I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Spoiling My Niece with Flowers, I Became a Hero — Episode 25
“Let’s head over there as well.”
“Of course.”
While Norton and Loren found a suitable spot to set up, Alex and Ethan Caldis walked through the grassland to mark the precise boundaries of the land they’d received as compensation.
“This stretch should be sufficient.”
Alex had planted wooden sticks at each corner, making it easy to visualize the plot.
“Hmm. It’s smaller than I expected.”
“This amount is plenty.”
[He’s offering more land. Why wouldn’t I take it?]
“Since I’ll be traveling around, managing anything larger would be difficult.”
“I see. It would be hard to give detailed instructions by letter.”
[Right, there’s no telephone here.]
Ethan Caldis looked up from inspecting the land and asked.
“Have you decided who’ll manage it for you?”
“I was thinking of hiring someone from the Mercenary Guild or asking the innkeepers for help.”
“Then we’ll handle it for you instead.”
At Alex’s words, the young lord smiled.
“I’ll make sure it’s well-maintained until you return.”
[Oh. That works out well.]
“In that case, I’m truly grateful.”
A lord personally managing my land—
It would have been strange to refuse.
“Should we build a structure on it, or perhaps cultivate it as farmland?”
“Just keep people from entering.”
As Ethan Caldis considered what might suit this plot of land while gauging its distance from the Lord’s Castle, he fixed Alex with a startled look.
“Keep them from… entering?”
“Yes. No one—not nobles, not knights, not commoners—is to set foot on it.”
Hmm.
It was a decidedly unusual request, and Ethan Caldis found himself staring at Alex. Then he simply nodded.
“Understood.”
Even good people are still mages, he thought to himself.
“Is there anything else you need? The compensation seems meager.”
[Then money! Money is always better in larger amounts!]
After observing Leo and the children playing for a moment, Alex spoke up.
Hearing those words, Ethan Caldis was briefly surprised before breaking into laughter.
“Ha! You really do love your niece.”
[I told you, he’s a complete niece fool.]
At that compliment, Alex smiled contentedly.

* * *
After surveying the land, they made their way to the spot the butler Norton had prepared. Food and drinks for lunch were already laid out.
“Leo! Sophia! Time for lunch!”
“Arden!”
The children who had been playing some distance away ran over eagerly. Their flushed faces and bright eyes spoke volumes of how much fun they’d been having.
“We’re grateful for this meal!”
Leo spoke first, and the other children echoed the phrase in unison.
Even the usually quiet Arden raised his voice to join in, which drew a laugh from Ethan Caldis.
The lunch consisted of dishes prepared in the noble household’s kitchens and a carefully made lunch box that Haron had prepared.
“This flavor is new to me!”
The food from the noble house was clearly seasoned with spices, so different from what they usually ate that Sophia wore an expression of pleasant surprise.
In contrast, Arden, tasting the inn’s cooking for the first time, ate heartily, clearly enjoying every bite.
A gentle breeze, delicious food—
Laughter came naturally.
“What did you play?”
At Alex’s question, Leo and the children eagerly shared their stories.
[I know plenty of fun games myself.]
[Though I can’t do the Deadly Flower Game…]
[What about apricots?]
[That’s one I’d have to show them directly. It’s hard to explain with words.]
After finishing their hearty lunch, the children went off to play again.
They gathered wildflowers to weave into crowns and held contests to see who could find the prettiest bloom.
They played with the toys Arden had brought along, and took turns riding the horse that Knight Loren had arrived on.
In the midst of all this, Leo grew curious about what his uncle and the young lord were discussing, so he crept closer to listen.
“It seems you learned letters when you were four years old, Arden.”
“Well, children of noble houses tend to start their studies early. Doesn’t Leo know his letters yet?”
“Not yet. I plan to teach him once we’re traveling.”
Oh! I think I’d rather not hear this!
Six-year-old Leo hastily fled back to where Sophia and Arden were playing.
“I’m worried that swordplay doesn’t suit Arden very well.”
At Ethan Caldis’s words, Alex recalled a skilled knight from the Future who fought Demon Races with remarkable prowess.
“Still, teaching him now will surely prove useful someday. And who knows—he may turn out to be better at it than expected.”
“You’re probably right.”
Ethan Caldis nodded in agreement.
A short distance away, Arden suddenly shivered as a chill ran through him.
Before long, playing so enthusiastically, the children hardly noticed the sun beginning to set.
“Time to head back now.”
Though reluctant, the children obeyed and climbed into the carriage.
“So are we going to an inn now, Uncle?” Leo asked, his disappointment plain.
