"I want you to speed up the training with our current combatants. We need them ready to start exploring the forest. I want the first fifty kilometers designated as a safe zone—no monster breeding grounds, no ambush points."
He traced a circle on Charles's map.
"This entire area needs to be secured. We push outward until we reach the regions where demons are establishing footholds."
Charles stared at him in shock.
"You're planning to expand already?" He shook his head. "Protector, we'd need our combatants at level 15 minimum to clear that fifty-kilometer range. And it will take time—not many will reach that level anytime soon."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, as he started looking for a solution to the problem.
"Bring me ten people," he said suddenly. "The ten with highest potential in the entire village. Ensure their loyalty is absolute. I'll personally oversee their power development."
Charles's eyebrows shot up. The Protector offering direct training? That was unprecedented.
