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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5rACqgMRl
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hM6dVsqLj
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUX3Q0RRTA
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQjIogexMC
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxDMRpO8PT
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLgaSzUWAr
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3oo0PtxIz
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbJlir1p4A
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdenKQaTSzY
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNE8f2nY4ak
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGomuxsiaM
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTpA9Q1SMg
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYKc2CtZ7S
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4jPuQeGWI
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8gpkyncJv
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8fndSoqTQ
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWY1G3nlOO
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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?'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWOlaPiOOt
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaucLofq4HK
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡct33Yu6UD2
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS6FqDZAf6
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5u03KIUC5
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZfUyB90E2
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXwwQ33A79
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7dmQuLnsm
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsdUXrPqxj
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT81oicgYw0
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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?'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQiSKWVUjR
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEVEBVpQDC
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLGcD2ehiI
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy05GolbMnz
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9s7qr2yyyR
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFESSi1ueR
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kmrxc1NVZ
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHQcr4ajtO
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGMv0ukbZy
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk7nWMsgpx
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sHUOcyCeH
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezj8siFAN2
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMilTlUnbo
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWJSC1oPhv
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC86BVqTwD9
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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?'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Vq05eMj4K
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasaYIKvKFi
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'When he gets back,' I said.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKQ2qpAmqY
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJNIgV51LA
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZp0X5sfAw
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SOrwYMk2n
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUzmEgwCb4
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUeDp7DAab
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'Just don't take any risks.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xUliYD5hA
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhHokiFND5
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6RoB3YLfV
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZxR7s0lfN
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6x9XRtWvim
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrQCU6p6fU
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoa8MWLvlk0
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'Please.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMaUZKFoeD
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRuUenJ4OF
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97JQoEackz
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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.'394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzzT7gA8TS
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDusGjMeeB
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzy3nUYy6P
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnpD2S2dp1
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Greyland394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW78yusp2H
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Economy394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUYbUJiWYz
Currently building:394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiW4GvcUjd
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Monthly trade income: 0394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHghigC2acU
Monthly tax income: 54 gold394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaniOVoXTnS
Treasury: 2 gold394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nzg0o422u
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Daily food consumption: 13 units394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFKgpb9A8Q
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKw6PD6woU
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4Jz7LXVmb
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSRwHXVLo7
Meat yield: 5 units daily394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlRf5GBQmH
Timber yield: 17 planks daily394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83sL5S37bi
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Swu0aILkP
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx70CdzyTdg
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF61XpdPQ3
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuWMl56W86
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Research: Shipbuilding One394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqaBAmgGrJ
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Resources:394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzLtQolk43
Wheat: 14 food units394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCvsvQNHmj
Vegetables: 25 food units394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiuzn5ALum
Meat: 8 food units394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf20lchZONM
Wool: 7 bales394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrMVu5Y1Is
Timber: 150 planks394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA0XrKShB5
Iron: 0 ingots394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54wG0wXh1F
Stone: 39 blocks394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a2nIUCl7o
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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAJA386gLf
394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKhvLlzCYz
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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBcf0Oqqnj
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DdmdUNzqY
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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.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhimgR1t1SI
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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.
