This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 104 (Patreon)

Matthew pushed open the door and crossed the garden to the front, where he found Reiga making a commotion.

Reiga didn't open the door.

Instead, he spoke through the fence to Reiga, "Let's talk about the sword oil in a day or two. I'll come to the Lord's mansion to find you."

Reiga slammed the vertical bars, "You open the door first! Besides the sword oil, I have other important things to discuss with you!"

Matthew stared at him and suddenly smiled, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Reiga confidently replied, "Why would you say I'm doing it on purpose? I didn't even know Sophia was at your place."

Admitting to the truth, Matthew couldn't be bothered to argue with him and silently opened the door to let Reiga in.

"Come inside, but find a place to sit first. I'll finish teaching Sophia, and then we can talk about the sword oil," he said.

Reiga didn't reply; he just grunted twice and impatiently entered the house.

However, as soon as he entered, he saw Sophia looking at him with a puffed-up expression.

Reiga's face suddenly showed a guilty smile, "Sorry, darling, I forgot you were having a lesson at Matthew's house today."

Saying that, he shamelessly sat down next to Sophia.

At that moment, Peggy brought a cup of hot coffee and a glass of lemon tea from the kitchen.

Reiga naturally took the cup of coffee and took a sip, "Thanks, not bad. Much better than Lady Wesley at our house."

Peggy stared at him intently.

Reiga felt uncomfortable under her gaze and quickly put down the coffee, apologizing repeatedly, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't realize this cup wasn't for me."

Peggy's anger subsided a bit.

But the next moment, she saw Reiga naturally grab the glass of lemon tea and take a big sip, saying as he drank, "So this one is mine, right? Wow, it tastes great!"

Seeing this scene, Sophia's cheeks puffed up even more.

Peggy also looked like she was about to take action.

Luckily, Matthew intervened in time, knowing that Reiga was here to cause trouble.

But considering his recent help and the tax exemption policy, as long as it didn't interfere with his teaching, Matthew was willing to let it slide.

At this point, he ignored Reiga, who was sitting like a big shot, and continued teaching Sophia about history.

It was strange. In the beginning, it was a one-on-one lesson, and Sophia seemed distracted. Now, with Reiga's interference, she became very focused.

She diligently noted down every important point Matthew mentioned.

After a lengthy explanation, Sophia suddenly raised a question, "Matthew, why do the people from the evil factions in history books always seem foolish? I mean, maybe they aren't really stupid, but many times, they make decisions that clearly have better alternatives. I've noticed many such records in historical stories where the heroes from the side of justice just need to use a little strategy, and the villains from the evil factions fall for it. If these records weren't so well-documented, I would suspect they were fabricated by bards to fool us. You must have encountered many bad guys; are they really that foolish?"

Matthew pondered this question for more than three minutes before slowly offering his answer, "Putting aside the relative nature of good and evil in factional divisions and the survivorship bias in the compilation of historical stories, I can give you a relatively definite answer – yes, most of the characters we encounter in life and adventure from the evil factions are not particularly clever."

Sophia rested her chin on her hand, curious, "Why? Are people from the evil factions naturally ignorant?"

Matthew shook his head, "Not necessarily. I believe the fundamental reason for this phenomenon is the lack of education."

While he spoke, he noticed Layla, who had been listening in the corridor, approaching.

Matthew signaled her to sit down and continued without hesitation, "The majority of members in evil organizations are not particularly bright, which is quite evident. These organizations include sorcerers, arsonists, necromancers, bounty hunters, and the native inhabitants of the underground world.

A common trait among these members is that they possess some extraordinary powers but severely lack the knowledge to control these abilities. Take the Catastrophic Cult, for example. I once killed a Jackalman sorcerer named Edson. He was a fourth-tier sorcerer, genuinely powerful. If he had been clever, I might have been in trouble.

But fortunately, he was just a Jackalman, and I am a human mage who received a proper education. My victory over him is not due to my innate superiority but because my background completely overwhelmed him.

Just imagine, if you were a Jackalman, what could you do? Could you do better than Edson? Maybe you think you could, so let's speculate.

Suppose you are a talented Jackalman, born in a barren underground tribe. Your parents and other Jackalmen are no different from you. They gave you life, they love you, but none of them can afford to stay with you. From the moment you were born, they had to hunt and fight day and night.

The only companions you had were Jackalman cubs who, like you, knew nothing about the world. Fortunately, you were smart."

Matthew pushed the door open and crossed the garden to reach the entrance, only to find Reiga there, making a fuss.

