After the mercenaries of Tomorrow's Developments entered the mobile city of Kazdel, the local residents—mostly the elderly and children—did not dare to return to the streets for a long while.
The few adults who ventured outside gripped their weapons tightly, expressions flickering between fear and hostility, as though unable to decide whether to fight or flee.
It wasn't long before some bold mercenaries pushed open their doors and stepped into the streets. To their surprise, patrols dressed in black-and-white uniforms were already stationed at every corner. Some even recognized familiar faces among them.
"You… you've got to be kidding me!"
The mercenaries of Kazdel watched as these newcomers pinned up public notices around the city. In front of the old Parliament Hall, a well-dressed, articulate mercenary stood giving a speech—introducing who they were.
----
"Hear ye, hear ye!"
"We come from the Frontier District. We are Tomorrow's Developments.
We are here to announce that we have officially taken control of the Kazdel Mobile City. I understand that this sudden change may cause anxiety and fear among you all…"
The speaker was Hoederer, holding a script written by Felix himself. His purpose was simple: to tell the Sarkaz people that Tomorrow's Developments came with no ill intent.
"Our goal is not to harm the city or its citizens. On the contrary, we aim to restore order as quickly as possible—to protect your safety and rebuild stability. Even as I speak, our forces have been deployed throughout the city to maintain peace. Any attempt to disrupt order will be dealt with swiftly."
Gradually, more Sarkaz civilians and mercenaries gathered near the Parliament Hall to listen to his speech, broadcast loudly through speakers.
"—Tomorrow's Developments wish for everyone to continue living as they always have. You have no need to fear discrimination or unfair treatment. Our mercenaries have been instructed to respect your rights, and any misconduct will be punished severely."
"…We are Tomorrow's Developments. We will make Kazdel thrive again. Thank you."
Hoederer bowed deeply and led his mixed patrol of Sarkaz mercenaries and adventurers down the main road.
---
The Sarkaz people scratched their heads, still unsure what exactly Tomorrow's Developments were. But the Frontier District—that name was familiar. Mercenaries from the Scar Market often traded there, bringing back stories about its prosperity. Many residents who had left Kazdel for the Frontier District were acquaintances or relatives of those still here.
Now, some local mercenaries approached their old comrades—those who had once left the city or fought against them during the civil war—to ask about this new faction and its mysterious leader, the Pioneer.
They all received similar answers:
"The Pioneer's goal is to build a better Kazdel. Every one of us fights freely for that dream."
---
The surprises didn't end there.
Giles, leading his squad of Goliath guards, began clearing the charred ruins of the old Babel sites—an area left in ashes after it was burned down during the war. Dangerous ruins were being demolished. Alongside the Goliaths worked groups of player adventurers, who had accepted clean-up missions from Tomorrow's Developments.
Unlike the old mercenaries, who once fought each other to exhaustion, the players were cheerful, chatting easily with the guards while secretly hoping to trigger new "quests" in the process.
Giles was a familiar face among the townsfolk—a respected pillar of the former Military Commission. He had once been ordered to guard the city by the previous Vampire City Lord… who had since been slain by Ascalon's blade. Now, aside from Luna, the last blood relative of the former City Lord, Giles was effectively the highest-ranking figure left.
Seeing Giles cooperating peacefully with Tomorrow's Developments, several of his close allies and citizens approached him, wanting to understand what was happening.
---
"The Pioneer's goal," Giles said solemnly, "is to make Kazdel strong and prosperous once again. That's something I've always wanted as well."
He looked at several mercenary leaders who held sway in the city.
"The civil war is over. It's time to end the fighting."
The mercenary chiefs frowned. "Brother Giles, are you saying…?"
"I've heard from former Babel soldiers that the Pioneer was close to Her Highness," Giles replied evenly. "So what if he's of the Sankta race? As long as his heart remains with Kazdel, I see no harm in aligning with Tomorrow's Developments—for now."
"What about the General? The Military Commission?"
