The heavy rain that began on July 1 in the northern lands of Nas continued for ten straight days without pause. This was the true start of the rainy season. The pelting rain created massive puddles everywhere, and debris washed in from all directions, forming a giant island of trash.
During this time, a man silently wore a raincoat, staring down at a well from which most people drew their water.
“Lord Kluz, everything is ready. We’ve tied heavy stones to the body fragments of the sickly, so they should sink deep within the well,” a subordinate called.
Kluz. His name belonged to the infamous vice leader of the Umbras Sect, known for his ruthless nature and manipulation in pursuit of his beliefs. With a sinister smile lingering on his lips, Kluz glanced at his subordinate and asked, “What were the results of the preliminary tests?”
“Perfect. It's truly a collection of diseases. Anyone who drinks from this well will find their body a playground for all kinds of waterborne illnesses within 24 hours.”
“Very good. Just as I wished. Hehehe.” Kluz chuckled, shaking his shoulders with glee. He and the followers of the Umbras Sect intended to use the chaos brought by the torrential rain to their advantage. Under the cover of darkness, with the village blissfully unaware, they were stealthily disposing of the body fragments of those who had died from waterborne diseases into the well.
To test the severity and manifestation period of the diseases beforehand, they had kidnapped young people as test subjects. Naturally, all these subjects perished, leaving no trace as they were utterly cremated and their ashes scattered elsewhere. It was truly an inhumane act of murder, a despicable deed unforgivable even in the depths of hell.
“Throw them in,” Kluz commanded.
“Yes.” As soon as his command was given, his subordinates all tossed numerous body fragments into the well at once. The groundwater had swelled due to the downpour, greatly increasing the volume of water in the well. Thus, the body parts sank into its deep, unseen depths.
“Let’s see how Malus, Bonus, and the Kingdom of Cinderus cope with this hellish curse of water,” Kluz mused, tightening his raincoat before vanishing into the darkness along with his subordinates, all without anyone noticing. They were orchestrating a large-scale terror amid the confusion brought by the rainy season.
At the same time, in the territory of Kribia.
“It’s indeed a sinister trap in the necklace provided to Prathalin.” I was examining the options of Kluz’s Red Light Necklace, which had just been unsealed over time.
[Kluz's Red Light Necklace]
[Classification Rating: 3-star]
[Option 1: Disturbs the wearer’s mind, wiping all memories. Deleted memories cannot be restored, and the wearer forgets even their own name.]
[Option 2: A wearer who has lost all memories becomes a loyal servant to the owner of this necklace, ‘Kluz Clizalide.’]
[Option 3: If one tries to forcibly lift the mental restrictions, the embedded suicidal impulse surges, prompting the wearer to take their own life.]
“What a trashy option. This necklace is utterly unworthy of use.” There were no stat-boosting effects; it was crafted solely for Kluz’s benefit. Thanks to my Gracia Ring, I was immune to such mental innovations, but wearing the necklace would yield no advantage. If it ever fell into the hands of others, it could bring catastrophe, so it seemed best to isolate it from the world entirely. Thus, I nervously placed the necklace into my spatial pocket, ensuring it would never see the light of day again.
“Phew! I’ve had a bit of a hard time due to forgetting the final recipe. Curse that lousy memory. Wouldn’t it be great if I could remember just a little bit more detail?” I chided myself, banging my head lightly.
I had forgotten the exact proportions of the herbs for the final step in crafting the Master Potion, forcing me to repeat the experimental process numerous times. Unlike the medication for Ronella, which required just two to three types of herbs, the Master Potion I was currently making required ten different herbs in combination. If I hadn’t memorized them while enjoying <Paradiso> back in school using mnemonic techniques, I surely would have only remembered but failed to create the Master Potion correctly.
The torrential rain continued to pour, accompanied by loud thunder. The rainy season had been ongoing for three days, yet fortunately, there were no reports of damage. Thanks to the flood control works undertaken since last year and the proper establishment of drainage systems in vulnerable areas, we faced no problem. Moreover, the ‘two years of safety effect’ gained from acquiring the title of lord further assured me that our territory would likely be just fine.
“Jared, what are you making?” At that moment, Derry quietly jumped onto the table and spoke. In no time, it had leveled up. Just moments ago, I had seen it busily roaming outside, so it likely had been hunting mice diligently.
Looking closely, it seemed to have some blood on its mouth.
“I’m making a Master Potion, a special medicine to prepare for waterborne diseases that may arise during the rainy season.”
