"Thank goodness..." Orwin sighed in relief, patting his chest. "Since you said that, I believe you."
Concerns about the coming winter still lingered, but with Elina’s assurance, he no longer felt anxious.
"In that case, may I ask a second question?"
"Of course," Elina nodded slightly. "Just tell me your doubts, and we’ll discuss them."
"What about attracting merchants to our town?" Orwin asked, picking up another document and pointing to the top line. "It says here that you want the people to buy their own food, isn’t that so? But is that even possible? Our town is isolated, and there’s no way merchants would want to come here. Besides, most of us are very poor."
He sighed, both shyly and helplessly. Remembering how hard their lives had been, he felt the urge to cry.
While many people prospered, they had been left behind. He had once thought the fault lay with the regional and central governments.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized the real problem was their location. Virella was at the very edge of the eastern region.
Access to the town was steep and difficult. On top of that, it bordered the Calvorn Forest.
It was said that many ancient monsters lived there. He had never seen these powerful creatures himself, but he had encountered wolf monsters two to four meters tall several times while venturing deep into the forest to gather firewood.
Given that, it was understandable why no one cared about them.
"I’m not really sure about that," Elina replied honestly. "Merchants come here to trade. And as you just said, Virella’s market is very poor. It’s unlikely they’d come here. On top of that, access to this place is very difficult."
She took a sip of her coffee, then continued softly, "Even so, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You should know I came here through a fairly safe route."
She picked up the map she had prepared earlier, laid it on the table, and opened it.
Orwin and Kael exchanged surprised glances and quickly focused on the map.
"At that time, I took this route," she explained, drawing a line from the south side of the town to a path that had been previously untouched.
It was densely forested, so it was natural that few people knew about it.
"The road is still rocky and uncomfortable to travel on," Elina admitted frankly. "But that’s not the main issue. I can build a proper road to the nearest town, which is about a hundred kilometers from here."
She pointed to a small fortress called Torosvia. It was a small town, much like Virella, but far more prosperous and developed.
Well, that wasn’t surprising, considering it was ruled by a baron-level noble.
"I didn’t expect there to be a town so close—within just a hundred kilometers," Orwin muttered in amazement.
He had thought the nearest town was Black Horn, two hundred kilometers away. What he hadn’t expected was that a closer town actually existed.
If he had known earlier, he could have gone there to ask for food aid. They wouldn’t have suffered for so many years.
Kael beside him was just as surprised. He had also considered going to Black Horn, but it was far too distant. At the time, he had wished there were a closer town where he could ask for food—or even find work.
And now, it turned out such a town really did exist.
"I understand your surprise and regret, but don’t be too hard on yourselves. You didn’t know the town existed, and the route was unfamiliar. It’s only natural that you didn’t find it sooner," Elina reassured them.
Both of them nodded, and their feelings of frustration and regret instantly eased.
"You mentioned building a road earlier, right? That would be very expensive. I once calculated the cost of building a road from here to Black Horn—around five hundred thousand to a million Sharn. It could be less or even more. The distance to Torosvia is shorter, but it’s still a hefty price."
What exactly is a million Sharn?
With that much money, it might not be impossible to have hundreds of food warehouses, each stocked like the ones they have now.
"One million Sharn?" Elina sounded a little surprised. "That’s quite reasonable. I thought it would be up to five million Sharn. Well, that’s good news. I’ll send a letter to the leader of Torosvia later."
She leaned back with a happy smile, sipping her coffee.
Orwin: "..."
Kael: "..."
The two exchanged glances, both thinking, Our princess is truly wealthy!
At the same time, they felt relieved. Having a wealthy leader greatly increased their chances of success.
Afterwards, Elina, Orwin, and Kael discussed the plan she had drawn up.
The discussion lasted nearly two hours, but that was expected—Virella had many problems, and each required careful consideration.
"By the way, there’s one more thing that intrigues me, Your Highness," Orwin said. "Regarding the use of the Calvorn Forest, are you really serious about that?"
Elina nodded firmly. "Yes, I am serious. It’s true we don’t have outstanding natural resources, but that forest is like a gold mine. If we can use it properly, this town will definitely progress."
The timber industry had flourished for hundreds of years. Many cities in the Great Velmora Empire relied on it as their main source of income.
Elina intended to follow their example by utilizing the forest near Virella.
It wasn’t impossible that this could attract investors from trading houses in the capital, especially White Lotus and Blue Moon.
Orwin and Kael’s expressions turned serious, and Elina noticed immediately.
"Is there a problem with the forest?" She asked directly.
Orwin paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. "You could say there’s a challenge with it."
He proceeded to explain the details about the forest, and Elina listened carefully.
After a few moments, Orwin stopped and let out a deep sigh.
"That’s about it, Your Highness. The forest is extremely dangerous."
Elina remained calm, showing not a trace of fear.
"I’m surprised, but don’t worry. I can handle it," she said confidently, a slight smile on her lips.
Orwin and Kael exchanged confused glances but stayed silent.
"Since you’re so confident, Kael and I will trust you."