A long bath helped, but afterwards, as I made my way down to dinner, every step was a painful one. My muscles were already stiffening. It would be even worse in the morning. Still, I was determined. And that encounter with the ambassador of Southway just made me even more so.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS7QRQ9WJj
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A long, polished wooden table had been laid out with what looked like a banquet to me, despite my instructions. Silver candelabra held our source of light, light which glittered off a wide array of polished trays and bowls. There were grapes; cherries, apples and peaches stacked high; there were at least four kinds of fish, filleted and laid out with herbs and lemon on trays decorated with fishing net designs; bowls of peas, green beans, tomatoes and carrots were full to the brim, at least four different kinds of bread had been prepared, with slices and rolls displayed on yet more silver trays; while goblets of cut glass sparkled, ready to receive wine from a choice of six decanters.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuiPRJsXM8
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The table was laid for four people but the placings were spaced so far apart that it was like a socially distanced event during the COVID pandemic back home. Much to the consternation of a servant who was standing by the wall and hurriedly came over to help, I started re-arranging the plates and cutlery, bringing all the places up to the top end.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4Ft7TCBWU
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No sooner than I'd taken my own seat, than Lord Arval, my Paladin General came in with a brisk march. Even for dinner, it seemed, he wore his chainmail and carried his sword. With a gesture that was nearly a smile, he took the seat to my right after I pointed to it.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡna9KBzDwyv
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJR4fExej6
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDDUJqOjUU
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjItt7OB7gg
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEvYdpgx0R
'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4Rmqy4Ojm
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH9xymmqTB
'That you were offered wine and women for the rest of your life if you'd do the bidding of their king and you refused, telling him that it was him who would be grovelling in chains before you.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmGbXWocGs
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Zjeabi1C
'Did I though?' I laughed. 'The story has grown. Good. They have the spirit right at least. That guy was so smug, I wanted to punch him in the face.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5XWaMQP2r
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIzVexileJ
We were interrupted by the arrival of Chancellor Parrin and the sorceress Carlena. Although they were not arm in arm, there was something about them that suggested to me they might be a couple. They were the right ages – she with silver hair and he with the grey and sliver of his beard – and they moved towards me with an ease in each other's company.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcz4B20ptPd
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'Another innovation I see,' said the Chancellor with a glance at the place settings and then at the servants. I got the message: careful, go easy on the changes.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMd76Qz91y
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I repeated my story of meeting the ambassador of Southway, to the approval of Parrin and Carlena but they were surprisingly taciturn. Only when we had eaten did Carlena lean towards me, so that I caught the full intensity of her stunning purple eyes, and whisper, 'send the servants away please, so we can talk properly.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIUyPeavI9
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I nodded. And after the next time my glass was refilled, I slapped the table with my heavy palm (it was effective for that at least). 'Out! Servants out and don't disturb us until you are called for.' I spoke with unnecessary volume as they jumped to respond.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO5QqIzFFc
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6VHGJrgtN
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzRssEHqDP
The two of them then began an interrogation that would have never have been allowed by the previous king. What was I researching? What was I building? How would we cope with the loss of our grain-generating lands? What other information was in the menus? On the whole they were cautiously positive about my decisions and plans. At least, they didn't propose I make any changes to it. I was warned that my popularity, already very low, would drop further if we did start trading iron to the necromancer king, but they could see the necessity of this.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjixhrYmcR
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyblx8QITCo
By the end of their questions, I was totally clear about one thing. Carlena, Parrin and (to a lesser extent) Lord Arval saw me as their instrument. I was accountable to them and had to take their instruction. In business terms, this was a board meeting and I was the CEO, not a king with absolute power. This didn't upset me. I could totally see their point of view: the kingdom was on the ropes and everything they owned, including their lives, was in jeopardy. They couldn't afford any mistakes from me. Also, while I quite enjoyed the authority of being king and the way all the people were quick to obey me, I didn't like the barrier that the role created. At least here, with these three, I could be myself.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbehkL7wNk
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuH3iU7lgLE
'I have a question about the menus,' I looked from one to the other. 'How is it there are so few people on them compared to the size of Carrick?'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tvhG7TIJt
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnHk1LxIH1
It was Carlena who answered. 'I believe the numbers allowed on the menu are capped in some way by the overall happiness of the realm. Most of our citizens would join the menus if allowed, wanting Miya to triumph and not wishing to be conquered. You should try to facilitate them.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDeIC83tY5
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwqOs52iD2
That made sense and exporing how to raise happiness was yet another goal for me to add to the 'to do' list.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7Ol885kPr
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddkx5cMBRE
'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpWgy03eae
