediately objected. “If he couldn’t use magic, then… But he definitely confirmed that this was The Land Abandoned by God…”
“Yes, he did.”
Though he had failed to light his pipe, the advanced magi he used to detect the buried treasures worked more smoothly than ever.
“My father was bothered by it, so after the trial, he came here with me.”
“And did he fail again then?”
“It wasn’t just magic.”
Orkis extended a hand. Soon, a purple mist-like substance began to rise from his palm. Seeing it for the first time, Seraphie shuddered slightly.
An immense energy emanated from the faint purple mist. But before Seraphie could fully react, the purple energy quickly dissipated.
Seraphie blinked. “W-What was that earlier?”
“That was my aura.”
If a martial artist trained diligently, they could handle mana like a magician. However, that power could only be used to enhance the body or weapons. Even though the source might be the same, the nature was completely different, so it was distinguished from mana.
“I see…”
As Seraphie showed interest, Orkis summoned the aura in his hand once more. This time, a purple mist appeared again.
It’s stronger than before. Orkis chuckled. Although it was activated with similar strength as before, the purple aura was much denser and more intense than a moment ago.
“It seems stronger now, doesn’t it?”
“That’s because Countess now understands and no longer fears it.”
Since the land’s owner judged Orkis’s aura as not dangerous, it was activated with more power than usual.
Orkis looked at Seraphie. “Do you understand now?”
The Land Abandoned by God had acknowledged Seraphie as its master.
“Without your permission, nothing can be done here.”
“…”
Orkis’s words sounded grand. If someone else had heard them, they might have felt a surge of pride and acted as if they had become a true god. But not Seraphie.
What’s going on? Instead of being moved, her mind was busy trying to make sense of the situation.
The Land Abandoned by God was truly amazing. It wasn’t just a source of making money. In this land, Seraphie was an omnipotent god. Everything that happened here would be according to her will.
Then why…
Why was this never described in the original story?
* * *
“It’s best to build a place for the workers to rest first. How about reconsidering a dormitory?”
“Indeed, a two-hour round trip is an issue. Securing water will also be an important matter.”
Seraphie and Orkis set a specific date for the start of the project after surveying the wasteland. Discussing on-site was much more efficient than a desk discussion.
After finishing their conversation, the two had lunch in the carriage. The lunch consisted of sandwiches and soup that Orkis had brought from the mansion.
“Does the food suit your taste?” Orkis poured the soup into a cup and handed it over.
Seraphie, who was chewing on a sandwich with both cheeks full, looked up. Judging by the way Seraphie was eating, it seemed to suit her taste.
“By the way.” Swallowing the soup, Seraphie asked. “About The Land Abandoned by God, is that common knowledge too?”
“Are you talking about resonating with the land’s owner?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not exactly common knowledge.” Orkis, lost in thought for a moment, soon spoke. “It’s something you can find out if you investigate with intent.”
Research related to The Land Abandoned by God was a topic for many scholars, including those at the Magic Tower. Due to the rarity of the research subject itself, the results were minimal, but papers and related books could be found if one looked for them.
“Are you planning to look into it?”
“Yes, well…”
Seraphie hedged. She was now the owner of the land, after all. But she didn’t feel entirely comfortable with it.
This land definitely appeared in the novel.
In the original story, the female lead, Lillie, had gained immense wealth from The Land Abandoned by God. That’s why Seraphie had sought out these lands.
But there was no mention of such mysterious powers.
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