Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 61: Reclaiming Land

A long canal was drawn from Silvermoon River.

It flowed gently down a slope into the bustling wilderness.

On both sides of the canal, towering reeds were cut down, and their roots connected to the ground were dug up with sharp hoes.

Despite stubborn roots remaining underground that would eventually regrow into the farmers’ most despised weeds,

The workers didn’t care. They dug a trench around the area, piling up the soil into a small embankment, enclosing exactly one acre of land.

They continued to dig on both sides of the embankment, cutting down more reeds and weeds in large patches.

However, they didn’t completely clear the reeds and weeds from within the enclosed acre—that would have been too much work.

"Everyone, fetch a bucket of water! If any embers fly out, put them out immediately," ordered a seasoned middle-aged farmer.

Ten or so lit torches were thrown into the reed thicket at his command.

Small embers quickly turned into roaring flames, radiating heat and light, devouring the dry reeds around them.

Whoosh!

Crackle, crackle!

The flames’ glow bathed the face of the weathered farmer, who was over 60 years old, making his wrinkled face gleam with joy as he felt the warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Suddenly remembering something, he turned his gaze to the vast expanse of wilderness beyond, and asked Captain Sean again:

"A team of 100 people—our goal for the year is 2,500 acres? And if we exceed the 2,500 acres, 30% of the excess gets distributed among us?"

Captain Sean, his eyes also reflecting the flames with a hopeful gleam, recited the rules he had memorized:

"That’s right, you personally get 10% of the excess."

"Of course, this is a permanent lease—the land will always belong to the lord."

"However, the land can be passed down through generations, with taxes fixed at 20%."

The old man waved dismissively, his once-cloudy eyes now bright, and said excitedly:

"Of course, the land belongs to the lord…"

"But what if… we manage to reclaim 1,000 more acres?"

Raising an eyebrow, Captain Sean detected the anticipation in his voice.

Without any hint of impatience, because his own father had asked him the same question three times, he smiled and replied:

"Even if you reclaim over 2,000 extra acres, you still get 10%, which is 200 acres."

"The top three teams in land reclamation will also receive extra rewards. I heard the third-place team gets 100 acres of land…"

The old farmer's eyes widened in astonishment, and he immediately turned around and shouted with a booming voice:

"What are you waiting for? The rest of you, move on to the next acre! No one’s leaving until we’ve finished 10 acres today!"

Captain Sean, who had been about to offer some motivational words, was momentarily stunned, then smiled brightly and led the soldiers on their patrol.

Scenes like this played out continuously along Silvermoon River near Bay Village.

Hidden eyes were quietly observing these changes, stirring a concealed commotion before quickly falling silent again.

Dark Forest.

Leon patrolled the area around the lumber mill with ten soldiers.

He watched as the wooden walls rose higher and noticed how the kobolds grew stronger and more reliable by the day.

Guarding the loggers, selecting trees for felling, and keeping the wild beasts at bay.

Suddenly, a distant series of shrill cries echoed, and Leon immediately recognized the kobolds’ alarm calls and rushed toward the noise.

Around thirty well-built gnolls were chasing after forty or so kobolds.

Seeing how scrawny the kobolds were, Leon immediately realized they weren’t from their own group. He slowed his pace and whispered to two of his companions:

"Go inform the lord at once."

He had no intention of being a hero. On the first day of his leadership, Old John had given him this advice:

"Your mission is to protect all Bay Village personnel and the safety of your soldiers. Bringing them back safely is more important than any reward for victory."

Ten minutes later, Matthew received the news and set aside the spell scroll he was studying, temporarily pausing his magic practice.

He rubbed his temples, feeling a slight ache, then opened the carriage door and exhaled deeply:

"Perfect timing, let’s clear out some monsters. Consider it a break."

Learning spells gained experience, but so did clearing monsters—balancing work and relaxation kept him in good spirits.

Yaya, who had been sleeping soundly, instinctively opened her eyes. Hearing there was a fight to be had, she immediately perked up.

Goldfang and Silverfang led the charge, their presence inspiring hundreds of kobolds to follow with high morale.

Knight Angela led the soldiers at the front, jogging briskly, their movements coordinated and disciplined.

Matthew watched with satisfaction as his soldiers, who had grown stronger, now showed a one- to two-point increase in strength and constitution, and looked forward to the upcoming battle.

To fully realize the results of their training, real combat was necessary.

When they reached the site, Leon came forward and led them east. After about five minutes, they stopped before a large pile of rocks.

"Gibberish shouts" echoed from the distance, almost triggering a chorus of kobold replies.

Fortunately, Goldfang and Silverfang had established effective discipline, and a single scolding silenced them.

Yaya climbed to the top of a tree, surveying the chaotic battlefield below.

Through her vision, Matthew saw an interesting scene:

Over a hundred muscular gnolls were besieging a kobold lair, with the kobolds at the entrance bravely defending.

The ground was littered with the corpses of more than a hundred kobolds and a dozen bloodied gnolls.

Even a cornered rabbit would bite—let alone the sharp-toothed kobolds.

The gnolls had suffered a small loss in the face of the kobolds’ desperation.

One gnoll in a gray-black robe, holding a pitch-black staff, was shouting in a sharp, bizarre voice.

Faint magical waves spread through the air as the gnolls’ howls rose in intensity.

"Zero-Tier Spell: Phantom Sound!"

It was a spell-casting gnoll sentry!

Moreover, this gnoll sentry knew "tactics"—though crude, it represented a special possibility.

The snarling kobolds were visibly intimidated, and their morale continued to drop.

Matthew's breathing deepened slightly as he noticed something extraordinary in the gnoll sentry's abilities.

Advanced Talent: Quick Casting!