Chapter 23: Confession

After breakfast, Merlin instructed Meg to lead the slaves to continue clearing the caves. Ideally, they would cut down the trees on the mountain to see if they could build a small boat, which would allow them to properly explore the mountain lake. Merlin herself planned to scout the perimeter of the castle to see if she could find a suitable location for land reclamation.

To Merlin, improving the land was the most critical task. As long as the land was improved, they would have a foundation to settle and a hope for survival.

Although she did not understand the mechanics of Zhao Hai's spatial farm, seeing that he could improve land and produce eighty thousand catties of radishes all at once suggested that his abilities were tied to agriculture.

While Merlin did not know the mysteries of the spatial farm, she was a clever woman, and her advanced age had granted her vast life experience; thus, she had guessed most of it correctly.

However, seeing that Zhao Hai had not told her, she did not press him. She knew that Zhao Hai was now the head of the household and had become much more decisive than before; asking too many questions would seem inappropriate.

Upon hearing that Merlin intended to scout the surrounding terrain, Zhao Hai insisted on accompanying her. Since arriving in this other world, he had either been inside the castle, wandering the mountains, or busy within his space; he had not properly surveyed the surroundings. Today was a perfect opportunity to take a good look, as this was, after all, his territory.

Since Zhao Hai was going, Mutou and Shitou naturally wanted to follow, but Zhao Hai refused. He only took Mutou, instructing Shitou to stay behind and help Meg watch over the slaves. Zhao Hai truly felt uneasy leaving Meg alone to manage a hundred slaves.

As they left the castle, Mutou walked ahead on the mountain, carefully observing the terrain, while Zhao Hai and Merlin walked along the foot of the mountain. Merlin was elderly and a mage, so her physical strength was naturally limited, as was Zhao Hai's. Consequently, they did not climb the mountain; if they had, they likely would have been too exhausted to move after a short while.

This was the first time Merlin and Zhao Hai had traveled so far from the castle. They looked around as they walked. The Black Soil Wasteland was indeed peculiar: a semi-circular mountain range covered only in short trees and wild grass, surrounded by a vast, endless plain. There was nothing particularly beautiful to see; it was plain and transparent.

Only the mountain terrain was somewhat complex, but because the mountains were not very high and lacked dense forests, the topography could be clearly seen from below, so there was little to worry about.

The two walked along the foot of the mountain for over three hours. Aside from feeling that the landscape was becoming increasingly desolate, they found nothing new. The black soil remained black soil, and the barren mountains remained barren mountains.

Zhao Hai scanned the surroundings, then turned to Merlin and said, "Grandmother Merlin, let's rest for a while. Our fief is too large to see in a day or two. If it doesn't work, we can wait for Grandfather Green to return. We came out on horseback, but walking like this is simply too exhausting."

Merlin was also exhausted. She was a mage, not a warrior, and her body was not strong. While she could handle daily chores, this kind of trekking was more than she could bear.

The two found two rocks and sat down. Seeing them sit, Mutou immediately ran down from the mountain and approached Zhao Hai, saying, "Young Master, please rest here. I will go scout around."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Alright, go ahead. Be careful." Mutou acknowledged him and turned to run back up the mountain, looking as though he wasn't tired at all.

Sitting on a rock and looking out at the endless black land, Merlin sighed deeply. "When we first heard the Empire had granted this place to us, we were truly despairing. Everyone knows the Black Soil Wasteland is a dead land where nothing grows, and it sits right next to the Corpse Swamp. Being assigned here, we could do nothing but wait for death." She paused, lowering her head with a look of reminiscence in her eyes. "When Green heard the news, he immediately took all the family's money to buy various supplies. He wanted us to hold on for a few more years, hoping that once the old nobility stopped paying attention to us, we could find other ways to make money. Regardless, we could not let the Buda family perish in our hands."

