[Satisfaction +100!]
[Satisfaction +100!]
While Lucien was training Dratini by the riverbank, two notifications suddenly blinked across his dashboard.
He blinked in surprise.
"That's from the two Machoke?"
The sheer amount startled him. He hadn't expected such a large increase in satisfaction from just two individuals.
Then it clicked.
Given their tragic past, the contrast between their previous suffering and their new life here must have felt overwhelming. That sharp difference alone could easily translate into extraordinary satisfaction.
Lucien smiled faintly. "I'll have to thank them later."
Their happiness reaffirmed something in his heart, that the path he was walking was the right one.
With the two hundred points from the Machoke, plus those earned over the last few days, his total Satisfaction Points had now reached 362.
Which meant… a new technology could be unlocked.
Lucien opened the Technology Panel. His gaze settled on one particular option:
[Basic Shipbuilding]
Unlocks foundational shipbuilding methods.
Cost: 300 Satisfaction Points
"Perfect timing," Lucien murmured.
Ivan had recently discovered a village downstream. With boats, they could not only reach it easily but also transport goods and even expand to the plains across the river.
The river beside their territory was wide and deep, far too wide for a bridge with their current materials and manpower. Without professional bridge builders, crossing by ship was the most practical choice.
Lucien silently willed the command: Unlock.
A warm pulse of energy filled his mind. Instantly, detailed shipbuilding schematics, material blueprints, and construction methods etched themselves into his memory.
"Next, I'll need someone skilled enough to lead the shipbuilding," Lucien thought. He decided he'd ask Elif that evening if there were any suitable candidates among the villagers.
He turned to Dratini, who was still twirling its tail in the shallow water, forming perfect little ripples.
"Alright, Dratini, that's enough for today," Lucien said, smiling.
"Woo~!"
They made their way toward the orchard, where Snivy was practicing its energy control, channeling a soft green glow from its palms to nourish the tender fruit trees.
Nearby, the small Shukle from the greenhouse peeked curiously, watching Snivy's graceful movements.
Now that the territory was safe, even these timid little ones dared to move about more freely.
Lucien watched for a while, then called out, "Snivy, how's your control today? Getting more stable?"
Snivy raised its chin proudly, its hands still glowing with emerald light.
"Snivy!" it declared, of course!
Lucien chuckled, glancing up at the amber sky as the sun began to set.
"It's getting late. Let's wrap up for today. We'll continue tomorrow."
Snivy crossed its little arms, pretending to be aloof, and strutted past him with exaggerated dignity.
Lucien sighed softly. "Why is my Pokémon too proud to accept affection?"
Noticing that Lucien hadn't followed, Snivy stopped and glanced back with a faint huff.
"Snivy?"
"I'm coming, I'm coming…" Lucien said with a helpless smile, following after.
That evening, after dinner, Lucien returned to the lord's hall as usual.
Elif, Geralt, and the others were already waiting for him.
When he entered, Elif stepped forward immediately to report.
"Your Highness, we've arranged the work for the new recruits," Elif reported respectfully. "With their arrival, the progress at the lumberyard and the mines has increased nearly threefold."
Lucien nodded, satisfied. "Not bad. As expected, population truly is the key to a territory's growth."
Elif continued, his tone bright with excitement. "Also, with Lord Geralt's protection, our miners were able to dig deeper into the tunnels. Today, along with the clay, they brought back not only iron ore, but also a large amount of coal!"
Lucien's eyes widened slightly. "Coal?"
"Yes!" Elif said quickly. "Now that we have coal, we won't have to worry about freezing through the winter!"
Lucien thought for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Tell Morik and the others to start building a brick kiln."
Up until now, the bricks had been fired one batch at a time by Simsear, an extremely slow process. With a proper kiln, they could place molded clay bricks inside, use coal as fuel, and simply have Simsear ignite the fire.
That would allow them to mass-produce construction materials for the growing town.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Elif replied immediately.
"Also," Lucien added, "see if there are any skilled shipbuilders or bridge workers among our people. We'll need a bridge, or at least a vessel, to reach the plains across the river."
"I'll ask around," Elif said, making a quick note.
"One more thing." Lucien's tone softened but remained thoughtful. "Try to make contact with the village downstream. If any traveling merchants arrive, inform me right away, I have questions for them."
Merchants were often wanderers who'd seen faraway lands and heard countless rumors. Perhaps someone among them had news of Lacunosa Town.
Lucien's expression grew distant. He still worried about the lack of a truly powerful Pokémon to defend his domain.
War could erupt at any time. His elder brothers, protectors of distant realms blessed by Zekrom and Reshiram, had mighty dragons watching over them.
But he had none.
Kyurem… he thought silently. The empty guardian of ice and shadow. The one left behind.
"If I can find Kyurem," Lucien murmured, "and win its trust…"
He trailed off, then sighed. "Or perhaps Articuno. The icy mountains are said to be its domain."
But Articuno was elusive, a fleeting spirit of the north wind. Ever since that fateful winter when it had saved his envoy, Cleveland, the man had returned to those peaks many times hoping for another encounter… all in vain.
"Understood, Your Highness," Elif said softly.
Lucien exhaled. "That's all for today. Thank you for your hard work."
The men bowed and departed, leaving the hall quiet once more.
When Lucien returned home, the first thing he saw was Dratini coiled beside the table leg, rubbing against it.
He blinked, then watched in mild shock as the tiny dragon's old skin split and sloughed away, glimmering faintly in the lamplight.
"Shedding again?" Lucien muttered. "You're growing faster every day."
Dratini blinked up at him, its sapphire eyes wide and innocent.
Lucien smiled. "Good job." He crouched down and gently patted its smooth head.
The dragon chirped softly. Its scales gleamed brighter than before, its vitality stronger.
It now stood nearly 0.8 meters tall, already half the average height listed in the Pokédex: 1.8 meters.
Given the fact that Dratini grows by shedding its skin, it's likely that when it reaches the height shown in the illustration, the day of evolution will arrive.