It had taken the mages of the Empire a year to cleanse the fields and make the Dragon Plains suitable for cultivation again. Since most of the territories past Palaron had been occupied by the undead forces and were under reconstruction as well, they couldn't spare a dime to help with the Dragon Valley.
They were too busy fixing the damages they had sustained during the war to worry about others. It made the Valley dependant on Palaron, which had allowed the city to increase its profits by several folds.
The local underworld was also experiencing a golden age. Large flows of money meant more opportunities for corruption and increase protection money. Being awarded of a public contract could easily make a merchant into a small noble, so many people were willing to pay to oil the wheels of bureaucracy.