Chapter 126: Expansion

Chapter 126: Expansion

As refugees from Sandstone City poured in this direction, the survivors of the Caravan also ran back. More than half the personnel were lost. Luckily, they had only wanted to test the waters initially, so the Caravan didn’t have many people. When the killing began, nobody targeted them specifically. It was just the great fire that came later; there was no way to deal with that. At that point, who could look out for anyone else? According to those who made it back, there might still be survivors. Some people fled through another city gate, and it would take some time for them to return.

Rebuilding the Caravan was not easy. Although Bran had no specific requirements for the Caravan—its members, size, and equipment were all about getting by with what they had—the biggest shortage right now was manpower. That a few people managed to run back conveniently saved trouble. There was no need to reassign people either. He let them rest for a couple of days, then continue on their way.

The few Caravan members were badly frightened by this incident, but at least they knew that if something happened, Bran would stand up for them. Even though the result of him standing up was worse than not standing up at all, it still gave them some courage. The biggest problem now was that this trip had been a total loss, and Bran was running out of resources.

Bran always stuck to the traditions of the Northlands. Weapons and armor that passed through his hands could never be sold off. He knew that releasing such things could solve many problems, but Bran would absolutely not do it. As for ornaments, Bran no longer thought about distributing them through trade channels. He was the City Lord, not a workshop owner. The best way was to let this city operate on its own.

But did this city have its own specialty product? At present, it had nothing. So it could only serve as a transit station, exchanging goods from the Northlands for furs, then transporting the furs out for more trade.

Thinking this far, Bran had a rough idea. So he called Earl in and instructed, “Pick a few brave ones, not afraid of death, to join the Caravan.”

Earl was stunned, not quite understanding. Was this for trade or for robbery?

Bran ignored his reaction and continued, “Let them rest and recuperate, then set off in a couple of days.”

“But we haven’t prepared the goods yet.”

Bran smiled mockingly. “What goods do we have? Don’t say such nice things.”

This truth made Earl blush a little. Although they were self-sufficient here, they really had nothing extra at the moment.

Bran went on, “No need to prepare. Just get my banner ready and carry it all the way to the Royal Capital. Don’t take too many people this time. Once there, send a message separately to the Dragon Rider, Anya, and the Royal Family. It’s time for compensation for the last incident. If I don’t see compensation soon, I will go and take it myself.

Also, tell the messengers not to be afraid. If anyone dares to harm them, just continue with the next part of the message. If any of them are killed or injured, I will demand a hundredfold repayment, no less.”

Earl was somewhat dumbfounded. This really was about robbery! But the problem was, could these messengers even come back alive? Also, just showing up like this, would people even know who he was? So he couldn’t help showing a troubled expression on his face.

Seeing Earl’s reaction, Bran asked, “Any problems?”

Earl voiced his concerns, then suggested, “It would be better to convey this through Zoya’s family. That would be more suitable. We can send people to wait at the Royal Capital for the result.”

“Fine, do as you say.”

After dealing with the Caravan matter, Bran visibly relaxed. Seeing this, Danny reminded him, “They won’t pay you any mind.”

“It would be best if they did, but it’s just an excuse to see how various parties react.”

“And then?”

Bran let out a long sigh. “Only violence. Especially when dealing with them, what else can I do? The city was burned down; there’s nothing left, and my reputation is completely ruined. Since it’s already like this, it doesn’t matter anymore. One city is gone, there will be another. I must get what I want.”

Bran decided to smash the broken pot since it was already cracked.

…

These past few days, Bran seemed to sit under the tree without saying a word, but in fact, the Ancient Tree had been questioning him nonstop. Bran wasn’t in the mood to chat with the Ancient Tree, so he directly transmitted his own experiences to it, which finally made it quiet down.

Today, noticing Bran’s mood had improved, the Ancient Tree brought up a topic it was interested in. “That fire was really beautiful.”

Bran sighed. “You really like fire?”

“Hmm, I like it very much.”

Bran mocked, “Have you been struck by lightning?”

“How did you know?”

Bran was speechless for a moment. Considering the Ancient Tree’s lifespan and its height far exceeding the surrounding ordinary plants, being struck by lightning probably wasn’t a small probability event. The Ancient Tree’s reaction indicated it remembered it clearly. It seemed he needed to find this memory and take a careful look.

“Didn’t you catch fire back then?”

“No, I just emitted a puff of smoke.” It carried a clear tone of deep regret.

Bran suddenly realized the Ancient Tree’s nature was different from ordinary trees. Fire might not pose as big a threat to it as imagined. Burning was a fierce chemical reaction, a process releasing light and heat. Then what about mana?

“Come! Give me one of your leaves.”

“What are you going to do?” the Ancient Tree asked with vigilance and reluctance.

“Light a fire. Don’t you like fire?”

“Okay! How many do you want?” The Ancient Tree immediately became interested.

“One leaf.”

“Too few. That’s not enough, right?” The Ancient Tree shook its crown.

“One first. Let’s see if it can catch fire!”

A huge leaf fell and was caught by Bran’s outstretched hand. Under the watchful eyes of Danny, Huahua, and the Ancient Tree, Bran fetched a burning torch, stuck it in front of him, and tried to light the leaf. It had no effect. This lush green leaf remained completely unaffected. The sooty part, when wiped lightly by hand, revealed the green leaf surface again.

After thinking, Bran plucked one of his own hairs and extended it toward the torch. It didn’t curl and burn as expected. Hesitating for a moment, he stretched his hand toward the flame. It was hot, but just hot, nothing more.

