212: Belmont's arrival

Time entered November, winter descended, and the harvest season in Red River Territory officially came to an end.

Fornal reported to Rean that Red River Territory had welcomed a bumper harvest this year. Nearly 500,000 mu of farmland had all achieved high yields, with each mu producing at least 600 jin of grain. The harvested grain was enough to serve as rations for the territory's 800,000 people for the entire coming year.

There were still some grain reserves in the warehouses of Red River Territory. Materials harvested from the Sub-plane and those brought from Rage Bear City still had surpluses remaining.

Coupled with this bumper harvest, the food reserves of Red River Territory for the coming year were extremely abundant.

Currently, in addition to regular grain, Red River Territory also had a significant supply of meat. The physical fitness of all subjects had improved significantly under the nourishment of ample food.

It was precisely because of the sufficient food supply that everyone could eat their fill every day, allowing Red River Territory to remain calm and free of any turmoil despite several population explosions and the migration of a large number of outsiders.

"Lord, the farmland near the Red River basin can have all land reclamation and supporting facilities completed before next spring's sowing. At that time, at least another 500,000 mu of fertile land can be added."

Bar, standing to the side, guaranteed to Rean that the territory's farmland would double next year.

Because of Rean's adjustments to the Red River channel, several more tributaries had been opened up and several lakes had formed. Thus, the land influenced by the Red River basin had expanded significantly, and the arable land that could be opened up on both banks of the river had increased.

Rean estimated that the entire Red River Valley could open up nearly four million mu of arable land. One million mu would be in the Red River basin area, and the remaining three million mu would be in the current wilderness areas.

As long as Rean could reclaim all the wilderness and extend the farmland of Red River Territory to the foot of the Black Mountain Range, these four million mu of farmland would be enough to support millions of people.

The area of the Red River Valley was also sufficient to accommodate those millions of people.

"Continue to step up the construction of various farmland facilities this winter. Next year, in addition to the farmland along both banks of the river, I also need you to open up some land near these newly established settlements in the wilderness."

"You completed your tasks well this year, but the burden on your shoulders is still heavy. Bar, you must continue to work hard!"

"Yes, Lord! I will certainly keep your instructions in mind!"

Being affirmed by Rean made Bar overjoyed and full of motivation.

The bumper harvest of grain meant Rean no longer worried about the territory's logistics, and he began to focus on the construction of the Mage Tower.

In November, Wayne, Alger, and Cecilia successfully completed their breakthroughs one after another. Red River Territory gained three more Gold-rank Professionals, and its strength increased greatly.

In addition, the strength of several others who had received the Boon Potions also broke through to some extent.

After more than a month of construction, the Mage Tower's foundation, underground sections, and the first floor above ground were completed.

The Mage Tower Rean was building had architectural space underground in addition to the twelve floors above ground. The most critical part was the construction of the mana pool.

The mana pool was the Mage Tower's energy storage device, used to absorb and store mana to charge various magical equipment within the tower and to power the Magic Arrays throughout the Mage Tower.

In the future, the magical equipment used in the various mage laboratories and workshops within the Mage Tower would not need mages to activate them with their own mana; they would be directly driven by the mana supplied by the tower's mana pool. This would greatly improve the mages' work efficiency.

The mana pool was the key facility of the Mage Tower. For this reason, Rean, Kapdo, Alistair, and the others used the best materials to carefully create the most efficient mana pool that could be produced under current conditions.

The construction of the mana pool alone took nearly half a month and consumed the most high-level Transcendent Materials. While low-grade Transcendent Materials were sufficient for other areas, they would not suffice for the mana pool.

In late November, when heavy snow covered the North and cold winds howled across the wilderness, a team from the south entered Red River City.

Belmont looked at the towering city walls and the bustling Red River City, feeling very shocked in his heart.

Compared to the uninhabited Blackstone Territory to the south, the current Red River City was like another world.

"Prince Belmont, I didn't expect you to come in person. It must have been hard traveling in such heavy snow."

Rean welcomed Belmont into Red River Fortress and entertained him warmly.

He had already started preparing once he knew Belmont was coming in person.

After all, Belmont was the designated heir of the Grand Duke of the Raging Bear and the future master of the Rage Bear Territory; he had to be given sufficient respect.

"Rean, just call me 'Big Brother'. There's no need for such distance between us!"

Belmont chatted familiarly with Rean, closing the distance between them.

"The river channels to the south have already frozen over. Ever since the Cold Wind Family's tower had that incident last year, these winters have been getting colder and colder."

"Coming from the south, I saw that Blackstone Territory is uninhabited. Aside from a few people still at the blackstone ores, other places are in complete disrepair."

"At that time, I thought your Red River City would also be a desolate place. I didn't expect Red River City to be so bustling; it doesn't look like a new city at all."

Belmont thought of what he had seen while passing through Red River City just now and sighed in his heart once more.

"Father said your ability to govern a territory is as outstanding as your talent for cultivation. At first, I didn't believe it, but now it seems Father was right!"

"Big Brother Belmont, you flatter me. If I really had that kind of ability, I wouldn't have left Blackstone Fortress neglected."

"Is it not because of my lack of ability that Blackstone Territory is so desolate?"

After taking over Blackstone Territory and the Black Corridor, Rean had increased the guard forces at the blackstone ore areas and cleared out the Alien Tribes in the Blackstone Territory, but he had not yet begun construction in the region.

He had not yet fully digested the Red River Valley; there were still many villages and small towns here that needed building. Rean truly could not attend to Blackstone Territory.

Furthermore, the land in Blackstone Territory was not fertile. Because of the course of the Red River, the river's water did not bring much benefit to Blackstone Territory.

Currently, for Rean, the only useful things in the entire Blackstone Territory and Black Corridor were those few blackstone ores; the rest could only be temporarily set aside.

While Rean and Belmont were talking, Alistair returned from the Mage Academy.

Looking at Belmont talking with Rean, Alistair actually didn't want to see him; her relationship with Belmont was not good.

When they were at Rage Bear Fortress, Belmont's attitude toward Alistair was poor. Because Alistair did not have high talent as a warrior, Belmont looked down on her in his heart.

Alistair was also aware of Belmont's attitude toward her. At that time, she avoided contact with siblings like Belmont as much as possible and had always been a loner.

However, she had to come this time. Belmont had come on behalf of their father to deliver her dowry; it would be improper for her not to show up.

"Alistair, my sister, you are truly beautiful. Have you been doing well here?"

Belmont identified the purple-haired girl before him as his sister Alistair at a glance, even though he had never seen Alistair's current appearance.

"Everything is fine, Brother!"

Seeing that there were only a few traces in Alistair's features that resembled her former face, Belmont marveled at the power of Legendary transformation magic.

Belmont exchanged a few concerned pleasantries with Alistair and then took out the gift he had brought this time.

"Father asked me to hand this to you personally. Originally, he wanted to come and give it to you himself, but unfortunately, Rage Bear City suffered a snow disaster after winter began, and many affairs required Father's personal attention, so he could not come."

Alistair calmly accepted the spatial storage box Belmont handed over.

Belmont originally wanted to chat more with Alistair to build their relationship, but seeing that Alistair was disinterested and didn't seem to want to talk much, he didn't continue.

"Though your appearance has changed, your personality is exactly the same as before!"