Casimir looked at the gathered elves, each couple with a child by their side, and smiled. It was a strained smile, but he was on a raised platform and so hoped that no one would see that he wanted to storm off.

Then, his eyes travelled to the various stands, which were decorated by children, and they softened. Perhaps he was against the idea only because little Theanore was involved. But he couldn’t just forgive a chunk of his land being taken away. No matter how briefly.

The little girl was handing packages to the children around and telling them to be good. He could see that she was happy, but also that her lip quivered and could hear that her voice wavered every so often. The little nymph was one step from crying.

Orlena send him a look, one that would put an eagle’s to shame, and he cleared his throat.

“Hello and welcome!” Casimir’s voice carried over the crowd and many turned to him. His smile widened and many an eye narrowed from the gathered elves.

“As you are giving a home to citizens of the Dawn Empire and wish to lead them to the Sapphire Empire, I wish to thank you all. What you do now shows the kindness of elves,” polite clapping was his answer. Casimir decided to up his ante.

“But know that you, former orphans, are always welcome to come back. I am making a reform to make higher education free of charge. As such, when the time comes for you to enter academies and universities, do remember your former home,” exited murmurs spread from the children.

Higher education was expensive everywhere. There were some state-sponsored disciplines, such as programs for teachers and agricultural specialists, but most would end with the family of the person studying in bone crushing student’s loan.

A hand raised from the crowd and Casimir nodded at the elf woman.

“My name is Lyn, your Imperial Majesty. Would this be just for children who were born here, or would foreigners also benefit?” A murmur spread over the crowd. This time, Casimir’s smile widened without him meaning it to.

“I find that education should be free for everyone, provided they work in the country that gave it to them,” it was a blatant grab for more subjects. He knew that, they knew it too, but still, there were numerous happy faces in the crowd.

“For how many years?” Asked Lyn. She seemed to be the spokeswoman for the elves.

“Until retirement, of course. They will benefit from their education for their entire lives, so, it is only fair.”

Now this made the elves worried. They either had to get buried in loans, or move to a different country. It didn’t seem fair to them. Then, little Theanore raised her hand and began to wave it around while jumping.

“Yes, dungeon core Theanore?” Asked Casimir, one eye twitching.

“Why can’t there be more teleports connected between the Sapphire Empire and here? Then people could still live in their homes and come work here,” a murmur of agreement spread around the crowd.

“Making a teleport is too expensive, Theanore,” cut her down Casimir, but the child didn’t shrink back, like he thought she would, but rather smiled brightly and tugged a blonde, blue-eyed young man towards the raised platform.

“Luca here has this special crystal that can make teleportation crystals for teleports! Luca, please show him!” Exclaimed Theanore. The young man pulled out a black crystal, poured mana inside, and another smoke-colored crystal appeared in his other hand.

“It costs me next to nothing, your Imperial Majesty. I would be honored to connect two empires in such a way,” Luca bowed to the emperor, who started to think it over.

The income tax would have to be split with the Sapphire empire, but the health benefits should be paid here. Not to mention, he would lose all the prospective job openings in the construction sector for the new housing district that would have accommodated the elves.

But…he will get more workers regardless. And there were forms of magic, such as healing, in which elves excelled. If he could train them as healers and connect the entire world to his clinics and hospitals, he could see a lot of profit coming into his treasuries from people coming to his country to be cured.

“And how much would you ask for a crystal and the installation of the teleport?” That all didn’t mean he was going to jump into this blindly.

“One gold coin per teleport. I take it you will want interconnected teleports for points of the Dawn Empire too, your Imperial Majesty?” Asked Luca. Now, he knew he was underselling the ability, but with all the teleports, he was going to make, he still knew he would see quite the profit.

Well, that was not what Casimir expected. He was being gifted all the crystals. And if he could get those, what else could he get from this man?

“What else does this black crystal produce, young man?” Casimir knew he was being greedy, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

“Well, pretty much anything, really. Do you have anything in mind?” Now that Luca had given the crystal for next to nothing, he knew he would have to undercut himself. But, hopefully, not by too much.

“Create a chunk of iron glass, then,” Iron glass was hard to come by, but the best weapons were made from it. If the man could become the main supplier of it, then the smiths of the Dawn Empire would surely benefit.

“Your Imperial Majesty, if I may. I have an iron glass dagger smithed by my goblins on me. It would be against my interest to sell the raw material when I have as many smithies as I do,” Casimir huffed. Well, it had been a long shot.

Luca handed the dagger to the emperor and the man twirled it expertly. It was light and smooth. Hard to do with iron glass. These goblins must be really skilled.

“Fine, then. You will get orders for weapons and armor. If you make teleports and hire the smiths of the Dawn Empire. I will not have them jobless,” Luca smiled and bowed again. Theanore looked between her friend and the emperor and waved her hand up in the air again.

Casimir sighed and nodded at her.

“Yes?” He asked the smiling toddler.

“We need better roads too, your Imperial Majesty. I fixed mine to Mirstone, but there are still delays in the food deliveries for the grotto.”

It appears that Casimir was not the only opportunist in here. Well, he just hoped he would have work spaces and not have ants marching up and down his roads, fixing them and making the little nymph richer.