Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Late at night, the light in the young head maid’s room was still on.

Xiaoling circled Xiaolan, walking round and round.

She was like a stonemason admiring a newly carved work of art. Her gaze held a hint of inquiry and a touch of awe, which finally melted into wholehearted relief.

Xiaolan stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, helplessly wringing the hem of her nightgown.

Being scrutinized by her younger sister like this, her cheeks were flushed so red they looked as if they might bleed.

"Sister." Xiaoling stopped pacing, her expression serious.

"I must admit, your performance was far better than I ever expected."

She reached out a finger and gently caressed the red, swollen spot on Xiaolan’s forehead, which had been treated with ointment but was still clearly visible.

"In any Knight novel, this would be considered the most dream-like of beginnings."

This comment made Xiaolan feel even more mortified, and she hung her head lower.

Her younger sister, however, had a look of relief in her eyes.

She knew her sister’s personality all too well: timid and weak, with no idea how to use her own strengths.

But everything that happened tonight had, by a stroke of luck, achieved the best possible outcome.

An unintentional mistake;

A perfectly timed moment of physical contact;

A clumsy yet sincere kiss.

Xiaoling believed that Lord Velin would be completely unable to resist such a delicious cake that had delivered itself to his door, one tinged with a bit of dazed innocence.

His personally applying the ointment for her sister was the best proof of all.

Thinking this, the last wisp of worry in Xiaoling’s heart dissipated.

She could now follow Miss Lilia to the Duchy’s Royal Capital with peace of mind.

Her sister’s future was now secured with a truly sturdy lock.

...

The fatigue of the journey back to his territory didn’t affect Velin.

Kael came to pick up Xiaolan.

Velin, however, rode straight to Mist Spring Valley.

At the valley entrance, the old Mage Valerius and his magic apprentice, Ryo, had been waiting for a long time.

Behind them was a construction team composed of fifty able-bodied men.

At the front of the group, Tumo’s presence was a slight surprise to Velin.

This man, who had answered the Lord’s Mansion’s call multiple times in the square, was now standing tall and straight, looking every bit the leader of this team.

Velin didn’t address the construction team first. Instead, he summoned Valerius and Ryo to a temporary tent to the side.

He slowly unrolled a huge, hand-drawn blueprint.

"We are going to build an unprecedented Magic Potion Garden here!"

"Ryo, bring out the aether concentration distribution map you surveyed."

Ryo quickly presented another map marked with different colored blocks.

Velin stacked the two identically sized sheets on top of each other.

The moment the light from the Magic Lamp shone through the papers, both Valerius’s and Ryo’s breath caught in their throats.

Under the light, the two drawings were no longer simple lines and color blocks.

They merged into one, forming a blueprint that possessed an aesthetic born of both engineering and mysticism.

The once-erratic lines, varying in width, now precisely divided the different colored aether sectors. It looked like colorful ribbons arranged according to some hidden rule, or like the surface of water stirred into swirling ripples.

It all converged into a circular structure that was a marvel to behold.

"We are going to reshape the entire valley’s terrain," he said, gesturing with his finger on the blueprint. "We will level and compact the land of the entire Mist Spring Valley, transforming it into a giant funnel that slopes slightly toward the center."

"The center of the funnel will be that lake, which we’ll use to cultivate aquatic Extraordinary plants."

"With the lake as the center, we will cultivate radiating, circular fields for the Magic Potions. We’ll build irrigation canals between the fields, using the differences in elevation to create a gravity-fed irrigation system."

*(Something like that, but in reality, it’s more like the distinct rings in Van Gogh’s Starry Night.)*

Next, Valerius stepped forward to report on his work progress.

"My lord, as per your request, I believe the Geomarrow Worms and Radiant Butterflies meet the requirements. The first batch has already finished breeding. They can effectively break down toxins in the soil and assist with plant pollination. They perfectly fit your requirement of ’mutualistic symbiosis’."

Velin nodded and continued, "Plant different Magic Potions in intervals. Plant the Echo Orchid next to the Mist-Sucking Ancient Tree, using its canopy to provide clean air and shelter. The Echo Orchid, in turn, will attract the Geomarrow Worms, which will improve the soil and eliminate harmful fungi."

"You should design more planting combinations like this. We are going to create a self-sufficient, interdependent, three-dimensional ecosystem here."

"Finally, defense." Velin pointed to the outermost edge of the blueprint. "Plant Stone Skin Soft Vine along the valley’s edge. They will be our first city wall."

The old Mage looked at the wildly imaginative blueprint and felt that everything he had learned in his entire life was being overturned.

He dared say that the design philosophy of this blueprint alone was enough for the scholars in the Royal Capital to study for a lifetime.

After the technical meeting, Velin stepped out of the tent and walked toward the workers who had been waiting for a long time.

Tumo and the workers gazed at the vast valley, their eyes filled with confusion.

For just fifty of them to complete the grand blueprint the lord had described would probably take several years.

Velin saw through their thoughts. Without a word, he led the group toward a dark cave deep in the valley.

The guards worked together to move the barricade, and a foul, fishy stench assaulted them.

CREAK... CREAK...

A sound echoed from deep within the earth.

"Magical Beast!"

Unease showed on the workers’ faces.

Tumo shuddered in fear but still forced himself to stand in front of the others. The only reason he didn’t run was that Lord Velin was still standing there, completely motionless.

The next moment, ten massive black creatures, each a size larger than an ox, slowly crawled out from the shadows of the cave.

Their bodies were entirely covered in carapaces like Obsidian, gleaming with a metallic luster. Six thick, jointed legs supported their bodies, each step causing the ground to thud heavily.

A black torrent swarmed out of the nest. They were Sarah’s children, perfect biological engineering units—the [Worker Ants].

This was a batch Caroline had produced during this time.

Velin gave a simple introduction.

The lord’s personal explanation gradually calmed the workers, their expressions shifting from fear to shock.

Tumo, in particular, stared intently at the Worker Ants, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

Velin took out the [Animal Communication Potion] from his coat.

He had Tumo drink the potion, then try to give a command to the Worker Ants.

Forward.

The Worker Ants obediently took a few steps forward.

Seeing that Tumo had gotten the hang of it, Velin distributed nine more bottles.

"Now, they are under your command."

Soon, everyone mastered the trick and began working with high efficiency.

Digging, hauling, leveling!

Their strength was immense, and they were tireless.

A boulder that one Worker Ant could lift would require twenty men to even budge.

With the help of the Worker Ants, the construction in Mist Spring Valley progressed at lightning speed.

The grand blueprint was turning into reality at a speed visible to the naked eye.

「The last day of August, evening.」

Velin was crouching in front of a small pit. Inside was the seed from the Blood-sucking Vine. Half a month after drinking its fill of the Gray Swamp Giant Crocodile leader’s blood, the vine had finally borne fruit. Velin had just planted its seed in a relatively central location within the Magic Potion Garden.

Just then, a [Silver-Gray Messenger Falcon] cut through the twilight and landed silently on Velin’s shoulder.

Tied to its leg was an exquisite message tube, stamped with the thorn-and-flower crest of the Klein Clan.

Velin removed the message. It was a letter from Lilia, written in her own hand.