Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 79 - 78: Cecilia’s Arrival

「Early morning.」

A magnificent carriage, drawn by four fine steeds, moved slowly along a country road in New Wood Town, its wheels leaving deep ruts in the muddy path.

Following the carriage was a troop of fully armed soldiers and respectful attendants, marching in neat formation through the mud.

At the front of the procession were several Knight’s Attendants on packhorses. They wore Chain Armor, with longswords at their waists, and scanned their surroundings.

A few powerful warhorses were led by attendants, their saddles draped with cloths embroidered with the Hans Clan’s coat of arms.

The dull thud of hooves on the muddy ground mingled with the soldiers’ marching, echoing along the country road in the early morning.

Inside the carriage, a girl of about six sat ramrod straight. Her long, golden hair was meticulously braided into a bun, revealing a smooth forehead and delicate features.

Though young, her azure eyes held a composure far beyond her years.

She wore a silk gown with intricate embroidery, its collar adorned with tiny pearls, making her look like an exquisite porcelain doll.

Across from the girl sat Knight Terence, clad in silver-gray armor.

This was the Knight who had grievously wounded Rotton on the border six years ago, causing a stir in the Duval Baron’s Domain. The years had etched a few lines on his face, but his imposing eyes remained unchanged.

"Miss Cecilia, this is the Duval Baron’s Domain," Terence’s voice echoed inside the carriage. "It is also your future territory."

Cecilia gazed out the carriage window and said in a soft, delicate voice, "It’s so run-down here. It’s much worse than the Viscount’s domain."

Terence’s voice was laced with scorn. "This is all due to the incompetence and foolishness of the new Baron Duval. When the former Baron was alive, the Duval Territory was so prosperous. But now..."

His gaze was suddenly drawn to a farmer by the side of the road.

A farmer in his twenties was scooping up a handful of dirt, letting it slowly sift through his fingers while muttering something under his breath.

This strange posture of prayer made Terence frown.

"Look," Terence said, pointing at the farmer. "Our new Baron hasn’t even bothered to properly spread the orthodox teachings of Oriane. Even the most basic prayer ritual has been distorted. This is clear proof of his poor governance."

Terence signaled the driver to stop.

He disembarked first, then turned to help Cecilia descend carefully from the carriage. The muddy road forced the girl to lift the hem of her dress.

The crops in the fields on either side of the road were growing reasonably well, but a few thatched-roof huts stood crookedly in the fields. The thatch on their roofs had turned black, exuding an air of decay and poverty from every corner.

Terence scanned his surroundings, his tone disdainful. "It’s even more wretched than when I was here five years ago."

He turned to Cecilia and asked, "Do you know the meaning of your name?"

Cecilia nodded slightly. "Healer of Heaven."

Terence said, "Precisely. Your father, and your grandfather, both hope that you will one day rule this domain, heal its wounds, and restore its former glory."

By now, they had walked up to the farmer.

Seeing this group of richly dressed people, the farmer was instantly terrified and stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

Terence demanded in a harsh voice, "Who taught you to pray like that?"

The farmer stammered, "I-it was a lord passing through. I saw him when I was a child and copied him. My lord, is... is this wrong...?"

"Of course it’s wrong!" Terence’s tone was severe. "The gesture of cradling the new moon and embracing the stars is the orthodox way to pray. Miss Cecilia, please demonstrate the proper prayer ritual for him."

Cecilia raised her hands and made a perfect gesture in front of her chest, her movements fluid and elegant.

Terence said to the farmer, "Did you see that? That is the correct way to pray. You must do it like that from now on." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Y-yes, my lord." The farmer nodded hastily.

Terence turned to Cecilia, his tone softening slightly. "Now, I want to teach you a principle. You can tell the state of a domain from the lives of its farmers. The better the farmers live, the more secure the domain’s tax revenue."

Cecilia tilted her head, asking in confusion, "Why is that?"

Terence explained patiently, "Managing a domain is like training a body. A healthy body gets stronger with training, but a weak body, even if it can complete the training for a time, will only grow weaker in the long run. The problem with the Duval Territory now is that its body is too weak."

He turned to the farmer and asked, "I’m right, aren’t I? Haven’t your lives been getting worse year after year?"

The farmer replied timidly, "You’re right, my lord. Life was indeed better when I was a child, then it got worse year by year. But things have gotten better recently. The taxes are getting lower and lower..."

The farmer clearly hadn’t fully understood the conversation between Terence and Cecilia, but he vaguely sensed that these important people didn’t want the farmers to be too badly off, so he added the last part.

"Has Sylvan gone mad?" Terence blurted out upon hearing this.

Cecilia looked at Terence in confusion. "Lord Lawrence, didn’t you say it was important for the farmers to live well?"

Terence said, "Making farmers’ lives better can’t be achieved by simply lowering taxes. What I just said was only the most superficial principle. Actually managing a domain is much more complex. For the Duval Territory to cut taxes like this is practically digging its own grave."

Cecilia suddenly asked, "Will you teach me about that now?"

Terence froze. He realized that as a man of Viscount Hans, he shouldn’t be teaching Cecilia these true principles of governance; he was only supposed to teach her the superficial ones.

