While chaos reigned in Wester, the Sith Empire remained eerily calm. The breach and destruction of their border outposts seemed to be of little concern to them. At least on the surface, they maintained their original battle strategy—two of the Four Scourge Generals still led their legions in besieging the Orltan capital, waiting for the truce period to end before delivering the final blow. Meanwhile, Wester's defensive preparations had slowed down but not come to a complete halt. In truth, nobles and soldiers alike were growing jittery amid the swirling rumors, whether on the tense frontlines or in the comfortable rear areas. After all, what humans feared most was the unknown—and that was why the people's hearts were in such turmoil now.
But none of this mattered to Blake anymore. In fact, he had already returned to the Twilight Forest—bringing his spoils of war with him.
"To be honest, I never thought you would actually go through with it, My Lord," Euphoria said, her gaze fixed on the wooden door of the guest room, a complex expression on her face. After a moment of silence, she let out a wry smile. Thanks to Misaya's power, the princess had remained in a coma the entire time, which meant Blake had not had to exert himself much at all… or rather, that was precisely why it was best that she had been tied to the back of a horse like a piece of cargo, unable to protest. Upon their return, Blake had ordered Charlotte to settle her in a guest room, explaining to Euphoria that the Orltan party had been ambushed at the border, and the poor woman had been critically injured and fallen unconscious. If he had not arrived in time, he added, he doubted he would have been able to save her life.
Leaving out the latter part, Blake had not exactly lied.
From Euphoria's perspective, although she had long been aware of Blake's plan, it had only ever existed on paper. Now that it had become a reality, she still found it hard to believe. Standing there staring at the door, she felt as if she were in a dream. The former princess of an allied kingdom, the first in line to the throne, was now in a castle in such a desolate, remote fief as the Twilight Forest—it was simply unbelievable.
"I have always been a man of my word, Lady Euphoria," Blake replied with his usual easy smile.
"Keeping one's promises is a virtue of humanity, and I believe honoring them is of the utmost importance. Do you not agree?"
"With all due respect, My Lord, I have always felt that these virtues take on an entirely different meaning when applied to you," Euphoria retorted, rolling her eyes in exasperation. Blake made no attempt to argue; instead, he shrugged his shoulders and quickly changed the subject.
"How are things progressing?"
Euphoria opened her mouth, clearly annoyed by Blake's evasive tactics, but in the end, she chose not to protest. Instead, she sighed and began to answer his question.
With the financial support from the Golden Trade Route, the Twilight Forest's operations had finally gotten on track. Of course, Euphoria knew full well that relying solely on the trade route for funds was not a sustainable solution. So she had begun using the money to transform the entire fief. Her first priority was to cultivate a large amount of farmland to ensure self-sufficiency in food supplies. As a former princess of Wester, Euphoria understood better than anyone how crucial grain was to a territory. While nobles often obtained grain through trade, she knew that the lords who held their heads highest and spoke the loudest in the kingdom were always those who owned vast stretches of fertile land. They had no fear of being squeezed by competitors or blockaded by the royal family in trade disputes. In contrast, smaller and medium-sized noble families were constantly at the mercy of others for this very reason.
Moreover, during her time with Blake, Euphoria had come to realize that he was not the type of noble to seek stability or build extensive political connections. To put it bluntly, this young lord seemed to thrive on chaos. His character was unpredictable; he always preferred to take the path least traveled, yet rarely bothered to provide justifications or excuses that would satisfy others. It was true that the two neighboring lords bordering the Twilight Forest now obeyed him without question—but that was mostly due to the deterrence of his military might. Euphoria had to admit that the lord was quite adept at wielding such intimidation, but she was fundamentally different from him. By nature cautious, she was not comfortable relying on such methods to expand her influence indefinitely. Besides, critical resources like grain must always be kept firmly in one's own hands. Otherwise, if any nobles took a dislike to Blake and secretly tried to sabotage him—delaying grain imports and shipments under various pretexts—the consequences could be dire. Blake could not very well go around holding swords to people's necks over such matters, after all. Appropriate displays of military deterrence were beneficial, but relying on them constantly was far from wise.
Thus, Euphoria had immediately formulated a two-pronged strategy. With ample funds at her disposal, she had on one hand purchased large quantities of grain to stockpile for emergencies, and on the other hand, she had begun extensive land reclamation efforts, recruiting more farmers from among the refugees to bring the fields under cultivation as quickly as possible.