Amid the Ancient Tree’s disappointed complaints, Bran handed the leaf to Danny. “For you. Keep it safe. This is probably its largest leaf. It was really willing to part with it just to play with fire.”

Bran held up his own hair and pondered. A fierce reaction? The principle seemed simple. What if he could release mana all at once? Achieving that was really not easy. This storage method was very stable. Just think of the one behind him that got struck by lightning—it only emitted a puff of smoke.

As Bran thought, the Ancient Tree also realized lighting a fire probably didn’t require using its own body. So it grew somewhat angry. “You have to compensate. Just use this torch in front of you.”

Bran waved generously, agreeing to the Ancient Tree’s demand, and then went back to his random thoughts.

Recalling that fire, it was scorching. Why did he feel that heat from so far away back then? How did he feel the heat at that time? Bran thought back carefully. This made his thoughts a bit chaotic. There were too many aspects involved—heat, waves, radiation, etc. Bran, who wasn’t very clear about these, desperately tried to recall.

Mana began to fluctuate accordingly, and the temperature around him gradually rose. Although much of the knowledge was no longer clear, mana had a detailed and clear record of the scene at that time. It was a rare great fire. Gradually, in Bran’s mind, there was nothing else but fire.

Until he was startled awake by the Ancient Tree’s urgent voice. “Teach me! You must teach me! I don’t want this torch anymore. You have to compensate me with something else.”

Only then did Bran notice his clothes were slightly singed. Danny had already retreated to a distance, but that was all. It was still far from the high temperature he wanted. It seemed he needed to capture two Wizards who could cast fire to understand their Mana Fluctuation.

Thinking this, Bran said, “No need for me to teach. Use your Magic Field to mimic the fluctuations of that great fire. Gradually remove what you think is irrelevant. And don’t set our home on fire. Remember, you can only play within this range.”

Bran gestured with his hand in front of a small area, strictly limiting the scope. If the Ancient Tree messed up, the consequences would be unthinkable.

After this commotion, Bran also completely let go. As for Wizards, they should focus more on their own fields, gaining knowledge and experience from different phenomena. A rare great fire—he should observe and understand all the phenomena produced by this fire from within it. He should let go when needed; continuing to dwell on it was useless.

With his mind at ease, Bran continued his daily life. He sat under the tree watching the Ancient Tree play with fire and watched Zoya practice her killing skills diligently.

Refugees finally stopped emerging from the forest, and the resettlement work entered its final stage. After replanning and dividing the area, land was allocated per person for building houses and reclaiming wasteland right there. The heavy daily work left these people no time for sorrow and reflection.

The Remnant People in the northern part of the city, seeing the refugees being allocated land and building houses, couldn’t help feeling envious. Through Earl, they expressed their desire to also have a piece of land. Bran was happy to see people from the city migrating outward, so he wasn’t stingy. With a wave of his hand, he continued the allocation. This place was originally sparsely populated with vast land. Since people wanted land, he gave it. But with his method of allocation, the border had already extended to the foot of Twofold Mountain. Although everyone understood the allocated land still belonged to disputed territory, since the Northlanders said it was fine, then it must be fine.

Boundary stones were erected one by one, all made by Bran’s own hand. Outsiders wouldn’t understand why Bran insisted on handling such trivial matters personally, nor would they know that as these boundary stones were buried and erected, this land truly came under his control. And his Mana continuously seeped and soaked into the surroundings through these stones until it merged with the environment, becoming inseparable. Now the Mana emitted by the boundary stones connected with Bran, Huahua, and the Ancient Tree, beginning to slowly rotate. As the Mana circulated, this permeation would become faster and faster, and eventually this land would become an extension of their will.

…

While Bran was heavily engaged in development and construction, the Delegation setting out from Lava City finally, dragging their feet, entered the Green Kingdom. At the same time, they received Bran’s warning, a warning with a clear tone of contempt.

They all thought Bran didn’t know his place. They also deeply regretted Tirui’s performance—he actually sent people specifically to wait here, making a fuss over a minor issue. A threat? That was normal. They had issued such threats before; who really paid attention?

At this moment, Pachu in the Green Kingdom’s capital was sitting with his companion from the White Robes. His companion had always felt deeply apologetic and grateful for his return, but everyone could only sigh helplessly. He had chosen to return to his companion’s side, almost cutting off his own dreams. But Pachu had also come to terms with it; how could everything go as desired when making choices?

He still remembered Bran’s words. What if your Mana could cover the entire battlefield? Was it possible? Could Bran really do it? That casual ease and confidence, that indifferent attitude, didn’t seem like a lie. But clearly, he felt Bran’s Mana range was only a few dozen meters around him. Or had he overlooked something?

Since returning, Pachu had been quiet and withdrawn. His companions thought he was somewhat disheartened. Actually, he was just recalling the details of his time beside Bran, trying to find solid evidence. Pachu looked up and gazed into the distance. The sky was clear and bright; distant mountains, white clouds—everything was clearly visible to his eyes.

Wrong! Pachu suddenly jolted. When he had gazed into the distance beside Bran, although everything was still visible, it definitely wasn’t this clear. It was as if there was a layer of fog, a layer of veil. When he moved around in Northland City, it had always been like that. Because his own abilities didn’t seem affected at the time, he hadn’t paid much attention. Now, thinking back, Bran sat under the tree every day, seemingly placing no restrictions on his actions, but probably every move was under Bran’s control. Thinking of this, he broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily, he had genuinely gone to seek refuge and learn back then.

Thinking of this, Pachu couldn’t help but slap his thigh. Under his companion’s surprised gaze, he exclaimed, “Too terrifying!”