The Territory

Viscount.

Although it was only the lowest rank of hereditary nobility, it was enough for an ordinary person to achieve a leap in social class.

Moreover, this title could be promoted through future performance; it was a means for the Saintas Kingdom to select young talents.

Jiang Lin took the medal and documents, nodding slightly.

"Thank you."

The old man smiled, turned to face the audience, and raised his hands to signal for silence.

The applause gradually subsided, and the eyes of fifty thousand people refocused on the podium.

"According to custom, the champion of the national competition will receive a territory of their own."

The old man's voice echoed through the arena.

"After deliberation between the organizing committee and the Royal Inner Court, it has been decided that a total area of approximately one hundred and twenty square kilometers in the southwestern direction of the Royal Capital, adjacent to the edge of the Silver Pine Forest, is hereby granted to Viscount Jiang Lin as his fief."

A wave of envious whispers rippled through the stands.

One hundred and twenty square kilometers; this size was considered above average for a Viscount's territory.

Furthermore, it bordered the Silver Pine Forest, a place rich in magical beasts and rare medicinal herbs—a paradise for adventurers and alchemists.

"That territory... I remember it being quite desolate?" High in the stands, Aria put down her recording crystal and frowned. "I passed by there last time I went to the Silver Pine Forest to collect herbs. I only saw a few dilapidated villages; there wasn't even a proper road."

"Having land at all is good enough," Big Guy said with his arms crossed. "Besides, that place is close to the Royal Capital; you can get there in a day by horse. If they really gave you a piece of wasteland on the border, you wouldn't even bother going."

Aria thought about it and decided he was right.

Below the podium, the three elves stood quietly.

Fenrir had his arms crossed, his burly frame particularly conspicuous in the crowd.

Alicia was still in her silver-gray leather armor, the rapier at her waist glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Elune stood at the very edge, holding her long-cold cup of flower tea. Her lavender eyes watched the silver-white figure on the podium over the rim of the cup.

Her expression was calm, but her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.

After the award ceremony, Jiang Lin did not accept any interviews and immediately left the arena with the three elves.

In front of the Silver Crown Inn, the crowd of fans was even larger than yesterday.

Seeing Jiang Lin approach, the girls holding support signs immediately let out suppressed screams, but this time, no one rushed forward to stuff love letters into his hands.

This was because they all saw the three elves following behind him.

More precisely, they saw Elune.

Those lavender eyes swept calmly across the crowd. There was no hint of a warning, but for some reason, the girls simply... didn't quite dare to step forward.

"Who... who is that elf?"

"I don't know... maybe she's part of Jiang Lin's entourage?"

"An entourage member looks like that? Have you ever seen an entourage member who looks like that?"

"Look at the way she looks at Jiang Lin..."

"What way?"

"It's... that kind... oh, just look for yourself!"

Several girls huddled together and whispered, their gazes darting back and forth between Elune and Jiang Lin. Their expressions shifted from fangirl infatuation to curiosity, and then to an indescribable, complex look.

Next came the filler time of awarding other contestants and listening to speeches from officials.

The three elves felt a bit bored, so they left Jiang Lin on the podium and departed ahead of him.

An hour later, the award ceremony finally ended.

Jiang Lin, whose legs were somewhat numb from standing, was finally liberated.

He went through the contestant passage and exited through a side door, avoiding the reporters and fans still waiting at the main entrance, and took a long way back to the Silver Crown Inn.

The three elves had already returned.

Fenrir was sitting on the lobby sofa, holding a freshly printed extra edition of the Royal Capital Daily. The front page featured a large portrait of Jiang Lin standing on the podium.

"Teacher Jiang Lin, you're in the newspaper!" He held up the paper. "The entire front page is you!"

Jiang Lin took the newspaper and scanned it. The portrait was drawn in great detail; even the gold medal on his chest was meticulously sketched.

He folded the newspaper and put it into his spatial ring, paid the front desk to extend his stay, and then turned to head upstairs.

There was one thing he was quite interested in.

That was the territory reward he had received after the competition.

The territory wasn't large, only one hundred and twenty square kilometers, roughly twelve and a half li across.

Although it had been abandoned for a long time, it was his own territory nonetheless.

