On a highland by the seaside, overlooking the entire planned port area, a group of Bear Spirit Warriors erected several tall, colorful totem poles at the corners. Each totem pole's main figure was a giant bear.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...

A group of shaman wizards beat the ritual drums and chanted together in the ancient Taya language:

"Spirit of the giant bear, Grahame! You are the incarnation of the War God, the forest is your fur, the mountains your arms, the plateau your head..."

A golden halo exploded.

ROAR—!

One by one, gigantic Bear Guardian Spirits leaped out from the totem poles, slamming heavily onto the ground. The dozens of surrounding Bear Spirit Warriors also transformed, becoming a large crowd of imposing brown bears who swung their wicker basket-sized front paws, hammering the ground with force.

With a thunderous boom, the entire highland noticeably shrank in height. The giant bears continued to pound repeatedly. The top of the highland gradually lowered, becoming flatter, and even smoother. Even the soil, under such intense pressure, gained a strength no less impressive than that of steel.

Byron stood in mid-air, overseeing the whole construction site, his clothes billowing in the strong wind. Seeing the dreamlike progress of the construction, he nodded in satisfaction.

The forbidden knowledge popular overseas has its greatest advantage over the Ladder of Glory in its stronger capacity to transform humans themselves and the natural world. The Tenor People are still in a primitive slave society, yet they build rock citadels, pyramids, and temples, each one more magnificent than the last. Compared to this advantage, the price seems not so difficult to accept.

The price paid by [Eagle Spirit Warriors] is that they will henceforth suffer from farsightedness, unable to see things clearly up close. In contrast, [Bear Spirit Warriors] need to enter a state of defenseless hibernation for at least seven days each year. The longer the hibernation, the quicker their power increases. But once caught by an enemy, they can only be slaughtered at will.

In contrast, in the Old Continent during the Feudal Era, the construction and maintenance of a castle would require an astronomical amount of money. Only the wealthiest and most powerful lords could afford such a castle. It was certainly not standard issue for all feudal nobility. Many hereditary nobles' castles were built little by little over several generations.

Moreover, in the Old Continent, the establishment of every castle required a 'License to Crenellate' issued by the King, allowing the construction of castles. This was because crenellations are the key feature distinguishing a castle as a military facility from other civilian constructions. They could be used to defend against external enemies and could also be used to resist the King. Only with the King's permission can one harness the power of the [Silver Law] within one's own domain, constructing a local Law Network to exercise lordship.

Byron took out a [Pioneering Order] issued by the royal port at Jamestown, the seal on it gleaming brightly. A thick ethereal anchor chain plunged into the void, drawing the force of the Silver Law to this place.

I have this 'Pioneering Order' which grants all necessary authorizations, and there is no need for an additional 'License to Crenellate' to build at will. In this first corporate colony under the flag of the Pioneer Navigation Trading Company, I enjoy privileges comparable to those of a King. While ostensibly drawing the Magna Carta of the Kingdom of Hightens as a cover, in reality, it is my [Golden Law] that will truly rule this place. And with the Tayman Archipelago as the origin and this core fortress as a Fortress Bridgehead, its influence will radiate across the entire Yucatan Island through the dumping of goods.

After confirming that the quality of the foundations far exceeded the initially expected standards, Byron descended from the sky. As he neared the ground, he landed as lightly as a leaf. This drew the frequent glances of many native girls with bear ears.

Cihuateteo, the Great Shaman of Uxmal City and chief engineer of the castle construction, immediately approached him with a roll of blueprints.

"Sir, what do you think of our technique?" she asked.

Byron raised his thumb, generously lavishing praise. "It surpasses my imagination. The Tenor People may not have entered the Bronze Age, but they have achieved great accomplishments in mathematics, astronomy, architecture, art, and so on. Many among the [Bear Spirit Warriors] could be called master builders, not at all inferior to the [Sculptors] of the Hall Sequence. Even the commoners who possess only a small amount of mathematical knowledge could become excellent workers that this city will greatly need in the future. Without you, even the foundation of the fortress alone would probably take years to consolidate. I cannot thank you enough."

Hearing Byron's thanks, Cihuateteo quickly waved her hands. "Mr. Byron, you're too kind. We're all aware that among all the outsiders, it's only the People of Castilia who openly show the most hostility towards us. But in truth, most outsiders consider us to be a lower race, both dumb and stupid. If it weren't for the specialist you sent from the trading company, we wouldn't know how much more we would have to undersell our precious special products, just to exchange for a steel dagger in their hands. We shamans are the most sensitive to the spirits, and only you have always treated us equally, without any discrimination deep in your bones. You have also helped us through difficulties time and time again. When the fortress and its various complementary facilities are built, it will be greatly beneficial to us as well. I know you certainly have your own interests in mind, but isn't a mutually beneficial relationship even more stable? You can rest assured leaving the fortress to us."

