Novel Full Chapter 400. Aftermath of a miracle
Chapter 400: 400. Aftermath of a miracle
Throughout the sprawling capital city of Dawnhold, the streets became increasingly crowded as rumors of an unbelievable miracle spread from one district to another. People spoke excitedly in marketplaces, taverns, workshops, and public squares, claiming that they had witnessed the earth moving and reshaping into an entirely new city beyond the capital’s borders.
Normally such stories would have been dismissed as exaggerations or drunken fantasies, but this time the rumors were supported by something that thousands of citizens had personally witnessed. A day before, in the evening, enormous sections of the landscape in the distance had visibly changed.
Hills that had stood for generations appeared to have vanished, while entire stretches of uneven terrain had somehow disappeared. The strange phenomenon had been impossible to ignore from afar, and countless people had watched it unfold with their own eyes.
As the hours passed, more and more citizens began moving toward the eastern side of the capital. Curiosity spread faster than any official announcement, and soon a steady stream of people was flowing through the streets toward the source of the disturbance. Everyone wanted to discover whether the stories were true or whether there was some ordinary explanation behind the extraordinary events.
The closer they came to the city’s eastern outskirts, the more conversations they overheard regarding the construction of a new district. Various rumors circulated among the crowd, with some people claiming that an entirely new settlement was being established while others insisted that the Imperial Family had secretly begun a massive expansion project.
Eventually, the citizens reached a heavily guarded perimeter.
A long line of soldiers and government officials stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a barrier that prevented anyone from moving farther ahead. Wooden barricades had been erected across the roads, and large wooden panels had been placed at regular intervals.
Written across those panels were official notices regarding the restricted area.
Many citizens could not read, forcing them to ask those around them for assistance. Small groups quickly formed as the literate members of the population read the notices aloud to everyone nearby. According to the official announcement, a major construction project was currently underway, and access to the area was temporarily prohibited until further notice.
Naturally, this explanation only fueled the crowd’s curiosity.
People immediately began questioning the officials stationed at the barricades. They wanted to know what exactly was being built, why such an enormous area had been sealed off, and whether the rumors regarding a newly created district were true.
Unfortunately for them, the officials had strict instructions.
No matter how many questions they received, they simply repeated that a construction was underway and declined to provide any further information.
It was not until the following day that the truth began to spread throughout the capital. Officials, workers, merchants, and laborers carried fragments of news into every corner of the city. Before long, people learned that an entirely new district had appeared beyond the capital’s eastern border.
What shocked them even more was the speed at which it had been built.
According to the reports circulating throughout the city, the district had seemingly been created overnight.
The revelation caused an immediate sensation.
From the early morning onward, crowds began flooding toward the newly established district. People wanted to see the miracle with their own eyes, and despite the authorities’ efforts to maintain order, the flow of visitors continued to increase throughout the day.
At the same time, additional information started becoming public.
News spread that approximately ten thousand immigrants from Veridian would soon arrive in Dawnhold in search of employment, stability, and better opportunities.
This announcement generated mixed reactions among the population.
Some citizens welcomed the idea. They believed that having more people was beneficial for the growth of the empire. Others viewed the situation less favorably and worried that the newcomers would compete for jobs, housing, and resources that were already limited. They were also not happy about the newcomers getting better homes and places to live for free.
Although these disagreements remained relatively mild, the first signs of social division had already begun to emerge. For the moment, however, the issue was still in its earliest stages.
No serious conflicts had appeared yet, and most people were still focused on the excitement surrounding the newly constructed district.
Even so, government officials paid close attention to the changing public sentiment. Detailed reports documenting the population’s reactions were compiled and delivered to the Imperial Palace so that the situation could be monitored before it developed into a larger problem.
Meanwhile, the person responsible for all the recent commotion appeared completely unaffected by the magnitude of what he had accomplished.
William sat inside his study drafting some new documents as if creating an entire city in a single day had been nothing more than routine work.
The project had barely taxed him at all. What would have been considered an impossible feat for ordinary mages had required only a fraction of his total strength.
Rather than resting after completing such a monumental undertaking, William immediately shifted his attention toward the empire’s next priority.
Spread across his desk were plans for a series of large-scale military training camps.
His current proposal involved multiple facilities capable of accommodating nearly 100,000 recruits each.
Such a number might have seemed excessive, but William understood the reality of the world.
Although individual power held tremendous importance, no empire could survive solely by relying upon a handful of exceptional individuals.
Large nations such as Riverdale maintained enormous military forces numbering in the millions. While elite warriors and powerful mages could influence battles, the presence of a disciplined and organized army remained one of the foundations of national power.
There were countless responsibilities that could not be handled by a few extraordinary individuals alone. Territories had to be protected. Trade routes had to be secured.
Cities had to be defended. Laws had to be enforced.
Even the strongest people could not be everywhere at once.
Quantity and quality served different purposes, and while powerful individuals represented the peak of military strength, there were many situations where sheer numbers remained indispensable.
That was precisely why William intended to build a strong military as soon as possible.
Just as he finished reviewing the latest draft of his proposal, a knock came from the entrance to his office.
A moment later, Barash and Ronin entered the room.
The two men had recently returned from an important mission and immediately approached William’s desk.
"Master," Barash said respectfully, "we have successfully infiltrated deeply into almost all five major demonic cults according to your instructions. We have converted several high-level personnel of these cults to be your slaves."
A faint smile appeared on William’s face. "Well done."
His ultimate goal was to eliminate every significant demonic organization operating throughout Aris. Before focusing on larger ambitions, he wanted to ensure that these pests were dealt with properly.
William rose from his chair and looked at both men.
"Prepare your men," he instructed calmly. "I will be occupied for the next several days. While I am away, continue recruiting new members into the Dawn Legion."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Focus especially on the slaves who have shown exceptional improvement in cultivation. I also want you both to evaluate the newly joined slaves who attempted to infiltrate the Imperial Palace. Any candidates with suitable potential under my slave mark should be considered."
Barash and Ronin immediately nodded.
William had already personally investigated every captured infiltrator, those who had been captured by them and then forced into slavery by him. In fact, he had spent considerable time gathering information from them.
Unfortunately, the world of espionage was designed specifically to prevent captured agents from revealing useful information.
Most spies operated through independent organizations that accepted commissions from anonymous clients. Others worked for intermediaries connected to larger factions but rarely possessed enough information to identify the true individuals behind their assignments.
The spies themselves often knew very little.
They simply followed instructions from guild leaders, handlers, or employers and submitted reports through carefully controlled channels.
Because of this structure, uncovering the actual masterminds behind espionage networks was notoriously difficult.
William strongly suspected that nearly every empire had already sent spies into Dawnhold through these indirect methods.
However, such activities were considered an open secret among nations.
Every empire gathered intelligence on its rivals while publicly pretending otherwise.
It was simply how politics functioned.
Fortunately, William possessed an advantage that no other ruler could replicate. Instead of merely capturing the infiltrators, he had converted them into loyal servants through his abilities.
As a result, the spies now continued their activities under his supervision.
Once he managed to identify and gain control over the leaders of the various spy guilds, tracing the origins of each network would become significantly easier.
More importantly, those same intelligence networks could eventually be turned against their original masters.
Rather than simply gathering information, William would be able to feed carefully crafted misinformation back through the same channels, influencing rival powers without them ever realizing that their own spies had become his tools.
From William’s perspective, this was far more valuable than simply imprisoning enemy agents.
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[A/N: Guys Chapter 400 is finally done!! i am feeling the dopamine hit]