Out of the corner of his eyes L studied the townspeople. Most of them were now up, hanging their clothes to dry, feeding the animals or cooking for their families. A large population of the village were farm folks, a necessary workforce for expansion. No civilization can exist without it, and though there was magic, it was far too scarce to be constantly used to send food. Delivering food will have to be done the old-fashioned, expensive way: through caravans or state-funded traders. It was terribly inefficient and expensive, and the further away from civilization food will have to be transported the heavier the guard fee will be, in addition to the rate of failures or theft by either monster or bandits.
Though they were the most valuable, farm folk also happened to be the most disposable. There was an endless supply of humans, after all, but trained soldiers are always in short number. L saw only half a dozen of guards in the village, and probably another half zone capable combatants, and though that was a respectful number for the typical village, it was not for one that’s this far from the kingdom’s central roads and this close to both the Desolation Lands and the Gleeten Empire.
To the north, about a few dozen miles laid the entrance to the Desolation, a land bleak made of endless broken plateaus, tall mountains, vicious storms, freezing nights and desert-like mornings. It was an area where no known civilization exists; only the most deadly abominations evolution can create. All three empires wisely expanded as far away as they possibly could from its reaches, as monsters which escape into the more hospitable forest trees were not rare. As such, the further one walks towards the desolation, the more they’ll find all the wicked things that civilization has pushed out.
Such as the Vathiá, Bugbears, and other undefined semi-intelligent races.
To the west, five days on horseback, was the waring Gleeten Empire.
L tried to work his brain, to tinker with what he could possibly use this town. Betray the Rojenteem empire, and assist Gleeten in taking this town over? No, there would be no point; not only was their little food supply to gain, but the Gleeten also lacks their own roads and food supply. Though they could loot and raid, they would not be able to conquer this far without building a foundation first.
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The Desolation, maybe? Was there anything important about this town, regarding it? L shook his head again. This village greavily lacked the resources, and reasons, to go into the Desolation. Unlike other games, there was no reason to kill monsters indiscriminately. The Empire, and more specifically Jundor, the kingdom controlling this town, would gain nothing of it, beyond making weapons and magical artifacts out of the bodies of the slain beasts. That, however, requires much more knowledge before any Empire would invest in hunting the beasts.
Some monsters, though they might take a fortune and a half to take down, might offer no real value.
L gritted his teeth. There must be some piece of knowledge he was not aware of, otherwise, he should have been able to follow the same thinking path as...well, his own minds.
Maybe I have to think bigger. If I can’t make anything out of this village, maybe someone else can?
He ushered the command to open his capsule wide inbox. He had a few allies, here and there. As time goes on, more of the people from previous words will find the code to enter. The answer should be there.
L stopped in his feat. “Null,” he said, somewhat distracted. “You there?”
Unfortunately.
“Why am I not able to open my inbox?”
There was a slight pause and an odd sensation, as if Null narrowed his eyes on L.
You locked it.
“Oh, I see,” he said, scratching his temple.
Going senile?
“And when did I lock it?”
On the first day. Yup, you’re definitely going senile. Odd, I really thought you would last longer.
“Can you unlock it for me, for one quick second?”
Sure.
Silence passed. The few people that saw L conversing with himself gave him a wide space, warning everyone that he was conversing with the devil. “Umm…” L began, somewhat out of place, “It’s still locked.”
What’s the password?
“What password?”
That’s the point, hon.
L began to feel nervous. “So, I take it, that there is no ‘forgot password’ button?”
There is, actually.
Brightness washed over his face. He smirked triumphantly. “Ha! They finally gone and fucked up! Alrightly, let’s do it.”
Do what?
“The ‘forgot password’ thingy,” L replied.
Sure.
Another moment of tense silence passed. L’s smile quivered, steadied itself, and then slumped down. “Please don’t--"
What's the password?