The carriage creaked to a halt.
Kael stepped down, boots sinking slightly into the dry, cracked soil. Before him stretched the ruins of what was once a border village—Lorent. Now, it was little more than collapsed homes, overgrown roads, and the silence of abandonment.
The guards wasted no time. They tossed a worn satchel at his feet and turned without ceremony. "Survive if you can," one muttered.
Kael didn't reply. He watched them disappear into the horizon, then slowly turned toward the settlement.
[Quest Updated: Secure Shelter Upon Arrival – IN PROGRESS]
A group of villagers stood nearby, ragged and gaunt. Fear and mistrust lingered in their eyes. Among them, one figure stood out—a young woman with cropped brown hair, armor dulled by wear. She stepped forward.
"Elira," she said simply. "Assigned to oversee your exile."
Kael nodded. "Are you loyal to the kingdom?"
She blinked, taken aback by the question. "I'm loyal to Lorent. What's left of it."
That was enough.
Kael walked past her, surveying the remnants of crumbled homes and broken roads. In his mind, the system interface buzzed softly.
[Scanning territory…]
[Core Settlement Detected: Status – Derelict]
[Recommendation: Establish base zone and initiate basic infrastructure]
He paused at what seemed to be the remnants of a town square.
"We'll start here," he said aloud.
Elira frowned. "Start what?"
"Rebuilding."
The villagers exchanged nervous glances.
Kael didn't wait for approval. He set his satchel down, pulled out a crude map of Lorent's borders, and marked out zones.
Residential. Farming. Water source. Defense.
It was rough—primitive even—but the system responded.
[New Sub-Zone Allocation Confirmed]
[Unlocking Blueprint: Primitive Shelter]
[Materials Required: Wood x12, Stone x8]
Elira stepped closer, arms crossed. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"No," Kael said honestly. "But I will."
She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded once. "Then I'll help."
And so began the sowing of something new in Lorent—quietly, stubbornly, with dirt on their hands and ash on their breath.
From exile… a seed was planted.