[Leif’s POV — Raventon Outskirts—Morning Mist]

The sky blurred beneath Zephyy’s wings—blue, silver, then white as we cut through morning clouds. Raventon’s forests stretched below like a dark, tangled sea. Beautiful. Haunted. Older than any kingdom drawn on a map.

Cold wind bit my cheeks. I didn’t mind.

Cold was better than feeling anything warm right now.

"Master!" Zephyy’s voice echoed in my head as he circled down. "We’re close! I can sense the spirits already—they’re watching us!"

"Please do not antagonize them," I muttered.

"I would never! " he said, offended. Then added smugly, "Unless they start it first."

I sighed.

We landed by the outer camp, where the knights had already set up a temporary post. Banners fluttered. Horses stamped their hooves nervously—they always reacted to Zephyy’s aura.

Sir Cedric , tall and well-mannered, stepped forward.

He bowed.

"My lord, welcome," Cedric said briskly, already holding a clipboard thicker than my patience. "The men are ready for your inspection. Shall we begin with the construction site or the new vineyards?"

I stared at him.

"...Cedric, I just landed."

Roland blinked. Cedric blinked harder. Even Zephyy blinked.

Then Cedric cleared his throat, expression painfully earnest. "Then... do you wish to rest first, my lord?"

I rubbed my eyes. "No. If I rest, I’ll fall asleep for three days straight and wake up in another existential crisis."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Understandable. Then... your command?"

I sighed. The forest was humming. My heart was still cracked in three different directions. And the last thing I wanted was to stand still and feel anything.

"Call everyone," I said. "I want to know the progress before anything else."

Cedric bowed instantly. "At once!"

He sprinted off so dramatically he nearly tripped over a barrel.

Zephyy whispered, " Master, that knight smells like despair and ink."

"...Zephyy, for once in your life, be normal."

"I refuse."

Knights were gathering, workers lining up with scrolls and tools, everyone standing sharp and ready—like an army preparing for a construction war.

Uncle Luthein stepped forward with Daren trotting beside him, beard shaking proudly with every step.

"Leif," Uncle called.

I managed a smile. "Is everything going as planned, Uncle?"

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Yes. Surprisingly, the dwarves are good at listening."

Daren puffed up instantly. "We dwarves always listen to unique ideas!"

Uncle Luthein looked at him with the expression of a man reconsidering all life choices. "...Noisy too."

Then he turned back to me, all business. "We inspected the most heavily flooded area. We measured the water levels—current, projected, and worst-case scenario. If heavy rain pours again, the consequences could be... let’s say dramatic ."

"...Dramatic?" I repeated.

Cedric whispered behind me, "He means half the lower valley will turn into a bathtub."

"Thank you, Roland," I muttered.

Uncle Luthein continued, "Building houses on water is... challenging, as you know. So before anything else, we must verify the stability of the entire water system. There’s still the dam to inspect."

Daren nodded vigorously. "Aye. The dam your knights reinforced last month"—he clicked his tongue—"is temporary. Very temporary. It wouldn’t survive a real storm. Like... not even a dramatic one. More like a drizzle with an attitude."

I blinked. "...That bad?"

"It’s basically made of hopes and sticks," Daren said gravely.

Zephyy whispered on my shoulder, "I could sneeze and destroy it."

"Please don’t," I murmured.

Daren jabbed a thumb behind him. "So the first step is to strengthen the dam. Reinforce it with mana-conductive stone. Otherwise everything we build will sink the moment nature sneezes."

Uncle Luthein nodded. "Yes. Infrastructure first."

I exhaled. "Alright then. Let’s go inspect the dam first."

Daren grinned. "Good! Maybe it already collapsed before we got here."

Luthein elbowed him. "Stop scaring him."

"I’m not scaring him," Daren protested. "I’m preparing him!"

"Preparing me for what?" I asked suspiciously.

Daren glanced at the sky dramatically. "Floods. Panic. Chaos. Screaming knights—"

"DAR—EN."

He straightened immediately. "I will speak no further."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Let’s just go."

Uncle Luthein smiled. "We’ll lead the way."

The group began moving toward the forest path, the workers scattering to their stations, Cedric clutching his clipboard like it was the last thread tying him to sanity.

Zephyy climbed atop my head. "Master, I can feel spirits here!"

***

[Raventon Village—Dam—Later]

Wind swept across the cliffside, carrying the distant roar of water. The dam stretched below us—old, cracked, and wobbling just enough to make my heartbeat consider early retirement.

"During the rainy season," Cedric began, "Raventon faces massive rainfall. The river flowing from the Velgard Kingdom is enormous. When Raventon belonged to them, they barely protected it."

"Barely?" Daren snorted. "They didn’t protect it at all. That dam is held together by moss, wishes, and bad decisions."

Cedric cleared his throat. "Ahem—yes. They didn’t install a proper levee or barrage. The original design was outdated, and maintenance was... ignored for decades."

