A refreshed Arthas returned to his territory to continue crafting items. The reconstruction of Lordaeron didn't need him; he had more important things to do than rebuilding. Specifically, he had to deal with the Orcs assigned to him—nearly five hundred thousand Orcs, with two hundred thousand held in Durnholde, which was funded by the Alliance.
Originally, all the Orcs were supposed to be handled by Arthas, but for some reason—perhaps out of a desire to guard against Lordaeron—a portion of the Orc prisoners had been withheld. This portion consisted of the elite Orcs: those without disabilities or injuries, the strongest of the lot. These Orcs could be used as slaves for hard labor and mining. Dangerous work could be handed off to them as a form of atonement.
The Orc prisoners Arthas actually saw, the ones assigned to him, were basically all the wounded and disabled. They were the ones meant to be discarded. If he abandoned them, it would be a blow to his reputation. No matter how you looked at it, this was a malicious scheme. Furthermore, if he didn't abandon these disabled prisoners, he would have to bear the medical costs and subsequent rehabilitation, continuing to use his funds to support them.
At least for the short term, nothing could be allowed to go wrong. It was a clever calculation; regardless of what he chose, it would weaken Arthas's war potential.
Dealing with so many prisoners was a headache. If handled poorly and a riot broke out, it would be a disaster.
Looking at the statistical data, Arthas smiled, though his smile was anything but friendly. "Go find out who is inciting this behind the scenes."
"Yes, Your Highness. It will take about three days; I will find out as soon as possible," Edwin said respectfully. This wasn't to say a specific king had proposed it, but rather the people behind the kings—those who liked to hide in the shadows and whisper into ears. These were the most detestable types, like sneaky curs.
"Vanessa, follow him and learn well. You don't need to come back for a while." Vanessa went along to learn. In the future, this core department would need to be under her control. Core secrets were most reliable when held by his women, but they needed time to grow.
"Yes, Master." Vanessa's heart trembled. Was this her first step toward power? She was willing to do anything for Arthas! Once a woman gives her body to someone, her thoughts unconsciously begin to revolve around him.
After leaving the intelligence department, Arthas continued his patrol. Priests of the New Life Church were treating the Orc prisoners, but with so many injured, it was merely a drop in the bucket. Looking at the vast sea of Orc prisoners, even three hundred thousand was a staggering number.
Omiya walked over, her high heels clicking. Even with the heels, she only came up to Arthas's waist; Goblins were simply too short.
"Master, these Orcs eat too much. We must find a way to turn them into labor as soon as possible. We can't just keep feeding them for nothing."
Indeed, three hundred thousand prisoners consumed tons of food. Even if they were only being fed a bit of rice and some sea fish, the consumption was enormous. Moreover, these prisoners hadn't been domesticated yet; turning them into a fighting force would be a long process.
Arthas rubbed his chin as he watched the Blademasters of the Burning Blade clan preaching among them. These Blademasters had become "brainwashing lecturers." Given their status, they naturally possessed a degree of persuasiveness. Combined with their personal testimonies about how wonderful it was to serve under Arthas—becoming a warrior, living freely, having food, work, and the ability to marry and have children—it was a compelling narrative. This place wasn't like Draenor, which was on the verge of death and devoid of life.
"With the food supply from the Naga, we can hold out for a while. Have the prisoners who can move start reclaiming farmland. Note that timber should be planted around the perimeter to prevent desertification. How is the research into the tractors at the research department going?" Arthas knew he couldn't rush. He was still waiting for the results of the surveys. The territory needed to be located in a sustainable, convenient position—convenient for trade, resource extraction, and geographically secure.
"The research is complete. Some craftsmen are building railroads. Those Obsidian Golems are truly useful; they have far more strength than peons, and progress is excellent. The line has been built from the port to Teapot Village. We'll start trial runs tomorrow. If successful, our trade volume this month could increase by 50%!" At the mention of money, Omiya's eyes shone. Her favorite thing was bathing in gold coins; the feeling was simply divine.
By following Arthas, she hadn't just paid off her debts; she had gained control of a unique shipping route. Furthermore, while other merchant fleets were either sinking in storms or having their hulls pierced by Naga and Murlocs, her competitors were suffering heavy losses. Currently, only she and the Ashvane trading company had goods on the market, which meant massive profits.
As for the cargo from those other fleets, Omiya was tempted to sell it, but Vashj had refused. Those goods were sent to the Eternal Palace as tribute to Azshara. Though Azshara looked down on most of it, it could be distributed to her subordinates; a queen needed things to reward her followers. Secondly, those goods would inevitably have markings. Selling them openly might cause a stir if discovered. It was better to handle such things quietly.
"Very good. Come with me." Arthas pulled Omiya into a tent and lifted her skirt. Omiya obediently spread her legs, opening her little hole as wide as possible to accommodate her master's entry.
Half an hour later, Arthas left, feeling refreshed. It took quite a while before Omiya emerged, leaning on her maids for support; she had nearly been torn apart. Interspecies copulation was not a simple matter. Fortunately, her body was resilient and her vagina had good elasticity; otherwise, she truly might have been split open.
Despite being ravished quite ruthlessly, Omiya was very happy. She was the Master's woman and held the purse strings; that was enough for her. As for the position of First Lady, she had no interest in it at all. How could that compare to the joy of earning those glittering little beauties? A Goblin's nature was to chase profit; if the profit was high enough, they would give everything. and no one in this world could offer a higher price than Arthas.