Byron couldn't help but sigh. Cihuateteo, Geronimo, and their coexistence faction are indeed wise, he thought. At least they aren't naïve or shortsighted. Our cooperation can definitely be deepened. I could even support them to become my agents, using the weapons and ships I provided to govern more states and tribes in this land. This would also allow me to seize a continuous stream of benefits for my own economic colonial empire, the 'Sacred Golden Empire.'

"Mr. Byron," Cihuateteo said, "however, there are still many things about your fortress design that I don't understand and would like to consult with you. I've seen many works of the Hall Sequence [Painters] among the outsiders, and most of the castles in those works are different from this design."

Cihuateteo unfolded the design drawing of the fortress in her hand. At the top, a line of small text read: "Large Edge Fortress · Torrent Fortress." This was the name Violet personally gave to her new home. Below it was a plethora of diagrams and text that would make an ordinary person dizzy.

Byron didn't hide anything, generously explaining the principles to her. "Great Shaman, the history of human warfare is a history of the confrontation between spears and shields. Just like the appearance of the heavy Flintlock Gun made ordinary Knight Armor obsolete, the advent of the cannon also made conventional castles outdated.

"In the past, most castles on the Old Continent followed a convex polygonal template. During castle defense, the defending side's equipment was relatively simple, at most featuring some merlons, bastions, and towers to reduce surveillance difficulty and increase attack angles. But when such castles encountered cannons with unprecedented firepower, even if those cannons were rudimentary in design, they couldn't withstand several rounds of bombardment and would be tragically breached. Aside from those with a long history, most traditional castles gradually withdrew from the historical stage.

"The Edge Fortress, this new type of military facility, isn't mysterious. It essentially transforms the past convex polygon of a citadel into a concave one. Then, larger-caliber cannons are placed inside, along with a fully equipped Musketeer Corps. The main purpose is to increase firing points so that attackers, from any angle, will be targeted by at least two defensive firepower points. This creates three-dimensional crossfire coverage.

"The design of Torrentfort before you is just like this. Among its three-tier structure, the bottom tier is solid, with a fort gate at both front and back, and a protruding bastion at each corner housing heavy artillery. The second tier also has four protruding bastions, nested within each other layer by layer, leaving no defensive dead spots. And according to the standards of Iron Anchor Bay, large-caliber Fortress Cannons are placed in hundreds of gun positions. The main guns of a Second-class Battleship are no more than 32 pounds, yet the largest Fortress Cannons can reach an astonishing 68 pounds. In coordination with specific tactics, the Edge Fortress has various 'prescriptions' ready for attackers. Once it appeared, it was dubbed by those Fortress Sequence [Fortress Experts]: 'arsenic laced with chili pepper—both poisonous and spicy.' In this era where various firearms are widely popular, the Edge Fortress is the most formidable shield in land warfare!

"Great Shaman, while constructing Edge Fortresses is quite draining of energy and wealth, besieging one is equally time-consuming and laborious. On the Continent, records show that a siege against an Edge Fortress often lasts for several months, or even years. In the limited seasons suitable for warfare each year, a commander who could take one or two Edge Fortresses on the borderland would be considered lucky. The most famous example on the Old Continent is the fortified border belt of the Irisflower Kingdom; their capital was also built into a great fortress. It's said that even with a 7:1 numerical advantage in troops, conquering an Edge Fortress takes about twenty to thirty days. Each one is a hard nut to crack, capable of making an enemy lose a tooth. Once our Torrentfort is built, the regular fleets of various countries will almost certainly be unable to break through here."

After sending away the Great Shaman, who was thrilled to have learned new knowledge, another issue subsequently presented itself before Byron.

There is still some time before the appearance of Silvergold Island, which only emerges every prime-numbered year. Before preparing for the ceremony, my first task is to arrange Violet's new home. The construction can be done slowly, but to fully equip those Fortress Sequence [Fortress Experts], Fortress Guards, and Musketeers... that's a big problem. Training them from scratch is really too slow. My ranks, though expanding rapidly, are still too few compared to the demand. And, if Violet's Torrent Fortress needs a complete set of personnel, doesn't Catherine's Georgetown Earl's Castle need one too? I can't play favorites in such matters. Ah, may heaven bestow upon me several Third Order [Fortress Experts]!

Annoyedly scratching his messy hair, he looked up to see a warship flying the flag of Iris Country suddenly appearing on the distant sea. Byron recognized it at a glance. It was unmistakably the flagship of Magnyra, the Special Envoy of the Irisflower Kingdom to the Bantaan Archipelago, and also his somewhat unexpected aunt's warship.

Huh, what is she doing here?