Eleanor's eyelid twitched. As the de facto manager of Qinghe Town, she could not help but feel a sense of frustration upon hearing this conclusion.
Benita had already pulled out pen and paper from her bosom. Phelin obediently dragged a chair to sit in the corner, resting her chin in both hands, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Wu Yao.
Vance had just rushed over from the side hall. Still holding a pen and paper in her hands, she stepped lightly to stand beside Eleanor.
The low-lying wetlands at the river bend would be replanted with flood-tolerant vegetables or dug into fishponds. The gentle southern slope would grow fruit trees, spices, and medicinal herbs, while the plots far from the water channels would be switched to legumes and pasture grass.
The irrigation channels had to be replanned, the bridges rebuilt, and the roads widened. The mill should be moved to the riverbank, with the livestock barns built next to it. The processing chain had to be extended to keep the added value local...
She pointed and gestured at the map as she spoke, casually calling out any errors in the map's labels.
Vance frantically used her pen to add notes and corrections to the map beside her. Before long, the entire map was densely covered in markings.
After stating her final point, Wu Yao placed her hands on her hips in deep satisfaction.
Benita, Eleanor, and Vance stood in a row behind her, each clutching their pen and paper, their heads bowed as they scribbled furiously.
Wu Yao leaned over to look at their notes.
Benita's handwriting was unrecognized even by the system, Eleanor's notes were so concise that only she could understand them, and Vance's notebook was filled with a massive pile of strange symbols and numbers.
Not a single one of them was readable to her.
In the corner, Darian leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, having completely forgotten to chew the maltose candy in her mouth.
Her face was stripped of its usual playful grin.
She had spent five years in the Holy City and had met many so-called geniuses.
But not a single one of them could explain a territory's planning as clearly and logically as the witch before her.
This level of vision and judgment meant she was absolutely no ordinary witch.
Still, with a boss like this protecting her, she wouldn't have to worry no matter how many people the Mage Association sent to hunt her down, right?
The more Darian thought about it, the more relieved she felt, and her lazy, carefree smile returned to her face.
“...Are you all done writing?” Wu Yao couldn't help but ask.
Having written the final word, Benita looked up, her eyes turning red once again.
She could no longer remember how many times she had been awed by Lady Wu Yao.
The last time was when Wu Yao said, “Strength does not equal authority,” which made her seriously ponder the cause of Hilna's death for the first time.
The time before that was at the town gates, when she said, “I'll kill however many of them come,” showing Benita a way of living she had never even imagined.
And this time, Lady Wu Yao had shown her a complete Qinghe Town.
A Qinghe Town she had never imagined before.
She had lived in Fancao Village for four years and had traveled back and forth to Qinghe Town countless times, yet she had never thought this land could become like this.
Benita took a deep breath, folded the notes-covered paper, and solemnly tucked it into her inner pocket.
Benita promised her, “My Lady, I will implement these plans one by one.”
Eleanor also put away her pen, a complex light flickering in her green eyes.
She had been married to Ohm for over ten years and had managed Qinghe Town for him for just as long, knowing every single inch of this land like the back of her hand.
Did she not know what problems plagued Qinghe Town?
But this land was Ohm's private property. If he was unwilling to change it, no one could defy him.
Lady Wu Yao had not only dealt with Ohm but had also solved the issues plaguing Qinghe Town, and the plan she proposed was even better than anything Eleanor could have conceived.
A myriad of thoughts ultimately melted into a single sigh.
Witches...
Vance was the last to put down her charcoal pen.
She didn't say a word, only quietly staring at Wu Yao's back as her fingers lightly brushed over the indentations on the paper.
She had once been Ohm's mistress, and had taken on the role of Tax Collector at Eleanor's invitation.
Even if she had only heard of this lady's deeds from Benita and Phelin, it was enough for her to harbor a deep admiration for her.
Seeing Lady Wu Yao in person, she was even better than Vance had imagined, her dark eyes brimming with a fearless, indomitable light.
She, too, wanted to follow in Lady Wu Yao's footsteps and make this place that had nurtured her growing up a better place.
Phelin grabbed the hem of Wu Yao's robe and looked up, asking, “Sister Wu Yao, are you a god?”
“No,” Wu Yao said, rubbing her head. “I am a witch.”
“My Lady,” Benita spoke up. “Is there a specific budget for everything you just mentioned?”
Good question.
A budget? She couldn't possibly fund this out of her own treasury, could she?
Wu Yao guiltily averted her eyes. “You're the mayor, so you make the decisions. Just don't ask me for money.”
Benita wanted to laugh at her hands-off attitude. Just as she was about to speak...
Suren pushed open the door and entered, reporting in a low voice, “The five captives from Peiva Town have been locked in the dungeon. But Logan said that another cavalry squad from Peiva Town is on standby outside the town. If they don't return before sunset, that cavalry squad will launch an immediate attack on the town.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Wu Yao's eyes lit up.
Seeing her expression, Benita's heart skipped a beat.
Sure enough, in the next second, Wu Yao slapped the table excitedly. “I'll take down Peiva Town too!”
Benita gave a wry smile.
At Lady Wu Yao's speed, let alone Peiva Town, conquering the entire Plains of Truth in a single day would be a piece of cake.
But taking too big of a step might not be a good thing for them.
Qinghe Town had only just stabilized. Internal affairs were yet to be sorted out, the guard had not yet been restructured, and the civil service system was still being set up.
Swallowing Peiva Town right now would be like a snake trying to swallow an elephant—even if they could gulp it down, they wouldn't be able to digest it.
Benita carefully chose her words, trying her best not to sound like a wet blanket. “My Lady, Peiva Town's military force is three times larger than Qinghe Town's, and their walls are higher than ours. If we truly take it down, we will need a massive number of people to govern it. But what Qinghe Town lacks most right now is manpower. We haven't even secured our own footing yet. If we rush to expand, we will only drag ourselves down.”
Wu Yao thought about it, feeling a bit disappointed.
The residents of her territory were still too few.
With just this handful of people, managing Qinghe Town alone was stretching them thin. If they added Peiva Town, they would indeed be overwhelmed.
“Forget it then,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I'll capture more people first before taking it down.”
Benita breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been terrified that Lady Wu Yao would act on a whim, flying straight over to blow Peiva Town to pieces and leaving behind a massive mess that they might not actually be able to clean up.
Benita turned to Suren. “Suren, send two people outside the town. Tell Peiva Town's cavalry that their men are guests in our town and will return tomorrow morning. Arrange a place for them to stay in town tonight, and keep a very close eye on them.”
Suren nodded in agreement, but Wu Yao directly stopped her. “How about this? Take some people and come with me. I'll kill them, and you guys can haul their gear back. Consider it my sponsorship for Qinghe Town's development.”
When you don't have to pay out of your own pocket, you can afford to speak with grand generosity!
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