Day 71.
The return to Fort Blackiron was a parade of triumph.
Rian rode at the front, flanked by Varg on his massive Wolf Mount. Behind them marched the Spear Phalanx, their discipline unbreakable. And behind them walked the 30 rescued Frostblood Barbarians, supporting each other, looking at the stone walls of the fort with awe.
The gates opened.
The entire population—now nearly 300 people—cheered. It wasn't the polite applause of subjects; it was the raw, emotional roar of a family seeing their protectors return alive.
"Open the stores!" Rian commanded, jumping off the sled. "Tonight, nobody sleeps hungry. Tonight, we feast!"
The Great Hall
The "Great Hall" was actually the newly expanded communal mess hall. Rian had ordered the Carpenters to line the walls with the Ironwood logs they had captured. The wood was dark, dense, and smelled faintly of metal.
Inside, long tables were groaning under the weight of food.
For the first time, it wasn't just fish soup.
The Main Dish: Roasted Venison (hunted by the Wolf Cavalry).
The Staple: Thick slices of Barley Bread, hot and steaming, served with fresh butter from the cows Rian had bought.
The Drink: Warm ale (imported) and clean water.
The 30 rescued Barbarians sat at a table of honor. They looked at the food with wide, disbelief-filled eyes. In the Orc camps, they fought over rat meat. Here, there was butter.
Kagan stood up. He held a loaf of bread in his massive hand.
He looked at his people—gaunt, scarred, but alive.
He looked at Rian, who was sitting not on a high throne, but at the same table, eating the same stew.
"Brothers! Sisters!" Kagan's voice boomed, silencing the hall.
"For two years, we prayed to the Old Gods for salvation. The Old Gods stayed silent."
Kagan pointed at Rian.
"This man is not a God. He is a builder. He did not send lightning from the sky; he forged it from the earth. He did not ask for our worship; he asked for our strength."
Kagan drew a knife. He cut his palm.
He slammed his bleeding hand onto the table.
"I, Kagan, son of Korg, pledge the blood of the Frost to the Lord of Iron. My axe is yours."
One by one, the 30 Barbarians stood up.
They were weak, but they were giants. Even the women were six feet tall.
They slammed their fists on the table.
"IRON!" they roared in unison.
[Ding! Faction Integration Complete]
New Unit Unlocked: Barbarian Shock Troopers (Heavy Infantry).
Trait: [Berserk] (Strength increases as health decreases).
Loyalty: Fanatical.
Rian stood up and raised his cup.
"We do not bow here," Rian said calmly. "We build. Welcome home, Frostblood."
The Melting World
Day 75.
Four days after the feast, the atmosphere in the fort changed.
Rian was standing on the ramparts with Caelum.
"Do you feel it, My Lord?" Caelum asked, closing his eyes.
"The wind?" Rian asked.
"No. The moisture."
Crack.
A loud sound echoed from the river behind the fort. It sounded like a gunshot.
Then another. Crack. Groan.
Rian looked down.
The thick sheet of ice that had covered the river for months was fracturing. Giant slabs of white ice were breaking apart, revealing the dark, rushing water beneath.
The Spring Thaw.
"The winter is breaking," Rian whispered.
"It is a blessing," Caelum smiled. "The barley will grow faster. The trees will bloom."
"It is a curse," Rian corrected him, his face grim.
He pointed to the South, towards the road they had cleared.
"Ice is a wall. Mud is a road."
"When that river melts completely, boats can travel upstream. When the snow clears, armies can march without freezing."
Rian turned to look at his fort.
They had accomplished a lot in 75 days.
Industry: Water Wheel, Blast Furnace, Grist Mill.
Military: 100 Spearmen, 30 Barbarians, 8 Wolf Riders, Gunpowder.
Economy: Soap, High-Quality Tools.
But it wasn't enough.
"The Baron of Frosthold will return," Rian muttered. "And this time, he won't come for soap. He will come because he fears us."
Rian turned to Lara, who had approached with her ledger.
"Lara, how much Limestone do we have?"
"Tons of it, My Lord. The miners keep piling it up as waste," Lara replied.
"It's not waste," Rian said. "We need to upgrade these walls. Wood and loose stone won't stop a catapult."
He looked at the melting river.
"We need Concrete."
[Ding! Tech Tree Updated]
Next Milestone: Roman Concrete (Opus Caementicium).
Requirements: Lime (Yes), Volcanic Ash (Yes - from Sulfur mine), Aggregate (Yes).
Durability: Lasts for 2,000 years.
"Grom!" Rian shouted down to the courtyard. "Fire up the kiln! We are going to turn rocks into liquid stone!"
End of Chapter 36