With the Primal Faith from the Caesar Empire now firmly in his grasp, Owen no longer needed the official approval of Fioria City's mayor to advance his territory. That sacred authority alone was sufficient for him to promote Annasi Town to the status of Annasi City.
"Though I can technically initiate the upgrade right away," Owen mused, "the central residential population is still far too low to justify it."
He swept his gaze over the mountainous terrain encircling the settlement. Despite Annasi Town's population having recently surged past three hundred thousand, the majority of its people remained scattered across four outlying villages at the fringes of his domain.
Though the original Annasi Town had undergone numerous rounds of development and expansion under Owen's rule, the surrounding landscape was still dominated by continuous chains of rugged mountains, restricting further growth in all directions.
