Of course, Draven wasn't interested in Thalia's body—he simply didn't need that.

  To put it bluntly, even if he asked for it right now, would the Leopard girl still have the right to refuse? But if that happened, what would be the point?

  He was a proud Bear Knight, long past caring for such lowly pleasures. What mattered to him now was how to win Thalia's heart completely.

  Only when she truly respected him from within and willingly followed him would it be a genuine victory.

  So he brought Thalia to the pens beside the village and pointed to the lively rabbits, fluffy goats, and leisurely deer inside as if showing off treasures.

  "See that?" he said with a hint of pride."As long as you build fences and provide some extra fodder, these animals can be raised continuously. The meat supply will never run dry."

  Thalia blinked at the docile animals, looking a bit surprised.

  She had never seen anyone raise prey in pens. In her understanding, meat came from hunting—skill and luck.

  But now, for the first time, she realized that meat could be"grown" like crops.

  Draven watched her reaction with satisfaction but knew it wasn't enough—he had to add more.

  He then showed her the fish ponds, cassava fields, and orchards one by one, explaining the concepts of farming and breeding repeatedly, pouring in ideas from every angle.

  He spoke seriously. Under his description, the future of Black Flag Territory looked almost unrealistically beautiful.

  The new beehives in the orchard pleased him especially. This was Black Flag Territory's latest livestock project.

  Though they lacked professional mesh screens, with Draven's metal control skills, the wire fencing was sufficient—at least for now, it seemed quite effective.

  The bees were brought in by the Kobolds after capturing a queen bee. Although it was an ordinary species producing regular honey, there was one advantage: it could be used to dilute the honey from Violet Carpenter Bees.

  Violet Carpenter Bee honey had the effect of enhancing potential and was highly sought after everywhere, but their hive was too small to supply enough for sale.

  To prioritize internal demand, they had to blend it.

  They diluted the Violet Carpenter Bee honey with regular honey, then used it to make beverages or gradually promote it outward.

  These blended products were just the beginning. Draven had bigger plans in mind, but that was for later—right now, the priority was winning over Thalia.

  Under the impact of this string of new things, the Leopard girl's gaze changed noticeably. It was no longer just suspicion and caution; there was now some admiration, even a bit of confusion.

  Draven thoroughly enjoyed this look.

  After finishing the tour of the operations, the Nightmare Horse he had summoned earlier came trotting over. He lightly leapt onto the horse and reached out his hand to Thalia.

  She hesitated briefly but eventually placed her hand in his.

  His hand naturally found its way to her waist. The Leopard girl's waist was firm, muscles slightly tensed—perhaps from nervousness, or maybe a habitual defense.

  The texture was distinct, the lines clean, making Draven click his tongue in amazement. This waist, these abs… completely the feeling of a wild warrior.

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  Thalia's cheeks flushed, but soon she grew accustomed to his presence.

  Draven didn't immediately urge the Nightmare Horse to take flight. Instead, he deliberately walked the horse on the ground for a while longer.

  The road connecting Village No. 2 had been cleared quite a bit, and as he rode, he brought up the topic of road construction again.

  With plain yet excited words, he painted for Thalia a larger blueprint—a network of roads leading to hunting grounds, fertile fields, and villages. A future Black Flag Territory where goods flowed freely, food was abundant, everyone had enough to eat, and every household smelled of roasting meat.

  Combined with the ideas he had instilled earlier, Thalia's eyes gradually grew dreamy, as if she could truly see the world Draven described.

  He smiled, a trace of pride flashing in his eyes. His hand tightened slightly as he wrapped around that strong little waist.

  Then, with a gentle tap on the horse's belly, the Nightmare Horse suddenly sprang up, soaring into the sky.

  The sudden flight broke Thalia's reverie and shattered her brief fantasy like a bubble—but Draven knew that dream had already left a mark in her heart.

  The higher vantage point suddenly opened up Thalia's view, revealing the entire mountain range before her eyes.

  The barren, desolate slopes and the uncultivated valleys looked bleak and withered, yet in her imagination they transformed into fertile fields and rich hunting grounds.

  Isn't this exactly the future Draven described?

  Draven deliberately slowed Nightmare Horse's pace, allowing her to immerse herself in the daydream. Once a girl's imagination was ignited, it would extend and weave itself, even automatically patching up any flaws.

  For these wild hills and mountains to truly become fertile fields and hunting grounds, how many workers would it take? How much time would be needed?

  But she didn't care about those practical matters. In her dreams, all those issues were already solved, and she had even planned out the process clearly in her mind.

  Scenes of Draven bringing her to Village No. 3 surfaced in her thoughts.

  This was the Leopard tribe's new home. Though the buildings were still crude, far less sophisticated than their old village, Elira showed no sign of discontent.

  Among the three tribes, the werewolf chief evidently favored the Leopard clan.

  He neither enslaved them nor demanded submission, which was rare even among demi-human tribes. Moreover, he allowed the Leopard tribe to live independently in one village, maintaining their own way of life.

  That alone was enough to earn Elira's respect. She could tell Draven was no ordinary man— strong, patient, and not in a rush to control everything.

  But she didn't know that Draven's arrangements were based on practical considerations.

  The Leopard tribe was currently the only matriarchal clan within Black Flag Territory. Unlike other mostly patriarchal groups, their lifestyle and mindset were hard to reconcile.

  Forcing them to live mixed together could easily spark conflicts, especially regarding power structures.

  Draven also knew matriarchal tribes didn't change easily. In these groups, females often awakened their talents more easily, and their combat abilities after awakening were stronger, making their dominance a natural evolutionary outcome.

  He couldn't just force Elira to give up her leadership to a male whose combat skills didn't even match hers.

  Besides, even if she did, the Leopard males might not be capable of bearing the responsibility.

  Because of this uniqueness, Draven kept the Leopard tribe independent in Village No. 3. But that didn't mean he trusted them completely.

  Aside from keeping Thalia close and adopting Leopard cubs as leverage, he had also secretly deployed Ghost-faced Owl to monitor the area.

  If any signs of rebellion or unrest appeared, he could know immediately and respond quickly.

  This was the scenario he most dreaded, so he had to prepare in advance. To stabilize the situation as soon as possible, he personally brought Thalia here this time.

  When Nightmare Horse appeared over Village No. 3, Elira, as a leader, immediately sensed their presence.

  When she stepped out of the chief's house and looked up to see Draven holding her daughter in his arms, a meaningful smile curled at the corner of her lips.

  She knew that this time, Thalia was probably completely captured.

  She didn't intend to stop it, nor did she plan to avoid it anymore.

  Over the years, she had worked hard for the Leopard tribe and paid a great price. Now that there was a result, it was time to make decisions for herself.

  She was a leader, a mother, and a woman.

  There were few males as strong as her. The younger males in the tribe were either incapable or cowardly; she didn't even think highly of the Black Tiger brothers.

  Now, a young, strong, and very ambitious black werewolf stood right before her—why not embrace it?

  She stood gracefully, still beautiful, gently brushing back her side hair in the wind, smiling warmly as she watched Nightmare Horse slowly descend.

  Thalia jumped down from the horse, a light and bright smile on her face.

  Elira's brow furrowed slightly as she watched her daughter's back, murmuring,"Still looks like a little girl…"

  In her view, Thalia being taken away by Draven meant she had been"recruited" under his command. Such customs were straightforward among demi-humans.

  But now it seemed things hadn't progressed quite so quickly.