Chapter 151: The First Steps
Three days had passed since Kael returned from the western valley.
The construction of Blackwood continued without pause.
From the manor balcony, Kael could see the settlement spreading outward.
The first row of new houses was nearly complete.
The marketplace had doubled in size.
A new warehouse stood beside the road.
And beyond it, workers were laying the foundation for another.
Kael folded his arms.
"How many people are here now?"
Lily checked the latest record.
"Nearly eight hundred within the central settlement."
Kael turned.
"Eight hundred?"
"We had fewer than five hundred when you left for the capital."
Kael stared toward the marketplace.
"That’s faster than I expected."
Lily smiled.
"People are coming because they believe there is work."
"Work brings people."
"And people bring more work."
Kael nodded.
That was exactly how a settlement became a town.
Darius entered the balcony.
"My lord."
Kael turned.
"Report."
"The five scouts have established the observation post near the western valley."
"Any trouble?"
"Nothing serious."
Darius placed a parchment on the table.
"Monster tracks have been found near the southern woods."
"How large?"
"Large enough that I don’t want settlers going there."
Kael nodded.
"Keep them away."
"Already done."
Darius hesitated.
"There is something else."
Kael looked at him.
"The men at the observation post found signs that someone has been in the valley recently."
Kael’s expression changed.
"People?"
"Yes."
"Settlers?"
"We don’t know."
Kael studied the parchment.
"Did they see anyone?"
"No."
"Then we don’t assume."
Darius nodded.
"Agreed."
Kael tapped the map.
"Keep watching."
Later that afternoon, Kael visited the construction site.
Master Rowan was directing several workers.
"Raise that beam."
The workers lifted it.
"Slowly."
The beam settled into place.
Rowan stepped back.
"Good."
Kael approached.
"How long?"
Rowan looked at the building.
"Another two days."
"What is it?"
"A public bathhouse."
Kael smiled.
"Already?"
"You asked for one."
"I did."
"Then I’m building one."
Kael walked around the structure.
The design was simple but sturdy.
Stone foundations.
Wooden walls.
Separate bathing areas.
A large furnace room.
And a drainage channel leading away from the building.
Kael nodded approvingly.
"Good work."
Rowan scratched his beard.
"I have another idea."
Kael looked at him.
"What?"
"Stone piping."
Kael’s eyes widened.
"Explain."
"We could use hollowed stone beneath the streets."
Rowan pointed toward the settlement.
"Carry water from the wells."
Kael immediately understood.
"A proper water system."
Rowan nodded.
"It would take time."
"And money."
"Yes."
Kael smiled.
"Do it."
Rowan blinked.
"Just like that?"
"How much?"
Rowan gave him an estimate.
Kael considered it.
"Approved."
Rowan grinned.
"Then I’ll begin."
The idea continued spreading.
Water.
Drainage.
Bathhouses.
Storage.
Roads.
The more Kael improved Blackwood, the more problems he discovered.
Yet each problem revealed another opportunity.
That evening, Kael sat with Orrin Belmore.
The merchant had brought several ledgers.
"You wanted to know how much money is entering Blackwood."
Kael nodded.
Orrin opened the first ledger.
"Trade has increased considerably."
"How considerably?"
"Enough that merchants are asking for permanent contracts."
Kael leaned forward.
"Contracts?"
"They want guaranteed access to your markets."
Kael thought about it.
"What do they offer?"
"Taxes."
Kael smiled.
There it was.
Revenue.
Not from conquering another territory.
Not from squeezing farmers.
From creating a place where people wanted to conduct business.
"How much?"
Orrin gave him the figures.
Kael studied them.
"This can fund the next stage."
Orrin nodded.
"Exactly."
That night, Kael returned to his room.
He opened his notebook.
The page for the Adventurer’s Guild was still there.
But beneath it, he began another section.
Guild Funding.
Kael wrote:
Registration fees.
He paused.
Then crossed it out.
"No."
Lily, who was sitting nearby, looked up.
"Why?"
"Too expensive at the beginning."
He continued.
"If we’re trying to attract people, we shouldn’t make the first step difficult."
He wrote another line.
Small registration fee.
Then:
Mission commission.
Lily nodded.
"The guild takes a small portion of the reward."
"Yes."
"The village pays the guild."
"The guild pays the adventurer."
"Exactly."
Lily looked impressed.
"And Blackwood takes a portion?"
Kael shook his head.
"Not at first."
"Why?"
"Because I want the guild to grow."
He looked at the page.
"Once it becomes profitable, then we can establish a proper agreement."
Lily smiled.
"You’re thinking ahead."
"I have to."
Kael then remembered something else.
He wrote:
Mission verification.
Guild inspectors.
Mission difficulty.
Reward standards.
Then he stopped.
A thought entered his mind.
"What if a village lies?"
Lily looked at him.
"About the mission?"
"Yes."
"Why would they?"
"To pay less."
She thought about it.
"Then adventurers would stop trusting the guild."
"Exactly."
Kael wrote:
False Mission Reports — Severe Penalty.
Lily nodded.
"But what if the village doesn’t know?"
Kael paused.
"Then we need inspectors."
"People who investigate the mission before assigning the reward?"
"Yes."
Kael stared at the page.
"But we don’t have enough people for that."
Lily smiled.
"Not yet."
Kael looked at her.
She pointed toward the door.
"That’s why you keep saying not yet."
Kael laughed.
"Perhaps."
The next morning, Kael summoned Darius.
Darius entered the study.
"You wanted me?"
Kael handed him several pages.
Darius read them.
"The guild."
"Part of it."
Darius continued reading.
"You intend to have inspectors."
"Eventually."
"Who will train them?"
Kael thought for a moment.
"I don’t know."
Darius looked at him.
"Then perhaps you should consider retired soldiers."
Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
"Go on."
"Soldiers understand discipline."
"They understand danger."
"They know how to evaluate terrain."
"And they know when someone is lying about what they encountered."
Kael smiled.
"That’s a good idea."
Darius handed the papers back.
"But don’t recruit them yet."
Kael laughed.
"Why?"
"Because Blackwood doesn’t have enough retired soldiers to spare."
Kael shook his head.
"Fair."
By the end of the week, another change had begun.
A wooden board was erected near the marketplace.
At first, nobody understood why.
Then Kael ordered several notices placed upon it.
Wanted: Farmhands
Wanted: Carpenters
Wanted: Masons
Wanted: Stable Workers
Wanted: Merchants
People gathered around it.
Some laughed.
Others immediately began asking questions.
The board became crowded before sunset.
Kael watched from a distance.
Lily stood beside him.
"What is this?"
"A beginning."
"For the guild?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
He looked at the people reading the notices.
"For Blackwood."
The guild would come later.
But Kael had just discovered another way to make his territory grow.
Give people opportunities.
Let them come willingly.
Let them build their own futures.
And let Blackwood grow alongside them.
Far away, in the western valley, five scouts watched the ancient ruins.
None of them noticed the shadow moving between the trees.
Something had entered the valley.
Something that had not been there when Kael left.
And whatever it was...
It was moving toward Blackwood.