Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Everyone Has a Position, But I’m Still a Grunt

That night, oil lamps with flames the size of peas lit up the wooden house temporarily being used as a meeting room.

Everyone took their seats around the long table as two shapely maids went around pouring hot tea.

Levi sat at the head of the table. To his right sat Baisitina, and next to her, Mier. To his left was that lovable oaf Zat, followed by Muto, and finally, Sam at the far end.

’At our first meeting, there was barely anyone,’ Levi mused, ’but now, a core team is already beginning to take shape.’

"Alright. The second internal meeting of High Cliff Castle now begins."

Levi rapped his knuckles on the table, and the sharp sound brought everyone to attention.

"The purpose of this meeting is to set the development strategy and policies for High Cliff Castle."

"We have utterly crushed the Wilderness Alliance Army that coveted the iron mine. They won’t be able to muster the courage to try and seize it again for at least the next few years. What we must do is use this time to develop rapidly."

"Right now, our top priority for the iron mine is not just meeting our own internal needs, but also creating a surplus we can sell." Levi looked toward Mier. "To that end, I’m establishing an Armaments Team. Mier, you will be its captain, responsible for smelting the iron ore and forging weapons and Armor."

Having had a few days to come to terms with things, Mier had managed to move on. He was no longer dejected; instead, he solemnly placed a hand over his chest in a gesture of acceptance.

"To bolster High Cliff Castle’s defenses, the Burning Corps will establish a Second Corps. We’ll aim for two hundred members, whom I will select from the various tribes. Zat will serve as its commander for now, and Muto will temporarily take charge of the First Corps."

This was a decision Levi had made long ago. Setting aside the Jackal Wolfman Tribe, after absorbing the Feder and Evil Fang tribes, his domain’s population had reached about three thousand. Not counting the wounded, there were four hundred young, able-bodied people among them. Including the existing High Cliff Castle garrison, that made for a potential fighting force of about five hundred.

Of course, not all of them could be made into soldiers; High Cliff Castle simply didn’t have the resources to support that many. So Levi decided to select the best of the best. Two hundred was a suitable number.

What frustrated Levi somewhat was the lack of leadership at High Cliff Castle. He had no choice but to have Zat take on command of the Second Corps in addition to managing the Beastmen.

Sitting at the far end of the table, carefully observing everyone’s words and expressions, Sam finally understood. ’This isn’t a meeting at all,’ he thought. ’It’s a ceremony for handing out positions and rewarding meritorious service.’

Everyone attending this meeting was being assigned an important position, and here he was, at this very meeting.

The implication was obvious.

’My talents have finally been discovered by the Lord of High Cliff Castle!’

At this thought, Sam couldn’t help but grin, eagerly anticipating the position he was about to be assigned.

Although he had once been a Shaman who held sway over a tribe of a thousand, and no position in High Cliff Castle could possibly be higher than the Lord’s, he was still thrilled.

’After all, how can a self-proclaimed countryside chief compare to a title bestowed by the Debei Nobles?’

"Furthermore, I intend to establish a Casting Team."

As he said this, Levi looked up toward Sam at the far end of the table.

Sam hurriedly puffed out his chest and put on a perfectly calibrated smile.

"Yes, and Sam will serve as its..."

’Say it! Spit it out!’

Sam screamed internally, the corners of his mouth twitching upward uncontrollably.

"...Sam will serve as a team member," Levi finished, emphasizing the last words.

"Huh?"

Sam’s face was a mask of disbelief. He couldn’t help but ask delicately, "My Lord, perhaps you misspoke?"

"I did not misspeak. You will be a team... member!" Levi enunciated every word.

Sam deflated like a popped balloon, slumping back into his chair. He couldn’t believe it. As the only Caster in High Cliff Castle, he couldn’t even snag a team leader position? ’Is there any justice in this world?’

The Lord was well-versed in the "carrot and stick" approach, and his tone softened slightly.

"Though you’re only a team member, your status will be even higher than the team leader’s. Think about it. Are you not the only Caster in High Cliff Castle right now?"

"As long as you train new Casters, even if one of them becomes the team leader someday, they’ll still have to call you ’Master,’ won’t they? That’s far more prestigious than being a simple team leader!"

Levi was painting a grand picture out of thin air—a classic case of trying to get something for nothing.

’He’s right!’

Sam’s eyes lit up. He was the only Caster in High Cliff Castle right now. If he trained apprentices, even if they became team leaders or what have you, they would still have to treat him with the utmost respect.

In that instant, Sam had completely convinced himself. He began to imagine the future: a Casting Team built from the ground up by him, its members all respectfully calling him the Legendary Great Mage.

And when this Casting Team’s fame spread throughout the Wilderness, perhaps even to Debei, the credit would belong to him—Sam, the Legendary Great Mage!

Watching the now-excited Sam, Levi smiled inwardly. ’The old fox finally swallowed the bait.’

It wasn’t surprising that Sam took the bait. Though old and cunning, he had always been in a position of power where no one had ever needed to spin him such grand tales. Trapped in a backwater like the Kas Mountain Range, he was simply too worldly-unwise. Levi’s methods were a form of psychological warfare from a completely different dimension.

It looked like he was motivating Sam, but in reality, Levi just wanted the old man to train more Shamans and fill High Cliff Castle’s desperate need for Casters.

With the battle for the iron mine concluded, High Cliff Castle faced a new question.

Namely, whether to move their main base to the Feder Tribe’s former territory. After all, the iron mine there was an asset of immense strategic importance.

However, after a moment’s thought, Levi rejected the idea.

The Feder Tribe’s camp was on the periphery of the Kas Mountain Range, but it was still deep within the mountains themselves. While such a location was excellent for evading pursuit by Debei, it was by no means ideal for development.

As the old saying goes, "To get rich, first build a road."

The importance of transportation infrastructure to economic development was self-evident.

Building roads improved transport conditions, enabling smooth logistics, shortening travel times, and facilitating the flow of goods—all of which would drive economic growth.

Convenient transport could turn a region’s natural resources into an economic advantage, opening up trade routes and fostering the exchange and creation of wealth.

To put it simply, a proper highway would attract more merchants.

After all, if there was a good road that saved time, who would waste it traveling on a poor one?

The Feder Tribe’s location was doomed to economic stagnation. High Cliff Castle, on the other hand, was situated on a vast plain. Carriages could traverse it even without proper roads, making it the obvious choice to develop into a central city.

The flat grasslands were also far more suitable for building cities and roads.

Having finished his deliberations, Levi announced his decision to the others.

"In a few days, after we’ve had time to rest and reorganize, the entire Feder and Evil Fang tribes will begin migrating to High Cliff Castle. All that needs to remain here are the garrison soldiers and the slaves to work the mine."

Levi planned to develop the site into a dedicated mining base. A contingent of soldiers would remain to guard it, and the ore they extracted would be transported back to High Cliff Castle for smelting.