A long bath helped, but afterwards, as I made my way down to dinner, every step was a painful one. My muscles were already stiffening. It would be even worse in the morning. Still, I was determined. And that encounter with the ambassador of Southway just made me even more so.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSYcUXdcnE
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A long, polished wooden table had been laid out with what looked like a banquet to me, despite my instructions. Silver candelabra held our source of light, light which glittered off a wide array of polished trays and bowls. There were grapes; cherries, apples and peaches stacked high; there were at least four kinds of fish, filleted and laid out with herbs and lemon on trays decorated with fishing net designs; bowls of peas, green beans, tomatoes and carrots were full to the brim, at least four different kinds of bread had been prepared, with slices and rolls displayed on yet more silver trays; while goblets of cut glass sparkled, ready to receive wine from a choice of six decanters.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFTO3FMyZI
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The table was laid for four people but the placings were spaced so far apart that it was like a socially distanced event during the COVID pandemic back home. Much to the consternation of a servant who was standing by the wall and hurriedly came over to help, I started re-arranging the plates and cutlery, bringing all the places up to the top end.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikR4f90k6U
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No sooner than I'd taken my own seat, than Lord Arval, my Paladin General came in with a brisk march. Even for dinner, it seemed, he wore his chainmail and carried his sword. With a gesture that was nearly a smile, he took the seat to my right after I pointed to it.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8oSEHqw7b
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqmXhbJf7X
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcu8TH8fXv
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV31hONo1ll
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87d6PQLizU
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'That you were offered wine and women for the rest of your life if you'd do the bidding of their king and you refused, telling him that it was him who would be grovelling in chains before you.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBStUMPMEa
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'Did I though?' I laughed. 'The story has grown. Good. They have the spirit right at least. That guy was so smug, I wanted to punch him in the face.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bbNUe4G3J
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We were interrupted by the arrival of Chancellor Parrin and the sorceress Carlena. Although they were not arm in arm, there was something about them that suggested to me they might be a couple. They were the right ages – she with silver hair and he with the grey and sliver of his beard – and they moved towards me with an ease in each other's company.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf4rE9f6YI
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'Another innovation I see,' said the Chancellor with a glance at the place settings and then at the servants. I got the message: careful, go easy on the changes.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY8dXUgAYn
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I repeated my story of meeting the ambassador of Southway, to the approval of Parrin and Carlena but they were surprisingly taciturn. Only when we had eaten did Carlena lean towards me, so that I caught the full intensity of her stunning purple eyes, and whisper, 'send the servants away please, so we can talk properly.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6IAVkYZPE
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I nodded. And after the next time my glass was refilled, I slapped the table with my heavy palm (it was effective for that at least). 'Out! Servants out and don't disturb us until you are called for.' I spoke with unnecessary volume as they jumped to respond.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoPh5bStzG
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7E2mkSyouF
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The two of them then began an interrogation that would have never have been allowed by the previous king. What was I researching? What was I building? How would we cope with the loss of our grain-generating lands? What other information was in the menus? On the whole they were cautiously positive about my decisions and plans. At least, they didn't propose I make any changes to it. I was warned that my popularity, already very low, would drop further if we did start trading iron to the necromancer king, but they could see the necessity of this.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIcL4hPGP1
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By the end of their questions, I was totally clear about one thing. Carlena, Parrin and (to a lesser extent) Lord Arval saw me as their instrument. I was accountable to them and had to take their instruction. In business terms, this was a board meeting and I was the CEO, not a king with absolute power. This didn't upset me. I could totally see their point of view: the kingdom was on the ropes and everything they owned, including their lives, was in jeopardy. They couldn't afford any mistakes from me. Also, while I quite enjoyed the authority of being king and the way all the people were quick to obey me, I didn't like the barrier that the role created. At least here, with these three, I could be myself.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhxYpGsYTt
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'I have a question about the menus,' I looked from one to the other. 'How is it there are so few people on them compared to the size of Carrick?'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRKYasNRsY
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It was Carlena who answered. 'I believe the numbers allowed on the menu are capped in some way by the overall happiness of the realm. Most of our citizens would join the menus if allowed, wanting Miya to triumph and not wishing to be conquered. You should try to facilitate them.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAi71kJgPAa
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That made sense and exporing how to raise happiness was yet another goal for me to add to the 'to do' list.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbV8WdnexIT