Merlin fell silent for a long while, seemingly reliving that moment of despair. Zhao Hai remained quiet as well; he could understand their feelings. The Buda family was where they were raised, yet they were forced to watch the family march into this dead land to await the end. Such a feeling must have been profoundly hopeless.

After a long moment, Merlin took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Hai. "It is a blessing that you woke up, Young Master, and that you possess that miraculous ability to improve the land. It has given us hope. Young Master, the future revival of the Buda family rests on your shoulders."

Green had said much the same to Zhao Hai. He understood that these were the expectations Merlin and Green held for him, but the more they expected, the more difficult the task felt. If people with the abilities of Green and Merlin could not succeed, how could he?

To make the Buda family prosperous again, he would have to face the suppression of all the old nobility in the AKS Empire, including the Imperial Family itself.

However, he could not voice these concerns now. He could only nod firmly and say, "Don't worry, Grandmother Merlin. I will work hard."

Merlin nodded and smiled at him. "Heaven has not abandoned the Buda family; it has given you such a miraculous ability. This means Heaven wants our Buda family to prosper once again."

Zhao Hai smiled slightly. "Grandmother Merlin, let me take you somewhere." With a thought, the two appeared inside the spatial farm.

Merlin and Green were people Zhao Hai could trust completely. He had not brought them to the farm before not only for secrecy but because there were many things in the farm he could not explain. He also feared they might discover that he had possessed Adam's body; if they did, he feared Merlin and Green might kill him immediately.

But now, he was no longer afraid. He knew that Merlin and Green did not suspect him and already viewed him as the hope of the Buda family. After all, he was now the sole heir. Even if they discovered he was a soul-transmigrator, they might not act against him; killing him would mean the end of the Buda family. If a noble has no heir, their title is reclaimed by the Empire.

Upon entering the space, Merlin was stunned. Looking at the radishes just sprouting from the ground and the corn nearing maturity, her mind struggled to process it all.

Zhao Hai spoke up, "Grandmother Merlin, this is the special ability I obtained. This is a plot of land where I can grow grain and vegetables. The maturation time for both is much shorter than outside, which is why I was able to produce eighty thousand catties of radishes in such a short time."

Looking at the soil, Merlin turned to Zhao Hai. "Young Master, where did you put those radishes? I don't see them."

Zhao Hai pointed to the warehouse. "They are all in there. That room acts like a spatial equipment; it can hold a vast amount of items. Not only are the radishes inside, but all the supplies I stored are also in there. I can take them out whenever I need them."

Merlin's eyes lit up as she nodded. To be honest, the capacity of that warehouse alone was astonishing to her.

Zhao Hai continued, "The soil in this space can be used to improve the black soil outside, as can the water. When I improved the black soil previously, I used a mixture of the soil and water from this space." He then walked over to the cornfield. "This is a new plant I've planted; I call it corn. Once this patch matures, the seeds produced will be enough to plant a thousand acres with plenty to spare. However, I don't know if the corn produced in this space can be used as seed; that requires testing. The stalks can be used for fuel. For now, it is the most suitable plant for us to grow."

Merlin's eyes shone as she looked at the corn. She understood exactly what he meant. Once this corn matured and could be planted, they could solve their food problem and secure a source of fuel.

Zhao Hai said softly, "Once we find a suitable location, we will first improve a thousand acres of land and plant corn. Once it matures, we won't have to worry about food or fuel. With food secured, we can sell the radishes to get money. Bit by bit, the Buda family can grow strong again."

Merlin nodded vigorously and turned to Zhao Hai. "Young Master, you must not tell anyone about this. How many people know about this currently?"

Zhao Hai shook his head. "Only you, Mutou, and Shitou have been to this space. Grandfather Green and Meg have not."

Merlin nodded. "You can trust the few of us completely, but you cannot trust others. Young Master, do not mention this to anyone else in the future. If others find out, you will be in danger."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Don't worry, Grandmother Merlin, I won't tell anyone. Let's head out; if Mutou comes back and can't find us, he'll be worried." With a thought, the two reappeared at the foot of the mountain.