Waste

“I know you harbor doubts about my orders, and I know you may feel disappointment at the sight of this place now, but here…

The homes you’re building, the fields with seeds just sown, the countless kin who—like you—survived these past months, rebuilding our home brick by brick with their hands, their sweat!”

“You’ve returned to a land coming alive, a place that needs you, awaits your joining!

Join Evernight City’s reconstruction now, and you’ll earn the rights of its citizens.

And I guarantee fair recompense—you’ll receive the rewards you’ve earned: status, even freedom and land—

Aria.”

“Yes!”

After her brief address, Bai An glanced aside.

Aria stepped forward at once.

Her voice clear and resolute as she proclaimed:

“By the Demon Lord’s command!

All returnees: proceed immediately under the stewards’ guidance to the temporary settlement!

There await crude shelters, steaming hot water!

Each shall receive a bowl of hot soup, a loaf of bread, a portion of moonbeans!”

“Today, your sole task is rest!”

“After one day’s respite, we’ll hold open recruitment in the settlement’s clearing, assigning specific labors!

Evernight City’s new management codes, labor pay details, merit accumulation, and future land allotments will all be laid bare at tomorrow’s assembly!

For now, follow us!”

“Warm your bones!”

Once Aria’s announcement concluded, the former squad captains—now appointed by Bai An as [stewards] to aid her work—stepped forward in droves.

Guiding the first wave of returnees into the reconstructing Evernight City.

With Aria’s and the stewards’ words settling, the deathly-still column at last stirred.

Low, incredulous murmurs began to ripple forth.

“Home…?”

“Hot soup?

And bread?”

“The Demon Lord said… land in exchange?”

Whispers spread among the throng.

Some Demon Clansfolk clutched kin close.

More stared with eyes numb yet flickering faint light.

Evidently, food and drink had roused spirits considerably.

While certain details drew keen attention.

Gazes turned toward the stewards.

And the path to the temporary shanties under their lead.

And watching these returnees—expressions impassive, even numb—Vivian felt no haste.

The folk of Blackthorn Village and Graystone Keep, under the new regime, had shown astonishing zeal and initiative over the past month.

Many quandaries they’d resolved themselves.

Proving her measures effective.

Thus, she saw no need to press these returnees with words just yet.

Once labors commenced in earnest, they’d assimilate with the rest.

The cold wind lifted Vivian’s deep-purple hems.

Her figure seemed especially frail in the gray dawn.

Yet brimming with assurance.

After the column lurched into motion for a spell, that frostwolf behemoth—a full circle larger than As—drew alongside her.

Its ice-blue eyes fixed straight on her.

Then it lowered its head.

“Princess Katherine sends her regards, Lady Vivian.

I am Noland, serving the Winter Throne as one of Her Highness’s guard captains.”

“Mmm…

You’re here to collect and escort the first batch of Evernight crystals back, yes?”

Vivian regarded the massive frostwolf.

Nodding as she engaged.

The escort for the returnees served a secondary aim: transporting the Evernight Territory’s inaugural crystal yield to the Winter Territory.

Of course, they’d brought commensurate goods in trade as well—

At cost, true, but those wagons-full were no trifle.

After a brief exchange, Vivian delegated the trade handover to Aria and the frostwolf Noland.

Soon after, Luo Lu arrived to assist in the exchange.

“Hah.”

Vivian turned toward her tent.

The little succubus Lunai stuck close like a shadow.

Leaning soft against her side.

Back in the tent, at the stone desk, Vivian casually took up a newly mined Evernight crystal from beside.

Absorbing its abundant inner mana.

The ore felt smooth and warm to the touch.

Within flowed dark mana—profound and pure, like liquid nightfall.

This was the fruit of Old Stonehammer and his crew’s desperate month-long toil.

The Evernight crystals mined over the recent month—

After the vein core’s birth, though Blackrock Town had suffered some losses then,

The crystals extracted now surpassed prior yields in purity and quality!

Mana within richer, more readily absorbed.

Vivian couldn’t resist channeling her own mana.

A surge of refined, gentle yet vast power flooded from the crystal into her.

Nourishing her mana core, parched from days of toil—

The sensation rallied her spirits a touch.

She even “pocketed” a batch of the finest for personal use and strategic reserve.

“Hah.”

Having imbibed the mana, Vivian set the crystal down.

Her vigor somewhat restored.

But her brows furrowed habitually once more.

She unrolled the parchment stacked on the desk.

Dense with sundry data.

Fingertip drumming the surface absently.

Muttering calculations to herself.

“With labor boosted so, tomorrow for tallies—earliest deployment to production the day after?

Still short-handed…”

Vivian pored over her logged figures.

Mumbling tallies.

While Lunai pressed soft against her side.

Gazing blankly at the data and schedules Vivian had scrawled—

Head tilted, eyes brimming bewilderment.

Evidently, zero interest in such matters.

Merely an instinctual comfort in the Demon Lord’s nearness.

Truth be told, over the past month, Vivian had enacted sundry reforms.

Step by measured step.

First: unleashing productivity.

The Demon Clan’s productive forces brimmed with structural waste.

Not merely issues of slaves’ or serfs’ motivation.

But production modes, efficiencies, and personnel!

As known, Demon Clan society clung to deep-rooted vocational castes—

By mana affinity, talent, strength, one was slotted to roles.

No fault in that.

The trouble: it veered to extremes!

Those of potent mana and profound might were, without fail, drawn into military ranks!

Like medieval knight-nobles.

Utterly divorced from actual production!