Following a tributary of the Blackwater upstream for nearly five miles, Gawen wiped the sweat from his brow.
“This is the place.”
He stopped at a bend in the river.
Using Earth’s Resonance, he extended his awareness beneath the ground.
Almost immediately, he located the source.
Wastewater from the mine beneath House Hawke’s newly built fortress was flowing through a hidden underground channel before emptying into the riverbed.
[Earth’s Resonance Proficiency +1]
…
[Nature’s Guardian Proficiency +1]
Finding a secluded spot, Gawen quietly drew upon the power of the earth.
Invisible waves rippled beneath the soil.
Without disturbing the surface, the underground terrain shifted ever so slightly.
The contaminated water that had once flowed into the Blackwater’s tributary was silently redirected through a newly formed subterranean passage…
…back into another stream running entirely within House Hawke’s own territory.
[Nature’s Guardian Proficiency +1]
With the water source dealt with, Gawen organized the farmers into work crews.
Every infected stalk of wheat was gathered into a single pile.
Then it was burned to ash.
Afterward, the fields were plowed once more.
Hundreds of pounds of castor bean and sunflower seeds were worked into the soil as green manure.
Each seed had already been enhanced with Sprout, giving it nearly three times the germination rate of ordinary crops.
More importantly, their roots secreted natural organic acids capable of gradually breaking down harmful heavy metals trapped within the soil.
Next came the wildlife.
Drawing upon Wild Affinity, Gawen reached out to the sparrows circling overhead.
Soon afterward…
Flocks of starlings, tits, and larks poured from the forests surrounding Goldengrove.
Like drifting gray clouds, they covered half the sky.
They descended upon the fields, eagerly devouring aphids and cutworm larvae that infested the wheat.
The tenant farmers slowly lowered their tools.
Each stared at the unbelievable sight with mouths agape.
“Seven save us…”
Old Mand muttered, his pipe slipping from his lips.
With the aid of druidic magic, the entire landscape underwent a rapid transformation.
Flora Mastery.
Earth’s Resonance.
Wild Affinity.
Their proficiency climbed at astonishing speed.
Even Nature’s Guardian steadily advanced as the land recovered.
Every field turned under with green manure…
Every beneficial microorganism cultivated…
Every diseased leaf carefully pruned…
All of it was converted into experience upon Gawen’s status panel.
“We can sow the winter wheat now.”
Smiling, Gawen turned toward the gathered farmers.
“Young Lord Rowan…”
Old Mand let out a weary sigh.
“The proper planting season has already passed.”
“The wheat won’t survive.”
“The seeds will be provided free of charge by my father.”
Gawen nodded toward Ser Harwyn, signaling him to begin distributing the specially prepared grain.
Every kernel had already been enhanced with Sprout.
Although several tenants grumbled under their breath…
None dared openly object.
Within three days…
The entire field had been replanted.
Then everyone witnessed what could only be called a miracle.
By the very next morning, the seeds had already sprouted.
Not only had they germinated overnight…
They were growing even faster than wheat planted weeks earlier.
Even after the first frost descended…
The young stalks continued to flourish.
[Nature’s Guardian Proficiency +1]
[Class Level has reached Lv.
5.]
[Phoenix Druid Advancement Path Unlocked.]
[Spellbook Unlocked: Book of Flame.]
A faint smile appeared on Gawen’s face.
With a single thought, the familiar status panel materialized before him.
Name: Gawen Rowan
Class: Phoenix Druid
Rank: Woodland Apprentice (Lv.
Natural Energy: 100/100
Core Specializations
Flora Mastery — Lv.
1 (Max)
Wild Affinity — Lv.
1 (Max)
Earth’s Resonance — Lv.
1 (Max)
Nature’s Guardian — Lv.
1 (0/200)
Rebirth Incarnation — Lv.
1 (96/200)
Skills
Sprout — Lv.
3 (368/500)
Whisperer — Lv.
2 (98/200)
Life Manipulation — Lv.
1 (65/100)
Spellbook
Book of Flame — Lv.
1 (0/1000)
…
Gawen stared at the information displayed on the panel, momentarily lost in thought.
The vitality of the wheat fields flowed continuously into his body, calming his mind and drawing him ever closer to nature.
At the center of it all…
A flame began to rise.
The Book of Flame.
A blazing fire condensed in midair, taking the shape of a translucent book.
Its pages were not made of paper, but of layered currents of living fire.
Each layer burned with a different color.
The outermost flames shone a brilliant gold.
The middle layers blazed a fiery crimson-orange.
At the very center lay a nearly white radiance—so pure that it was painful to behold.
Within that dazzling light, Gawen could just make out the silhouette of a colossal bird slowly spreading its wings.
The instant he fixed his gaze upon that white flame…
His mind exploded with visions.
A phoenix plummeted from the heavens.
Its magnificent feathers scattered through the sky, while its blood evaporated into mist before it ever touched the earth.
