Chapter 74, Settlement Renovation

Translator: Lizz

Since Nomani and his men had procured horses to ride, it was finally time to move to the area where they would build their settlement.

Sylvia sat on the driver’s seat of the ox cart, not even holding the reins, and called out ‘Depart!’ to the ox. Yet no one laughed at her.

Nomani and his men had realized that Sylvia was not ordinary.

Not ordinary as a noble, and not ordinary as a person.

She was not a puppet of the adults, nor was she being protected.

They understood that she was being genuinely lauded.

When they arrived near the seaside where the Narciso clan’s settlement had once been, they found rubble that looked like the ruins of houses.

Since Nomani and his men had never actually lived there, they wandered around curiously, looking at everything.

Edward helped Sylvia down from the driver’s seat and looked around. Sylvia imitated him and looked around too.

Seeing the collapsed ceilings, broken walls, and piles of rubble, Edward scratched his head.

“Hm… Are you really going to live here? This will be tough unless we rebuild. Honestly, I think lodgings would be easier… And let me be clear: don’t ask for time off work just to fix this place up. That would be putting the cart before the horse.”

When he laid down the warning, Nomani and the others nodded.

“Of course, we wouldn’t say such a thing.”

“We’ll gradually fix it up on our days off, and once it’s livable enough, we’ll call our families—”

“I’ll do it for you!”

Sylvia suddenly cut in.

“””Eh?”””

Nomani and his men looked blank, not understanding what she meant.

Sylvia, excited, rattled on.

“This kind of thing can be done in no time! For me, it’s easy!”

Everyone stared at her with their mouths open, dumbfounded.

Edward came back to his senses and tried to persuade Sylvia with a troubled look.

“But… it’s quite a large area, and wouldn’t it use a lot of magic? They were the ones who chose this place in the first place. I think it’s better to let them do it themselves…”

“For me, it’s easy!”

“This is no good.”

Sylvia looked as if she couldn’t wait to show off her magic, and Edward gave up.

“Haa… Lady Sylvia says she will use magic to fix this place. When she’s done, make sure to praise her.”

Edward spoke wearily.

Nomani and his men looked at him with faces that said, ‘What are you talking about?’

Edward pointed at Sylvia and told them again.

“Just watch. You’ll be blown away.”

Sylvia, now the center of attention, strode forward with harumphs and began her chant.

“Here I go! <As a place befitting my retainers, reveal your form once more—[Renovation]!>”

She struck the ground hard with her staff.

—It was breathtaking.

The buildings that had become rubble restored themselves as if time were rewinding, returning to the appearance of the white houses they once were.

Not only the buildings, but the settlement overrun with weeds and reclaimed by nature transformed, in an instant, into a place that bore the traces of human life.

Nomani and his men stood dumbfounded, watching the change unfold.

“…It’s done! It was quite a wide area, so I worked hard!”

Sylvia exhaled loudly and wiped her sweat, and Edward quickly supported her.

“Please try not to overdo it…”

“It’s easy for me!”

With a proud huff, Sylvia stood before Nomani and his men, who had all dropped to their knees, bowed their heads, and offered their gratitude.

“…Magnificent, Lady Sylvia. Our master. We, all together, vow to make our home here and devote our lives entirely to you.”

“Mm! Work hard!”

Sylvia, praised by Nomani and the others, nodded with satisfaction.

She had truly done her job! Surely Edward would praise her too!