Chapter 422: Queen Mother’s Sap Spring

Ethan had a hard time hiding his surprise. For a few seconds, he just stared at the object in front of him, eyebrows raised.

He knew about the Giant Empress Bees, having once seen illustrations of one in a history book from the Darkwall family library.

It was a species that had been extinct for over a thousand years, known for producing massive amounts of high-quality magical honey.

Furthermore, these bees possessed an otherworldly beauty and a peaceful, docile nature. Their wings could be woven into the most beautiful dresses in the world.

Ysara herself kept one such piece in her dress collection, inherited from an ancient ancestor and made from precisely this material.

It was a silver dress with a sheen that seemed to make even the stars pale in comparison. Many hailed it as the most beautiful fabric that had ever existed.

Obviously, the Giant Empress Bees had been widely used in beekeeping and mass-bred. But there was a problem.

The beekeepers tore off their wings. Over time, the wings grew back, only to be ripped away again.

Every bee went through this process, and it slowly destroyed their bodies. Not even the queens were spared. They lost an enormous amount of vital energy, and that loss eventually took its toll on the younger generations.

In the end, greed led to the gradual death of the colonies. And instead of backing off, those people exploited the remaining bees even harder, until they, too, died.

In all, the species survived less than a hundred years after its first contact with humans.

Ethan sighed, shaking his head slowly.

It was a cruel medieval world, and the idea of conservation and sustainable harvesting was a distant concept.

Fortunately, his world would be different.

In Goldenveil, the punishment for animal abuse already ranged from months or years in prison to the death penalty, depending on the level of cruelty. And those bees would be even more protected.

They always produced a huge oversupply of honey, and it was precisely that honey that would form the basis of their economic value to Goldenveil.

Any other form of extraction that harmed them would be illegal and subject to severe penalties.

The young Lord rose from his office chair, stretching comfortably until he felt his shoulders crack.

As he smoothed out his clothes, his mind wandered to the other items.

The frozen heart of a fourth-stage beast was a good addition to the Palace of Beasts. It made excellent food for boosting the power of third- and fourth-stage beasts.

The Bountiful Harvest Pendant was also an incredible item. When used by a farmer, it greatly increased the field’s yield, and the bonus stacked for every farmer working the same field.

For the Goldenveil of today, it was an extremely useful mass-production item.

As for the Large-Scale Talent Enhancement Card, he didn’t hesitate for even a second to use it.

It applied to up to one hundred thousand people and could raise any talent below Rank B by one level.

Rank D talents would rise to Rank C, and Rank C talents to Rank B.

In Goldenveil, with its absurdly high magical density, Rank B was the minimum required to have a chance of reaching the fourth stage, while Rank C guaranteed the third. Considering that, it was quite an improvement.

The Beast Growth Bonus Card lasted one year and could increase the growth rate of a newborn beast tenfold.

Without a doubt, it would be perfect for the spirit mares already being used for breeding at the Palace of Beasts.

Finally, Ethan’s eyes fell on the last item.

[Name: Medium-Capacity Spatial Ring Crafting Manual

Description: A ring of common design, sturdy and reliable. Its crafting is simple, requiring a low-level magic core, steel that has undergone a magical tempering process, and a third-stage mage.

With the materials already prepared, an efficient mage can produce one ring every thirty minutes.

Capacity: 5 cubic meters

Rank: B]

It was hard for Ethan not to feel a sense of satisfaction.

Honestly, he even thought it was a bit much.

Five cubic meters meant about four or five metric tons of dried grain, roughly a small wagon’s worth.

Of course, those spatial rings wouldn’t hold only dry grain. But even so, it was wonderful.

The dwarves of Goldenveil were already producing tons of magically tempered steel per day. The magical mines, in turn, yielded hundreds of superior magic crystals daily, each worth thousands of inferior crystals.

Doing the math, if the one hundred third-stage mages serving Amelia worked just two and a half hours a day, they could produce five hundred rings daily.

In ten days, they could equip an entire legion. But that wasn’t all.

Ethan could already imagine a world where every citizen of Goldenveil had their own spatial ring.

For someone who dreamed of a society of unparalleled prosperity, it was a wonderful prospect.

The handsome young man’s body felt much lighter as he crossed the palace toward the Tree of Life. His steps were brisk, almost carefree.

Along the way, he passed many Golden Rose Guards and Silver Wing Paladins. All of them were his concubines.

Naturally, he didn’t waste the chance to steal a few kisses and slap some plump, luscious buttocks.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t linger. Soon, he left the corridors behind and reached the base of the Tree of Life.

The air there was cooler and carried a faint scent of leaves and sap. Soft, greenish light filtered down through the immense branches.

There was Arwen, sitting at the foot of the trunk, her lips parted as she hummed something in Old Elvish.

Her small, delicate hands rested on top of those enormous, creamy, perfect elven tits, the pale flesh bulging gently around her fingers.

Her voice seemed capable of lulling even the most troubled mind into eternal peace.

Ethan just stood there, crossing his arms and immediately relaxing.

High elves were truly incredible creatures, he had to admit.

Of course, human women could have voices just as beautiful, but in the end, the elves’ affinity for nature works wonders in spreading their music.