Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 330: One Apple Tree

The woman, who had retrieved her horse, bent down to pick up a steel ingot that had fallen to the ground.

Through the torn sleeve of her shirt, I could see a dark red tattoo extending from her elbow.

A pure white light suddenly flowed down the tattoo and seeped into the ingot.

Geometric vertical lines etched themselves onto the steel ingot.

The woman’s face scrunched up as she concentrated her mana.

There was a flash of light and in the blink of an eye, the steel ingot had transformed into a sturdy plow.

The power to transform matter with mana—alchemy, and quite a high level of it.

“A plow? That’s something used for farming.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s strange. I’ve heard that there are no farmlands in the Fallen Dominion, so why a plow?”

The woman, who was trying to tie the plow to her horse, glanced briefly at me and asked tersely.

“…A wanderer?”

“Ah, yes. I arrived recently.”

“…Farmland exists. The Golden Lord is omnipotent.”

Mentioning the Golden Lord seemed to make the woman more talkative.

She continued speaking with unexpected passion, almost like a lawyer defending a case.

“…The Golden Lord frequently creates farmland. Wherever he passes, vast expanses of crops appear. The scale is so large that the Golden Palace has special Juggernauts dedicated to harvesting the crops….”

Huh.

I did think of that.

Although the Fallen Dominion’s primary income is from looting, it’s unlikely that they rely on something so unsustainable for self-sufficiency.

There had to be something that provided the country with a stable food supply… so it was the Golden Palace.

Everything in the Fallen Dominion is a product of the Golden Lord’s alchemy.

Given that, it’s no surprise that the Golden Lord, who can build colossal walls alone, wouldn’t create more farmland to sustain their nation.

But wait…

As I pieced things together, I suddenly realized something and asked again.

“Wait a second. The crops in the ‘farmland’ created by the Golden Lord… you mean he creates the crops directly?”

“…Yes.”

Hold on a moment.

This is huge.

Farmland where crops are slowly cultivated—that’s one thing.

But what if the crops themselves could be created at will?

If alchemy can instantly ripen grain…

“Whoa, that’s a game-changer. If you can produce food at will, there’s no need for supply chains.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s impressive, but why are you telling me this?”

Meanwhile, the woman was struggling to attach the plow to the horse.

She had finished creating the plow in an instant, but the simple task of attaching it was taking twice as long.

After wiping the sweat from her brow with her suspenders, she muttered softly.

“…Just know it, Military State man.”

I flinched.

How did she know I was from the Military State?

I instinctively showed a hint of caution as her eyes flicked briefly to my wrist.

One of the Military State’s inventions, the Bio-receptor which compresses and contains a person’s biological information—essentially an ID.

Could she have figured that out?

｢…Do you even realize how formidable the Golden Lord is or what kind of power you’re up against? You people, who revere someone like Maximilien as one of your Six Star Generals, don’t even grasp a fraction of his greatness.｣

Feigning surprise, I hastily covered my sleeve.

｢…Too late to hide it now, fool. Once spilled, you can’t gather water back into a cup.｣

Fine.

Now we’re even.

Because I know who she is too.

The Fallen Dominion, although it was a land with no permanent lords or ruling class, it did not lack hierarchy.

The raiders, or “Dholes,” may survive by looting, but looting alone isn’t enough to sustain life.

Someone had to produce the essential resources.

In a place littered with the Golden Lord’s remnants, where you can barely keep a small fire burning for a single day without alchemy, most of the Fallen Dominion’s people are proficient in alchemy.

Just as farmers learn agriculture and hunters learn to hunt, alchemy is necessary if you want to survive in the Fallen Dominion.

And among them, a select few stand out.

Chosen alchemists capable of working with the special remnants left by the Golden Lord—materials that cannot be broken down by force or mana.

The woman before me is one of the Fallen Dominion’s most powerful alchemists, far surpassing even Maximilien in the field of alchemy, though she is currently farming here.

“You’ve got sharp eyes.”

“…Noisy, for a spy.”

For this conversation to proceed, I’ll need to redefine our relationship.

A mere Dhole wouldn’t ask about the location of the Golden Palace or about the Golden Lord.

But now that I’ve revealed my Military State origins, I can ask.

“Now I understand why the ground here feels soft and has grass growing. This must have been farmland created by the Golden Lord in the past.”

“…”

“That’s why you set up camp here instead of in the city. After all, no matter how great alchemy is, food is still essential.”

“…”

“But I’m curious. If the Golden Lord can create crops, why aren’t there any growing here?”

