Lucien returned to the manor just as the final preparations for the feast were underway.
He figured he could at least help set up the plaza where the celebration would be held. But before that, he unsummoned the Rainbow Sli.
To his surprise, it didn’t revert into a card.
Curious, he opened the MONSTERDEX.
And there it was. The Rainbow Sli had miraculously appeared on the landscape right on the first page.
"So that’s what it was for..." he muttered with a knowing smile.
Back inside the manor, the kitchen was alive with energy. Sinep was already deep into cooking with Aginav assisting him.
Despite how busy they were, the two moved with practiced ease, even exchanging the occasional laugh. It looked like they were enjoying themselves.
Outside, Sebas was organizing the plaza and working alongside the villagers.
Clara, anwhile, was... well, giving moral support. Or so it seed at first.
On closer look, she was actually casting light spells on exhausted subjects to rejuvenate them.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. It seed insane to him. ’If you’re tired, then rest,’ he thought.
No spell would ever convince him to keep working through exhaustion.
Still, as he watched, he had to admit. Everyone genuinely seed to be having fun.
Soon, dish after dish began arriving at the plaza.
Lucien watched quietly as the tables filled with colorful vegetable als, stews and roasted roots... but no at.
A twinge of guilt crept in.
For years, their als had been mostly plant-based. Every attempt to raise cattle or livestock had ended the sa way.
Mysterious deaths.
Unexplained illnesses.
Now that he thought about it, all those animals had co from the Coalhearts.
’Were they sabotaged? Or did those bastards sell us sickly stock on purpose?’
"Petty bastards..." Lucien muttered under his breath.
Still, as he glanced around, he saw no signs of disappointnt among his people.
They smiled.
Talked.
Gathered with cheerful hearts.
They were content.
But Lucien wasn’t.
As their lord, he couldn’t settle for "enough." He wanted abundance.
For every plate.
Every ho.
Every future.
The bonfires crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the plaza as the night deepened.
The villagers gathered near the long wooden tables with their laughter softening to a hush.
Everyone had taken their seats.
All that remained was for their lord.
Lucien gave a quiet nod and stepped up onto the platform.
Silence fell across the plaza.
He took a mont to scan his surroundings. The flickering bonfires and scattered torches offered only minimal light. It casted dancing shadows over the uneven ground.
It was festive, yes... but far from refined.
’There’s still so much to improve...’ he thought.
But tonight wasn’t about perfection.
It was about beginnings.
And then...
Lucien raised his voice.
"My subjects!" He began.
His tone was steady and clear.
"Look around you. Through sweat, soil and storm...
You tilled this land!
nded the roofs!
Watched over each other’s children!
And stood as one!"
He straightened his back and lifted his chest with pride.
"And now, the harvest has co.
Full.
Sweet.
Heavy with promise.
Tonight, we feast! Not rely for the food we’ve grown but for the strength we’ve proven. For every calloused hand... and every sleepless night that brought us here."
He paused, letting his words settle over the silent crowd. No one dared interrupt their lord. Their eyes were wide with hope, so with reverence.
"But while we celebrate," he continued. His voice beca colder. "Let us not forget those who sought to break us. They thought we were weak. Just farrs and tradesn hiding behind timber walls!"
He let the silence stretch. His gaze swept across the tense faces before him.
"But now... we are ready. We know their faces. We know their sins. And this ti..." his voice dropped, "...they will know our fury."
With a slow breath, Lucien placed his hand firmly over his chest. When he spoke again, it was not as a ruler but as their shield.
"As long as I draw breath," he said, resolute, "no enemy shall take what is ours. Not while I stand. Not while this land calls its Lord."
The firelight flickered across his face. Then, his tone shifted. Gentler, but no less firm.
"And tomorrow," he said, "things will change. Not with fire and fear but with purpose. A new order will rise with the sun. Not to burden you... but to lift you."
He stepped forward, voice rising again.
"Every hand will find its place. Every voice, its worth. You will not simply live in this barony... you will shape it."
Lucien turned his gaze upward to the starlit sky before returning it to the people.
The young.
The old.
Each pair of eyes burning with silent faith.
"Tomorrow, we rise. Stronger. Wiser. Together."
