A Dwarf without fine ale... was like a Dwarf without fine ale.
A Dwarf's life consisted of three things: ore, forging, and drink.
That seemed to be the very reason Dwarves existed, though some were also passionate about beards and fighting.
Their stocky, anvil-like builds made them natural blacksmiths. A human needed at least twenty years from birth to become an artisan, while a Dwarf seemed to be born clutching a hammer—wailing on the first day and working at the anvil on the second.
They were exactly the talent Annan needed.
And to win a Dwarf's heart, he first had to win over its stomach.
What could stop a Dwarf in its tracks better than fine ale? It could even draw Dwarves to settle and work in Free City.
Besides the Otherworld Tree, which depended on luck, there were many fields—including alcohol—that needed faster development.
After having Idelia issue a new Free City decree to reclaim wasteland fields and land in the wildlands, Annan announced that the school would be expanded.
Gem Bay's population had passed 340,000, nearly matching Breeze City's population back then.
Just because Olmedo had once managed Breeze City did not mean she could manage Free City with equal ease. From infrastructure to personnel, the fledgling Free City was woefully unbalanced. Its one advantage was Annan's unmatched reputation: the Free City People were remarkably patient. Even when they faced dark times, they believed the problems would eventually be solved. Annan had given them that confidence.
In Breeze City, Olmedo had a whole staff of advisers and assistants, and nobles helped govern the civilians.
Free City had no nobles, so it needed officials. Where would those officials come from? They could only be trained in schools.
Magic schools and knight academies that held a few hundred students at