Leo spoke up wistfully.
“There’s somewhere we need to stop first.”
“Somewhere to stop?”
The carriage carrying the bewildered children headed toward the Lord’s Castle.
They passed through the gates and came to a halt beneath a stone wall, where soldiers stood guard.
“Come now, everyone out.”
At Ethan Caldis’s words, the children climbed down from the carriage and looked up at the towering stone wall. The presence of the guards made them a little nervous.
“This way, please.”
Knight Loren led the way forward.
Ethan Caldis, the children, Alex, and butler Norton followed behind him.
As they opened a wooden door and stepped inside, they found a staircase made of stone. The children marveled at the spiral stairs that wound around the circular wall.
“Where are we, Uncle?”
Alex answered Leo’s question.
“This is the Stone Tower. You saw it when we arrived at the castle, remember? That incredibly tall tower.”
“Oh! Yes! So this is the tower!”
Leo’s and Sophia’s eyes lit up with wonder.
They could hardly miss the Stone Tower that stood prominently at the edge of the Lord’s Castle.
“But isn’t it forbidden to come here?” Arden asked uncertainly.
Ethan Caldis laughed and replied, “Normally, no one is allowed inside. But Alex asked if he could show Leo something.”
“That’s right,” Ethan Caldis said with a smile. “Alex asked if he could bring you here.”
Leo looked at Alex with round eyes. Alex smiled and spoke.
“You said you wanted to climb up and see the view. So I asked permission.”
Remembering the conversation he’d had with his uncle in front of the castle gates days ago, Leo’s small mouth fell open in surprise. Then his face broke into a broad smile.
“Uncle is the best!”
Before they’d even seen the view, Leo showered his uncle with praise. Alex laughed heartily.
The sight of uncle and nephew in such good spirits drew smiles from everyone else as well.
And so the children and adults climbed the stone stairs together.
After climbing for a while.
They came upon a wooden door that was firmly shut.
Loren, who had been walking at the front, opened it.
A cool breeze swept in, along with the golden glow of the sunset.
The children turned eagerly toward the open door, but their eyes met only the gray stone of the wall.
Their small height meant the railing, which reached only to the adults’ waists, blocked their view entirely.
“Come here, Leo.”
Alex lifted the small boy effortlessly into his arms.
And suddenly a world of wonders opened before Leo’s eyes.
Beneath the slowly setting sunset glow.
Birds flew past with whooshing sounds, and the bustling Lord’s Castle spread out before him in its entirety.
Smoke rose from the chimneys of large and small houses, and he could even see a cat sleeping on one of the rooftops.
From such a height, he could see the people below, now made small by distance, moving about here and there.
“…Wow…!”
For Leo, who had marveled at a mere two-story height, the sight before him was so breathtaking that wonder escaped his lips of its own accord.
“There’s Belo Village over there.”
“…Wow!”
As Alex pointed south, Leo stared intently in that direction. He could just make out what looked like a village in the distance.
“Really, really! This is amazing!”
Leo’s sky-blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at Alex, then suddenly threw his arms around him.
“Thank you, Uncle! I’ll never forget this!”
He was genuinely grateful to his uncle for remembering his wish to see from atop the castle wall and making it happen.
[Hahahaha!]
[Never forget it, he says!]
Ibek burst out laughing at the six-year-old’s solemn gratitude, and Alex couldn’t help but laugh along.
[This is incredible!]
[It’s like my heart’s been cleansed!]
[The sunset is magnificent, too.]
[We really timed this perfectly!]
Ibek gazed at the Lord’s Castle through Alex’s eyes, marveling at the sight.
“That’s our inn right there!”
Sophia, cradled in the arms of the butler Norton, cried out with unbridled excitement.
Beside her, Ethan Caldis, who had lifted his sister up, spoke in a solemn voice.
“This is the Caldis Territory we must protect. Isn’t it truly magnificent?”
Eight-year-old Arden felt his chest swell with emotion. This was the territory he and his brother had to protect.
“…Yes! It really is wonderful!”
Just as Leo had said.
This moment would undoubtedly stay with them for the rest of their lives.

* * *
After watching the sunset for a while, the group descended from the Stone Tower.
Now it was truly time to head home.
But Arden didn’t want to part ways.
“Leo’s leaving tomorrow, Brother.”
Seeing Arden’s reluctance, Alex smiled and made a suggestion.
“Then how about you all have dinner at the inn? We’d like to invite you this time.”
Arden looked up at his brother with hopeful eyes. Ethan Caldis smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Very well.”
And so the group made their way to the House by the Lake.
“Dad! Mom!”
