Chapter 135: The First Foundation
The candle had burned down to a small pool of wax.
Kael remained seated at the table.
His parchment was covered with writing.
Population.
Food.
Water.
Roads.
Trade.
Defense.
Housing.
Sanitation.
Bathing.
He stared at the list.
There was something strangely satisfying about seeing the problems placed before him instead of floating around inside his mind.
A knock came at the door.
Kael didn’t answer.
Another knock followed.
"My lord?"
Lily.
Kael looked toward the door.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Lily stepped inside carrying a tray.
She stopped when she saw the table.
Her eyes moved across the scattered papers.
Then toward Kael.
Then back to the papers.
"You haven’t slept."
Kael glanced toward the window.
The sky was beginning to brighten.
"I hadn’t noticed."
Lily placed the tray down.
"You have been sitting here all night."
Kael looked at the food.
"What time is it?"
"Morning."
He stared at her.
"Already?"
Lily folded her arms.
"Yes."
Kael rubbed his eyes.
Lily looked at the parchment.
"What are all of these?"
"Problems."
"That is a lot of problems."
"I know."
She picked up one sheet.
Her eyebrows rose.
"You wrote about the villages."
"Yes."
"And roads."
"Yes."
"Food."
"Yes."
"Water."
"Yes."
She reached the bottom.
"Bathing?"
Kael nodded.
Lily slowly lowered the parchment.
"My lord..."
"What?"
"Are you planning to rebuild Blackwood?"
Kael looked at her.
"Eventually."
"Eventually?"
"I don’t know how long it will take."
Lily looked around the room.
"Then why are you awake now?"
"Because I couldn’t sleep."
She gave him a tired look.
"You could have at least eaten."
Kael looked at the tray.
"I will."
"You said that yesterday."
Kael smiled.
"Did I?"
"You did."
Before he could answer, another voice came from the doorway.
"My lord."
Bram stood there.
The old gardener wore a simple brown tunic with worn boots. His gray hair was tied loosely behind his head.
Kael turned.
"What is it?"
"The northern field has been inspected."
"Already?"
Bram nodded.
"The soil is good."
Kael stood.
"How good?"
"Better than some of the fields closer to the estate."
Kael walked toward him.
"What about water?"
"There is a shallow underground stream."
Kael stopped.
"Where?"
Bram pointed toward the northern side of the estate.
"Beyond the old orchard."
Kael’s eyes sharpened.
"How deep?"
"Deep enough that the farmers haven’t been able to reach it."
Kael thought for a moment.
"Could it be brought closer to the surface?"
Bram smiled.
"With enough men."
Kael nodded.
That was the first answer he had received that morning.
He looked toward Lily.
"Find Master Rowan."
"Why?"
"I want him to inspect the old orchard."
Bram chuckled.
"You are already giving him work."
"He’ll complain."
"He always does."
Kael smiled.
"Then he’ll feel at home."
Master Rowan arrived before the morning meal had ended.
The carpenter wore a dark brown vest over a linen shirt. Sawdust clung to his sleeves despite the early hour.
He looked at Kael.
Then at Lily.
Then at Bram.
"Why am I here?"
Kael pointed toward the parchment.
"I want to improve Blackwood."
Rowan stared at him.
"That sounds expensive."
"I know."
"How expensive?"
"I don’t know."
Rowan sighed.
"Then you came to the wrong man."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You are the best carpenter in Blackwood."
"Exactly. Which means I know what things cost."
Bram laughed.
Lily covered a smile.
Kael shook his head.
"Walk with me."
The four left the estate.
They crossed the courtyard and followed the northern path.
The land opened into a wide field.
Beyond it stood the old orchard.
The trees were uneven.
Some had died.
Others still produced fruit.
Kael looked around.
"This place could be improved."
Rowan nodded.
"Most things can."
Kael pointed toward the orchard.
"Could we build homes here?"
Rowan studied the ground.
"Some."
"What about farther north?"
"Better."
"And the water?"
Bram pointed toward the earth.
