At Frostwolf Ridge's quarry, long abandoned due to the decline of the Frostwolf family, a new owner had arrived—a witch.
Hill, dressed in simple linen clothes, appeared as an ordinary commoner, with no trace linking her to being a witch. Her conscious disguise, along with the discreet handling of those who knew her, ensured she was unrecognizable even to familiar faces.
"Miss Hill, I'll leave the rest to you," Rena said.
After navigating certain unspoken rules, Rena finally received the lord's approval to begin a large-scale infrastructure project at Frostwolf Ridge, aimed at establishing Frostwolf City.
"Leave it to me, Sister Rena," Hill replied with a smile.
Sister.
Rena's heart fluttered slightly, but she nodded without showing it on her face. She then glanced back towards the castle.
By now, Hill had reached the quarry wall, activating her powers as she placed a hand on the stone surface. Instantly, the rock began to crack. Earth elements gathered, enveloping the rock face, which soon became riddled with cracks before shattering abruptly.
The effectiveness and efficiency of this process surpassed even the high-tech tools from David's previous life, leaving him awestruck when he learned about it.
Indeed, in this world, wizards are the ultimate force of production.
After demolishing the rock face, Hill controlled her power to break the stones into flat, usable pieces for building city walls. As a skilled stonemason, Hill had excellent control over this process.
Soon, neatly cut stones appeared one by one.
What would have taken dozens of stonemasons a long time to refine was quickly completed with Hill's power.
It's evident that Hill had practiced a lot, honing her abilities through this craft.
Though a witch's power stems from their ancestral bloodline, continuous training and development can further awaken latent abilities.
Once the stones were prepared, refugees used carts to transport them away. Though laborious, the refugees smiled, grateful for the pay they received for their work, akin to a reward.
Meanwhile, on another construction site, militiamen and refugees dug trenches. The militiamen, having trained their bodies, worked swiftly, and deep trenches appeared at a visible pace.
Of course, if Hill were to handle this, it would only take days to complete, but such conspicuous use of power was avoided.
The quarry was secretly sealed, leading outsiders to believe it housed many stone workers and masons, making it hard to conceal the outside activities.
Once the squire knights of the Frostwolf Knight Order joined, lifting the cut stones to build the walls, sections of the wall quickly rose. Standing twenty feet high and ten feet wide, they met the standard height of northern fortress walls, capable of withstanding attacks from sky knights.
At night, Hill personally inspected the wall's construction, using her abilities to compress and reinforce the walls.
Although she couldn't alter the stones' shapes at will, her earth element power could press the stones more tightly together.
Looking at the newly erected wall, Hill's face showed pride, and when she gazed towards Frostwolf Castle, her expression turned grateful.
The wizard not only gave her life but also a dream. She was determined to help the wizard build a city that would stand as a jewel on the continent, enduring forever.
At Frostwolf Ridge's town hall, Rena presented a stack of parchment to David, reporting recent financial expenses related to recruiting artisans and laborers.
Despite previous taxes and ransoms, and annual tribute from vassal families, Frostwolf Ridge's income remained insufficient.
David's attention was caught by a map at the top, marked with circles indicating various minerals.
"Hill found those mines?"
Frostwolf Ridge, ancestral land of the Frostwolf family, had not been developed.
David had speculated about possible mines in the mountains but was surprised by their abundance, making it a treasure trove.
Naturally, Hill discovered these mines. As an earth witch, she excelled at controlling earth elements and exploring underground.
In a short time, the earth witch maximized her farming attribute, proving David's claim that wizards are the ultimate production force.
Wizards can indeed drive rapid territorial development single-handedly.
Once fully developed, the mines could spawn numerous industries, such as blacksmithing.
Of course, mundane weapons held little interest for him. Only finding an alchemy wizard could lead to crafting extraordinary weapons.
Additionally, opening trade routes, given that these minerals were valuable currencies everywhere, could bring endless wealth to Frostwolf Ridge.
As David contemplated the list, Rena watched him intently.
During this time, she was amazed to discover that the Frostwolf Duke viewed things differently from other nobles in this world.
His willingness to invest his wealth in developing the territory, rather than hoarding it as a private collection, was telling.
Moreover, he valued the refugees.
No lord typically viewed refugees as people, let alone paid them for labor as a form of relief.
Other lords would only exploit these refugees with force and whips.
While these actions seemed foolish to other nobles, Rena sensed the underlying wisdom.
The refugees' loyalty to the lord reflected David's high standing in Frostwolf Ridge and among the people.
The steady influx of refugees settling at Frostwolf Ridge further enriched the territory, an invisible wealth for any domain.
"He has the potential to be a king," Rena thought, deeply fascinated by this quality.
"Why, thinking about it again?" David asked with a playful look.
Rena snapped back, her eyes shy yet determined, as she moved to sit in the duke's lap.
[You completed a session of practice, Snow Fairy's Soul +141]