Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent-Chapter 139: Ch : Changing Tides - Part 3

"Then… he really did all that by himself?"

"The ritual, the ruins, the mana—he handled it alone?"

"I thought he was just lucky…"

"Maybe we've all been underestimating him."

One by one, heads began to nod in agreement. It was impossible to ignore now.

Their young master had truly changed—or perhaps, he had always been this way, hidden beneath everyone's expectations and dismissive gazes.

While the estate buzzed with speculation and reevaluation, Kyle was completely unaware of the praise and gossip surrounding him.

He sat quietly in his study, brows furrowed as he flipped through document after document related to the land he had just been granted by the Duke.

On paper, it was unimpressive—barren, undeveloped, surrounded by rough terrain and poor infrastructure.

It had been labeled with a note: "Unsuitable for cultivation. Limited use. Potentially unstable terrain."

Kyle tapped a finger against the edge of the parchment.

"This looks like a polite way of saying, 'Give up.'"

He murmured. The Duke might as well have handed him a graveyard.

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But there was something about the land that tickled his instincts.

Something deep and almost primal told him it wasn't just abandoned wilderness.

He closed the documents and leaned back in his chair, gaze thoughtful.

"No one gives away land like this without a reason… If nothing else, it'll be worth investigating myself."

As he stood up, the door to his study opened and Bernard, the ever-dutiful butler, stepped in.

"Young Master. I've reviewed the details as well. I must say… it might be wise to reconsider. You do not have to prove anything. If you wish, I could speak to the Duke again and request an alternate place?"

Bernard said with a cautious tone.

Kyle shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"No, Bernard. This is mine now. Whether it's a trap, a test, or a gift wrapped in thorns—I'll deal with it. I won't back down just because it looks difficult."

Bernard lowered his head with a small sigh, clearly worried, but he didn't argue further.

"Then, allow me to prepare proper provisions for the journey. If you must go, you shouldn't go unprepared."

"You do that."

Kyle said.

Later that evening, Kyle gathered Bruce, Melissa, and Silvy in the estate's courtyard.

The sky was dimming into twilight, casting long shadows across the stone tiles.

A gentle breeze tugged at their cloaks as Kyle laid out the basic plan.

"We'll be heading out tomorrow morning. To the land I've been granted by the Duke. I want to see it with my own eyes."

He said.

Melissa tilted her head, her arms crossed.

"Isn't that supposed to be abandoned land?"

"According to the documents, yes. But I don't believe it. I think there's something more to it."

Kyle replied.

Bruce looked skeptical.

"You sure this isn't a test? Or the Duke setting you up for failure?"

"It might be both, but that doesn't matter."

Kyle admitted.

Silvy stepped forward, clearly intrigued.

"Then we're going to explore it?"

"Yes. Be ready. Pack light, but take everything you'd need for scouting unfamiliar territory."

Kyle confirmed.

Bruce gave a firm nod.

"You got it."

Melissa's expression remained unreadable, but she, too, nodded.

Only Silvy smiled, clearly excited.

"This is going to be fun. I've never seen land granted to someone before."

Kyle gave a short laugh.

"Let's hope it's worth the effort."

As the group dispersed to prepare, Kyle lingered in the courtyard for a moment longer, his gaze drifting toward the horizon.

If this land was another challenge set by the Duke… then he would meet it head-on.

After all, he wasn't the same weak son the world once mocked.

______

The carriage rumbled to a stop, its wheels crunching over the dry, brittle soil that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Kyle stepped out first, his expression unreadable as the wind whipped at his cloak. Behind him, Bruce climbed down and surveyed the landscape with an unimpressed scowl.

"It's worse than I imagined. This place isn't just barren—it looks cursed. Nothing's going to grow here, young master. You should return this plot and ask for a better one. The Duke can't possibly expect you to make something of this."

Bruce muttered, folding his arms.

Kyle didn't answer right away. Instead, he tapped the ornate pendant at his neck, and a pulse of mana rippled outward like a silent command.

From his shadow, a low rumble echoed as a sleek, creature slithered out—Queen.

Its wings unfolded and soon the hawk took flight to check around. Its eyes glowed faintly with intelligence as it gazed around the land.

"Go, scout the area."

Kyle said softly.

Queen let out a low hiss of acknowledgment before darting off, weaving through the wind-swept terrain like a phantom.

Bruce grimaced.

"Even Queen's going to have a hard time finding anything in this wasteland."

Kyle sighed and nodded.

"I thought the same. But we've come this far—we'll at least take a proper look before deciding anything."

Bruce muttered under his breath, clearly thinking it was a waste of time, but he held his tongue and didn't object further.

Kyle turned toward the others.

"Let's split up. Circle around and search the edges. There might be something we've missed."

Melissa and Silvy nodded, and the group fanned out in different directions.

Kyle followed the path Queen had taken, his boots crunching over dry grass and cracked stone.

The air here was thick, not with pollution, but with a sense of potential—a tension humming beneath the silence, like something waiting to be awakened.

After a while, Queen reappeared and gestured toward a narrow valley ahead.

Kyle followed without hesitation, descending the gentle slope.

What he found was unexpected.

Tucked between jagged hills and natural cliffs was a small cluster of homes—simple, but sturdy.

Around them, people were working.

Not many—just a dozen or so.

At first glance, they looked like any other rural villagers, tilling the land with practiced movements.

But then Kyle noticed it.

Their hands glowed faintly with blue and green wisps.

When they dug into the soil, the earth shimmered in response.

When they planted seeds, mana pulsed through the ground. It wasn't just farming—it was cultivation in the literal sense.

Kyle's eyes narrowed.