Dion explained, “When the famine began and there was no food in the city, most of the warhorses of the Holy Guard were slaughtered and their hides and flesh were used as food in order to save fodder.”

Huggins, both amused and exasperated, said, "So, these bones with bits of meat still attached are the warhorses they discarded?!"

Looking at the horse bones in the picture, which had been dismantled beyond recognition, Todd closed his eyes in exasperation. These things were originally intended to be carried north to make up for the lack of equipment and warhorses in the barbarian camp, but the fact that the people of Holy Guard City were slaughtering warhorses due to food shortages was causing some trouble for his plans.

After thinking for a moment, Todd opened his eyes and said, "Have the caravan transport the weapons and armor through the gates of Watchtower to the Falling Star Mountains in the north; as for the bones and flesh of those warhorses..."

At this point, Todd hesitated about how to handle these matters.

Wayne, who had just completed the soul link a few days ago, stopped fiddling with the mouse and suddenly suggested, "Your Majesty, I might have a way to turn those horse carcasses into something useful."

Looking at this newly joined scholar, Todd immediately became interested: "See, what's your plan?!"

Wayne closed his eyes, retrieved a picture from his memory, and displayed it on the large screen in the conference room.

Its bright red, viscous exterior, mouthparts resembling those of a lamprey, and body covered in a dense, intertwined mass of worms are all part of its body.

Looking at the terrifying creature, Todd felt it looked familiar, but couldn't quite place what it was called.

Wayne promptly provided the answer: "Your Majesty, this creature is called a bloodworm."

At this point, Todd finally remembered what this thing was.

Clarence brought along two high-ranking members of the 'Conflict Legion,' one of whom possessed the ability to use these disgusting yet powerful worms.

Wayne enlarged the picture of the bloodworm and explained to everyone, "This worm is a scavenging creature. It has four pairs of glands in its mouthparts that can release highly corrosive digestive fluids."

As Wayne changed the images, he said, "This digestive fluid can not only dissolve muscle tissue and dense bones, but it can even corrode metal. Because of this property, bloodworms can eat almost any food and use it as their own nutrients."

Todd listened to Wayne's introduction, nodding repeatedly. He truly lived up to his reputation as a scholar who started as a veterinarian; he certainly possessed considerable ability in biological research.

At this point, Huggins asked Wayne, "What does all this have to do with the remains of the horses?"

Wayne pulled up a video of bloodworms laying eggs.

On the screen, a bloodworm can lay two hundred eggs in five minutes. These eggs will hatch in less than a day and become larvae crawling around.

"Bloodworms reproduce quickly, have low breeding costs, and high nutritional value. A single adult worm, with careful cultivation, can grow to a weight of about 400 grams, which is sufficient to meet the basic food needs of an adult."

Listening to Wayne's description, Dion felt a chill run down his spine and said, "These bugs look so scary, they must taste awful!"

Wayne shook his slender fingers and said, "Don't underestimate these scavengers just because they're carrion-eating creatures. Their meat is delicious, and they taste great whether fried, roasted, grilled, or smoked."

Upon hearing this, Todd suddenly recalled a famous ingredient from his past life—lobster.

Wayne pointed to the bloodworms on the screen and said to everyone, "Once the remains of those horses from Holy Guard City cross the West City, I can try to breed bloodworms and use them as a source of daily food."

Brother Qiao was the first to stand up and express his approval: "Your Majesty, food is in dire need of Muxi City right now, and it is the time to expand the types of food available. Raising bloodworms is low-cost and high-yield, and can make up for the kingdom's shortage."

Terrence also voiced his support for this view.

However, Huggins expressed his concern: "Your Majesty, do you remember the danger these bloodworms posed? When faced with swarms of bloodworms, the Heir Knights were utterly powerless, whether with sword and shield or with supernatural abilities. If these terrifying creatures are not properly guarded, they could bring trouble to the entire kingdom."

Wayne responded, "I've done experiments. These insects are afraid of high temperatures and strong light. As long as protective measures are taken around the breeding ponds, there won't be any major problems."

Seeing that no one else had any objections, Todd immediately made the decision: "The convoy transporting equipment, head north; the convoy transporting horse carcasses, return to Duskwood. Wayne, I'll allocate some funds for you to raise and research bloodworms!"