A mid-level ether enrichment zone.
When Veylin lightly tapped the map and uttered those words, the air in the meeting room froze for a moment.
Old Walker and Kelong looked utterly bewildered. They knew only that the depths of the Swamp were dangerous, but had never heard the term before.
Leo's breathing suddenly quickened. His expression alight with excitement, he eagerly shared what he knew about the Ether-Rich Zone with the two men, his voice trembling slightly.
After just a few sentences, Old Walker and Kelong were left speechless by the sheer scale of the idea. Their gazes flicked between the map and Veylin, their eyes filled with greed, awe, and wariness of unknown dangers.
Valerius, by contrast, was the calmest of them all. The chief merely stroked his graying beard. Rather than being blinded by wealth they had yet to obtain, his eyes shone with reason.
"Veylin, you must understand that a mid-level ether enrichment zone cannot possibly be unclaimed. There will certainly-and I mean certainly-be a powerful magical beast, perhaps even an entire pack, guarding it. They grow and strengthen themselves on its abundant ether, treating it as their lair. Any creature that dares approach will be torn to pieces."
His tone was grave, his eyes fixed on Veylin as he tried to judge whether the warning had sunk in.
Caroline said nothing.
She had shown no surprise at any point. The instant Veylin uttered the term, a different light had already kindled in her eyes.
It was the reaction of a merchant discovering a new trade route-valuation.
A mid-level ether enrichment zone was a strategic resource normally available only to a Viscount.
It could provide a steady supply of mid- and high-tier magical materials. Properly managed, it would yield over a thousand Gold Suns a year.
She