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt9FnomwEG
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'I don't know yet.' I patted the rolls of stomach fat that were resting on the table top. 'I've made a start on shedding these. But I haven't seen any change to my character sheet yet.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62Tl3zrG3H
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vA6BfR2YY
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'I'm not even a Fighter yet,' I confessed. 'In fact I was thinking my character sheet meant I should be a Sorcerer or Cleric.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6HEKKo9o2
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc71gX9pHJZ
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'Oh no,' said Carlena. 'Not a Sorcerer. You won't have any spells. To obtain spells you have to build a scriptorium of the spell level and then research them, getting a random result It would take you forever. And it's not what we need on the battlefield.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ncZeaj3Ek
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7l3Fznu0G
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I caught the Scout's eyes and said, 'I'll start levelling up soon. But with my current stats, I'd be a hopeless warrior of any sort. I have to find out can I improve my Strength before starting my personal progression as a fighter. Really, I should be a caster: a mage or cleric. And I also need to know how to level. Do I fight monsters? Complete quests?'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QPqes3V1J
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'I suppose you are right to wait,' Lord Arval spoke after a short interval. 'But every day that you are not progressing is a day more for them to get ahead. You could easily reach level two or even three by performing task quests in the town itself.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0S8UDHKg6
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'And we can bring you to areas nearby where there are monsters you can fight and kill for experience,' offered Lord Parrin.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMb53QOuJN
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaChubq9rsL
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I took a deep breath. 'I will progress soon then. For now though, my body is a mass of aches and pain. I can barely lift this fork with my left hand, my shoulder is so sore. There's nothing more I could have done today to advance this body towards where it should be.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcxU6yqzmU
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpC0d49GyFz
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWPAnPZ4cx
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'Indeed. And in that light, provoking the king of Southway might not have been wise.' Carlena spoke tentatively, as if exploring the idea.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT4tcc0sDF
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'Sean was right to refute him so publicly and so firmly,' Arval came in, 'the message to the soldiers and people was clear. We will endure.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLatDFRtPTX
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Chancellor Parrin nodded. 'I think so too. But still, there is a real danger of the two armies continuing their advance together and overcoming our defences.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAb0ik4S3C
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'Speaking of which, I'd like to see them. We have a fort at the head of the valley that leads here, right? I might be able to upgrade it.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXoCosSQp7
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'You can't get there, it is thirty miles away and no horse can carry you.' It was Arval who made this depressing, if practical, point.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmslsuxrlEE
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'I can show you on the map at least,' offering Parrin, 'and you should be able to find a menu for it. It's called Three-Ways Fort.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0K2Kmww2S
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'I'll check later. And if it's all right with you, I'll move any remaining troops from here down to it, including the new archers.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfoGFiGADs
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggDN1cqVA1
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I had been thinking about Carlena's point about unnecessarily provoking King Wace. 'Could we maybe divide them? By talking with Queen Rorg… whatever … the Trolland queen. By suggesting that we might be willing to be a protectorate under her?'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBD5zGkQ3A
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1b7NXYGpf
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'When he gets back,' I said.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhG7KJaD1n
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QSO3w1EI4
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'In the meantime, I think you need to go down to the lowlands and monitor the enemy's movements, to give us notice if they are advancing.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8y1asqHJs
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPpisdEIDV
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkILqfoGYyK
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'It's been a while since I dusted off my scout skills, but you know what, I'll do it!' Parrin rubbed his beard around his mouth, where a smile was forming. 'I'll set out in the morning.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFjKgRRjDA
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'Just don't take any risks.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGlzA4RnzB
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When our strategizing was at an end, Lord Arval called the servants back in and we resumed a more formal tone, until I was ready for my bed. Well, not quite ready.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo4lVIvBPf
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3Zxu4YtXO
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInOT9vZnx7
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrNxpesgjW
