Aurora Scroll

The matter of the mine and its right of ownership was bulldozed when Croix gave a visit to the Spears of Fury School with a writ signed by the Countess of Stormberg herself. According to a treaty from some decades past, the mine was located in the countess’ territory.

The Spears of Fury headmaster conceded politely and with tact. The matter seemed resolved and Croix looked happy.

“Beware of saboteurs,” Viers warned. He was familiar with how the story most likely would develop.

Croix took some precautions and managed to entrap rogues with ill intent. Viers didn't care about it very much but the result was the Shore finally had some form of revenue.

***

The development of the Shore was going forward unceasingly thanks to Croix’s diligence. Beside the mine, the seaweed farm was rebuilt, and the fishing business had progressed to pre-disaster level. Croix then thought to diversify a bit. The Shore was a coastal village and there were a few fertile fields nearby. He opened a plantation there, breaking the earth with a hoe using his own hands as an example.

The profits from the mine were lucrative enough to transform the Shore. The industries were getting quite big, but the Shore lacked the manpower. Croix hired workers from neighboring towns.

Some people picked up how the wind was blowing and traders began to trickle in. With more people, rumors spread more easily. Folk talked in the taverns about a place improved directly by a royal, of a prince with a dragon.

The Shore had quite a few new settlers. Croix accepted them all, putting them to work with fair compensation, such as free taxes for some time. Alfred advised Croix to make new policies because with the way things were going, they were not the same as before.

With each passing month the Shore was becoming more prosperous. The examiner looked more pleased than he was last month. By the third month, Croix also made the examiner return to Stormberg with the produce and goods of the Shore. It showed the Shore had prospered enough to generate surpluses. It was mostly foodstuff and a normal one at that but no one would complain about having more food.

Croix’s next big project was to improve the road to make travel easier.

After the Shore’s population hit a hundred, along with almost fifty temporary workers, Viers and Alfred began raising the matter of security. They needed more Pathseekers. For now, their presence would deter monsters and outlaws, but they wouldn't stay here forever.

The most common solution was to employ the locals, but the Shore was expanding too fast so this wasn't possible.

Viers was a bit out of his field this time since he was a foreigner. If this was the Free People Coalition then he would post a quest at the Adventurers Guild but this was the Latias Kingdom. The Pathseekers were consolidated to the state-sanctioned Knightly Orders or as vassals of nobles.

Croix and Alfred were about to negotiate with suitable people but then the problem solved itself. The examiner man, who also served as a liaison between the Shore and Stormberg, came with three other Pathseekers. They introduced themselves as members of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order and were posted here.

Croix welcomed them warmly.

“Aunt Grace’s kindness is timely,” Croix sighed in satisfaction.

“Forgive me, My Prince but that is not entirely correct.”

“Alfred is right,” Viers agreed with a nod.

“The Countess sent her knights here because this place has grown to the degree to deserve such protections,” Alfred explained. “As you can see, there are not enough Pathseekers for every rural village.”

“This is also her example for you, Highness. Should you one day be in a position to allocate your knights, you must be attentive and place them at places that need them in a timely manner. Your governors or viceroys who have done their duties expect this of you.”

“I see. I’ve learned a lot.”

The three knights were all Level 1 but one of them, the leader, was close to Level 2. Their duties were to guard the Shore for a period of time, and then another team would take their place after their duty ended. Viers observed that sending knights to frontier areas like the Shore also doubled as training for the knights as they fought monsters.

Monsters were the main reason that halted the expansion of civilization. The more people flocked together, the more likely they would be attacked by monsters. Only two things prevented this, the presence of a strong individual that eclipsed the monsters in the vicinity, or a monster repellant.

The monster repellent could be naturally born or manmade. Take Luca’s village for example, that place had a tree that was planted by the previous incarnation of Dia, repelling the surrounding monsters. Which was why that place was rarely attacked by monsters even though it was located deep in the wilderness. The big cities used magical items or even structures for security measures. Shielding stations, enchanted walls, and anti-siege weapons were some examples. The Shore had no such luxury so they had to guard it the old-fashioned way, manually.

While Croix aced his six-month long test, Viers’ days were very calm. But just because it was peacetime, he wasn't being lax in his training. He knew peacetime was a preparatory period for war, especially in a world such as this.

In Viridis, Boram was standing with his eyes closed. Faiya and Futon were circling him silently. Without warning, they attacked. Boram didn't move a muscle but sand from the ground moved to defend him.

He was practicing his Ixi Arte. Since Boram was an earth Pathseeker, Viers taught him to use a related element, sand. The Arte was about automatic defense. He chose sand because it was more suitable as a reactive shield rather than earth.

And because Viers had Boram learn Gaara’s technique.

Meanwhile, Viers was with Clarissa. He transformed into a little blue swallow. A new monster form of his.

“Incredible,” Clarissa hummed. “I can't sense my fire curse at all, nor can I invoke it.”

“I expected that to be the case. Good thing it is true.”

Viers had a bomb inside him buried by Countess Grace. There was no way Viers would let it be. He had no success dismantling it so he sought other solutions. He thought of his monster forms. Since any injury he had had no relation with the condition of the monster he transformed into, then the bomb should not be able to explode if he transformed. That was the theory, so he tested it by having Clarissa put her Arte when he was human.

Each of his monster forms had a separate HP bar from each other and even if they died, it had no relation to Viers. Now that the theory has been proven true. unless the bomb went off instantly, Viers could avoid getting blasted to icy kingdom-come by transforming.

It feels pretty cowardly but whatever, I’ll take it.

Also, finally, Viers got in contact with Izabella. They had radio silence after the raid of Lucan Duchy.

The matter of Marvin Deal came through. After Izabella delivered Marvin by order via Viers, she received a legendary Arte from the Blood Church, the Blood Seraph Arte.