The land cracked apart.
Forests turned to ash.
Everything within miles was reduced to a scorched wasteland.
Yet at the center of the fallen phoenix’s body…
Its heart still beat.
With every pulse, golden-white flames erupted from its shattered chest.
The fire…
Never went out.
Then, just as suddenly, the vision disappeared.
Gawen lowered his eyes to the burning book in his hands.
At last…
He understood its true nature.
This was not merely a spellbook containing fire magic.
It was fire itself.
The very breath of the phoenix.
Within the Book of Flame were recorded both the arts of fire magic and a unique breathing technique.
The fire spells resembled the elemental magic he had once seen in high-fantasy novels from his previous life.
The Nirvana Breathing Technique, however, was something entirely different.
Through its specialized method of cultivation, it allowed the practitioner to absorb the world’s scarce natural energy at a far greater rate, transforming it into vitality, strength, speed, endurance…
And ultimately…
The supernatural power of flame itself.
In Westeros, magic had long faded into legend.
Anyone capable of displaying genuine miracles would either be worshipped as a divine figure…
Or condemned as a dangerous heretic.
Fortunately, Gawen wasn’t particularly concerned.
With the Phoenix Druid class continuously strengthening his body, it wouldn’t be long before his physical abilities rivaled the greatest knights in the Seven Kingdoms.
And when that day came…
House Rowan would rise once again.
A month passed.
The final day of 275 AC.
Gawen stood atop the walls of Goldengrove, gazing over his family’s domain.
During the past month, he had devoted himself almost entirely to practicing the Nirvana Breathing Technique within the castle’s godswood.
Since no one could teach him, everything had been learned through painstaking trial and error. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
His progress wasn’t especially fast.
Yet thanks to the druid’s innate harmony with nature, he had mastered the fundamentals far more quickly than anyone else could have.
His command of fire magic had likewise begun to take shape.
Meanwhile, the winter wheat in the once-blighted western fields flourished.
Even repeated frosts failed to hinder its growth.
Just yesterday, Old Mand had personally come to the castle.
Without saying a single word…
He quietly left behind a basket of fresh eggs before turning around and leaving.
…
“And then there’s Ser Lee, Ser Donnel, and that other knight…”
Ser Harwyn Grey’s face was grim, his voice hesitant.
“Go on.”
Mathis didn’t even raise his head.
“The three of them secretly traveled to Highgarden.”
Harwyn sighed heavily.
“They petitioned Lord Tyrell…
asking to transfer their fealty to another liege.”
A transfer of fealty.
Under the laws of Westeros, a bannerman could appeal to a higher-ranking lord and request a change of allegiance.
But such petitions were normally reserved for cases where a liege had become tyrannical or grossly incompetent.
Despite House Rowan’s hardships, Mathis had never mistreated any of his sworn men.
The reason for their actions was obvious.
They had sensed House Rowan’s decline…
And wanted to secure a new protector before the house collapsed.
“Has Highgarden responded?”
Mathis asked quietly.
“Not yet.”
Harwyn shook his head.
“But Lord Mace Tyrell has always enjoyed expanding his influence.”
“He won’t ignore an opportunity to drive another wedge into the border.”
The pressure from the Westerlands.
The increasing threat of bandits.
The uncertain attitude of House Tyrell.
Those were the true dangers facing Goldengrove.
“My lady has arrived.”
A servant’s voice came from the doorway.
The door opened.
Lady Bethany Rowan entered the room.
She was nearly five months pregnant now, her belly already noticeably swollen.
In recent years, Mathis had devoted so much attention to preparing Gawen as his heir that he had almost forgotten he still had two young daughters growing up beneath the same roof.
Ever since unlocking the Book of Flame, Gawen had discovered that the repeated pregnancies had left subtle injuries within his mother’s body.
Quietly…
Without anyone realizing…
He had used his druidic magic to heal those hidden ailments.
He had even corrected several minor congenital weaknesses developing within the unborn child.
For a druid, whose knowledge of life itself ran extraordinarily deep, such delicate manipulation came naturally.
Following behind Lady Bethany was a little girl of about four.
She had golden hair, warm brown eyes…
And she was Gawen’s younger sister.
“Mother.”
Gawen hurried over, gently supporting her arm.
“You shouldn’t be walking around so much.”
“I’ve been lying in bed for far too long.”
Bethany forced a faint smile before looking toward her husband.
“Mathis…”
“I’ve just received word…”
“A letter has arrived from the Arbor.”
Mathis immediately turned toward her.
“What did Lord Redwyne say?”
Bethany hesitated.
“Our fleet…”
“Goldengrove’s grain fleet…”
Mathis abruptly rose to his feet.
“What happened?”
“They were sailing near the Shield Islands…”
Her voice trembled with worry.
“They encountered Ironborn longships.”
She lowered her head.
“The grain…”
“…it’s all gone.”
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