Chapter 420: Starnight’s New Dawn
"Holy Angel City... If I remember correctly, several Calamity Divine Chosen were sealed there. I have no idea how many of them are still alive. This is the perfect opportunity to free them. My strength alone isn’t enough to change the bigger picture."
The "guard" glanced at the utterly hopeless Christie and nearly burst out laughing.
...
"My lord, the last group of slaves has already been delivered to the church in Starnight City."
Following his scent, Ashina found Phield hard at work in the industrial district. She skipped happily toward him, her tail wagging excitedly as she sought praise.
"I also bought back two wagonloads of saltpeter, along with hop and grape seeds."
"You’ve worked hard."
Phield rubbed Ashina’s head affectionately as encouragement.
Hops belonged to the hemp family and were an important commercial crop. They balanced the bitterness of beer, produced a rich foam, and gave it a crisp, refreshing taste. They also had medicinal properties, aiding digestion and promoting urination.
"My lord, are you planning to revive Nightfall Domain’s brewing industry?"
The steward Kaor asked eagerly.
"That’s right. Unfortunately, we’ve already missed the planting season, and our grain is still needed as food, so hops will have to wait until next year. Grapes, on the other hand, are perfect for autumn planting. Now that this year’s harvest is coming in and we’ve expanded our farmland considerably, grapes will be included in the next round of crops."
"As long as we have the brewing facilities ready before the grapes ripen, we can start producing Starnight Wine again."
Phield couldn’t help feeling nostalgic.
His very first fortune had come from Starnight Wine.
"Perfect timing. The castle’s wine cellar is nearly empty. As nobles, if we don’t even have fine wine stored in our private cellar, we’ll become the laughingstock of other aristocrats."
Kaor stroked his beard excitedly.
"I still think meat soup tastes better."
Ashina narrowed her eyes and licked her lips.
"Ashina, come take a walk through the industrial district with me. I have something to give you afterward. You’ve spent these past days escorting merchant caravans and transporting slaves without getting any proper rest."
"Yay! Spending time alone with you is my favorite, my lord!"
Ashina’s eyes sparkled as her fluffy tail spun behind her like a helicopter.
"My lord, this is our finished paper. Please have a look."
The workshop foreman carefully presented a stack of paper.
Even before exploring the ruins, Phield had ordered paper production to begin. The paper mill in the industrial district had finally started taking shape.
"For the first attempt, this is acceptable. How’s the production volume?"
Running his fingers across the surface, Phield felt noticeable resistance. The paper was filled with dull yellow impurities, though fortunately it was reasonably soft.
"About... this much."
The worker couldn’t describe it properly and simply gestured with his fingers.
"Keep producing it. Continue experimenting with the process and materials. Whoever manages to develop smooth white paper will receive a reward of ten gold coins."
Phield had great expectations for paper.
"Papermaking involves many different stages, including preparing the raw materials, making the pulp, forming the sheets, and more. Improving any single step will increase overall efficiency."
"Yes, my lord!"
The workers immediately became energized.
Nightfall Domain was no longer the tiny village it had once been.
With a population exceeding six thousand, it already qualified as a city anywhere within the Empire, even if more than half of its residents were low efficiency slave laborers.
The marketplace had begun functioning properly, and coins could now reliably purchase food and daily necessities. Everyone in Nightfall Domain was working hard to earn money and improve their quality of life.
"Excellent."
Phield smiled with satisfaction.
Once paper production became stable, the administrative efficiency of City Hall would improve dramatically. Education for the children of the domain would become much easier as well.
At the same time, Phield believed that fine white paper would become extremely popular among the nobility.
"Send this batch of paper to my restroom."
To him, that was the greatest benefit.
At long last, he finally had proper toilet paper.
Kaor froze for a moment before instantly understanding what Phield meant. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"My lord... surely you don’t mean to use this paper to..."
"Exactly."
Phield nodded.
"It isn’t suitable for writing, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless."
In this era, commoners used leaves, sponges, or even chunks of dirt after using the toilet.
Nobles and wealthy people enjoyed more luxurious options, using hemp rope, salmon flesh, or pieces of cloth.
The most extravagant example was said to be the Chief Minister of the Golden Griffin Empress, who used the incredibly soft down feathers from the neck of a goose.
The procedure was equally absurd.
Every time he needed to relieve himself, a royal guard specifically assigned to restroom duty would slaughter a specially raised white goose. Then a maid would hold the goose by its neck and assist him.
It was extravagance taken to an unbelievable extreme.
"By the Goddess... My lord, you’re a genius."
Kaor was genuinely impressed.
His appreciation for papermaking instantly skyrocketed.
"My lord, I personally swear to supervise the workers without rest."
"Haha, very good."
Phield suddenly remembered something important.
"Kaor, how is the progress on weaving textiles from the silk produced by the Holy Light Spiders?"
"It’s been extremely difficult. We don’t have anyone skilled in weaving, nor do we possess the proper equipment."
Phield thought for a moment.
"Starting an industry from scratch is simply too difficult. For now, just wind up all the spider silk carefully and store it safely. Our industrial priorities should remain iron smelting and papermaking."
"Understood!"
Kaor immediately accepted the order.
"Oh, right, my lord."
Ashina eagerly threw herself at Phield the moment he finished speaking, affectionately rubbing against him before narrowing her eyes with a mischievous grin.
"So... is it a little white wolf demi human?"
"Cough!"
Phield nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Give me back my pure and innocent Ashina!
"Ahem. It’s actually a Divine Artifact. You weren’t in the territory these past few days, so I never had a chance to give it to you."
Phield scratched his head awkwardly.
"When you refine it later, do it as quickly as possible. Its power is far too overwhelming. If I leave it out for too long, it’ll turn the entire territory into a frozen wasteland."
Divine Artifact: Frost Ancestor Dragon’s Tears
Rank: None, Racial Inheritance Grade, Single Use
Origin: Goddess of Winter
Effect: Grants an exclusive Divine Skill and innate talent. Usable only by Winter Divine Chosen.
It was the greatest treasure they had obtained during the expedition through the ruins.
Although it technically had no rank, its effect was unbelievably powerful.
Two days earlier, Phield had merely tried using it to make some ice. He had nearly transformed Starnight Castle into a giant freezer.
"Alright."
Ashina nodded with an unusually serious expression.
With a thought, Phield summoned the Frost Ancestor Dragon’s Tears and severed his connection to it.
In an instant, the crystal became the center of a raging snowstorm.
Freezing winds swept outward in every direction.
The sweltering summer air immediately began condensing into countless shimmering ice crystals, while Phield himself could feel an icy chill reaching deep into his very soul.
"A Winter Divine Artifact!"
Ashina cried out in delight as she grabbed the crystal and refined it instantly.
Boundless Winter Divine Power burst from the crystal like a dam collapsing.
At the same time, Ashina’s Divine Mark awakened, projecting the elegant silhouette of the Winter Goddess into the sky.
Even Drakewolf was automatically summoned.
It was the first time Phield had ever witnessed such an astonishing phenomenon simply from someone refining a Divine Artifact.