Spring gave way to summer, and the weather grew warmer.
Construction work on New Quint had been in full swing for over two months.
In his spare time, Alan was busy planning the city government, overseeing the construction of houses, and clearing wasteland for farming.
The town had already undergone a dramatic transformation.
Streets, houses, a town hall, wells, a market, and warehouses had been completed.
Other defensive structures under construction included city walls, barracks, arrow towers, and other defensive structures.
Schools and libraries were also urgently needed; the children needed an education.
On the outskirts of town, the construction work was even more extensive.
A dock was needed at the harbor and on the lakefront.
Lighthouses, dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts were all under construction.
Watermills and windmills had already been erected, providing free power to the construction sites day and night.
Allen had copied numerous copies of the map he had drawn earlier and distributed them to various industries.
Based on the resource points listed on this map, the town established quarries, lumberyards, mines, and blacksmith shops.
Farms and ranches were also actively reclaiming and cultivating the land.
Building a home wasn't always smooth sailing.
The construction site was often harassed by wild beasts.
Goblins were active near the newly developed farms, occasionally stealing items.
Alan couldn't tolerate these "wild monsters" interfering with his blueprint.
A militia had been established in the town to maintain law and order.
Instructor Carter and Hunter Hunter were elected Chief Sheriff and Militia Captain, respectively, and worked together to train the young militiamen.
Alan's old classmate, Robin, was now the captain of the militia.
The militia was more than capable of handling ordinary beasts and small groups of goblins.
However, I've heard there have been signs of dire wolf activity on the farm lately.
Die wolves are a type of mutant beast.
Their relationship to ordinary dogs is similar to that of mice to giant rats!
Die wolves have a similar intelligence level to ordinary wild wolves, but are larger and more ferocious.
The shabby little goblin has actually tamed a pack of dire wolves to use as his thugs.
Goblins aren't a formidable threat, but riding a dire wolf and becoming a "wolf cavalry" is a game-changer!
Not long ago, the militia clashed with the goblin wolf cavalry.
After a hard fight, they repelled the bandit gang, but at considerable cost.
Six militiamen were killed, and five were seriously injured.
The number of immigrants was already small, and the loss of six militiamen was a significant blow.
Alan decided to personally take action and wipe out the goblin bandits!
The next morning, Alan led the militia out.
In addition to Hunter and Robin, Instructor Carter, and Kelly and Ella, they were also present.
Heavily armed, they followed the trail of goblins and dire wolves, gradually deepening into the woods.
During the hunt, Kelly would occasionally disappear on her own for a while, but upon returning, she would always be accompanied by at least one big cat.
Leopards and lynx were common sights in this woodland.
Alan asked his sister to keep an eye out for these wild cats and to tame them with his magic.
Kelly was delighted to be able to help her brother.
After two days of wandering the woods with the militia, they had already tamed over a dozen big cats.
Cheetahs, leopards, and lynx followed her in a vast, magnificent herd. It was a truly spectacular sight! Surrounded by the big cats, Kelly was like a jungle queen!
Ella envied Kelly's majesty.
She also had cat-human blood, and after reverting to her ancestral form, she could communicate telepathically with the big cats.
But she hadn't awakened magic like "befriending beasts," and the aloof big cats might not be happy to obey her commands.
Ella followed Kelly around, helping to manage the big cat guard.
By riding on Kelly's coattails, she became familiar with the big cats.
Two days later, she was even able to use her power to command the Meow Meows on hunts, providing the militia with ample meat.
After three days of tracking, the militia finally discovered the goblin's lair deep in the valley.
The crude shacks and damp caves exuded a sickening odor.
"It's getting hot, it's time to clean up this stinking garbage."
Alan issued the order nonchalantly.
"Set a fire, burn it all."
Countless rockets shot into the valley, transforming the goblin nest into a sea of fire.
Amidst the thick smoke and flames, screams could be heard from time to time.
There were at least one or two thousand goblins in the valley.
Snatching them one by one would be too much trouble.
Fire attack was the best option, followed by poison.
Alan found the cave where the goblins were hiding and unleashed a "poison spray."
High-level poison was not worth wasting on the goblins.
Alan could just use a few level 2 poisons to wipe out the goblins hiding in the cave, entire families, all dead.
A wolf's howl echoed from the sea of fire.
Alan raised his brows, his spirits lifted.
The dire wolves, have they finally appeared?
The goblins' screams and curses, accompanied by their howls, drew nearer.
Nine black-furred wolves, each as big as brown bears, each carrying a goblin, leaped out of the sea of fire.
The militia, on full alert, opened fire under the command of Hunter and Carter.
Swish, swish, swish!
Three bursts of fire!
The goblins on the wolves' backs fell one after another under the hail of arrows.
Some were still alive, struggling to climb back onto the wolves' backs.
The wounded mounts, already enraged, turned their heads and bit off the goblin's neck!
The dire wolves were indeed ferocious!
However, no matter how ferocious they were, they were only on par with brown bears.
