"Sir, we didn't eat anything," Elara interjected, her face filled with anger. "The last bit of food we had was three days ago. Sir, if you don't mind, can we stay here? We don't even have a place to live. We're both orphans, and because of some bastard, we were kicked out of our own house. Now we're just wandering around, hoping someone will let us stay." It was clear someone had played a significant role in their current plight, but Lucan had no interest in asking who or where that person was. He only cared about the two of them joining his group.
"I can let you stay here, but..." Lucan began, not finishing his sentence. Ronan, needing a place to stay, quickly interjected.
"Sir, it looks like you've built some good shelters here and there," Ronan said. "There's also a fire, and the fence we saw was built in a very systematic way. But from what I can see, you don't have any weapons, not on you, sir, and not on these people. This means, sir, you have wood but not any iron or ore to make weapons. So, we can craft everyday weapons or tools to help you in your daily life. And can we have that one shelter? If you just provide us with food, we won't even ask for any money."
It was a fantastic offer for Lucan. Here were two blacksmiths, willing to work for him, and he didn't even need to pay them.
From a certain perspective, they were offering something priceless. When a person is on the last thread of their life, they will do anything to live a little longer.
But there was one thing they had done right: they wanted to work under Lucan.
They didn't know that this place would grow into something truly great, a paradise, thanks to the system.
So many things were possible for Lucan now, like purchasing ores from the normal store.
"But sir, we don't have any ores on us, or any iron bars or any type of bar to make tools or weapons. We're sorry; we can't help you without you giving us some materials," Elara said, being completely honest. Without materials, they couldn't work.
Nors and the others worried that they had found blacksmiths only to have them leave. But their lord had something different in mind.
"Sir? Sir?" Ronan asked twice, pulling Lucan from his thoughts.
"For materials, there's no problem," Lucan said. "I have enough for you. You can use as much as you like. No, not everything, just within limits, okay?" With that, Lucan gestured with his hand, and about 5 kg of iron appeared in front of them.
Ronan, Elara, Kenny, Nors, Marcus, and Elias were all in shock. Even the shadow in the dark, unseen by anyone was surprised.
But for Lucan, it was simple. Everything he did was thanks to the system.
*
A few seconds ago
Lucan, standing in front of Ronan and Elara, was momentarily lost in the system's screen, not hearing their words. All that mattered was what was in front of him.
[They have been accepted]
[Ore and raw material are now available in the normal store]
[You can Purchase them, if you want to]
Lucan only heard Ronan's words, "But sir, we don't have any ores on us." With that, he mentally opened the normal store and navigated to the ores and raw materials section. Several options appeared on the screen.
[Ores & Raw Materials (1 kg each)]
[Iron Ore — 20 CP]
[Copper Ore — 20 CP]
[Coal — 30 CP]
[Mixed Ore Pack (2 Kg) — 40 CP]
[Rare Ore Shard (100g) — 5 LP]
Another message also appeared.
[You can purchase the materials in quantity]
[Every time you purchase 5 kg or 10 kg, you get a 10% discount]
"Sir? Sir?" Ronan's voice broke through Lucan's concentration.
"For materials, there's no problem," Lucan said, pausing for a moment. "I have enough for you. You can use as much as you like. No, not everything—just within limits, okay?"
With that, Lucan mentally purchased 5 kg of iron. The cost should have been 100 CP, but because of the discount, he saved 10 CP. The amount was small now, but he knew purchasing in larger quantities would save him more CP in the long run.
[You have purchased 5kg of iron ore with 90 CP]
The iron ore was now in Lucan's inventory, looking like a giant cube. 'If I just show them this ore, there's a higher chance they'll start working today,' he thought.
Lucan gestured with his hands, and a 5 kg block of iron appeared in front of everyone.
"How is it?" Lucan asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He was enjoying the way he was shocking people. "Now you can use this and make some tools, right?"
"Sir, this... how?" Ronan stammered. Elara, standing behind him, was equally flabbergasted. A block of iron had appeared out of nowhere.
Behind Lucan, near the fire, Nors and the others were also quietly chatting about what Lucan had just done, their voices too low to be heard from a distance.
"You can use it, right?" Lucan asked Ronan, who was still in shock. Hearing Lucan's voice, Ronan composed himself.
"Yes, sir, we can use this to create some tools," Ronan replied. "But we don't have any coal to heat the iron."
While he could use the iron, it wouldn't be easy without coal. He was hopeful, though, that they could find some somewhere.
"Sir, we also have a small forge and some air-pumping equipment to help light the fire," Ronan added. "We always carry it with us because we thought we might end up in a situation where there's no forge. So you don't have to worry about a forge or a smithy." This was a beautiful thought, the prospect of a small, portable forge and anvil.
