Chapter 82: City Development
In the following months, Haldor took on the responsibility of adopting all the orphans. In every major city in the South, he gathered them up, and without revealing where he was taking them, he brought them all to the North.
To create a powerful legion that would endure in history, rigorous training from a young age was essential. This would only be achieved if the child had a hunger to become strong.
It might sound cruel, but rather than sending someone to war, like a child who would die in seconds, Haldor's plan was to turn that child into a warrior capable of killing thousands of demons.
Lucian believed it was a waste of time since those people would die someday, but Haldor thought that by creating strong roots, the tree would grow naturally, eliminating the need to train soldiers in his territory in the future.
Additionally, he was now providing them with protection through top-tier armor, significantly improving the soldiers' performance to the point where they could be compared to the Night Walkers, who, according to Baba Voss, were twice as strong as an ordinary man.
"Those who fear death because they have never faced it—people from the North are strong, and even after the fall of the Night Walkers, they will not stop fighting." Standing atop a snow-covered hill with a castle, Haldor looked down at the city, shrouded in fog, and seeing the good men working within, he knew this was the path he needed to take.
Having the battle close to his domain made it easier for him to manage things.
…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed since Haldor had claimed his territory, rebuilding it from scratch into one of the most modern cities of the present day.
After five years of operation, Haldor's territory had changed significantly. Just a few years ago, this place was still an arid zone, but now six gathering places have formed and many beautiful and solid brick buildings have been constructed, perfectly distributed across the city's territory.
The territory, spanning over a thousand square kilometers, was now populated by many people, most of whom were refugees from northern tribes who had lost everything and orphans taken in by Haldor to create his Night Guard.
Despite the hard work, no war has broken out in this striking territory over the years. Without the destruction of war, the population of the territory had also multiplied rapidly.
Last year, more than 2,500 women, nearly a third of the working-age female population, became pregnant.
This means there will be many more babies in the territory this year.
As March arrived, Haldor's territory still needed to continue cultivating farmland.
Last year, 400 hectares of rice paddies were recovered. This year, slightly fewer rice paddies were recovered.
Through magic, Haldor planned to cultivate 300 hectares. If there's a good harvest this year, Haldor's territory could sell 600 tons of grain at a low price to the army.
This wasn't ideal, but they received metal at a low price and damaged armor to refurbish. Haldor needed many more resources than he initially offered, and in this way, both sides benefited; additionally, they were supporting the frontline that still held out.
The houses in Haldor's territory were made of bricks with magical protection personally placed by him. Moreover, thanks to his inventions, things had evolved significantly, giving the city a touch of magic in every corner.
Additionally, the most striking feature was the enormous sculptures that many believed were the city's guardians. Haldor had personally ordered that stone knights be placed on the meticulously decorated walls, serving as the second line of defense after the activation of the main magical barrier.
All these warriors would be activated and would fight the enemies to the death, giving the inhabitants time to escape while the army prepared.
For his city, Haldor had constructed three levels of defense: the fog barrier, which was active at all times, giving the city a gloomy aura; the second, the ten thousand armored bears that increased in number each year; and the third, the dragons he had tamed.
To make the city much more lively, Haldor ensured that the atmosphere within the city became warmer and more vibrant.
Rhaenyra complained so much about the cold that Haldor created a sufficiently warm castle so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
This year, Haldor planned to increase the distribution of resources across the continent to boost his own resources. "We have ten thousand armors waiting for their owners; the weapons are infused with the magic of the armored bears, and the shields are so strong that even the most powerful attacks cannot damage them if they stand together."
Haldor sat on an ice throne, as usual, listening to the reports of his most loyal servants. "Any complaints that need to be heard?"
"None, except that the armored bears consume a lot of beer and have developed a taste for sweet things."
"Then let's give them sugarcane sweets; send them the candies stored in my warehouse," said Haldor, maintaining the posture of a king in his own territory.
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