Allison took the ring, acknowledging the request, and said that such research would likely take a long time; it was going to require spells she wasn't capable of casting yet, which meant either time and research, or money, and given how aggressively the kingdom was growing, time was the more likely resource.<br/><br/>Jubilost set out again, once his fee had been paid, to begin exploring the eastern reaches of the Greenbelt, and wouldn't return for more than a month.<br/><br/>Most of his allies expressed interest on remaining with him, and continuing to work, though a few expressed interest in remaining behind the scenes, more than adventuring - though they wouldn't refuse, if he requested it of them; Akiros and Allison, in particular.<br/><br/>((At this point, you may begin advancing your followers; they may be raised no higher than 9th level, for this book, and may be raised by one level per month. This costs an amount of BP equal to half their new level, rounded down - raising a character from 4th to 5th, for instance, costs 2 BP, while 5th to 6th is 3 BP. You may train multiple followers in a single month. New followers may be hired for an amount equal to their current level, but no higher than Devaguea's level, minus 1 (currently, 6).))