I tapped my foot lightly on the ground and looked around.

There didn’t seem to be a water source nearby.

The only water for the woman’s crops came from a small watering can.

She had put up a makeshift fence, but it looked far too weak and short to protect her fields from anything that might want to steal from them.

Even if her crops did grow, the Dholes would likely plunder them before they ripened.

Or perhaps, the Golden Lord might pass by again and transform the field into something else entirely.

But still, she continued to till the land.

“This soil is exhausted. I guess it’s no surprise—farmland forcibly created on unsuitable land won’t last long.”

“…”

“The Golden Lord isn’t omnipotent, huh? Can he only imitate?”

“…You.”

“Or maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps the Golden Lord could fix the soil but just chooses not to. With enough care, he could even change the very quality of the land… but it seems he isn’t too interested in the Fallen Dominion.”

- Crack

The horse, completely terrified, neighed and charged forward. Behind the horse, the steel that had once been a plow scattered and fell.

The plow crumbled into black dust as if kicked by someone.

Once a solid piece of steel, it had rusted away in the blink of an eye.

No, “rusted” wasn’t the right word.

It had disintegrated.

The very structure that defined it as steel had collapsed.

The woman, who had ruined the plow in an instant, stared at me coldly.

“…Creation is harder than destruction.”

“Of course. I know that from building card towers. It’s tough to stack them, but if someone gives them a light tap, down they go.”

“…The Golden Lord continues that difficult work. I may not understand what the Military State thinks of him…”

｢…Compared to someone like me, who can only destroy, the Golden Lord is truly incredible, capable of creating anything. Given enough time, he could even recreate the world itself…｣

Sometimes you meet people like this—those who react more defensively when you attack something they admire rather than when you attack them directly.

This is one of those times.

When I target their hero, I get to see their true feelings.

“…Regardless. Whatever you do. I don’t care.”

｢…Whether you wage war or attempt assassination, it’s none of my concern. No matter what the Military State does, it can’t even touch the Golden Lord.｣

Her words were clumsy.

Lucky for her, I’m good at reading thoughts. Otherwise, communication would be a problem.

“…But, if you dare insult the Golden Lord.”

｢I’ll melt you myself.｣

She wasn’t bluffing.

Just by releasing her mana, the ground began to sink.

It wasn’t Earthweave, nor was it a specific Qi Art.

It was just that the land that had once been farmland was now collapsing as if the soil itself were breaking apart.

Pebbles and dirt crumbled, falling around her like sand trickling through an antlion’s pit.

One misstep and I might slide right into it.

She possessed a troublesome power—the Unique Magic of Disintegration.

It accelerates corrosion and decay.

Useless for me, though.

Since I rely heavily on tools, there’s no benefit in stealing it.

Time to put aside any conflict and start building rapport.

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. I have no intention of insulting the Golden Lord.”

“…Then?”

“I only pointed out your side’s weaknesses because you kept talking as if you had all the advantages. It was just to get the upper hand in negotiations.”

The mana eating away at the ground disappeared.

The woman, now calm, asked.

“…Negotiations?”

“Yes. We’re actually peace envoys sent by the Military State’s Chief Command.”

The woman responded with a doubtful look.

“…You’re not a spy?”

“If I were a spy, would I be traveling around so openly in a Military State vehicle? What kind of spy flaunts their ID like this?”

｢…I thought you were just an idiot.｣

Hey! That’s a bit harsh!

Sure, Azzy’s a bit dim, but I’m not.

I’ve gathered a lot of information, but I still don’t know the location of the Golden Palace or how to find it.

Even the higher-ups here don’t seem to know, which is absurd.

Still, this woman has visited the Golden Palace before and is one of the Fallen Dominion’s rulers.

She definitely knows more than we do.

Maybe I’ll try asking her.

“Well, this is fortunate. We’ve been having trouble finding our way and now I’ve met someone who’s met the Golden Lord. How about helping us out? You’d be contributing to world peace.”

“…World peace?”

“Well, that sounds grand, but really, all we need is for you to set up a negotiation meeting.”

“…Negotiation? With whom?”

“The Golden Lord, of course. Who else rules the Fallen Dominion?”

“…Are you serious?”

“Why do you sound so unsure? Is there a problem?”

｢…You want to directly negotiate with the Golden Lord? Are you fearless or just clueless?｣

The woman shook her head and replied.

“…Do as you like.”

“Does that mean you’ll help?”

“…No.”

