Jiro’s top-ranking success stirred excitement within the Landmark family.
Tauro, the servant Sima, and now Jiro — three consecutive years, three consecutive top scorers. It was a reason to rejoice.
This news reached the ears of Marquis Sugoella, and a congratulatory letter was sent, expressing blessings for Jiro’s success.
Similarly, a message of celebration arrived from Count Bridge, the parent of Ellis, whom Tauro is courting.
In this situation… the pressure is overwhelming!?
In two years, Ryu and Leanne are scheduled to take the entrance exams for the capital’s school. It is expected for the Landmark family to continue its winning streak for the sake of the family’s future.
However, can Leanne take the exams next year to stop the consecutive victories?
“Don’t say foolish things! I’m going to take the exam with Ryu and study in the same grade. If I can do that, I don’t care about the ranking.”
Despite her sharp tongue, Ryu was grateful for Leanne’s genuine loyalty to the Landmark family. Still, the pressure was undeniable.
For the remaining two years, they would study diligently, refine martial arts, and strengthen magic. They had to focus on what they could do now.
Fortunately, the construction of the walls was complete, and main road development was finished.
With the help of the carpenters, they still needed to build houses for the newcomers.
However, Ryu had learned the ropes, and now they could construct several houses simultaneously, potentially settling before the next wave of immigrants arrived.
As Jiro began attending school, Ryu turned ten.
Moreover, the second wave of immigrants flooded the Landmark territory.
With prior notice this time, 300 people arrived.
Since it was their second time, house allocation went smoother than before, and many farmers came to the village.
As there was a shortage of labor for coffee bean cultivation, this influx was greatly appreciated.
Craftsmen, including several potters they wanted, were among them.
Ryu had been considering whether the craftsmen could produce the toilets he was making through earth magic.
Toilets were gradually gaining popularity in the Landmark town and receiving praise from the residents.
Initially met with resistance due to established norms like “Is it not okay by the roadside?” or “Is it not fine in the river?” – as hygiene was a significant concern – people started to appreciate them, especially women. As the toilets effectively dealt with waste and emitted almost no smell due to slime-driven waste processing, men were also moved by Ryu’s explanation of reduced disease risk.
ow, using toilets placed throughout the town was becoming the norm.
Ryu wanted to cherish this momentum.
In towns and villages outside the territory, improper waste disposal was still rampant, leading to occasional outbreaks of disease and constant loss of lives.
If this issue were resolved, average life expectancy would likely increase.
To achieve this, Ryu used earth magic to create a large kiln and provided it to the potters. Of course, he taught them the structure of the toilet and guided them through the entire process, from creation to completion.
If successful, this could become a new source of income for the Landmark family.
The journey was long, but Ryu was determined to work diligently with the craftsmen.
Ryu and Leanne were busy every day.
They studied, practiced martial arts, built houses for the city’s development, collaborated with craftsmen on new product development, and experimented and struggled.
Also, since his younger sister Hanna turned eight years old, she began to participate in full-fledged studies and martial arts training, and she was once again showing glimpses of the Landmark family’s talent.
Initially intending to teach her typical skills for a girl and just average martial arts, Father Farza and Mother Cecile were surprised when Hanna understood things upon hearing them once and showed exceptional talent in martial arts, likely influenced by watching her older brothers.
By the way, Ryu had never asked about Hanna’s skills, so he inquired during a morning class with Cecile.
“But you must never tell anyone, okay?”
Cecile emphasized with a serious expression.
It seemed there was something sensitive about it.
“…Sure.”
Ryu and Leanne nodded, waiting for Cecile’s explanation.
“It’s ‘Sage’ and ‘Flawless’.”
“‘Sage’!?”
Leanne was amazed beyond words.
Hanna, who was present and had her story shared, seemed puzzled by the surprise about her skills. Apparently, she had been instructed not to reveal the details, and the specifics had not been explained.
Leanne’s astonishment was understandable.
‘Sage’ was very famous and an extremely rare skill, comparable to ‘Hero,’ ‘Champion,’ ‘Sword Saint,’ and ‘Saintess.’
Furthermore, having both ‘Sage’ and ‘Flawless’, similar to Ryu’s ‘Gokudo’, if she grew appropriately, Hanna might become one of the strongest humans.
Ryu thought that revealing this information could cause chaos in society, so he decided to keep it a secret.
