The history of the elves is 'rich' in terms of quantity, but it is stagnant and not progressive.
Among the archives that they are able to discern from Gaia's murals, about 80% are poetry, 10% are uncertain history, 7% are confirmed history and less than 3% are useful technology.
If not for the 'mystical' arts, the Gaia ruins' records' worth will become lesser and devalued. Thus emphasizing the fact, these 'mystical' arts are invaluable to the point that it is changing the elves' lives.
The 'bonding' ritual for example has become a necessary requirement for any Ratatoskr.
Bonding with a beast automatically raises their ranks within the organization.
For example, Lameya has two beasts under her control which are an emberspit viper, and an azuresky cobra.
With Varen and Lameya as role models, the Ratatoskr continues on the trend of bonding with beasts which is immensely difficult.
Some Ratatoskr elves choose to give up, but there are stubborn ones too like Opina who is trying to bond with a chimpanzee.
The bonding frenzy also reaches the Einherjar and some of them dare challenge to bond with more enormous and ferocious beasts.
There are other rituals too like the fertility ritual that boosts the pregnancy rate, prayer rituals that give temporary buffs and etc.
In essence, Gaia has become a strategic site for the elves. It is not just influencing the militaristic part of the kingdom, but also the more common folk.
The rituals themselves are technology unique to the elves. Except for the fertility ritual, there is also another more useful technology like paper-making and dyeing process.
Transitioning from hard parchment too difficult to acquire is the thin more portable writing medium. With trees as its main raw materials, the kingdom sees a rise in the circulation of the new luxurious item— paper.
Humans also have paper, but they meticulously keep their methods in secret monopoly. Now, the elves also have paper technology.
Consequently, with just the mere existence of the new paper, the kingdom's literacy rate continues to increase.
Though there is also an increase in expenses from buying more ink, the kingdom willingly takes the financial burden with ease for most of the royal elves' coffers are untouched.
When they trade, they mostly barter with Wisley. Moreover, Wisley's tributes on top of the bartered goods keep on accumulating.
There is no working currency in the kingdom of the elves which is weird given the fact that they are experiencing an economic boom.
Moreover, the dyeing technology greatly revitalizes the elven populace. More painters, and artists find inspiration from their daily lives, and similarly, they spread motivation to others.
These simple things are giving literal color to the lives of the once decadent and lazy elves who only know hunting from their villages in their entire lives.
It is a fortunate progress.
More so fortunate because the elves' economy is independent of human influence. While this is true, the opposite is not the same.
The elves have a strong influence on the current market.
Wisley attests to this truth.
And Varen similarly holds the same conviction. Because her highness is giving him permission to do as he liked, he shall do it the way he sees fit.
Nightfall.
"How is the new information network? Are their new agents who have bonded with any avian species lately?"
"Yes," Lameya answers to Varen while the two shares a tree adjacent to a human city. "Most of them only have bonded with one though, and it seems this is their limit. Not a single one of them has exceeded a single beast except me."
Varen is expressionless, but from the subtle smiling, Lameya detects a hint of pride.
It is difficult.
Even Varen who has over twenty-three ravens under his control finds it difficult. No. He understands the difficulty more than she will ever be.
It is because of Varen's monstrous senses.
"How is Gaia?"
"The economic boom on the kingdom is stabilizing and more resources are pouring down on Gaia all thanks to the war."
"Good, but the kingdom's economic situation can still get better."
Varen smiles with a different kind of pride, one of a vicious beast who is very eager to rip the throats of his enemies with his gnarly teeth.
Lameya gulps.
"What do you have in mind, Lord Varen?"
"We shall cause economic decline on the Allied Kingdoms."
This time, Varen's smile only gets stranger. From a savage grin, it becomes an ambitious subtle smirk delivering vain arrogance.
Lameya continues to improve on observing Varen's little emotions since becoming his direct subordinate.
Varen is becoming as much a monster as Elf King is...
"Lameya, do you recall Robin Hood from the Fae Legends?"
"I do. The hooded king of the bandits who steals from the rich and gives to the poor."
"How about the Witch Hunt?"
"Yes, I remember that story too. Its theme is persecution."
"We will replicate these tales, and get the best from both of them. We will be robbing the rich, and we will judge them."
Lameya feels a jolt on her spine as Varen erases his smile, and lands on the ground with a lithe jump.
Varen looks up to Lameya who remains sitting on the tree's branch.
"We have time. Trudviar won't let information escape the Dark Lands. We shall recruit mercenaries for our cause."
"What do you plan on doing?"
"..."
Varen remains silent, keeping his scheme to his own. It is not out of trust, but from eager excitement that carries both surprise and anticipation.
The next night, Varen while disguising himself as a 'Robin Hood', drags the acting lord of the City of Fomar to the highest building in the city, the acting lord's residence.
Lameya watches all of this happen while hiding in the dark. Several elves near her skill watch Varen's theatrics from the darkness.
"I have come!" He shouts.
While his voice is strong as he is roaring all of the air from his lungs, he will not be able to maintain the same volume for long, and will quickly lose the interest of the commoners who don't even know what their lord looks like.
But Varen is prepared.
Drinking a murky green potion, a derived product of the old alchemist Allenwood coming out of chance, Varen's voice becomes louder.
"I have come! And this is your City Lord!"
Varen repeats adding unnecessary threats, while making his voice loud and known, earning the attention of the passersby who ought to return to their homes, and even making other people stay in their homes to get outside.
"And he is a vampire!" He declares without context.
It is the darkness of the night when a vampire is at its strongest, but the City Lord in Varen's hands is clearly on the weaker side.
From what Lameya knows, Varen had injected 'silver' into the vampire's bloodstream as per the Tower of Coal's suggestion a few weeks back.
Currently, the vampire must be suffering in incredibly immense pain.
Varen lights a Molotov from his waist, raises it, and throws it on the manor giving the necessary illumination.
It is the start of anarchy.
Various vampires set off from out of nowhere. There are half a dozen of them, and they are purposefully starved on the brink of death.
They brutally start attacking, ripping guts, and biting necks or wrists, or other body parts. The knights and stronger people around are helpless against them, especially under the influence of the night.
Because of the vampires' thirst for blood, they blindly attack forward seeking to drive their teeth on their foes.
Then 'humans' suddenly arrive.
They are all wearing hoods on their heads like Varen. There are exactly a dozen of them, and each wields close-quarter weapons that seek to destroy the vampires— these are silver weapons.
After decimating the vampires, they one by one remove their hoods revealing their faces.
Each of them is so beautiful one will inevitably think of elves, however, the people clearly see that they are humans.
This is all thanks to the 'human ears' stitching to them temporarily.
The Tower of Coal is explosively improving since meeting a new test subject, the vampires.
And it seems, the Tower of Coal did not disappoint as only within a year, they manage to produce numerous results not limited to discovering that the vampires are weak to silver.
They also manage to improve their Life Potion technology and within the right conditions, they can now theoretically regenerate a complete limb, maybe for a few days, months, or a year depending on the damage done to the body.
After this, the humanized (?) Elves distribute 70% of the vampire City Lord's wealth.
Varen's plan for a war over the economy is just starting.