The woman decisively refused, turning her back to look at the ground beneath her feet.

She sighed, staring down at the earth that now seemed more fit for construction than farming.

Is she planning to start over and farm again?

Tsk, no cooperation, huh.

“Well then, can you at least tell us the location of the Golden Palace?”

“…Don’t know.”

“Wait a second! At least give me some way to find it!”

“…Just do it normally.”

“What does ‘normally’ even mean? How is that normal if I don’t know where it is?!”

｢…Normally. Just follow the traces of the land and ask around as you go. There’s no other way.｣

So these people don’t even know where their own palace is!

Even with all the moving around, surely one of the people we’ve met should have known by now!

If it were some hidden secret location, I could use mind-reading to figure it out.

But if it’s always on the move, no one knows.

Tsk. Is there really no option but to walk around and ask?

“You don’t seem to have much else to do, what with all this farming. Wouldn’t you want to help guide us?”

“…No.”

“But we’re peace envoys! Blood, fire, and war! Isn’t it our duty to break the chain of these terrible tragedies and live peacefully together?”

“…Doesn’t concern me.”

｢…You call this place the Fallen Dominion, but it’s really just a collection of scavengers living off the scraps left by the Golden Lord. The Juggernauts do as they please, the corporations pursue their own profits, and no one follows anyone else’s orders. Maybe if the Golden Lord himself gave a command, things would be different.｣

She’s not against “peace” so much as she’s skeptical about “negotiation.”

She doesn’t believe meaningful negotiations can happen.

Ugh, what a shame.

I need to read the Golden Lord’s thoughts.

But if the Golden Palace turns hostile from the start, that won’t be easy.

As great as Mind Reading is, I need time and close proximity to dig into the past.

I don’t know what I’ll find at the Golden Palace, but for now, I need to approach them peacefully.

This woman is a follower of the Golden Lord and surely owns a Juggernaut of her own.

She would be helpful.

If I can’t persuade her right away, maybe I’ll lay some groundwork.

“Well, it’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. As thanks for the useful information you’ve given me, would you like me to share something with you in return?”

“…Not interested.”

“It’s a farming tip—something you nomads wouldn’t know. Still not interested?”

The woman paused in her tracks.

Her words and face may be hard to read, but her actions were honest.

She silently gestured for me to continue.

“Alright, listen closely. The most important thing when it comes to farming is…”

“…The most important thing?”

“Is an unbreakable spirit! Keep trying and don’t give up!”

“…”

“Ah, don’t give me that look. It was just a joke. Can’t a guy make jokes anymore?”

Though to be honest, that is the most important thing.

With a shrug, I added a little more.

“Every crop was once a wild plant with no fruit. Humans carefully selected the best plants and crossbred them over generations, creating better varieties. If people did that with humans, it’d be one of the top three Anathemas and everyone would throw stones at you, but with plants, it’s called selective breeding and is widely accepted.”

“…Better varieties?”

“You’ve got to find them! And that requires trial and error. No matter how good a variety is, you won’t know if it’ll thrive here until you plant it and see. You won’t know whether it will fail or succeed, so you’ve got to plant as many types of seeds as you can.”

She’s not farming because she’s short on food.

As one of the Fallen Dominion’s rulers, she certainly doesn’t lack money.

What matters more to her than the harvest itself is the fact that she can cultivate crops at all.

“…How do I get them?”

“There’s no such variety here in the Fallen Dominion, but nearby countries—like the Military State—have them! We even have companies that specialize in that sort of thing! All you have to do is sign a peace treaty!”

But as soon as the conversation circled back to the peace treaty, her interest cooled again.

“…You’re saying the same thing.”

“Well, what can I say? You’re not the only one planting seeds, you know. Whether or not it works, you’ve got to plant as many as possible.”

How’s that for my persuasive build-up?

Unfortunately, it seemed my efforts had little impact.

The woman completely ignored me and went back to making another plow.

She called her horse, secured the reins, and slowly drove the animal forward again.

Tsk. Nothing more I can do.

You can’t change the heart of a dedicated farmer.

“Tch. Fine, let’s go, Azzy.”

Azzy hopped up and ran over to me, excited.

“Woof! Meat treat!”

“You didn’t even catch the horse, so why should I give you a treat? No way. You’re getting bean porridge tonight.”

“Woof?! Liar!”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t jumped out and chased it I might give you some! But now I’ll not give you any! Don’t even dream about meat anymore!”

“Woooooooofffff!”

“Hey! I’m not the meat! Stop trying to bite me!”