"If not for the Pioneer," Giles said gravely, "then after Her Highness's death, Kazdel would have already fallen into chaos and lawlessness. In truth, we should be grateful for Tomorrow's Developments' intervention."
His tone hardened.
"Tell your men and friends—don't provoke them. Don't question the Pioneer's intentions. If doubt is necessary, I'll carry that burden alone."
"…Brother Giles…"
Giles drove his shovel back into the ground and looked up.
"If you've got nothing else to do—"
"Right! We'll help out, of course!"
---
Sarkaz mercenaries had always been quick to exchange information. Aside from a few who still clung stubbornly to the ideals of the General and Her Highness, most mercenaries went wherever there was coin to be earned.
And now, Tomorrow's Developments were offering exactly that opportunity.
Naturally, they began to work.
The collaboration between the three sides quickly helped everyone grow familiar with one another.
However, a new problem soon landed on Felix's desk — the currency system.
To be honest, it was a miracle that Kazdel had survived up to this point. The only widely recognized form of payment among the Scar Market mercenaries and others was the Victorian Pound. Kazdel itself had no official currency — for an obvious reason. Without any trade relations or import–export activity with other nations, there had never been a need for money to exist.
So, how did the Sarkaz mercenaries conduct their business? Through the oldest method known to civilization: bartering. They traded whatever goods they had in stock with each other. In truth, this wasn't all that different from the early 1.0-era players who once struggled to survive in Kazdel.
To make them accept the use of currency, Felix had to start from scratch — first by teaching them the concept of money, then by establishing a market system with set prices, and finally by earning the mercenaries' trust.
Otherwise, why would they ever choose to use a currency issued by him?
This was giving Felix a headache. It wasn't something he could brute-force his way through.
And it wasn't just Kazdel's internal economy he had to consider — there were also international implications. The real challenge was how to make other nations acknowledge this currency and ensure their citizens wouldn't hesitate to use it.
It was not a problem that could be solved overnight. At the very least, it would require a five-year plan.
For the short term, Felix decided to continue using the Victorian pound and Lungmen dollar as Kazdel's de facto currencies. The rest could be developed gradually.
He then ordered members of the former Military Commission to clear a large area — the starting point for rebuilding a new residential district.
Kazdel's mobile city relied on crude, outdated systems for both its infrastructure and movement. To elevate the overall standard of living, Felix first needed to change how the people saw themselves — to make them move away from the identity of being mere "dirty mercenaries."
Yes, Kazdel had always been known for its mercenaries. Felix didn't intend to erase that tradition — he just wanted to refine it. Under his leadership, Kazdel would become known not just for mercenaries, but for elite, well-equipped soldiers-for-hire.
As for the housing designs, Felix left that to several players with crafting-related professions. He trusted their taste — after all, they would be living there too. Who wouldn't want to build a home that looked like it came straight out of creative mode, rather than sleeping in a matchbox?
Soon, a group of players discovered red-named NPCs.
They exchanged glances, then stepped forward — only for the enemies to draw their weapons first.
Well, that settled it.
The players immediately called in the rest of their squad and launched into a chaotic brawl.
By the time Felix finished handling these endless minor issues, it was already late at night.
Ever since Yang Yan XF's post about Kazdel's Liberation went viral — followed by that heavily circulated promotional video — more and more players had begun paying attention to the small nation of Kazdel. Once known among players as a war-torn wasteland, Kazdel had now become the shining stage of the Pioneer.
Some players were even jokingly calling it:
"Make Kazdel Great Again" — MKGA.
A flood of players was now heading toward the moving city, though to be honest, there wasn't nearly enough room for them all.
Forcing the native residents out would be far too cruel and will be out of the original purpose, so Felix focused on constructing high-density housing zones within the available space.
In addition, he asked Muelsyse to pass a message to Mostima — he needed her help contacting the Catastrophe Messengers.
