The army was in motion before the sun had risen. Rhazgord warriors had to be ready to move before dawn. Orders echoing through the camp, carts being loaded and soldiers marching at a steady pace, signaling the approach of a new day. But the high-ranking commanders had no part in all this activity. They slept in their tents, and it was up to the Sharazirs, who like Corvus had not yet reached the top ranks, to rise early and oversee the preparations.

Corvus' first job was to wake his new 'workers' and get them on their way. With his warriors in tow, he headed for the tents of the workers he had brought from Laxia. Already on their toes, they were quickly awakened by the approaching footsteps of Corvus and his men. Most of them had spent most of the night without sleep. In fear and uncertainty, they waited to see when and how their new master would call.

Before the warriors guarding the tents entered, he told those inside to come out. Within minutes, nearly seven hundred people had gathered in front of the tents. More than half of them were women and children. Fatigue and anxiety were clearly visible on their faces. Corvus spoke, pointing to the hundred or so men waiting behind him.

"These men will escort you to Bahoz. Do as they say and you won't have any problems."

He was silent for a moment to see what effect his words had on the crowd. People stood still. Some bowed their heads, others stared silently at Corvus.

"Your journey will take a few days. You can be sure that your needs will be met along the way. When you arrive in Bahoz, you will be settled into your quarters. Are there any questions?"

Only one person stepped forward. A middle-aged man with slumped shoulders spoke with a worried look. His son was sick and needed to take regular medication. But the journey would take more than two days and his medication was not enough for the duration.

Corvus sent word to the physicians in the camp. The competent physicians quickly prepared a duplicate of the medicine the boy needed, and the man thanked Corvus with tears in his eyes, while the rest of the crowd waited in silence. With the problem solved, the caravan finally set off.

Horse-drawn carts carried food and other essentials for the workers. But in the middle of the convoy, there was one particularly protected cart. This cart carried Corvus' share of the spoils of the Laxon raid. This wealth of gold, precious stones, fabrics and embroidered weapons was the initial capital for Corvus' future business.

The task of building this business would be entrusted to Baral Durin. The merchant, whom Corvus had forcibly made his advisor in Sorbaj, had been waiting for a long time when he would come back to haunt him. Corvus had sent word to him with Belisarius while he was still in Bahoz. The reason why he had summoned Baral to Bahoz at that time was different, because at that time he had not decided to forcibly recruit the craftsmen and scholars in Laxon.

A few days earlier, Belisarius had returned to Sorbaj, accompanied by Corvus' warriors. After the exhausting journey, he planned to rest here for a few days. Then he would return to his own country by a different route. While the hundred kilos of Lightstone promised by Corvus were being prepared, Belisarius went to the inn where he had stayed the first day he arrived in Sorbaj. This was Baral's inn.

Baral greeted him, grinning broadly, as always, with the business courtesy of a stocky and shrewd man.

"What an honor to see you, my lord Belisarius. I hope you have not been affected by the bad events in Bahoz."

Belisarius looked at the other man's feigned friendliness with a subtle sneer. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he bowed his head slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, but I am unscathed by the events in Bahoz. I cannot say the same for you."

Baral's grinning face suddenly faded. For a man who had come this far by his cowardice and cunning, these words sent him into a deep anxiety. A thousand scenarios ran through his head, trying to understand what had happened. His hand went to his chin, listing the possibilities one by one, his eyes darting in and out of his thoughts.

Belisarius enjoyed watching him, but the fatigue of the journey was still weighing on his shoulders. He rolled his eyes slightly and spoke with a short sigh.

"Don't worry, Baral. When I left the city, Bahoz was already under control. By now the Rhazgord army should be arriving in Bahoz as well. Corvus wants you to go to Bahoz and organize things with Rasur, the new leader of the city."

"Do you have any idea what kind of things I should organize?" Baral asked in an almost pleading tone. Although Belisarius' words put him at ease, as a merchant it was one of his biggest habits to be prepared. He wanted to know what to expect. But the fatigue was evident on the face of the man before him. "All I can say is that Bahoz belongs to Corvus now." Belisarius said, breathing heavily, and then added wearily, "I and my men are tired. If you have spare rooms, I would like to rest."

Baral was momentarily distracted from his thoughts. He put all his worries aside and focused on the necessity of hosting his guests. He immediately prepared the best rooms in the inn for Belisarius and his men. But his mind was already weighing Corvus' moves. When he finished his preparations and set off, he still had no clear answer to the questions swirling in his mind. He knew a little about Corvus' plans, but it really surprised him that he had taken such a big step so quickly. Moreover, Belisarius' last words opened up a thousand different possibilities in his mind. He couldn't understand what “Bahoz now belongs to Corvus” meant?”

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If Corvus was in control of the city, it meant an enormous commercial opportunity. Bahoz was a stopping point for all the money coming in and out of Rhazgord at least once. It was not only a center of trade, but also a source of finance, and if Corvus could shape it to his own ends, it was a golden opportunity for Baral. As his thoughts swirled around these possibilities, he didn't even realize when he had arrived in Bahoz.

