Chapter 86: The Value of Loyalty
The morning sun began to seep through the gaps in the timber, illuminating the broad main room of the residence. Kellar slowly opened his eyes and sat up from the bed of furs upon hearing movement nearby. To the side of the bed, the two sisters, Elia and Loria, remained fast asleep, naked and exhausted after the long night.
Mila had just entered the chamber carrying a wooden tray. Upon seeing the former shaman’s daughters sprawled across the floor, she let out a brief, amused chuckle without giving it a second thought. Without saying a word, she headed toward the hearth and began preparing a hot breakfast.
Catching the delicious aroma of roasted meat and thick broth, Kellar fully woke up. Mila turned toward him with a warm smile, serving him a generous portion and tending to him with the devotion of a dedicated wife.
Kellar laughed to himself. That was the stark difference between the modern world he had come from and this ancient, primitive environment. In this age and place, the concept of a leader’s fidelity was not about remaining exclusive to one woman, but about being strong enough to protect them, provide them with food, and never abandon them to fate.
The previous night absorbed in his time with the sisters, Kellar had ignored the system notifications. Now, as he enjoyed the breakfast prepared by Mila, he summoned the mental interface to claim his reward.
[Quest Completed: Relics of War!]
[Reward Granted: 3 Tech Points]
Seeing that he had enough points, Kellar navigated through the interface to locate the final basic skill he needed and purchased it immediately.
[Blacksmithing & Forging]
[Cost: 10 Tech Points]
[Grants comprehensive knowledge to construct smelting furnaces, process raw ores, and master basic and advanced metallurgy. Enables the melting, casting, and forging of all types of metals, from cast iron to high-strength steel alloys for tools, hardware, and weaponry.]
Upon reading the description, Kellar knew instantly that this was the definitive skill he required. Right now, every construction project in the settlement took a amount of time because each timber had to be hand-carved with notches and wooden joints to fit together properly. However, with blacksmithing, he could process ore, manufacture steel nails, and transition from wooden joinery to nailed timber structures—a colossal leap forward in build speed and durability.
That was to say nothing of the devastating impact it would have on their weaponry. The beasts of this world were colossal and terrifying, but as a proper engineer, Kellar believed fiercely in the power of steel and machinery. He was convinced that even the largest beast, such as the giant lake crocodile, would eventually fall before the heavy fire of a machine gun. Advancing to the era of firearms would be an astonishing leap for the tribe.
Kellar finished eating, set the wooden bowl down on the table, and stood up while adjusting his fur cloak.
"Mila, say goodbye to Maya and Meli for me," said Kellar. "I need to go out and continue supervising; there is far too much to do today."
"I will tell them, Shaman," said Mila, offering him a warm smile before returning to her chores.
As he stepped out of his residence, the sun was barely rising over the horizon. According to Kellar’s calculations based on the position of the light, it had to be between eight and nine in the morning; nevertheless, the entire settlement was already buzzing with activity. The light snowfall did nothing to slow the tribe’s pace. Dozens of men and women rushed back and forth carrying timber, and in the distance, the constant thud of falling trees echoed through the forest.
Standing out among the crowd, two people were shouting orders in every direction to coordinate the effort.
The first was Mentz, who was directing the construction with a firm hand. At a glance, Kellar could see that the areas for the community dining hall and the distillery building had already been mapped out; the ground had been cleared, and the wooden foundations were being set with precision. The individual huts were also progressing without issue. Hands were the one thing this tribe had in abundance. Previously, the common folk had been viewed merely as useless mouth-to-feed burdens, but now, guided by someone with actual knowledge, they had become an unstoppable force of nature.
The second highly active figure was Krag, who was organizing a group of armed hunters. Upon noticing Kellar’s approach, the captain hurried over and bowed his head in greeting.
"Great Shaman," said Krag. "The first set of crossbows is complete. Old Lennis informed us that he finished three more, so we now have four ready for combat. He also repaired the bone spears, though unfortunately only eight proved usable. Lastly, he asked to meet with you whenever you have time; he seems to have an idea."
"Let’s go see him. Where is he?" said Kellar.
Krag pointed toward the far side of the settlement, where a small, makeshift hut stood surrounded by wooden stakes serving as torches. Stepping through the entrance, Kellar found old Lennis working over a table covered in wood shavings and tools, his eyes completely bloodshot from exhaustion.
"It looks like you didn’t sleep at all," said Kellar, observing the still-flickering torches.
"No, Master... I couldn’t stop thinking about the blueprints and the weapons," said Lennis, looking up with a spark of enthusiasm that eclipsed his tiredness. "I just kept tossing and turning in my bed trying to sleep, so I preferred to come here and keep working. I worked all night, and although I thought I would be the only one crazy enough to stay up, I discovered that almost the entire village did the same."
Kellar looked at the smoking wooden stakes and the finished weapon parts on the table. In that instant, he understood why the construction and supplies across the entire settlement had advanced at such an astonishing speed.
"So how many did you see awake?" said Kellar.
"The whole village..." said Lennis, letting out a faint smile filled with pride.