Of the nine wolves, three were killed by a hail of arrows.
The remaining six were also wounded, perfect for the young militiamen to practice their skills.
Kelly and Ella, leading the Meow Meows, stood guard.
When they noticed a wolf had broken through the militia's encirclement, they whistled, commanding the big cats to move forward and fill the gap.
Alan watched the hunt from the side, occasionally using his "water control" to create artificial rain and extinguish the fires spreading beyond the valley.
They also picked some wild fruits to eat with the barbecue.
The combination of meat and vegetables was nutritionally balanced.
Alan couldn't bear to roast the dire wolves.
He still had some use for the carcasses of these mutant beasts.
The battle ended just as the sun was setting.
All nine dire wolves were hunted down, and sporadic goblins emerged from the smoke-filled valley.
Alan carried the carcasses of the dire wolves to his tent.
He implanted parasitic spores into the bodies of the other wolves.
In less than half an hour, all nine wolves were reborn through the Impure World Reincarnation process, transforming into "Fungus Beasts."
Using the mind spores, Alan could telekinetically control the Fungus Beasts.
Following Kelly and Ella's "Meow Meow Squad," the militia now had another "Paw Patrol."
The dire wolves transformed into Fungus Beasts couldn't bark like they did in life, remaining as quiet as mushrooms. However, their combat effectiveness was no less impressive!
One could even say... they were stronger than before!
The Fungus Beasts had lost their fear of death and pain. Unless their heads or limbs were completely destroyed, they would follow Alan's commands and fight endlessly.
Allen didn't bring the nine "mushroom wolves" back to town. Instead, he assigned them to patrol the valley and hunt down any goblins that had slipped through his grasp.
After killing all the goblins, the nine mushroom wolves lurked in the woods near the farm, ready to respond to their master's call.
Alan intended them to serve as a hidden reserve force, perhaps useful at a critical moment.
Kelly and Ella didn't return to town with the militia.
The sisters, along with the Meow Meows, would continue their journey through the mountains.
"Ella and I have a plan. We'll spend two weeks thoroughly surveying this forest!"
Kelly said excitedly to her brother.
"From now on, this is our territory."
"No unruly big cats allowed in my territory!"
Good boy! The Meow Queen is incredibly ambitious!
Allen learned of his sister's plan to tame all the big cats in the forest. While amused, he also thought it was a good idea.
He instructed Ella to accompany her sister in her training in the forest, and to immediately notify him through the "Secret Seal" if she encountered any trouble.
Ella and Kelly's strength, combined with the growing Meowth Squad, were more than enough to dominate the forest.
Alan also left two vials of spores for his sister and Ella, asking them to practice while taming the cats.
Kelly and Ella were already familiar with the gathering meditation method.
Even without Allen, they could use the mind spores to establish their own gatherings.
Kelly enthusiastically gave her and Ella's gathering a name she thought sounded nice: Lily Tea Party.
Alan objected.
But it was ineffective.
...
Alan had a pleasant time hunting in the wild.
However, back in town, his mood wasn't quite so rosy.
A town of over 3,000 people, built from scratch, was constantly busy with trivial matters.
These matters were ranked according to their level of difficulty.
Dad handled the majority.
Sora handled a smaller portion.
Finally, what arrived at Alan were two problems that neither Dad nor Sora could solve.
The newly emerged immigrant town had finally caught the attention of the Undergate.
Two days ago, an orc messenger, riding a wolf, arrived in town, delivering a message from his master.
The orc warlord, Akira the Flame Axe, had ordered the town of New Gwent to pay heavy taxes!
The tax was levied on a head, including infants and livestock, and anyone still breathing was counted!
"You have one month to pay this year's taxes in full, or I will take everything I want."
These were the orc warlord's exact words, a naked threat!
The militia of New Gwent was clearly no match for the orc army's depredations.
Turn to the Case family for help?
Ms. Sora privately told Allen that the Case family didn't have the strength to help New Gwent withstand this disaster.
So who else could they turn to?
The only answer was the Silvermoon Monastery.
The monastery approved the settlement and town building, and theoretically, provided security for the immigrants.
Security, however, wasn't free.
Ms. Sora had already sent a letter of help to the Silvermoon Monastery through the Case family.
The monastery's leadership quickly responded.
They agreed to send someone to protect the town, but for a fee! The protection agreement is signed annually, and the fee is determined by the town's population and economic situation.
Alan made a comparison.
The "protection fee" collected by the monastery was surprisingly similar to the "head tax" imposed by the orcs!
In the protection fee market, information is symmetrical.
The monastery knew the orcs' asking price, and the orcs knew the monastery's price.
Had the two sides discussed this beforehand?
Alan couldn't say.
At the very least, it was an unspoken price alliance.
This also explains a question: Why didn't the monastery completely eliminate the orc horde in Undergate?
Without the orc threat, would the immigrants still pay the protection fee?
If you're capable, you can handle this problem on your own.
If you're not, then sorry, please buy peace with your money.