After concluding the meeting, Thorian met up with William and the rest of the human cohort. As he approached them, he saw Little Roo, James, Nox, and Brix dancing and singing, while William and Robert were engaged in conversation.

“Oh, Lord Thorian,” William said, noticing Thorian’s presence and turning around. “As promised, I’ve brought my most trusted people.”

Nodding at William’s words, Thorian looked at Robert and said, “I’m glad to see you once again, this time as formal allies.”

“Likewise, Lord Thorian,” Robert replied, giving a slight bow.

While Thorian and Robert were exchanging pleasantries, William was fiddling with his thumb, attempting to hide the shaking of his hand. Noticing that, Thorian internally sighed, I don’t blame him. Anyone would be nervous about sending his eight-year-old son to be a vassal lord in a dangerous territory without being able to look over him.

Trying to alleviate William’s worries a bit, Thorian proposed, “This afternoon, why don’t you take some time to come with us and see for yourself how a territory is built? I’m sure it would provide you with a lot of insight for the future.”

“That is certainly a tempting proposal,” William said, scratching his chin in thought. “Very well, I will have Tristan take over some of my responsibilities for the day so that I can make time for this very pivotal expedition.”

Nodding at William’s decision, Thorian’s gaze trailed off toward James and Little Roo. After a few seconds of silence, Thorian asked with a serious tone, “Does your son understand what is going to happen?”

“I have informed him as much as I could,” William sighed. “I explained to him that this is a very valuable opportunity you have given us, and that he needs to always listen to Robert, who will be his counselor. However, there is only so much I can explain with words. What will truly happen remains as much a mystery to him as it is to me.”

Thorian nodded at William’s words. “It is true that reality often doesn’t go according to one’s plans. However, we will all be staying there until the territory is fully stabilized.” He then attempted to change the topic to something more jovial. “But let's forget about the doom and gloom. Is your boy excited?”

“Oh, that he is,” William chuckled. “He has been annoying Tristan all day by saying that he got to become a lord before his brother did. I’d say he’s taking it in stride.”

“That is good to hear,” Thorian smiled. “It seems like he is as eager for adventure as his father.”

“I’d say he’s even more of a thrill-seeking little devil than I am,” William laughed heartily.

While the two were talking and jesting with each other, Zogarth gestured to Thorian from a distance. Understanding that matters were completed on that end, Thorian cleared his throat and said, “Well then, it looks like it’s time to move on.”

Following Thorian’s gaze, William noticed Zogarth’s imposing presence. Understanding the silent communication between the two, he nodded, “Good. It’s better to start the work as early as possible.”

With those words, the group made their way to the outer gate. The unit Zogarth had formed was led by Elder Yur, Saxum, Ventus, and Ifrit. It was comprised entirely of second-evolution fighters, who were on the verge of reaching the second advancement of their classes.

Satisfied with the powerful formation, Thorian led the way toward Locksley. Although he could have moved through the forest at great speed, he maintained a pace that William and James could keep up with. In just an hour and a half, the group passed by Locksley’s massive walls and reached the territory altar on the other end.

“So, this is a territory altar,” William observed, looking at the demonic face sculpted on the altar with a mix of awe and fear. “It truly does look ominous.”

“I cannot disagree with that,” Zogarth admitted, looking at the altar with a hint of fear. “Even now, after evolving so many times, I still shudder at its sight. It’s as if my entire being is ordering me to leave it alone.”

“The altars are the gods’ gift to humanity, a way for them to fight against the powerful monsters,” Thorian explained to his general. “It’s normal for you to feel that way. The gods don’t want you to touch them.”

Hearing these words, William furrowed his brows. “That's interesting. If that's the case, how were you able to overcome that instinct and claim it for yourself, Lord Thorian?”

Pausing for a second, Thorian replied, “I guess the gods had other plans for me. As for what those are… even I don’t know.”

There was a moment of silence after these words before Thorian coughed to clear the air. “In any case, let's begin,” he said, looking at James with a smile. “Follow me. It’s time to make you a vassal lord.”

Excited by those words, James exclaimed, “Yay, I’ve been waiting for this!”

Chuckling at the little kid's enthusiasm, Thorian led him to the altar. Despite his initial hesitation due to the scary demonic face, James clenched his fist and followed Thorian bravely.

Upon reaching the altar, Thorian instructed James, "I want you to touch the face and say this instruction in your mind: 'I, James Ravenwood, claim this territory by the divine right I have been given.' Can you do that?"

"Yeah, that seems simple enough," James nodded. With those words, Thorian stepped back while the little kid placed his hand on the demonic face. After a few seconds, a notification appeared in front of Thorian:

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

James Ravenwood is claiming Vassalhood of the territory: Cliffwood. Do you accept this claim?

Yes, I do.

After giving his confirmation, a deep rumbling echoed from all four cardinal directions. Without needing to look, Thorian knew the rumbling originated from the four class statues.

With a smile on his face, Thorian patted James' shoulder. "Congratulations, you are now the vassal lord of the Cliffwood Territory."

Hearing these words, James touched his chest, "I just felt a really weird feeling. It's like I was connected to the earth, the altar, and the entire territory."

