Chapter 364

Wood had unknowingly been living in Glimmerstone Town for a week.

Over that week, he had observed a great deal and gained a considerable understanding of this small town the Federation called the "Hope of the North," as well as some insight into its governing ideas and various key techniques.

As a spy, he had done an excellent job.

Yet he felt neither pride nor satisfaction. Instead, he was filled with deep concern.

How had Glimmerstone Town transformed, in less than three years, from a dilapidated border settlement on the verge of abandonment into a paradise beyond the world?

In his view, the key lay in no more than two points.

The first was increasing revenue; the second was reducing expenditure.

Increasing revenue meant actively seeking sources of income for the town. The two most crucial sources here were the refinement of negative-energy essence from the underground farm and several herb fields outside the village. The former produced low- to mid-grade magical materials and, through methods he had yet to gain access to, converted them into a variety of valuable resources that were quite popular on the international magical-materials market. The latter were important consumer goods for everyday life. Though they were not particularly expensive, demand for them was practically inexhaustible, so there was never any worry about finding buyers.

Those two key sources of income supported the town's various policies. Take "beautifying the living environment," for example—he had never imagined that a mere small town would place such importance on its surroundings. The town's noticeboards displayed scrolls painted by skilled artists, depicting the town's appearance over the past few years. Reinforced by magic, the scrolls were exceptionally durable and could be freely leafed through, allowing people to look back on the town's history of development.

From the scrolls, it