In the following months, Damian took charge of adopting all the orphans. In all the major cities in the South, he took them in without telling them where he was taking them, and they all ended up in the north.
To create a powerful legion that would endure in history, rigorous training from a young age was needed, and this would be achieved only if that child hungered to be strong.
It may sound somewhat cruel, but before sending a person to war, like, for example, a child who dies in seconds, Damian plans to turn that child into a warrior who kills thousands of demons.
Frieren believes it's a waste of time since those people will die someday, but Damian believed that by creating the roots, the tree would grow naturally, and he wouldn't have to train any more soldiers in his territory.
Moreover, he was now giving magical protection to many armors, greatly improving the soldiers' performance to the point where they would be comparable to demons in groups.
"Anyone who fears it is because they have never faced it; the people of the north are strong, and even after the fall of the Demon King, they will not stop fighting." At the top of a hill where there was a castle covered in snow, Damian looked at the city covered by a layer of lightning, and seeing good men working within it, he knew that this was the path he should take.
Having the battle to the side of his domain would make things easier for him.
...
Time had flown by, and in the blink of an eye, five years had passed since Damian had claimed his territory, rebuilding from scratch one of the most modern cities today.
After five years of operation, Damian's territory has changed a lot. Just four years ago, this place was still an arid zone, but now six meeting places have formed and many beautiful buildings of solid brick have been built, perfectly distributed throughout the city's territory.
The territory of over a thousand square kilometers is already populated by many people, most of whom were war refugees who had lost everything and orphans who had been taken by Damian to create his night guard.
During all these years, despite the hard work, no war broke out in the striking territory. Without the destruction of war, the population of the territory also multiplied rapidly.
Last year, more than 2,500 women became pregnant, almost a third of the female population of working age in the territory.
That is, this year, there will be many more babies in the territory.
Entering March, Damian's territory still needs to continue cultivating farmland.
Last year, 400 hectares of rice paddies were recovered. This year, a little fewer rice paddies were recovered.
Damian, through magic, plans to cultivate 300 hectares. If there is a good harvest this year, Damian's territory will be able to sell 600 tons of grain at a low price to the army.
This was not ideal, but they received metal at a low price and poor-quality armor to reform. Damian needed many more resources than he executed and offered, and this way, both benefited; besides, they were supporting the front line that still resisted.
The houses in Damian's territory were made of bricks with magical protection personally placed by him. Also, through his inventions, things had been evolving a lot, giving the city a touch of magic in every corner, wherever one may be.
Moreover, the most striking were the enormous sculptures of what many believed were the guardians of the city. Damian personally ordered that stone knights be placed on the meticulously decorated walls, which are the second level of defense after the main magical barrier was activated.
All these warriors would be activated, and they would seek out enemies fighting to the death, giving time for the inhabitants to escape while the army prepared.
For his city, Damian had built three levels of defense: the lightning barrier that was active at all times, giving the city a gloomy aura; the second were the ten thousand stone warriors that constantly increased every year; and the third was the magical barrier that only activated in case of emergency.
To make this city much more cheerful, Damian took care that the atmosphere changed within the city, making it warmer and much more lively.
Frieren complained so much about the cold that she had the need to research this type of magic that, in the end, everyone had the opportunity to enjoy.
This year, Damian planned to increase the distribution of resources throughout the continent to increase their resources.
"We have ten thousand magical armors waiting for their owner; the weapons are infused with magic, and the shields are so tough that the most powerful magics cannot damage them if they are together."
Damian was sitting on an ice throne, and as usual, he had to listen to the reports of his most loyal servants. "Any complaints that need to be heard?"
"None, my lord, but we received a letter from Baron Harden's son; he is asking that once the city's troops are ready, they should join the war." Damian's right hand was Sebastian; he was a merchant who thought he had lost everything until he met his new lord.
Damian frowned. "That fool thinks I can send my soldiers to die whenever he pleases. What we should be doing is regaining our numbers, improving our weaponry, and waiting to counterattack."
"How long do you think that will take, my lord?" Sebastian was the only one who knew about Damian's immortality, which was a secret that no one else knew.
"That's my mistake; for a moment, I forgot that my life is longer... Send a message and tell that Baron that, due to my line of defense, no demon shall pass." Damian said, standing up and walking towards a back exit.
Sebastian did not get up from the ground and said, "Your orders will be heard, my lord."