Chuckling at this, Thorian nodded, "That's what it means to be a territory lord, and it's your duty to protect it and its citizens."

Clenching his fists, James nodded.

Smiling at the little kid's excitement, Thorian looked back at the forest and said, "Now it's time to gather some wood."

Without wasting another word, Thorian unleashed his spell, Greater Gale Slash.

With a horizontal swipe of his Elemental Scepter, he cut through almost a hundred massive trees, clearing a large portion of the forest in front of them.

Without waiting for Thorian’s command, Zogarth directed his team. “Everyone, let’s get to work. Bring all of the trees the lord has cut near the altar.”

As Zogarth and the team busied themselves carrying the fallen trees, James looked on in awe. Excitement painted his face as he nudged Thorian, “That was so cool! How did you do that? I want to do it too!”

“That was a wind magic spell, Greater Gale Slash,” Thorian chuckled while explaining. “What class did you choose, though?”

“Oh, I am a magi,” James replied before looking at Thorian with hopeful eyes. “Will I be able to do it too?”

“Of course, you can,” Thorian nodded. “You just have to keep working hard on your wind magic. One day, you'll reach this level too.”

While Thorian and James were talking, Zogarth and the rest continued to carry one tree after another to the altar. Meanwhile, Ifrit, Ventus, Saxum, and Nox cleared the surrounding area of any traces of monsters, allowing the party to focus on establishing the new village without fear of outside disturbances.

Once all the trees were neatly arranged around them, Thorian instructed James. “Much like your display panel, the territory also has a panel that shows all the information you need to construct buildings and upgrade the village. As the vassal lord, it’s your duty to decide on the right buildings to erect and direct everyone’s efforts towards gathering the necessary resources to upgrade the village.”

"Got it," James nodded, though a wave of confusion soon clouded his face. "But how do I know which buildings are the right ones?"

"For that, you have your council to assist you," Thorian chuckled. "You can ask Mister Robert or any of my people for advice while you get accustomed to your role."

Thorian then swiftly taught James all the mental commands related to managing the territory. Afterward, they transformed all the trees that surrounded them into proper wood units for use.

"The first two major structures that need to be built are the Village Hall and the wooden wall," Thorian explained. "Do you understand why that is?"

Pondering for a moment, James answered, "I’m not sure about the Village Hall, but the wooden wall is for protection, right? We don’t want to spend the whole night half awake, afraid of monsters sneaking up on us."

"Smart thinking," Thorian chuckled. "You're right about the wooden wall. As for the Village Hall, it's crucial because it provides you with quests which reward arcane coins and experience points. These are very important for leveling up and purchasing skill scrolls."

"Understood," James nodded. "It looks like we have enough wood units for both of them. Should I proceed?"

"Absolutely," Thorian smiled.

As he spoke, a deep rumbling resonated throughout the village. Firstly, the Village Hall materialized in just a few seconds, followed by the swift construction of the village's inner wall.

"How magical," William remarked as he joined his son. "To think that constructing such major structures could take only a few seconds. If we were to build them by hand, it would take days, even with fifty workers."

“That’s the true power of the territory system,” Thorian explained. He then signaled for Saxum and Elder Yur to join them.

“As this is a new village, you will need far more people than just those we have brought to truly thrive,” Thorian continued. “Therefore, your duties lie not only in protecting the village but also in recruiting new members.”

“We understand, my lord,” Elder Yur nodded. “With your blessing, we will grow this village into a true powerhouse.”

“I shall bring in as many kobolds and kobloids as you desire, my lord,” Saxum added.

“I will leave that matter for you to discuss with James and Robert,” Thorian declared, turning to Robert. “Your role here is not just to be James's bodyguard but also his counselor. You understand that, right?”

“Fully, Lord Thorian,” Robert nodded. “I will do my utmost to ensure this territory becomes a place where monsters and humans can coexist peacefully and flourish. That is Lord William’s wish, and mine as well.”

“Good,” Thorian nodded, then gestured for William so they could speak privately.

As the two walked away, Thorian said, “If there’s anything else worrying you, please tell me now. There are some major issues I need to attend to soon, so I’ll have to leave shortly.”

“I understand,” William nodded, looking thoughtful. “My only concern is that James might feel overwhelmed as more monsters are recruited. He’s still a child, and having trustworthy people beside him would greatly support him.”

Thinking for a moment, Thorian responded, “You’re right. The beginning of a village is usually its busiest time, and aside from Little Roo, he wouldn’t have anyone else his age to interact with.”

Scratching his chin, Thorian came up with a solution, “I have an idea. James and Little Roo both seem to like Brix quite a bit. Since that guy usually spends his time dancing and having fun, I could have him stay here to keep your son company.”

“That would certainly be helpful,” William agreed. “Having more people around whom he could trust would make James less anxious.”

Reaching a compromise, Thorian concluded, “In that case, I will ask Brix to come here. For now, I’ll stay around until the first few batches of recruits arrive so that the integration process is as smooth as possible. Afterward, I must attend to my other duties.”

With those words, William went back to Robert and James, leaving Thorian alone with his thoughts. With a slight smile, Thorian mused, Most territories have their own unique attributes. I wonder what this one will be like.

Display Territory: Cliffwood.