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'I don't know yet.' I patted the rolls of stomach fat that were resting on the table top. 'I've made a start on shedding these. But I haven't seen any change to my character sheet yet.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4FMPwq6AQ
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0L2Z6xnBS
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'I'm not even a Fighter yet,' I confessed. 'In fact I was thinking my character sheet meant I should be a Sorcerer or Cleric.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiix7CQKsj
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7phCB7UBD
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'Oh no,' said Carlena. 'Not a Sorcerer. You won't have any spells. To obtain spells you have to build a scriptorium of the spell level and then research them, getting a random result It would take you forever. And it's not what we need on the battlefield.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtRVCTlsGy
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1jis7ZIeQ
'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOXkrKvEWX
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BVKVzbhIk
I caught the Scout's eyes and said, 'I'll start levelling up soon. But with my current stats, I'd be a hopeless warrior of any sort. I have to find out can I improve my Strength before starting my personal progression as a fighter. Really, I should be a caster: a mage or cleric. And I also need to know how to level. Do I fight monsters? Complete quests?'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8PqvSdHfW
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvpan60pwG
'I suppose you are right to wait,' Lord Arval spoke after a short interval. 'But every day that you are not progressing is a day more for them to get ahead. You could easily reach level two or even three by performing task quests in the town itself.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinYhgOLUkT
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTBygIe2be
'And we can bring you to areas nearby where there are monsters you can fight and kill for experience,' offered Lord Parrin.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1Cw4vBkM7
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcWR8PsHmJ
That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyr19Dslxp
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I took a deep breath. 'I will progress soon then. For now though, my body is a mass of aches and pain. I can barely lift this fork with my left hand, my shoulder is so sore. There's nothing more I could have done today to advance this body towards where it should be.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABuPEYGqDG
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAay0CqQ0U
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6xhMFHg2r
'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vGFwZtsje
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'Indeed. And in that light, provoking the king of Southway might not have been wise.' Carlena spoke tentatively, as if exploring the idea.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZSP7SvZDq
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'Sean was right to refute him so publicly and so firmly,' Arval came in, 'the message to the soldiers and people was clear. We will endure.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSxDlSXAwC
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Chancellor Parrin nodded. 'I think so too. But still, there is a real danger of the two armies continuing their advance together and overcoming our defences.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjckWsIzcwj
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpiKfmgZ4l
'Speaking of which, I'd like to see them. We have a fort at the head of the valley that leads here, right? I might be able to upgrade it.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXauQfiPZcm
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp5o28uWAX
'You can't get there, it is thirty miles away and no horse can carry you.' It was Arval who made this depressing, if practical, point.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuoWrTKcm8
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0PxYKKWnz
'I can show you on the map at least,' offering Parrin, 'and you should be able to find a menu for it. It's called Three-Ways Fort.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6htFllo4r
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDnqOTEtbr
'I'll check later. And if it's all right with you, I'll move any remaining troops from here down to it, including the new archers.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0ja2uw4UQ
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKf8AIPtIC
Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7U8b7q2l2T
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I had been thinking about Carlena's point about unnecessarily provoking King Wace. 'Could we maybe divide them? By talking with Queen Rorg… whatever … the Trolland queen. By suggesting that we might be willing to be a protectorate under her?'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf65xPzMXdl
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6RE1RBqbv
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc2QEMql3v
'When he gets back,' I said.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnPfKZPtfg
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGbLIkHe7o
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'In the meantime, I think you need to go down to the lowlands and monitor the enemy's movements, to give us notice if they are advancing.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8U95HRpQS
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bR2WUg5vv
'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6u6j6J5YqB
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnCQ6cjoRb
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ387BH2bXzs
'It's been a while since I dusted off my scout skills, but you know what, I'll do it!' Parrin rubbed his beard around his mouth, where a smile was forming. 'I'll set out in the morning.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbHYHraqEB
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73PViRaSiN
'Just don't take any risks.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cCqnKKduA
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When our strategizing was at an end, Lord Arval called the servants back in and we resumed a more formal tone, until I was ready for my bed. Well, not quite ready.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkXeYBBOaQ
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNlAnLhFQS
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtnyVHL4c7
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC3Xq7vgFN
'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0jNVP6bez
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2uwLVys3k
