Milayna instinctively took a step back. Ketal had merely smiled, yet it felt as though her head was half-swallowed by a starved beast that hadn’t eaten in a week.0

Come on… Milayna gave a small shake of her head. She knew this barbarian well enough. There was no reason to fear him.0

Suppressing her unease, she forced herself to speak. “Congratulations.”0

“You seem to have done quite well yourself,” Ketal replied with a knowing smile.0

While staying in the basement, Ketal had asked the guards about Milayna’s situation, and what he learned was nothing short of astounding.1

She had successfully navigated the treacherous White Snowfield, reaping an enormous fortune by selling her weapons. Not only had she restored her family’s crumbling legacy, but she had secured enough wealth to spare. Her daring ventures, which had risked her very life, saved her family and earned her the unwavering loyalty of her vassals.0

The stigma of being the child of a concubine meant nothing in the face of her achievements, and she swiftly seized real power within her family.0

Using the remaining funds, Milayna undertook further investments and trade expeditions, most of which were resounding successes. In just three years, she transformed a family on the brink of ruin into one of the most influential houses in the kingdom—powerful...0