Rowan was still organizing the newly acquired supplies when Ashveil returned to the settlement’s construction area the following morning.
"My Lord, Martha says the farm is ready for planting," Rowan reported. "She’s already preparing the seeds with the other villagers. We’ve also repaired another cottage, and the villagers have begun preparing timber for the remaining buildings."
Ashveil nodded approvingly. With five additional workers from Silvercrest, Ashen Hollow’s development was finally gaining momentum.
He instructed Rowan to assign the newcomers to farming and construction, while Martha would oversee the planting of the fast-growing wheat.
Although the grain recovered from Silvercrest would temporarily ease their food shortage, the territory needed a reliable harvest before its population could expand further.
After arranging the day’s work, Ashveil returned to the Lord’s Hall.
The encounter with the Grimfang Riders still troubled him.
More than a dozen Tier 3 cavalry units had effortlessly destroyed another Lord’s forces. If such creatures discovered Ashen Hollow, his ten spearmen would be completely outmatched.
Even Ria and Seraphina couldn’t guarantee the settlement’s safety against an entire mounted force.
Ashveil opened the territory’s construction interface and examined the available defensive structures.
A proper barracks would allow him to organize and train additional soldiers, while stronger walls and watchtowers could help compensate for the territory’s limited military strength.
Unfortunately, most advanced buildings required facilities that Ashen Hollow had yet to construct.
Although Ashveil possessed enough Gold Coins to construct a basic Barracks, its substantial stone requirements remained a problem. His limited construction materials were already being consumed by cottages, farming facilities, and other essential projects.
Once again, Ashveil found himself regretting his Grade F starting territory.
Silvercrest had possessed a barracks and workshop from the beginning, while Ashen Hollow still struggled to provide basic accommodation.
However, complaining wouldn’t change anything.
He needed another source of income.
Defeating monsters could provide Gold Coins and other resources, but relying entirely on combat was dangerous. There was also no guarantee that every expedition would produce worthwhile rewards.
Fortunately, Ashveil remembered something he had discovered while investigating the destroyed Grade B territory.
The Western Valley Lord’s Market.
According to the information he had recovered, the market was a gathering place where Lords could exchange equipment, materials, and other valuable goods under temporary protection.
If Ashen Hollow could manufacture equipment worth selling, it might become possible to earn Gold Coins without constantly risking his soldiers’ lives.
With that thought, Ashveil summoned Rowan.
When Rowan entered the Lord’s Hall, Ashveil had already arranged several items across the table.
Among them were the Basic Archery Manual, the Bastion Shield, and a collection of ordinary weapons recovered from previous battles.
"My Lord, what do you need?"
"I want to know whether we can manufacture equipment ourselves."
Rowan examined the weapons with interest.
"We have enough timber to produce simple spear shafts and wooden shields. But anything involving iron would require a proper forge."
"What about the smelter blueprint we recovered from the northern mine?"
"We can construct it once we prepare the materials. However, smelting ore and forging weapons are different tasks. We’d still need somewhere to shape the metal."
Ashveil considered his words.
The northern mine contained iron ore, while the recently recovered tools would make gathering materials considerably easier.
If he could establish even a basic workshop, Ashen Hollow would no longer need to depend entirely on scavenged equipment.
He then handed Rowan the archery manual.
"This contains instructions for training archers. I want a training area prepared once we have enough bows."
Rowan carefully examined the illustrations before nodding.
"Some of the villagers have experience working with timber. We could attempt to make simple bows, although I can’t promise they’ll be particularly good."
"That’s fine. Start with whatever we can manage."
Ashveil then pointed toward the Bastion Shield.
"Can you make something similar?"
Rowan lifted the shield and inspected its reinforced surface.
"Not something this sturdy, my Lord. But wooden shields with leather bindings should be possible."
That was enough for now.
Ashveil instructed him to begin producing simple spears, shields, and practice bows while gathering materials for the smelter and workshop.
Even if the equipment was inferior to professionally forged weapons, it would still be useful for Ashen Hollow’s future soldiers.
Before Rowan could leave, Ashveil remembered another matter.
