As the year draws to a close, Henwell visits Duke Jansenâs castle.
Despite the winter chill, a swarm of workers buzzes around the castleâs outskirts, expanding its walls.
In truth, the expansion began back when Jansen was just an earl.
Before that project could finish, Jansen was elevated to Grand Duke of the Southwest.
To match his new status, the castleâs expansion had to grow even larger.
But thereâs a twist this time: the construction no longer pushes southward. Instead, it stretches north, deeper into Phoenix family territory.
Whatâs more, the building crews for this northern expansion arenât from Peace Haven anymore, theyâre Phoenix familyâs own workers.
Peace Haven only supplies concrete, stone, and other materials; the design and construction for the northern wing are handled entirely by Phoenix personnel.
Jansen, the earl, stews over this for a long time but ultimately yields to other family members.
Their reasoning is simple: as leader of the Phoenix family, Jansen should have his castle lean northward, closer to his vassals.
Jansen understands the unspoken truthâthey donât want the castle to keep creeping toward Peace Haven.
Even though the expansion only adds a few hundred meters, maybe up to a kilometer, it sends a clear message.
It means some Phoenix family members have started to view Henwell with suspicion.
Especially after Henwellâs engagement to Melissa, any chance of him fully integrating into the Phoenix family is shattered.
Jansen sees further than most; he knows Henwell doesnât care for the familyâs possessions.
Heâs also certain Henwell wonât try to seize anything from them.
But convincing the wary family members is another matter entirely.
Certain things canât be said out loud, Jansen canât explain why.
Faced with this reality, Jansen feels powerless. All he can do is try to rein in the familyâs suspicion toward Henwell as best he can.
This time, Henwell is invited precisely to ease these tensions as much as possible.
The Phoenix family isnât without allies who are close to Henwell.
Take Baron Umo, deputy commander of the mixed army corps from both sides, and Baron Mark, formerly captain of Peace Havenâs patrol cavalry.
These two represent factions that lean friendly toward Henwell.
On the other hand, Jansenâs younger brother, newly promoted Viscount Tuster, and the staunch bloodline purist Baron Daniel lead factions advocating caution toward Henwell.
Some even push for a radical return to the royalist camp, cutting ties with Henwell altogether.
If you think these folks are short-sighted, youâre oversimplifying.
They donât oppose Henwell personally. In fact, they fully acknowledge his talents.
Itâs precisely because they recognize his strength that they act this way.
In their eyes, given Henwellâs abilities and Peace Havenâs current growth, the Phoenix family will eventually be swallowed up by him.
This is a hard pill for the familyâs conservatives to swallow.
Especially since Henwell lacks Phoenix blood, and his descendants wonât carry that lineage either.
Meanwhile, Vorry has transformed into a kingdom. And it will enjoy a decade of stability.
Once the kingdom settles, its first move will be against Peace Haven.
King Amir has already started cutting into the Phoenix familyâs power.
Transferring Duke Jansenâs eldest son away is a precise strike right at the familyâs heart.
Today, Henwell arrives, and Jansen calls together the Phoenix family members.
Henwell, acting as if unaware of the underlying tensions, greets each Phoenix member warmly and politely.
Watching Henwell chat and laugh so naturally, Viscount Tuster and the others canât help but feel a mix of emotions.
Why isnât such an outstanding young man a true member of the Phoenix family?
If Henwell were a direct bloodline, they wouldnât just stand with him against the royal familyâtheyâd follow him even if he rebelled!
As the banquet moves into its later stages, Jansen dismisses the servants, leaving only Phoenix family members in the great hall.
Jansen gestures to Henwell, âCome on, tell everyone about our next steps.â
Henwell stands and moves to the center, facing the massive Phoenix family map.
âFirst, on the military front, we need to fortify the western border adjoining the Ika Kingdom. The family must deploy a defense force of 10,000 troops here. Peace Havenâs engineering teams will build six medium-sized fortresses along the familyâs border, each garrisoned with a thousand soldiers.â
Henwell glances around the room and adds with a grin, âI hope none of my uncles and brothers will deny me even this small bit of profit!â
The crowd chuckles awkwardly, seemingly missing the hint in Henwellâs words.
The border fortresses Henwell has built have already proven their worth in battle.
Despite the Ika Kingdomâs assaults reaching Peace Haven, not a single one of Henwellâs small and medium fortresses along the border has fallen.
This shows Henwellâs expertise in military fortifications far surpasses that of other nations.
Moreover, his fortresses arenât just exceptionally sturdy. Theyâre constructed at lightning speed.
Many have heard rumors that Henwell possesses a technique to transform soil into stone.
But Henwell keeps the concrete formula tightly under wraps.
To this day, no one has uncovered its secrets.
Most attribute it to some kind of magical or extraordinary method. It isnât an unreasonable guess.
After all, turning dirt into solid stone looks like a extraordinary feat to most.
Another clue is that the concrete releases heat as it cures.
This convinces many that it involves magic or at least some extraordinary materials.
This theory has quelled most curiosity. After all, itâs just building houses.
Using extraordinary materials for construction seems a bit extravagant.
From their perspective, only Peace Haven has the deep pockets and urgent need to build such a solid defense system.
The others have manpower to spare and no pressing demand to rush construction.
So gradually, everyone loses interest in the matter.
Peace Haven building fortresses for the Phoenix family was already a settled deal.
Even Viscount Tuster has no grounds to oppose.
They simply canât spare the hands to build defensive fortresses right now.
After teasing the crowd a bit, Henwell moves on: âBesides the six medium fortresses, weâll also build two large ones. These will serve as logistics hubs for the defense line and rally points for reinforcements.â
He continues, âPeace Haven plans to complete the six medium fortresses by the end of next year. The two large ones will likely finish by mid or even late the year after.â
The croud seems quite satisfied with this timeline.
If they had to handle it themselves, quarrying stone and transporting materials would be a huge headache.
Now, in just two years, a complete and sturdy defense line will stand. It is an impressively fast pace by any measure.