Chapter 11 – Embers and Emissaries
The Duke's son had barely ridden away, but the echo of his visit still buzzed in the air.
Inside the estate, I sat in my study, eyes on the flickering candlelight, fingers drumming a quiet rhythm against the table. The notification still lingered in my mind:
『Vassal Breakthrough Achieved! Hans – C → B Class
+300 Vassal Points Awarded』
『Estate Growth Milestone Reached! Royal Recognition Unlocked
+250 Vassal Points』
Total: 550 Vassal Points
A weighty sum. Enough to shift the balance of the entire estate again. My fingertips tingled with anticipation.
"System," I murmured mentally, "Show me the Shop."
『Shop Opened:
Points Available: 550』
--- Recommended Upgrades ---
Estate Infrastructure Enhancement [B] – 200 Points
Boosts village to small town tier. Unlocks advanced building blueprints: paved roads, aqueduct, proper barracks, and administrative hall.
Barracks Expansion + Veteran Training Scheme [C] – 100 Points
Improves combat proficiency and loyalty of all current military personnel. Unlocks new tactics.
Vassal Loyalty Seal [B] – 150 Points
Permanently boosts loyalty of all vassals. Grants resistance to manipulation, bribes, or fear-based influence.
Political Savvy [Skill, C Class] – 50 Points
Grants intuition for noble etiquette, court games, and politics.
Resource Optimizer [Village Buff, C Class] – 50 Points
Increases efficiency of all villagers and craftspeople. Produces 20% more output for the same input.
I cracked a small smile.
"Buy all."
『Confirmed.
- Estate Infrastructure Enhancement ✓
- Barracks Expansion ✓
- Vassal Loyalty Seal ✓
- Political Savvy ✓
- Resource Optimizer ✓
Points Remaining: 0』
Almost instantly, I felt the shift ripple through the village. My connection to the land allowed a faint awareness of its pulse—and it was accelerating.
Moments later, Benwick burst in, panting. "My lord! Something's happening to the roads!"
I stood calmly. "Show me."
We walked into the village. Stone was rising from packed dirt, aligning itself into a paved road. A soft golden glow outlined new archways, sewer grates, and street posts forming before our eyes.
"By the gods..." Benwick whispered.
"Order the people to stay back but observe. This is Thorne's future arriving."
Villagers gathered as roads formed, lampposts emerged, and a new administrative hall took shape where there was once a dull warehouse. The forge glistened with new ventilation shafts, and the bakery's ovens expanded and gleamed.
Victoria rode in from the field, dismounting as she watched the spectacle.
"Is this... your doing, Cedric?"
I turned to her, a wry smile on my lips. "In a way. Let's call it... a blessing from ambition."
She smirked. "I need to train harder. The world's speeding up."
She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "The barracks expanded overnight. There's a new weapons rack, larger dorms, and even a separate training yard. Hans says the forge got new tools too."
"All true," I said. "And you'll be leading our first elite squad. I want you to handpick ten of the most promising recruits."
She gave a firm nod. "I already have six in mind. And Cedric... thank you. For trusting me with this."
Annika approached next, her apron speckled with flour, eyes wide.
"Lord Cedric... is this magic?"
"Something like that, Annika. Consider it a reward for excellence. And you're part of the reason this place thrives."
She flushed but beamed. Hans soon joined us, his blacksmith's hammer still slung across his shoulder.
"My forge changed again," he muttered. "More precise tools. Better alloys. I can feel it. I think I can attempt A-Class work now."
"Hans," I said with a hand on his shoulder. "The people of Thorne will wield steel that rivals the capital. And it will be your name they whisper."
Adrien's words rang in my mind: There are Dukes who'd kill for a B-Class blacksmith.
We were becoming more than a village. We were a force.
The next morning, a courier arrived with a sealed parchment bearing the Duke's crest. I opened it beneath the manor's study window, the morning light glancing off the golden ink.
"Lord Cedric Thorne,
By recommendation of my son and the witnesses accompanying him, I have granted your estate Provisional Trade Nexus status within the southern dominion. You may operate under semi-autonomous trade laws with reduced tariffs for internal exports.
Furthermore, a delegation from the Capital shall arrive within a fortnight to observe the changes firsthand. I advise readiness and polish.
