The Unfilial Heir Who Tries to Kill Me Tempts Me - Chapter 7

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

Episode 7.

“I’m afraid it’s exactly as I said, sir.”
A servant in a chef’s hat drew his neck in like a turtle, his neatly clasped hands trembling.
I stared at the plate thrust toward me with utter bewilderment.
One loaf of bread, a bowl of soup, a handful of sautéed vegetables, and a few strawberries.
“What? Why can’t you give me more than this?”
“Well, you see, the servants’ rations are fixed amounts. Everyone receives the same portion.”
That makes no sense.
It’s not as though there were a drought or famine. How are people supposed to survive on this pittance when they’ve been on their feet working all day?
Was this some new form of hazing?
Territorial nonsense, perhaps?
Yet the servant before me was trembling far too pitifully for that. Look—the moment our eyes met, he flinched and looked away.
These were people who had once lived under the rule of a Black Mage. They would not dare disrespect someone of that caliber; the terror ran too deep in their bones.
Still, I pressed on, just to be sure.
“Are you sure you’re not deliberately excluding me?”
“N-no, no, no, no! I swear—it’s truly the fixed amount, I….”
Lusiphenia had become blessed with fertile land after breaking free from the Black Mage’s dominion and becoming a Grand Duchy. In the latter half of the story, a hidden villain does appear near here and reduce the territory to near ruin, but that’s a year away.
This shouldn’t be happening at all.
“It’s just that… recently, after the territory was attacked by a Black Mage, the soil became Contaminated. The knights have been working to restore the tainted land, but… we’ll need to maintain these rations for several months.”
“Ah.”
…Ah.
My head rang with belated realization.

«Evil Black Mages repeatedly sought to invade the Grand Duchy of Lusiphenia to reclaim their old territories.»

Right. That’s how it went. It was a detail I’d written only one line about in the work, so I’d momentarily forgotten.
Black Mages truly were a careless lot with their lives. If Kaiyers got his hands on them, they wouldn’t die cleanly—and yet they still dared to target the territory.
Hmm….
Not that I’m one to talk.
In any case, that wasn’t the issue at hand.
I’m starving to death, I thought.
“Excuse me.”
“H-hyp! I wasn’t lying!”
“Could I take a look at the Contaminated area?”

