Chapter 40 (Patreon)

Chairs scraped across stone as Harold entered the council chambers. Not all at once and certainly not cleanly.

The aides along the walls reacted first—a ripple as benches knocked stone and papers slid from laps. One young clerk nearly tangled his feet as he tried to stand, caught himself on the shoulder beside him, and ended up rigid and red-faced, a slate clutched to his chest.

Across the table, the council rose more smoothly.

Margaret straightened in anticipation of someone entering. Caldwell pushed up from the map with his hand, his eyes focused as he gathered his thoughts. Beth stood as well, while Hale’s seat remained conspicuously empty.

Josh, however, did not.

Josh was halfway through something low and confident that seemed brilliant a second earlier, hand on her chair. Beth turned just enough to give him a look that could strip bark—his favorite kind—and the moment froze, his mouth open, her brow lifting.

Then he realized.

Josh shot upright so fast his chair tipped and clattered behind him. A couple of aides flinched.

Bethel also rose from her seat, but her movements were slow and measured, each motion controlled and regal. Though her expression gave away nothing, she obeyed the unspoken expectation and stood.

Harold took all of it in before he got to his seat.

His guards entered first, armor brushing the doorframe in muted rasping sounds as they spread along the interior wall. Mark and Evan came with him, one carrying a sheaf of rolled parchment, the other already scanning faces like he was counting future problems.

Adeline slipped in behind them, trailing Harold until he chose a seat. She quickly took a seat directly behind him as Harold raised his hand to signal someone.

"Sit." Harold's tone left no room for argument.

The room obeyed in uneven stages. Wood creaked. Someone coughed. Josh righted his fallen chair with a sheepish glance at Beth before lowering himself carefully this time.

Harold moved to the head of the table but did not take the chair.

"Give me a moment," Harold requested.

No one spoke.

He rested his palm against the basin map. The leather surface still held the faint warmth of the last set of hands that had leaned over it. Pins marked roads that had not existed months ago. Small weighted stones showed villages that had once been little more than hopeful names.

The system stirred, and he let the notices rise and began to read.

Organized Work Crews (Common)

When supervising construction efforts involving large coordinated labor groups, task flow improves by 3%.

Material waste is reduced, and Minor structural delays occur 3% less.

Harold’s thumb pressed into the map near Haven. This one he got because they successfully coordinated multiple crews across various projects.

Established Routes (Common)

Travel speed increased by 3% for organized parties moving along frequently used roads between controlled Stele’s.

Hm, this one will upgrade as we travel farther; it's an important one to have, he thought while reading. “Maybe that convoy from the marshes will upgrade this for us. I think this one is based on the distance marched.”

Trade Channel Efficiency (Uncommon)

System tax on forum-mediated trade is reduced by 5%

Harold exhaled slowly. Caldwell had probably already noticed the difference.

Resources moved with less of an invisible theft, though he wondered how the system taxed the animal trade. Lifespan? He marked it and moved on.

Dungeon Integration Doctrine (Uncommon)

Adventurer teams operating on regular dungeon-clearance quests gain improved coordination and rewards by 5%.

“More rewards are always good.”

Drill Familiarity (Common)

Units trained on the same drill regularly imprint those forms 3% faster.

He let that one linger before pushing forward. It was good to see multiple drill perks stacking together. 

Hardened March Discipline (Uncommon)

Soldiers under your banner accumulate fatigue 5% slower during extended movement and forced marches.

“They would need that.” They probably got that because they had centuries marching all over the basin constantly now. 

Banner Cohesion (Uncommon)

Mixed units drawn from multiple Lords maintain formation with 5% greater cohesion when operating under your direct command presence or your representative.

Finally the big one.

Region Perk- First clear all dungeons within the region.

Dungeon Explorer I

Adventurers under your banner will be drawn to dungeons they have not cleared when within 20K of that dungeon. 

Settlement Perk

Adventurers under your banner will earn 10% more loot when clearing a dungeon clear.

The teams that were sent to the other dungeon must have finally cleared it. He remembered Mark's report that two teams had entered and failed before someone finally cleared it. The perk for it was worth it, and if they could get a few more region clears before the other lords, then their adventures would be markedly better, and they could attract more of them. 