"One more thing."
He retrieved the Iron Warhammer from his belongings and placed it on the table.
Rowan stared at the heavy weapon.
"What’s this for, my Lord?"
"I want you to keep it. It should be useful for breaking stone and handling heavier construction work."
Rowan hesitated before carefully lifting the weapon.
Its weight immediately surprised him.
"This is quite valuable, isn’t it?"
"It is. So make sure you don’t lose it."
Rowan nodded solemnly and thanked him before leaving to organize the work.
*
Over the following days, Ashen Hollow became considerably busier.
The nine villagers divided their time between cultivating the farm, gathering timber, and constructing additional facilities.
For the time being, they relied primarily on the forty units of iron ore recovered during the mine raid.
Small expeditions were also organized to gather exposed ore from the northern mine under the spearmen’s protection, although Ashveil had yet to establish a permanent mining operation.
The captured kobolds remained confined under the Forgotten Kobold’s supervision.
Although Ashveil had considered putting them to work, he wasn’t willing to risk allowing six hostile creatures to move freely around the settlement.
For now, the villagers would handle production.
With the newly acquired grain and fast-growing wheat seeds, the food situation gradually improved. The farm had yet to produce its first harvest, but the villagers were confident that the unusual crop would mature much sooner than ordinary wheat.
Construction of the basic smelter also progressed steadily.
Once completed, the villagers began experimenting with the ore recovered from the northern mine.
Their first attempts produced little usable metal. Several batches contained too many impurities, while others failed to reach the necessary temperature.
However, after repeated adjustments, they eventually succeeded in producing a small quantity of workable iron.
With the help of the former Silvercrest workshop assistant, Rowan also established a makeshift charcoal forge beside the smelter. It was a crude arrangement, but it provided enough heat to shape small pieces of metal.
Their new assistant supervised the first attempts at forging spearheads and simple tools, gradually teaching the other villagers the process.
The achievement marked an important step for Ashen Hollow.
For the first time, the territory could begin turning raw materials into useful equipment.
The villagers started with simple spearheads and tools, while the wooden shields required considerably less effort.
Producing bows proved more difficult.
Although the Basic Archery Manual contained detailed instructions, finding suitable wood and preparing reliable bowstrings required additional experimentation.
Nevertheless, several practice bows were eventually completed.
Ashveil personally inspected the results.
The weapons were crude compared to the equipment he had recovered from other Lords, but they were functional.
That was enough to begin training.
He selected three spearmen to practice archery under Rowan’s supervision, while the remaining seven continued their ordinary duties.
The training initially progressed slowly.
None of the soldiers possessed much experience with ranged weapons, and their first attempts frequently missed the targets entirely.
However, the manual provided a structured training method, allowing them to gradually improve their accuracy.
Ashveil didn’t expect immediate results.
What mattered was establishing a foundation for future ranged soldiers.
Several days later, Ashveil gathered his spearmen outside the Lord’s Hall.
The villagers had prepared a small collection of newly manufactured equipment, including wooden shields, reinforced spears, and three practice bows.
Although the equipment wasn’t particularly impressive, it represented Ashen Hollow’s first successful attempt at independent military production.
Ashveil distributed the shields among the soldiers and instructed them to familiarize themselves with the additional protection.
The three soldiers undergoing archery training received their practice bows, although they would continue carrying their spears until their ranged abilities became reliable.
There was no class change or sudden increase in strength.
Their progress would depend on training and experience.
Still, Ashveil was satisfied.
With a functioning farm, additional workers, and the beginnings of an equipment industry, Ashen Hollow was finally developing beyond its miserable starting conditions.
However, the territory still lacked sufficient Gold Coins to construct its more advanced facilities.
Ashveil glanced toward the west.
The Lord’s Market might provide the opportunity he needed.
If he could establish a reliable source of income, Ashen Hollow’s development would no longer be limited by whatever rewards he managed to obtain from battle.
For now, his soldiers would continue training, while Rowan and the villagers improved their production methods.
The Monster Tide was drawing closer, and Ashveil intended to make every remaining day count.