Do not squander this chance.
Duke Reinhardt"
My grip tightened on the parchment.
Benwick read over my shoulder. "That's... huge."
"Yes. It means we can rival baronies. Maybe even viscounts."
He looked at me with newfound respect. "And to think this was a crumbling backwater weeks ago."
I smiled thinly. "Now it's a proving ground."
That evening, villagers gathered in the square to admire the cobbled streets and glowing lanterns. Children ran barefoot along the paths, while elderly women sat at benches marveling at the transformation.
Marlowe set up a mobile merchant post by the fountain. "Traffic's already up by thirty percent," he said. "We had two caravans pass through and actually stop. Before, they'd just roll on."
Hans was chatting animatedly with a group of apprentice smiths, describing new forging techniques made possible by his upgraded tools.
Annika passed around honeyed bread, beaming with pride. "I tripled production," she told one of the newcomers. "Lord Cedric said I'm the sweetest export we've got."
Victoria clapped a young recruit on the back. "If you can swing that sword as well as you gossip, you'll be ready in no time."
I walked among them, exchanging words, jokes, smiles.
"Lord Cedric!" a young girl called out. "Did you do all this?"
"With your help, little one," I said with a smile, patting her head.
And then came the announcement. Adrien's envoy.
A day later, a larger and more ornate carriage arrived, bearing the royal crest of House Reinhardt.
Adrien stepped out, flanked by three well-dressed aides. Behind him was a scribe, a knight, and a man clearly of scholarly bearing.
"Cedric," Adrien said warmly. "I told my father he hadn't seen half of what you've done. So here I am again."
We sat for wine and stew in the council chamber. Hans and Annika were invited to speak.
"Your Grace," Hans said, bowing. "With the forge upgraded, I attempted a new alloy. It's harder than steel but lighter. I call it Thornemetal."
Adrien examined the dagger he presented. "Impressive. This could rival eastern warforges. And you... forged this on-site?"
Hans beamed. "Yes, my lord."
"I was a farm girl," Annika added with pride. "Now I run four ovens, have two apprentices, and ship bread to nobles."
Adrien chuckled. "The palace chef will be very curious."
That night, Adrien lingered behind after the festivities. "You've turned a forgotten corner of the realm into a beacon. But Cedric... how long can you hold it?"
"As long as I must," I said. "And then longer."
His eyes narrowed. "Enemies will rise. Other nobles. Even the court. You need allies. And watch your back."
I extended a hand. "Then be my first."
He took it, and for the first time, I saw in Adrien not just a noble's son—but a future ally.
Ding!
『Upgrade Usage Report:
Infrastructure Upgrade Unlocked: Town-tier (Stage 1)
Loyalty Seal Applied: All Vassals Loyalty +30
Veteran Training Unlocked: Training Grounds Active
Political Savvy Skill Acquired
Resource Optimizer Activated: +20% Resource Yield
Current Village Status: Prosperous Townlet
Next Milestone: Town Charter Recognition (Regional) – 1000 Points Required
0 Points Remaining』
Good.
Let them come.
Thorne was ready.
-----
The forge was quiet now. The fire dim, the hammer silent. Yet Hans stood by the anvil, staring at the dagger in Adrien's hands.
Thornemetal.
He hadn't meant to name it. The words had slipped out in the rush of pride and excitement. But the way Adrien had looked at him—like he was something more than a smith—it lit a fire deeper than the forge ever could.
He looked at the expanded forge, the airflow perfect, the tools crafted to a craftsman's dream. This was no mere smithy now. This was an armory of a rising power.
Cedric had given him this.
No...
Cedric had believed in him.
Hans clenched a thick hand into a fist and gazed up at the moon.
"I'll make Thornemetal the pride of the South," he whispered.
And for the first time in years, the old smith smiled like a boy chasing a dream.
He remembered the days when he was an apprentice, laughed at by nobler guilds for being born in a village with no legacy. Now they would watch in awe as his metal graced the hilts of knights and banners of power.
He would train others. Create an entire order of smiths, not just workers—but creators, innovators. Artisans who dreamed like he once had, when calloused hands were not weighed down by doubt.
He looked once more at the night sky.
"Thank you, Cedric," he murmured. "For letting me remember who I am."