Night fell upon the expedition's resting camp.
Inside the carriage.
"York, I want to know the truth."
By candlelight, Lucia, with her beautiful long golden hair, looked at her husband with worried eyes.
York looked at his wife, startled at first, then gave a helpless smile.
"Lucia, it seems I can't hide anything from you."
"Hide from me?"
"Hmph. York, just because I didn't ask before doesn't mean I didn't want to know."
York couldn't deny it. Lucia pouted and continued,
"I've been waiting for you to tell me all this time, you know?"
"But, my dear, we've been married for quite a few days now."
"Besides, I don't recall giving you any Magic Items."
"My father and siblings have been asking me about it nonstop, but thankfully, I managed to put them off."
"Originally, I wasn't going to ask. I figured you must have your own troubles. But seeing you like this... so, York, won't you share your worries with your clever wife? Perhaps I can even offer some advice."
By candlelight, they stared at each other.
Finally, neither could help but let out a chuckle.
However, after they shared a laugh, York's expression turned serious.
He lifted the carriage curtain, scanned the surroundings, and only then sat back down beside Lucia.
"Lucia, since you want to know, I'll tell you the whole truth now."
"I just hope you aren't frightened by it, or think that I'm lying."
Hearing this, Lucia nodded, her expression a mix of curiosity and seriousness.
And so, York began to whisper everything he had experienced to his wife.
Throughout his story, Lucia wanted to cry out in shock many times, but she always managed to cover her mouth with her hand.
By the time York finished, Lucia's face was etched with worry.
"A Blood Contracted Demon Beast having a Giant Dragon Bloodline... that's actually not so bad. After all, don't many Demon Beasts have Sub-dragon bloodlines?"
"But an unknown Deity... if the Kingdom's Truth Church Court were to find out about this, the trouble would be immense."
"York, you absolutely must keep this a secret. Otherwise..."
As Lucia spoke, she began to tremble with visible fear.
York grasped Lucia's hand, his expression filled with determination.
"Don't worry, Lucia. I know how serious this is."
"But this is also a tremendous opportunity."
"Besides, I have no choice. You know that, Lucia."
"If it weren't for the Deity's mercy, I wouldn't have survived at all."
"But now, not only have I survived, I am also the servant closest to this Deity. So no matter what this Deity's purpose is, I can only continue down this path."
"However, as the one closest to a Deity, Lucia, do you know what this means?"
"It means that I, York—no, the new Smith family of the Swamp Territory—might one day possess the Power to change the fate of the entire continent!"
"So, Lucia, you'll help me, won't you?"
York squeezed Lucia's hand tightly.
At that moment, Lucia stared blankly at her husband.
It was as if she was seeing him for the first time all over again.
In York's eyes, Lucia saw his determination and immense ambition. In that instant, he seemed so charismatic and dazzling.
'Perhaps this is the air of a great hero? Just like the grand heroes and champions from the ancient tales.'
And so, in that moment, it seemed Lucia had made her own decision.
She was no longer afraid. Instead, she even felt a powerful sense of thrill and excitement.
'Maybe I can also become one of the heroines from those ancient tales?'
At that moment, Lucia nodded firmly at York, her eyes filled with adoration for her husband.
And so, under the cover of night, Lucia began to use the knowledge she had accumulated over the years, helping York analyze his current situation and discuss potential emergencies they might face while building the territory.
Filled with longing for the future, the two young people fearlessly began to write their own legend.
————————
"This territory doesn't look too bad."
"Although the swamp takes up about a third of the territory, there's still a decent amount of reclaimable land."
"By my estimation, this area should be nearly fifty percent larger than the Gale Territory."
"But I've also observed that there are several Demon Beasts with powerful auras around the Swamp Territory."
"If we encounter a Beast Tide, this place doesn't offer much of a geographical advantage."
York and his party had been in the Swamp Territory for two days.
Baron Eric wasn't in a hurry to have York summon his Blood Contracted Demon Beast for evaluation. Instead, he first personally explored the surrounding area and even sent out men to investigate.
The Swamp Territory was roughly fifty-odd li from the Korola Highlands, a key military town on the Western border.
In their simple camp, Baron Eric frowned slightly, but continued as he looked at York,
"However, having a Blood Contracted Demon Beast does give you an advantage."
"From now on, your Blood Contracted Demon Beast just needs to patrol the territory's borders more often. As long as it constantly emits its aura to intimidate the surrounding Demon Beasts, the instincts of Low Tier Magical Beasts should keep them from daring to cross over."
"So, compared to other pioneers, you have your own unique advantage. What's more, it's a Tier Three Magical Beast."
"In the Wilderness on the outskirts of the Western Demon Beast Mountain Range, that's already considered a substantial asset."
"And its distance from the border town is reasonable, so there must be plenty of Magic Potions to be gathered. This will be very useful for the territory's future development."
"As long as you don't rashly expand your territory or provoke the Demon Beasts in the surrounding claimed lands, you shouldn't have any major problems for now."
"You have time, so you must select a site and build the Lord's Castle as soon as possible. Also, don't neglect to set up the necessary traps."
"..."
There were only five people participating in the discussion in the camp.
Baron Eric was analyzing the Swamp Territory's strengths and weaknesses for York and discussing its subsequent planning and construction.
And those listening to Baron Eric were:
the old butler from Gale Territory and the captain of its guard;
and finally, York and his wife, Lucia.
As for Borg, the eldest son of the Lord of Gale Territory and York's older brother, he had not come along.
After all, Borg was the heir to the Gale Territory.
When the current Patriarch of Gale Territory was away, he was the one in charge, responsible for guarding their domain.
Furthermore, the Swamp Territory belonged to York.
It was considered a branching off from the Smith family of Gale Territory. If the eldest son came along, it would inevitably feel like the guest was upstaging the host.
It was like the old saying: "Dynasties flow like water, while noble houses are forged from iron." For the Nobility of this world, branching the family line had more advantages than disadvantages.
Therefore, even everything Baron Eric said was phrased as advice; he wouldn't interfere too much with York's decisions.
Of course, while York wasn't obligated to accept all of Baron Eric's words, he had to take them seriously, no matter his reasons, and could not dismiss them outright.
After all, York needed investment from the Gale Territory right now. Therefore, for at least the next three years, the Swamp Territory was bound to face a certain degree of intervention from Gale Territory.
However, knowing Baron Eric's personality, everything he did was for the prosperity of the family, so he certainly wouldn't harm York.
Thus, all of his suggestions were surely pertinent.
In this regard, York, the young new Baron of the Swamp Territory, was naturally listening intently.
And so, after another day, the site for the Lord's Mansion's castle was decided.
The Lord's Mansion was to be built on high ground with a wide field of view in the northeastern part of the Swamp Territory, a location that was both defensible and allowed for a quick escape to the border town if necessary.
And so, the inevitable moment arrived.
"Alright, next, York, take me to see your Blood Contracted Demon Beast."
"I can feel its powerful aura. I trust it won't disappoint me."
York looked at Baron Eric and naturally did not refuse. After all, he and Lucia had already prepared several plans to handle this.
And so, the group quickly headed toward the center of the Swamp Territory.