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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKVstExGz7
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wszIqJWon
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1t16QQsab8
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7130rglH3C
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBd3grIp1R
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5jCM7nEln
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aBGKIhzgr
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s0gKqQOgU
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OVNsSdB5n
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RFZ3OuZyq
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkbC657BWh
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXguiAGdzkB
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Jrn4RGZiQ
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQj79UqY2Kk
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeHE2srqC7
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMHjnECqdw
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bY08Lguab
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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?'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS9acPupSi
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwguKi2jo3M
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJBEhrxvm2
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ641zQkaH0F
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUz22CDQra
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx39xA5OGeC
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7Qm4cEexX
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBANdIOX1T
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlIHt2sIm5
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejvedZufFj
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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?'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszLLgKAg7F
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZciebvxaU
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibnHLYawJK
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgptytlChtB
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAQuNJSUIq
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5rQeT61D4
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqbkpCcqSv
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9NzOe4D5X
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc50iE9TxX
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcGv4hdzys
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziDQd4apB0
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSNhH46p0z
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUYS1xAE0r
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LRpIjejad
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYa2dJr3Dmh
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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?'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcE5bdiTFf
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH8dGzsHVe
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'When he gets back,' I said.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPy2BfS84Fl
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6jngHj8fN
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvYgMhpAZo
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVv8ncFCISf
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNFXY679al
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgyDi1icqh
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'Just don't take any risks.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn4RcK9tMp
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9AnzA8Rqg
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5iBXIcuYA
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPrPOR9omY
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk8Nmbvuf1
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLFq0n0bPQ
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhofVX4Ydm
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'Please.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRALT8C4IXh
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPYLkuVysz
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAs5LkY9jH
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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.'503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxG7gpPxxkj
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpo256gHm3
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXun4u347n
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEUL7Zu7du
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Greyland503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GyK7PJtBE
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Economy503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJWRWzO4Wb
Currently building:503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeVJk4s1RS
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Monthly trade income: 0503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGw6arXuMd
Monthly tax income: 54 gold503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gOaH0Vgri
Treasury: 2 gold503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyiKutDpMJ
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Daily food consumption: 13 units503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN53V44Vc2T
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ847e948m2H
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY9X0xuSpM
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXbz7I3LjZ
Meat yield: 5 units daily503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxL8gbGRISU
Timber yield: 17 planks daily503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXo2G5oEgny
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Hb46N6BYP
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWan8EP1Bb
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlte6VyhdVW
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq44XewAWk
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Research: Shipbuilding One503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZQecyT2CX
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Resources:503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmWiPNOVik
Wheat: 14 food units503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteoZHLdaON
Vegetables: 25 food units503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmR84mLUWc
Meat: 8 food units503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmFfuAO6vy
Wool: 7 bales503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs50DyJEt2c
Timber: 150 planks503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ76TmQ47CG
Iron: 0 ingots503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6VCdu99Yc
Stone: 39 blocks503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw88sLSxgst
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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUPDfuf3MC
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbugCPkC7vb
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65ttjecnCH
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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.503Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqUKTVTvY0
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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.
