Morning sunlight pierced through the elegant stained-glass windows of Thorne Manor, casting prismatic hues across my study floor. I sat with a parchment before me, Adrien's seal still fresh and intact, but my mind was already far ahead. This letter had set the board anew, and the pieces were aligning. We now had royal recognition, a Provisional Trade Nexus status, and an envoy who had returned to the capital singing Thorne's praises. But most importantly, we had momentum.
Still, momentum meant little without strategic deployment. And so, with a flick of my fingers, I summoned the system.
『System Online
Points Available: 0
Next Milestone: Town Charter Recognition (Regional) – 1000 Points Required
Town Status: Prosperous Townlet』
"Zero points," I muttered. "Time to fix that."
As I exited the study and strolled into the bustling courtyard, I spotted Victoria giving orders to two new recruits by the barracks.
"Morning, Lord Cedric," she greeted, adjusting the leather strap of her chestplate. She wore a slightly modified version of the town guard armor, one that clung tighter to her curves and bore my family crest with elegant embroidery. Functional and... presentable.
"Victoria," I nodded. "Progress report?"
She smiled. "The barracks are filled to capacity. We've ten core knights undergoing advanced drills. The veterans from surrounding hamlets you recruited have proven useful. And," she leaned in with a smirk, "I might be looking at a few new C-Class prospects."
"Good," I replied. "We'll need strength if we want to keep what we've built."
Hans approached soon after, with soot on his face and a rare grin on his lips.
"Cedric," he said, bowing slightly. "I believe young Perrin, my apprentice, is ready."
"Ready for?"
"His breakthrough."
My eyes lit up. The system pulsed.
『Vassal Breakthrough Achieved! Perrin - D → C Class
+100 Vassal Points Awarded』
Finally.
"Well done, Hans," I said. "Train him well. He might soon rival you."
"I'd like that," the smith said with pride.
I mentally brought up the Shop, 100 points glimmering at the corner of my vision.
『New Purchases Available
Points: 100』
I scrolled.
Advanced Sanitation System [Village Buff, C Class] - 50P
Expanded Crop Rotation & Seed Diversity Pack [B Class] - 50P
Useful. Infrastructure made loyalty easier to maintain. Clean, well-fed people made happy vassals.
"Purchase both."
『Confirmed.
Points Remaining: 0』
Just as I closed the interface, the ground gave a small tremor. Thin aqueduct lines extended subtly beneath the roads, and near the farms, boxes of foreign seed varieties shimmered into reality beside Annika's bakery.
I turned to Hans. "Send Perrin to the farms this afternoon. He'll forge the new irrigation valves."
Later that evening, I gathered the senior figures of the estate in the war room—Victoria, Hans, Annika, Marlowe, Benwick, and Eloise.
"We stand on the edge of recognition," I began. "What began as a half-forgotten estate is now a thriving townlet with active trade, a functioning military corps, and a reputation growing by the day."
Eloise raised a brow. "And that recognition brings envy."
"Exactly," I nodded. "We must prepare diplomatically, economically, and militarily."
Marlowe tapped his chin. "I've contacts in the next three villages. They're curious—some jealous. If we can bring them under Thorne's trade umbrella, we double our market."
"Do it," I said. "Start a Merchant Coalition. Build mutual incentives. Don't strongarm them—yet."
Victoria spoke up next. "The knights are ready for outer patrols. With the expanded perimeter, we can ensure safety along trade roads."
"Good. Security builds trust."
Annika added, "We need more ovens. I can barely keep up with current orders."
"You'll get them," I promised. "And more flour. Perrin's new valves will double yield."
Hans chuckled. "He's been blushing all week. I think he has a crush on the girl from the mill."
The group laughed. Even Eloise cracked a smile.
Benwick then cleared his throat. "What about the royal auditors?"
I nodded. "They've seen what they needed to. Adrien vouched for us. But if we want to keep this status, we need a formal Town Charter. That means population growth, exports, and continued breakthroughs."
Eloise leaned in, her voice sultry. "So more domination, my lord?"
I met her gaze. "Precisely."
Two days later, I received word that the Duke's capital steward, Master Balian, had sent a missive. A second royal envoy, smaller but of higher political weight, would arrive within the week. A prelude to full charter review.
Hans and Victoria oversaw the construction of a new central fountain. Annika baked celebratory brioche with honey and soft fruits, a luxury in most parts.
I oversaw everything.
When the envoy arrived, they were led not to a crumbling hall but a polished administrative building with stone masonry and carved doors.
The head of the delegation was a woman—Lady Mirelda, a hawk-eyed bureaucrat with a keen sense of power.
"Lord Cedric," she said upon meeting me. "So... this is the place that stirred a duchy."
"Welcome to Thorne," I said with a practiced smile. "Let me show you what ambition can build."
The lady's eyes widened immediately as she stepped into the transformed village.
"What on earth..." she murmured, taking in the cobbled streets, the oil-lit lanterns, and the wide plaza in the center.
"This was a decrepit patch last month," Adrien said with a grin.
Their first stop was Hans' forge. She examined the expanded facility, the sleek bellows, and the rows of fine weaponry.
"This quality... you've developed this locally?" she asked Hans.
Hans smiled broadly. "Every bit, m'lady. All done right here in Thorne. We call the new alloy Thornemetal."
She blinked. "Thornemetal... it sounds worthy of capital arms."
