Chapter 26: Day Four! The Upgrade Ceremony!
Author's note: Thank you for your support; I'll do my best
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Kaiden woke feeling a comfort throughout his body unlike anything he had experienced before. He stretched out in his luxurious bed for a moment, savoring the sensation, then opened his eyes and looked through the arched window. The sun was still low on the horizon. He smiled. He had woken earlier today than yesterday — perhaps because he had slept more comfortably, having finally enjoyed a hot bath and gone to bed in clean silken clothing.
He rose from his bed quickly, attended to his morning needs, then washed his hands and face feeling refreshed. He then went to the wardrobe and selected a new outfit — an elegant suit consisting of trousers and a black shirt with fine gold pinstripes that lent him a noble appearance. He added a pair of shiny black shoes that complemented the suit. There was also a luxurious noble robe included with the set, but Kaiden didn't put it on. His territory ran at a high temperature, and he had never been accustomed to wearing such heavy robes — so he preferred comfort over a forced appearance.
He stood before the mirror that had been added alongside the wardrobe and looked at his reflection. The suit and shoes fit him perfectly, as though made specifically for him. Finally… I'm starting to look like a proper Lord, he thought, adjusting his shirt collar. Previously he had felt a little self-conscious before Casper, who treated him with great respect and wore an elegant suit, while he himself had been dressed in a tattered robe resembling a beggar's. Now… that feeling was gone at last.
He opened his bedroom door and descended the staircase to the main hall. Casper was waiting for him at the entrance of the spacious Lord's Hall, standing perfectly upright. At some unknowable moment, when the Head Steward saw his master descending, he bowed respectfully as was his custom and placed his hand on his chest: "Good morning, my lord. I trust you had a restful night."
"Good morning, Casper," Kaiden replied with a smile.
The two walked side by side toward Sidra's tavern. Kaiden still preferred communal breakfast over eating in solitude. He found in the gathering of everyone around the long tables a positive energy that reminded him he was the ruler of all these people.
Upon their arrival, Sidra and her new assistant were still busily preparing breakfast. Kaiden sat at one of the tables and gestured for Casper to sit with him. While waiting, he opened his system interface and chose to activate his territory talent to generate the fourth day's quests.
The familiar interface appeared:
Generating daily quests…
5 territory quests generated:
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1 — Age of Poultry:
Details: Place the fertilized eggs in the poultry coop and wait for them to hatch.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Reward: Poultry Feed Seed Bundle ×1.
2 — Craftsman Upgrade:
Details: Raise the rank of at least 3 craftsmen.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Reward: Random Rare Workshop Bundle Blueprint ×1.
3 — Intelligence Gatherer:
Details: Explore the lands of 3 new Lords.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Reward: Random Elite Soldiers ×5.
4 — Optimal Use of Earth Magic:
Details: Use magic to do something beneficial for the territory.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Reward: +2 levels in your class.
5 — Leader of Humanity:
Details: Send a message on the World Chat sharing what you know about the end of the seven-day Beginner Protection period.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Reward: Rare Voucher ×1.
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Kaiden read through all the quests carefully and with deep thought. The first thing he noticed was the absence of a Lord's Crown upgrade quest for the second consecutive day. It seems my territory talent doesn't set near-impossible tasks, he thought with a relieved sigh. Fulfilling the rest of the upgrade requirements was manageable — but as for the Lord's Hall, it was truly a gold-devouring beast. The Level Nine requirements were still somewhat out of reach.
"The first, second, and fifth quests are straightforward," he murmured under his breath as he continued reading. For the fifth quest, he simply had to share a summary of what he knew about the end of the seven days. He didn't know a great deal — only a few lines he had read in the book — and he had no issue sharing them with others. Especially since the quest reward was very enticing: a rare voucher.
As for the craftsman upgrade quest, he had plenty of Origin Points. Yesterday, his forces had killed seven different monsters, he himself had killed one, and the expedition team had killed four enemies. His total now stood at a full 54 Origin Points. Upgrading a few craftsmen was nothing to him at this point.
Even the third quest, despite how challenging it appeared, was something Kaiden was fairly certain wouldn't be too difficult. The reason? His chance encounter with Ashbel on his very first expedition — Ashbel's territory had not been far from his own land. So Kaiden expected there to be many Lords, of various races, within his nearby surroundings.
But what truly puzzled him was the content of the fourth quest. Use magic to do something beneficial for the territory… but how? He tilted his head slightly, staring at the text. What could he do with the Earth Manipulation skill beyond combat? Could he…
At that moment, Sidra finished preparing breakfast. The smell of rice cooked with meat filled the space. Everyone began filing into the tavern and gathering around the tables. Kaiden felt hungry too, so he set his thoughts aside for later.
While eating, Kaiden suddenly remembered something. He reached into his pocket and took out the book "Memoirs of Sir Agonso the Alchemist." He turned to Luther, who was sitting at the nearby table absorbed in his meal.
"Luther," Kaiden called, extending the book toward him. "Take this. It will be far more useful to you than to me."
At first, Luther's reaction was entirely ordinary. He thanked Kaiden simply and took the book in both hands. "Thank you, my lord." Then he turned the cover and began flipping through the first pages with mild curiosity.
But after turning only a few pages, he froze in place. His body began to tremble — not from fear, but from an overwhelming surge of excitement and exhilaration beyond description. His eyes went wide as he read the headings and alchemical terminology. He raised his head toward Kaiden and said in a voice trembling from sheer emotion: "My lord… this treasure… thank you! Thank you so much!"
Luther no longer cared about finishing his meal. He rose from the table, the book open in his hands, and walked toward his laboratory reading, barely lifting his eyes from the pages. Kaiden watched him walk away and shook his head helplessly. Had I known, I would have waited until he finished his breakfast before handing him the book.
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After everyone finished breakfast, and before dispersing to their duties, Kaiden raised his voice and addressed those present: "Anyone who has reached their upgrade threshold — remain where you are."
Everyone stopped. Some left for their work, but a considerable number stayed standing in their places, watching Kaiden with anticipation. They were:
- Five more villagers, all of whom had reached the maximum level for their rank.
- Four craftsmen: Hook the Blacksmith, Masmar the Carpenter, Joel the Butcher, and Sidra the Cook.
As for the combat units, Kaiden noticed that many of the militia soldiers were close to reaching their rank threshold, but none had arrived yet — with one exception. Rob, the very first militia soldier summoned upon his arrival in this world.
Kaiden felt this was a fitting moment. He smoothed his new black shirt and delivered a brief address:
"All of you have worked hard over these past days. Your contributions to building this territory are plain for all to see. And today… the time has come to reward you for your efforts."
Kaiden left it at that. Truthfully, he was not skilled at giving speeches. He was a programmer, not a politician. Resounding rhetoric and grand oratory simply weren't in his nature.
But despite the simplicity of his words, the effect was remarkably strong. Everyone bowed to him with deep gratitude and thanked him in overlapping voices. To them, a Lord who acknowledged their efforts and rewarded them for it was the finest commander they could ever hope to serve.
Kaiden gestured toward Rob, who was standing in the front row: "Rob, step forward."
Rob took a step forward, and on his face appeared the combined look of shyness and anticipation.
The upgrade ceremony had officially begun.
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— End of Chapter Twenty-Six —