Matters of territory

Moments later, everyone gathered in the meeting hall. Ka Ryo Ten was the first to speak.

"Lord, our scouts have returned. They brought back military supplies, health potions, coins, food, and several types of seeds. We also found traces of goblins and scattered wolf packs."

"Good," Shin nodded. "With the influx of new citizens and the two new brackets formed by my newest wives' warriors, we should have enough soldiers to handle tonight's attack."

He glanced at the reports before continuing.

"Last night, we were attacked by the following:

• 2,000 First-Level Goblins

• 1,000 Second-Level Goblins

• 1,100 First-Level Hobgoblins

• 550 First-Level Goblin Cavalry

• 100 First-Level Goblin Shamans

• 400 Third-Level Goblins

• 400 Second-Level Goblin Cavalry

• 500 Third-Level Hobgoblins

• 400 Fourth-Level Hobgoblins

• 300 Second-Level Goblin Shamans

• 5 Fourth-Level Goblin Chieftains

• 1 Fifth-Level Goblin King

Thanks to our combined efforts, we gained experience, loot, and territory strength."

Shin paused, then brought up the next topic.

"To upgrade the Dragon Mountain, we need the following materials:

• 10 Emperor-level Monster Crystals

• 100 tons of gold

• 50 tons of Centennial Serpentine Wood

• 100 tons of Legendary Essence

• 50,000 Magic Crystals

• 50 gallons of my dragon blood

• 50 gallons of succubus essence

• 100 tons each of Uru, Orichalcum, Mithril, and Meteoric Iron

Heart has already shared the advantages of upgrading the mountain."

Lara stepped forward, her expression sharp.

"Husband, I'll use my business skills to help track down these materials. We should also scout for more mines. The rarest to find will be the Centennial Serpentine Wood, Legendary Essence, and Succubus Essence. The first two are legendary materials. As for the succubus essence… it's only produced when a succubus receives their heart mark or gets pregnant. That only happens when their partner fulfills their deepest needs."

Shin let out a sigh. "I'll check the market. For now, we'll focus on hunting for the legendary materials in treasure chests or special drops."

He turned to the group. "I want the troops split into teams: one to hunt for meat, one to clear monsters, another to search for mines, and another to gather the scattered wolf packs. If possible, seek out the Lizardmen and Ogre tribes as well. Don't forget to collect usable resources."

"After the meeting," he added, "I plan to head to the town Ri Shin discovered yesterday. I'll look into slave purchases, check the market and tavern, and find out when the next auction is."

He glanced around. "Now—are there any particular talents we're missing?"

Wendy stepped up. "We're short on artisans, magicians, and healers. Also, as the First Ladies likely mentioned, both brackets need more trained soldiers."

"Thanks for the insight, Wendy," Shin said. "I'll look for slaves or recruits with these talents and check the player market and auctions for any relevant scrolls."

"I've already asked Hephaestus to prioritize arrows, bows, and ballistae. Anything else?"

"My lord," someone asked, "are you planning to form a cavalry?"

"Yes," Shin said. "Two units. One will be horse-mounted, the other made of tigers and wolves enhanced by my dragon blood—and further boosted once I name them."

"If there's nothing else, I call this meeting to a—"

Suddenly, John burst into the room, panting.

"Lord! Three groups have come to pledge their loyalty to you and the territory!"

Shin raised an eyebrow. "Which groups?"

"Dragons, phoenixes… and both succubi and incubi."

Shin let out a surprised laugh. "So I was right…"

Shego and Velzard exchanged knowing glances.

"Told you so," Shego said.

Velzard smirked. "Dear, you are not allowed to sleep with any of the succubi unless they pledge themselves to you alone. Understood?"

"Yes, yes," Shin replied with a grin. "Let's go meet our new subjects. We'll try integrating the females into the Phoenix Core and both genders into the Dragon Cores."

"Let's get to it," Shego agreed.

While they registered the new residents, Shin opened the player market and made several purchases:

• 2 Level 3 Ice Mage Recruitment Scrolls

• A Small Moonstone and Iron Mine

• A Potion Scroll to Repair Broken Mana Cores

• A Level 2 Healer Recruitment Scroll

• An Earth Mage Recruitment Scroll

• 3 Magic Cannons

• A Tavern

• Silk Production Knowledge

He also sold off leftover loot from the last battle.

Shin placed two of the magic cannons and the tavern, sending the third cannon to his blacksmiths to see if they could replicate it.

Later, Shego and Velzard reported back.

"We each recruited 100 soldiers," Shego said. "They've been placed into the brackets and begun training."

"Good. I'm heading to the temple. Would you all like to come?"

"Yes, dear," they said in unison.

"After the temple, we'll check what my father left in the Dragon Mountain… then we can go shopping."

The girls all smiled—eager to see what the town had to offer.