The following morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The night had been peaceful, and for the first time in a long while, I hadn't had any strange dreams involving demons, generals, or the Demon King himself. I had simply slept normally.
When I left my room, the sky was just beginning to take on the first golden hues of dawn.
The building that would serve as the administrative center of my lands was already becoming busy. Some staff members were organizing documents, while others were preparing reports for the day.
After breakfast, I met once again with the royal general and several local administrators.
I wanted to better understand the situation in the region.
The day before, I had only made a general observation.
Now I needed to examine the details.
We sat around a large table covered with maps and records.
The general opened one of the documents.
"Overall, the region is stable."
I nodded.
"That was my impression."
"But there are still some problems."
That caught my attention.
"What kind of problems?"
One of the administrators answered.
"Mainly those related to agricultural production."
I looked at him.
"The village chief mentioned something similar yesterday."
The man nodded.
"Yes."
He then opened another report.
"Even after the defeat of several demon generals, part of the soil is still suffering from the lingering effects of the miasma."
I had already suspected as much.
But I wanted to understand how serious the problem really was.
"How much does it affect production?"
Another administrator replied.
"Depending on the area, between fifteen and thirty percent."
That was more than I had expected.
It wasn't a catastrophe.
But it wasn't insignificant either.
Especially in a region whose economy depended heavily on agriculture.
I spent the next several minutes reviewing various reports.
The numbers confirmed what they had said.
The harvests were still below expectations.
Some crops grew normally.
Others developed more slowly.
In certain places, the soil had lost part of its fertility.
I closed one of the documents.
"I want to see it myself."
The general smiled.
"I figured you'd say that."
Soon afterward, we headed out for another inspection.
This time, I only brought part of the group.
Elara, Liriel, Lyannis, Vespera, and Liriel's assistant decided to accompany the visit.
Scarlett and Rai'kanna stayed behind training near the main estate.
According to them, a trip to inspect farmland was less interesting than a training session.
I wasn't surprised.
We traveled accompanied by several local residents.
Our first stop was an agricultural area located a few kilometers away.
As soon as we arrived, I noticed something different.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
The crops were growing.
The fields were green.
But when I looked more carefully, I noticed subtle differences in some areas.
Certain plants seemed smaller.
Others had a slightly different color.
Nothing too obvious.
But enough to indicate that something was wrong.
A farmer approached us.
He was a middle-aged giant who looked accustomed to hard work.
The man gave a respectful bow.
"It is an honor to receive you."
"Thank you."
I replied.
"I'd like to better understand what's happening to the crops."
The farmer nodded.
Then he began to explain.
According to him, the problems had started several years earlier.
At first, no one noticed.
The changes were small.
But as time passed, the effects became more evident.
The harvests gradually declined.
Some species grew less than before.
Others began to have difficulty developing.
As he spoke, I walked through the fields, observing everything around me.
The soil looked normal.
But when I concentrated a little more using magical perception, I finally noticed something.
An extremely faint presence.
Almost imperceptible.
Traces of negative energy.
Far weaker than the miasma I had encountered before.
But it was still there.
Elara noticed my expression.
"Did you sense something?"
"Yes."
I knelt beside the soil.
I ran my hand through the earth.
The sensation was subtle.
But unmistakable.
"There are traces of miasma."
Liriel immediately approached.
She examined the area as well.
After a few seconds, she nodded.
"You're right."
The farmer looked surprised.
"So there really is something?"
"There is."
Liriel replied.
"But it's very weak."
The man crossed his arms.
"Even so, it's causing all of this?"
"Most likely."
I answered.
We continued the inspection.
Over the next several hours, we examined many different areas.
The result was almost always the same.
Extremely small traces of miasma still remained scattered throughout the region.
They weren't enough to cause illness or major problems.
But apparently, they were enough to affect the soil's fertility.
The more information we gathered, the clearer the situation became.
When we reached the final cultivated area of the day, I found a group of farmers gathered together.
They had already been informed about our visit.
As soon as we arrived, they began asking questions.
Their main concern was always the same.
The harvests.
Production.
The future of the region.
I spent some time talking with them.
Listening to their concerns.
Answering what I could.
Although I wasn't an expert in agriculture, I understood how important all of this was.
Those people depended directly on the land.
If productivity declined, the entire region would be affected.
After listening carefully to everyone, I stepped away from the group for a moment.
I looked over the fields before me.
The crops.
The workers.
The families who made their living there.
Then a simple idea came to mind.
In fact, it was so simple that I wondered why I hadn't thought of it sooner.
I looked at Liriel.
She immediately understood.
"Are you thinking the same thing I am?"
"Probably."
The goddess smiled faintly.
The farmers watched us without understanding.
Then I walked back toward them.
"There may be a way."
Everyone paid close attention.
"We might be able to solve the problem."
Silence fell over the area.
The farmer who had accompanied us from the beginning spoke first.
"Solve it?"
"Maybe."
I replied.
I looked at Liriel.
She stepped forward.
Even after spending so much time with us, it still felt strange to remember that she was literally a goddess.
The farmers seemed to feel the same way.
"The traces of miasma are minimal."
Liriel explained.
"Far smaller than what I've encountered elsewhere."
"Is that a good thing?"
One of the villagers asked.
"Yes."
She replied.
"Because it means it may be possible to purify the entire region."
The reactions were immediate.
Several farmers exchanged glances.
Others seemed unable to believe it.
Some showed hope for the first time since the conversation had begun.
I watched everything in silence.
The truth was that the solution had been right in front of us all along.
Liriel possessed enough power to accomplish something on that scale without much difficulty.
It might not be possible to purify an entire kingdom at once.
But these particular lands were certainly within her capabilities.
Liriel's assistant also seemed excited.
"So you really can solve this?"
Liriel nodded.
"Most likely."
"'Most likely?'"
I asked.
She smiled.
"I'd rather confirm it first."
That seemed fair.
We continued examining a few more areas for the rest of the afternoon.
The more we investigated, the more obvious it became that the problem was exactly the same throughout the region.
Scattered traces.
Nothing severe.
But enough to reduce productivity.
When we finally returned to the main residence, the sun was already beginning to descend toward the horizon.
We gathered once again in the meeting room.
This time with all the local administrators present.
I explained everything we had discovered.
The reports confirmed our observations.
The problem was indeed related to the traces of miasma.
After I finished speaking, several administrators looked concerned.
But Liriel soon took the floor.
"There's a very good chance we can solve this."
The reaction was immediate.
The faces that had been filled with concern now showed hope.
The general crossed his arms.
"It seems we'll have good news very soon."
Liriel looked at me.
Then at the maps spread across the table.
Then she spoke with absolute confidence.
"Tomorrow, I will purify the entire region."
For a few seconds, no one said a word.
Then the administrators began to smile.
The general let out a brief laugh.
And I simply relaxed back in my chair.
For the first time since we had arrived, I felt that this problem was truly close to coming to an end.
And if everything went as expected, those lands would finally be able to reach the full potential they had hidden for so many years.