I suddenly appeared in the fief, and as I did, I noticed how, every time I entered, the place seemed to change a little more. I'm really putting a lot of effort into this, and this small territory continues to grow and improve steadily.
Just by walking through the village, you can see new buildings or upgrades to the existing ones. I can't say it's been easy; I've practically spent much of my energy creating gold with the power of the Philosopher's Stone running through my veins. All those trips to Gringotts…
But I'm satisfied. Even though my focus isn't on the village right now, spending time with the girls isn't bad either—although lately, they're always tired. I decided to train them after Petunia recovered from the rituals and discovered she had the physical strength of at least three men. That became my new goal, though I never neglect the care and love they deserve.
Most of the training doesn't consist of theoretical lessons or strictly practical exercises but completing the daily and weekly missions from the board. Traveling to small worlds not only toughens them up in real-life experiences, but we also explore and enjoy adventures together.
Speaking of the board missions, I've managed to understand a little about how they work in terms of duration. Daily missions can last from a few hours to a couple of days. Weekly missions range from weeks to months. Monthly missions can take several months to a few years. I suppose if I manage to unlock yearly missions, they might span several years to decades.
Certainly, I spent a lot of crystal coins upgrading the board, but it was worth it. About the crystal coins: daily missions have a low probability of granting them as rewards, between 1 and 10 coins, but finding them is rare—they appear in maybe one out of hundreds of missions. Weekly missions already have about a 50/50 chance of granting them, though I've never seen a reward of more than 50 coins. Monthly missions offer rewards in the hundreds, but the amount depends on performance during the mission.
Anyway, I'm just saying that the coins spent are recovered slowly, but in the future, it won't be about breaking even—it'll be about making a true profit.
I stopped drifting in my thoughts as I continued my way. I looked far off to the edge of the fiefdom, where a large Quidditch field stood in a cleared area. That was the field I built for my sister and the witches of the Nest, just as I promised. It was huge, even larger than Hogwarts', with the dimensions of a professional stadium.
You'd think that just putting up three hoops on each side would've made it a quick job, but no. This stadium wasn't normal.
I spent quite a bit of money on it, though fortunately, I didn't use crystal coins. In the end, I made sure it lived up to my expectations: it was the perfect stadium for training the girls.
The stands were small, much smaller than Hogwarts', but that didn't matter since having an audience wasn't a priority. The hoops could change shape and size, move in different directions, spin, or even travel along the field's perimeter. The environment and weather could also be altered—from the current stability to scorching heat, freezing cold, torrential rain, or even hail, all over the field. The ground could ignite into flames or transform into water. Training here would allow them to fly under any condition.
Beyond the Quidditch field, there were many other things I'd invested in. Although I spent a bit more this time, I still avoided using my precious crystal coins whenever possible. One of the most useful options I found was the ability to summon NPC Quidditch players—though at a fairly low level—for an hour a day to practice matches. If I wanted, I could summon real professionals, but I wasn't willing to spend my crystal coins on that.
However, there were other upgrades I did decide to invest in. I acquired several enhanced Snitches—not only in speed and agility but with unique abilities; some could teleport occasionally, while others heated up to a scorching red when touched. I also got Quaffles that increased in weight the longer you carried them and Bludgers with superior tracking and attacking intelligence. These Bludgers could even multiply or adopt the properties of the other balls. In short, this field wasn't just for training the best Quidditch players but also to forge the most competent magical air force in the world.
Still, that wasn't my focus for now. That phase would come later when I invited the girls to train here. But before that, I made sure to partition the space so that none of them could perceive or access the rest of the fief. With that in mind, I continued on my way.
I moved away from the human-made structures and headed toward the outskirts, to the small peripheral forests. Along the way, I passed by the cemetery where Helena usually resides, and yes, there she was.
This cemetery had grown immensely since its construction. Initially, it was barely larger than a house and had fewer than a dozen graves. Now, its size had multiplied nearly tenfold, and its atmosphere was entirely different. In addition to the graves in the ground, some crypts had been built, as well as an underground passage leading to a catacomb the size of the original cemetery. While it had small paths and a few trees, this wasn't a colorful or peaceful cemetery. No, just approaching it was enough to feel the presence of death. The soil seemed withered, the trees dry and blackened, and although clouds were rare in the fief, most of them seemed to gather here, making this spot darker than anywhere else.
