Chapter 27: The Upgrade Ceremony! The Military Workshop!
Kaiden called Rob forward first. He placed his hand on his shoulder, looked at the upgrade interface that appeared, then selected "Confirm." Two Origin Points were spent in an instant.
The familiar white flash appeared and enveloped Rob's body completely. When it faded, the change was dramatic. His simple leather armor and rusty iron sword were gone. In their place was a sharp sword gleaming under the sunlight, and a solid steel breastplate covering his chest, bearing simple engravings that conveyed strength. His previously hesitant, shy aura transformed into a cool and decisive one. Rob had officially entered the elite soldier class.
He knelt on one knee before Kaiden, his voice trembling with gratitude: "Thank you for your blessing, my lord! I swear to serve you until death!"
Kaiden looked at his information board and saw that his loyalty had risen to 90% — one of the highest loyalty ratings in the entire territory. Seeing that number made the sincerity of his words feel even more real. He patted his shoulder warmly: "I trust you."
After dismissing Rob to grow accustomed to his new strength, Kaiden ordered the five villagers to step forward. One by one, he placed his hand on their shoulders and spent one Origin Point for each. They thanked him warmly, bowed, then hurried off to their new duties, their bodies buzzing with energy.
"Only the craftsmen remain," he murmured, looking at the four standing before him.
He called Hook the Blacksmith to step forward first. Hook was the very first craftsman Kaiden had ever summoned, so his feelings toward him ran deeper than toward the other craftsmen. Hook stepped forward with his broad frame and a humble smile on his face.
Kaiden didn't delay. He still had many things to do today. He placed his hand on Hook's wide shoulder and selected "Confirm." This time, 5 Origin Points were spent all at once. Unlike villagers and combat units, upgrading craftsmen included the workshops they came with.
The white flash appeared again — but this time it didn't cover only Hook's body. It spread to encompass the entire blacksmith's workshop. When the light faded, the workshop had changed. It was slightly larger and more spacious inside. The equipment within had evolved: the furnace was bigger, the hammer was better, and the quality of the remaining tools had risen. Kaiden had known this in advance, having read about it in the workshop book the night before, so he didn't show much surprise.
He looked at Hook's new information board. His rank now read: "Seasoned Blacksmith," with a maximum of 15 levels. Future path: "Expert Blacksmith," requiring 20 Origin Points to upgrade. He noted that the required Origin Points had tripled — but he wasn't particularly concerned. Unlike many Lords, he had an enthusiastic butcher, numerous combat units, and a monster-luring strategy that was running smoothly — which meant he had a practically endless source of Origin Points.
Kaiden deliberated for only a moment, then continued the upgrade ceremony. Masmar the Carpenter stepped forward, Kaiden placed his hand on his shoulder, and selected "Confirm." A similar scene unfolded: the white flash, the workshop expanding, the equipment being updated. The same scene repeated with Joel the Butcher. And the moment the third upgrade was complete, the first quest completion notification of Day Four appeared.
[Quest "Craftsman Upgrade!" Completed! Reward dispatched to the Lord's inventory: Rare Workshop Bundle Blueprint — Apprentice Siege Weapon Maker's Workshop Bundle (Rare).]
"Better than I even imagined!" Kaiden murmured as he read the blueprint's name, his voice colored with excitement and enthusiasm.
But he raised his eyes and saw Sidra, who had been waiting her turn patiently. It wouldn't be proper to keep her waiting any longer. He set aside his excitement temporarily and stepped toward her.
Kaiden placed his hand on Sidra's shoulder and chose to upgrade her. As usual, her appearance changed slightly — becoming a little more elegant, though she still looked warm and friendly, her gentle smile unchanged. Her tavern received noticeable upgrades: the building grew in size, the tables increased in number and were now made from higher quality wood, and the cooking equipment was improved and expanded.
Everyone thanked him with deep gratitude, bowed, then dispersed to inspect their newly upgraded workplaces.
With these upgrades, the territory's development rate is going to accelerate considerably, Kaiden thought, a full sense of accomplishment washing over him.
Now that he had finished his tasks, he took the rare workshop blueprint from his inventory and immediately opened its information interface:
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Name: Apprentice Siege Weapon Maker's Workshop Bundle Blueprint (Rare)
Type: Military Workshop
Description: A workshop dedicated to producing the most common siege weapons, such as catapults capable of hurling large boulders, and battering rams capable of breaching the gates of massive walls.
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Kaiden exclaimed with excitement — this was far better than anything he had imagined.
In truth, the few lines he had read last night about the end of the seven days stated specifically: When the seven days of Beginner Protection come to an end, the protective barrier will vanish and be replaced by a defensive wall that protects the territory. The wall's strength, defensive weapons, and durability depend on the Lord's Crown tier at the moment the seven days conclude.
What did that mean? First, it meant he no longer needed to worry about being left exposed in the open when the protective barrier suddenly disappeared. Second, breaching enemy territories would become enormously more difficult. And it was precisely there — that siege weapons would completely change the balance of war.
So Kaiden's excitement was entirely understandable.
He immediately set aside all his other plans and chose to build this important structure first. He selected a suitable plot of land, took out the blueprint, and confirmed the construction.
In the spot he had chosen, an imposing building materialized — constructed from sturdy timber and heavy iron. It was at least three times the size of an ordinary workshop. Its doors were enormous, fitted with massive iron rings. The door swung open slowly, and out stepped a middle-aged man of short stature but with a solid, muscular build. His hair and beard were thick and fiery red. He stepped forward toward Kaiden and knelt on one knee: "Aws greets the Lord!"
Kaiden greeted him with a wide smile.
"Rise. Welcome to my emerging territory, Aws."
He had a quick conversation with him. Aws explained that his workshop wasn't limited to catapults and battering rams — he could also produce long wall-scaling ladders, arrow towers, and other simpler siege equipment. He told him that something like a single ladder took anywhere from six to eight hours to produce, provided the required resources of iron and wood were available. As for more advanced items, such as a catapult, producing a single one required two full days.
Upon hearing this, Kaiden sank into thought. The end of the seven-day Beginner Protection period is drawing near. When it comes, the world is going to be far more brutal than it is now. With that in mind, he ordered Aws to begin producing a catapult immediately.
A catapult was a massive weapon, so it consumed a great deal of resources. A single catapult required 150 units of iron and 300 units of wood. Fortunately, Kaiden still had just barely enough iron — though much had been spent on upgrading the Lord's Hall. He opened his inventory, withdrew the required resources, and placed them in large quantities before the building.
After dealing with that matter, Kaiden didn't stop for even a moment. He selected an open area to use the daily summon opportunity. He had already fallen a little behind today.
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— End of Chapter Twenty-Seven —