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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAnJXKRIKC
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97SGbue6tn
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEPMXHT3UA
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK25Guc1CUx
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vJqIRaF3E
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomuHSJPSDs
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vnVRFAQfZ
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzUee9MM8r
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKsRmC3Z1z
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaKDPAJGxZ
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxCXm9t0lI
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgR660YcAR
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEAOrVQ4h4
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJtKIff4kO
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwwhaQxgkP
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqhDh0ccSj
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuODGbAc7v
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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?'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8Kg2ApvvK
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1tfD3ool5
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlISIEV1PQs
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeel0WT4wf
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFvvo3eQvO
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHV22Kcjv5
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGnwoHIZGe
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HGmtfvxGn
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfupZa9qwjg
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxicHgNuSv
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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?'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYF8vqd2rJR
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jTFO58Q8Z
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqvMqGIprx
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnscxrfX7B
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ9ziBiQ2L
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuwz7z3naZ
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOIrzyUb2N
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyvzJNPkcC
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokNXubl29k
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Uor33t1Bi
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWLIZWf0pi
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMNQMFtqUd
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITeobOOW3V
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93gOc98wYT
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoBElxsExe
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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?'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiZt0dQ1vX
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7lUzzSHWd
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'When he gets back,' I said.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMhhOGsfOl
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY41DkLILw
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9I9s6IPg0r
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49OMpFQtAc
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcr3n1G8XbL
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR30xJClbk0
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'Just don't take any risks.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI12MSmjZS
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNyLdJlLaQ
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYybvDjWlw
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONvHYBWecY
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8IBX3O3uR
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSUYrd2jhg
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGx0VehKms
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'Please.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvze2bRmdFG
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOoc1OKZY8
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkJsqkC9QI
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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.'417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujSXJRS8x8
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEDB8qwxLR
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4U0O8eoCGe
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6THQMoZgpW
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Greyland417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlBOQcDr3a
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Economy417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckRZp02d96
Currently building:417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUukyrR7p6G
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Monthly trade income: 0417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvTsZb0tV5
Monthly tax income: 54 gold417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMY0d1hkONA
Treasury: 2 gold417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgKBju3syW
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Daily food consumption: 13 units417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRl6AMNnNQv
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHtSg78AJI
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WiGFY5yDA
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4AUID8H1F
Meat yield: 5 units daily417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LO4DnkRVt
Timber yield: 17 planks daily417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXuHLKwhMS
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNRBhed3S4
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zeBGfAjGn
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoDFMicXxv
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbBwV1pU7e
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Research: Shipbuilding One417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByd1vYhT4W
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Resources:417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFYImXPz4d
Wheat: 14 food units417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7k9KCMPnc
Vegetables: 25 food units417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQq4XnYbQP
Meat: 8 food units417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LjJhN4TFM
Wool: 7 bales417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIucRi3VQXv
Timber: 150 planks417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxQBLZqZ4F
Iron: 0 ingots417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ1HM9SvpG
Stone: 39 blocks417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJhsMoYJUD
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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡts5EOWMLff
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFQeLF35gb
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zSs0C5p6t
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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.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCkyJ7S99z
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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.