If Kazdel wanted to survive long-term and safely, predicting where catastrophes would occur was essential. In this land, an Originium Catastrophe could strike at any time — sometimes large, sometimes small — but always deadly.
That was why Felix had decided it wasn't wise for players to build cities just anywhere; one unexpected Catastrophe could erase all their work overnight.
As for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, he still relied on imports.
Exports, however… that was another story.
Kazdel wasn't like snowy Kjerag with its cozy red furnaces.
Here, the land was foul, the Catastrophes frequent, and though there were plenty of mineral ruins, most were so heavily contaminated that exporting goods to other nations was nearly impossible.
In the end, there was only one export Kazdel was famous — or infamous — for:
Mercenaries.
Felix already had an idea of how to rebrand them.
He would establish armories to produce elite soldiers — well-trained, loyal "brothers-in-arms" clad in custom battle armor who would fight not just for money, but for Kazdel itself.
He rubbed his temples. This office was nothing like the headquarters of Tomorrow's Development or his home in Lungmen — not nearly as comfortable. He instinctively wanted something sweet to drink, but settled for a cup of cold water.
His high Spirit stat meant he could endure long hours without feeling physical fatigue, but mentally, he was exhausted. All he wanted was to lie back and scroll through the forums, watching players lose their minds in chaotic excitement.
He had given them a free, open world to explore — and now, they were building roads and connections just like in Death Stranding.
"Ah… damn Death Stranding," he muttered with a faint smile.
With that thought, he pushed open the door.
His current office was located in a residential district near the Capitol building — formerly the home of a Babel mercenary who'd left Kazdel. The place had since been repurposed as the Tomorrow's Development temporary base.
Outside, two Sarkaz guards from the organization stood at attention. Felix gave them a nod in greeting before walking down the dimly lit path ahead.
Now, part of Tomorrow's Development's mercenaries and players had already settled within Kazdel's mobile city, while the rest had set up simple tents on the outskirts — makeshift shelters for temporary living.
From Luna, Felix learned that the city rarely moved. The area they currently occupied hadn't experienced a Catastrophe for several years — a rare piece of land that could almost be called a blessed zone.
At some point, Ines appeared silently behind him, her footsteps as light as a shadow.
"Pioneer," she said softly, "you're still awake at this hour?"
Felix turned slightly, catching her gaze.
"Everyone's exhausted today," Ines continued, studying his profile. "But you, you're the most tired of them all."
He chuckled faintly. "It's fine. Just settling into a city — how exhausting could that be?"
Together, they walked toward the construction site. Felix saw the Goliath guards and several adventurers still hard at work, clearing rubble under the dim lamplight. He raised an eyebrow. It wasn't unusual for players to work late into the night — but seeing Giles leading his squad personally? That was… unexpected.
"Giles hasn't stopped once," Ines murmured. "The Goliath unit has always prided itself on endurance."
"What about Hoederer?" Felix asked. "Did he find anything today?"
Ines followed a few steps behind him, letting out a quiet sigh. "The difference between the residents of Kazdel's mobile city and those in the Frontier District is… staggering. Not just in housing, but in food, in living standards — the Frontier is far ahead in every way."
"Hoederer came back after dinner to report," she added. "And I was shocked myself — an entire mobile city of Kazdel, yet not a single proper school or educational institution."
Felix frowned slightly.
"Teachers here," Ines went on, hesitating, "are considered… a dangerous profession. Those who try to teach ideas that differ from the old Military Commission's values are often attacked — beaten or even killed by parents. So even the few who remain choose to teach privately, at home."
"I see…" Felix nodded slowly. "Then establishing schools will have to become one of our future priorities. Thank you for bringing this up. We'll need to help Kazdel catch up with the Frontier District as soon as possible."
Can he really do it? The question flickered in her mind — but she immediately pushed it aside.
No. He would do it.
He must do it.
And he will do it.
Ines smiled gently, her eyes glimmering in the faint light.
"With you here," she said softly, "I'm sure we will."