Chapter 3: My Island
The scorching sunlight poured down, accompanied by the sea breeze, making the entire small pier feel stifling and oppressive.
A chubby man stood under the sun, sweating profusely, his gaze fixed on the approaching carriage drawn by two Blazing Fire Horses, flanked by four tall knights.
As soon as he saw the carriage slowing down, he hurried forward.
But before he could get close, a knight clad in leather armor drew his sword and blocked him coldly. "Do not approach!"
The blade gleamed under the sunlight—it was unmistakably a magic weapon.
"That thing is probably worth more than an entire island."
Former Reef Island lord Bartos was so shocked that he immediately halted, looking pitifully at the figure stepping out of the carriage at an unhurried pace.
The other residents in the area also had their eyes fixed on the luxurious carriage. Seeing the gemstones embedded all over it, glistening under the sun, fear flickered in their dull eyes, and they lowered their heads submissively.
The current lord, Croyer, emerged from the carriage, holding his staff. He was dressed in a deep blue mage robe, his expression calm as he stepped out unhurriedly.
He raised his gaze to survey the surroundings—low stone houses, small boats anchored further out at sea, and frail-looking people in tattered clothes.
Just from the people's appearance, it was clear—his territory was impoverished beyond measure.
"A long road ahead indeed."
His expression remained unchanged as he turned his attention to the trembling, chubby man in front of the carriage.
"Everyone else looks malnourished, yet you’re this fat?"
A hint of amusement flashed in Croyer’s eyes, making Bartos shudder even more—he was deeply afraid that this new mage lord intended to kill him.
Amidst this nerve-wracking moment, Croyer finally spoke. "Report the situation on Reef Island."
Bartos heaved a sigh of relief and quickly started his report. "Respected Mage Lord, Reef Island has a total of one hundred thirty-five households, with a population of two hundred eighty-four."
"There is a Grade 1 Magic Ore Mine producing White Iron Ore, which generates an annual tax revenue of two magic gold coins."
"Such a small population?" Croyer frowned.
Seeing Croyer’s displeasure, Bartos panicked and quickly explained, "My lord, this is not my fault..."
"A year ago, a baron forcibly took away many people. The island should have had over seven hundred inhabitants!"
"He took five hundred people at once?" Croyer wasn’t even surprised that Bartos hadn’t resisted. A baron, though the lowest rank of nobility, was still a noble.
Someone like Bartos, a mere island lord, had no power to stop him. He was probably forced to send them off with reverence.
Croyer asked for the baron’s name—after all, someone who took his people would have to pay the price once his own power grew.
But Bartos didn’t know.
That left Croyer speechless.
"You don’t even know his name?"
Seeing the dissatisfaction in Croyer’s eyes, Bartos immediately dropped to his knees. "If my lord is willing to trust me, I pledge my loyalty to you! I will continue to manage Reef Island under your rule and never make a mistake!"
"Hah, weren’t you supposed to serve me from the beginning?"
Faced with Bartos’s pledge, Croyer neither accepted nor outright refused. Instead, he simply said, "Let’s take a look at the island first. Robert, you take him along."
The butler, Robert, immediately understood. "Yes!"
By "taking him along," he meant keeping him under strict supervision.
Though Croyer was now the rightful lord of the island, there was no telling whether this former lord was hiding anything or had ulterior motives. He wouldn't even be allowed to leave until Croyer had a full grasp of the island’s situation.
As a mage, Croyer naturally had the authority to enforce such measures.
Leniency could be shown to his own trusted subordinates, but for outsiders, there was no need to be merciful. Otherwise, they might develop ambitions that should never take root.
Hierarchy must be maintained—at least until he had the power to crush any opposition. That was the natural order of this world.
...
Soon, Bartos led Croyer and his entourage onto a ship.
Fortunately, the vessel was large enough to accommodate the carriage and several horses without issue.
After about seven or eight minutes of sailing, the outline of an island appeared in the distance. Using the Eagle Eye Spell, Croyer took a closer look at his new domain.
The island was elliptical in shape, covered in lush green vegetation. The terrain appeared flat, with only a single small hill, which barely qualified as such.
Atop that hill stood a castle.
It overlooked the entire island.
At first glance, Croyer found it acceptable.
At least it wasn’t a barren wasteland. With such abundant vegetation, there had to be a sufficient freshwater supply—and perhaps even undiscovered magic veins.
The ship soon docked.
The first to disembark were the four knights, armed with swords. Then came Robert and Bartos, followed by Croyer and the carriage.
Waiting at the shore was the island’s entire population.
Like those at the pier, most of them were bare-chested, their skin darkened from the coastal sun—a clear sign of a seaside lifestyle.
They seemed slightly healthier than those at the dock.
Though it was unclear how long they had been waiting, they were all drenched in sweat.
"Does the island have more resources?"
He didn’t dwell on it. His gaze swept across them briefly before Bartos and the knights led the way toward the lord’s castle.
As they passed through the crowd, Croyer casually waved a hand, signaling them to disperse and resume their work. There was no reason for them to waste an entire day just to welcome him.
That would be putting the cart before the horse.
The journey wasn’t long, but Croyer deliberately slowed his pace, scanning the surroundings for unexpected discoveries—perhaps rare magic plants.
He found nothing.
A little disappointing, but he quickly became intrigued by the towering trees around him.
The island was filled with tall coconut trees, their coconuts hanging in neat clusters—large and white.
"White coconuts?"
"Aren’t they only white on the inside?"
Something about them seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had read about them before, but he couldn't recall exactly where.
This reminded him of the freshly squeezed coconut juice he had once enjoyed, making him crave a drink. Even mages, after all, felt thirsty after hours under the sun.
Yet strangely, the coconuts remained untouched.
"Coconuts can quench thirst and provide sustenance. Why hasn’t anyone picked them?"
Pondering the reason, he quickly realized why.
Everything on the island belonged to the lord. Without his permission, the people wouldn’t dare pick even a single fruit.
Shorter trees might be an exception, but coconut trees were tall—climbing up only to get caught would be foolish.
Shaking his head at the thought, he continued strolling, enjoying the scenery at a leisurely pace, as if on vacation.
Seeing Croyer's interest in the surroundings, Bartos eagerly flattered him, claiming he had personally protected these coconut trees, even relocating the best ones to this area for Croyer’s exclusive enjoyment.
At first, Croyer humored him, but as the flattery grew excessive, he curtly ordered him to shut up.
Oddly, after being silenced, Bartos looked even more submissive—as if he would have wagged a tail had he possessed one.
After half an hour, Croyer finally arrived at his castle—a stone fortress built atop the small hill.
By modern standards, it was crude, but compared to the stone houses he had seen earlier, it stood out magnificently.
A three-story castle could indeed appear majestic here.
However, what truly caught Croyer’s attention was not the castle—but a peculiar creature at its entrance.
It resembled an oversized rat, yet its expression was oddly serene as it chewed on grass.
In his mind, a message suddenly appeared—
[A suitable magic beast for the Star Spirit Engraving Technique has been discovered: Kaba Beast. Activate Star Spirit Engraving to examine the magic beast’s Star Spirit Form for spell engraving.]