Night had descended upon Frostbound Coast.
The glowing roads illuminated the frozen territory like rivers of stars stretching across the earth.
Magic streetlights stood proudly along completed routes.
Warm golden light pushed back the darkness.
Snow continued falling from the heavens.
Yet for the first time in centuries...
Winter no longer felt invincible.
Kel Rosenfeld rode through the city streets atop his horse.
No escorts.
No grand procession.
No noble display.
Just him.
Observing.
Watching.
Thinking.
The city was alive.
Far more alive than when he first arrived.
Back then...
The streets had been empty.
People hurried home before sunset.
Merchants rarely traveled at night.
Fear existed everywhere.
Fear of monsters.
Fear of winter.
Fear of uncertainty.
Now?
The streets remained busy despite the darkness.
Children played beneath magical streetlights.
Merchants transported goods through illuminated roads.
Workers discussed projects while returning home.
Restaurants remained open.
Markets still operated.
Life continued.
Kel quietly observed everything.
His golden eyes reflected countless lights.
The cold northern wind brushed against his silver hair.
His black coat fluttered behind him.
For perhaps the first time in months...
He wasn't looking at the future.
He was looking at the present.
A young girl suddenly pointed toward one of the glowing roads.
"Look!"
Her younger brother followed her gaze.
The special tiles beneath the road glowed soft blue.
The child laughed.
"It's pretty."
The girl nodded enthusiastically.
"It looks like stars."
Their mother smiled.
Then continued walking.
Kel watched them disappear into the crowd.
Silently.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren's voice echoed gently.
"You're smiling."
Kel blinked.
"...Am I?"
"A little."
The Guardian sounded amused.
Kel looked away.
"The roads are functioning properly."
Silence.
Then laughter.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Mocking.
"Of course that's your explanation."
The young Count chose not to respond.
Eventually.
The mansion appeared.
Standing proudly upon elevated ground overlooking the city.
The Frostbound Coast Banner fluttered beside the Rosenfeld Banner.
One represented the North.
The other represented the future of Frostbound Coast.
Kel dismounted.
A servant immediately stepped forward.
Taking the horse respectfully.
As he entered the mansion...
A familiar figure was already waiting.
Eleanor Ashcroft.
The Head Maid stood near the entrance hall.
Perfect posture.
Perfect uniform.
Perfect composure.
Kel immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Eleanor."
"My Lord."
A brief silence followed.
Then Kel spoke.
"Didn't I tell you to rest?"
The Head Maid smiled.
A genuine smile.
Rare.
Warm.
"I did rest."
Kel looked unconvinced.
The woman continued.
"I slept."
A pause.
"I ate."
Another pause.
"I also spent an entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing."
The young Count blinked.
That sounded impossible.
The Head Maid immediately noticed.
"My Lord."
Her expression became amused.
"Not everyone treats relaxation as a mythological concept."
For once.
Kel found himself unable to respond.
Somewhere beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren immediately started laughing.
"You deserved that."
Kel ignored her.
The Head Maid's smile widened slightly.
A rare victory.
Afterward.
Dinner proceeded peacefully.
For perhaps the first time in weeks.
No meetings.
No negotiations.
No emergencies.
No construction disputes.
No merchant proposals.
No engineering crises.
Just food.
Even the wolf monsters remained unusually quiet.
One had fallen asleep beneath the dining table.
Another occupied an entire corner of the room.
A third somehow acquired several pieces of meat without anyone noticing.
Kel chose not to investigate.
Some mysteries were best left unsolved.
After dinner.
The young Count rose.
"Eleanor."
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Bring the progress reports."
The Head Maid tilted her head.
"Which reports?"
Kel calmly answered.
"Everything."
Silence.
A dangerous silence.
The Head Maid stared.
"...Everything?"
Kel nodded.
"The overall progress of Frostbound Coast since I arrived."
Another pause.
Then realization appeared.
The woman smiled softly.
"As you wish."
An hour later.
