This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 108

"I haven't found the Su Kingdom," Matthew replied calmly in response to Samantha's excited question. "But I did find some clues related to the Su Kingdom in the south. I obtained a part-time job as a 'Balance Envoy.' I'm not sure if it's the same as the 'Secret of Controlling Life and Death' you mentioned, but it does have the power to balance all things."

Samantha's eyes sparkled. She nodded slowly and then smiled, "I'm sorry; I got a bit carried away."

Matthew shook his head, "Everyone has their own obsessions; it's normal."

Samantha bit her lip and didn't say anything more. The two of them chatted for a while before Samantha and Aela started repairing a shrine on the thirteenth floor of the nest.

The shrine only had the residual power of the goddess of the moon, and her statue had long disappeared. Fortunately, they were prepared. After a series of restoration rituals, Samantha placed a new statue of the goddess inside.

Swish! A white light emanated from the statue.

Matthew could clearly feel the power of the Moon Goddess. "Asiya's condition seems to have improved," he thought.

"After restoring the shrine, as Moonwalkers, we can teleport here directly, saving us the trouble of walking," Samantha said as she adjusted her hair. "I plan to continue cleaning the nest in one or two weeks. During this time, I need to make a lot of preparations. I'll call Klaeg when the time comes."

Matthew nodded, "Just have Aela inform me."

He felt a hint of crisis. Klaeg, the female orc, was obviously quite powerful, and their relationship with Samantha was still unknown. If Klaeg joined the Moonlit Forest, Matthew's importance to Asiya might diminish. Before the Moon Goddess "moved on," Matthew had to demonstrate his value. The next time they cleaned the nest would be the perfect opportunity.

The next day, Matthew took his mother goat to work, as usual. However, as soon as he entered, he encountered Zeller, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Good morning, Matthew," Zeller greeted him as he tidied up the documents on his desk. "How's the office? Are you adjusting well?"

Matthew smiled and replied, "Everything is great here. This is what my dream job should be like."

Zeller chuckled and then glanced at Matthew's mother goat. Matthew quickly explained, "I'm learning 'Malicious Transformation Magic.'"

Zeller's eyes showed a hint of envy. "So, you chose a goat as your malicious form? That's a good choice. Unlike us warlocks, who awaken to whatever form we have. I hate frogs the most, but many of my abilities are related to them."

Matthew shrugged, "But I occasionally want to be like warlocks and gain new spells without much effort. I heard that lucky warlocks can learn new spells even while eating, sleeping, or drinking water."

Zeller explained with a smile, "Warlocks usually go through that phase, but it's more common during the period of rapid ability growth, which happens in adolescence. But before that, you don't know the pressure and excitement we endure."

He continued, "I always feel like your goat is not in good condition."

Matthew explained, "She got a little scared last night, and I'm not sure if she can get through it."

After returning from the graveyard yesterday, the mother goat wasn't frightened to death, but her spirits were extremely low. Matthew sensed her weak pulse and, using his spiritual sight, confirmed that her soul was dim and lifeless.

This raised a red flag in Matthew's mind. Although he got along well with the undead, most ordinary creatures were very afraid of them. The appearance of a zombie near regular people could be terrifying. Matthew needed to improve the management of the graveyard and the Oakwood Forest further. More warning signs were already on the way.

As for the mother goat, Matthew was unsure if she could hold on. He hoped she would survive until he thoroughly mastered Malicious Transformation Magic.

As they were talking, Reiga, dressed in pajamas and holding coffee, appeared. "Has the issue in Riverside Village been resolved?" he asked Zeller.

Zeller nodded, "The villagers' emotions have calmed down, and I assured them that similar incidents won't happen again."

Reiga greeted Matthew and gestured for him to listen. He continued, "So, what happened that almost led to the failure of collecting last year's taxes in the second half of the year?"

Zeller said, "The tax collector we sent to Riverside Village was named Little Patton. As soon as he arrived there, he slept with the village chief's women."

Reiga instinctively asked, "So, the village chief was furious?"

Zeller shook his head, "No, the village chief and his women were willing participants."

