Chapter 53 – #13_Latifundium (2)
#52
1.
Mount Yeong.
As I had known before, it was a magical crop cultivation plant co-owned by Count Jemena and Duke Keter.
To explain in more detail, the magical crops are not produced on Mount Yeong itself, but in the ‘Latifundium,’ a U-shaped valley formed by the foothills of Mount Yeong.
To cultivate magical crops, a mist of vaporized mana is essential, and the valley formed across the mountain was the perfect place to trap this mist. In other words, Mount Yeong was shaped in a way that embraced the Latifundium.
“Wow…”
Siwoo couldn’t hide his admiration.
He had only heard about it, but he never imagined that the scenery would be so spectacular from the entrance.
It wasn’t the rocky image that one might typically associate with a canyon.
The canyon, which appeared to be at least 100 meters wide, was densely forested with imposing trees right from the entrance.
“Amazing, isn’t it? It’s the off-season now, so there aren’t any other managers. This is the only time you can look around so leisurely.”
Odile had the expression of someone showing off a golden calf in their home.
It was a very boastful expression, but it was understandable.
“You’ll be even more surprised when you go inside.”
The road began to get bumpy, so the trio stopped the carriage and started walking together.
The closer they got, the harder it was to see the tops of the trees, even when looking straight up at the sky.
Each tree that filled the Latifundium was an ancient tree that had lived for hundreds of years.
It was as if there were several World Trees.
“What is the off-season?”
“Mount Yeong is located in a place with very strong earth energy, but if you grow too many magical crops, the land gets tired quickly. After six years of cultivation, we take a break for one year. We can’t use chemical fertilizers.”
As Odette kindly explained, they walked into the canyon, and it became as dark as night, even though it was midday.
This was natural, as both sides were cliffs attached to the mountain, and the lush branches and leaves formed a ceiling, completely blocking out the sky.
Odette and Odile, as if it were natural, created three or four decorative lights each and walked ahead briskly.
Siwoo followed, carrying a lunch basket and looking around.
He had gone to a cave on a school trip before, and the darkness and dampness all around made him feel like he was in a large cave.
And after about 30 meters, what greeted Siwoo’s group was a curtain of vines hanging from a dizzying height to the ground.
It was clearly artificial.
They were lined up in a straight line like a curtain in a theater, covering the entire canyon.
“What is this?”
“This is the main production area. It’s a screen to prevent the mana-made mist from escaping.”
“Assistant, you need to stay close to us. We only have one pass.”
“Okay.”
Siwoo was pulled closer by Odette, who was much more cheerful than before.
Odile rolled up his sleeve, revealing a rosary that seemed to be made of tree seeds.
A faint light emanated from the rosary, illuminating the vines, and the vines that had been layered upon each other parted like dominoes, opening a path.
And Siwoo was able to immediately understand why Mount Yeong was praised for being so beautiful.
In a word, it was an elven forest.
It was a dreamy landscape and atmosphere that seemed like elves would live there.
A narrow stream flowed between the large forest paths.
The hazy mist invigorated each breath, and the giant trees stood tall and straight in various places, like pillars supporting the Latifundium.
Up to this point, one might have thought that such a place could exist somewhere on Earth.
“Assistant, your jaw could drop to the floor.”
“We were exactly like that when we first came here.”
The twins’ giggling laughter just brushed past his ears.
Siwoo was engrossed in admiring the remaining scenery.
Large glass bottles, like fruits, hung from each branch, filled with colorful liquids, and light flowed from within.
It was like a scene from a lantern festival, captured in a photograph and frozen in time.
Thanks to that, even though they had walked to the middle of the canyon, most places were clearly visible, as if streetlights were on.
“What are those?”
If you looked closely, hoses extended from the glass bottles, like IV drips, towards the roots of the trees.
“They’re a kind of nutrient. We inject various reagents into the trees to create an environment suitable for cultivating magical crops. They also shine brightly, so they serve as lamps.”
“Then what are those?”
Siwoo pointed to the sparks of fire that rose from the ground and disappeared, like fireflies.
In a way, they looked like will-o’-the-wisps, but the difference was that they rose very slowly.
“The concentration of mana is so high here that mana reflection light naturally occurs from time to time.”
“It’s amazing.”
A scenery that one could never tire of looking at.
It was unlikely that aesthetic beauty was intended in a commercial plant, but it was a place where one could feel awe for both nature and great magic at once.
“I’m so glad I came along. I’ve never been to such a fascinating place before.”
“Right?”
“Assistant, if you have any questions, feel free to ask anytime.”
Odette, who was as proud as Odile, smiled foolishly and circled around Siwoo.
It was a much less distant behavior, and it felt like they had gotten closer than before.
“We can’t rest here, so we’ll move to the production management building. Be careful where you step. It’s slippery here all year round because it’s humid.”
Odile jumped off the tree root he had been standing on.
The tree roots exposed on the ground were almost the size of a truck, befitting the grandeur of the giant trees, so Siwoo was a little surprised.
They walked along the path next to the river that ran between the trees.
Seeing the surface of the water sparkling regardless of the light, it seemed that the mana water that created this mist was probably this river water.
The temperature itself was cooler than expected.
Judging by the humidity alone, one could believe it was a tropical rainforest.
“Assistant, do you know anything about magical crops?”
“No, I know almost nothing about alchemy. I didn’t have enough time to study that far.”
“So you only study incantation magic and magic circles? That’s the most boring…”
“I guess I needed to choose and focus.”
“Then I guess I need to explain a bit.”
And so began Odile’s world-building explanation.
“There are quite a limited number of plants that can be cultivated by causing mutations through magic.”
