Nathan watched as Zayen paced back and forth across the meeting hall floor, biting down on his finger so hard that Nathan feared he might draw blood.

"I have to go back," Zayen said. "I can't let her stay on my throne."

Nathan glanced at Omarn, who gave him an instructive nod. Nathan cleared his throat. "Well, Zayen—" he began, looking back at him. "I don’t know if that’s a good idea."

"And letting her wreak havoc on my kingdom is a better one?"

"You must understand," Omarn said. ”She’ll do immense damage. She’s not a bureaucrat, nor a particularly effective ruler. The only thing she possesses is a silver tongue. And I fear no amount of silver can save a kingdom that’s already run out of food."

Zayen stopped pacing, his expression darkening. "And the research? Oh, goodness, she’ll probably burn it all to the ground as some kind of political statement."

Nathan couldn’t help but smirk. "I wouldn’t be so sure about that."

Zayen’s eyes snapped to him. "What do you mean?"

"I—" Nathan started, but the meeting hall doors slammed open. Kamil stepped through, looking harried.

"Nathan, we’re having some trouble with the living quarters for some of the scientists—"

Kamil froze when he saw Zayen.

"My king!" Kamil dropped to his knees, bowing deeply. "It is good to see you, my king. I feared the worst."

"Rise," Zayen commanded.

Kamil obeyed, standing stiffly. "My lord."

Zayen turned back to Nathan. "What did you do?"

"Well," Nathan said, scratching the back of his neck, "I checked on the scientists during the Dustend storm. Turns out they’re all loyalists. Who would’ve thought? So, I decided to bring them—and their work—here."

"But what about the books? All of that is essential—"

"Turns out an army of mushroom people and werewolves can move just about anything if they push hard enough," Nathan said with a grin.

"You mean the entire royal archives…"

Nathan nodded. "Here. Every last bit of it."

Zayen stared at him for a moment before folding his face into his hands and groaning.

"You know," Zayen said, his voice muffled. "if I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d say you’re the greatest political mastermind I’ve ever met. But since I do know you that well, all I can do is thank you, I suppose."

Nathan’s grin faltered. "What do you mean? Why would I be a political mastermind?"

Omarn’s glare was sharp. "You’ve put us into your debt. Not only that, but you’ve taken our best talent and brought them here, putting them under your service in function, if not in name. Even our historical archives are now in your hands."

Nathan’s jaw worked silently for a moment. "Oh."

"Of course," Zayen said, shaking his head with a wry grin. "I believe you’re too sincere for that. So, as I said, I suppose I have no choice but to thank you and promise my undying loyalty and gratitude."

Omarn twitched at Zayen’s words but said nothing.

Nathan shrugged. "Well, just help me kill this Dustend thing and let me keep the loot. We’ll call it even after that."

Zayen’s eyes twinkled. "Such a minor payment. I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly accept such generous terms."

Nathan tilted his head. "Then what do you want to give me?"

"Wait until the time comes. I believe I have a deal that will satisfy both of us."

Nathan shrugged. "Sure. Like I said, I just want the loot."

"You’ll get that. And more."

Leaving that ominous statement aside, Nathan chuckled.

"About the other loyalists," Omarn said.

"You mean the people who are still outside?" Nathan asked.

"Exactly," Omarn said. "I don’t want them punished for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need to get them out of the capital city and the countryside."

Zayen folded his arms behind his back and bowed his head. "We’ve intruded on your hospitality enough, but I have another favor to ask of you."

"You want them to stay here, don’t you?" Nathan guessed.

"Exactly."

"I’m not opposed, but with the elections coming up, things are going to be unsteady. They need to earn their keep."

"Of course," Zayen said. "In exchange, we’ll give you formal permission to copy and utilize the information in the royal archives."

Nathan blinked. "You’d do that?"

"Yes, though that’s just a start. Frankly, Omarn and I both expected you to already be doing that."

"Okay…"

"As for the real reward…" Zayen rubbed his chin. "How about my crown?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Nathan laughed nervously. "That’s a funny joke, Zayen."