Reiga asked in confusion, "Then why did the villagers resist paying taxes and beat up Little Patton?"

Zeller wore a strange expression on his face, "The strange thing is that after one night of debauchery, Little Patton woke up the next day and found himself infected with a venereal disease. He had rashes all over his lower body. He was furious and went to confront the village chief."

Reiga took a sip of coffee and furrowed his brow, "Did he want compensation from the village chief?"

Zeller still shook his head, "No, he gave the village chief two options. First, he wanted to publicly pull down the village chief's pants to see if he had a similar condition. Second, if the village chief disagreed with the first option, he wanted to sleep with one of the village chief's women and take her with him."

Matthew was surprised by the tax collector's train of thought, as was Reiga, who hit the table, "So, was he lying?"

Zeller shrugged, "Not necessarily, we all know Little Patton's character. Despite his promiscuity, he's always reliable in his work. Liz has done an excellent job in educating her son, and Little Patton, like his brother Blade, has never made a mistake in their respective positions over the past few years. This time, the venereal disease is severe, and Little Patton claims it only appeared after that night. The whole situation is bizarre. I tried to use basic purification scrolls, but I couldn't completely cure the disease. I suspect foul play."

Reiga sighed, "Could this be related to Little Bamo?"

Little Bamo was the sorcerer suspected of kidnapping Siv and killing his own father.

He had fled Rolling Stone Town and hadn't been seen since.

Zeller said uncertainly, "It's a possibility, but my divination didn't show any traces related to him. The other party is very cunning, and it's likely they were just testing the waters and ran away. I'm worried they might be diverting my attention, so I didn't pursue it further. I've arranged for Little Patton to rest at home and take some herbs. I'll check on him in a while."

Reiga looked at Matthew, "What do you think, our magical advisor?"

Matthew replied earnestly, "I think Zeller handled it well."

Reiga couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Is there anything else?"

Zeller placed a parchment made of grass on Reiga's desk, "This is the latest official letter from the Emerald Grove. They mentioned that a team of shadow panthers is on their way."

Matthew raised his hand, "Didn't I hear that phrase somewhere before?"

Zeller laughed, "Yes, just before you headed south, the Emerald Grove sent a team of shadow panthers to pick up our prisoners. Unfortunately, shortly after leaving the Emerald Grove, they were attacked by a green dragon and wiped out. After a lengthy investigation, the Emerald Grove sent us a letter, saying they're sending a second team to pick up the Silver Frost Brotherhood's criminals."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, "So, those arsonists have been sitting idle in prison for over a month?"

Reiga was angry at this and slammed the table, "Tell the Emerald Grove to pay more, and if they don't act quickly, I'll sell these people to the necromancers in White Rock City. They also hate arsonists!"

Zeller gave a non-committal nod, and Matthew had a brilliant idea, "Why don't we put them to work? Arsonists are good at making fire glue and dragon oil. Find a supervisor, give them the materials, and have them work for us. They can't just eat for free, right? If you're worried about arsonists handling dangerous materials, you can have them help me in the graveyard. I'll make sure the zombies keep a close eye on them, and nothing will go wrong."

Reiga and Zeller exchanged glances and chorused, "Well, he's a necromancer, after all."

...

"Lastly," reported Zeller, "the situation at the South Trading Post has escalated further. Howard and several of the workshop owners have put significant pressure on the Five-Person Committee."

"The Five-Person Committee tried various exorcists in town, but none of them could solve the problem."

"Here's what I found out: Over twenty days ago, workers began reporting sightings of ghosts inside the workshops. Strangely, each person described a different ghost. Some said they saw a ghost sneaking food in the kitchen, which looked like an infinitely elongated noodle."

"Others claimed to have seen a ghost while using the toilet, and it startled them during their business. The next morning, even the toilet bowls had been stolen by a headless ghost, who laughed like a child."

"Some saw a ghost working at the spinning wheel during their overtime hours. This ghost even questioned why they worked so hard. And then, it destroyed all the spinning wheels."

"At first, Howard and the other workshop owners didn't believe the workers' stories. They ordered the workers to continue working."