At that moment, a flicker of understanding crossed Cecilia’s eyes, and she added, "I’ve seen that the other children in Lord Hans’s household don’t study these things."

Terence looked into Cecilia’s pure, innocent eyes and understood that perhaps it was just a child’s innocent remark.

He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You carry the blood of the Duval Clan. This is your birthright and responsibility."

Cecilia nodded obediently.

Terence paid the farmer no more mind and led Cecilia back onto the carriage.

As he returned to the carriage, he couldn’t help but reflect on his actions.

Over the past five years, he had watched Cecilia grow from a swaddled infant into the sensible little girl she was today. Unwittingly, he had developed an affection for her, which was why he had accidentally said things he should have kept to himself.

’I must be more careful next time,’ Terence admonished himself internally.

...

「Early morning.」

Murphy woke from his sleep to find Aurora sleeping soundly on his chest. Her curly golden hair was a bit messy, and a glistening trail of drool hung from the corner of her mouth.

He sighed helplessly. ’I really shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted and agreed to let her sleep with me last night.’

Sunlight fell gently on Aurora’s young face, dyeing her fine eyelashes gold.

Murphy unconsciously reached out and gently stroked her hair.

The slight movement woke the little girl. She mumbled drowsily, "Martha, help me get dressed..."

But she quickly realized something was wrong. Her eyes shot open, and she cried out in delight, "Brother!"

Murphy said coolly, "Since you’re awake, get up. Go wash up and get changed."

Aurora immediately hugged his arm, whining playfully, "No, I want Brother to help me get dressed."

Murphy tried to push her away. "I don’t know how. Let the Maid do it."

"Nooo~" Aurora pouted. "Brother already ate the cake I made for you yesterday, so you have to dress me today."

Murphy said helplessly, "Didn’t you already ask to sleep with me as payment?"

Aurora suddenly smiled slyly. "Does that mean if I make cake for Brother every day, I can sleep with Brother every day?"

Murphy couldn’t help but ask, "Why do you want to sleep with me? If you’re lonely, you can have a Maid stay with you, or you can go to Mother."

"No," Aurora shook her head, looking at him seriously. "Brother is lonelier."

Murphy was taken aback. Speechless, he said, "How am I lonely?"

"I can feel it," Aurora said, placing her small hand gently on his chest. "Brother worries about the domain all day and doesn’t have a wife to keep him company. You must be very lonely."

Murphy frowned slightly. "Who taught you to say these things?"

"Mother said it..." Aurora blurted out, then realized she’d let it slip. She quickly covered her mouth and hastily added, "But I felt that Brother was lonely first! Mother only said it after. She also said that Brother has been using the Knight’s Secret Medicine, trying to recover his former strength..."

Murphy naturally understood the Former Lady Baron’s intentions.

She didn’t lack love for Sylvan; it was precisely out of motherly love that she mistakenly believed her son needed emotional comfort, which was why she tacitly allowed Aurora to get close to him.

Of course, this was also mixed with considerations of power. She hoped her children would be harmonious so that power could be transferred smoothly in the future.

’Human nature is complex; it can’t be summed up by a single emotion.’

Murphy sighed softly. "Alright, I’ll help you get dressed."

Aurora happily threw herself into his arms. "Brother is the best!"

While dressing Aurora, Murphy couldn’t help but notice her small arms and legs. They were so slender and fragile, as if they would break with the slightest force.

’Just like this Duval Baron’s Domain, which I could also easily destroy in the future.’

"Brother, look!" Aurora suddenly pointed out the window. "The moss on the stone wall is glowing!"

Murphy followed her gaze. The morning sun was shining at an angle on the castle’s ancient stone walls. The moss that grew perennially in the cracks between the stones glistened with an emerald sheen in the light, as if draping the cold stone in a layer of soft velvet.

A faint light seemed to flow across the surface of the moss, making the entire wall radiate with vibrant life.

Aurora’s eyes widened in admiration. "It’s so beautiful..."

Murphy replied softly, "Yes, it really is."

...

At noon, Viscount Hans’s delegation finally arrived at Duval Castle.

Knight Terence rode at the very front on his warhorse, his silver-gray armor glinting in the sun. He was followed by several Knight’s Attendants, also on warhorses, the synchronized beat of their hooves echoing before the castle.

As the carriage slowly came to a halt, an attendant respectfully opened the door.

Cecilia stepped elegantly from the carriage, holding her skirt. Her golden bun was perfectly tidy, and her young face wore a solemn expression that belied her age.

Just then, the castle gates slowly swung open.

The Former Lady Baron stood within the gateway to welcome them, accompanied by Knight’s Attendants. Bernard the steward was close behind her.

She wore a deep blue formal dress, a polite smile on her face, but her eyes were as cold as frost.

Terence swung himself off his horse, his armor clanking sharply.

He gave a slight nod to the Former Lady Baron. "By order of Viscount Hans, I have escorted Miss Cecilia back to her ancestral land."

Cecilia stepped forward and curtsied, her form perfect.

The Former Lady Baron studied the girl, who was about Aurora’s age, and her smile deepened. "Welcome home, my dear child."