Chapter 137: War Potential

Hearing this, Leus nearly jumped to his feet in excitement. His glasses slipped crooked, and he hurriedly pushed them back into place in a fluster. “Seven hundred and eighty-three doses! His Lordship practically drained several barrels of blood to make them. I remember every single bottle clearly. Each one is sealed in a specialized glass container and stored in the constant-temperature vault at the lowest level of the alchemy workshop!”

As a fanatic who had devoted his entire life to alchemy, he grasped Nolan’s idea almost instantly.

The Fountain of Potential, combined with the Dragon Blood’s Oath potion. Either one of these, taken alone, would be enough to drive the nobles of the entire kingdom into a frenzy, enough to make the upper echelons of every legion fight tooth and nail to obtain it. Yet the Dragon Blood’s Oath required Nolan’s blood as a catalyst, limiting its production, while the Fountain of Potential, though rare and powerful, could not directly enhance immediate combat strength.

But if the two were combined, he, Leus, would create the greatest enhancement potion—perhaps the greatest of all.

His body trembled with excitement, his breathing quickened. “My lord, leave it to me! I swear on my honor as an alchemist—I will find the optimal ratio and bring its effects to their absolute peak!”

His eyes shone with a fervor so intense that even Kayan, standing nearby, felt ashamed by comparison.

Nolan smiled in satisfaction. This was what a legendary alchemist should be like. This was the drive he wanted to see. “Of course. This will be one of your primary tasks from now on.” He gently pushed the Fountain of Potential toward Leus and gave his order. “Using it, together with our existing Dragon Blood’s Oath reserves, prepare three thousand doses of the new potion. For now, the Fountain of Potential will be entrusted to you. Make proper use of it. Anna, you are to fully support Master Leus with resource allocation for his research.”

“Three thousand?!” This time, even Hank couldn’t help but gasp.

Anna pressed a hand to her forehead and looked at Nolan helplessly. “My lord, do you take me for a bottomless treasury?” She managed the territory’s finances, and Nolan’s bold spending had caused her no small amount of worry. Even so, there was no trace of opposition in her eyes, only excitement and anticipation.

Leus, meanwhile, could no longer hear anything else. In his eyes, there was only the ever-shifting Fountain of Potential, as if he were admiring a masterpiece beyond compare.

To turn decay into miracle—that was the greatest joy of an alchemist. And now, he would personally wield two supreme materials to create an unprecedented elixir. This was the dream every alchemist pursued their entire life.

Following Nolan back then, abandoning everything without hesitation, had been the best decision he had ever made.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was completely ignited. Everyone was elated, and much of the oppressive tension before the coming war dissipated. The once most troubling issue—the army’s combat strength—now seemed solvable under their lord’s almost miraculous methods.

An army composed of soldiers who had broken through their limits of aptitude—what kind of terrifying force would that be?

After giving them a moment to settle, Nolan tapped the table rhythmically, drawing everyone’s attention back. “The potion is only the first step. Once the soldiers’ strength improves, their equipment must keep up.” His gaze shifted to Leus. “Master Leus, how is the progress on the black armor?”

Leus forced himself to pull away from his alchemical fervor. After taking several deep breaths, he regained his composure. “My lord, production of the black armor is proceeding very smoothly.” He glanced toward Barton, who had been standing silently in the corner, too intimidated to speak. “This is largely thanks to Mr. Barton’s organization and tremendous support. It would be better if he reported the results to you himself.”

Barton stiffened all over. He was just a blacksmith, and this was his first time attending a meeting of such importance.

What he had just heard about the Fountain of Potential—any single detail, if leaked, could stir a bloody storm across the continent.

These were absolute secrets of this inner circle. For an ordinary blacksmith like him to even be present was already a tremendous honor. He felt overwhelmed, unsure where to put his hands or feet.

Now, being suddenly called upon by Master Leus, his mind went blank. He opened his mouth, stammered for a long moment, and finally squeezed out a few words.

“My… my lord…”

Anna noticed his distress and stepped in, her tone gentle and encouraging. “Mr. Barton, there’s no need to be nervous. You’ve done very well. Just report the results directly to His Lordship.”