She could not give Viers, or anyone else, the exact copy of it because of the Greater Geass placed on her, but after a couple of months, she was able to deduce enough of the Arte’s core principle which she gave to Viers as payment.

From the ultimate Arte trinity of the Blood Church, Blood Seraph, Life Seraph, and Origin Seraph Arte, Viers got a watered-down principle of one. Most of the time this was not worth it because it would only result in a defective Arte or a worthlessly inferior one, but Viers was not most people.

The principle of the Blood Seraph Arte was to enable the user to craft blood into power after elevating their mastery to a terrifying degree.

According to Izabella, in the short while she invoked the Arte, she felt like she became the absolute master of blood. For example, a simple blood Arte from her became magnitudes greater. When Viers asked how strong, she said she might be able to kill a Level 5 if she went all out and died in the process.

Naturally, she had no intention of doing it and the Arte was not as simple as an attack-boosting Arte. She tested she could simply drain the blood from someone of the same Level even when they were fully guarded. She could directly refine blood to improve her cultivation, and so much more.

Izabella has no blood affinity yet it is that strong? What if she has blood 4 or 5? Quite the Arte indeed.

Since Iz was an enchanter, she could also use the Arte to improve in this field. It was said that the current head of the Blood Church had created a blood angel as strong as a true angel with this Arte.

“You are not limited to your own blood. Any blood will do, even your enemies’,” the redhead cultist said.

Viers noticed the similarities of the Arte with his own soul abilities already. The soul attainment from Aletro was the start of Viers’ many soul abilities. This Arte might bring Izabella into the same height of affinity but of blood instead of soul.

Perhaps it might be greater? Don't know yet but hers is only temporary while mine is permanent.

Basically Izabella had the possibility of treading Viers’ path using a blood method.

“Craft blood into power…”

This part of the Arte piqued Viers’ interest more. He immediately began to think of the possibility of gaining ‘blood energy’ or whatever from the enemies he slew.

Viers already could harvest the soul, body, knowledge, and worldly possessions of his enemies. If he could gain ‘blood energy’ on top of them, his gain from every kill would be even greater. His growth would be even more exceptional.

His fear was if the blood energy consumed blood. It meant the ‘body’ harvest would lessen. For some monsters, the blood was the most precious part of the kill. More testing was required to see if the tradeoff was worth it or not.

Viers was satisfied with the payment since he got all the loot that Marvin had. This was the cherry on top and a damn good one at that. It opened a new possibility for him to process a raw resource in abundance. Even though he didn't get the original Arte, the formulas and principles from Izabella saved him months or years of work.

In the future Viers tried to soul search her to see if he could gain the original Arte but it didn't work. He wasn't more powerful than the one that put the lock on Iz’s mind.

But still, yet another Arte…

Viers sighed in helplessness. He had so many Artes now that it had become difficult to keep track. He wanted versatility so he had many but he invested too wide. Other Pathseekers weren't like Viers, they focused on improving the Artes suitable for them. Furthermore, Viers had two affinities, which widened the options further.

I must consolidate my Artes. Discard or merge them. At this rate, I’ll become master of none.

This was one of the reasons why Viers didn't ask Clarissa for more Artes from the Age of the Gods. He had more than enough Arte. Even now he had Artes on the level of finishing moves that he hadn't shown anyone yet.

The super Arte that he’d only used once against the Mary Sue from Clarissa, the Soul Snake’s Disintegration Decree, Viers had created two others that were just as powerful.

What was the use of having a thousand sure-kill moves if one or two were enough?

But Viers couldn't help it! He had so many ideas from the Fables! Like a mad scientist, he couldn't stop himself from meddling with forbidden knowledge and creating them!

This is the so-called luxury problem. This is just like Fang Yuan having too many Immortal Gu. He was having problems feeding them… Am I idolizing him so much that his problem becomes my problem? Won't this mean I’ll be hunted like a dog by the world just like him? Oh shit! No, Viers, stop thinking! I’ll jinx it!

Viers spent his days in the Shore without any battle for months but he had so much to do he almost got no free time. He spent more and more time in his house like a cultivator in seclusion. Since he also did training in his soul space with time dilation, he was actually experiencing an even longer period of time. The stress was so maddening that he thought it was better to fight Freya, Georgi, or Dumuzin again.

At least they were something he could punch.

Be that as it may, Viers’ battle power was growing at an incredible rate.

Time marched on without consideration. The six months of Croix’s assignment were coming to its final month. The Shore had become pretty good and Viers expected the Countess should be satisfied even though she probably wouldn't say it directly to Croix’s face. He thought that such stressful yet halcyon days should keep going until the end.

“Master, I'm sorry to disturb you but we’ve got a problem,” Boram politely entered.

“Oh, thank God.”

Boram blinked a few times in confusion. He certainly didn't expect to hear that.

“...Master?”

“Ehem,” Viers coughed. “It was nothing. What’s the problem?”

“It’s better if you see for yourself.”

Boram led Viers to the outskirts. There were several monster corpses around. Croix, Alfred, and the Level 1 knights were there too.

“Since two weeks ago, monsters have been sighted in the area with increasing frequency,” Croix said. “Something’s amiss.”

“These monsters…” Viers’ eyes glowed from using Euryale Sight Arte.

“As expected, you recognize it too. They are diseased,” Alfred said with grim seriousness. “Refrain from touching them.”

“So we might not be dealing with a normal Monster Tide but a plagued Monster Tide. Lovely,” Viers scoffed sarcastically.

“We need to investigate this,” Croix said.

“Agreed.”

One of the knights opened a map. “They came from this direction,” he pointed at a forest area.

Viers raised an eyebrow. “Isn't that-”

Croix nodded. “An elven forest, yes.”