A long bath helped, but afterwards, as I made my way down to dinner, every step was a painful one. My muscles were already stiffening. It would be even worse in the morning. Still, I was determined. And that encounter with the ambassador of Southway just made me even more so.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpOaM7BNbt
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A long, polished wooden table had been laid out with what looked like a banquet to me, despite my instructions. Silver candelabra held our source of light, light which glittered off a wide array of polished trays and bowls. There were grapes; cherries, apples and peaches stacked high; there were at least four kinds of fish, filleted and laid out with herbs and lemon on trays decorated with fishing net designs; bowls of peas, green beans, tomatoes and carrots were full to the brim, at least four different kinds of bread had been prepared, with slices and rolls displayed on yet more silver trays; while goblets of cut glass sparkled, ready to receive wine from a choice of six decanters.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLrpBlSkzi
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The table was laid for four people but the placings were spaced so far apart that it was like a socially distanced event during the COVID pandemic back home. Much to the consternation of a servant who was standing by the wall and hurriedly came over to help, I started re-arranging the plates and cutlery, bringing all the places up to the top end.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiTa5V1qN0
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No sooner than I'd taken my own seat, than Lord Arval, my Paladin General came in with a brisk march. Even for dinner, it seemed, he wore his chainmail and carried his sword. With a gesture that was nearly a smile, he took the seat to my right after I pointed to it.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZajD7qOLP
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplSSkDArAZ
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgAVxPcU89
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsJktMnTRU
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iIT5YTQwe
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'That you were offered wine and women for the rest of your life if you'd do the bidding of their king and you refused, telling him that it was him who would be grovelling in chains before you.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SmXr0F4SN
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'Did I though?' I laughed. 'The story has grown. Good. They have the spirit right at least. That guy was so smug, I wanted to punch him in the face.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukXHgSOUfm
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We were interrupted by the arrival of Chancellor Parrin and the sorceress Carlena. Although they were not arm in arm, there was something about them that suggested to me they might be a couple. They were the right ages – she with silver hair and he with the grey and sliver of his beard – and they moved towards me with an ease in each other's company.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvINfqkxFg9
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'Another innovation I see,' said the Chancellor with a glance at the place settings and then at the servants. I got the message: careful, go easy on the changes.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpKXiFvb5c
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I repeated my story of meeting the ambassador of Southway, to the approval of Parrin and Carlena but they were surprisingly taciturn. Only when we had eaten did Carlena lean towards me, so that I caught the full intensity of her stunning purple eyes, and whisper, 'send the servants away please, so we can talk properly.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWOQaawJBE
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I nodded. And after the next time my glass was refilled, I slapped the table with my heavy palm (it was effective for that at least). 'Out! Servants out and don't disturb us until you are called for.' I spoke with unnecessary volume as they jumped to respond.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6ezkHfxPE
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLglq2wQEv
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The two of them then began an interrogation that would have never have been allowed by the previous king. What was I researching? What was I building? How would we cope with the loss of our grain-generating lands? What other information was in the menus? On the whole they were cautiously positive about my decisions and plans. At least, they didn't propose I make any changes to it. I was warned that my popularity, already very low, would drop further if we did start trading iron to the necromancer king, but they could see the necessity of this.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPF2XVtP40
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By the end of their questions, I was totally clear about one thing. Carlena, Parrin and (to a lesser extent) Lord Arval saw me as their instrument. I was accountable to them and had to take their instruction. In business terms, this was a board meeting and I was the CEO, not a king with absolute power. This didn't upset me. I could totally see their point of view: the kingdom was on the ropes and everything they owned, including their lives, was in jeopardy. They couldn't afford any mistakes from me. Also, while I quite enjoyed the authority of being king and the way all the people were quick to obey me, I didn't like the barrier that the role created. At least here, with these three, I could be myself.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJt1cUz9hCy
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'I have a question about the menus,' I looked from one to the other. 'How is it there are so few people on them compared to the size of Carrick?'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MaPBzMWUn
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It was Carlena who answered. 'I believe the numbers allowed on the menu are capped in some way by the overall happiness of the realm. Most of our citizens would join the menus if allowed, wanting Miya to triumph and not wishing to be conquered. You should try to facilitate them.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQnAsepE9Q
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That made sense and exporing how to raise happiness was yet another goal for me to add to the 'to do' list.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZ6mDliAnI
