Chapter 583: 583:Peace Was Fargile
They no longer focused purely on brute strength and reckless charges alone, and instead they learned coordinated battlefield tactics, layered retreat formations, long-range magic support, rapid reinforcement strategies, rotating defensive lines, and methods that greatly increased survival during large-scale warfare.
Ethan understood something very clearly after experiencing enough bloodshed and witnessing countless deaths firsthand.
In war...
Survival mattered far more than glory or pride.
Because no matter how heroic someone appeared in the stories afterward, dead heroes were still dead in the end.
That was why he continuously drilled the same lesson into every soldier over and over again until it became engraved into their minds permanently.
"Live first."
"As long as you survive, there will always be another chance."
The forge inside the Blanks estate almost never stopped burning at any point during those two years, and the fires within it continued roaring day and night as weapons were crafted endlessly while massive amounts of resources flowed continuously into the territory without pause.
Money was spent almost like flowing water without hesitation.
Rare ores were purchased aggressively from merchants and hidden suppliers.
Magic crystals were gathered in large quantities regardless of price.
Ancient monster materials were collected and transported secretly into the estate for research, forging, and experimentation purposes.
Everything that possessed even the slightest possibility of strengthening the Blanks family was purchased without hesitation or mercy toward their treasury.
And among all those countless changes and growing sources of power...
There was one thing Ethan valued above absolutely everything else.
Children.
The children of the Blanks family were the true source of his strength, determination, and future power.
Not wealth.
Not armies.
Not territories.
It was his bloodline that mattered the most to him above everything else in this uncertain world.
In such a grim and unstable period filled with wars, betrayals, and growing chaos spreading across the continent, they were the only support he truly trusted from the bottom of his heart.
That was why, during these two years, the estate itself remained surprisingly lively despite the dark atmosphere that existed outside the territory walls.
New children continued being born into the Blanks family one after another while the sounds of laughter and innocent voices still occasionally echoed through the massive halls and gardens of the enormous villa.
Even amidst war and uncertainty...
Life continued moving forward.
Ethan himself began spending more time with his family than before, and although he still appeared calm and composed most of the time on the surface, everyone close to him could clearly understand that the pressure resting upon his shoulders had only continued growing heavier with each passing day.
He personally taught many of the younger children himself rather than leaving everything to tutors or knights.
Magic.
Combat.
Survival.
Even simple escape techniques and emergency reactions during dangerous situations.
Sometimes he appeared extremely strict during training.Sometimes overly cautious to the point where others found it excessive.
But no one ever truly complained about it.
Because everyone understood exactly why he acted that way after witnessing the horrors spreading throughout the world outside.
The war beyond the territory had already shown everyone how cruel and unforgiving reality truly was.
Alongside the growth of his children came another extremely important development for the Blanks family.
Gifts.
Over the years, the Blanks family had accumulated a truly terrifying amount of resources beneath the surface without attracting too much public attention.
Some of those resources came from trade agreements and expanding business routes.
Some came from rewards and achievements earned through battle and contributions.
Some came from hidden exchanges, secret negotiations, and deals that outsiders knew nothing about.
And some...
Came from things Ethan himself never bothered explaining clearly to anyone else.
The underground vaults hidden beneath the estate slowly continued filling with treasures and dangerous resources over time.
Weapons of various grades and origins.
Rare medicines capable of healing fatal injuries.
Runic scrolls filled with powerful enchantments and magic.
Ancient monster cores overflowing with energy.
Protective artifacts meant for survival in deadly situations.
Even spatial tools and forbidden materials slowly began appearing one after another within those hidden storage chambers.
The overall strength of the Blanks family continued growing silently and steadily beneath the surface where nobody could properly measure it.
And perhaps the most terrifying part about all of it was...
Most outsiders still had absolutely no idea how much the Blanks family had truly grown during these two years.
To the public eye, the Blanks family still merely looked like a wealthy noble territory desperately trying to survive the chaos and destruction caused by the war.
But hidden underneath that ordinary appearance was something far deeper and far more dangerous.
Something Ethan had been carefully building piece by piece without stopping for even a single moment.
A force that was meant to survive and protect itself even if the entire world one day collapsed completely into chaos and destruction.
During these two years, Ethan himself also underwent many changes both mentally and physically.
Although he still publicly pretended to remain weakened after the incident that occurred on the battlefield, those closest to him could clearly feel the difference every time they stood near him.
His control over magic became far more refined and precise than before.
His forging skills improved drastically to the point where even veteran craftsmen struggled to compare with him anymore.
Even his physical strength continued increasing steadily because he never once stopped training his body despite his growing responsibilities.
And perhaps the biggest change of all...
Was his mindset.
The old Ethan still occasionally believed in luck, coincidence, and chance.
But the current Ethan no longer relied on such fragile things anymore.
Now he prepared for the absolute worst long before disaster even had the opportunity to arrive.
Because after witnessing the madness, cruelty, and instability of the world firsthand, he came to understand one terrifying truth more clearly than ever before.
Peace was fragile.
And only those strong enough to protect what they loved with their own hands could continue smiling in such a cruel world.