Zayen smiled back. "Indeed."

Nathan stared at him for a moment before coughing into his hand. "So, what are you actually thinking?"

"Our city planners," Zayen said.

Nathan blinked. "Why would I need city planners?"

"Your town has expanded at an enormous rate, but it’s clear you have no urban planners among your staff," Zayen explained. "Housing shortages, congestion—all problems stemming from poor city planning. The Sandara kingdom has a long history of urban civilization. We can help. Should you allow me, my staff and I will draw up plans to modernize this town. Sewers, zoning, and everything else a city needs to thrive. We’ll also ensure you have the knowledge and documentation to continue expanding."

Nathan nodded. It seemed like a good deal.

"I think you’ve got yourself a deal," Nathan said.

Zayen extended his hand. Nathan shook it firmly.

----------------------------------------

After the meeting concluded, the rest of the Council updated Nathan on various developments. The infrastructure for the elections continued to grow, and it wouldn’t be long before they were ready for the first round. Nathan also learned that the farmers had started incorporating techniques they learned from the Sandara Kingdom. As a result, the farms were growing at an exponential rate.

The biggest issues, however, remained unresolved: tensions between the werewolves and mushroom people, along with the persistent housing crisis. These problems had never truly been solved; they had merely faded from Nathan’s immediate focus due to a lack of actionable solutions. After all, wasn’t it just a matter of building houses and being done with it? But if Zayen was right, the real issue lay in zoning and city planning. Nathan could believe that. He didn’t have anyone on the Council with expertise in urban planning. Living in a city, as many of them had, was far different from building one.

Zayen had even brought up sewers. It was only then that Nathan realized he had no idea how his town managed its waste. When he asked, he was shocked by the answer.

“Wagons and buckets,” Gius said.

Nathan stared in disbelief. “You’re kidding me.”

“No. Why would I? That’s the way it’s always been done.”

Nathan introduced Zayen to Bricks and Casc. After that, he informed the Council that Zayen would now assist with city planning. Zayen adapted quickly, and within minutes, he and his team were discussing how to navigate zoning laws and optimize building times.

Later, Nathan met with Fuge to discuss the military.

“We’ve made major expansions with the help of the orcs,” Fuge said, spreading her arms to showcase the progress. “As you can see, the military is almost ready to go on the offensive, should you deem it necessary.”

Nathan’s jaw dropped. Fuge had managed to secure funding to build an academy in the center of town. They were demolishing old buildings to make way for the new construction. While the academy building was still under construction, Nathan saw several units of mushroom people and werewolves jogging around the massive campus.

“Of course, the classrooms aren’t built yet, so most of the classes are being held outdoors,” Fuge explained.

“What kind of classes?” Nathan asked.

“Infiltration, basic tactics, strategy, logistics… Take your pick.”

It was then Nathan realized he probably should have been paying closer attention to what Fuge had been doing.

“G… great,” Nathan said, giving a hesitant thumbs-up. “I guess these are officer candidates?”

“You got it. The grunts have a camp outside of town.”

“Where did you find teachers?”

Fuge crossed her arms and grinned. “The werewolf mercenaries, obviously. A number of them were looking to retire anyway, so this is a great way to put their experience to use.”

“How long until the first batch of officers is ready?”

“Not long. I estimate about a month or two. They’re on an accelerated program. I want the skeleton of a command structure in place, even if we’re not fully staffed yet.”

Fuge continued the tour, showing Nathan what had been built so far. One of the units jogging around the campus stopped when they saw Fuge. The mushroom person leading the group saluted. Instantly, the entire unit followed suit.

“At ease,” Fuge said, looking them over. “As you can see, Lord Nathan is on campus. I expect all of you to show him what you’re made of. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” they shouted in unison.

Fuge took Nathan to one of the completed classrooms. Inside, a werewolf mercenary was pointing at a blackboard while various werewolves and mushroom people sat at desks, taking notes.

