Far Away, In a Distant Human Kingdom
"What's going on with the High Priestess?" I asked in a hushed voice.
He looked around cautiously, leaned closer to my ear, and whispered, "I don't know exactly, but I heard it's something about seeing the future and stuff."
"That's creepy—as always."
"Yeah, I know, right?"
Deeper inside the castle…
"What's going on? What are these rumors I've been hearing? Did you summon me just because of that, Priestess?"
I saw a crazy-looking old woman sitting on the ground, mumbling to herself.
"It's not a rumor! It's true! They're coming—for all of us!" she yelled wildly.
"Okay, calm down and explain, you crazy witch…"
"The Conqueror has stepped onto our land! He will be the one and only… eternal!"
Here we go again with the nonsense.
"Alright, if that's all, don't waste my time anymore," I said, turning to leave—but her voice still echoed behind me.
"You'll see it one day, just as I have. Your death won't be far off… son of Ulgrad!"
Gods, this old woman is so creepy. I don't understand what my father ever saw in her.I'm never coming back here again.
Back to the Spartan VillageTwo Days Later
We exchanged letters with the council and finalized some decisions.
In short:
Evander would become an honorary member of the council.
He wouldn't pay any taxes to the council from his holdings but also wouldn't receive any salary from the treasury like the other members.
He would be responsible for protecting his lands and expected to cooperate with the council to defend Whispering Town.
For any trade, Evander wouldn't have to pay taxes and could freely exchange materials.
Sigh… They gave me all this just to bring a bit of order to these lands—something I had to establish anyway.
In the future, I'll need to watch for internal conflict or rebellion. Not all of my subjects will be as loyal as these first Spartans. That could be dangerous for my rule.
"This should be enough for now. At least our immediate needs are no longer a worry. What do you all think?"
"Yes, sire, this will help us greatly," Drata replied. The other five nodded in agreement.
"Good. Then let's move on to what I really called you here for."Some of them looked nervous, others expectant.
"You're all receiving new orders. I'll also be explaining my future plans."
"Orec, you'll be in charge of the village."
"What are my responsibilities, my lord?"
"You'll collect taxes, train a beastkin militia, and establish a trade route between our settlements. For example, we can trade food for salt."
"Don't worry, my lord. I can handle that easily," he said proudly, patting his chest.
I nodded. "Even though you're leaving, Lydia—your wife—will stay and assist with construction. She's more skilled in management than the twins."
Lydia and Orec looked surprised. The twins looked embarrassed, but Lydia quickly composed herself.
"I'll do my best."
Before I could say anything, Allia spoke up first."Umm, my lord, construction has been slow due to goblin attacks and other interruptions… but it's basically finished. Only the roads and walls remain."
"Then why didn't you two tell me sooner?" I asked. I really can't trust these twins sometimes.
"My lord, it's almost done. We were planning to inform you today," Ellia replied, embarrassed.
Forget the twins. I've never seen a more airheaded duo… Well, even if I have, I can't remember it. I turned to Lydia.
"Lydia, how long will it take to build walls, a few towers, and roads? Any estimate?"
"Yes, of course. If we're talking about wooden walls and dirt roads, maybe a little more than a month."
"That fast?" I raised an eyebrow. "You two sisters, what were you doing all this time if buildings go up that quickly?"
I saw Orec and Lydia exchange a worried glance.
"You don't need to worry," I added. "Our village and the fishing village are only a day's walk apart on foot. With a horse, it's even quicker."
They seemed slightly relieved.
The twins looked down sadly, but I ignored them and turned to Drata.
"Drata, I want the army prepared. We'll take 100 warriors to fight in the Whispering Forest. The rest should be able to protect the village. This will happen after our second harvest, so be ready."
"Any questions?"
"Sire, our equipment isn't in great condition," Drata said.
"Yes, and we hunters are nearly out of usable arrows," Orec added right after.
"Sisters, our blacksmith and forge are operational, right?"
"They are," Allia answered. "But with the scrap metal we took from the goblins, we can barely make farming tools."
"It's really hard to make durable weapons, even with highly skilled blacksmiths," Ellia added.
"I'll try to get supplies from the beastkin town within the next month. Before we march to war, I'll ensure at least our weapons are ready."
There's too much to handle… Let's try trading with them soon.
"If there's nothing else, you're dismissed."
Everyone left. I sat alone in the audience room.
Sometimes, I feel truly lonely. That lovey-dovey old couple makes me a little jealous too.
…Right, the system said something after I killed those goblins. I didn't even look at it at the time.
[You received a prompt. You've gained stat points. Do you wish to view them now?]
I completely forget the system exists sometimes.
I stood up from my chair and walked toward my room.
"Just tell me how many points and in what stat."
[You gained 1 point in Magika. The enemies were weak—it's a miracle you even gained that much.]
Only that much... I suppose that's fair. Every point counts, but with this progress, I'll become a true god before I become a proper mage.
I entered my room and sat down at my desk, opening a half-finished map.
"I should finish this map… Maybe even make a few more. At least for this island. Someday, I'll map the entire continent. It'll help with my world conquest."
"…Saying that out loud felt so childish."
"System, open your map."
[Here it is. If you want me to zoom in or out, just let me know.]
"Yeah, yeah. Let's work. Let me finish the rivers first. You worthless system—you don't even show the settlements I own. At least try to be useful."
[Okay. I will try.]
I still need to write a letter too. If I don't sleep today, I believe I can finish all of it.
"I still need to train too. My first winter might get bloody."