Lin Yan, whom everyone was worried about, was currently sitting by a warm fireplace, gazing at the map of her territory.
This map was a gift from her uncle, marking the resources and terrain of this land.
In reality, this territory was quite rich, at least possessing a coal mine. However, the mine was currently occupied by others, and Lin Yan had not yet reclaimed it.
As for the populace, only one village remained in this territory, with no more than a dozen households.
These were not the original inhabitants of this land but rather people who had drifted here out of desperation, unable to survive elsewhere.
It was so impoverished that even bandits had not bothered to raid it. She wondered how many families would remain after this winter.
Lin Yan planned to have Knight Weir go and check on them after the snow stopped, ensuring they at least didn't perish during the winter.
With this thought, she wondered why there was still no news from the elves. Was it because the heavy snow had blocked the roads?
Yet, the matter was so urgent that it shouldn't be hindered by the snow to the extent that the salvation of the Mother Tree was impossible.
If the elves arrived, then their winter supply of vegetables and fruits would be secured.
The elven race was not hindered by the snow-blocked roads. The Elf King had already used the two bottles of potion.
Both potions were colorless and slightly sweet. He did not immediately experiment on elves.
The elven population was small, and each member was exceedingly precious. He dared not gamble with their safety.
Initially, he used magical beasts captured from the Chaotic Forest, and later, some small beasts from the Elven Forest.
After proving they were harmless, he allowed a weak-constitution elf to consume it.
This elf had been born during a period of turmoil for the Mother Tree, causing the child to fall from it prematurely.
Much like a premature human baby, its health was poor, and its current height and physique were less than those of elves born more than a decade later.
Its parents were very worried but helpless. When the Elf King received the bottle, he heard it could be used for those with weak constitutions and thought of this young elf.
After confirming the potion's safety, he summoned the young elf's parents and explained about the potion.
With their consent, the elf was given the potion.
The results proved that the potion was indeed beneficial for the young elf. After its medicinal properties were fully realized, the elf's constitution became only slightly weaker than that of an ordinary elf.
At that moment, the Elf King intended to send someone to invite Lin Yan. However, many adventurers had appeared near the Elven Forest, searching for ways to enter the forest from its periphery.
The Elf King feared they might harm his people and had to dispatch more guards for patrols, thus temporarily putting aside the invitation to Lin Yan.
The winter here was very cold, and Lin Yan and her retinue could only huddle indoors. As the snow intensified, Lin Yan also instructed the knights to check on the residents of her territory.
Fortunately, the people she sent arrived in time to witness the roof of one family collapse. They quickly rushed to rescue the family.
After they had settled the rescued family, they returned. The residents then learned that the ownerless land had a new lord, and she was a female lord.
The long winter seemed to stretch on interminably, yet it also passed quickly.
One day, when Lin Yan opened the window, she noticed the sunlight outside was exceptionally bright, and the accumulated snow showed signs of melting.
After inquiring with a maid, Lin Yan learned that winter had passed.
She did not rush to go out, as the thawing snow could be even more troublesome than falling snow.
However, she took advantage of the rare sunny day to gather all her attendants for a small meeting.
This meeting was primarily to plan for spring and to assign responsibilities to her attendants.
"As soon as the snow melts, construction can begin. The manor still needs to be built. Our people will grow in number, and we will need a large manor to accommodate them.
Lisa, you will be responsible for this. I believe there is a manor blueprint among my luggage. Lillian, please find it and give it to Lisa.
When spring arrives, we must also begin sowing the fields. We need to quickly register the required seeds and farming tools. This task will be yours, Eden. Can you handle it?"
"Thank you for your trust. I will do my utmost," Eden stepped forward and bowed to Lin Yan.
"Excellent. As for other matters..." Lin Yan assigned tasks to them one by one. Work would commence as soon as the snow melted and the weather warmed up.
The knights were also not idle. Although they had become First-Level Light Knights merely to fill a quota, after their journey, most of them had formally mastered all the skills of a First-Level Knight.
Lin Yan instructed them to continue training and to patrol the vicinity of the territory.
While there was little of consequence to patrol within the territory at present, their missions would soon arise.
After all, once the snow melted, many creatures, both animal and human, would emerge in search of food.
When their abilities improved further, she would have them eliminate the bandits in the mountains near the territory.
As Lin Yan planned all this, she did not forget that she needed to host a banquet to announce her arrival to the local nobles.
Previously, she had not held a banquet due to the difficult road conditions caused by the snow. In spring, she would definitely need to organize this banquet.
However, a banquet was another expense. Although Lin Yan was currently quite wealthy, she anticipated her funds would be strained once spring plowing began.
Lin Yan felt the need for a financial advisor who could help her maximize the utility of her funds and generate greater returns.
It wasn't that she couldn't manage this herself, but she had too many other matters to attend to, leaving her with insufficient energy to focus on finances. It would be wonderful to have someone to assist her.
However, those skilled in finance were rare, and such talent was hard to come by. She would take on the responsibility for now and entrust it to someone when she found a suitable individual.
Just as Lin Yan began to worry about money, the Elf King sent a delegation of elves to meet her.
The arrival of the elves stirred the entire Chaotic Land.
Although the Chaotic Land was a melting pot of various races, this was the first time they had ever seen elves, let alone so many appearing together.
Previously, an eighth-level powerhouse had warned them not to provoke this woman. Now, elves were coming to meet her.
This former Saintess of the Holy See was indeed extraordinary!