***

“Oh….”
I stared out at the sight before me with hollow eyes.
“This is rather….”
I had no words.
The problem area that greeted me far exceeded my expectations.
On one side of the deliberately driven stake fence, lush crops and ripe fruits flourished; on the other, only blackened, charred trees and dark violet earth suffused with malignant energy remained bare.
“Vicious Black Mages, absolutely vicious….”
And pathetic.
They lacked the courage to face Kaiyers directly, so instead they wreaked havoc on this innocent territory and fled.
Even so, how could they leave perfectly good land in such a state? Who’s supposed to answer for my hunger?
Still, the knights appeared to be working diligently on repairs; everywhere I looked, the soil had been turned over. They were importing earth from outside to restore the fields.
The Contaminated area was so vast—how did they expect to finish all of this in any reasonable time?
“I’ll starve before the recovery is complete.”
I clutched my aching stomach and glanced around.
In the distance, I spotted a farmer in a straw hat moving between apple trees that bore no fruit.
I strode over and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
“You there.”
“Ack, cough, cough… who—eek! A witch!”
Bang!
There’s your reaction.
I held up both hands to show him I meant no harm.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“No, please don’t ask! I’m sick—I won’t taste good at all!”
As if anyone was talking about eating him.
“Over there—that contaminated land. What used to grow there originally?”
The man, who’d been fumbling to retrieve his straw hat that had blown some distance away, blinked his eyes rapidly.
“That, that plot over there…? It used to be a peach orchard…”
“Oh, peaches. And what else?”
“After that came tomatoes and orange trees…but I’m not sure why you’re asking.”
“Tomatoes! Now that’s something.”
Just imagining it made my mouth water.
I stood there thinking for a moment before asking.
“If I restore that land back to normal, would I be allowed to eat as much of the new fruit as I want?”
“…Pardon?”
“You said it’s useless land right now because it’s contaminated. When I asked the Grand Duke’s Castle servants, they said it’d stay like this for at least several months.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“So you’re giving me permission?”
“…Eh?”
Perfect.
I bounded toward the contaminated plot, leaving the bewildered farmer in my wake.
“Ugh, the stench.”
How potent was this Black Magic they’d spread here?
I’d barely set foot on the land, and already the noxious, choking smell burrowed past my nose and jabbed straight into my skull. The soil had become soft and treacherous, sinking beneath my steps like a swamp.
At this level of contamination, ordinary folk vulnerable to Black Magic would’ve been bedridden long ago.
I understood now why the tenants trembled like aspen leaves whenever they saw me. If something like this happened every other day, anyone would fear a Black Mage.
“Let’s see what we have here…”
I rolled up my sleeves and flexed my hands.
Black Magic was difficult to deal with not simply because it was hard to trace.
Phenomena caused by Black Magic could only be neutralized by Black Magic itself.
Normally, this could be solved by drawing out the magical power that had seeped into the soil, but a White Mage unfamiliar with Black Magic who attempted it recklessly would likely end up contaminated and pushing up daisies.
“I’m being generous here.”
Might as well give them an extra helping hand, the way you’d throw an extra cake to someone you didn’t like.
Besides, I couldn’t ignore my hunger any longer. I needed to do something—anything—to eat.
I was glad I’d wolfed down the food from the kitchen on my way out. Otherwise, I’d have passed out from starvation before I even got here, let alone attempted any restoration.
“Kaiyers, be grateful.”
While I was at it, I might as well clean up the other farmland too, not just the orchard.
I stretched out one hand and spread my five fingers wide.
“Hyah!”
Violet-tinged mist erupted from my fingertips, swirling upward to trace a massive Magic Circle in the empty air.
As I poured my magical power into it, the circle began to glow brilliantly.
The contamination—thick and viscous as tar—rose from the earth in response.
“Ugh, this is nauseating.”
To think they’d gone to such lengths to bury so much contamination deep in the soil. It was impressive, in a deeply unsettling way.
“Time to absorb it.”
I tensed my hands further apart, and the sluggish contamination surged toward the Magic Circle like water being sucked up by a vacuum.
Good.
It was working!
As the revolting sensation gripped my body, the air around me grew steadily fresher.
But before long, I ran into a different problem.
“…Hah, gah. I’m so hungry.”
My stomach was aching terribly.
The hand I’d stretched out to absorb the contamination began to shake violently. The Magic Circle trembled along with it.
Was I burning through too much magical power? I really should have forced myself to take a second plate from the kitchen.
“Hnn…ahhh.”
My legs finally gave out, and I collapsed where I stood.
The world spun sickeningly around me.
I was almost finished.
I couldn’t pass out now.
“Ah… my peaches…”
I bet I’m the only mage in the world who’d faint from hunger.
Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision.

***

I was dreaming.
A dream where I’d escaped the endless Possession and returned to my small, precious studio apartment.
Overwhelmed with joy, I’d immediately ordered two hamburger sets and a pizza, devouring them without hesitation. The taste of the mortal world.
This was life.
Hamburgers were perfection.
Pizza was perfection.
I swore I’d never do Possession again.
“Shouldn’t we wake him up?”
“…Is he dead?”
“Then he’s… a corpse?”
Snap.
My eyes flew open.
A blue sky stretched above me.
“Hgh—hghghgh!”
“Kyaaah!”
The crowd gathered around me screamed and scattered in all directions.
I blinked hazily for a moment, then scratched my head and pushed myself upright. Despite the fullness I’d felt in the dream mere seconds ago, hunger suddenly crashed over me.
That felt so good just now.
Why am I back to this?
“H-he’s alive!”
“The c-corpse is alive!”
The people scattered at a distance, all of them gripping farm tools and holding themselves in awkward, defensive stances. The old farmer I’d met before was among them.
“I was never dead.”
I was starving to death, and they’re treating me like a corpse and making a fuss.
I glowered at them, then my mind suddenly snapped clear.
“That’s right—Regeneration!”
What happened with Regeneration?

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