Autumn, the season of harvest.
　In Avalon, too, the first seeds we sowed after planting were finally coming up for harvest.

Do you also buy them here, Mr. Alec?

　I was working hard in my study when Angier came to visit and asked me about it.
　I stopped and responded to Angel's question.

No, I don't think we need it this year. This year, we'll be tearing up the fields and sowing seeds, so we shouldn't have enough to make a surplus of food.
I see.
"Rather, you should still need help until next spring, no, summer or so. Of course, it's best not to.
Why?
If I help them, it means that not all the farmers will be able to earn their own money. Angel, I consider it a prerequisite to fill the bellies of all those who have followed me, Avalon.
"Yes, that's great, Mr. Alec.
"And then I want to make sure that everyone gets the next stage of belly-filling, the feeling of accomplishment. I'm happier that way.
"I see!

　Convinced Angel with a smile.
　Of course there is one more thing to accomplish, Eliza and I saw in the city before, is to criticize me.
　Ideally, my belly would be so full that he could afford to criticize me.

　I predict that it will take another year or two for it to spread to the rural areas.
　For that, I need at least one more move--

"Master!

　The door to the study was opened and the head maid, Amelia, rushed in.
　She was breathing on her shoulder, as if she was in a hurry to get here.

"What's up, Amelia?
Here.

　Then I received the letter that Amelia offered me.
　That's the official language of the empire, by the way, not the ideograms I made up.

　Anyone can read them, but I'm the only one who can still write them.
　It's not a problem for its intended purpose, so I'm leaving it intact for now.

　The letter was written in the official language of the empire...

"What's wrong, Alec? You look very grim.
"Do you want to read it?

　I handed the letter to Angier.
　She took it and read it over, and in an instant, her expression grew tighter.

"The farmland was ...... burned down?
"......

　Between the eyebrows, carved deep vertical wrinkles.

　　　　　.

　The smoke was still smoldering and the smell of burning was filling the area.
　The fields, which were just before the harvest, have been burned to the ground, revealing a ghastly sight.

　I'm at a loss for words.

"We were supposed to harvest next week.
That's what happens when you do this: ......

　Behind me, the peasants here in the fields are complaining of their grief.
　In addition to the men, there are also those who are weeping and wailing with abandon.

I wonder if we will survive the winter if we don't: ......
Don't worry.

　I turned to them and proclaimed, "We'll treat this as a natural disaster.

"We'll treat this as a natural disaster, and we'll have food brought in later for wintering. And we'll get you next year's seed rice.
""--!

　The peasants were all wide-eyed in surprise and immediately cheered.

Thank you, Father!
"Thank you very much.
"Hail, Father of the Nation!　Hail Alexander!

　The peasants came to themselves and thanked and praised me.

What's done is done. Next time you'll fix up the fields for a proper harvest.
"Yes!

　That's enough for now.
　To arrange for food, I flew back to the lord's house with flying magic.

　I had a landing spot set up in the yard for when I flew back, and I landed there without missing a beat.
　And there was Amelia waiting for you.

"Welcome home, master.

　For some reason, Amelia has a very grim face when she greets me.

"What's wrong with you? ...... No way!
"Yes.

　Amelia nodded gravely with a pained look on her face and said, "The fields were burned again.

"Another field was burned down in the other part of the world.
...... What does that mean?

　The wrinkles between the eyebrows became deeper and deeper.

　　　　　☆

　In my study, on my desk, I spread out a map.
　It was a brand new map of Avalon, with cities and villages drawn on it since my arrival and that of the Hundred Thousand People.

　On it Amelia battened down one by one.

And here it is. This is the seventh one in all.


"You say you were burned so much: ......

　Suddenly, there were multiple incidents of field arson in different parts of Avalon.

　At first I thought it was an accident, but after seven simultaneous incidents in such a short period of time, there's no chance of an accident.
　It's going to be a man-made crime.

Could it be the work of God the Creator?

　Amelia, who, due to her position as head maid, knows me and the Creator's quarrel better than most, was the first to mention the possibility.

I don't think so. The power of the Creator God is fully parsed. If he tries anything, he'll know immediately. Besides.
"And?
"For some reason, the Creator never tries to touch anyone but me.

　I have an idea about that, but I'm not sure, so I didn't say it.

If he really was the Creator, he would have come directly to me, not to Hatake.
"I see.
And this is not the power of God.
How do you know?
I've seen two of them, and judging from the ignition point and the way it's spreading, after a minimal fire, it's just letting the fire spread naturally. By the power of God, for example, I can turn a field into a village and burn it over a large area.
So it's a person?
Yeah. I feel like a magician in my own right.

　Me staring at the map.
　Seven damage points, there doesn't seem to be any law to it.
　Just randomly setting fires and going around.
　I can feel it in the air.

What should we do?
"It's okay, I've taken care of it.
"I mean?
"It's--

　I was about to explain to Amelia when it came.
　I took the wise man's sword on my back, opened the window, and flew out.

　With my flying magic, I rushed to the place where I felt the presence.

　Thirty kilometers east of the lord's house.
　I flew with my flying magic to a place where I saw a flaming hand raised.

　I flew over as soon as I saw it, so the flames hadn't spread yet and only burned a field in the vast farmland.

Go away!

　Hold out your hand and use your magic.

　The magic she released quickly formed a rain cloud above the flames, sending down a downpour.
　The bucket-load of rain quickly extinguished the fire.

There!

　He threw the philosopher's sword from the sky.

　The sword flies away and pierces the ground.
　He swoops after it, stands right next to the sword, and pulls it loose.
　Then he stares.

　An empty space - but I see blood dripping from that empty space.

　There's someone there.

"There's no way to torch the place anymore.
"......
"I've got a hint of it, and my statues all over Avalon will sense it and know if I do anything.

　The anti-create god countermeasure came in handy.
　I grabbed it from the burned ruins and planted a sensing spell.
　I was the first to see it, and I rushed here.

　My proclamations are not big words, this one cannot be used for large-scale arson ever again.

Feng ......

　The thing sighed in resignation.
　It's a pretty young voice.

"That's the Alexander Carlyle I hear about.

　Then the next moment it revealed itself.

　A young woman.
　It's a beautiful long straight pony, clear skin, pointed ears.

You're an elf ...... or is that super-natural ...... a high elf?