Fifty thousand

"Will this do?" Nadia asked as she stepped back into the workshop, dragging a sizeable bag filled with cores behind her.

She then pulled the bag up before lightly tossing it at Mathew's feet.

"I think so," the young man said before nodding his head with gratitude. "Let's begin."

So late into the night and events, Mathew saw no point in wasting time on bullshit.

"I wish to establish a fortress," he said while digging his hand into the bag of cores.

But nothing happened, save for some observers starting to rapidly blink their eyes once they started to dry up.

"Eh?" Mathew shook his head, turning his hand around while staring at it.

Mathew's confusion lasted only for a short moment.

"Ah, right," he slapped his face, "we didn't take over the first merchant in this zone," he muttered the plausible reason for the procedure failing. "Leila, I'm sorry for dragging you around but could you please go and pay that merchant a visit?"