He didn't open the door.

Instead, he spoke to Reiga through the fence:

"Let's discuss the sword oil matter the day after tomorrow. I'll come to the Lord's Mansion to find you."

Reiga banged on the vertical bars:

"You open the door first! Besides the sword oil, I have something very important to discuss with you!"

Matthew stared at him and suddenly smiled:

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

Reiga confidently replied:

"Why would I do it on purpose? I didn't even know Sefa was at your place."

Well, he confessed without being asked.

Matthew couldn't be bothered to argue with him and silently opened the door, letting Reiga in.

"Come in, but find a place to sit for now. I'll finish teaching Sefa, and then we can talk about the sword oil."

Reiga didn't reply and impatiently entered the room.

However, as soon as he entered, he saw Sefa looking at him with a puffed-up face.

Reiga instantly put on an awkward smile:

"Sorry, babe, I forgot you were having a lesson at Matthew's house today."

Saying this, he shamelessly sat down next to Sefa.

At that moment, Peggy brought a cup of hot coffee and a cup of lemon tea from the kitchen.

Reiga naturally took the cup of coffee and took a sip:

"Thanks, not bad. Much better than our Lady Wesley at home."

Peggy stared at him intently.

Reiga was frightened by her gaze and quickly put down the coffee in his hand, apologizing repeatedly:

"Oh, this cup wasn't for me, was it? I'm sorry, my bad."

Peggy's anger subsided slightly.

But the next moment, she saw Reiga naturally take the cup of lemon tea and take a big sip while saying:

"So, this cup was for me! Wow, the taste is really good!"

"Wow! The taste is really good!"

Seeing this, Sefa's cheeks puffed up even more.

Peggy also looked like she was about to act.

Fortunately, Matthew promptly restrained her.

He knew that Reiga had come to annoy him.

But considering the assistance he had provided recently and the tax policies, as long as it didn't interfere with his lessons, Matthew would let it slide.

At this point, he ignored Reiga's lordly posture and continued to teach Sefa about history.

It was strange that when it was a one-on-one lesson, Sefa seemed distracted.

Now, with Reiga's interference, she became extremely attentive.

She diligently took notes on every key point Matthew mentioned.

After a long lecture, Sefa suddenly asked a question:

"Matthew, why is it that in history books, many villains from evil factions often appear foolish? I mean, they might not actually be stupid, but many times they make decisions when there are better options available. I've noticed many such records, where the protagonists playing the role of justice only need to use a little strategy, and the big bad guys from the evil factions fall for it. If these were not well-documented historical facts, I would suspect that bards made them up to fool us. You must have encountered many bad guys; are they really that foolish?"

Matthew contemplated this question for more than three minutes before providing his answer:

"Setting aside the relativity of good and evil in faction divisions and the survivorship bias in the compilation of historical stories, I can give you a relatively certain answer—yes, most of the evil faction characters we encounter in life and adventures are not particularly intelligent."

Sefa rested her chin on one hand, curious:

"Why? Are evil faction members inherently ignorant?"

Matthew shook his head:

"Not necessarily. I believe the fundamental reason for this phenomenon is the lack of education."

As he spoke, he noticed that Layla, who had been listening in the hallway, had also walked over.

Matthew signaled her to sit down, then continued unabashedly:

"...Most members of these organizations, including warlocks, arsonists, witherers, redletter hunters, and indigenous residents of the underground world, share a common trait: they possess some degree of extraordinary power but severely lack the knowledge to harness that power.

For example, take the Cult of Cataclysm. I once killed a fiendish warlock named Edson. He was a fourth-tier warlock, truly powerful, and if he had been clever enough, I might have been in big trouble.

But fortunately, he was just a fiend.

And I am a human mage with a good education.

I defeated him not because I was inherently superior to him, but because of my upbringing.

Imagine this: if you were a fiend, what could you do? Could you do better than Edson? Perhaps you believe you could. In that case, we can speculate.

Suppose you are an exceptionally talented fiend, born into a barren subterranean tribe. Your parents and other fiends, like Edson, are not any different. They gave you life, they love you, but none of them can afford to stay with you.

From the moment of your birth, they must constantly hunt and fight, day and night.

The only fiends to keep you company are fiendish pups who, like you, know nothing about the world.

Luckily, you're clever.

...

In the end, Reiga's sword oil did not make it onto the Oaken Tree Guild's initial product list. After a detailed discussion, Matthew discovered that Reiga's sword oil was all handmade, with expensive raw materials, high costs, and questionable stability. Though Reiga insisted his sword oil had explosive effects, Matthew, in the interest of the Oaken Tree Guild's reputation, politely declined the Lord's enthusiastic offer.

