You sure about this?

"Hmm… I get what you mean."

Ethan understood that Elynn wasn't saying Cicero was inferior to Seraphina—she was pointing out that their strengths and focus were simply different.

Cicero was more of a strategist, relying on his intellect. Even his Heroic Talent leaned toward tactical prowess, which meant that direct combat wasn't exactly his forte.

Seraphina, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Whether it was her personality or her Heroic Talent, she was a pure warrior through and through.

So when Elynn mentioned "greater power," it made perfect sense that Seraphina was the better fit.

"Go on," Ethan said.

"Yes…" Elynn nodded and continued, "Right now, I think our best move is to focus on developing Verdant Ravine. There are plenty of wild creatures there, which will help Her Highness Seraphina grow stronger quickly. Plus, the gold mines in Verdant Ravine are exactly what Emerald Castle needs most right now.

"After all, once we take control of all the Creature Dwellings in Wishing Valley, just recruiting troops alone is going to cost us a fortune! And considering the current size of our territory, this isn't just a one-time expense—it's something we'll have to keep paying every single month."

Ethan froze for a moment, confused.

Every single month?

Why?

Wasn't it supposed to be a one-time buyout once a castle controlled the territory's Creature Dwellings?

"…Oh, I see now."

It only took Ethan a few seconds to figure it out.

Emerald Castle was still too small.

He wasn't sure yet what level the castle needed to be in order to fully control the surrounding regions—Doom Mountains, Wishing Valley, Verdant Ravine—but one thing was clear: a Level 1 Emerald Castle wasn't enough.

In fact, its current territory wasn't even large enough to cover all of Wishing Valley.

So it made sense that they couldn't enjoy the castle's buyout privileges just yet.

In Glory Lords X, a Creature Dwelling only truly belonged to you if it was within your territory. That was the only way to secure a one-time buyout for troop recruitment.

If the dwelling was outside your borders? Too bad. That was just a standard recruitment—also known as mercenary hiring.

In that case, the troops were merely hired hands.

Which meant that even if you paid the initial recruitment cost, you'd still have to keep paying them a salary every month. Otherwise, they'd pack up and leave without a second thought.

Sure, compared to the recruitment price, the monthly salary wasn't that much. But once your army grew in size—or enough time passed—those costs would add up fast. Before you knew it, you'd be dealing with an astronomical expense.

"Looks like we need to level up Emerald Castle as soon as possible. The only question is… what are the requirements for upgrading a castle in this world?"

Another mystery to solve.

But Ethan quickly pushed the thought aside.

There were already enough things to deal with right now. He'd figure it out when the time came.

"Alright, let's split up. Seraphina and I will head to Verdant Ravine to level up. Elynn, you'll stay at Emerald Castle to train the new Silver Pegasus Knights and oversee the Battle Dwarves—make sure they construct every available building we can put up right now. Then, start pushing towards Wishing Valley bit by bit… As for you, Cicero—are you coming with us, or do you want to go off on your own?" Ethan laid out the plan, then turned his gaze to Cicero.

Logically speaking, it would be better if Cicero didn't come with them.

Right now, their top priority was getting Seraphina to level 15 as quickly as possible. If Cicero joined them, he'd inevitably take a share of the experience, which would slow down Seraphina's leveling speed.

But at the same time, just leaving Cicero behind like that felt… wrong.

Ethan wasn't the kind of person who would cast someone aside just because it was the most efficient choice.

To him, Cicero and Seraphina were equally important.

They should be treated the same.

"Grumble, grumble…"

As if sensing Ethan's hesitation, Cicero waddled over and nudged him reassuringly, signaling that it was fine.

Then, the chubby little dragon extended a claw and pointed firmly at the Suffocating Swamp Forest in the lower-left corner of the map.

His eyes gleamed with determination.

He wanted to go back there.

Ethan's expression grew serious as he looked at Cicero. "You sure about this?"

"Roar! Roar!"

Cicero let out a deep, rumbling dragon cry—his way of showing his unwavering resolve.

As a proud Green Dragon, he had been scared by something in the Suffocating Swamp Forest.

That was unacceptable.

A disgrace to dragonkind.

No matter what, he had to erase that humiliation.

Even if he was just a newly hatched wyrmling, he still had his dragon pride.

His dignity.

"…Alright."

Hearing the determination in Cicero's voice, Ethan didn't argue. He simply nodded and said, "Be careful. If anything happens, let me know immediately. Got it?"

"Grumble, grumble!"

Cicero thumped his pudgy claw against his chest, signaling that he understood.

And with that, everyone set off on their respective tasks.

Cicero ventured alone into the depths of the Suffocating Swamp Forest.

Ethan and Seraphina made their way to Verdant Ravine to grind levels.

Meanwhile, Elynn remained at Emerald Castle, training the new Silver Pegasus Knights and overseeing the construction efforts—making sure every possible building was raised from the ground.