Helena stood in the center of the cemetery, in what could've been a small plaza if not for the magical circle engraved on the ground, decorated with skulls in the corners and other necromantic elements. From time to time, the ghost could be seen absorbing streams of energy, some of a spectral green and others of an icy blue. Not far from her, a small tower—or perhaps I should call it a pillar—rose, with an orb at the top that occasionally emitted the same energy Helena absorbed.
All this cemetery expansion was due to our journey to the Necropolis. We didn't gain much from that mission, as it turned out to be incredibly difficult. There was so much instant death magic that Voldemort's "Avada Kedavra" seemed like a mere peasant's trick compared to what we encountered there. However, the little we managed to obtain was put to good use.
The only real problem is that, in theory, if Helena stopped absorbing this energy, in less than a month some corpses would start rising on their own. Her intervention slows this process down but doesn't stop it completely. The cemetery keeps accumulating large amounts of death energy and is gradually becoming a place similar to the Necropolis—a land dominated by the dead. And this will only worsen as the cemetery continues to improve.
Though in the future, this could be useful for training. For now, the dead that might rise are simple mindless creatures, mere specters driven only to destroy life. They're weak… but for how long? Maybe, if we manage to return to the Necropolis, we could uncover more secrets. In that world, a single house could hold as much knowledge about death as an entire country could here.
I left the cemetery behind and finally reached the forest. I headed to a particular area now covered in webs, though within a fairly controlled zone. I sighed, aware of what awaited me there, unsure how I should feel, and entered.
My arachnid brood had been born some time ago. By nurturing them with my blood magic while they were still in their eggs, I had accelerated their hatching more than I had imagined. In fact, had I not done so, their incubation would have taken much longer than that of a common acromantula. I know this well, as I had to feed them several times before feeling their vitality reach an acceptable level. It seemed the hybridization had prolonged their gestation period, but once that obstacle was resolved, they hatched even faster than their normal counterparts.
I can't deny that their existence surprised me. From their physical characteristics to their peculiarities, everything about them was fascinating… and, somehow, familiar. They were my daughters. They shed their skin for the first time shortly after birth, a process that felt strange to witness. Thanks to my constant support and nourishment, they grew quickly, reaching adulthood within weeks. It was an astonishing development. I noticed that, unlike their long incubation period, their subsequent growth was incredibly accelerated.
Now, standing in the web-covered forest, I could feel their presence lurking in the shadows. They were my little ones, those who had grown so quickly. I couldn't help but feel a warmth inside, an instinctive affection for them. At first, it had all been an experiment… but now, I no longer cared about changing my perspective.
However, this wasn't the time for sentimentality. My daughters needed to go out into the world. This forest, though safe, was an empty environment: no predators, no prey, no real ecosystem. They were dominant creatures by nature; leaving them here any longer could affect them mentally. They didn't adapt to peace. They needed to face the outside.
I stood motionless in the center of the forest, closed my eyes, and waited. It didn't take long to hear the quick, excited steps approaching from all directions. In seconds, I was surrounded. I could feel their emotions… and the only thing keeping me from growing even more attached to them was the certainty that they couldn't love like a human. Perhaps due to their species or some other reason, their affection for me barely reached a tenth of what a human would feel in the same circumstances. But what they did have was unwavering respect and loyalty—something few humans could imitate. It was a deeply hierarchical connection, an absolute acknowledgment that I was above them. They accepted it as undeniable truth. And, in some way, perhaps due to my own inhuman nature… I understood it too.
"Girls, it's time," I announced as I activated [Mass Travel]. "As I told you, it's time to leave. I'll take you to complete your first task."
"Yesssss!"
"Let's gooo!"
"Daddyyyy!"
"I can't wait."
*Spider sounds* (I want to hunt…)
I heard them address me with their characteristic clicking tones. Well… at least, those who could speak. However, even the ones who couldn't articulate words managed to make themselves understood. And I don't just mean [Druid Essence], which also facilitated communication, but the strange bond we shared. It wasn't perfect understanding, as if they spoke a familiar language, but I could grasp their intentions and the emotions they tried to convey. We had a deep, instinctive connection.
Moments later, we disappeared from the fief.
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