With her encouragement, Barton finally found his voice. “Yes! My lord! I… I followed your instructions and gathered all members of the blacksmith guild. Everyone has been working day and night, forging the black armor according to your blueprints…”

As he spoke of his craft, confidence gradually returned. He straightened his back, his voice growing firm.

“Excluding defective pieces, we have completed nearly four hundred full sets of black armor!”

“Four hundred sets?!”

This time, Nolan was genuinely surprised.

Forging armor was a complex, time-consuming process, far more demanding than making ordinary weapons.

In his original estimation, even by mobilizing the entire city’s efforts, producing three hundred sets in this time frame would have been the limit.

Yet Barton had exceeded expectations.

Anna smiled and added, “Mr. Barton demonstrated remarkable leadership among the blacksmiths. Under his coordination, every forge in the city and surrounding villages has been running without rest—three shifts a day, twenty-four hours nonstop. That’s how this astonishing result was achieved.”

War was not solely the domain of soldiers. Supplies, logistics, production capacity—these factors beyond blades and spears could just as easily determine the outcome.

This was the power of the people, and the reason Nolan had always encouraged the initiative and enthusiasm of every citizen.

On the battlefield, they fought with strength. Beyond it, they competed in war potential.

Nolan felt a surge of emotion. Looking at Barton, he did not hold back his praise. “Mr. Barton, you’ve done exceptionally well. You have my thanks.”

That simple commendation made the weathered man’s eyes redden. Flustered, Barton waved his hands repeatedly. “N-no! It’s all thanks to you, my lord! If you hadn’t removed that parasite Haus, we’d never have had a chance! And the pay you’re offering is incredibly generous. My old comrades are all fired up now, competing every day to see who can forge armor plates faster and better. They can’t wait to contribute more to our new Coldsteel City!”

A smile appeared on Nolan’s face. “Then please pass along my gratitude to them.” He turned back to Leus. “Master Leus, since the armor is ready, the engraving of the Hurricane Enchantment can begin.”

At the mention of this, the excitement on Leus’ face faltered slightly, replaced by hesitation. “My lord, I’ve nearly completed improvements to the Hurricane Enchantment, and I’m quite confident in its effects. However…” He scratched his head awkwardly. “I lack sufficient experience in engraving inscriptions onto armor. As you know, a single suit of armor is quite expensive. I’ve never had the opportunity to practice on something this valuable…”

It was indeed a problem. Inscription engraving required precision. A single mistake could render the inscription useless or even ruin the entire armor piece.

Four hundred sets of black armor could not afford such losses.

Just as Nolan was considering how to resolve the issue, a gentle, melodious voice sounded in the room.

“I have some experience with runes and inscriptions.”

Everyone turned toward the speaker. It was Ailindel, who had been quietly listening.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to assist as well.”

At her words, both Nolan and Leus were overjoyed.

A hero from the War of Heaven, a prodigy among the Moon Elves, claiming to have only “some experience” with inscriptions? Her humility rivaled Nolan claiming he only had “a little understanding” of combat. In that mythic age, the divine inscriptions she had seen likely outnumbered all the salt everyone present had ever consumed.

Leus leapt to his feet again and bowed deeply to Ailindel, his attitude utterly respectful. “Th-then I’ll be in your care, Lady Ailindel!”

Ailindel returned the gesture with a graceful inclination of her head. “Since I have chosen to stay here, it is only right that I contribute.” She paused, her gaze sweeping across Leus, then everyone in the room, before finally resting on Nolan. A gentle, elegant smile bloomed on her lips. “And there’s no need to call me ‘Lady’ anymore. For now, my identity is simply Nolan’s partner.”

The cigar slipped from Hank’s mouth and dropped onto the table with a soft thud.

Anna’s fingers tightened around her quill, and for the first time, the composed elegance of her smile showed signs of cracking.

Rehanna covered her mouth in shock, unaware that she had stepped on Little Donnie’s foot.

At the center of everyone’s attention, Ailindel seemed as though she had merely stated something trivial. She continued to look at Nolan calmly, her clear, star-like eyes filled with undisguised closeness.