Chapter 71

The World Tree, known to all races in Plandar, is the lifeblood of the elves (regardless of gender).

It is their mother, their home, and their faith. In the eyes of the elves, the World Tree is the embodiment of the Earth Goddess Nisclair, the most direct channel for communication with the goddess.

The World Tree is imbued with an extremely powerful life force and magic, which permeates every branch and every leaf, making the area around the World Tree always warm and full of vibrant vitality.

The branches of the World Tree are the most suitable material for making wands in all of Plandar, with no exception.

The magic contained in the branches of the World Tree can perfectly harmonize with the mages, and this innate harmony is also one of the characteristics of the elves. Therefore, after a mage wields a wand made from the branches of the World Tree, the power of their spells, the speed of casting, and the efficiency of magic per unit all increase dramatically.

More importantly, the physical condition of high-level mages is usually inferior to that of warriors of the same level, but after long-term use of the branches of the World Tree, the surging life force within will gradually enter the mage's body, improving their physical condition and making their bodies healthier and stronger.

It is said that in the Silver City, the president of the Star Moon Tower Secret Association, the legendary mage Jean Augustin, the Lord of Star Moon, who is known as the Sage, has a wand that was given to him by the elves during the Second Chaos Invasion War.

Even a small piece of the World Tree's branch, the size of a thumb, is enough to make a group of mages covet it. If it is slightly larger, it can be sold for a sky-high price, which is enough to show how precious the branches of the World Tree are.

However...

"I thought drinking this tea would be a desecration of the elves and would anger them, but today you tell me that the toothbrush you gave me is made from the branches of the World Tree!?"

Fiona was trembling, unable to stand steadily. Her mind was blank, and she didn't know how to question Tang En anymore.

The branches of the World Tree...

That is a precious treasure that would drive mages mad...

I, I actually used it, used it to brush my teeth?

"Why didn't you tell me earlier..."

Fiona was almost in tears. If she had known how valuable it was, she would never have used it to brush her teeth!

"It's just a toothbrush, what's there to be afraid of."

Tang En looked very comfortable, completely immersed in the fragrance of the tea.

"I, I... sigh!"

Fiona sighed deeply. She knew it would be like this. If this continued, she would surely be scared to death by Tang En!

After calming down, Fiona felt a bit thirsty and instinctively picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Suddenly, the scalding tea slid down her tongue. Before she could exclaim, a strange fragrance instantly exploded in her mouth!

Like clouds, like mist, and like a hundred flowers blooming, dancing with elves under the sun...

Fiona tightly closed her lips, as if afraid that the fragrance would escape from her mouth. She deeply and repeatedly savored it until the sweet and fragrant taste completely disappeared, then she took another sip and continued to be enchanted...

Compared to this tea, the black tea she used to drink was just bitter and foul-smelling garbage!

Immersed in the fragrance of the tea, Fiona completely forgot her previous panic and unease, her face filled with pure joy and happiness. She sat there calmly, not wanting to do anything, just wanting to enjoy this leisurely and pleasant moment...

Tang En smiled slightly, "Do you like it?"

"Um..."

"I'll give it to you."

Tang En casually placed the box of tea in front of Fiona, and this sentence immediately woke her up from her enchantment. She was shocked and said, "How can I accept it! Such a valuable thing, how can I accept it!"

"Just consider it as employee benefits," Tang En shrugged, "When I'm not around, you'll have to take care of Ellington. Drinking some tea can help reduce stress."

"But, but..."

"There's no 'but.' I have a lot of this stuff."

Tang En waved his hand, settling the matter. Fiona opened her mouth but had nothing to say.

"Besides that?"

Tang En returned to the sofa, holding the teacup and said, "The toothbrush factory can definitely be opened. There's nothing difficult about making toothbrushes, and they are easy to manufacture. It's just that the raw materials are hard to obtain in Ellington..."

Ellington doesn't have many horses. If they were to use horsehair completely, it wouldn't be long before the horses in Ellington would be bald.

"No problem with that!"

Fiona's spirits lifted, "I was just about to tell you this good news. After Thomas discovered the toothbrush, he has been looking for a substitute for horsehair. Later, he found a plant in the nearby forest, which the locals call 'Grami.' The stamens inside the flower of Grami can completely replace horsehair!"

"Really?"

"Really. I've seen the stamens of Grami. They not only have a floral fragrance but are also tough and fine, with the right hardness. Most importantly, Grami has a strong life force and grows easily! As long as you give your permission, the toothbrush workshop can be put on the agenda at any time."