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06dMWBAATY
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'I don't know yet.' I patted the rolls of stomach fat that were resting on the table top. 'I've made a start on shedding these. But I haven't seen any change to my character sheet yet.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJ328zq4HH
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmEGfheR5j
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'I'm not even a Fighter yet,' I confessed. 'In fact I was thinking my character sheet meant I should be a Sorcerer or Cleric.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n437PHr2S
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwy0EoXwh5
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'Oh no,' said Carlena. 'Not a Sorcerer. You won't have any spells. To obtain spells you have to build a scriptorium of the spell level and then research them, getting a random result It would take you forever. And it's not what we need on the battlefield.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonITdz4KKN
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrsFp11bQz
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I caught the Scout's eyes and said, 'I'll start levelling up soon. But with my current stats, I'd be a hopeless warrior of any sort. I have to find out can I improve my Strength before starting my personal progression as a fighter. Really, I should be a caster: a mage or cleric. And I also need to know how to level. Do I fight monsters? Complete quests?'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc48RJXkhPg
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'I suppose you are right to wait,' Lord Arval spoke after a short interval. 'But every day that you are not progressing is a day more for them to get ahead. You could easily reach level two or even three by performing task quests in the town itself.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qNEIsuEkr
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'And we can bring you to areas nearby where there are monsters you can fight and kill for experience,' offered Lord Parrin.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqHgGqf132
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSQlCOZueq
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I took a deep breath. 'I will progress soon then. For now though, my body is a mass of aches and pain. I can barely lift this fork with my left hand, my shoulder is so sore. There's nothing more I could have done today to advance this body towards where it should be.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lVUCPkCfI
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbd0mFGc8y
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjcnzmdiOA
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'Indeed. And in that light, provoking the king of Southway might not have been wise.' Carlena spoke tentatively, as if exploring the idea.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOGNsUs8fb
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'Sean was right to refute him so publicly and so firmly,' Arval came in, 'the message to the soldiers and people was clear. We will endure.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPNwVguZmE
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Chancellor Parrin nodded. 'I think so too. But still, there is a real danger of the two armies continuing their advance together and overcoming our defences.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuI8Tac8JK
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'Speaking of which, I'd like to see them. We have a fort at the head of the valley that leads here, right? I might be able to upgrade it.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPFzDGCvNL
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'You can't get there, it is thirty miles away and no horse can carry you.' It was Arval who made this depressing, if practical, point.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXsDDsAbfd
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'I can show you on the map at least,' offering Parrin, 'and you should be able to find a menu for it. It's called Three-Ways Fort.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGJhfjfzgK
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'I'll check later. And if it's all right with you, I'll move any remaining troops from here down to it, including the new archers.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCUVd0bx2y
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VC0Xwz3Gx
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I had been thinking about Carlena's point about unnecessarily provoking King Wace. 'Could we maybe divide them? By talking with Queen Rorg… whatever … the Trolland queen. By suggesting that we might be willing to be a protectorate under her?'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocawhDLlHX
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjk7lm3AlnZ
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'When he gets back,' I said.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN46wMvaaZm
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1yc3f44cG
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'In the meantime, I think you need to go down to the lowlands and monitor the enemy's movements, to give us notice if they are advancing.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09E5oxJoWD
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu9KYM5kMH
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiXga9bL5K
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'It's been a while since I dusted off my scout skills, but you know what, I'll do it!' Parrin rubbed his beard around his mouth, where a smile was forming. 'I'll set out in the morning.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO9AfdwUuh
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'Just don't take any risks.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUq6pB5EJO
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When our strategizing was at an end, Lord Arval called the servants back in and we resumed a more formal tone, until I was ready for my bed. Well, not quite ready.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLfG1v6oH7
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW927J8q2x7
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKUOeb5Enu
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3V97YAO1f
