Chapter 36: Working with Speed and Efficiency!
Thank you to 'Ermaras' and 'Scott Moore' for their support of the novel and for subscribing on Patreon
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Casper was taken aback when he saw the Lord appearing dizzy, and said with concern creeping into his voice:
"My lord, are you alright?!"
Casper's voice pulled Kaiden out of his reverie. He blinked twice, then replied quickly:
"Oh… I'm fine. I drifted off for a moment."
Casper exhaled with relief. He had feared the Lord had suffered food poisoning or something similar.
Today's quests are numerous. I cannot afford to waste a single moment.
Kaiden rose quickly and turned to Casper:
"Casper, send me everyone who has reached their rank maximum."
"At once, my lord!"
Kaiden thought for a moment, and before Casper could leave, added:
"Also… send me Golan and Laura."
"As you command, my lord." Casper bowed respectfully and set off at a quick, steady pace.
Kaiden remained alone before the Lord's Hall. He made use of the moment and activated the daily summon opportunity — and twenty additional people appeared before him.
He looked them over. Today's luck was poorer than yesterday's. Only two elite soldiers, four militia soldiers, and fourteen villagers. He distributed the villagers among the workshops, which were growing in number every day. After Rob's promotion to elite soldier, Kaiden no longer looked down on militia soldiers. They were all precious assets to his emerging territory.
In truth, the words "emerging territory" no longer accurately described what Kaiden had built. In less than five days, it had transformed from a single building in a barren wasteland into something resembling a lively small town. The change had been extraordinary and sweeping.
His powerful territory talent had played the largest role, of course — but his personal effort was no small part of it either. Since arriving in this world, with the exception of sleep, Kaiden had not stopped for a single moment. He was like a machine that knew neither fatigue nor boredom.
By comparison, ninety percent of the other human Lords were still at the level of a small village or less. The gap had truly grown vast.
After dismissing the crowd of new residents, Casper returned, a smaller group behind him: Golan, Laura, and those who had reached their rank maximum.
Kaiden looked them over. Three craftsmen. Six villagers. And five militia soldiers. The first quest of the day is as good as done.
Casper organized the order, and Kaiden began the upgrade ceremony. He started with the three craftsmen: the Bone Carver, the Leatherworker, and the Tailor.
Upgrading new craftsmen would bring a fresh wave of development. For example, the pressure on the leatherworker had been enormous due to the abundance of monster hides. The same applied to the bone carver — he now had four archers, and arrows required either a carpenter or a bone carver. The tailor too had a significant contribution that would be valuable to the territory's future. In short, craftsmen were no less important than combat units. Each person had their role.
After finishing the craftsmen's and villagers' upgrades, the militia soldiers remained. He saw the eagerness in their eyes, and so added a few extra words:
"Today you will be promoted to elite soldiers. This is a reward for your efforts over the past days."
"Thank you for your blessing, my lord! We will give everything we have!"
Kaiden nodded and continued:
"But do not be satisfied with this result. Reaching elite is only the first step. The Hero rank is what you should be striving toward."
"We will not disappoint you, my lord!"
"I trust you."
He began upgrading them one by one. At the fourth, a notification appeared:
[Quest "Elite Promotion!" Completed! Reward dispatched: Random Elite Soldiers ×3.]
He finished upgrading the fifth. With the two he had gained earlier through the daily summon, plus the three from the quest reward, the number of elite soldiers had increased by ten in a single day. The total had become twenty-six elite soldiers — extraordinary.
I now have a small army.
His concern about the spiders and goblins eased considerably. Goblins? Spiders? They were nothing against an army of elite soldiers equipped with sturdy armor, sharp weapons, and military training.
His mood lifted. He glanced instinctively toward Golan and Laura.
Ah… I nearly forgot them.
He slapped his palm against his forehead. He opened their level boards. The surprise was that Laura was ahead of Golan — she had reached the midpoint of Level Nine, while Golan was still at the beginning of Level Eight. But that was natural. Since her arrival, Laura had fought more battles and maintained a higher kill rate. Both were trusted soldiers of his, so it didn't matter whose level was higher.
"Laura, you don't have much left before you reach your rank threshold. Come to me the moment you do. You will be the first champion in our territory. An early congratulations."
Laura knelt on one knee. She tried to speak with gravity and composure, but joy slipped out in her voice in spite of herself:
"Thank you, my lord! I will remain the sharp arrow in the hearts of your enemies!"
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— End of Chapter Thirty-Six —
Author’s note: I apologise that this short chapter is the only one of its kind in my novel; all subsequent chapters will be longer, especially after chapter 40. For example, chapter 46, which I have just published on Patreon, is just over 2,000 words long.