Next, they visited the bakery. Annika, dressed in her best gown with a touch of flour still on her cheek, presented trays of goods.
"Fresh rolls, spiced buns, honeyed pastries," she said cheerily.
The lady took a bite of the honey bread and let her eyes close briefly. "By the stars, this could rival royal kitchens."
"Would you like some more?" Annika offered eagerly. "I can pack a dozen for the trip."
They chuckled and moved next to the training yard.
Victoria led them proudly through the grounds. Recruits sparred with wooden swords while veterans demonstrated advanced formations.
"I've trained over thirty in the last week," she said, "with ten entering elite conditioning. We've implemented new drills, too."
"Impressive. Are those split-foot maneuvers?"
"Exactly. We added them after receiving new documentation."
Finally, they reached the trade square. Benches lined the open plaza, stalls bustled, and colorful awnings shaded buyers and sellers.
"Lord Cedric," the noblewoman turned, "I underestimated the reports. This is... something else. Your people are thriving. They love you."
"They helped build this," I said simply.
We ended at the trade square, where three caravans now bartered under lanterns.
Lady Mirelda spoke at last. "Efficient. Growing. And the people speak of you like a savior. That can be... dangerous."
"Only if I become complacent," I replied.
She paused, then handed me a sealed letter.
『Preliminary Approval: Town Charter Status - Under Review
Full Recognition Pending Further Evaluation
Estimated Timeline: 3 Fortnights』
"Do not disappoint, Lord Thorne."
As the delegation rode off, I stood at the gates, hands behind my back.
And I whispered,
"Let the nobles plot, let the kings dream. I'll build something neither can touch."
That night, as torches lit the manor walls and wine flowed among villagers celebrating the envoy's approval, I sat alone at my desk, quill in hand.
A new document.
The Thorne Accord.
Laws. Systems. Paths to vassal advancement, trade policies, cultural patronage.
This was no longer a village.
It was the spark of a realm.
And I was its firekeeper.
『System Notice: Current Status Updated
Thorne Estate: Proto-Domain
New Objectives Unlocked』
Good.
Let the world watch.
Let it burn brighter than ever before.
-----
The carriage rumbled along the cobbled roads that wound through the southern hills, leaving the ever-expanding estate of Thorne behind. Inside the ornate interior, Lady Mirelda reclined slightly, a thoughtful expression softening her otherwise imperious features.
Across from her sat Sir Valien, the grizzled knight-escort, and to her side was Scholar Emeric, furiously scribbling in his parchment-bound journal.
"You were quiet on the way in," Valien said, removing one leather glove. "But you've barely blinked since we departed."
Mirelda's lips quirked into the barest smile. "Forgive me. I'm still trying to reconcile what I saw with what I expected."
Emeric glanced up. "It was remarkable. I've reviewed dozens of baronetcies and border towns, but I've never witnessed such drastic change in so short a time. Even the aura of the place felt different. More… alive."
Lady Mirelda nodded. "Indeed. When I first accepted this assignment, I expected to oversee a crumbling village with a desperate lord clinging to scraps of pride. What I found instead was a community surging with energy, production, and innovation."
She tapped her finger on the carriage window. "That forge—Thornemetal, they're calling it. I've seen nobles kill over less. A B-Class blacksmith in a village of this size is almost a myth."
"And the bakery," Emeric added, flipping pages. "She bakes for hundreds, runs four ovens, and her distribution methods could serve as models in the capital."
Sir Valien grunted. "I'd take a satchel of her spiced buns over a palace roast."
Mirelda chuckled lightly. "You and me both." She turned to the scholar. "Record that as a formal observation, Emeric. Her name is Annika. Ensure it is underlined in our report."
He nodded fervently.
"The training yard," she continued, her tone growing more serious. "That Victoria—she leads as if born to it. Her recruits show discipline, unity, and power. Her methods surpass some noble officers I've seen in drills."
"Her loyalty to the young baronet is unquestionable," Valien noted. "She'd follow him into a fire pit."
"As would many of them." Mirelda leaned forward. "Did you see how they spoke of him? The people didn't just respect Lord Cedric. They adored him. There's an invisible web of morale here I haven't seen since the Duke's personal command during the border war."
Silence settled for a few moments before she added, almost reverently, "This is no longer a village. It is the seed of a county."
Emeric dropped his quill. "You… intend to recommend elevation?"
She nodded. "I will petition for the Thorne estate to receive County Provisional Status under Ducal oversight. If the Duke accepts, it means more funds, infrastructure, and authority. Cedric Thorne will have to be trained further, but if he maintains this trajectory..."
"He could rise well beyond," Valien finished.
"Exactly." Mirelda sat back, gazing through the glass at the retreating fields.
"The court won't like it," Emeric warned. "The capital will wonder how they missed this. Some nobles might resist it, especially those whose holdings pale in comparison."
She nodded slowly. "Let them. I'll speak with Duke Reinhardt directly. He trusts my judgment. And the boy is his vassal. If a backwater heir can build a near-town from ash in a fortnight, what could he do with full support?"
There was awe in her voice now. Even Valien caught it.
"I never thought I'd say this," the knight muttered, "but I might request a post in Thorne. It'd be a better future than guarding idle cousins in the capital."
They shared a laugh.
And as the carriage rounded a bend, Lady Mirelda allowed herself one last look back.
"Mark my words," she said softly. "That place will be the pride of the South."
Emeric, scribbling furiously, wrote those very words in bold ink.