"However, just recently, Howard claimed he also saw a ghost. His encounter was different from the others. He said he met a ghost bride who fell in love with him at first sight. She told him she would come on the twentieth of this month in a ghostly carriage to take him away forever."

"Howard was terrified, and he's been causing a ruckus in the Town Hall."

"The Five-Person Committee had no choice but to inform us."

After Zeller's report, he took a big sip of ginger-infused water.

Matthew and Reiga had no immediate reaction. In the fantastical world they lived in, encountering ghosts was quite common. As necromancers, they were natural adversaries to spirits. Even Reiga could vanquish ghosts using his enchanted oils. Such occurrences weren't remarkable for extraordinary individuals like them.

"Do you need me to check it out?" Matthew asked.

Zeller shook his head, "Not for now. This is just a routine report at the morning meeting. I'll handle it first. If I can't resolve it, we can ask our magical advisor to step in."

With that, he gathered his things and swiftly left the office.

Matthew watched Zeller's departing figure and felt a deep respect. "Zeller is truly hardworking," he remarked.

Reiga agreed, saying, "Indeed, without him, Rolling Stone Town might be in chaos. Speaking of which, do you want some coffee? Lady Wesley is in a good mood today, and she makes it just right."

Matthew replied, "I'd love a cup. I'll grab it later. Can I borrow the newspaper?"

Reiga headed into the adjoining room, returning with a recent issue of the Alliance Weekly and three bottles of enchanted oils. "I've labeled them this time. See if they have any market potential."

Matthew looked at the bottles. The first one was called "Dragon Tail Oil" and had a description stating that it caused extra damage to a dragon's tail when applied to a weapon. The second was labeled "Dragon Scale Oil" and enhanced damage to a dragon's scales and other defensive tissues. "These seem promising," Matthew thought. However, the third bottle, "Dragon Root Oil," was mysterious, with no additional information.

"What's the third one for?" Matthew asked.

Reiga, who had caught the question in Matthew's eyes, calmly replied, "You've picked the wrong bottle. This one is not meant for coating swords."

Matthew raised an intrigued eyebrow. "What's its purpose?"

Reiga humorously said, "This one is not for coating weapons."

Matthew then shifted his focus to the front page of the newspaper. After sifting through the headlines and stories, he noticed that the oils could potentially find a market, although the categorization was quite specific.

"Seems promising, though the categories are a bit niche," Matthew commented.

In the afternoon, Reiga took a nap, while Matthew finished work as usual. Afterward, he decided to invite some guests to his house for dinner. He had cooked a fantastic lamb soup the night before, and he wanted to share it with friends and family.

On the following morning, Matthew was on his way to work with a young goat. The goat was tied securely to avoid any mishaps, given his recent experiences.

As the day progressed, and Matthew tended to his duties, he was gradually forgetting about the events of the past few days. Yet, fate had other plans for him. As Matthew walked down a corridor with his goat, he noticed his head was feeling heavy and swaying strangely. He turned to see the goat falling to the ground, lifeless.

He sighed, realizing that the goat was beyond saving. However, his first thought was not about the goat but rather about the upcoming evening.

Knowing that he had to host another feast, Matthew couldn't help but feel that his little culinary secret was running dry.

The next day, with a new young goat in tow, Matthew went to work again. This time, he was more cautious to prevent any unfortunate incidents.

As the day passed, Matthew found himself preoccupied with work, slowly forgetting the unusual happenings of the past days.

It wasn't until the evening meal that the unexpected occurred. Matthew was enjoying a lively dinner with friends when he received a sudden warning:

"Alert: The Ashen Lord's forces have arrived, and they will chase you to the ends of the earth!"

Matthew abruptly stood up, his expression grave. He turned to his friends and said, "I'm afraid we have something to attend to tonight."

With a stern demeanor, he knew that the quality of his mutton was not to be underestimated.

Table of content

• You can access publicly available chapters of "This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees" right HERE.
• Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.
• You can also check out the other Novels I'm currently translating by clicking HERE.
• If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections.