After teaching the village headman how to work within the territory, Garrett took him through a few practical experiments.
For example, diving into water, its properties also applied to the inhabitants. Within the territory boundaries, they were all considered "entities" and, to some extent, followed Minecraft-like mechanics.
Or rather, it wasn't that they followed the mechanics directly, it was that the enhanced properties influenced their capabilities.
After concluding the basic experiments and work instruction, he addressed the old headman, "If you want to stay here permanently, you must achieve [Resident] rank within one year. Once you become residents, you'll be able to craft these tools yourselves."
The headman's expression immediately grew serious.
"You mean... as long as we become residents, we'll be able to create tools using this magic as well?"
He translated Garrett's explanation into terms he could understand.
"You could say that," Garrett replied, not bothering to correct the interpretation, as long as he grasped the basic concept, that was enough.
"Oh, and as my citizens, while you'll never lack for food or shelter, you're still required to do a certain amount of work each day. Excepting children, those ranked [Resident] or below must work at least six hours daily. You might not know exactly how long that is, generally speaking, it's about half a day's worth of effort."
"S-So brief?"
The old headman frowned slightly, not in objection, but in disbelief.
"You're... too generous..."
This lord not only granted them sanctuary and provided sustenance and shelter, but was even willing to share his magic.
And the cost? Simply performing some labor, and even that labor was this light!
The sudden abundance of good fortune made it feel almost too good to be true.
Six hours, according to their lord, merely half a day. In the past, never mind half a day, most villagers toiled from dawn until dusk. Meals and rest were essentially taken at the worksite. There was no concept of "working set hours then finishing for the day."
Such a style of governance... he had never witnessed anything like it.
"I know it might seem a bit dull or boring, but if you want to stay here, then it's necessary. Once you advance beyond [Resident], you'll be allowed to reduce your working hours."
Garrett continued, "If anyone refuses, they're free to leave at any time. But keep in mind, once you leave, you're no longer a [Resident] here, and can no longer use anything from this place."
"No, I'll never leave," the old headman vowed immediately. "I'm willing to join the Free Settlements and dedicate all I have to their prosperity, until my final breath."
"Let me finish," Garrett said, gesturing for patience.
"I won't restrict your type of work. You can choose whatever kind of job interests you for your daily labor. As your reputation level increases, the professions and tasks available to you will expand, and you'll also unlock more things to craft, just like me."
He then crafted a wooden hoe on the spot as demonstration.
"I believe I understand now," the old headman said, his mind quickly piecing things together.
"You're saying, as long as we perform modest labor each day, we'll gradually learn more magic, and the scope of things we can accomplish with them will increase? And eventually, we can even use these abilities to pursue what we truly enjoy?"
"You… yes, that's right. That's more or less it."
This old headman was quite skilled at extracting the essential meaning, and masterful at translating it into familiar terms.
After consideration, Garrett decided not to burden him with technical terminology that only he understood. As long as they comprehended the general principles, that was enough.
He reviewed the key aspects of territorial life once more, and after confirming the old headman had absorbed everything, he gave final instructions:
"I've taught you all the basics. From here on, it's your job to teach the villagers what to do. This also counts as a contribution to the territory, and will earn you some reputation."
"I understand, my lord," the old headman acknowledged as he accepted the charge and hurried away.
Following Garrett's guidance, he gathered the villagers, no, now they should be called "citizens" of the territory, and began explaining and demonstrating how to work within the domain: how to deposit items into hoppers, how to breed livestock, plant trees, harvest produce, and so forth.
After demonstrating the tasks, he also explained the advancement system within the territory:
"Our lord possesses a form of wondrous magic that allows him to perceive exactly how much each of us has contributed. As long as our contributions are great enough, we too can access the magical abilities he has shared with us."
"By the Valar!"
The citizens exclaimed in wonder and took considerable time to fully process the information.
Once they understood what the headman was describing, some immediately rolled up their sleeves, eager to claim tools and begin working.
Every contribution they made would be clearly recognized. That meant no possibility of someone else claiming credit for your efforts, or of your good deeds going unnoticed.
Their lord's perception was like an infallible ledger, he could observe everything.
As long as they invested genuine effort and made real contributions, they would steadily advance, even to the point of learning magic and using them to pursue what they wanted, this wasn't some empty promise. It was something real, right there in front of them.
The reward would come immediately, as long as the requirements were met.
Several more ambitious individuals began to stir, while the majority simply let out a breath of relief.
For most of these people who had experienced wandering and hunger, having a stable, long-term, livable home was already more than they had dared hope for. As long as life could continue and they and their families could eat regularly, they were already deeply satisfied. Everything else was secondary.
At least for now, it was secondary.
This part of the population simply wanted to live peacefully and quietly for the present, then they would consider what came next.
Working for half a day wasn't much at all. Compared to the lives they had known before, it was shockingly easy. Many citizens even felt it was somewhat generous, if life could continue like this forever, that would be just fine.
But that kind of thinking would eventually change as their material needs were thoroughly satisfied.
Once people no longer lack basic necessities, they begin seeking fulfillment on deeper levels.
When life is threatened, people crave safety. When they are starving, they crave even stale bread or wilted vegetables. But once they have an unlimited supply of bread and vegetables, they begin to desire finer things.
Human aspirations develop in stages.
As the citizens spent more time dwelling in the territory, once they had opportunity to recover fully, they would naturally begin developing greater ambitions.
And when that time arrived, even without mandatory work requirements, there would still be crowds of people eagerly and voluntarily laboring, pursuing the goals they valued most.