Fiona's bright eyes stared at Tang En, waiting to see what he would decide.

"In other words, these projects are all progressing simultaneously, and what's lacking is manpower?"

"That's right... This is our biggest shortcoming in Ellington."

Fiona scratched her head in frustration, "Although we have iron farming tools, many farmers in the surrounding areas have surplus productivity, and labor is starting to concentrate in Ellington. However, since the changes in Ellington haven't spread out yet, we don't have any incoming population, and it's difficult to attract others here."

"That's easy to solve."

Tang En said casually, "When the trade caravan sets out, we can promote Ellington along the way and advertise that as long as you work in Ellington, you can eat well and even earn a salary and a residence permit. I believe many people will be willing to come here."

Don't be fooled by the current peace in Plandar; it's just an illusion. In fact, local conflicts have never stopped, like the recent battle between Caspami Castle and Ellington. Such wars are common, so there are many refugees who can't get enough to eat in Plandar.

"If we really promote it like that, I'll have to worry about the shortage of food... How many gold coins did you get from Baron Duvei?"

Fiona suddenly remembered this and looked up at Tang En with bright eyes, her face flushed with excitement. Seeing her like that, Tang En felt a bit strange.

"Not much... The gold coins he got from selling minerals were sent to the capital to the Cardiel family. I looted the treasury of Caspami Castle, which had about 200,000 gold coins. I'll put them in the treasury later."

"200,000 gold coins!"

Fiona cheered and suddenly rushed over to hug Tang En, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "You are truly the savior of Ellington!"

Tang En said proudly, "Of course."

After saying that, Tang En gently pushed Fiona away and said, "With these gold coins, we should have enough to establish a merchant guild, right?"

"Enough! More than enough!"

Fiona's face was flushed with excitement as she excitedly paced around, "With this amount of gold, the treasury will have nearly 400,000 gold coins. Not only can we rebuild the merchant guild, but we can also put your plan to rebuild Ellington on the agenda."

"Does rebuilding Ellington require that much gold?"

"Of course! Rebuilding a town requires much more gold than you can imagine. Whether it's the wages of the laborers, the materials, the supplies, or the resettlement costs, all of these require gold. Especially since you are a benevolent lord who likes to spend gold on everything, which is why so much budget is needed... By the way, do you plan to continue spending gold to rebuild Ellington?"

Tang En stared at Fiona for a long time, trying to determine if it was a coincidence or if she was intentionally saying this...

But he couldn't tell.

Tang En said sternly, "Do I spend gold for you to pick up?"

Fiona was delighted, "Really? Of course I'll pick it up!"

Well, it can be confirmed that it was really a coincidence...

Tang En said irritably, "I only pay salaries, I never spend gold!"

Fiona was furious, "What's the difference between your behavior and spending gold?"

"Anyway, I don't spend gold... I don't spend gold, and I don't pick it up! I don't make wands, and I don't sell swords!"

"Alright, alright, you're the lord, you decide!"

Fiona rolled her eyes, flipped a few pages, and said, "Besides Hilton and Thomas, others have also returned. They are all capable subordinates of the Golden Rose Merchant Guild, so their salaries are higher than others..."

Tang En waved his hand, "You don't need to tell me these things. You handle it as you see fit. I just want to see the final results."

Fiona originally wanted to report the salary expenses to Tang En to give him an idea, but she didn't expect him to not care at all. She didn't know whether to be happy or frustrated with this trust.

"Alright, but rest assured, I won't abuse my power."

Fiona made a promise to Tang En and then said, "But there is one thing that you must handle, even if you don't want to."

"Oh?"

Tang En perked up, "As long as it doesn't involve spending gold, what is it?"

"The name of the merchant guild."

"Name? Isn't it the Golden Rose Merchant Guild?"

Fiona looked at Tang En's confused face, feeling both moved and amused. She could tell that Tang En really had no other intentions and was just using the name because she had mentioned it before.

"No, my lord."

Fiona calmed down and said seriously, "Although I also want to use this name, it's not possible."

"First, the Golden Rose family no longer exists—perhaps it will rise again in the future with your strength, but not now."

"Second, this name will attract unnecessary enemies, and my lord, you fear unnecessary trouble the most, right?"

"Third, and most importantly, the owner of this merchant guild is you, and I am just an assistant."

"I see."

Tang En thought for a moment and said casually, "Then let's call it the Tang Merchant Guild."