Typically, land reclamation involved numerous challenges: clearing the land, improving soil quality, driving away wild beasts, and felling trees to open up arable land—all of which required a considerable amount of time. But with the help of the *Wellspring*, none of these problems were insurmountable. Through the *Wellspring*'s power, the land could be instantly transformed into fertile farmland, with weeds wilting away naturally. Dense forests that had stood for years vanished overnight. As for the wild beasts, they were no match for the *Wellspring*'s aura—all dangerous creatures had been driven deep into the heart of the Twilight Forest, eliminating any threat they might have posed.
As Euphoria had anticipated, with war looming on the horizon, grain prices had already begun to rise, and shortages were appearing in some regions. The situation in the Twilight Forest was slightly better, but not by much. Even with the Winter's Hand merchant guild mediating on their behalf, Euphoria had still been forced to pay twice the usual price to procure the grain she needed.
On the Golden Trade Route front, however, the obstacles encountered had been fewer than expected. Castor had been performing his duties with unwavering dedication, seemingly fully committed to serving Blake. Though, considering the two Wraith Warriors always at his side, that might have been the main reason why the former captain of the guard did not dare to act rashly.
On the other hand, as the number of servants and attendants increased, so too did the financial expenditures.
This was not due to labor costs, however. After all, according to the agreement between Blake and the *Wellspring*, every midnight, the *Wellspring* would channel a portion of the Mana it had collected to materialize the wandering spirits lingering around the castle—and these materialized spirits would then take charge of all internal affairs within the castle. Needless to say, they required no payment for their services. Yet paradoxically, they were also the most costly to maintain.
Like Charlotte, the individuals the Holy Grace Church had once gathered were all elites handpicked from their respective fields—far more than just swordsmen. Among them were alchemists, pharmacists, and even master blacksmiths specializing in forging weapons, to name just a few. These "production-oriented" talents were placed under Charlotte's unified command, forming a special operations unit.
At first, Euphoria had been extremely pleased with this arrangement. Although these spirits had been dead for many years, their knowledge was incredibly vast. Moreover, their reputations as the "best in their fields" were well-deserved. If their skills and expertise could be properly utilized, they would be an invaluable asset to Spirit's Rest, a territory sorely lacking in skilled manpower. After all, resources could be purchased with money, but talented individuals were worth their weight in gold—and impossible to find with even the most diligent search. Furthermore, all these spirits had entered into contracts with Blake, so their loyalty was beyond question. They were the perfect helpers.
But as days turned into weeks, Euphoria had begun to seriously doubt whether her initial assessment had been correct.
It had started with the spirits requesting an alchemical workshop to conduct their research and experiments. Two days later, others had submitted applications to Euphoria for the construction of a forging workshop. Still others had gone so far as to propose building magic cannons and petrification beasts. All these requests had left Euphoria with a splitting headache. While there was certainly enough space to accommodate these facilities, the lists of materials they had submitted had nearly caused her to faint on the spot.
Dragon's blood, Night Alloy, Philosopher's Core, Psionic Ore… By the Holy Grace, these were all priceless treasures in the present day! Not to mention that some of them were completely unobtainable. In fact, even Euphoria, who had traveled far and wide and seen much in her life, recognized only a small fraction of the items on the lists. And even those materials she had been fortunate enough to encounter before came with exorbitant price tags—if they were to actually purchase all the required materials, the Twilight Forest would be bankrupted so thoroughly that not even a thread of clothing would be left to their name.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Upon hearing Euphoria's hesitant complaints, Blake shot her a curious glance. It was undeniable that he had been remiss in his planning. In truth, he had initially shared Euphoria's optimistic outlook. The Holy Grace Church had sought to create an army of the most powerful, eternally loyal soul puppets—and in doing so, they had inadvertently provided Blake with a legion of the most formidable contracted spirits. He had believed that as long as he could harness these powers effectively, the development of the Twilight Forest would be guaranteed. But clearly, both Blake and the Wraith Warriors had fallen prey to a common pitfall of researchers—they were solely focused on their research and creations, never once considering the astronomical costs of the materials required.
This was hardly surprising, though. In their past lives, these spirits had all been top-tier figures in their respective fields, with unlimited access to any materials they needed for their work. When had they ever had to worry about where to source their supplies?
But now, they were no longer in the halls of the Mage Association, the Alchemists' Guild, or the Smiths' Union—they were in the Twilight Forest. And in this remote fief, the procurement of materials had become their most pressing problem.
"So how did you handle the situation?" Blake asked.
