Chapter 53: A moment of tranquility

Several days had passed since the tide of monsters ended. The city still smelled of smoke and damp stone, but the urgency of combat had been replaced by a quieter one.

Adam received reports nonstop.

Structural repairs. Inventories of materials recovered from the monsters’ corpses. Reconstruction estimates.

He put his hand to his chin as he reread one of the documents.

“I need merchants to come. As soon as possible. We have to sell all those materials.”

Now that the immediate crisis had passed, more complex problems arose. As the temporary head of the territory, every decision fell on him.

And what they needed most was money.

Enormous resources had been consumed in resisting the tide: weapons, reserves, medical supplies, and emergency funds. The coffers were dangerously empty.

But that wasn’t the only problem.

Due to the invasion, most of the crops had been destroyed. The fields near the wall were devastated by the monsters’ passage. Rations began to run out faster than expected.

Adam did not doubt that the two border kingdoms would take advantage of the situation.

They would raise prices.

And they would do so ruthlessly.

He tapped his knuckles on the desk once, twice, before continuing to review the papers.

I must solve the food problem before it turns into panic.

In addition, he had to decide what type of crop to plant now that reforestation of the fields was about to begin. It wasn’t enough to plant the usual crops.

They needed something resilient.

Something profitable.

Wheat—the main crop in the territory—had always been stable, but perhaps it was time to think of something more productive.

If he failed at that, it would not be a military crisis that would bring them down.

It would be hunger.

Adam threw the documents on the desk and leaned back in his chair with a stifled sigh. His gaze rose to the figure floating a few steps away from him.

Asterin watched him silently.

“Asterin… what do you recommend I do?”

He already had a plan in mind to get out of this crisis. But two heads were better than one, and the point of view of a heroine from the past was never something he could ignore.

She tilted her head slightly.

“Why don’t you take advantage of the business you have with your mother and mother-in-law?”

Adam frowned.

“Hmm…”

He put his hand to his chin, deep in thought.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

In fact, it was an excellent idea.

Many nobles—and, above all, influential merchants—had been trying for some time to get a share of this business. If he offered limited contracts or investment agreements, he could obtain immediate capital without resorting to external loans.

And not only that.

Through those same commercial networks, he could distribute the materials obtained from the monsters.

That would give him liquidity.

Influence.

And room to maneuver.

Looking at it from that perspective, he would be solving several problems at once.

How had he not considered this before?

With that financial backing, they could focus on rebuilding the territory, strengthening defenses… and preparing for the next war.

Because there would be a next one.

Adam put his thoughts aside and looked at Asterin:

“Thank you, I’ll have to talk to my mother.”

…

After more than an hour, Adam was at the training ground, wearing light clothing. The cool air brushed against his skin as he adjusted his gloves.

His body had almost completely recovered.

But the most important thing was not his injuries.

He was no longer a Novice Knight.

He had been promoted to Mid-ranking Knight.

That simple change altered many things: responsibilities, expectations… and strength. He felt his mana circulating differently, more stable, more dense. He needed to get used to that new balance quickly before making a mistake in combat.

He lowered his sword and exhaled slowly.

In addition, she had spoken with her mother about contacting an influential merchant who could help them overcome the food crisis. They didn’t just need to sell monster materials; they needed to establish a commercial network to secure the territory’s future.

Alisha did not object to the idea.

However, she made one thing clear: they had to talk to Agnes first, who was also a co-owner of the family business. Her approval was necessary.

Adam had no problem with that. It was the logical thing to do.

Now all that remained was to wait for a response.

And waiting… wasn’t something that bothered him.

Adam put the sword aside and did some basic stretches, feeling his muscles respond firmly. His recovery had been quick, but not perfect.

Today, he wouldn’t just train technique.

Today, he would integrate magic.

Well… let’s see how much I’ve improved.

He took the new sword, more balanced than the previous one, and looked at Asterin.

“Asterin. Can you create a mana figure? Like the one you use to point out my mistakes.”

The woman raised her hand slightly, without responding immediately. The mana around her vibrated almost imperceptibly before beginning to gather in front of them.

Blue threads emerged from the surroundings, intertwining in the void until they formed the silhouette of a humanoid mannequin. The figure took shape with almost anatomical precision, and a sword forged entirely of mana appeared in its hand.

Adam instinctively adjusted his stance.

“Perfect.”

The mana mannequin advanced without warning.

The first clash rang out sharply.

Adam barely managed to block. He took half a step back, readjusting his breathing.

The mannequin launched a diagonal slash. Adam deflected the blow, twisted his wrist, and responded with a horizontal slash.

The sword left a luminous trail in the air.

The mannequin split in half…

And instantly rebuilt itself.

The mannequin attacked again, this time with a direct thrust to the chest. Adam instinctively reinforced his torso with mana.

Too late.

The impact forced him back several steps.

When the next slash came down, Adam had already moved.

He deflected it with pinpoint accuracy, spun on his axis, and channeled the mana not into the blade… but into his legs.

He appeared behind the mannequin.

A clean cut sliced through its back.

The figure disintegrated into bluish particles that dissipated into the air.

Adam lowered his sword, his chest rising and falling heavily.

The sun slowly descended as the training ground filled with flashes of mana.

When Adam finally dropped the tip of his sword to the ground, his legs were shaking.

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