37 Benefits are often accompanied by great risk

I began to connect the different plots of land, let's call them islands, with wooden bridges. These wooden bridges were strong roots and wouldn't break easily. Also, I could shape them as I pleased, creating ladders to reach up to the higher islands.

The elves seemed to love it. They could climb ladders at an unbelievable speed and feared no height when it came to crossing narrow bridges. The humans? Not so much.

Most of the humans abandoned their houses and descended to the ground. There, a new town was built. The infrastructure on the islands was then taken over by the elves.

I felt much more comfortable around the elves. Maybe it was due to them being creatures of nature or because they hadn't betrayed me yet.

Next up, recruiting some subordinates. Using the root system below the new town I called Sven over.

'Sven, you have been quite successful so far and I've been meaning to ask... Have you sworn loyalty to anyone yet?'

"No lord Eldar, I have yet to even receive an offer to serve someone. I mean who would want a weak adventurer like me?"

'I would! If you are willing to swear absolute loyalty to me then strength is secondary.'

"I am willing! I hereby pledge my absolute loyalty to you, lord Eldar!"

'Your pledge seems a little rushed. Is it that hard to enter someone's services?'

"I was born in the slums of Midgard and became an adventurer to keep myself fed. I was mildly talented and got lucky a few times, allowing me to rise out of poverty to this point. Now, with my age, no connections, no fortune, and no real strength... In short, no bigger force has a need for someone like me."

'Fortunately, none of these things are of any concern to me. Now that you have made your pledge there is only one last step before you are a true subordinate of mine. Simply swallow this leaf and it will be done.'

"What is this leaf?"

'Insurance. Should you ever decide to forgo the pledge you just made, I can simply cripple you. Though rest assured, it doesn't hold any lethality.'

I let the leaf with the potential trigger inscription fall, using wind magic to guide it to Sven. I was expecting the need for some convincing to arise but Sven just grabbed it and wolfed it down. Seeing him eat the leaf so nonchalantly made it hard to believe it was an item that could cripple someone.

'You really don't hesitate, do you?'

"Should I? As long as I don't betray you, nothing will happen to me. You own so many beasts and have the ability to pay with holden ingots! Being the subordinate of such an existence is worth taking a little risk."

'Well, now that you are my subordinate, what's the element you specialize in?'

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

"I'm a wind magus. Fitting with the tempest wolf I have, isn't it? Recently, I felt like I was close to having a breakthrough but I just can't seem to take that last step."

'Wind! I might be able to help you with that. I just need to get you up here somehow.'

Getting the wind apple down to Sven was basically impossible so I would have to bring Sven up instead. And expecting Sven to climb up all the way was out of the question.

Remembering the System's words about platforms I began to grow a system of wooden platforms connected by stairs and ladders, eventually reaching the top.

Sven took a while to ascend to the top but finally reached it.

'Here, this apple is wind attributed. Eating it should allow you to break through the bottleneck you are currently facing.'

I was once again astonished at Sven's decisiveness. He simply plucked the lime-green apple and ate it in a slow yet steady manner.

No sooner had he finished the apple that he heavily exhaled and reached the early knight magus realm. Shock was written all over Sven's face.

"Is this some type of divine medicine? Thank you, lord Eldar!"

'Just call me Eldar. This apple was by no means divine medicine, it's just a simple apple filled with wind magic. I can make a ton of them without breaking a sweat. Assuming I could sweat. Anyway, just take some of them with you for now. You can come and get more once you've finished them.'

With that, I dropped a bunch of wind apples into Sven's lap. He descended the tree with a spring in his step.