"But, sir, can you get us more iron?" Elara asked. "Ronan and I make tools together. I don't think I can cut this big of an iron block by myself. Can you give it to us in pieces?" This request reassured Lucan that they had a forge and an anvil to help them.
"I'm sorry, but for now I can't do that," Lucan replied.
"But next time, I'll definitely do it." With this, the journey of two blacksmiths coming to the wasteland began, and things would now proceed in a much better way.
"Ah... you said you were hungry, right?" Lucan said to them. "Why don't you eat with us, now that you're going to be living with us?" He walked toward the others.
After sitting down, he picked up a piece of meat and gave it to Ronan and Elara, who were now sitting in front of them.
They took the meat, and as they began to chew, their eyes became filled with emotion from the kindness and the taste of the meat. This was from the Dark Wolves, and there was still a lot left.
"Now that everyone has gathered here, listen up," Lucan began. "Kenny, Marcus, Nors, and Elias will finish building the rest of the fence. Elara and Ronan, after eating, can rest for a while in the shelter. I think you can live in the third shelter on the right side. Alian and Dalia will do their usual work, and Evan will be fully treated tomorrow. That leaves me. I'll take a walk around the land, go to the steam source, and check on everything." Everyone listened carefully and nodded to Lucan's orders.
"But Lord, why are you going to take a walk?" Nors asked. "I mean, it's not that you can't, but is there any benefit to it?"
"Yes, there is," Lucan replied. "Now that we have ten people, we need to think about making this a thriving place. So when someone goes outside Elysian, we can bring back orphans or anyone who wants to live here." They all listened carefully, but one thing was unclear.
It was Kenny who spoke. "Lord, Elysian? Isn't this state's name Fineras, Lord?" Everyone, including Elara and Ronan, nodded in agreement.
Lucan stood up, adjusted his attire, and said, "It was Fineras, but not anymore. From today onwards, I, as the Lord of this state, declare that this state's name will be Elysian." With that, he sat back down. For a moment, no one said anything, but then...
"Lord, is that true? This state's name is Elysian? It's just too good of a name!" Nors said, getting down on one knee.
"Lord, if it's like that, then I will follow you for the rest of my life," Kenny declared, following his grandfather's lead.
"Sir Lucan, we haven't been here for more than a day, but because of your kindness and caring nature, we respect you and will follow you to the end," Marcus said, with Elias following suit and getting down on one knee.
"Sir, you were the Lord of this state! We didn't know that," Ronan said. "But now that we do, our respect for you has grown even more." Elara followed him and knelt.
Alian and Dalia also knelt, and Evan, despite his injuries, struggled to his knees.
"I don't know how we will live in this land or how we will die," Lucan said in a loud voice so everyone could hear him, "but I, as the Lord, promise that this land will truly be a paradise in the near future for all of us." They all heard his promise. "You can get up now," Lucan said, and they all rose and sat beside one another.
"Lord, you can go and take your stroll," Nors told Lucan. "We will do the work you've given us."
"Okay, everyone, good luck," Lucan said. With that, everyone slowly departed to their task
"Lord, you can go and take a stroll. We'll handle the work you've left for us," Nors told Lucan.
"Okay, good luck, everyone," Lucan replied. With that, everyone slowly went back to their tasks.
Lucan began his walk, first heading to what he considered a small river. He approached the water and saw the familiar landscape: demolished buildings on one side and a cursed land on the other. The river itself flowed from the northeast to the southwest.
"I don't know how far I'd have to walk to see all the areas that need to be repaired, cleaned, or have buildings constructed on them," Lucan said in a frustrated tone. It was difficult to get a complete view of the land as a regular human, without being able to fly or see it from above.
"Oh," he suddenly remembered. "I think there was a scan function and a map when I was first teleported here. I didn't see the entire state, but I got a clear picture of the land and everything in it." Lucan mentally prepared himself.
"System, scan it," he said aloud. The next moment, his view changed, as if he were a god looking down on the land from high in the sky. If someone had been there, they would have seen a bright light surrounding Lucan, and he knew what the light was doing.
Lucan, enjoying the experience again, looked down at the land. "I came from this way with the carriage my father prepared for me," he said, pointing to the west.
"Here is where my office will be built in the future, and these are the shelters near it," he said, indicating the location of his base.
"Here's the small river," he continued, pointing to the river flowing from the cursed lands.
"These are the tree clusters that fill the border, following the river's path," he added, pointing to the area where he and Nors had been cutting wood.
"And this is where all the demolished buildings, dead beasts, and monsters are," he said, gesturing toward the vast ruins that covered half the state.
"I've got a good picture of what I can do now," Lucan continued. "I can make a farming plot near the shelters. Ronan and Elara can make the tools. But first, I need to clear the land of all these buildings so we actually have a place to build something."
After outlining his thoughts, Lucan canceled the scan and was immediately back in his original spot.