My Farming Domain Is Broken

Carlos raised his spear. The system panel for the hostile-damage claim appeared beside him again, waiting for an answer.

He looked at it for one second. Then he closed it.

The panel disappeared.

Everyone on the other side of the marker went quiet.

Leon’s confidence returned first. He thought Carlos had backed down. Carlos turned toward Brann.

"That troll. The one under your hammer. Use Crushing Blow on its head."

Brann looked down at the Marsh Troll trying to force its damaged knee straight again. Brann grinned this time and asked again, thinking he had heard wrong.

"Head?"

"Kill it."

Brann raised the hammer with both hands. A glow formed on the hammer’s head before it came down.

The sound did not carry far. It was too heavy for that. The troll’s body jerked once against the mud, then stopped.

Its knee did not straighten again.

The other two trolls watched it fall still. So did every Lord beyond the marker.

Carlos looked at Kaia.

"The rider too. Kill it, Kaia."

Evan’s hand tightened on his shield. Tomas looked from Carlos to the bound Goblin Wolf Rider.

Kaia did not ask him to repeat the order. She walked to the rider, drew her sword, and ended it with one clean movement.

The rider’s wolf pulled against its reins from farther down the eastern path. Its eyes stayed on Kaia until its Lord dragged it back.

Carlos pointed his spear toward the two berserkers lying in the mud.

"Do not leave them alive."

The Bearkin Guardian moved first. Its weapon came down on the wounded berserker near the storehouse. Nessa put an arrow into the other before it could pull itself upright.

The district became silent again. Nobody cheered as the enemies fell. The atmosphere was too thick for that.

Rhea still held the stone she had meant to carry to the channel wall. Milan stood beside her with both hands around a broken piece of wood. Evan had not moved from the rider after Kaia’s sword came down.

They had all heard Carlos give the orders. They had all watched his people carry them out.

Carlos saw the fear on their faces. He also saw what waited beyond the marker if he gave Leon room to gather himself again.

The five Lords had arrived believing that workers, farmers, and a damaged district would make him easy to bend.

They needed to understand the difference between Carlos refusing a trade and Carlos deciding there would be no more trade. Leon stared at the dead troops.

"They were summons," he said, but there was no strength in it. "You killed them over a district!"

Carlos looked at the black oil on the mud beside the building.

"Are you really saying that? You are making me look like the smarter one right now, fucker. YOU were the one who tried to burn the food with that oil. YOU broke the channel that feeds the whole goddamn district. YOU fucking came here after deciding my people did not matter."

He lifted the spear slightly.

"Do not tell me what they were to you. That ship sailed when you tried to kill my people."

The hyenas had stopped growling. The remaining wolf rider had turned its mount sideways, ready to run. The two living trolls stayed where they were, broken and unable to decide whether to crawl back or fight.

Leon’s mouth had opened slightly.

"This is not possible," he said. "My troops are stronger than yours! T-They are better than yours."

There it was. No matter how mature Leon tried to look, every Lord was still only eighteen years old in this world.

Carlos walked toward him slowly, making each step look like a threat.

Kaia followed on his left. Brann came from the other side with its hammer hanging low in one hand. Carlos stopped just inside the old marker line.

Leon was less than ten metres away. Carlos opened his inventory.

He selected the Warden Chain, the trump card he had kept hidden until now.

For a moment, it looked ordinary. Then every link shifted and wrapped around Carlos’s forearm, cold against his skin.

Leon’s eyes narrowed, and he could not help but ask.

"... What is that?"

Carlos did not answer. The chain quickly left his arm, crossed the wet ground in a black line, and wrapped around Leon’s throat before anyone could move.

Leon clawed at it. The links tightened enough to pull him forward onto one knee.

The other Lords stumbled back in panic. Julian’s face lost all colour.

"Carlos, stop. Killing Leon will bring the whole Arkwright family down on you. The Beginner Period will not protect you from what comes after."

Another Lord spoke over him.

"His family has alliances. Y-You cannot do this. We admit defeat, we will go away!"

Carlos looked down at Leon as the chain held him in the mud.

"I do not care. Just shut up until I tell you all to speak again. I am too annoyed at this point."

Leon’s fingers scraped at the links around his neck and Carlos continued.

"There are nine days left. When the Beginner Period ends, I will show the main Goldwin branch what I built. I will show them how much food I produce and what I control. They will not ignore me after that."

He leaned closer.

"Your family will not be able to do anything to me. And if they try, I will deploy every ounce of my strength to destroy them."

Leon tried to speak but nothing came out except a rough breath.

Carlos loosened the chain just enough for him to answer.

"Which one of you owns the troll troop?"

Nobody answered at first, confused about why he had asked something like that all of a sudden.

Carlos tightened the chain again. Leon struck the ground once with his palm in pain.

"... Me," he forced out.

"What is it called?"

"Marsh Troll Barracks."

Carlos opened the Lord message panel.

--

[Carlos Goldwin]- Find a cheap Common troop barrack within the next 2 minutes. It is very urgent. I need it for a trade. I will approve the cost. Just be quick.

--

He closed the message and looked back at Leon.

"You trade the Marsh Troll Barracks to me. My beloved merchant friend will arrange a Common barrack for you so you can survive the remaining days."

Leon shook his head as much as the chain allowed.

"No."

Carlos did not argue and just made the chain tight around the neck again.

Leon’s face turned red. Both hands came up to the links, but he could not get his fingers beneath them. The woman among the five Lords stepped forward.

She looked into Carlos’s eyes once and knew exactly what lengths he could go to right now.

"Leon, accept it."

He looked at her with disbelief.

"Y-You bitch! Want me to give him my barracks?"

"I want you to stay alive," she said in a strained voice, as if she was protecting him out of an order, not companionship.

Carlos opened a trade panel between them.

--

[Trade Proposal]

[Carlos Goldwin offers: One Common troop barrack, to be delivered through a system trade arranged by Cosmic Merchant]

[Leon Arkwright offers: Marsh Troll Barracks]

[Both parties must confirm, as the difference in barrack quality is immense]

--

Leon stared at the panel. Carlos kept the chain around his throat.

"Accept it," he said in a loud, deep voice.

For several seconds, Leon did not move. But then his shaking hand touched the panel.

--

[Trade confirmed]

[Marsh Troll Barracks will be transferred to Carlos Goldwin]

[Carlos Goldwin must complete Common troop barrack delivery through the recorded trade terms]

--

The chain loosened. Leon fell forward, coughing into the mud.

Carlos let the chain return to his arm. He looked at the other Lords.

His eyes stopped on the hyenas, then on the wolf rider waiting on the road.

"Now we talk about the rest of you."