The sea did not surrender easily.
Unlike forests.
Unlike mountains.
Unlike monster-infested plains.
The ocean answered to no king.
No emperor.
No noble.
It had existed before kingdoms were born.
Before empires rose.
Before humanity first learned to forge steel.
Ancient.
Boundless.
Unforgiving.
The northern ocean stretching beyond Frostbound Coast was especially cruel.
Its waters were dark throughout most of the year.
Its storms could swallow entire fleets.
Its depths concealed creatures that many considered myths.
Yet...
Kel Rosenfeld stood atop the deck of a ship and calmly watched the waves.
The cold wind howled around him.
His silver hair danced wildly.
His dark coat fluttered behind him.
Golden eyes reflected the endless sea before him.
And a faint smile rested upon his face.
The ocean was difficult.
Which meant it was valuable.
One month.
It had only taken one month.
Thirty days.
Thirty nights.
Most people would have considered the goal impossible.
Yet over those thirty days...
Frostbound Coast had undergone another transformation.
A rapid one.
A terrifying one.
A transformation that left neighboring territories confused.
Concerned.
And increasingly curious.
The first week had been pure violence.
Sea monster extermination.
Nothing else.
No negotiations.
No diplomacy.
No compromises.
Only extermination.
Aboard one of the first fishing vessels accompanying Kel's expedition—
Several sailors watched in horror.
A massive creature emerged from beneath the waves.
A Frostfin Leviathan.
Nearly twenty meters long.
Its enormous body shattered the ocean surface.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth filled its mouth.
The sailors immediately panicked.
"LEVIATHAN!"
"EVERYONE DOWN!"
"WE'RE DEAD!"
Several men nearly jumped overboard.
Then—
A silver light flashed.
The ocean suddenly became quiet.
The leviathan's head separated from its body.
The enormous corpse slowly sank.
The surrounding sailors froze.
Their eyes widened.
Their mouths hung open.
Silence.
Then one sailor slowly looked toward Kel.
The young lord hadn't even moved.
The floating aura sword beside him returned calmly to orbit around his body.
The sailor swallowed.
"...What just happened?"
Another sailor answered.
"Our Lord happened."
Nobody argued.
The second week focused on exploration.
Mapping.
Surveying.
Studying.
The Ocean Development Department had already begun functioning.
A fact that shocked everyone.
Most territories spent years planning projects.
Kel spent days.
New sea routes were established.
Danger zones identified.
Monster habitats marked.
Safe fishing regions documented.
Trade corridors mapped.
Every piece of information was recorded.
Catalogued.
Stored.
Analyzed.
Nothing was wasted.
The third week brought even greater surprises.
Monster domestication.
Again.
At first, the fishermen thought Kel had gone insane.
Again.
A veteran fisherman stared at the creature swimming beside their ship.
Then rubbed his eyes.
Then rubbed them again.
The creature remained.
A massive Azure Tide Dolphin.
A magical sea beast.
Normally impossible to approach.
Yet the creature happily followed the vessel.
Several sailors looked traumatized.
One pointed.
"My Lord."
Kel looked up from a report.
"Yes?"
The sailor swallowed.
"Why is that thing following us?"
Kel glanced toward the dolphin.
"It likes dried fish."
The sailor stared.
Then stared harder.
"...That's it?"
Kel nodded.
The sailor slowly sat down.
The answer somehow felt more terrifying than the monster itself.
The domestication program expanded rapidly.
Certain species proved unsuitable.
Those were exterminated.
Others displayed surprising intelligence.
Those were studied.
Protected.
Trained.
Soon—
Schools of Tide Dolphins began assisting fishing vessels.
Smaller sea drakes carried messages between coastal stations.
Several aquatic species helped locate underwater resources.
The results exceeded expectations.
Again.
Far beneath Scarder Lake—
Seiren quietly observed.
Then finally spoke.
"You are turning monsters into employees."
Kel reviewed another report.
"A waste of talent otherwise."
The Guardian remained silent.
Because somehow...
She couldn't even argue.
Meanwhile—
The coastal settlements were experiencing changes of their own.
Fish catches increased dramatically.
Food shortages decreased.
Trade volume expanded.
New jobs appeared.
New opportunities emerged.
Entire families began earning more than ever before.
A fisherman named Doran stood at the docks one evening.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from cold.
Emotion.
His son approached.
"Father?"
Doran looked toward the boy.
Then toward the enormous haul unloaded nearby.
More fish than they normally caught in months.