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It was an effort, I was almost tempted to ask for help and a push, but my groaning legs carried me up two flights of stairs until I collapsed on the bed. Not long after I did so, a heavy knock came on the door and after I called for the person to come in. It was the masseur I was expecting. Well, not quite. A tall, muscular man in a soldier's tunic came in.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVqkKRouMQ
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhemNkY4Ec
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'Please.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2KkAScKsa
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo3BU46m3r
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo22s8IYFrd
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He nodded. 'Too right. You know they make the dummy out of lead, deliberate like? So when you pick up your first real blade, it feels light.'457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFlaAU4bFq
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I didn't reply and soon I felt his hands on the backs of my thighs, through my clothes. I wasn't going to remove them, even if that limited his access.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1sAqqKX8H
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Before long, I was getting some serious work done, loosening my cramped and tight muscles and while it was borderline painful, it was effective. What with the wine and the exercise, I'd sleep well. There was one thought still nagging me though, arising from the questions that the sorceress and the chancellor had raised with me. Oh yes. The hunting lodge, level 2 had been due for completion earlier this evening.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStROBJoytP
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I paused the massage long enough to call down the town menu, then got back into position while I studied it.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iRmVQFIu4
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Greyland457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkir3FPnILu
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Economy457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHM2tpaqQA
Currently building:457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEA1BA1DRb
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Monthly trade income: 0457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUYX1qAr1G
Monthly tax income: 54 gold457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaZC66645n
Treasury: 2 gold457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBkXVFNqfr
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Daily food consumption: 13 units457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiM4VQWCKL
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IrLdjqP8b
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFhmhXyRxA
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2pn0Am5TW
Meat yield: 5 units daily457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOeCYks1wo
Timber yield: 17 planks daily457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SuTQNVvuy
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ129nRYh3n
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bSPC65FOx
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7LcLKwSwH
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuID5nOOLGx
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Research: Shipbuilding One457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtzlTGt1e5
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Resources:457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTwWjWr8ZN
Wheat: 14 food units457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEU6pzlCKE
Vegetables: 25 food units457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPUApa7zHA
Meat: 8 food units457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqrvmVRr2O
Wool: 7 bales457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykTJiuK0td
Timber: 150 planks457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0Oz5r1Ngk
Iron: 0 ingots457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2zSX2X4Qq
Stone: 39 blocks457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6D6BtwZrx
Cloth: 4 bolts
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The meat yield had gone up by one. I had hoped for two but I couldn't argue with a 25% increase. That still left us losing about 6 food units a day, with reserves of 47. I winced, and not from the pain of the knuckles digging into my shoulder. I had to set a new town building project and the attractive options were hunting lodge level 3 or mine level 3. Both would take two days to upgrade.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3bmqSa6th
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In trying to figure out which of the two would work best for solving the food crisis, I realised that something was wrong. The smithy should have made me eighty-four steel pickaxes. If they significantly improved iron output, I would build the next level of hunting lodge. Yet the smithy was on hold.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8csvtqGVp
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The problem was iron. I had made a mistake. I blushed at the thought of talking about this with the others. If I had waited to create the new archers, I would have had plenty of iron for the pickaxes. Scrolling deeper into the menus, I could see that the Smithy had built a stock of 12 pickaxes before I had assigned the remaining iron to training the archers. Then it had come to a halt.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpC7dxMh6J
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Oh well, I allocated the twelve new pickaxes to the miners and given that at least two iron would come in tomorrow, the Smithy would be able to make 24 steel pickaxes, which would surely improve the daily output of iron? Three days would see me with a mining workforce fully equipped with the new pickaxes. Three days though. When I should have been using those days in building up a surplus ready to trade for food if Figus came back from the Necromancer with a decent deal.457Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8VaAmadI2
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This was discouraging, but more positive was the discovery that the hunting lodge level 2 had the capacity for four more workers. That was a must. I assigned the new hunters from the reserves of workers (now only 8 strong) and went for the hunting lodge level 3 as the next build. While iron was vital, food was even more so and there was no guaranteeing that my ambassador would even return, let alone with a trade agreement.
