The next few weeks of that month in Goldenveil passed peacefully.

As more houses went up, the barracks slowly emptied, though a great deal of work still lay ahead.

The population of the other two villages, now well-rested, also began to work.

Soon, the once-massive stockpiles of wood Goldenveil had amassed, numbering in the thousands of tons, started to run dry. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Even so, Ethan didn’t mind, focusing solely on what he did best: money.

With Alice’s help, he used up about twenty-five percent of Goldenveil’s spiritual herb seeds.

She hadn’t yet begun training Veronica, focusing all her efforts on improving her own mana control.

In total, they yielded just over four hundred thousand herbs.

Of those four hundred thousand, only about five thousand were priced above five gold coins, with another hundred exceeding one hundred coins each.

Together, they should be worth somewhere between ninety and one hundred thousand gold coins.

That amounted to nearly half a year’s military budget for the Darkwall family, one of the most powerful in the Kingdom of Burning Ice.

Their army numbered thirty thousand men, of whom hundreds were third-stage warriors, with a few having reached the fourth stage.

Of course, a single fourth-stage warrior alone consumed thousands of gold coins, so the comparison didn’t quite fit Goldenveil’s reality.

Honestly, even with more than enough money to buy so many herbs, what made that batch so incredible was the simple fact that it existed.

After all, one might have the coin to buy a product, but if it’s so scarce that it practically doesn’t exist in large quantities, then it’s worthless.

That was why magical herbs commanded such high regard.

With them, one could craft potions for healing, stamina, strength, agility, mind, and even poisons.

Each type of herb had its own function, and even the cheapest ones were worth far more than the few silver coins they sold for.

Sitting in his office, a faint smile playing on his lips, Ethan turned his attention to Goldenveil’s status screen.

[Name: GoldenVeil

Type: Medium Village

Population: 3512

Population Loyalty: 65%

Houses: 714 (714 occupied)

Prosperity: Good

Attractiveness: Good

Population Growth: +16/Week (Increase attractiveness and prosperity to gain more residents)

Lord: Ethan GoldenVeil

Knights: 0

Average Level: 0

Guard: 350 Light Infantry

Average Level: 24

Guard Loyalty: 80%

’Stone Wall with Battlements and Parapets’ Status: 12090/12090

Treasury: 1,990 gold coins (-530.50/month)

Upgrade requirements: 714/1,000 houses, 3,512/5,000 inhabitants, 1,000 gold coins, Lord at Viscount level or higher]

[Warning: Winter is coming. The number of new arrivals each month will drop drastically.]

Ethan ignored the last warning, the numbers already spinning in his mind.

In recent days, he had adjusted the salaries of many people.

A second-stage guard, for example, now received forty silver coins per month. A first-stage warrior earned thirty-five silver coins, while Doran and Aerick received twenty gold coins each.

It didn’t seem like much, but for an ordinary commoner, twenty gold coins would be enough to live in abundance for ten whole years.

The point was that third-stage warriors didn’t just need abundance. They actively required resources to keep growing stronger.

Herbs, mana beast blood, pills, potions... all of this was extremely expensive.

The moment a warrior became a true expert by reaching the third stage, their need for gold grew exponentially.

Considering the power of a true expert and how much some families spent supporting those at the third stage, twenty gold coins wasn’t even all that much.

In total, this brought the cost of the guard to one hundred and fifty-five gold coins.

But of course, the guard wasn’t everything.

Goldenveil employed about three hundred workers in construction, all temporary, who together received ninety gold coins.

On top of that came the incentives he provided to the local markets, Roderik’s forge, and the distillery that John managed on his behalf. All told, the total cost came to just over five hundred gold coins.

"Ah... I hope Ron gets here soon. I need to create a few more quests for the adventurers." Ethan smiled bitterly.

At the moment, Goldenveil was receiving about one hundred and fifty adventurers per week. A number he intended, one day, to turn into thousands.

For now, however, he would have to be content.

After all, they didn’t come there just to complete quests and collect rewards.

They placed orders at the blacksmith, shopped at local stores, and some even settled permanently in Goldenveil.

They were a considerable expense for the time being, but soon enough they would become an asset bringing much to Goldenveil’s prosperity.

With a sigh, Ethan stood up, walking out of the office toward the training arena in his mansion.

As he drew closer, he felt a faint pulse of mana spreading through the air, brushing against his skin like an invisible breeze.

Apparently, Alice had started teaching Veronica.

Ethan quickened his pace, and as he passed through the arena doors, he smiled at the sight before him.

Veronica was even more beautiful than before.

She was dressed with care, with her red hair pulled back into a ponytail and her green eyes closed, her lovely face set with determination.

She was still thin, though not as much as before.

The dress revealed a generous neckline, the pale skin of her breasts glistening softly under a light sheen of sweat.

’I wonder if she’ll get as big as Alice once she fully recovers,’ Ethan thought.

Breasts, after all, were largely composed of fat.

It was only natural that months of eating practically nothing would considerably reduce their size.

Ethan’s gaze shifted to Alice, her face of transcendent beauty consumed by concentration.

She carefully directed her own mana into Veronica’s body, her open palms pressed firmly against the young woman’s back, a faint bluish glow emanating from the point of contact.

Ethan didn’t know what it was, but a single glance was enough to fill his face with curiosity.

Whatever Alice was doing, it was undoubtedly related to Veronica’s advancement to the second stage, and it was no small matter.