He sat in his room for a while before getting up and heading back downstairs.

The three elves were still in the lobby. Fenrir had ordered another plate of roast meat and was feasting heartily.

Alicia sat by the window reading a book, while Elune was at the front desk talking to the innkeeper.

"Let's go take a look at my territory."

Fenrir immediately put down his meat skewer, his eyes lighting up.

"Right now?"

"Right now."

Alicia closed her book and stood up. Elune also walked over from the front desk, a trace of curiosity in her lavender eyes.

The four of them left the inn, walked through the streets of the Royal Capital, and headed toward the southern city gate.

Big Guy and Aria were already waiting at the gate.

Big Guy had changed into light brown leather armor, with his signature broad-bladed greatsword on his back.

Aria was still wearing her deep blue casual clothes, with silver-gray goggles hanging around her neck and a small box filled with various detection instruments in her hand.

"I heard you're going to see your territory?" Big Guy grinned. "How could I miss out on something so interesting?"

"I'm going too." Aria adjusted her goggles. "There might be ancient ruins or rare mineral deposits in that territory of yours. I'll help you take a look."

...

The six of them exited the southern city gate and followed the official road all the way south.

Jiang Lin didn't use a spatial tunnel. After all, they weren't in a hurry, and he wanted to see the land that was about to become his along the way.

Large tracts of farmland lined both sides of the official road. The winter wheat had already sprouted tender green seedlings, shimmering with a faint light green under the afternoon sun.

Several farmers were resting on the embankments. Seeing Jiang Lin's group of six, they looked up curiously.

After walking for about two hours, the official road began to grow rugged, and the farmland was gradually replaced by wild grass and shrubs.

A series of low hills appeared ahead, covered in wild thorns and brush. A few old oak trees swayed in the wind, their canopies stripped of leaves, their bare branches tracing desolate lines against the winter sky.

"It should be here." Jiang Lin took the appointment certificate from his spatial ring and checked it against the map. "Another three li ahead is the central area of the territory."

Three li was not far.

When the abandoned mansion appeared before them, everyone fell silent.

It was a three-story stone-and-wood structure. The exterior walls were made of gray-white stone blocks, but many places had cracked and peeled away, revealing the blackened wooden frame inside.

More than half of the roof tiles were gone, and several large holes allowed a direct view of the interior beams. Several windows on the second floor were broken, their frames hanging askew and creaking in the wind.

The stone path in front of the door was submerged in weeds, its original outline barely visible.

The yard was overgrown with waist-high grass, and several dead trees lay toppled in the thickets, their trunks covered in withered vines.

"This..." Fenrir's mouth hung open. "This is your new home?"

"Well... it seems so."

Jiang Lin pushed open the yard's gate. The iron hinges let out a piercing screech.

He stepped through the weeds and looked around.

The mansion occupied a considerable area. There were four halls on the first floor alone, with several side rooms and storage rooms on either side.

Although dilapidated, the skeleton was still there. It should be habitable after some repairs.

"Teacher Jiang Lin, this house needs a serious overhaul." Fenrir followed behind him, looking up at the large holes in the roof. "At the very least, we need to patch the roof, or we won't be able to stay here when it rains."

"I know." Jiang Lin took several bags of gold coins from his spatial ring—the rewards from the competition. "I'll find someone to take a look tomorrow."

Aria was already squatting in the yard, opening her box of detection instruments to test the composition of the soil and stones.

She dug up a small clump of soil with a trowel, placed it into a palm-sized crystal container, added a few drops of reagent, and observed the color change.

"The soil fertility is decent; it can be cultivated to grow crops." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. "The foundation is made of gray granite, which is very sturdy. There are no major issues with the main structure. It's mostly the roof, doors, and windows that need renovating, and the interior decor will have to be redone."

Big Guy walked around the mansion and found a well at the back.

He peered into the well and tossed a small stone down, hearing a crisp splash.

"The well hasn't run dry. The water quality should be good."

Elune stood before the main entrance, her lavender eyes studying the faded wooden door.

There should have been a plaque on the door originally, but now only two rust-stained iron nails remained.

"The previous owner of this mansion must have also been a Viscount," she said softly. "Perhaps the family declined later, or they died in battle, and the territory was reclaimed."