At the inn were Soldier Kain and his wife Jena, who had returned after completing his treatment.
Sophia jumped out of the carriage and rushed into their arms, beaming.
“Dad! Didn’t you say you were coming tomorrow?”
“Since Alex is leaving tomorrow, I came early to express my thanks before he goes.”
“How are you feeling, sir?”
At Alex’s question, Kain nodded. He offered his gratitude.
“I wouldn’t have made it back without you, Alex. Thank you so much for saving me.”
“Think nothing of it.”
As Alex spoke with Kain, the young lord appeared, and Kain’s expression shifted in surprise before he quickly composed himself.
“How are you feeling, Kain?”
“Fully recovered, thank you for your concern, my lord.”
With pleasantries exchanged, everyone headed inside the inn.
The dinner was held in Alex and Leo’s honor, so there were no other guests present.
Thanks to this, the Caldis brothers, Knight Loren, and Butler Norton could all dine comfortably.
As the Caldis brothers enjoyed the inn’s cooking, the previously anxious Haron and Matthew quietly let out sighs of relief.
After the pleasant dinner ended.
Ethan Caldis looked out the window.
“It’s completely dark now. Time to head back, Arden.”
“Yes, Brother.”
It was unfortunate, but unavoidable.
“You have to come visit me at the Lord’s Castle, Leo!”
“I will, I promise!”
As Arden, Sophia, and Leo clasped hands tightly and made their pledge, the adults couldn’t help but smile.
“Lord Ethan, Lord Arden—do you have a moment before you leave?”
“We have time. What is it?”
Alex led the bewildered group toward the back garden.
The yard had grown completely dark save for the lanterns Matthew and Haron had lit, but Alex extinguished every last one.
Darkness settled over them.
“Uncle, what are you doing?”
“Remember when I said I’d show you magic before?”
At those words, Leo and Sophia, Arden and Matthew all lit up with anticipation. The adults did too.
Alex smiled at their expectant faces and drew a line on the ground at the children’s feet.
“Don’t cross this line—it’s dangerous beyond here.”
“Okay! Got it!”
“Yes! We won’t cross it!”
Once everything was ready, Alex spoke the incantation.
“Fire.”
And with that, a spark of flame appeared in the empty air.
“Wow!”
Gasps of wonder spilled from the children’s lips.
[Let me show you something even better!]
Alex moved the Fire spell just as Ibek had taught him.
The flame spun in circles, soaring upward, then scattered into smaller sparks that spread in all directions.
It was like fireworks.
“!!!”
They were too stunned even to cry out.
“Fire.”
Alex conjured three more flames, weaving them this way and that before detonating them all at once.
[No powder charge, so that’s why…]
[There’s no sound.]
But it was more than enough to captivate the children and adults alike.
“Aaaaaah!”
As the flames burst and glittered in succession, the children couldn’t contain their cheers. They seemed ready to burst from excitement.
But it wasn’t over.
Alex tossed the items he’d prepared into the air and conjured flames at their precise locations.
The red fire transformed into yellow, then blue flames appeared alongside green and white, each blooming in rapid succession.
“Aaaaaah!!”
“Amazing!!”
The kaleidoscope of flames Alex had created left both children and adults utterly speechless.
[This is what magic through science looks like!]
What Alex had prepared were Salt and Copper Powder, along with Medicinal Herbs he’d bought from an apothecary shop on the way.
[Salt makes yellow. Copper makes cyan!]
[The herb powders have excellent effects too!]
The materials reacted with the flames, creating those vivid colors.
“You’re really incredible, Uncle!”
“It’s so beautiful!”
Leo and the children, seeing such magnificent magic for the first time, swayed with wonder and amazement. The adults too gasped and exclaimed, their eyes fixed on the dancing flames.
Alex watched them quietly.
Images from that Future flickered across his mind.
Kain and his wife, both dead. The baby in her womb.
Matthew, who had become a soldier and died in battle.
Haron, aged and weary in his final years.
Sophia at sixteen, looking lonely and forlorn.
And.
The young lord and the knight Loren, both dead in the Contaminated Dungeon.
Arden, the sole survivor who had fought the Demon Race alone.
Seeing all of them now, whole and happy, smiling brightly—it was beautiful.
“You’re the best, Uncle!”
At Leo’s radiant smile, Alex smiled back with genuine warmth.
And he pledged to himself that such a Future would never come to pass.
[It’s amazing!]
[Now that I think about it, fireworks are flowers too.]
[This must be part of the Flower Path too, Alex!]
He’d have to create a Flower Path together with this boy named Leo.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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