After hearing Newton's concern, Vicente took it to heart and thought about what could happen if the worst really happened.

"My Metal City could hold a maximum population of 300,000 if we developed it to its full potential. Beyond that, the city would become very problematic. Our area isn't big enough to hold more than that." He commented.

"300,000, huh? Well, it's better than nothing. Unfortunately, we can't build more places like this all over the kingdom."

"You shouldn't be so pessimistic, Professor. Even if other cities in the province don't have the same level of defense as Metal City, my group will try to protect the whole province.

The Metal City will be our headquarters. But from there, we'll try to prevent monsters from entering the province in order to maintain our business here." Vicente commented, wondering what might happen if his plans worked out in the chaos. "The province could hold the entire kingdom's population if we succeed. That should be enough if civilization falls."

Newton got up from where he was, planning to leave. But he didn't disagree with what Vicente said. "It is possible. But we should prepare for the worst. So, I'll stay skeptical for now. Anyway, I'll see you later."

Vicente waved at the man before watching him leave.

After Newton left, Vicente would take care of some of the Fuller family's business. After the family's recent period of peace and development, its numbers improved significantly.

He now had more than 1,500 direct family members and more than 30,000 indirect members. In some ways, his current numbers were even more significant than those of the royal army, the largest official organization in the kingdom!

Of those 1,500 internal family members, 65% were Acolytes, and almost all the rest were Mages. The number of Sovereigns in the family was still small, and one could count on the fingers of one's hand.

But with these numbers, Vicente had already placed his family in 3 provinces of the Seidel Kingdom and had even completely dominated Scott Province.

His railroads had already reached Snow Province, and with a few more months of work, they would reach Diamond Province, especially the kingdom's capital.

While the family's profits were currently growing at a rate of 30% per month and Metal City continued to expand, his men were already setting up sentry posts along the entire border of Snow Province.

What Vicente had said to Newton was serious. He intended to protect all of Scott Province when the disaster from the north reached the continent's south.

He wanted everything ready before he left to hunt pentagrams so the essentials were already in place. Once he left with his group, the family in the province would only have to expand what was already prepared.

...

In the late afternoon, Vicente picked Nina up from the Royal Academy in Saltstar City.

Nina was in her last year at the academy. Her classes would be over in another nine months, and she would graduate. After that, she would have about a month until her 14th birthday, when she could go through the Awakening.

Then her destiny would be decided!

Having come so close to distancing himself from his sister because of the moment they were reaching into their lives, Vicente couldn't help but pay more attention to Nina while he still could.

He picked her up almost every day and taught her for an hour or two each day.

He taught her the art of the family business and talked to her about human nature, how to deal with selfish people, and how to be ruthless with traitors and enemies.

Nina was no longer a child. At 13, she looked more like a woman than a girl. Since this was a traditional world and he wouldn't let his sister date just anyone, he knew she was still pure. But if she had looked the same on Earth, he couldn't be sure she had never done anything.

In his earthly life, girls like Nina had often had physical relations with her age.

Fortunately for Vicente, this was the Polaris Realm and not Earth!

But that didn't change his concern. When he saw Nina in the distance next to Killian, Vicente couldn't help but feel uneasy.

He was right. Over time, Killian and Nina had become different. They no longer seemed like the 'pure' and uninterested friends they had been a year or two ago.

"Senior Fuller," Killian said as he greeted Vicente with respect before saying goodbye to Nina and promising to meet her before the academy tomorrow.

Nina said goodbye to her friend before starting to walk home with Vicente.

"Nina, how are you?" Vicente asked as he walked slowly with his sister, in no hurry to get home.

He kept talking to the family doctors about her situation. But only by talking to her and listening to her opinion could he get a better idea of how she really was.

So Nina was used to hearing this question from time to time.

She said. "The same as before. My situation is improving. The resources you've given me all these years are helping me a lot, brother.

I feel stronger, I can move faster, my agility is better than ever, and I recover more easily. In some ways, I'm no different from my peers. In other ways, I can even be considered better than most of them.

The only one I can't beat physically in my class is Killian. He still manages to surpass me in every way."

"That's natural. Men are physically stronger than women. But you'll be closer to him by the end of the year. These will be the last months of your treatment before your awakening," Vicente commented.

"Do you think we can improve my chances?" She asked him.

"Of course we can. Don't be pessimistic, Nina. You will likely awaken a good magical form during your awakening." He said, smiling at her.

She smiled back at him, knowing there was no way he could be sure of that, but she couldn't blame him. He had done everything to make her awakening a positive event. If she failed in awakening her powers, she certainly couldn't complain to him or think that he hadn't done enough.

So she pretended to believe her brother, even though she remained skeptical about this long-awaited moment for her family.