"At my present strength? I wouldn’t recommend finding out."
Ashveil immediately looked away at Ria’s words.
That was all he needed to hear.
Beside him, Seraphina was also watching the angel with an unusually serious expression.
Several creatures possessing divine attributes had already lowered their heads as the procession passed, although the angel herself paid them little attention.
The armored man briefly exchanged words with one of the market guards before continuing toward a large building near the northern end of the valley.
"Who’s that?" Ashveil asked the merchant.
The man glanced toward the departing procession.
"You don’t know Lord Lucian Voss?"
"Should I?"
The merchant looked at him with surprise before laughing.
"Ah, you must be one of the newcomers. That explains it."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"Lord Voss is one of the Pioneers. He’s also one of the people responsible for establishing this market. Without Lords like him, ordinary merchants wouldn’t dare gather in a place like this."
"Pioneers?"
"That’s what we call the Lords who arrived much earlier than the rest of us. Some have already spent enough time in Eryndor to establish powerful territories, while others control entire regions. Lord Voss is among the more influential ones around here."
Ashveil glanced toward the building where Lucian had disappeared.
So that was why the man possessed such an absurdly powerful unit.
He had already discovered that Lords didn’t necessarily arrive in Eryndor at the same time. The destroyed Grade B territory he encountered had existed for nineteen days before its destruction, while Silvercrest had also been established long before Ashen Hollow.
However, he hadn’t realized that some Lords had already developed their territories to such an extent.
"How long has he been here?"
"Who knows? People don’t usually go around announcing exactly how long they’ve been developing their territories. But I can tell you that the difference between a newcomer and an experienced Pioneer is enormous."
The merchant finished checking the supplies before gesturing toward the carts.
"Anyway, your stone is ready. I’d recommend leaving before evening. The roads have been getting dangerous lately."
"Dangerous how?"
"More monster activity than usual. Some merchants have even stopped traveling between settlements altogether."
Ashveil frowned.
"Isn’t that normal in this world?"
"Ordinary monsters are one thing. But there are worse things than monsters out there."
Before Ashveil could ask what he meant, another merchant approached the stall carrying a damaged wooden crate.
"Have you heard? Another settlement was abandoned after the Green Fog appeared near the eastern hills."
The merchant dealing with Ashveil sighed.
"Again? That’s the second one I’ve heard about recently."
"Apparently, the Lord managed to escape with a few soldiers, but most of his villagers disappeared."
Ashveil immediately became interested.
"Green Fog?"
The two merchants looked toward him.
"You really haven’t heard of it?"
"No."
The older merchant shook his head.
"Then you’d better learn quickly. There are strange things in Eryndor that don’t behave like ordinary weather. The Green Fog is one of them. It can spread across an entire territory without warning, and people who wander too far into it sometimes never return."
"Can’t you just wait for it to disappear?"
"Sometimes. But what happens when it surrounds your farms, your roads, or your entire settlement? Certain protective formations can keep it away, but maintaining those requires Source Stones."
Ashveil’s expression became serious.
Source Stones again?
He had already learned that they were valuable, but apparently they were also necessary for surviving certain disasters.
"And that’s not even the worst of it," the other merchant added. "There was the Red Rain farther north some time ago. Ruined entire fields, contaminated the water, and drove the surrounding beasts mad. A few territories were destroyed when the monsters started attacking everything in sight."
"Red Rain?"
"Rain that turns the land rotten. You don’t want to experience it."
Ashveil remained silent for a moment.
He had been preparing for the First Monster Tide that would arrive after the forty-five-day protection period, believing it would be his greatest immediate challenge.
Yet according to these merchants, similar disasters could occur without warning.
Worse, the Lord System’s protection only covered the Lord’s Hall. His villagers, farms, and other buildings would remain vulnerable to practically everything else.
What kind of ridiculous world had he been summoned into?
"Does the Lord System warn you before these things happen?"
The merchant shrugged.
"Sometimes there are signs, but don’t count on receiving a convenient warning. If you want to survive, you’d better prepare before something happens."
Ashveil thanked the merchants and returned to his companions.
Ria had been listening to the conversation with mild interest, while Seraphina appeared particularly concerned about the mention of entire settlements disappearing.
"Did you know about those things?" Ashveil asked.
"I’ve heard of similar phenomena," Ria replied. "Although the world has changed considerably since my time. I wouldn’t assume that everything behaves exactly as it once did."
"Great. So even you don’t know."
"Would you prefer that I pretend otherwise?"
"No, thanks."
Ashveil sighed.
Apparently, he would need to reconsider his development plans once they returned to Ashen Hollow.
Strengthening their defenses against monsters was important, but securing additional food reserves and preparing for unexpected disasters might be equally necessary.
Unfortunately, accomplishing all of that would require more resources.
And more resources meant more work.
"Damn it. Being a Lord is expensive."
Ria chuckled.
"Already regretting your ambitions, little lord?"
"Not yet. But I wouldn’t mind finding a few hundred Gold Coins lying around."
"How modest."
"Hey, I’m starting small."
As they continued through the marketplace, Ashveil noticed several people gathered around a large noticeboard near one of the administrative buildings.
The board displayed various requests for resources, monster extermination assignments, and notices concerning dangerous areas.
A few Lords were examining the postings while others spoke with attendants stationed nearby.
Ashveil approached out of curiosity.
One notice offered payment for information concerning unusual monster movements. Another requested assistance escorting merchants through a dangerous section of the wilderness, while several others involved gathering rare materials from unexplored areas.
At the top of the board was an announcement bearing an unfamiliar white cross emblem.
[Western Frontier Alliance]
The notice invited independent Lords to join an organization dedicated to regional security, information sharing, and cooperation between territories.
Members would receive a magical signal scroll that could be activated during emergencies, allowing nearby allies to locate them and potentially provide assistance.
They could also accept missions issued by the Alliance in exchange for rewards.
"Interested in joining?"
Ashveil turned toward the attendant standing beside the noticeboard.
The young man wore a uniform bearing the same white cross emblem.
"Not particularly. I’m just looking."
"There’s no obligation to accept missions immediately. Many newcomers join simply to establish connections with other Lords. You never know when you might need assistance."
Ashveil considered his words.
The arrangement certainly sounded useful, especially for weaker territories that couldn’t afford to maintain large armies.
However, he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about becoming involved with an unfamiliar organization.
"Who’s in charge of this Alliance?"