He paused... Then a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Let tonight mark more than a harvest. Let it be the beginning of sothing greater... A barony reborn. From this mont forward, we stand not rely to survive... but to thrive."
Cheers erupted like thunder across the square.
Sebas closed his eyes, letting the mont wash over him. Every word Lucien had spoken stirred sothing deep within. He stood ready...always... for his lord’s call.
Clara, on the other hand, trembled. She beca wet. Tears stread down her cheeks but her expression was wild and her gaze locked onto Lucien with unshakable devotion.
All around them, villagers looked toward their lord with eyes full of hope and belief. They had seen him perform miracles.
They need not question him.
They need no hesitate.
Whatever Lucien commanded, they would follow.
In their hearts, he had already beco an unshakable existence.
A symbol.
"Cheers!" Lucien called out, raising a bottle of honey high into the air.
Each villager held one of their own. He had made sure everyone received one.
As they drank, sothing warm blood within them.
A new fire.
A quiet strength.
It felt as though the drink washed away their weariness, cleansing their bodies and uplifting their spirits.
Another wave of cheers rolled through the plaza, louder and more joyous than before.
Once again, their lord had given them sothing precious.
Their hearts trembled. Not with fear but with gratitude and unity.
And the feast began in perfect harmony...
The night stretched on.
While the villagers reveled in laughter and food, Lucien and Sebas were hard at work.
Seated at a side table, Lucien spoke steadily as Sebas jotted down every word into a notebook. Between thoughts, Lucien occasionally nibbled on a Nectar Crystal and sipped from a vial of Carrot Juice Drop.
"Table five..." Lucien paused then chuckled. "Oops. Looks like I’ve found your replacent, Sebas. Cecil... Scribe."
He narrowed his eyes, recognizing the figure.
Cecil... the young man with the wild imagination. The sa one who once comnted about Lucien feeding them the traitor Dreggor.
Intrigued, Lucien cast INSPECT once more.
’A scribe, huh?’ he thought. ’He could be a writer for sure. His imagination might even rival Clara’s.’
Sebas looked up and gave an approving nod. "Young Lord, I didn’t realize there was this much talent hidden in the barony."
Lucien smirked. "I know right? After all... there are no useless people in this world. Even if soone’s born without talent, I’ll give them one."
Pride laced his voice.
Sebas looked at him with quiet admiration as if he’d just glimpsed the shadow of a kindred soul... a reflection of a brother long lost.
Lucien clapped his hands lightly. "Alright, let’s continue. We’ll assign roles properly. No more wasted potential. We’ll place them where they belong. Where they’ll thrive."
They continued their work deep into the night, reviewing each na and face until the very last subject from the very last table had been recorded.
•••
As the feast carried on in full swing, Lucien quietly excused himself.
He returned to his room and the noise and laughter fading behind him.
There was still work to be done and plans to be made.
The roles of his people needed to be sorted. The barony need to change... starting from its people.
Lucien saw it clearly.
They possessed a surprising variety of talents. While only a few had skills, each one had potential.
And thanks to INSPECT, he could now see more.
A new line of information had appeared in the status.
Magic affinity.
It was sothing SCAN had never shown before.
’So now I can finally see what kind of magic they’re attuned to...’ His eyes glead.
"I can also teach them skills."
Lucien summoned the SKILLPEDIA.
But...
[Ting!]
[UPDATING SKILLPEDIA...]
A glowing progress bar hovered midair... slowly filling.
It was a familiar sight.
Lucien waited patiently, though the excitent inside him steadily built.
And finally...
[UPDATE FINISHED...]
[SKILLPEDIA v.2 now accessible]
He imdiately summoned the book and began flipping through the pages.
Lucien’s eyes lit up as he saw the changes.
Now, every ★★ (2-star) rank skill was fully unlocked. Pages upon pages of skills revealed themselves.
He leaned closer and scanned each entry with sharp focus.
He takes notes on the most promising ones.
Skills for mobility, defense, coordination... Everything his soon-to-be soldiers would need to survive... and dominate.
This wasn’t just a book anymore.
It was a blueprint for power.
"Fufufu..."
His dark laughter echoed through the room.
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