Kel sat inside his study.
The room was illuminated by magical lamps.
Maps covered multiple walls.
Blueprints rested atop tables.
Books filled countless shelves.
The fireplace crackled gently.
Creating a warm atmosphere.
For once.
The room felt peaceful.
Then the door opened.
And peace immediately died.
Because Eleanor entered carrying enough documents to bury a small army.
Kel stared.
The reports stared back.
The Head Maid somehow looked pleased.
"My Lord."
She placed the first stack onto the desk.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
The desk disappeared.
Several moments later.
Only reports remained visible.
Kel slowly blinked.
"...Perhaps I underestimated the amount."
The Head Maid nodded.
"Considerably."
Somewhere beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren laughed.
Again.
"This is what happens when you create an entire civilization."
Kel ignored her.
The review began.
Eleanor opened the first report.
"Population."
Kel nodded.
The Head Maid continued.
"When you arrived."
She flipped through pages.
"The capital city's population was approximately forty-three thousand."
Another page.
"Current estimates place it above sixty-eight thousand."
Kel raised an eyebrow.
"That much?"
The woman nodded.
"Migration."
Another page.
"Merchants."
Another.
"Workers."
Another.
"Researchers."
Another.
"Tourists."
The final word caused even Kel to pause.
"Tourists."
The Head Maid smiled.
"Apparently people travel from other territories specifically to see the glowing roads."
Silence.
Then Seiren laughed again.
"You created sightseeing infrastructure."
Kel rubbed his forehead.
That had not been part of the original plan.
The second report began.
"Economy."
Trade volume.
Tax revenue.
Merchant activity.
Market expansion.
Every graph moved upward.
Every statistic improved.
Every projection exceeded expectations.
The third report.
"Monster Suppression."
The numbers were extraordinary.
Monster attacks reduced.
Travel routes secured.
Outposts functioning.
Patrol response times improved dramatically.
The fourth report.
"Ocean Development."
Fishing production had increased several hundred percent.
Sea monster domestication programs succeeded.
Trade routes expanded.
Harbors continued growing.
The fifth report.
"Education."
Several institutes already operated successfully.
Applications continued increasing.
Researchers arrived from neighboring territories.
The sixth report.
"Infrastructure."
Road networks.
Streetlights.
Settlements.
Construction projects.
Heating systems.
Everything advanced.
Not perfectly.
But steadily.
And that was enough.
Hours passed.
One report after another.
One achievement after another.
One transformation after another.
Eventually.
The final report closed.
Silence filled the study.
The fireplace crackled softly.
Snow drifted beyond the windows.
The city glowed beneath the night sky.
Eleanor quietly observed Kel.
The young Count remained silent.
For several minutes.
Then finally—
"What do you think, My Lord?"
The question echoed softly through the room.
Kel looked toward the window.
Toward Frostbound Coast.
Toward the roads.
The lights.
The settlements.
The future.
Four months.
Only four months.
It felt longer.
And shorter.
At the same time.
The young Count slowly exhaled.
Then spoke.
"We've done well."
The Head Maid smiled.
A genuine smile.
Because she understood.
For Kel Rosenfeld.
"We've done well."
Was incredibly high praise.
Then he continued.
"But."
There it was.
The inevitable "but."
Eleanor sighed.
The young Count's golden eyes reflected the city lights.
"Eighty percent remains."
The Head Maid covered her face.
Of course.
Naturally.
Obviously.
Seiren laughed so hard that ancient waters trembled.
"Four months of miracles."
"And you're still thinking about the remaining eighty percent."
Kel remained silent.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Outside.
The people celebrated the transformed territory.
The merchants praised its prosperity.
The nobles admired its growth.
The Empire discussed its wonders.
Yet inside the study.
The young Count looked toward the horizon.
Toward unfinished roads.
Unbuilt settlements.
Future projects.
Future generations.
Because while everyone else saw how far Frostbound Coast had come...
Kel Rosenfeld could only see how much further it could still go.