"Do you want to learn the secret arts of governing a territory?"
"No."
"Do you want to master the forbidden alchemy of the Ancient Wizards?"
"No."
"Do you want to discover the supreme secret to turning your subjects into Professionals?"
"No."
"You won't learn this, and you don't want that. What do you want?"
"I want the people of Free City to earn their own happiness through hard work."
Tap, tap, tap—
Footsteps sounded outside the Lounge. Annan paused and put away his quill.
Olmedo came in and saw Annan shaking his notebook dry. "Are you writing a new play?"
"No, just jotting things down." Annan slipped the notebook back into his Magic Ring. "To be honest, I've been short on inspiration lately."
Olmedo didn't believe him. Leasing farmland was a stroke of Genius. It kept nobles from fighting over the benefits and let commoners enjoy the policy, while also preventing farmers from thinking, This isn't my land, and growing lazy.
"What made you come out?"
Olmedo usually stayed in her Office until late at night. Sometimes Abby even had to bring her meals.
"We've had a little friction with Lord Franco's people to the west."
"What happened? Do we need to send a Legion over?"
"No... It's only a minor issue."
Olmedo explained that their team surveying resources in the Forest Mountains had encountered hunters from Franco's Territory. After a standoff, both sides withdrew.
The Forest Mountains belonged to neither Franco's Territory nor Gem Bay. Olmedo wanted to develop them jointly as a buffer zone—whoever discovered a resource first would claim it.
"They sent an Envoy to the banquet just half a month ago, and now they're provoking us at the border... They're clearly up to no good, and you still want to ease tensions?"
"We're the newcomers."
Franco's