The room waited.

Margaret watched him like she was trying to read the numbers he had just seen. Caldwell had one hand on his ledger as if he could feel something shifting in the margins.

Josh avoided Beth’s gaze with impressive concentration while his leg drifted closer to hers.

Adeline sat near the wall with a blank ledger in hand. Ink still marked her palm as she waited. Harold noticed a few confused gazes at her but let it slide.

Harold straightened. He could feel a few more, but decided he had made them wait long enough. “All right,” he said.

“Let’s review where we stand.”

Margaret adjusted her glasses as she spoke up.

"Traffic south of Haven and west of our newest village has increased," Margaret reported. "Most of it is the centaurs, but there are other actors out there I’m assessing as scouts of some kind. Our adventurers have seen other people, and both are hesitant to engage."

Harold stood with one hand braced on the table. The map’s worn edge pressed into his palm. Heat from the lanterns gathered along the back of his neck.

“How reliable are these sources?” he asked.

Margaret’s mouth curved slightly.

"They are alive," Margaret replied. "That remains my preferred metric. The reports match, so unless they're coordinating their responses, I'm inclined to agree. Without my own agents to verify independently, I'm afraid it's the best we can do. Otherwise, Phase 1 has come to an end, and I’m assessing it as successful, as almost all replies on the forum from Henri and the people we believe work for him have stopped. I think he is preparing to move."

A chair creaked somewhere along the wall. An aide shifted his weight and stilled again.

Beth stepped in with a nod to Margaret before the silence could settle too deeply.

She dragged three small wooden markers into a rough line that cut across the basin.

"These are the viable paths he can take based on the terrain," Beth explained. "When this kicked off on your instructions, I sent one of my cartographers to do a rough map of the land from Haven to the edge of the forest facing Henri’s village. Based on that and advice from Hale. I think they will march along the outside of the forest towards Haven."

Her thumb smeared a faint streak of charcoal across the leather. "Otherwise, from my department, we are ready to support the Landing and this operation," Beth concluded.

Josh leaned over her shoulder, close enough that she shifted her stance without looking at him.

"I sent another construction crew down to Haven two weeks ago to help Centurion Ayen," Josh reported. "After speaking to Hale, they came up with a defense plan, and my crew was sent with supplies to implement it. Right now, they are only about a fifth of the way done, but with Margaret's projected timeline, we expect to be done by then. Progress on concrete has been slow, and without a functional limestone mine and the means to transport and process it, I don’t think we will make any meaningful progress. I know Lira has found deposits, but for now, we lack the manpower to mine and transport them." He shrugged, flashing a sheepish smile. "My department doesn't have a large role in this, but I have three crews ready to support where you think they are needed."

Beth gave a quiet snort that carried more opinion than volume. Harold glanced toward Caldwell.

The quartermaster had already opened his ledger. Pages whispered under his fingers as he found his place.

"Thank you for letting me know about the tax reduction," Caldwell said sternly, shooting a look towards Harold. "I only had to redo my numbers after I figured out how much it was. The economy is in full swing now, with goods and services being supplied. The main driver right now is the adventurer economy, but its effects have been widespread. We are still only afloat right now because we own all potion production, but we do have a small amount of tax income. Paying our soldiers and government employees is our largest expenditure. There are a few risks to keep in mind: if potion production stalls further or adventurer spending dips, our income will drop sharply. Our reserves are thin, so even a small disruption may strain our ability to meet obligations. I recommend preparing contingencies for these scenarios. My section has developed industry plans that we can own to generate income. I will send them over to you for review."

He tapped a column with his nail.

"My department has set up a depot at Dalens Hold, and we are staging tatanka convoys there to supply the Cohort in the field. The adventurers there stand ready to escort them where needed. Furthermore, our warehouses here are ready to push supplies where we need them. The last convoy of javelins and caltrops should arrive at Haven by tomorrow," Caldwell concluded.

Mark rocked forward on the balls of his feet as Caldwell finished, hands spread flat on the table like he might push the whole basin into motion himself.