I nodded slowly, watching the water churn against the aging structure. "We all know Velgard avoided this place. They treated Raventon like a forgotten backyard. That’s why we acquired it without much conflict."

Uncle Luthein folded his arms. "Neglect breeds opportunities, I suppose."

I sighed. "So... what do you suggest?"

Cedric stepped closer to the edge, his voice steady. "We have three issues, my lord."

He lifted one finger.

"One—water pressure. If heavy rain comes, the current dam will crack. Maybe immediately, maybe within a week."

Daren muttered, "More like immediately."

Cedric lifted a second finger. "Two—the riverbed is uneven. Strong water flow will carve under the foundation. That means eventual collapse."

Uncle Luthein hummed thoughtfully. "We’ll need deep reinforcement pillars."

Cedric lifted his third finger. "And three—the floodplain behind the dam is already saturated. If the dam fails, Raventon village will be underwater in ten minutes."

"...Ten minutes?" I echoed. "Okay. So the dam is basically a ticking water bomb."

Cedric nodded with the enthusiasm of a man who has accepted doom as a lifestyle. "Yes, my lord."

I inhaled deeply. "Alright. Tell me the solutions."

Daren stepped forward immediately, eyes gleaming with professional excitement. "First—we rebuild the dam with mana-conductive stone. Strong, durable, self-repairing, and doesn’t cry when it rains."

Cedric nodded. "Second—we level the riverbed and add floodway channels. A controlled overflow."

Uncle Luthein added, "Third—we install a proper levee system and water gauge stones."

I stared at them all.

"...So we’re rebuilding an entire water system."

Uncle Luthein nodded. "Essentially, yes."

"And we need to do it quickly."

Cedric added, "Before the next rainfall cycle."

I stared back down at the dam—cracked, ancient, held together by sheer stubbornness and spiritual duct tape. If we rebuilt the entire dam...

That meant one thing.

Money.A lot of it.An ’I-need-to-sell-my-soul’ amount of it.

I rubbed my temples. "Alright... do whatever is needed."

Their eyes brightened—Uncle Luthein relieved, Cedric excited, and Daren smug.

"Don’t worry about the budget," I added, forcing a confident tone.

They all nodded enthusiastically.

And I...?

I stood there smiling like a stable leader while screaming internally like a bankrupt raccoon. (Unlimited budget... unlimited disaster...)

Uncle Luthein clapped my shoulder with a proud smile. "Good decision, Leif. This will save the village."

Cedric bowed, already scribbling calculations like a man possessed. "We will begin immediately, my lord."

Daren thumped his chest. "I’ll handle the reinforcement stones. Leave the heavy lifting to the dwarves!"

I nodded, trying to seem regal and composed.

Inside:

Oh gods. We’re broke. We’re going to be so broke.

I forced my smile wider. "Excellent. I trust all of you."

They smiled and dispersed with newfound energy. The moment they turned away, my smile dropped.

Zephyy whispered, perched on my head, "Master... you look like someone who just realized he only has three coins left."

"...I do," I muttered.

"How many coins?" Zephyy asked.

"Negative twenty."

He gasped. "Master, those are FAKE currency numbers!"

"Exactly."

I exhaled slowly, watching the workers begin preparations, the knights marking reinforcement zones.

This was important. This was necessary. This would save lives. And what if I went broke doing it?

... Well, at least the dam would die less dramatically than my wallet.

The Trivium core stone was giving enormous revenue — enough to make any merchant kneel and weep tears of joy.

But... Medicines?Barely holding steady.

The greenhouse project?A massive stress-bomb since we’d sold the rights to the Imperial Palace.

"So basically," I muttered as I walked back toward my tent, "I’m rich, broke, stable, unstable, thriving, and dying at the same time."

Zephyy blinked from atop my head. "Master, that sounds like a medical condition."

"It is, " I snapped quietly. "It’s called ’being responsible.’"

He winced. "Terrifying."

"I need to plan a proper budget," I mumbled. "Before I end up selling Raventon just to rebuild Raventon."

Cedric, who had followed me inside, cleared his throat. "My lord, shall I gather today’s reports?"

"No," I sighed, massaging my temples. "Cedric... summon Thalein."

He blinked. "...Thalein?"

"Yes." I nodded firmly. "I want to know more about the black diamond. Everything he knows."

Cedric straightened, face serious. "Understood. I shall send a messenger bird immediately."

"Good," I muttered.

Cedric bowed and hurried out. The tent grew quiet. The weight of the dam, the village, the future, the budget—the entire kingdom’s stress—settled onto my shoulders.

Zephyy curled around my neck comfortingly.

"Master," he whispered, "do not worry. Even if the world collapses, I will still be with you."

I let out a tired laugh.

"...That’s somehow comforting and terrifying."

He nudged my cheek proudly. I stared down at the maps, the numbers, the plans, the impossible decisions.

And I exhaled.

"Alright," I whispered, "let’s save a village, I cannot break People’s trust here."

Even if it bankrupts me.