“Usually, we cultivate moss plants or mushrooms a lot. They’re easier to breed and much easier to manage.”
Now that he thought about it, most of the things attached to the trees and rocks were either moss or mushrooms.
Their shapes were so unique that they immediately caught the eye.
There was moss with a subtle pink hue, and mushrooms that emitted a bright fluorescent light like a lamp.
“Is that a button mushroom?”
Pointing at one of the mushrooms that looked particularly delicious, Siwoo asked, “Would you like to try some? Eek!”
Odile smacked Odette’s bottom hard.
“That’s a dangerous thing to say!”
“O-Onni… it was a joke…!”
“You absolutely shouldn’t do that. Most magical crops are harmful if eaten raw. There’s a reason why we spend at least three or four days, sometimes even years, detoxifying ingredients.”
“Oh, I see…”
It wasn’t just the scenery; the various cultivated crops growing here also piqued Siwoo’s interest. Seeing items that he had only seen in texts and illustrations in books actually spread out before his eyes made him feel like he was in another world.
“What’s that?”
“That’s ‘Red Root Moss.’ It has strong neutralizing properties, so it’s often used as an antidote.”
“Then what about that one?”
“That’s a White Cap Amanita. It’s one of the few mushrooms that’s safe to eat raw. It acts on the cerebral cortex, accelerating thought and calculation speed.”
“It’s like an overclock.”
“Something like that. But Master Jemanae told us not to touch it. Relying on that mushroom might temporarily improve efficiency and make you feel great, but it’s not your own skill. Besides, it’s not very effective as you climb the ranks.”
Odile and Odette tirelessly taught Siwoo about the crops. It felt like being in a botanical garden with two pretty guides.
As they went deeper, the width of the magical water stream narrowed, becoming shallow enough to be called a brook.
“Heave-ho!”
Odile and Odette hopped across the stepping stones, leading the way, while Siwoo carefully crossed to the other side with his basket.
Climbing up a gently sloping mossy hill, they reached a fairly wide flat area. This time, the sap that had been hanging from the branches was planted in the ground in bottles.
Pale purple, pale green, pale pink.
A hazy mist of pale colors was billowing and rising.
“This is where we grow root crops. You’ve heard of Mandrakes, right?”
“The ones that scream when you pull them out?”
Odette laughed brightly at Siwoo’s naive reaction.
“In the old days, there were many thieves, so the witches put an illusion spell over the entire field. It was a popular plant because it was used as a hallucinogen or aphrodisiac.”
“That’s a distorted story.”
“We’re almost there. Let’s take a short break.”
Even though it was fallow land, there wasn’t a single person in sight. To have such a wonderful view almost all to himself. It felt like renting out an amusement park and having fun, which made his heart race.
“This way!”
The place they finally arrived at was a giant oak tree, just like the others. The only difference was that there was a treehouse hanging in the middle of the tree, just like the one he had seen in Border Town. Compared to that time, it was at a much higher and more distant height.
“This is the production management building.”
They climbed the spiral staircase that wrapped around the tree and entered the management building. It was higher than it looked from below, and the stairs seemed a bit rickety, which made him dizzy.
Whether witches liked high places or treehouses were popular in Gehenna, he seemed to have a lot of connections with them.
“What do we do here now?”
“We just look at the pretty scenery out the window, have tea, and chat.”
Dragging his trembling legs, he arrived at the treehouse. The room was very desolate for its size. Like Amelia’s research lab, it was full of papers and documents, and the only place to rest was a sofa in the middle. Still, the view from the window was spectacular.
He had wondered why it was built in such an unnecessarily high place.
He understood after looking outside.
From this treehouse, you could see the entire Latifundium.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
Odile slipped next to Siwoo, who was gazing blankly. The mysterious bird’s-eye view seemed to tickle his heart. It was a bit of a wild thought, but it felt like staying at a fancy hotel and watching the night view with a beautiful girlfriend.
“I’m glad you like it, Assistant. I was worried that my sister had dragged you here against your will.”
Odette popped out from the other side, not to be outdone. Siwoo smiled wryly and stepped back slightly. In fact, both Odile and Odette were difficult girls to handle. Especially when they were together.
“Shall we open the basket?”
“I was just feeling like eating something.”
“Okay!”
“Wait, I have something I prepared for today.”
While they were opening the basket they had placed on the table in front of the sofa, Odile, who had been rummaging through a cabinet in the corner of the room, came back with a large bottle. The bottle was almost as long as Odile’s upper body. Judging by Odile’s playful expression, it was wine.
“Onni! When did you hide that?”
“I told the Assistant before. I’d let him taste the red wine from the Mendel Hills.”
“You remembered that?”
“Of course~ I never forget a promise.”
Wine?
He was a little uneasy, but he was also very tempted. A glass of wine while enjoying this view seemed very romantic.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Odette, who had been jumping around about the secretly stashed alcohol, tilted her head. Her gaze was fixed on one corner of the window.
“What’s wrong?”
“Onni, didn’t you see something pass by outside just now?”
“What?”
“Something big and black… I think it brushed past those branches over there…”
Odile and Siwoo also pressed close to the window and looked at the spot Odette was pointing at, but…
There was nothing there. Just the sparkling magical sap hanging from the thick branches.
“There’s nothing there?”
“Stop joking and eat your sandwich.”
“I’m not joking!”
“Who else would be here besides us?”
“That’s true, but… I definitely saw it…”
“You must have seen things because you didn’t sleep well last night. Let’s just drink this.”
Odile pulled Odette, who kept glancing out the window, back inside.
And so, the full-fledged picnic began.
