As Henwell approaches the checkpoint at the bridgehead, he realizes just how handy it is to have the Padin status! No need to queue for inspection, and definitely no toll to pay.

  The toll here isn’t cheap. Each person pays one gold coin, and horses cost double. For wagons, regardless of how many horses pull them or if they’re empty, the fee is five gold coins. If they’re carrying heavy cargo, additional charges apply based on the weight.

  Watching the steady stream of travelers crossing and the hundreds of meters-long queue behind them, it’s clear the day’s tolls rake in a hefty sum.

  This gives a good sense of just how expensive life is in a core city-state like Lake Wheat City.

  Of course, if you’re poor or want to save money, there’s a ferry not far away with boats of various sizes. Unfortunately, there’s no magical ship as rumored, but a fleet just arrived at the opposite dock, and Henwell pns to check it out.

  Besides enjoying free, inspection-free passage, the checkpoint officers ask Henwell if he wants to cross via the middle ne.

  Henwell’s here to observe and learn, so why not use every advantage before it expires?

  On the bridge, Henwell pauses now and then to examine the building materials beneath his feet. He even climbs over the railing to the edge, peering down at the bridge’s piers below.

  Though patrolling knights ride the bridge, none dare approach or question Henwell in his high-ranking church knight attire.

  By now, Henwell is certain: this bridge isn’t the product of ordinary social bor and construction.

  Every material exudes a distinct extraordinary aura.

  From the officers guarding the bridge, Henwell learns there are three more bridges like this on the South Wheat River. While none match the grandeur of this main bridge, they’re still impressive.

  After pacing the entire bridge—over a kilometer long—step by step, Henwell stands silently, lost in thought.

  After a long moment, he exhales deeply.

  The enemy is undeniably powerful, evoking a sense of despair.

  Henwell warns himself not to get compcent.

  He hasn’t even conquered a single kingdom yet, and facing such colossal forces, vigince is essential.

  However, Henwell is well aware that there’s no need to scare himself too much.

  Peace Haven’s growth is exponential.

  He’s already survived the toughest beginning.

  Now, all Henwell needs to do is follow his pnned pace and avoid getting sidetracked, especially by the allure of extraordinary magical creations.

  If he conquers a kingdom with over twenty million people, he can boldly unch an industrial revolution.

  Here in Peace Haven, the accumuted knowledge base, along with skilled workers and engineers at the junior level, will transform the entire nation within decades.

  And it’s foreseeable that, barring external disruptions, Henwell will live a long time.

  As long as he keeps steering development in the right direction, the country will keep progressing.

  At this moment, Henwell quietly makes a vow.

  Ten years.

  In ten years, he will build his own bridge over the Ouse River.

  Not relying on professionals, but on the hands of ordinary people.

  The greatest strength of industrialization lies in standardization and replication.

  Once Henwell constructs the first permanent, sturdy bridge, it means he can quickly spread development across his entire territory.

  More than that, Henwell pns to build railways, those roaring steel machines charging forward.

  Extraordinary power is impressive, but it has its limits.

  Great power concentrated in individuals and great power distributed among the collective are two different paths.

  Henwell can’t guarantee his path is the right one, nor can he deny the success of the other.

  But he has no choice.

  Only by relying on the strength of ordinary people can he change the world.

  After calming his emotions, Henwell heads to the southern dock area.

  A fleet of official Western Federation ships has just returned, and with his Padin status, Henwell knows he won’t face any obstacles.

  He finally gets to see the so-called magical ships firsthand.

  These vessels are nothing like the feudal-era ships Henwell imagined.

  The ships stretch nearly a hundred meters, already enormous by any standard.

  Each has two rge sails, but these aren’t the usual soft fabric sails; they’re made of a rigid material.

  These ships resemble ancient Eastern riverboats and are much easier to operate.

  More importantly, extraordinary runes are inscribed on these hard sails.

  Henwell straightforwardly asks one of the fleet’s supervisors about the extraordinary transport ships.

  This isn’t exactly a state secret, and the supervisor politely expins to the high-ranking church knight.

  Each extraordinary warship carries three rune arrays.

  One is at the prow, designed to calm turbulent river waters, stabilizing the ship’s movement and even harnessing currents to aid propulsion, especially effective when going downstream.

  Another rune array is inside the hull, reinforcing the ship’s structure, reducing weight, increasing buoyancy, and allowing for heavier loads.

  The final and most valuable rune array is on the sails.

  It rarely activates when going downstream but powers the ship on the return trip upstream, enabling speeds of about twenty kilometers per hour.

  In a single day and night, the ship can cover hundreds of kilometers, meaning it can carry cargo from the Ika border region back to near Lake Wheat City in just two days.

  Each ship can carry over two thousand tons, a feat only possible through magical technology in this feudal era.

  Each official extraordinary fleet consists of fifteen rge ships.

  Each transport run delivers nearly thirty thousand tons of semi-processed grain to the Western Federation.

  There are ten such fleets operating in the southern region.

  They make six round trips annually, moving over two million tons of grain each year.

  This volume of grain feeds millions.

  Combined with the fertile farmnd around Lake Wheat, which produces millions of tons annually, the region can sustain several million people.

  Besides official fleets, many factions organize their own ships.

  Though not extraordinary transport vessels, manpower-powered boats still outperform nd transport.

  This has created a somewhat unbanced economic model for the Western Federation.

  The Holy Spirit Church’s northern territory is simir.

  Nearly ten million tons of grain arrive annually, plus several million tons produced locally.

  That’s enough to feed all the city-states across the Western Regions.

  But Henwell is more interested in the military applications of these magical transport ships.

  If pushed, within about five days, the Western Federation could deploy a fleet capable of transporting two fully equipped and supplied legions down the South Wheat River directly into Peace Haven.