"Below us."
Kael crouched.
He placed his hand against the soil.
He could feel nothing.
But the system responded.
[Environmental Assessment Available.]
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
He focused.
[Groundwater detected.]
He smiled.
"There’s water beneath here."
Rowan stared at him.
"How deep?"
Kael hesitated.
"Not far."
Bram looked impressed.
"You knew that?"
"No."
Kael stood.
"The system told me."
Rowan scratched his beard.
"That strange thing of yours again."
Kael nodded.
"It has its uses."
He looked toward the field.
"If we bring the water upward, could we build another village here?"
Rowan considered it.
"With enough labor."
Kael looked toward the estate.
"And enough people."
"Yes."
Kael remained silent.
That word kept returning.
People.
He couldn’t build anything without them.
He couldn’t expand his army without them.
He couldn’t improve the roads without them.
He couldn’t grow Blackwood without them.
And he couldn’t simply order thousands of people to appear.
They had to have a reason to come.
Kael looked across the fields.
Then toward the distant villages.
"I need to speak with the village elders."
Bram nodded.
"That will take time."
"Then we start today."
By midday, representatives from the eleven villages began arriving at Blackwood Manor.
Farmers.
Merchants.
Village heads.
Craftsmen.
Kael didn’t sit upon a raised throne.
He sat at the same long table as everyone else.
Edwin Ashcombe stood quietly behind him.
The old butler wore his usual formal black coat, his silver hair neatly combed.
Lily stood nearby with parchment.
Kael looked around the room.
Eleven villages.
Eleven voices.
Eleven different problems.
The first elder spoke about poor roads.
Another complained about wolves.
A third spoke about crop storage.
One village needed a new well.
Another had too few hands to harvest its fields.
Kael listened.
He didn’t interrupt.
He didn’t promise everything.
He simply listened.
When the last elder finished, Kael looked at Lily.
"How much grain did Blackwood produce last harvest?"
She read from the records.
"Enough for the territory."
"Enough to sell?"
"Very little."
Kael nodded.
He looked around the table.
"Then we have our first problem."
The elders waited.
"We don’t produce enough surplus."
One farmer frowned.
"Why does that matter, my lord?"
Kael answered simply.
"Because surplus creates trade."
He pointed toward the map.
"If a village grows more food than it needs, it can sell the excess."
He moved his finger toward another village.
"If another village has more timber than it needs, it can trade for food."
Then another.
"If another has skilled craftsmen, they can trade their work for both."
The room became quieter.
Kael continued.
"Blackwood does not need every village to produce everything."
He looked at them.
"Each village needs to become good at something."
The elders exchanged glances.
Kael leaned back.
"We will begin with what we already have."
He looked toward Bram.
"Farming."
Then toward Rowan.
"Construction."
Then toward Garrick, who stood near the rear wall.
"Metalwork."
Garrick nodded.
Kael looked at the elders.
"We will improve what already exists before we build what does not."
Nobody spoke.
Then Walter, the elderly farmer of Blackwood, raised his hand slightly.
Kael noticed.
"Speak."
Walter stood.
"My lord..."
He looked uncomfortable.
"People will work if they believe their work will improve their lives."
Kael nodded.
"I know."
"But if you want people from outside Blackwood to come here..."
Walter paused.
"You must give them something worth leaving their homes for."
The room became silent.
Kael looked at the old farmer.
Then slowly smiled.
"Exactly."
The meeting continued for another hour.
When it finally ended, Kael remained seated.
The map was still before him.
Eleven villages.
One territory.
A small army.
Limited wealth.
But now he had something he hadn’t possessed yesterday.
A direction.
Kael looked toward Edwin.
"How much land around Blackwood is currently unused?"
Edwin considered the question.
"A considerable amount."
"Good."
Kael stood.
"Then we have room to grow."
Outside the manor, the people of Blackwood continued their ordinary lives.
None of them knew it yet.
But the first stone had been placed.
Not a castle.
Not a fortress.
Not an army.
Something much more important.
A foundation.