With the arrival of another spring, the residents of the new city are surprised to see the speed at which the city walls are being constructed. Henwell's quarry delivers rge, sturdy stone blocks in abundance.

  These specially crafted stones are precisely cut according to the craftsmen's specifications, making the wall-building process incredibly efficient. With a significant bor force at work, the walls rise visibly day by day. Once they reach over three meters, the residents feel a comforting sense of security.

  These stones, however, are not quarried; they are made of concrete reinforced with steel bars, allowing for any desired shape and facilitating construction. The quarry has now been converted into a gravel pit, focusing on producing sand and gravel for concrete.

  Though a fully poured concrete wall would be ideal, Henwell faces limitations in steel and cement production. Even so, the efficiency and cost of producing concrete blocks are far superior to the cumbersome task of cutting stone.

  The new city is designed in an octagonal shape, with the walls enclosing an area of over twenty square kilometers—quite a sizable city. Despite the vast amount of vacant nd within the city, all ownership remains with Henwell. The pnned walls are six meters high, over four meters wide, and nearly sixteen kilometers long.

  Given the current world's productivity levels, this is a massive undertaking, requiring hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of concrete, which cannot be produced overnight.

  Currently, Henwell's quarry delivers over a hundred cubic meters of standard stone material daily, astonishing everyone. Completing the walls entirely would take decades. The three-meter section of the wall is merely a small stretch, serving as the fa?ade for the eight entrances.

  Henwell could certainly ramp up cement production, but he chooses not to progress too quickly. Drawing too much attention isn't beneficial for him. A rapidly built wall could increase the city's value, making it a tempting target for others. Henwell isn't interested in setting the stage for someone else to swoop in and take advantage. A gradual approach suits him just fine.

  Currently, Henwell focuses on fortifying two directions: southwest towards the Kingdom of Ika and southeast towards the Kingdom of Ogiro. These areas get priority in wall construction, though he avoids building continuous stretches. With other sections still open, any potential invaders could simply bypass the walls.

  Hence, Henwell pns to construct thirty-meter-long, four-meter-high wall segments at intervals, creating a kind of dotted line effect. One week's worth of concrete blocks is enough to build one of these segments.

  When enemies see gaps, they might rush in, but archers stationed on each wall segment can cover these open areas effectively. Henwell doesn't believe the three nations will remain peaceful forever, but he's not worried. War brings chaos, and chaos provides the perfect opportunity for Henwell to climb even higher.

  Time flies, and the Midsummer Festival is fast approaching. Everyone is pleased with the changes in the new city, observing its development with satisfaction. However, few notice the significant transformations occurring in the vilges and towns of Peace Haven. Many have become completely vacant, while others suffer from severe popution loss, with the remaining residents working for Henwell.

  In some of the more barren vilges, Henwell has established several new ranches. These not only raise livestock for leather and meat but also include a couple of small-scale horse farms, ying the groundwork for his warhorse breeding base. Breeding and raising horses is a skilled task that requires time and careful selection, not something that can be accomplished in just a year or two.

  Additionally, Henwell has inspected all the farmnd and finalized the spring and summer crop pns for Peace Haven. A crop simir to barley, known as "GaoGu," has been selected. Imported from the Kingdom of Billie, this crop is well-suited to the local climate. While its yield surpasses that of barley and wheat from Henwell's previous life, it falls short of crops like corn.

  Henwell has chosen the most cost-effective processes for breeding, selecting, pnting, dense pnting, fertilizing, and irrigation. If the serfs tend to it diligently, the yield can reach nearly 400 kilograms per acre. This output satisfies Henwell, as it's roughly the amount of grain an adult requires annually.

  Typically, a serf manages about ten acres of nd, meaning one agricultural worker can support nine additional people.

  Even after accounting for half the popution being children, the elderly, or women, about five people remain. This increase in avaible bor allows Henwell to pn more industries and projects, further expanding his resources.

  From these five people, Henwell can draft one into the army. This means, without hindering the development of his territory, Henwell can establish a military force comparable in size to his agricultural workforce. This is quite a formidable prospect. With tens of thousands of acres of private farmnd and nearly ten thousand serfs engaged in agriculture, Henwell has the potential to recruit thousands of soldiers into his army.

  However, Henwell isn't reckless; such a move would be too arming. Instead, he pns to build his military gradually and subtly.

  With so many enterprises, there's always a need for protection, right?

  Establishing a vilge guard doesn't seem excessive, does it?

  And having a security team for the workshops is perfectly reasonable.

  Quietly, Henwell deploys half of his elite infantry to these areas. Each soldier becomes a squad leader, commanding militias ranging from a dozen to several dozen people. This strategic pcement ensures that Henwell's military presence grows steadily without drawing undue attention.

  These infantries remain unnoticed as the nobles and merchant spies keep their eyes fixed on the new city, Henwell's manor, and his cavalry camp. The officers Henwell has deployed will rigorously train the militias and security teams according to his methods. When needed, Henwell can quickly assemble a standard army. In the meantime, they ensure stability in their respective areas, rotating annually to prevent them from becoming too entrenched in one pce.

  In addition to small-scale training, Henwell organizes monthly drills to familiarize them with group combat, avoiding chaos when the time comes.

  As his territory develops steadily and thrives, Henwell reaches his eighteenth birthday—finally, adulthood!

  But before he can celebrate, a troublesome order nds on his shoulders. Once again, it's Arius! Henwell is required to spend some time in the Kingdom of Billie. Although not explicitly stated, Henwell suspects it's for a marriage alliance. This marriage alliance will definitely not allow Henwell to be used as a stand-in. Instead, he is personally chosen by Duke Amir to accompany Arius as his guardian knight on this journey to Billie.

  While everyone congratutes him, seeing it as a great opportunity for Henwell's future, he strokes his newly arrived war spear, sensing it might soon taste blood. Henwell knows this mission won't be as straightforward as it seems.