Jiang Lin nodded and walked inside.

The main hall on the first floor was spacious. The floor was paved with stone slabs, and although a thick layer of dust had accumulated, the slabs themselves were not cracked.

Wallpaper clung to the walls, but most of it had peeled away or turned moldy, revealing the mottled surfaces underneath.

The fireplace was massive, taking up nearly an entire wall. Ashes from the last fire still remained in the hearth, left there who knows how many years ago.

He went up to the second floor, stepping on the creaking wooden stairs, and pushed open a half-closed door.

This was the master bedroom. The room was large, with a carved wooden bed against the wall. The frame was still there, but the bed slats had collapsed.

A dust-covered oil lamp sat on the bedside table, its shade shrouded in a layer of cobwebs.

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

The view outside was unexpectedly good.

Hills rolled in the distance, wild grass swayed, and a few old oak trees danced in the wind.

The horizon was dyed a golden red by the setting sun. A few birds flew past the treetops, letting out long, lingering cries.

"Not bad."

He murmured to himself.

There were indeed several large holes in the roof on the third floor. Sunlight streamed through the openings, casting pillars of light onto the floor.

Dust motes danced in the light like golden fireflies.

Jiang Lin stood in a pillar of light, his long golden hair shimmering with a faint halo. His golden eyes swept across the dilapidated attic.

The floor was old but not rotten.

The walls were mottled but not cracked.

Although this mansion had been abandoned for a long time, its bones were solid. Much like the soil of this territory, as long as someone was willing to cultivate it, it could burst with life once more.

He turned to head downstairs. The three elves were still wandering through the mansion.

Fenrir was checking the kitchen, Alicia was looking at the side rooms on the second floor, and Elune was standing before the fireplace on the first floor, reaching out to touch the stone bricks of the hearth.

"This fireplace can still be used," she said. "The flue isn't blocked. It just needs a cleaning to start a fire."

"I'll find someone to fix it tomorrow." Jiang Lin walked to the center of the hall. "We'll fix the roof and windows first, then clean the fireplace. The rest can be done slowly."

He took out the bags of gold coins and counted them; there was plenty left.

Repairing a mansion was more than affordable.

Big Guy walked in from outside, holding a wild rabbit.

"Just caught this in the bushes out back. We can have a little extra for dinner tonight."

Aria also came in, packing away her detection instruments.

"There's a vegetable patch in the backyard. It's overgrown, but the soil quality is fine. Planting some vegetables in the spring shouldn't be a problem."

Jiang Lin nodded, suddenly feeling that this dilapidated mansion was bit by bit becoming presentable.

Not because of how good it was, but because it was about to become his first home in this world.

Since he had transmigrated, he had lived in dormitories, hotels, elven manors, and his master's ice crystal pavilion.

But none of those had been his.

Only this dilapidated, repair-needing old mansion, situated among the border hills, was truly his.

He walked to the fireplace, reaching out to touch the cold, rough stone bricks. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a faint smile.

"Let's head back to the Royal Capital for tonight." He withdrew his hand. "I'll find some craftsmen tomorrow and bring them over."

The six of them walked out of the mansion, and Jiang Lin took one last look back.

The setting sun dyed the entire building a warm orange-red. The dilapidated details were blurred and softened in the twilight, lending it a touch of desolate beauty.

He turned and walked toward the official road.

It was already evening by the time they returned to the Royal Capital.

Jiang Lin went to the Craftsmen's Guild to find several well-regarded craftsmen and arranged for them to head to the territory early the next morning.

Then he visited the building materials market to order a batch of timber, tiles, stone, and paint, instructing them to deliver everything directly to the territory the following day.

Once everything was settled, he treated everyone to a meal at a small restaurant on the street.

Fenrir ordered a whole table of meat dishes and ate with great joy.

Big Guy and Aria chatted about recent rumors in the Royal Capital, and the three elves joined in. The atmosphere was relaxed and lively.

Jiang Lin sat in the corner, holding his teacup and listening quietly.

Watching their smiling faces, he suddenly felt that in some corner of this world, there was finally a place that truly belonged to him.

This feeling was very good.

...