Phield was speechless. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Enough of this nonsense. Next, clear out all the remaining corpses in the city."

"Yes, my lord."

The Divine Chosen immediately scattered to eliminate the undead. The remaining enemies in the city were hunted down and killed one by one.

Only when there was not a single red skull marker left on the minimap did Phield place mist-dispelling lamps throughout Starnight City, declaring its complete reclamation.

He planted the banner of Nightfall Domain atop the highest gate tower of the city. The wolf flag snapped loudly in the wind, and a surge of emotion rose within him.

"The first city. This is only the beginning."

This was a true city. Though it was filled with corpses and debris, the towering walls and the commanding view from above gave him a sense of endless power.

The days that followed, spent clearing out debris, were dull and repetitive.

During the day, Alice and Ashina were responsible for burning the corrupted corpses, while the slaves cleared rubble from the ruins and piled it along the streets. At night, Ophelia commanded the corpses to transport the waste and dump it into massive pits that had been dug in advance.

With an additional thousand laborers, the workload in Nightfall Domain was greatly reduced.

Phield was finally able to allocate valuable manpower to farming, manufacturing, and salt production.

On the fifth day after capturing Starnight City, the second floor of Windrise Town had been transformed. The former study was now Phield’s personal office.

"It feels strange not having shackles on my feet."

Ophelia lifted the hem of her maid dress, stretching her toes as she examined her slender, pale ankles. She clicked her tongue in disdain. "You designed this maid outfit, didn’t you? Truly perverse. It looks like something worn by prostitutes in the army."

"Thanks for the compliment, little chubby dragon."

"Tch." Ophelia turned her head away in disgust. "Don’t stare at me, and stop using such a sickening nickname. What are you even doing?"

"Planning trade goods. The next time we go out for trade, I need to find a market for our refined salt." Phield set down his quill and took a sip of red tea. "The Vigor Elixir is highly profitable, but we can’t rely on it."

"You mean those sinful potions?"

Ophelia stomped her foot. Her full figure trembled slightly, and her thick dragon tail swayed along with it. With a cold expression, she said, "I’ve seen the potions you make. They match my impression of you as a pervert. But I have to admit, those things will sell well among disgusting men."

"Let me make this clear. Don’t come to me after taking those potions. I won’t give in." Ophelia spoke sternly, like a strict but beautiful teacher. "If you really can’t control yourself, you can steal my clothes. As long as I don’t find out, it never happened."

"..."

I think I just heard something unbelievable.

"Corrupted Divine Chosen are all like this. Corrupted Divine Chosen are all like this."

Phield silently hypnotized himself so he wouldn’t be driven insane by them.

"Back to the point. The Vigor Elixir will definitely sell well, but the biggest problem is that I’m trapped in the Northern Province. There’s only one relatively reliable trade route and exit, Maple Leaf Territory. My goods can only move through their trade routes."

"You could sell elsewhere... no, wait. If the local lord finds out you abandoned him, you won’t be allowed through Maple Leaf City next time."

To use Maple Leaf City as an exit, Phield had to sell his goods through Simon.

Otherwise, the Maple Leaf Fortress would simply refuse to open its gates next time under the excuse of "preventing a corpse invasion."

Phield understood these tricks perfectly.

That was why he only sold Vigor Elixir to Simon. It wasn’t because he lacked business sense, but because power outweighed wealth and ultimately generated wealth.

Ophelia quickly grasped the core issue. She walked gracefully to the desk, pointing at the two southern exits on the map, and said coldly, "Take down Bull Territory and Maple Leaf Territory, or at least one of them. Kill everyone who creates the problem, and there won’t be a problem. Don’t tell me your head is filled with nothing but pale nonsense and no appreciation for bloodshed."

"In the long run, you’re not wrong."

Phield frowned, staring at the two fortress markers on the map as if they were rotten eggs.

There were only two exits from the Northern Province into the civilized world. One was controlled by a greedy degenerate, the other by a mysterious madman.

No man with any pride would tolerate such a situation.

But conquering noble territories wasn’t as simple as sending troops, killing the local lord, and calling it a day. The real challenge lay in complex political and diplomatic struggles.

"Our current strength is still too weak."

Pointing at Dawnfall Domain, Phield said, "We need a two-pronged approach. Dawnfall Domain is the real breakthrough. It has a coastal port. To the northwest lies the Holy Tides Inner Sea. Sailing south leads to the empire’s coastal cities. It also connects to the endless ocean, and to the west lies the Blue Dragon and the Magic Tower United Empire."

"Oh? I didn’t expect someone from the crude and barbaric Sacred Griffin Empire to have thoughts of building a navy."

Ophelia looked surprised. She crossed her arms and examined Phield carefully, then leaned lightly against his desk, half-sitting.

Her graceful figure was just beginning to show when Phield hurriedly reached out to catch the documents that had been knocked off the desk.

"Little chubby dragon, can your tail behave? You’re about to become a professional desk cleaner."

Phield sighed.

"I’m not fat. I’m very confident in my figure," Ophelia scoffed. "This is called fullness. I maintain it intentionally. You just don’t understand beauty."

"Weren’t you the one who told me not to stare earlier?" Phield rubbed his temples, trying not to argue. "Your tone and accent don’t sound like someone from the Sacred Griffin Empire."

She had said "your empire" earlier.

"Of course not. Does your empire have a noble surname like Pearlwhite?"

Ophelia played with her golden hair. "My full name is Ophelia Pearlwhite. I’m from what you call the Blue Dragon and the Magic Tower United Empire, the Dragon Tower Empire for short."

"What?"

Phield was stunned. "I see. No wonder you were wearing shackles. You weren’t a slave. You were a prisoner."

"Yes. The Blue Dragon and the Magic Tower United Empire and Fralanvia have been at war for a hundred years over the coastal province." Ophelia’s expression turned serious, her eyes filled with hatred. "Countless soldiers of the Dragon Tower Empire were killed by the despicable schemes of Fralanvia."

"I see..."

Phield fell into thought. That wasn’t how the empire described it.

A crisp knock sounded at the door. Tisiana entered, carrying a large wooden box filled with feathers, with a plate of desserts placed on top.

"I heard that the infantry of the Dragon Tower Empire are famously cowardly. Those who run at the first sign of trouble are considered brave, and those who collapse the moment they meet the enemy are called the elite of elites."