"Adventurers want this," Mark observed. "Guild boards are already full of campaign speculation. The ones who returned from the last one brought back a couple of perks that the others have wanted. Now they are speculating what else they can get from the centaurs and enemy soldiers." He turned to Margaret. "Somehow, it’s gotten out that we are preparing for an assault on Haven, and adventurers are volunteering to be assigned down there. I don't know if that was intentional on your part or if it was leaked somewhere, but for now it has stayed out of the forums."

Harold's expression hardened, and he looked over the table sternly. "Information security is to be taken seriously from this point on. Margaret will interview everyone who was present in these discussions to trace the leak. If it’s needed, I’ll enforce greater oaths."

Margaret nodded once, her face unreadable, but her gaze sharpened. "I'll identify the source and contain it."

Mark continued. "Right now we have almost 40 adventurers in Haven with another 20 on the way there," Mark continued. "Most are frontline fighters, with a couple skilled in stealth, led by Lukas. They’ve been issued the potions you made for them, and the rest are spread between our other villages to maintain the guard there with the reduced garrisons."

Harold let the murmur of the room settle into the wood and stone.

Margaret still stood by the western markers, her hand hovering near a post. Beth wiped charcoal from her thumb onto the edge of the table. Caldwell’s finger paused on a figure in his open ledger. Mark watched everyone as he adjusted the sword at his waist.

Harold drew a slow breath. "Pressure is a privilege; this world has a way of forcing you to grow whether you want to or not. This is just one of those ways; there will be greater challenges, but that all depends on this being completed. We need those steles intact. We need the manpower they generate, and if possible. I need subservient Lords." he told them.

The words did not carry far, yet everyone heard them.

“When this all started all those months ago on Earth, I asked you to trust me and build something with me,” he went on. “Five months ago, we arrived here, and we began to work. At that time, you showed up, and two months ago, I brought each of you a task. You have delivered. You all know the stakes, you all know what is at risk. This must succeed.”

His hand slid across the leather and pointed toward Haven.

“Now we find out if it was enough. Do not underestimate Henri; there is a reason he was so successful in my last life. He is capable and canny.”

He looked at Margaret first.

“Intelligence,” he said. “Are you ready?”

Margaret did not straighten further. She already stood as straight as she intended to.

“My people are in place across all of our villages and watch towers,” she replied. “Signals will reach you before bad actors do.”

He nodded and turned.

“Basin Planning,” he said.

Beth met his gaze without flinching.

“Roads are still being constructed, but we are staged to support however we are needed.”

Josh leaned forward beside her, eager.

“Crews are packed and waiting,” he added. “We build where you point.”

Harold inclined his head once.

“Finance.”

Caldwell closed his ledger halfway, finger still holding his page.

“Coin is allocated,” he said. “Depots stocked. Convoys rolling. If this campaign stalls, it will not be because we didn’t do our part.”

A faint twitch at the corner of Harold’s mouth acknowledged the reminder it was.

“Adventurers.”

Mark answered immediately.

“They’re already volunteering,” he said. “We can flood Haven with blades with a week's warning.”

Evan gave a small nod.

“I’ll keep the quests tight,” he added. “No one freelances under campaign conditions. Fortunately, this is a defensive fight for us. Quests will be plentiful.”

Harold let his gaze travel the full length of the table.

Each face. Each department. Each weight he had chosen to carry alongside his own.

“Good,” he said.

He rested both palms flat against the basin map.

“Give Lord Dalen and Captain Hale the order to attack,” he said. “Send out our adventurers. I want eyes on Henri the moment he moves. If this is successful. We will capture three towns with their steles intact and control the basin.”

The room began to move. Chairs scraped and pages turned. Runners were already halfway to the door before anyone realized they had begun moving.

Margaret collected her quill while moving viciously towards Mark and Evan. Caldwell snapped his ledger shut. Josh turned to Beth to say something, but she beat him to it. “Don’t you dare say it.” Josh looked glumly at her as she patted his hand.

Behind Harold, Adeline watched with a different expression.

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