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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wDciviOLm
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uOd5o4nMx
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG3Sw0L2Qk
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlt8CSxg0Q
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECWV60cMrS
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0t3JaXEqFg
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9q8BeTQ39
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iHIPDz3c8
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen0X2ctIkz
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO25r2Sri9
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMY0Wwy8MWR
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz3c9TEYvt
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIOf0Saene
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTF7C2In3p
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRY0v9y5Ys
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KAONCpnfM
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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNfJcwMY8k
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4X8jKCWqU
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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?'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzPv3uNeqs
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYVls6IJ6s
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi1e85MnfE
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr3BzgYCYG
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjjIDoaQaG
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRxk0mvl3q
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRmpJO19sQ
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37npMvnNfx
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HOTkLr9N0
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXXPZlHzIs
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzGevVolIP
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?'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9wr2VlBZl
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwfRK69eTS
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRRfQFeTuQ
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCNLor0Rc8
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKI08Fq9Pn
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmp4Iz71GyQ
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNRe4WBhE0
'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhKqOcMGyd
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKnlgzKhrS
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLi38ztoE7
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5kP2R7Joz
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLHUXThMFF
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9hGMBVJsk
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPc2HowgQz
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Os66VaRY5
'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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hAMTOtkMl
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXeNaLYjMV
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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?'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtfwq7GHwq
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppuyGgLRBL
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'When he gets back,' I said.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyztnd1puZk
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrKCa02s3E
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnBIcQcuR2
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTkZ3vJ6ky
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3NPrY6BH0
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQcL0Tek6x
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'Just don't take any risks.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vuJsNXUT7
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7slEfyxMb2
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdR7ihkh9f
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDFRY6ck61
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASdYK0keRu
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5gkbug8T3
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtRA4U1CTf
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'Please.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoqcjel7vA
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEFvjiPIsd
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf3O8XfBcO
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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.'372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RBkP7yE08
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvTDWQbTzw
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqfJLsCgHz
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfDzOf4pfT
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Greyland372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf5RF3oWld
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Economy372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIlyTLWrBM
Currently building:372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwwniildhe
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Monthly trade income: 0372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2g96layyRz
Monthly tax income: 54 gold372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzUIrQYWls
Treasury: 2 gold372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnxtvGY1Y3
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Daily food consumption: 13 units372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd4cDLzIMa
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzy6bhCUbSQ
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82I1FRgMe1
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C5WzQ0ffK
Meat yield: 5 units daily372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55CiADPKCa
Timber yield: 17 planks daily372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zLqJO2359
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LT3G3g5A5
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdf8bfnxQE
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW3zJCpREn
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE5NjFo9ST
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Research: Shipbuilding One372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlUuCi9oVw
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Resources:372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxWyAUiUio
Wheat: 14 food units372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWXJ3QNNtk
Vegetables: 25 food units372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0CAkSqdoO
Meat: 8 food units372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDix5Pe0ihU
Wool: 7 bales372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsQzUhfyLl
Timber: 150 planks372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZuKVgq6W1
Iron: 0 ingots372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMcmBDTAF4
Stone: 39 blocks372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7N3eMC2et
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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMfNnlR1W5
372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI01L0EeXr9
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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpx9m1WRPY
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBUuHPnlcB
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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.372Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8D3aTLyqF
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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.