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It was an effort, I was almost tempted to ask for help and a push, but my groaning legs carried me up two flights of stairs until I collapsed on the bed. Not long after I did so, a heavy knock came on the door and after I called for the person to come in. It was the masseur I was expecting. Well, not quite. A tall, muscular man in a soldier's tunic came in.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDixQC3LORQ
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzZKMXsbq3
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'Please.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA11diqSKK
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsLaXb9iHU
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxz8dRJL77l
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He nodded. 'Too right. You know they make the dummy out of lead, deliberate like? So when you pick up your first real blade, it feels light.'419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdVFENpHlr
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I didn't reply and soon I felt his hands on the backs of my thighs, through my clothes. I wasn't going to remove them, even if that limited his access.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOoepS9EQy
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Before long, I was getting some serious work done, loosening my cramped and tight muscles and while it was borderline painful, it was effective. What with the wine and the exercise, I'd sleep well. There was one thought still nagging me though, arising from the questions that the sorceress and the chancellor had raised with me. Oh yes. The hunting lodge, level 2 had been due for completion earlier this evening.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAovCS9YLZ
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I paused the massage long enough to call down the town menu, then got back into position while I studied it.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQC1guCfsj
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Greyland419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuelDJEZ2c
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Economy419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfrJ9pqwto
Currently building:419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNZBtxhFBk
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Monthly trade income: 0419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchialZSGiQ
Monthly tax income: 54 gold419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG1G71OFAg
Treasury: 2 gold419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjibTeCLA9
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Daily food consumption: 13 units419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2WNGEM2cL
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHXYytvkLS
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Oy6K81HLb
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsMIzKcGEX
Meat yield: 5 units daily419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsKwixHEss
Timber yield: 17 planks daily419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oOd7eA5E3
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AcIedcfFq
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3yfwIxDrQ
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu40tI1ExT
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8uMiQ1S3T
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Research: Shipbuilding One419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPDm9I9jkG
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Resources:419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMiDs3YsvZ
Wheat: 14 food units419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01l8XPVhOa
Vegetables: 25 food units419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHjvj97Df9
Meat: 8 food units419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ClYq39Wwx
Wool: 7 bales419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsITa5g84U
Timber: 150 planks419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZtRKGw2O2
Iron: 0 ingots419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ewArd7nXG
Stone: 39 blocks419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUR2rxHyMk
Cloth: 4 bolts
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The meat yield had gone up by one. I had hoped for two but I couldn't argue with a 25% increase. That still left us losing about 6 food units a day, with reserves of 47. I winced, and not from the pain of the knuckles digging into my shoulder. I had to set a new town building project and the attractive options were hunting lodge level 3 or mine level 3. Both would take two days to upgrade.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkFMNjQTWy
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In trying to figure out which of the two would work best for solving the food crisis, I realised that something was wrong. The smithy should have made me eighty-four steel pickaxes. If they significantly improved iron output, I would build the next level of hunting lodge. Yet the smithy was on hold.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsF5u7yG2C
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The problem was iron. I had made a mistake. I blushed at the thought of talking about this with the others. If I had waited to create the new archers, I would have had plenty of iron for the pickaxes. Scrolling deeper into the menus, I could see that the Smithy had built a stock of 12 pickaxes before I had assigned the remaining iron to training the archers. Then it had come to a halt.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2p1Utcv2J
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Oh well, I allocated the twelve new pickaxes to the miners and given that at least two iron would come in tomorrow, the Smithy would be able to make 24 steel pickaxes, which would surely improve the daily output of iron? Three days would see me with a mining workforce fully equipped with the new pickaxes. Three days though. When I should have been using those days in building up a surplus ready to trade for food if Figus came back from the Necromancer with a decent deal.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc3XJhFWlD
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This was discouraging, but more positive was the discovery that the hunting lodge level 2 had the capacity for four more workers. That was a must. I assigned the new hunters from the reserves of workers (now only 8 strong) and went for the hunting lodge level 3 as the next build. While iron was vital, food was even more so and there was no guaranteeing that my ambassador would even return, let alone with a trade agreement.
