The days in Noaterra passed almost without anyone noticing.
From sunrise until sunset, not a single person remained idle.
Arcer tended the fields and livestock.
Tomas built new houses.
Amira prepared meals while continuing her magic lessons with Lee.
Meanwhile, Lucia spent most of her time sleeping on Noah's shoulder in her Rabiba form, though she was always ready to become his guardian whenever necessary.
Amid all the activity, Noah finally had a study of his own.
It wasn't large—just enough space for a wooden desk, a bookshelf, and several notebooks.
Yet to Noah, that little room was far more precious than the luxurious laboratory he had owned in his former world.
It was where all of his plans would begin.
That afternoon, Noah opened one of the books he had purchased in Araris Village.
It was the herbal guide to Magnora.
He turned page after page until his eyes stopped at a chapter titled Color Plants.
"Hmm..."
He read several lines before calling out,
"Astra."
"Tell me more about the color plants mentioned in this book."
Astra immediately answered in his mind.
Information.
Magnora contains many varieties of color plants.
One of them is the Carissa Flower.
Its petals can be processed into natural dyes for cloth, wood, and even hair.
The resulting color can remain vibrant for years.
Noah's eyes immediately lit up.
Then...
I won't have to hide my hair beneath a hat forever.
He hurried out of his study.
"Arcer."
The man stopped working in the fields and immediately approached.
"Yes, my Lord?"
Noah opened the herbal guide.
"If you come across a flower that looks like this during your hunts..."
"...bring back as many as you can."
Arcer carefully studied the illustration.
"Understood, my Lord."
"I'll look for it."
Without waiting for any further instructions, he returned to work while committing the flower's appearance to memory.
Afterward, Noah walked around the grounds of Noaterra.
He carefully observed every corner of the forest that had become their home.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Wait...
I haven't even decided where my own territory begins or ends.
He lightly smacked his forehead.
"That was careless."
He looked toward Lucia.
"Lucia."
"Take me up into the sky."
"I want to see the entire area."
"Yes, my Lord."
In an instant, Lucia returned to her true form.
She lifted Noah into her arms and soared high into the sky.
From above, Noah carefully surveyed the land surrounding Noaterra.
They flew north.
Then east.
Circled west.
And finally headed south.
Beyond the forest stretched an endless ocean.
Terrania Forest itself seemed impossibly vast.
The longer Noah observed...
The more enormous it appeared.
If I tried to claim all of this...
I wouldn't even know where to draw the borders.
He rubbed his temples.
"Forget it."
"I'll leave it for now."
"This place is simply too large."
"I'll worry about it later."
"Lucia."
"Let's head back down."
"As you wish."
When they landed, Arcer was already waiting.
In his hands were several bright green flowers.
"My Lord."
"I found them."
Noah blinked in surprise.
"Already?"
Arcer smiled.
"This forest is full of rare plants."
"I was fortunate enough to find them near the river."
Noah carefully accepted the flowers.
Astra was right...
Terrania Forest truly contains almost everything I need.
Some time later...
Noah stepped out of his study.
But this time, something about him had changed.
His black hair had become a deep shade of green.
The color looked completely natural.
As though he had been born with it.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing.
Amira stared in amazement.
"Mister..."
"Your hair!"
Tomas chuckled.
"If I hadn't seen it myself..."
"...I never would've believed it."
Arcer nodded in admiration.
"That color suits you perfectly, my Lord."
Lucia merely tilted her head, while Lee smiled knowingly.
"So..."
"That was why you were looking for the Carissa Flower?"
Noah nodded.
"If I want to travel freely between villages and cities..."
"...I can't keep relying on a hat."
Lee smiled.
"You really are clever, Noah."
Noah smiled back.
At least now...
He no longer had to worry about drawing attention simply because of his hair.
The days continued to pass.
Little by little, Noaterra grew.
There were no monster attacks.
No trouble from the kingdoms.
No threats of any kind.
Yet it was precisely that peace that made Noah increasingly cautious.
When everything becomes too quiet...
Something usually follows.
He called Tomas over.
"Tomas."
"I want you to start designing a defensive wall around the settlement."
Tomas looked thoughtful.
"A wall?"
Noah nodded.
"You don't have to build it yet."
"But prepare the design."
"When more people begin arriving..."
"...they should feel safe."
Tomas smiled.
"I'll come up with the strongest design I can."
Afterward, Noah walked toward Amira's training area.
He didn't want to interrupt.
So he simply stood at a distance and watched.
Lee was teaching Amira how to control her mana.
A moment later...
A small flame appeared in Amira's palm.
Soon afterward...
The fire vanished, replaced by tiny crystals of ice that gradually grew larger.
Noah smiled proudly.
She's improving incredibly fast.
Maybe it's true...
Amira really does possess extraordinary talent.
He continued walking toward the fields.
The crops Arcer had planted had already begun to sprout.
Fresh green leaves reached toward the sunlight.
The irrigation channels they had built days earlier were working perfectly.
Not far away, the pair of Cowny looked healthy as well.
Arcer cared for them with remarkable dedication.
Seeing everything before him, Noah felt his modest dream slowly becoming reality.
His next stop was the house Tomas was building.
It was nearly finished.
Only a few sections of the roof and walls remained incomplete.
Noah studied it thoughtfully.
Once this house is finished...
We can move on.
It'll be time to search for the hidden settlement Lee told us about.
But before that...
One important task still remained.
He needed to create two more people.
A capable adventurer.
And a master diplomat who would one day become the face of Noaterra to the outside world.
Noah drew a long breath.
He looked over the little settlement, now filled with signs of life.
"Just a little longer..."
"The next step is about to begin."