This upgrade looks quite good; its greatest value is the ability to produce double the Life Essence. This is already comparable to a spouse, and since there is no cooldown, it is essentially a specialized Life Essence extraction machine! Furthermore, the skill enhancement that applies to the territory intrigued Arthas; this was clearly a Helpful Spouse function. Requiring a position within the territory was not difficult; he was the lord himself, and once he became king in the future, it would be his direct jurisdiction and would not be distributed elsewhere.
The feudal system of enfeoffment was already outdated. If power could not be centralized in the hands of the king, it would be difficult to form an effective defense against the Old Gods' Faceless Army or Ulduar's Iron Army in the future. The reason the Alliance of later generations allowed Varian to have the final say was simply because the other kingdoms had been collapsed by the Scourge; only Stormwind remained unattacked, which was how it gained the right to speak.
Right now, the other kingdoms were still quite powerful, and the Alliance could not forcibly command them to do anything. Therefore, Arthas preferred to rely on himself; trying to manipulate those old foxes would be impossible unless there was another Orc Invasion or Scourge.
His large hands stroked the fragrant shoulders of Vanessa and Illucia, pulling the two beautiful young girls into his embrace. One was a year older than him, the other a year younger; they truly gave off the feeling of a pair of sisters, both exquisitely delicate. Fair-skinned and beautiful, with even their jade-like feet showing a rosy hue beneath the white, such alabaster beauties easily aroused a man's inner primal desires, making him want to ravage them ruthlessly!
"Illucia Barov: Age: Fifteen. Profession: Mage (Frost). Skills: Gentle Lady (Increases territory luxury goods selling price by 20%; hosting a gathering in the territory increases Allied Race Reputation by 1,000, cooldown time three days.) Magic Mentor (When serving as a school mentor, students' learning progress increases by 20%, and student loyalty rises by 50%.) Dexterous Hands (Enhances the host's Tailoring and Enchanting Profession, reducing material consumption by 50%, with quality guaranteed to be at least Excellent.)"
"Vanessa VanCleef: Age: Thirteen. Profession: Rogue (Assassin). Skills: Spy Instinct (When holding a position in the intelligence department, information gathering speed increases by 50%, accuracy rises by 50%, and the loyalty of personnel within the territory can be detected.) Leadership Charisma (When holding a position in the intelligence department, all personnel remain loyal without betrayal, and work efficiency increases by 50%). Hardworking (Construction speed and work duration in the territory increase by 25%, with quality guaranteed to be at least Excellent.)"
At first glance, these stats did not seem particularly exaggerated, but one had to remember that their status was that of Concubines. The Skill Enhancement had a double effect, limited to the territory. Assuming he became king in the future, these would only radiate to areas under the king's direct management; lands managed by other major lords would receive no bonus.
The abilities of the two Concubines had been clearly scouted. Illucia was a Helpful Spouse type; she internally desired to assist her husband and educate children at home or teach in a school. She was the stable and settled type, without too much ambition, yet she would not be a mere trophy. She was well-balanced—neither overwhelmingly powerful nor fragile.
Vanessa, on the other hand, had perfectly inherited her father's Leadership Charisma and talent for espionage. One must remember that she and her father had nearly overturned Stormwind. They had only failed because they encountered greedy adventurers acting as lackeys; even so, Vanessa fought to the very end. From her perspective, she was a remarkable woman worthy of praise.
Stroking the silken skin of Vanessa and Illucia, he looked at their two slumbering, pretty faces. Girls who had just been intimate for the first time were particularly delicate and easily exhausted, especially after being driven for a long time and then filled. The spasms and fullness from their wombs were unprecedented, making them very prone to drowsiness—an illusion of conception.
After resting for a while, Arthas dressed and kissed the two girls on their foreheads. He went out, and after he left, the two girls simultaneously opened their eyes. They looked at each other's flushed, spring-like faces and let out a giggle.
"Master was so fierce just now!"
"He nearly broke me apart! But it felt so good!"
Arthas was unaware of the whispers between the two pretty maids. He found the Gnome Artisan Elgin, as well as the Chief Artificer of the Dark Iron Dwarves and leader of the Thorium Brotherhood, Steben, and together they teleported to Lordaeron. He summoned Vanessa's father, Edwin, and along with the Dwarf Master Artisan Ironforge, the five of them teleported together to the Un'Goro Crater.
Stepping out of the Portal, a wave of humid heat hit them. It felt unbearably sweltering, and even the air seemed permeated with the scent of decay. This was the unique atmosphere of a primordial forest, with no telling how many corpses were hidden beneath the dead branches. Combined with the massive trees that blocked out the sun and sealed the sky, the environment inside the forest was pitch black, easily breeding fear in the heart.
"Damn, this is the worst environment I've ever seen. Your Highness, are you sure you want to establish a territory here?" Steben wiped away sweat. Having lived for years in an environment with extremely scarce water, he truly could not get used to being suddenly dropped into a tropical rainforest.
"The resources here are abundant, and there are many naturally breeding dinosaurs around. In particular, Devilsaur leather is an excellent material. What we need to do is find a suitable location and then establish a territory; that is your job. You are all master artisans, so you will choose the location, and I will send people to assist you." Arthas looked into the distance; that Guardian should be arriving soon.
Following a tremor that shook the earth and mountains, the Pterrordax in the woods were startled into flight, and the surrounding animals and dinosaurs turned and fled in utter panic. Even the most powerful Devilsaurs ran without looking back, as if they had encountered something terrifying.
Edwin was the first to draw his weapon and stand before Arthas; protecting His Highness was his responsibility and duty. Besides being a Rogue, he was also a very outstanding artisan. He had taken charge of the reconstruction of Stormwind, including the port construction, and his designs were very rational. However, there were some shortcomings, which were related to limited vision. One could not expect an artisan who did not deal with engineering or magic to make certain advanced adjustments; that would be asking too much.