"Why is it so cheap?" Karl asked.
He had not paid much attention to the bidding process itself, leaving that entirely to Bennie. Over the last few weeks, his focus had been on organizing both the guild and the clan for life after the barriers disappeared. Once the forest reopened, they would need scouting teams, patrol routes, supply chains, and a dozen other things prepared in advance. There simply had not been enough time to personally monitor every auction.
The expansion of the forest alone had occupied most of his attention. According to the latest surveys, the Crimson Forest had nearly doubled in size, reaching close to two hundred square kilometers. Most people would have questioned whether the new territory actually belonged to them. The clan, however, had a rather unique way of determining ownership.
Arin had personally inspected the new growth using his Son of the Forest physique. According to him, the new trees were connected to the old forest through the same fungal network beneath the soil. The forest felt like a single living organism rather than separate patches of woodland. In the clan's eyes, that settled the matter.
If the forest considered itself one forest, then it was theirs.
"Oh, that is because the new Secret Realm appeared in one of the corners of our expanded territory," Bennie explained. "It landed on top of a hill that turned completely black overnight. I suggest we bring it under control immediately. We may even need to call a council meeting."
Karl immediately stopped walking.
His face slowly lost color as the implications registered. A Secret Realm appearing near the clan was one thing. A Secret Realm appearing inside their territory was something entirely different. The number of problems that could create was staggering.
"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Karl asked.
There was genuine anger in his voice.
"The satellite only spotted it today," Bennie replied calmly. "Most factions have already committed their resources to other locations. The nearest realm I was bidding on before this one was almost three hundred kilometers away. Nobody expected another portal to suddenly appear this close."
Karl took a deep breath.
That explanation made sense.
The first wave of Secret Realms had already triggered bidding wars across Europe. Most organizations were focused on acquiring locations near their own cities. Few people were actively looking for new portals appearing at the last minute.
"As for why it remained cheap, that part was surprisingly easy," Bennie continued. "I simply presented our land ownership contracts and informed everyone that the forest belonged to us. Then I pointed out that anyone wishing to reach the portal would need to cross our territory first."
Karl was already beginning to understand.
A grin appeared on Bennie's face.
"I also informed them that we were considering building a new archery range nearby and that visitors entered at their own risk."
Karl barked out a short laugh.
That was absolutely something Bennie would do.
The clan's reputation was already intimidating enough. Combining that reputation with a statement like that effectively warned everyone that any troublemakers might accidentally find themselves standing in the middle of a training exercise. Most sensible people preferred not to test how accurate a forest full of archers could be.
"They backed out on their own," Bennie said. "The only reason we paid fifty thousand silver coins was because that was the minimum amount required by the government. Otherwise, we probably could have gotten it for less."
Karl slowly nodded.
It was difficult to argue with success.
"I've already transferred the full amount," Bennie added. "I didn't want anyone trying to interfere through administrative delays or contract disputes. If we paid in installments, someone might attempt to pull strings behind the scenes."
"Good," Karl replied immediately.
He approved of that decision completely. Too many people underestimated how creative bureaucrats could become when enough money was involved. Paying everything upfront removed many opportunities for interference. It was expensive, but it was often worth the cost.
"We'll need to mobilize people immediately," Karl said. "Check our arrow supplies and see whether we need to increase production. I also want patrol schedules prepared before sunrise. Anything else?"
Bennie remained standing there.
That alone was unusual.
As a member of the Elder Council, he possessed enough authority to make most decisions himself. The fact that he was still standing there meant something else was bothering him. Karl could tell immediately from the expression on his face.
"Yes," Bennie admitted. "The treasury."
Karl sighed.
That was never a good topic.
"Our funds are dropping faster than expected," Bennie continued. "And development costs for the Secret Realm will only accelerate that trend. Between the guild, the clan, and all the preparations we've been making, we're spending money at an alarming rate."
As both guild treasurer and clan treasurer, he paid attention to every coin. Watching the reserves shrink made him uncomfortable. Wealth represented security, and security was not something he enjoyed seeing disappear.
