NOBLEMAN ADVENTURER

Return?

We had planned to leave after the coup. However, the seventh prince and the Goddess Nereia compelled us to stay and assist them in rebuilding the Sand Kingdom's economy.

I was tasked with devising ideas to preserve water. I suggested the new king build cisterns and dammed man-made lakes to preserve water. Canals connecting to the man-made lakes were used as a new way of transportation. Fish could also be introduced to the lakes and canals, creating a new economic livelihood. The new food source was greatly welcomed by the people, who had gone hungry for far too long.

Wherever the builders went, they would see the people with tears in their eyes, as they kneeled down to fervently pray to the Goddess Nereia for her goodness.

With the increase of food and wealth, there were more births. The newly born citizens would be future Nereia worshippers.

The new king also remedied the law. Slavery was outlawed. All the currently enslaved were released from slavery. The slaves were given the choice to leave the kingdom or become citizens. Slaves, who missed their homeland chose to leave. Those slaves who had married the Sand Kingdom people, decided to stay.

More guards were recruited to escort all merchants traveling within the boundary of the Sand Kingdom. With the guards, bandits realized their job had become too dangerous. The new king also pardoned criminals, as long as they abandoned their previous life of thievery. Thus, the bandits abandoned banditry, to settle down to a simple farming life.

After building cisterns and dammed man-made lakes, Nereia released a deluge of rain. The rain ended the drought plaguing the people.

New hardy crops were planted. The people also planted trees to reclaim the desert land. The sandy landscape changed in three short years. When traveling, the merchants could always spot greenery on the horizon.

After three years, the Sand Kingdom grew richer. The people's faith in the goddess Nereia increased. The happy goddess forgave me for my earlier trespass.

We stayed away for three years. During this time, we corresponded with the Dayu court. The most titillating news regarded his majesty's new spouse. In his desire for an heir, the king married Lady Beaumont-de-Chantilly, a woman twenty years his junior.

We also heard that Lord Crohn made an engagement with Princess Raine.

At first, we worried Raine would be unhappy. However, she said she was glad, as she was not meant to be a monarch. The life of traveling across the lands suited her more. With this, we realized that Raine did not intend to return to the palace. Instead, she was willing to allow Eris to continue living as the princess.

As for me, I reached my early twenties. No longer a young lad, I found myself unwilling to settle down. I had no thoughts of starting a family. I longed to travel, to find out the secrets of the black miasma. I wondered if I would encounter more gods in another country. And would these gods be able to give me useful information?

In short, my journey has not ended.

The image is AI generated by Dall-E.

Thank you everyone for joining me in this journey. It took a while for me to finish this volume.

Read more in the third volume, Hero Adventurer.