Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Witch’s Farming Attribute The abandoned quarry at Frost Wolf Ridge. Due to the decline of the Frost Wolf Clan, the quarry had long been deserted. And today, the quarry welcomed a new owner, a witch. Hill wore simple linen clothes, appearing like an ordinary commoner. No one would associate her with a witch. Coupled with deliberate disguise, even if those who knew Hill were secretly dealt with, they wouldn’t necessarily recognize her standing before them. "Miss Hill, the next tasks will be yours," Reina spoke. After the last implicit agreement, she finally gained the Lord’s approval to initiate major construction activities at Frost Wolf Ridge to build a Frost Wolf City. "Leave it to me, Sister Reina," Hill replied with a smile. Sister. Reina felt a stir in her heart, nodding without visible change in her expression. She then turned, glancing towards the direction of the castle. Hill had already approached the quarry wall and began to exert her ability, with one hand pressed against the rockface, which quickly started to crack. Earth element continuously gathered, enveloping the rockface. Soon, the entire wall began to show cracks, followed by sudden fragmentation. This effect and efficiency were even higher than those high-tech tools of David’s previous life, causing David to show a surprised expression after learning about it. Indeed. In this world, wizards are the primary productive force. After Hill shattered the rockface, she began to control her power to break the stones, turning them into smooth blocks, adequate for building city walls. Hill herself was originally a stonemason, strong in controlling this aspect. Soon, neatly arranged stone blocks appeared. Stone blocks that would typically require hundreds of stonemasons to shape over a long period were successfully made quickly with Hill’s power. It showed that Hill also practiced often, proving this power as a method to train her abilities. Although a witch’s power originates from the wizard ancestor’s bloodline, continuous training and development may further stimulate the power within the bloodline. Once these stone blocks were prepared, refugees quickly transported them with wooden carts. Despite the hard work, smiles spread across their faces. Having work secured earnings for these refugees, not unlike a reward. Meanwhile, on another construction site, militia and refugees were also digging trenches. The main force was naturally the militia. Some who trained their bodies dug very fast, deep trenches appeared visible to the naked eye. Of course, if Hill were to do this, it might only take a few days to complete, but that would be too conspicuous. The quarry was secretly sealed. Outsiders only assumed there were many stonemasons within. The challenge of sealing it was too great. When knight attendants of the Frost Wolf Knight Order joined in, lifting and stacking the shaped stone blocks to build the city wall. Soon, a section of the wall would rise, standing twenty feet tall and ten feet wide, meeting the Northern Fortress wall standard height, potentially resisting an attack from a Sky Knight. In the evening, Hill would personally arrive to inspect the wall construction and use her ability to further compress and fortify the walls. Although she couldn’t freely change the shape of the stones, using earth element power to compress made the stones blend more tightly together. Looking at the city wall built in front of her, Hill’s face displayed pride. Turning towards the Frost Wolf Castle, her expression showed gratitude. Master Wizard gave her not just life, but dreams. She would surely help Master Wizard build the city into a dazzling gem on the continent, standing forever. ... Frost Wolf Ridge, City Hall. "Lord Duke, the recent recruitment of craftsmen and laborers has been quite costly," Reina reported the recent financial situation to David, holding a stack of parchment. Though Frost Wolf Ridge had previous tax revenues and ransom, supplemented by annual taxes from vassal clans, its income remained insufficient. David looked at it suddenly with shining eyes. A map was on top with several circles marked, indicating various kinds of ore. "Hill found those mines?" Frost Wolf Ridge, the ancestral land of the Frost Wolf Clan, had not been developed. David suspected there might be mines among the mountains but didn’t expect the actual number to be considerable, a treasure land indeed. Discovering these mines was naturally Hill’s doing, as an Earth Witch, apart from controlling earth elements, she was quite skilled in detecting underground. In a short time, the Earth Witch had maximized her farming attribute, affirming David’s words that wizards are indeed the primary productive force. Wizards can indeed single-handedly drive rapid territorial development. Once the mines were fully developed, many other industries—like blacksmith shops—could extend into the town. Of course, he belittled those mundane weapons. If an Alchemy Mage could be found, they might craft extraordinary weapons he’d be interested in. Aside from this was the opening of trade routes. These ores, valuable anywhere, could bring continuous wealth to Frost Wolf Ridge. As David stared at the list, Reina also observed him. Through recent understanding, she found the Wolf Duke’s insight entirely different from other nobles in this world. From the Lord Duke’s willingness to use his wealth for territorial development rather than hoarding it as personal collections alone could tell. And, those refugees. No lord would regard these refugees as people. Nor would any lord spend money recruiting them, allowing them to work for aid. Those lords would only conscript, exploiting these refugees’ value with weapons and whips. Lord Duke’s actions seemed foolish to other nobles, but Reina could keenly sense the secrets within. From those refugees’ support for the Lord alone could tell David’s status in Frost Wolf Ridge and among the refugees. Meanwhile, refugees and commoners continuously arrived to settle in Frost Wolf Ridge, becoming intangible wealth for a territory. "He possesses qualities of a king." Reina thought secretly in her heart, the most captivating aspect that deeply fascinated her. "What, want it again?" David glanced over with a subtle, teasing smile. Reina returned to herself, showing shy yet firm eyes, proactively sitting in the Lord Duke’s lap. [You completed a cultivation, Snow Demon Spirit +141]