"Well…" Euphoria hesitated, caught off guard by the question. She lowered her head, her voice softening. "I have already informed Miss Charlotte of our current circumstances and requested that they exercise patience for the time being. As for the final decision, I thought it best to wait until Your Lordship returned…"
Blake's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he immediately understood the former princess's thoughts.
It was clear that after learning the true identities of Charlotte and the others, Euphoria had become somewhat concerned. After all, there was no denying that Charlotte and the other spirits were far more familiar with Blake than she was—in other words, they were closer to him than she could ever hope to be. Among all the people in the castle, Euphoria was the only one excluded from Blake's inner circle. She knew nothing of his origins or his true intentions, able only to infer them through her daily interactions with him. This sense of alienation had made her hesitant to make any major decisions on her own. While in her capacity as steward, Euphoria held the second-highest authority in the fief after Lord Blake himself, she was reluctant to exercise that power too freely, for fear of being perceived as vying for control. Though some of this caution stemmed from her own personality, the bulk of it was undoubtedly a habit she had developed during her time in the royal palace—a defense mechanism to avoid being accused of harboring ambitions for the throne.
"You need not report such matters to me in the future," Blake said abruptly.
"Huh?" Euphoria looked up in surprise, her eyes widening. "My Lord, does that mean…"
"Charlotte and the others are indeed highly talented, but times have changed. Compared to them, I believe you possess far greater expertise in this area," Blake paused, fixing Euphoria with a steady gaze. After a moment, he continued. "Furthermore, do not forget your position as my adjutant. In this role, I trust you understand how to exercise your authority appropriately."
"I understand, My Lord," Euphoria replied, the tension on her face easing as she let out a sigh of relief. She nodded firmly, her voice brimming with newfound resolve. Euphoria was not a foolish woman—she understood exactly what Blake was trying to say. Of course, the divide between herself and the spirits would not be bridged by a few simple words from Blake; after all, it was clear that they had been by his side for far longer than she had. But now, Euphoria felt a surge of confidence. Given enough time, she was certain she could earn her place among them and forge genuine bonds of friendship.
With this thought in mind, Euphoria felt a renewed sense of purpose. She bowed deeply to Blake and turned to leave—but just as she reached the door, Blake called out to her again.
"By the way, what exactly do they need? Do you still have those lists with you?"
"Of course," Euphoria replied, reaching into her bosom and retrieving the lists to hand over to Blake. This attention to detail was one of her greatest strengths—she was always prepared, no matter what was required of her at any given moment. It was this trait that had made her such an indispensable assistant.
Taking the lists from Euphoria, Blake smiled and nodded at her. "You may retire now. I suspect you will have your hands full in the days to come… I think you understand that we have little experience in caring for a princess."
"Do not worry, My Lord. I will see to it that everything is handled appropriately," Euphoria replied, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. Though Blake's words sounded suspiciously like a jab at her own former status, she chose not to comment further—after all, she was merely a "former" princess now.
Watching Euphoria's retreating figure, Blake chuckled and shook his head. He then turned his attention back to the lists in his hands.
His time in Orlt had not been without its rewards. Not only had he observed the tactics employed by the Sith Empire firsthand, but he had also gained insight into their intentions—at the very least, one of the Four Scourge Generals was utterly unyielding in his appetite for war, sharing Blake's own passion for combat. Based on this observation, Blake was certain that the Sith Empire would launch their invasion of Wester within two and a half months at most. The time left to him was growing shorter by the day.
He needed an army.
War had never been about individual heroism. This was not to say that individual prowess was unimportant—Blake had no doubt that the Four Scourge Generals of the Sith Empire, even acting alone, could pose a serious threat to their enemies—but a threat was all they would ever be. No one, no matter how powerful, could stand against an army of one hundred thousand. Not even a Born Knight… though there were always exceptions to every rule.
War itself was a delicate balance of offense and defense, much like a game of chess. A player could not hope to win by relying solely on a single queen, no matter how powerful she was, while neglecting their rooks, knights, bishops, and pawns. Even if the queen could take ten pieces with one move, she would still be powerless to protect the king—and ultimately, she would be checkmated all the same.
At present, the greatest weakness of Blake's territory was its lack of manpower—especially well-trained soldiers. Time was running out for the coming war. Although Blake's plan relied on the Twilight Forest surviving the initial Sith onslaught so that he could absorb the remnants of defeated armies and the private forces of other nobles, he needed to build a defensive line of his own first.
