Chapter 28: The Land Worth Saving
Author note: This Chapter mostly contains the description of the territory surroundings and the scenery visualization.
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As we exited the Time Chamber and reached the stable area, my expression became 0-0.
I turned toward Osric, who is looking at the sky, likely enjoying its beauty.
"Where is the horse?" Other guards backed away and dropped everything on Osric’s head, who was now sweating from his head.
"My lord... that..." He said slowly and was struggling to complete his words.
He finally gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, as we don’t use horses, because no guards go out of the territory, Lady Evelyne sold all the horses." He looked down as he was ashamed of this.
"Seriously?" I facepalmed myself and thought, "Now do I need to walk by myself?"
Then—
"My lord, here is your horse." I turned toward the voice and saw Aurora, who was now fully armed, holding the reins of a muscular black horse and smiling brightly at me.
Aurielle also got out with Margaret to see me off, now stunned after seeing this and asked her.
"From where did you get this horse?"
Aurora looked confused at Aurielle, but answered.
"Hmm... I got this from the stable of those bandits that Master took care of."
Hearing this, I turned toward Osric. He nodded and said, "My lord, normally these bases always have loot. It’s just that we count all of it together and then present the report."
My expression finally relaxed after hearing about the loot, then Osric added, "There were around ten horses I saw in that stable."
"Good, ten Early Bronze Knights come with me and take the horses," I said to everyone and reached toward the horse Aurora brought.
"Good girl." I patted her head, on which she giggled like a fangirl.
Then I mounted the horse. Even though I don’t know how to ride properly, I used my aura to suppress it and control it before being able to move some distance.
But as I was about to leave the territory, Aurora started climbing onto the same horse as me.
Then—
"What are you doing?" Aurielle suddenly got behind her in a flash and held her hand while shouting at her behavior.
Aurora looked at me with teary eyes and said, "I want to go with my lord."
"Poor girl," I thought and was about to reply, but Aurielle cut me off.
"No need, he will come back soon. You stay with us," Aurielle said and started dragging her back toward the mansion.
"NO!!! Master, don’t leave me behind with this crazy woman."
Everyone flinched when she said this and then all of them looked at the sky and thought, "Today’s weather is so nice."
I gave one last pitying look toward Aurora, then left the territory with 10 Early Bronze Knights.
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As I passed through the territory roads, I noticed that they were not properly maintained, and many cracks could be seen here and there.
I looked around. Merchant carts and wagons were passing through while enduring those bumps.
"We have to repair this as well," I muttered and headed toward the main gate.
The closer I got, the more I understood just how impressive Blackstone Highlands must have been in its prime.
Massive stone walls stretched across the rocky cliffs, their dark surfaces blending naturally with the surrounding mountains. Time, weather, and neglect had left countless scars upon them.
Large cracks ran across several sections of the wall.
Some defensive towers had partially collapsed, their upper floors reduced to broken ruins.
Missing stones exposed gaps where repairs should have been made years ago.
Then my eyes landed on the gate itself.
Or rather—
what remained of it.
Two gigantic stone gate pillars still stood proudly on either side of the entrance.
Each pillar was nearly twenty meters tall and covered with faded carvings of swords, shields, and mountain wolves—the ancient symbols of Blackstone Highlands.
It was obvious that a magnificent gate had once stood here.
A gate capable of stopping armies.
A gate built to withstand monster hordes.
But now, the original metal gate was gone.
In its place stood a pair of thick wooden gates reinforced with iron bands.
Even those looked old and worn.
Several planks had been replaced with mismatched wood, while visible repairs covered portions of the surface.
The entire structure looked like a proud veteran desperately refusing to collapse.
Beyond the gate, steep mountain roads stretched southward through narrow valleys and rocky canyons.
Merchant caravans slowly entered and exited the territory, their wheels rattling over uneven stone roads.
Far in the distance, towering mountains pierced the clouds, while cold winds carried the scent of stone, earth, and wilderness.
Looking at the scene, I couldn’t help but imagine how prosperous this territory must have been ten years ago.
Now...
it looked like a giant slowly dying from neglect.
My gaze hardened.
"Not for much longer."
---
After taking one final look at the battered gate, I stepped outside.
The moment I crossed the entrance, the full view of Blackstone Highlands revealed itself before me.
I stopped for a brief moment.
From outside, the territory looked even more impressive.
Blackstone Highlands wasn’t built on flat land like most human cities.
Instead, it had been carved directly into the mountains.
Layers of stone walls, watchtowers, and buildings climbed along the rocky cliffs like giant steps ascending toward the sky.
The lord’s district sat at the highest point, overlooking everything below.
Beneath it were the residential districts, markets, barracks, and warehouses, all connected through winding roads and stairways carved into the mountain itself.
Dark gray stone structures blended naturally with the surrounding cliffs, making the territory appear like part of the mountain rather than something built upon it.
Even after years of decline, its defensive advantages were obvious.
Steep cliffs protected most sides of the settlement.
Narrow mountain paths limited the number of enemies that could advance at once.
Countless elevated positions allowed archers and mages to attack invaders from above.
A small army could easily hold back a force several times its size.
No wonder so many nobles wanted this place.
My gaze drifted farther outward.
To the north, towering peaks of the Stormhowl Mountains stretched endlessly across the horizon.
Their snow-covered summits pierced the clouds while dense forests covered their lower slopes.
Somewhere within those mountains lay the abandoned Black Iron mines and countless monster nests.
To the west, rugged hills gradually faded into distant wilderness leading toward the Demi-Human Empire.
Several old trade paths could still be seen weaving through valleys and mountain passes.
To the south, the famous Ashveil Trade Route cut across the landscape like a long brown ribbon.
Merchant caravans slowly traveled along it, their wagons appearing no larger than ants from this distance.
Beyond the road stretched vast grasslands dotted with scattered forests and rocky outcrops.
The wind blew across the highlands, carrying the scent of pine trees, fresh grass, and mountain stone.
For a moment, I simply stood there in silence.
Beautiful.
That was the first word that came to mind.
Despite the poverty.
Despite the corruption.
Despite the crumbling walls and abandoned mines.
The territory itself is breathtaking.
It possessed mountains.
Trade routes.
Natural defenses.
Valuable resources.
Everything needed to become prosperous.
The only thing it lacked...
was someone capable of bringing it back to life.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"Fortunately," I muttered.
"It has me now."
Then I turned toward the southern trade route and continued walking.
[Chapter End]