His voice grew quiet.
"...We're finally going to repair the house."
The boy's eyes widened.
"Really?"
Doran nodded.
A smile appeared.
The first genuine smile he'd worn in years.
"Really."
Stories like this began appearing everywhere.
Throughout Frostbound Coast.
The people noticed.
Even if they didn't understand the details.
They noticed.
Road construction accelerated.
Outpost construction advanced.
Trade increased.
Fishing expanded.
Monster attacks decreased.
Military readiness improved.
Economic activity grew.
The territory was changing too quickly.
Far too quickly.
Naturally—
Rumors spread.
Within neighboring territories—
Merchants discussed strange reports.
Nobles received unusual letters.
Officials exchanged increasingly confused information.
One neighboring baron stared at a report.
Then reread it.
Then reread it again.
"...This can't be correct."
His advisor sighed.
"It is."
The baron looked horrified.
"He cleared monster territory?"
"Yes."
"He established frontier outposts?"
"Yes."
"He expanded fishing operations?"
"Yes."
"He domesticated sea monsters?"
"...Apparently yes."
The baron slowly lowered the report.
Then stared at the ceiling.
"...Is Frostbound Coast being governed by a count or a natural disaster?"
The advisor honestly couldn't answer.
Further north—
Another noble reviewed similar reports.
His expression became increasingly complicated.
"He only inherited the territory recently."
"Correct."
"And all this happened within months?"
"Correct."
The noble became silent.
Then whispered.
"...That is concerning."
Throughout the region.
The same discussions repeated.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The name Kel Rosenfeld began spreading.
Rapidly.
Not because he was a noble heir.
Not because of his family.
Not because of political influence.
Because results spoke louder than titles.
And Frostbound Coast was producing results.
Everywhere.
Back within the territory—
Kel remained completely unconcerned.
The young Count stood atop a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Below him—
Ships traveled along newly established routes.
Fishermen worked safely.
Supply vessels moved between coastal stations.
Construction crews expanded docks.
The coastline buzzed with activity.
A sight unimaginable only months ago.
Several officers stood nearby.
Reviewing reports.
One finally spoke.
"My Lord."
Kel looked toward him.
The officer hesitated.
Then handed over a document.
"More requests."
Kel accepted it.
Merchant guilds.
Trading companies.
Research institutes.
Military contractors.
Everyone wanted involvement.
The officer scratched his head.
"They keep coming."
Kel nodded.
"They will continue."
The man looked confused.
"Why?"
A faint smile appeared.
Kel turned toward the ocean.
The answer came calmly.
"Because success attracts attention."
The officer nodded slowly.
Reasonable.
Then Kel added—
"And attention attracts investment."
The officer immediately understood.
Far beneath the waters of Scarder Lake—
Seiren observed quietly.
The ancient Guardian watched ships moving across the sea.
Roads expanding through forests.
Outposts rising across wilderness.
Departments functioning independently.
Trade increasing.
The territory evolving.
Then she finally asked.
"Are you building a territory?"
Kel looked toward the horizon.
Toward the endless sea.
Toward the future.
His golden eyes reflected countless possibilities.
Then he answered.
"No."
The Guardian became curious.
"No?"
A faint smile appeared.
The ocean wind swept through his silver hair.
The waves crashed endlessly below.
And Kel quietly spoke.
"I am building momentum."
Silence followed.
Then understanding.
Momentum.
Once gained.
Difficult to stop.
Sometimes impossible.
That was what Frostbound Coast had become.
Not merely a territory.
Not merely a frontier.
A force moving forward.
Growing.
Expanding.
Accelerating.
And throughout neighboring lands...
Nobles.
Merchants.
Guilds.
Scholars.
Military officials.
All began hearing the same stories.
Stories about the young Count of Frostbound Coast.
The Lord who cleared forests.
The Lord who tamed monsters.
The Lord who developed oceans.
The Lord whose territory changed with every passing week.
Some laughed.
Some doubted.
Some became curious.
Some became worried.
Yet none realized one simple truth.
The reports reaching them now...
Were already outdated.
Because by the time they heard what Kel had accomplished...
He had already moved on to the next step.
And the step after that.
And the one beyond it.
The tide rolled endlessly across the northern sea.
Ships moved beneath gray skies.
The wind carried rumors across countless territories.
And far beyond Frostbound Coast...
The world was beginning to notice.
A new lord had appeared in the North.
And unlike most nobles...
He was moving far too quickly for anyone to ignore.