Of course, he expressed it gently, saying, "Your sword oil has its merits, but it might be challenging to find the right buyers in the market."

"Firstly, most warriors can't afford such an expensive product; they look for value for money. Unless you can reduce the cost to around 1/6 of what it is now — which seems impossible."

"Magicians can easily enchant their weapons themselves and wouldn't use messy and oily substances like sword oil."

"Only wealthy and established warriors are eligible to use this level of auxiliary item. What do you think?"

Reiga felt disappointed and couldn't help but murmur, "Can't we at least give it a try?"

"In my local market, my sword oil doesn't sell well, but what if it becomes popular in the city of Korudo? For this first batch, I can give it to you for free, regardless of the cost!"

Matthew sighed and replied, "Alright, give me two bottles to try."

Reiga eagerly handed over two bottles of sword oil. When Matthew noticed that there were no labels on them, he asked, "What are these two bottles of sword oil for?"

Reiga proudly explained, "One of these bottles is specialized for aquatic creatures, dealing extra damage to them."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, "We're planning to approach the Naga along with Yu Lian in our next visit. Are you sure you want to put sword oil specialized for Naga on the shelves?"

Reiga hesitated and said, "Is that so?"

"And the other bottle has an effect that specializes in dealing damage to undead creatures."

Matthew helplessly responded, "There are hardly any undead creatures near the city of Korudo, and I'm a necromancer. Are you sure you want me to sell an item that could be used against myself?"

Upon hearing this, Reiga quickly snatched the two bottles of sword oil back. Still, he persisted, "Can I exchange them for two different bottles next time?"

...

The following morning, at 4:08 AM, on the rooftop of the Cauldron, Tower.

"Ronan! Need I even say it? The mastermind behind all this must be Ronan!" After hearing about Matthew's encounter with Ronan in the South, Tarin 177 was resolute. "That old rascal is utterly wicked, and he's capable of pulling off such a scheme. Think about it; if it's not Ronan, why would Blorken run when he saw you?"

"Because he's an old pro. He probably worked as Ronan's right-hand man within the Alliance in the past and then defected to become his left-hand man."

"When Blorken saw you, it was like looking into a mirror! He undoubtedly understands the ins and outs of the Alliance far better than you do. When you grow a bit more, you'll become Ronan's new right-hand man!"

Matthew felt like Tarin was just joking, but he did think about the possibility of Ronan being the mastermind behind it all. That's why he told him most of the details about his journey to the South.

Seeing Matthew's frowning expression, Tarin said in amazement, "You're not seriously considering a grand purge, are you? Ugh, maybe my joke went too far. Rest assured, lad, Ronan knows next to nothing about life and death; his talent in necromancy is about as good as your skills in divination."

"Nonetheless, we should remain vigilant. Dragon's Ash can be used to create things even more terrifying than Dragon Witch Lich. I wonder which old necromancer is up to something again. In any case, the upper echelons of the Alliance are thoroughly corrupted. How about we start a new alliance called 'Death to the Alliance'? I could be the leader, and we'd storm the Alliance headquarters in the Floating City of the North!"

Matthew chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll start by joining the Seven Saints' Alliance."

Tarin then handed him a form and placed it in front of Matthew. "Breaking in from within is one way, but be cautious not to get assimilated by them. I have high hopes for you, Matthew."

"Once you've filled out the form, make sure to put the names Ronan and 177 from the Cauldron in the 'Referrer' section. When I hand in the form, within one or two weeks, someone will come to your home to conduct the Seven Saints' Alliance initiation assessment."

Matthew was surprised. "Go to my home? Isn't it usually at a branch of the Seven Saints' Alliance in a city? I thought the most convenient option would be to conduct the assessment at the Cauldron."

Tarin casually replied, "It's just a formality. Can they really refuse someone recommended by Ronan? Have some confidence; you're a person with connections!"

Matthew realized how corrupt the Alliance system was and then happily filled out the form. "Done."

Tarin took the form and, excited, said, "That fellow I helped you 'train' last time is now very well-behaved. Do you want to come and see him?"

The man-eating ogre, Sinwak?

Matthew nodded and said, "Of course. I was wondering when you would be able to take him away."

"Anytime. He's quite docile now." Tarin handed Matthew something hard. "Here, follow me."

Matthew looked down and saw that it was a remote control-like device.

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.