Village Plans

As Suleiman and his group moved forward, the soldier had already gone ahead. Upon arriving at the house, they found Jor and his disciples waiting outside.

"My Lord, I have completed my survey and came to present my findings to you!" Jor spoke hastily, as if pressed for time. It was clear that neither he nor his disciples had much free time to spare.

Suleiman, noticing the urgency in Jor's tone, responded, "Master Jor, let's have dinner together first, and then we can continue our discussion."

They gathered around the dining table—Suleiman sat at the head, with Athena beside him. On the opposite side sat Luna, with Miki next to her, while Jor and Mike took their seats next to Miki. Throughout the meal, an odd atmosphere lingered between Luna and Miki. Athena enjoyed herself, while Suleiman sensed something but couldn't quite grasp it. Meanwhile, Jor glanced at Miki with a hint of helplessness.

"Haha… Youth is wonderful, but my time has long passed," Jor sighed, muttering to himself.

—

After dinner, Luna hesitated before leaving. She was reluctant to go but knew they would discuss important matters that she had no right to be part of.

"Good night, everyone. I'll be heading to my room now. See you tomorrow, Lord Suleiman."

Suleiman nodded, watching her leave before turning his attention back to Jor.

"Have you determined what the village needs?"

"Certainly, my lord. There are many necessities. I've compiled a list of what we need to research and obtain for the village," Jor replied, gesturing to Miki to present the list.

Miki handed the list to Suleiman. "Here you go, my lord."

Suleiman examined the list, noting that Jor and his disciples had prioritized the items carefully:

Teleportation Station

Weapon Blueprints

Taming Skill

Seed Quality Enhancement

Life Skills

As he reviewed the list, Miki stepped forward eagerly, explaining, "We need a teleportation station so we can travel to cities quickly, establish trade routes, acquire essential resources like skills and manpower, and sell surplus goods. This will allow us to integrate into the world more efficiently."

"And as for—"

"Manpower?" Suleiman interrupted, puzzled.

"Oh, yes. Slaves of all races are sold in designated markets across cities. However, humans can only sell weaker species or those they are already in conflict with. Sometimes, any race can be sold—but only in the black market."

"So, in the world of NIVHARA, only the strong have dignity…" Suleiman mused, then looked at Miki. "Continue."

"Ah, yes, my lord," Miki replied, slightly surprised. To her, slavery was a commonplace practice in NIVHARA. "We also noticed that our soldiers only use common-grade weapons. That's why weapon manufacturing is a priority. However, we don't even have a basic iron mine, let alone higher-grade metals. We need various minerals of different ranks."

Suleiman turned to Athena. "It seems we lack high-rank resources in our village, whether they be plants or minerals. After dealing with Jackal Village, we must focus on locating valuable mines and rare plants."

Athena reassured him, "Do not worry, Your Highness. You are still in the early days of your journey in NIVHARA. Don't overburden yourself. Besides, we still have too few soldiers."

Suleiman took a deep breath, then turned back to Miki. "I understand the importance of improving seeds and life skills. There's no need to explain further. It seems you've done your job well."

He shifted his gaze toward Jor, his expression carrying a pleased smile. Jor and his disciples weren't the type to stay confined to their lab—he could count on both Miki and Jor outside of research as well.

"Thank you, my lord. We were merely fulfilling our duty," Jor replied, feeling a sense of relief after successfully completing his first mission for Suleiman.

—

Meanwhile, in Luna's room, she lay on her bed, smiling, clearly in high spirits.

Martha, standing beside her, teased, "My lady, have you fallen in love with Lord Suleiman?" She was eager to hear the answer, though the truth was already evident in Luna's actions.

Lina, standing next to Martha, also waited for Luna's response.

"W-What? How could you say that?! How could I possibly fall in love with him?" Luna blurted out, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Though Martha and Lina were technically her servants, she had grown up with them and considered them close friends. Her mind drifted to memories of Suleiman—his intense training, the terrifying goblin leader who had nearly made her wish for death, only to be slain, his severed head lying beneath Suleiman's feet.

Martha sighed, seeing her lady so lost in thought. "Luna, listen to me—not as your servant, but as your friend."

Luna snapped back to reality. "Martha, we're alone here. Since when have I ever treated you as a servant?"

Martha smiled at her words and continued, "I don't care who you marry—I only want you to be happy. But don't forget… Lord Leo will never allow you to marry a man who owns nothing but a mere village, even if he saved your life. And especially not an Ashborn."

Luna's expression turned serious. She sat up straight, worry clouding her eyes. The only reason she remained untouched, despite the presence of aristocratic families throughout the Twilight Forest region, was her father's protection. As his only daughter, he cherished her. But if he knew she was risking herself for someone unworthy in his eyes, he would never allow it.

Just as Luna was lost in thought about her future with Suleiman—before it had even begun—Lina pulled her into a hug.

"Luna, don't worry. No one knows about your feelings except us. If you truly want to be his wife, then you must help him grow stronger. If he becomes powerful enough, Lord Leo might even grant his blessing."

"W-Who said I love him and want to be his wife?!" Luna reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. "But… he did save our lives. We should think of a way to repay him."

Luna's gaze became focused as she began contemplating how she could help Suleiman.

Lina grinned mischievously. "Why don't one of us offer ourselves to him as a gift? After all, didn't you say we would all be bridal servants, sharing the same husband? I wouldn't mind."

Luna turned crimson, a mix of shyness and irritation flashing across her face. "Get out of my room and let me sleep!"

Lina and Martha burst into laughter, teasing Luna playfully.

—

The next morning...