Ravenured towards the older maed beside Sarah. “And this is Richard, the fisherman, our temporary logistics coordinator. He’s been overseeing resource allocation and ensuring supplies are distributed effitly.”

  Richard gave a slight bow. “An honor to meet you,” he said simply.

  Finally, the High Priest stepped forward, his robes pristine and his demeanor calm. “And I, of course, am James,” he said, his voice smooth and measured. “So, Yhness, what might be the reason for this gathering?”

  Ravenna’s smile deepened as she reached for the map of Jo she had been w on earlier. She unfurled it oable, the markings she had painstakingly added standing out in bold strokes.

  “To discuss the untapped resources of the isnd,” Ravenna decred, her voice steady and brimming with fidence.

  The room's octs leaned in, their i piqued as Ravenured toward the rge map spread across the table. Her finger hovered over the westward region from the city, where she had marked several points of i. “These resources,” she began, “were identified during my time at the pace. I cross-referehe locations with imperial reports.”

  This, of course, was a calcuted lie. The information had e from her geological s, but revealing the truth would only raise questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.

  Pointing to a marked area, she tinued, “There is a yered roatiohat caught my attention.”

  Richard the fisherman, the logistics coordinator, adjusted his seating and spoke. “Yes, Yhness. That region is known for its caves. Local legends say those formations were used as campsites by our aors.”

  Ravenna turo him, her gaze sharp and unwavering. “Good. I want Hughes taeam of prisoners from the castle dungeon, with John leading them, to extract limestone from those caves. Use Richard’s fishing boats to transport them to the site swiftly.”

  The room grew quiet for a moment, the weight of her words settling on everyone present. Jo Isnd had a fair number of criminals nguishing in the castle dungeon, their incarceration a result of the rising crime rates during the isnd’s ret food shes. Using them as bor for the isnd’s development was a logical—if ruthless—choice.

  “Limestone?” Priest James muttered, his brow furrowed in thought. “Yhness, are you pnning to build something? Is that why you’ve called for me?”

  Ravenna’s lips curled into a subtle smile. “Indeed,” she replied.

  The so-called yered roation she spoke of was ri limestone, a key ingredient in produg t. In this world, as in medieval Europe oh, limestone bined with cy was used to struct rge and sturdy structures. While such methods yielded impressive results, they were painfully slow. t, however, would revolutionize stru times and allow for rapid development—a y for Ravenna’s grand pns.

  “I see,” James said, nodding slowly as uanding dawned on him.

  Ravenna turned her attention to Hughes, who stood dutifully by the door, his posture rigid under her anding gaze. “Make it happen, Hughes. I want John informed immediately after this meeting.”

  Hughes stiffened, swallowing hard before nodding. “I’ll e’s done, Yhness. John will receive his orders without dey.”

  Priest James, ever the experienced diplomat, offered a polite smile. “So, Yhness, do you wish for me to oversee the stru pns? I uand that you’re aiming to create something grand, worthy of your reputation. However, with the current manpower and limited resources avaible iy, it might be—”

  Ravenna’s icy gre cut him off mid-sentence, her anding presence leaving no room for further protest. “Here,” she said curtly, sliding a set of detailed designs across the table toward him. “These are the pns I need your input on.” She paused, her gaze pierg. “I will provide the full details once we clude this meeting. !”

  Without waiting for a response, Ravenna shifted her attention to the map, her firag along the city’s coastline. “I want workers assigo struct a proper dock here,” she instructed, pointing to the dipidated area currently serving as the city's makeshift harbor. “The current one is barely funal and an embarrassment. The design cepts are in the book I gave you earlier, Your Holiness.”

  Sarah, who had been quietly taking notes, nodded with a determined expression. “Uood, Yhness. I will anize a portion of the unemployed workforce to begin preparations immediately.”

  Ravenna’s focus shifted again, this time nding on Hughes. “Hughes,” she begaone sharp and unyielding, “I want a new militant group formed specifically to patrol the city and reduce the rampant crime and violehe knights are doing their best, but with only 300 of them, it’s nowhere near enough.”

  She g Sarah. “Provide Hughes with a list of suitable didates from the civilian popution. Have them trained under one of our experienced soldiers. This task o be expedited.”

  Hughes nodded once more, his posture rigid. “It will be done, Yhness.”

  Throughout this flurry of directives, Alice remained silent, her sharp eyes every exge. Though she said nothing, her expression suggested she harbored s about the rapid succession of Ravenna’s orders.

  Finally, Ravenna turned her attention to Richard, her expression softening into a disarming smile that sent a chill down his spine. “Richard,” she began, her voice taking on a dangerously fident edge, “I believe I’ve uncovered the reason for the dee in fish stocks over the past few months.”

  Richard’s eyes widened in surprise. Even Sarah, who had maintained her posure thus far, leaned forward with eager anticipation, while James furrowed his brow in quiet curiosity. This issue had been one of the most signifit tributors to the isnd’s ongoing food she, and any insight into its resolution was critical.

  Ravenna’s finger moved to the northern coastline of the isnd, and her devilishly beautiful smile deepened. “It’s because of the retly spawned dungeohe northern coast,” she decred, her tone calm yet ced with authority.

  The room fell silent as the weight of her revetion sank in. A dungeon—one of the most dangerous and uable phenomena in the world.

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