Karl placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry so much."
Bennie raised an eyebrow.
"The rewards should start coming soon. If this Secret Realm is even half as valuable as people believe, our finances will recover quickly enough. We simply need to survive until then."
Bennie eventually nodded.
For now, there was little else they could do.
Meanwhile, Arin found himself imprisoned.
Specifically, imprisoned inside his own room.
His mother had personally ordered him to remain there after deciding that he had shown insufficient respect toward his elders. Arin had briefly considered arguing with her before remembering exactly who he was dealing with. Unlike his grandmother, his mother possessed absolutely no patience for his clever arguments.
"Not fair," Arin muttered.
"They would have supported me."
Unfortunately, nobody was present to appreciate his suffering. After several more minutes of complaining, he eventually gave up and sat down cross-legged on his bed. Since escape was impossible, he might as well spend the time cultivating.
Outside his room, the world was changing.
For six months, Earth had expanded continuously. Throughout that entire period, humanity remained largely trapped inside protected settlements while the wilderness transformed around them. Exploration was possible, but it was limited and dangerous.
Then, almost overnight, the feeling vanished.
Many people described it as hearing a snap.
One moment, a constant sense of pressure weighed on the world. The next moment, it was simply gone. Across the planet, millions of people noticed the difference almost immediately.
Humanity could finally breathe again.
Cities began preparing expeditions. Governments organized scouting parties. Adventurers prepared supplies and maps. For the first time in months, people could explore the transformed world with their own eyes instead of relying entirely on satellite images.
Those satellites remained incredibly valuable.
Nobody knew when humanity would be capable of launching replacements. The interaction between mana and advanced technology remained poorly understood. Researchers still debated whether modern manufacturing methods could function reliably in a mana-rich environment.
Fortunately, alternative solutions were appearing.
One proposal gaining support involved the large-scale construction of steam railways. Unlike modern electronics, steam engines could be built largely by hand using relatively simple techniques. More importantly, rail networks would reconnect cities and allow goods to move efficiently again.
One of the scientists attempting to solve humanity's technological problems was Laelia Sevso.
She currently stood inside a government conference room presenting the results of a project she had spent months developing. If successful, her theory would have solved many of humanity's manufacturing problems. Unfortunately, reality had proven less cooperative.
"Can you summarize your conclusions?" Helge Bäumler asked.
As Minister of Science and Technology, he had personally approved much of the funding. While he was pleased that the project had produced results, he was already worried by the look on Laelia's face. Scientists rarely looked that disappointed when delivering good news.
"Yes, sir," Laelia replied.
"We have confirmed that machinery can function without direct human involvement if it is constructed using mana-saturated metals. Those materials naturally resist mana destabilization and remain stable during operation."
For a moment, Helge looked hopeful.
Then she continued.
"The problem is that the machines required to manufacture those materials must also be made from mana-saturated metals. Otherwise, the process fails."
The room fell silent.
Helge slowly lowered his head into his hands.
"So, if I understand correctly," he said, "we need machines made from mana metals in order to manufacture the machines that would eventually solve our problems."
Laelia nodded apologetically.
"That is correct."
In other words, humanity would need to rebuild its entire industrial chain from the ground up before those benefits became practical. It was theoretically possible. It was simply so expensive and time-consuming that nobody wanted to attempt it right now.
"Well," Helge sighed, "that is unfortunate."
"It is," Laelia agreed.
"Still, thank you for proving the theory."
That surprised her slightly.
Most researchers expected criticism when a project failed to produce immediately useful results. Instead, Helge simply looked tired. Even an impractical answer was still valuable information. At least they now knew the path forward.
"No problem," Helge said. "You fulfilled your promise. You may leave. I need some time to think."
Laelia immediately brightened.
After all, she had been paid.
More importantly, she now had research results she could present to other funding committees. With that cheerful thought in mind, she practically skipped out of the meeting room and headed off in search of her next source of funding.