Staring at the lists in his hands, Blake nodded approvingly. There was no denying that these spirits possessed both ambition and exceptional ability—or perhaps it was more accurate to say that after existing as disembodied souls for so long, they were finally eager to resume their unfinished work now that they had physical forms once more. Blake could understand this eagerness, but its sheer intensity was probably more than Euphoria's nerves could handle.
After carefully reviewing the lists, Blake reached out and rang the bell on his desk. At the sound of the clear, tinkling chime, Charlotte's figure appeared at the door.
"You called, Master?"
"Send Judy and Arya to me. I have something for them to do," Blake ordered.
"Right away, Master," Charlotte replied, bowing deeply before turning to leave. A moment later, Judy and another young woman appeared at the entrance to the study.
The red-haired captain of the guard was as vibrant and energetic as ever. The girl standing beside her, however, presented a stark contrast. Her light brown hair was tied back in a playful ponytail that swayed with her movements. Unlike Judy, who was clad in elegant, polished armor, she wore a black maid's uniform—a clear indication that she was one of Charlotte's subordinates.
By now, the administrative structure of the Twilight Forest had taken clear shape. Blake oversaw the overall direction of the territory; Euphoria served as the key decision-maker in daily operations. Beneath them, Judy was in charge of all military matters within the fief, while Charlotte managed the internal affairs of the castle and its surrounding lands.
Despite her maid's uniform, however, the brown-haired girl's attire was enough to draw anyone's attention. She wore a black glove on her right hand, connected by a thin silver chain to a small silver shield strapped to her elbow. A circle of throwing knives was tucked diagonally into her waistband, and the gleaming white hilt of a dagger peeked out from her thigh. A long sword was slung over her back, and a large, heavy broadsword hanging at her left hip completed the ensemble.
Compared to the valiant, military-clad Judy, this girl looked like a walking armory—her body adorned with an array of weapons that would make any warrior envious.
"You summoned us, My Lord?" Judy asked, stepping into the study and bowing respectfully. Blake merely shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands.
"I certainly did. I have an urgent task that needs to be done immediately… Judy, I want you to expand the size of the guard to five hundred men as quickly as possible. And I want to ensure that every single one of them has the combat ability of a mid-rank swordsman."
"Five hundred men?!" Judy exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "My Lord, we do not have nearly enough people to fill those ranks right now! Moreover, in the aftermath of the Age of Chaos, the quality of recruits these days is simply not up to par. It would take at least three to five years of rigorous training to raise their strength to the level of mid-rank swordsmen…"
"As for the numbers, I will speak to Euphoria about purchasing more slaves in the coming days. Additionally, I will transfer and conscript soldiers from other nearby towns. After all, Spirit's Rest is no longer the only settlement in our territory. We can also recruit mercenaries and adventurers from outside. Of course, I will leave it to you to vet their backgrounds and ensure their loyalty," Blake explained.
"Understood, My Lord," Judy replied, nodding her head without further argument. Satisfied, Blake turned his attention to the "walking armory" standing beside her.
"As for their combat strength… I assume you both remember that during the Age of Chaos, when one's natural abilities were lacking, we compensated with equipment. That is why, Arya, I want you to lead the craftsmen in Spirit's Rest to forge armor that can boost the wearer's strength to the mid-rank level. All it needs to do is allow them to channel soul power. And of course, the design must be elegant and imposing—it will help attract more people to join our army," Blake said.
"Armor that can enhance one's strength to the mid-rank level?" Arya repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion. She glanced down at the lists in Blake's hand, a look of concern crossing her face. "My Lord, it is true that there were weapons and armor capable of granting users the ability to fight beyond their natural rank during the Age of Chaos. But… we lack the necessary raw materials to recreate them now."
"We do not need to fully replicate their original power," Blake interjected, waving a hand dismissively. "To be honest with you, the materials we relied on back then are extremely scarce in this era. You will have to make do with whatever resources are currently available to us. I trust that as a master blacksmith, this will not be too great a challenge for you. Consider it an experiment, if you will."
"Creating rank-boosting soul armor using ordinary ore?" Arya's eyes lit up, the look of concern on her face quickly replaced by one of eager curiosity, as if she had just been presented with a fascinating new puzzle to solve. "This is indeed a most difficult proposition—one well worth the effort. I will see to it that your orders are carried out as quickly as possible, My Lord."
"Excellent," Blake said, nodding in satisfaction. He clapped his hands together, his expression suddenly turning grave. "Time is not on our side, ladies. Remember—our enemies are already on the move."
His voice dropped to a low, serious tone as he spoke the final words.
---
**A/N: Thank you to all the readers! Your support is the driving force behind my updates!**