It was an effort, I was almost tempted to ask for help and a push, but my groaning legs carried me up two flights of stairs until I collapsed on the bed. Not long after I did so, a heavy knock came on the door and after I called for the person to come in. It was the masseur I was expecting. Well, not quite. A tall, muscular man in a soldier's tunic came in.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphUduOtAEX
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWRkMmB6r2
'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNQYIF8JqN
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MLIJLauKW
'Please.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8qbSYnwzj
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjH5FoP9cO
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhJ3ZaiaBa
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He nodded. 'Too right. You know they make the dummy out of lead, deliberate like? So when you pick up your first real blade, it feels light.'376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOVAlAXaL8
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I didn't reply and soon I felt his hands on the backs of my thighs, through my clothes. I wasn't going to remove them, even if that limited his access.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7mTmpHfQm
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2vylUm3IC
Before long, I was getting some serious work done, loosening my cramped and tight muscles and while it was borderline painful, it was effective. What with the wine and the exercise, I'd sleep well. There was one thought still nagging me though, arising from the questions that the sorceress and the chancellor had raised with me. Oh yes. The hunting lodge, level 2 had been due for completion earlier this evening.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTK8XcuWATU
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNENzYVVv01
I paused the massage long enough to call down the town menu, then got back into position while I studied it.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0V40uP5IP
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6wmXJMtrl
Greyland376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwNb4P8Fmn
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O1Rrd17JT
Economy376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75vp2ijtKd
Currently building:376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLow2ptqW9
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFttz8rwDzm
Monthly trade income: 0376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAtZSdWNyT
Monthly tax income: 54 gold376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVSDHvurM5
Treasury: 2 gold376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKOsZjY211
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7VJqNHS3Q
Daily food consumption: 13 units376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei4JROJipZ
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwieZfTlVL
Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgeH9Sjcuf
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaqcHhBllL
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZIR0Aboae
Meat yield: 5 units daily376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ahaZXUxiG
Timber yield: 17 planks daily376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz04TX2wet
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYfJ6sSJb4
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhiNLCpc5J
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17DU4BYzPj
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IgmqjsHfP
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Research: Shipbuilding One376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0L1Kx9Yxy
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Resources:376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmnHsCkBFZ
Wheat: 14 food units376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDeCa4GbcK
Vegetables: 25 food units376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieGfiF0SeS
Meat: 8 food units376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqrPJExVNd
Wool: 7 bales376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQAxtA2uFD
Timber: 150 planks376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6RP2J9mGu
Iron: 0 ingots376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPkIy314Vt
Stone: 39 blocks376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCdC1obxGz
Cloth: 4 bolts
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWgpAEJnyn
The meat yield had gone up by one. I had hoped for two but I couldn't argue with a 25% increase. That still left us losing about 6 food units a day, with reserves of 47. I winced, and not from the pain of the knuckles digging into my shoulder. I had to set a new town building project and the attractive options were hunting lodge level 3 or mine level 3. Both would take two days to upgrade.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTw9iYT875
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHVY9ZlEBg
In trying to figure out which of the two would work best for solving the food crisis, I realised that something was wrong. The smithy should have made me eighty-four steel pickaxes. If they significantly improved iron output, I would build the next level of hunting lodge. Yet the smithy was on hold.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55dz7Hzb8E
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLWnJX84aB
The problem was iron. I had made a mistake. I blushed at the thought of talking about this with the others. If I had waited to create the new archers, I would have had plenty of iron for the pickaxes. Scrolling deeper into the menus, I could see that the Smithy had built a stock of 12 pickaxes before I had assigned the remaining iron to training the archers. Then it had come to a halt.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1eZqZk7oW
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcV92Do4SK
Oh well, I allocated the twelve new pickaxes to the miners and given that at least two iron would come in tomorrow, the Smithy would be able to make 24 steel pickaxes, which would surely improve the daily output of iron? Three days would see me with a mining workforce fully equipped with the new pickaxes. Three days though. When I should have been using those days in building up a surplus ready to trade for food if Figus came back from the Necromancer with a decent deal.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GZK9vsk2q
376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Du7815Uyf
This was discouraging, but more positive was the discovery that the hunting lodge level 2 had the capacity for four more workers. That was a must. I assigned the new hunters from the reserves of workers (now only 8 strong) and went for the hunting lodge level 3 as the next build. While iron was vital, food was even more so and there was no guaranteeing that my ambassador would even return, let alone with a trade agreement.
