With Mark's official appointment as Prime Minister, etabsam entered an unprecedented era of rapid growth and relative peace. The shockwaves of Duke Alaric's downfall and the subsequent purge of Lady Seraphina's network, combined with the awe-inspiring success of the Iron Serpent, had silenced most dissent. The kingdom, once an afterthought, was now a vibrant hub of innovation, drawing skilled laborers and ambitious merchants from across Sugbu.
The landscape of etabsam itself began to transform. More Iron Serpent lines were laid, connecting key mining regions to the capital and, eventually, to the borders of the allied Human City-States. Massive coal-powered foundries, designed by Grumble and Elara, churned out a steady stream of high-grade iron and steel, no longer merely raw materials but finished products: durable tools, resilient building components, and even intricate clockwork mechanisms for timekeeping and precise machinery. Mark, with Elara's keen eye for detail, oversaw the establishment of early factories, specializing in textiles and agricultural implements, bringing an abundance of affordable goods to the populace.
The impact on the common people was profound. Employment was plentiful, wages increased, and the newly established social welfare programs – Mark's subtle nod to his past life's understanding of social stability – provided aid for the sick and elderly. Farmers, equipped with new, more efficient tools, saw unprecedented harvests. The vibrant markets of the capital, once echoing with scarcity, now overflowed with produce and manufactured goods, a testament to etabsam's burgeoning prosperity. Laughter was heard more often in the streets, and a sense of collective pride, a shared belief in a brighter future, permeated the air.
Mark himself found a grim satisfaction in this burgeoning peace. He moved between his duties with an almost relentless efficiency, his mind constantly strategizing, optimizing. He held weekly meetings with Grumble and Elara, discussing new designs for steam-powered looms and early printing presses. He worked with Ellaine, exploring the magical properties of the new coal-fueled processes, seeking ways to integrate magic and mechanics for even greater efficiency, a blend of arcane and industrial power. Alfred, true to his nature, thrived in this era of prosperity, acting as a charming ambassador to foreign merchants and a morale booster in the workshops, while Ben maintained an omnipresent, unyielding security net. Lysandra's Royal Guard was now the best-equipped and most disciplined force in the region, a direct result of Mark's financial reforms.
This period of peace, however, was merely a deceptive calm before a gathering storm. While the Black Hand's local cells within etabsam had been severely crippled, The Weaver was not idle. Their vast, shadowy intelligence network, spanning the entire continent of Sugbu, was now focused with chilling precision on etabsam.
Deep within the capital, disguised as itinerant scholars, humble artisans, or unassuming merchants, new faces began to appear. They moved with a quiet purpose, observing. One such agent was Kaelen Dusk, a deceptively charming Human scholar with a keen intellect and a talent for observation, tasked with studying Mark's administrative methods and the vulnerabilities of his industrial system. Another was Seraphina's Shadow, a former spymaster from Alaric's network, a master of disguise and infiltration, whose mission was to assess the loyalty of the newly appointed nobles and identify any lingering resentments that could be exploited. From the Demon Wastes, a powerful, enigmatic Beastfolk mage known as Raxus the Silent, a master of arcane observation, subtly probed etabsam's magical defenses and Ellaine's unique mana signature.
They noted the Iron Serpent's speed, the volume of goods it moved, the unprecedented efficiency of the mines. They studied Mark's unconventional decision-making, his reliance on merit over lineage, his integration of technology and magic. They watched the loyalty he inspired in his core team. The Weaver wanted to understand the source of this unprecedented success, to find the weak points in Mark's formidable armor, and to formulate a strategy to utterly dismantle him and his burgeoning empire. The peace was a time for observation, a time for the shadows to meticulously draw their battle plans, preparing for a retaliation that would shake Sugbu to its core.