- “How fascinating! Is there a potion for me?”
“I’ll make you a treat later. It’s a special snack for cats, known as chur.”
- “Chur? What’s that?”
“Yes, it’s often referred to as cat candy or catnip.” I affectionately petted Derry, and every time I stroked its forehead, its eyes twitched slightly, as if my touch was more forceful than intended.
In <Paradiso>, making snacks was essential for boosting the affection and reducing stress of pets, and naturally, I had all this knowledge readily in my mind.
- “Just watching seems boring; I think I’ll go catch some mice.”
“When morning comes, please wake up Hayes for me.”
- “Understood. I’ll make sure to wake Sister Hayes up.”
Derry busily groomed its front paws and quietly distanced itself from me. I couldn’t sleep, and it seemed to be nocturnal, which led to many late-night conversations.
Just then, after a slight pause, one of my vassals appeared through the pouring rain of dawn. Since I stayed awake at all times, I had no restrictions on the visiting hours of my vassals. Thus, those who had urgent matters to discuss would come to see me at any hour.
Peeking out the door, I saw it was Valdes. At that moment, the process of making the Master Potion was nearing completion. All that remained was slightly drying the ingredients I had combined per the recipe, after which the base for the Master Potion could be easily made by simply mixing it in water.
“Hey, Valdes. What brings you here?” I stepped to the entrance and greeted him warmly. He had been deeply engrossed in research for quite some time, seemingly needing ten more bodies to handle all his work, especially since he was visiting me so late.
“Master, you told me before that, according to the prophecy of the Radius Sect, there would be no disasters visiting our territory this year.”
“That’s right. While one can dismiss it as superstition, I’m certain we will avoid disaster.”
Jared had wrapped his exemption from natural disasters, which he gained with the title of lord, in a guise of ‘prophecy’ to Valdes. Since he could not explain the system and titles in detail, he had chosen a plausible analogy.
“Well then.”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you think about recording a video with the device of your prayers for the safety and well-being of the people in the temple?”
“Through the director Mesut we hired in the last interview?”
“Yes, that's right. As a seasoned director in the theater world, Mesut will beautifully capture your pure essence.”
“That's a good idea,” I nodded. My agreement stemmed not just from Valdes’s initiative for propaganda. I perceived it as a means to strengthen the unity of the people and usher in a golden age that had never graced us since becoming a major territory.
The golden age of a territory is vital for operations, enhancing the production capabilities of all villagers by 100 percent for a month. The larger the territory, the more people there are, leading to maximized efficiency, especially given the higher participation rates in the industries the villagers engage in. If we could invigorate their loyalty and usher in a golden age at this opportunity, it could serve as a favorable tailwind for the ongoing policies in our territory.
“I’ve already spoken with the Shrine, and ensuring the magical stone lighting is sufficient means early morning filming is no concern. How about we do it right away?”
Valdes’s proposal was bold, and his preparations swift. It seemed he had assumed I would approve and finished all the preparations in advance.
“Let’s do it.” One essential quality of a leader is to support hardworking subordinates. I wanted to boost Valdes, who had been diligently studying various propaganda activities. I couldn’t manage this territory all by myself. Coordination and synergy with my vassals were crucial.
Three days later.
“Isn’t it fascinating? While floods occur in neighboring countries as if it were routine, and all sorts of diseases are spreading… we’re so peaceful here!”
“It seems your prayers to the heavens truly shine through, dear lord. You genuinely wish for us!”
“The video looks beautiful! What lord in the world could be so handsome and pray with such a pure heart!”
“Focus on the video! We can’t waste even a second of this precious footage!”
All around the Kribia territory, a promotional film featuring Jared was being screened. It was titled ‘Prayer to the Gods.’
The footage captured Jared’s sincere and devoted prayers to the gods from various angles. As villagers watched it with excitement amidst free screenings and provided drinks, they naturally became inspired by its content.
[The villagers were deeply moved by the film! Genuine loyalty wells up from their hearts!]
[Quest ‘Sincere Emotion’ completed. Loyalty of the villagers increased by 150!]
[Loyalty of 1000 achieved! A golden age has arrived in the territory!]
The golden age had finally arrived! At a time when other territories and kingdoms were rife with blaming their leaders due to the worst floods and disasters, it was ironically inevitable that the villagers of Kribia, who had not suffered any disasters, would feel all tranquility and peace resulted from Jared's prayers reaching the heavens.
Thus, the sudden surge in loyalty was only to be expected.
End of Chapter 82