When he arrived in Bahoz, most of the city was still empty. Most of the people had fled because of the plan of the men in Black masks and had not yet returned. The streets were quiet, the marketplaces empty. The stately mansion on the north side of Bahoz, formerly owned by Tanar, now belonged to his son Rasur. He had moved quietly into his father's seat, taking his position in a natural transition, without any show or pretense. The townspeople were aware of this, but they were not interested in opposing this man who had walked beside Corvus. Rasur was already a popular man in the city. Unlike his traitor father, he had grown up among the people and earned their trust.

When Baral first met Rasur, he thought how much he looked like him. He was trapped in the hands of Corvus, just as he was. A man condemned to act in his shadow.

The reason Baral was called to Bahoz was obvious: to solve the city's economic problems. As a result of the black-masked men's plan, Bahoz's commerce had changed completely. The shops and inns that used to be at the heart of the city had been bought by merchants from the kingdoms of Galir, Bahem and Laxon and turned into logistics warehouses. But now none of these merchants could return to their places of business. The Rhazgord army had given them their deserved punishment.

Rasur explained the situation to Baral without saying much.

"Corvus said you would rebuild the city's economy. You can stay here in the meantime. If you need anything, you are free to come to me."

These were the only decent words Rasur spoke to Baral. He then asked Baral to leave his room, saying he had work to do. Baral was left in the middle of Bahoz with a few servants, not knowing what to do. He was a good merchant, but creating the economy of an entire city from scratch was a very difficult task.

For days he wandered the streets of the city, inspecting the ruined marketplaces and empty shops, only to realize that it was impossible to rebuild the economy with what he had. The return of the people, and the return of some of them to their old jobs, had revitalized the city, but that was not what Corvus wanted.

He didn't just want the city to recover, he wanted to change it completely.

One day, as Baral was walking the streets again, he noticed a group of people entering the city. These were the people Corvus had taken as forced laborers from Laxon. The Rhazgord warriors leading the group called out Baral's and Rasur's names to the guards as they entered the city gates.

Hearing this, Baral quickly approached and introduced himself to one of the warriors. Surprised that a stocky and cunning merchant was the man they were looking for, the warrior raised his eyebrows and called out to his friends. Within seconds, another warrior came up to Baral holding a letter and handed it to him.

Baral examined the seal on the letter. It was the seal of Corvus. But when he opened the letter, it was immediately clear from the typefaces and mistakes that Corvus had difficulty writing the Adler language. Although he had no trouble speaking, he had made many mistakes in writing.

Baral began to read the letter on the spot.

"I hope you have obeyed my order, traveled quickly to Bahoz and started to take care of the city's economy. Luckily for you, my plan succeeded; I managed to capture Bahoz and just before I wrote this letter we captured the Laxian capital.

The Laxon people that my warriors brought with them are the craftsmen and scholars that I put under my command in Laxia. You are now in charge of these people. If one of them escapes, I will take one of your fingers. If two run away, I will take the other finger. And if I hear that they are working in conditions worse than they deserve or that you are using them to line your own pockets, I will take your head.

I've sent money with these people. Rasur will take care of all their needs. Whatever you do, use these people to change Bahoz's economy and to serve my future purposes. Build a school for the scholars to pass on their knowledge. We will soon capture the kingdoms of Galir and Behem and I will send more craftsmen, scholars and money. I expect good results from you!"

Baral paused several times as he read the letter. The threatening sentences flowing from the lines made him feel the enormity of his responsibility. But, at the same time, the opportunity Corvus offered him was enormous. Hundreds of skilled workers, good craftsmen and scholars... Bahoz had everything he needed to revive his economy.

Baral wasted no time. First, he found a suitable place for these people to stay. Their quarters were arranged to be watched day and night by Rasur's men. One by one, Baral spoke to each of the craftsmen and learned their skills: blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, scientists and teachers. Each one was valuable enough to shape Bahoz's future.

Dozens of opportunities immediately appeared in Baral's mind. Soon, he had decided on his first project. Baral decided to build a large and magnificent market that would shape the future of Bahoz. This market would not be just temporary stalls; it would be made of stone, sturdy and long-lasting. Here the craftsmen Corvus had brought would produce, sell and receive regular wages. But at the end of the day, all the profits would flow into Corvus' coffers.

With the spoils sent by Corvus and unlimited support from Rasur, Baral started the work without delay. Moreover, the architects and builders brought in by Corvus were the ones who would bring it to fruition.

To build the new market, some buildings in the center of the city had to be demolished first. But this was not a problem. Because most of the places that needed to be demolished used to belong to merchants from Laxon, Galir and Behem. Since their owners were no longer alive or had no chance of returning, the demolition of these buildings would not be questioned by anyone.

At the same time, the construction of the school ordered by Corvus had begun. The face of the city was changing rapidly. Buildings were going up, craftsmen were working feverishly, roads were being widened, new commercial areas were being identified. As Baral watched the construction from a high vantage point, he envisioned bigger plans. These were only the beginning. This was the biggest step towards transforming Rhazgord. But this transformation would not be limited to markets and schools. If he made the right moves, Bahoz could become not just Rhazgord's commercial center, but the continent's largest economic hub.