Chapter 579, Section 578: The Problems Brought by Mushrooms
After their reunion, Sirius delivered the explanation he had prepared long ago.
In his account, he managed to defeat the enemy shrouded in mist by relying on a trump card he brought from his hometown, but he was also seriously injured.
After the fog cleared, he landed in a more distant location, where, by sheer coincidence, he discovered another group of demons.
They had no choice but to flee in another direction. By the time they recovered and returned, everyone in Jingu City had already left.
After that, he inquired about Vera's whereabouts while heading towards Mushroom City. It wasn't until recently that he finally found out Vera's location.
The twins were overjoyed to see Sirion again. Vera felt a little awkward, but she was also genuinely happy. However, her occasional subconscious withdrawal left Sirion speechless.
Only number five was quite afraid; whenever Sirius approached it, it would automatically shrink into a mushroom ball, and it was even vibrating.
There was no other way but to let Fei Yin take on number five.
The title of viscount bestowed upon Vera by Duke Lorenzo was not merely a title, but a real viscount with a fief.
Mist Fortress, located on the northwestern edge of the present-day kingdom, near the new defensive line, comprises several villages and a small stone fortress.
The basin region, with an area equivalent to two standard baronies, is not particularly fertile, but it has a small silverstone vein, making it a decent territory.
As night fell, the group heading to Oblivion Castle set up camp in a sheltered spot by the roadside.
The campfire crackled, illuminating several faces with different expressions.
“It’s like a dream… We actually have our own territory! Before, my biggest wish was just to save enough money to rent a small shop in Mushroom Capital and sell some potions or something,” Fei Yin sat by the fire with her knees drawn up, stretching out her finger and tracing lines in the air. “Now, it’s a whole piece of land, with villages and castles!”
Fei Ling, however, was not as happy as her sister.
“What’s there to be happy about? A territory is a burden. In the current situation, the demons will come back in a few years, and then Vera will probably be conscripted by that duke to take her place.” Her voice was muffled, and her eyes were full of worry. “If you ask me, it would be better to be a free adventurer. I think this title is just a responsibility that Duke Lorenzo forced on you, trying to tie you to the kingdom’s war machine.”
By this time, Vera had long since taken off her aristocratic attire and put on her familiar leather armor.
Seeing Philing's concern, Vera smiled and said, "Philing, I understand your worries, but even without this title, are we no longer human? The demons threaten everyone. The future will be no different from before. It's just a matter of doing what you can. Just treat this title as an unexpected bonus."
Fei Ling opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, when a figure came to the fireside.
Lorenzo, considering Vera's lack of manpower and experience, specially sent a group of people to assist Vera in the early stages of his rule. The leader of the group was an old butler with gray hair and meticulous manners.
He walked over and bowed slightly to Vera: "Viscount, I apologize for interrupting your conversation. However, I think you need to know some specific details about Oblivion Castle beforehand."
"Please speak, Mr. Harold."
Butler Harold cleared his throat: "The former lord of Mist Fortress was Viscount Clement. When the demons raided the border last time, he failed to fulfill his duty to defend the territory. Instead, he took most of his wealth and confidants and fled to the Dwarf Mountain Kingdom for refuge under the pretext of diplomatic negotiations."
Fei Yin let out an "Ah," while Fei Ling revealed a hint of disdain.
"After the war, Viscount Clement, seeing that the situation had eased, seemed to want to return and regain control of the territory," Harold continued. "However, Duke Lorenzo has officially issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of desertion, thus eliminating any hope of his return."
Vera nodded; he had no liking for such a deserter either.
"However, the Viscount's hasty escape caused a period of chaos in the territory. Many people fled due to fear or lack of governance. Although some returned after the war, the population of Oblivion Castle was nearly 40% less than at its peak."
He paused, glanced at Puji playing with the hem of Feiyin's clothes, and his tone became somewhat subtle: "And with the population decline and the land neglected... according to recent records, the growth of various mushrooms in the territory, especially in areas near the old forest and abandoned fields, seems to be unusually abundant."
"Mushrooms?" Vera raised an eyebrow, then shrugged dismissively. "A lot of mushrooms isn't a bad thing, is it? At least it means there won't be a famine here, which is much better than a wasteland."
Butler Harold gave him a deep look, offered no further explanation, and simply nodded respectfully: "You are right. In that case, please get some rest. We still have a long journey ahead tomorrow, and there will be many matters for you to decide upon once we arrive at Mist Fortress."
After saying this, he bowed and left.
A few days later, when Vera and his party finally arrived at the border of Mist Keep and stood on his territory, he instantly understood the meaning behind the butler Harold's meaningful look and the phrase "exceptionally lush".
It was completely different from what I had imagined—a scene of mushrooms growing by the roadside.
What first caught everyone's attention was the dark blue "forest" on the distant hillside.
Those weren't trees, but a cluster of fluorescent mushroom trees over ten meters tall!
The thick stem of the mushroom opens into a huge cap, beneath which hangs strands of mycelium, emitting purple spores that, if I remember correctly, have hallucinogenic effects.
Closer along the road, another eerie scene unfolds: a forest of greyish-white petrified mushrooms.
Vera looked around and then looked up at the sky.
"This isn't Puji Dungeon..."
Harold then came closer and explained:
"In fact, this ecological alteration has been ongoing ever since the mycelium spread to various places."
"Mushrooms do bring endless food and convenience, but they also have their side effects."
"The kingdom's cities and towns have always maintained normalcy in the surrounding areas by issuing tasks or carrying out organized clean-up operations. But as mentioned a few days ago, the local nobles and some of the people have run away. Without management, the mushrooms have grown into this state in just a few months."
After Harold mentioned it, Vera remembered that she had indeed seen a similar quest to clear the mushroom forest in the guild before.
However, those were all low-level tasks aimed at beginners, so they didn't pay much attention to them.
Looking back now, I'm shocked to realize that's how it all happened!
After touring the territory, I realized that the problem was indeed quite serious. Hallucinogenic spores and petrification were quite dangerous to ordinary people. Although the people of the territory did not lack food, their range of activities was greatly restricted.
The only place that wasn't covered in mushrooms was around the castle.
But looking at the marks on the ground, it was probably the result of Duke Lorenzo having someone specially clean it up not long ago.
"So many mushroom trees, how much manpower and how much time will it take to clear them all?" Fei Ling couldn't help but complain.
Harold suggested that they settle down first, and then Vera could ask the Duke for more support.
Just as everyone was still worrying about the flourishing mushrooms, Number Five, who already knew he would be settling down here temporarily, nimbly jumped down from Fei Yin's head.
A mysterious ritual dance was performed on a fungal carpet outside the castle.
As Number Five's body stretched and contracted, the two mushroom trees that hadn't grown tall yet on the fungal carpet were slowly decomposed by the carpet, and in their place emerged a sturdy mushroom house.
In less than ten minutes, a mushroom house suitable for Puji to live in was completed, exactly the same as the mushroom garden.
Without saying a word, Number Five crawled inside, leaving only its mushroom cap sticking out as it invited the stunned crowd to visit its new home.
Fei Yin was the first to run over and squeeze half of her body into the mushroom house.
Touching the soft, smooth mycelium bed, he exclaimed incredulously, "You actually have this ability!"
(End of this chapter)
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