“When presented with this tactical situation, how would you respond?” the werewolf instructor asked. He paused when he saw Fuge. “Hold on, Fuge. What are you doing here?”

“Showing off what we’ve built so far to the Supreme Commander,” Fuge replied.

The werewolf’s jaw dropped. He turned to Nathan and saluted immediately.

Nathan chuckled awkwardly. “At ease?”

The werewolf lowered his hand and grinned. “It’s been a while, Lord Nathan.”

Nathan squinted. “Wait a second…”

“It’s me,” the werewolf said, revealing himself as Hunter, the former commander of the werewolf mercenaries whom Nathan had personally defeated.

Hunter turned to the students, who were staring at Nathan unabashedly. “I don’t know if any of you were there, but I was in the army when Nathan faced this exact tactical problem. None of you could pull off what he did, but it’s a great example of thinking outside the box.”

The students whispered amongst themselves:

“That’s Lord Nathan?”

“Of course. He’s the only human here.”

“You know he’s never been defeated, right?”

“I was a kid during the raids. I heard he slaughtered entire units single-handedly.”

“Is he even human? I heard he might be a demigod.”

Nathan winced at the last comment. There was a tone of reverence in their voices that made him deeply uncomfortable.

Hunter slammed his table. “Show some respect! That’s your commander-in-chief, not someone to gossip about like schoolgirls!”

The room went silent.

Before Nathan could respond, Fuge nodded at Hunter. “Excellent work.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Fuge and Nathan stepped outside.

“What do you think?” Fuge asked.

Nathan scratched the back of his head. “They seem a little… intense?”

“That’s their job,” Fuge replied.

Nathan nodded, though he felt uncertain about creating a military. Still, it was clear Fuge believed in its necessity. And rightfully so. If he wasn’t around, the town needed a way to defend itself.

“By the way,” Nathan said, “I’ve always wondered: how do you all level up? You said it’s tied to the town’s development.”

“It’s a mixture of both,” Fuge explained. “Our levels are capped by the town’s progress, but we can still train and improve. Simulated combat and formal education help a lot.”

“I wish it were that easy for me.”

Fuge gave him a smirk. “Delvers always have it harder.”

Nathan looked around the campus. “Anything else to show me?”

Fuge nodded. “Remember those orcs?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Before Fuge could elaborate, a loud boom echoed from behind. Both turned to see a werewolf flying through the air before crashing into the ground.

“That was miserable! Drop and give me twenty!” an orc trainer bellowed.

The werewolf groaned. “Yes, sir.”

At the end of the campus was a massive obstacle course, complete with rock climbing sections, a moat, a second moat, and even a lava waterfall.

“Where did you get the lava?” Nathan asked.

Fuge approached the orc trainer. “Hesk! Where is everyone else?”

“They’re out with the enlisted men,” Hesk said, before noticing Nathan. “Oh my gosh, it’s you!”

“Hesk!” Nathan extended a hand. “Good to see you.”

Hesk shook Nathan’s hand enthusiastically. If he was trying to test Nathan’s strength, it didn’t show. Nathan squeezed back. Hesk winced, tears forming in his eyes.

“Strong grip,” Hesk forced out.

“Oh, sorry.” Nathan let go.

Hesk flexed his hand and nodded. “As you can see, the infiltration team is coming along nicely. It’ll take a bit longer to get the first squad ready because of the amount of knowledge we’re cramming into their training. Still, if you need a job done, we’re your team.”

Nathan nodded. He wasn’t sure when he’d need a special forces unit, but he knew it could come in handy.

“Thanks, Hesk. I appreciate it.”

“It’s the least we can do.”

With the tour complete, Nathan felt he had a solid grasp of the town’s current state. He called a meeting of his ministers and requested that Zayen and Omarn attend as well.

A few hours later, everyone gathered. Nathan sat at the head of the table, leaning forward with a conspiratorial glint in his eye.

“So,” he began, “Zayen, what kind of resources do your scientists need to defeat Dustend?”