The morning sun cast long shadows across Valentra as people emerged from their homes to begin another day of productive work.
The settlement had developed its own rhythm over the past weeks—a steady flow of activity that spoke to the community's growing stability and organisation.
But beneath the surface, small fractures were beginning to appear.
Thomas stood near the lumber storage area, scratching his head as he surveyed the materials that had been delivered for the day's construction work.
"I could have sworn we told them to send the planks to the new housing area," he muttered. "Why on earth are the planks at the old shelter demolition site."
Similar confusion plagued the agricultural areas, where workers discovered that seed packets had been mixed up during the night. What should have been organised rows of vegetables had become a jumbled mess that would take hours to sort out.
Near the workshops, heated voices indicated another disagreement in progress.
Neither side was willing to accept responsibility for what seemed like an obvious miscommunication. Similar disputes were breaking out across the settlement as carefully planned workflows encountered unexpected obstacles.
Eric found himself spending more time troubleshooting problems than coordinating new work, his usually cheerful demeanour showing signs of strain as he dealt with the third scheduling conflict before noon.
"This isn't normal," he confided to Thomas during a brief break. "We've got systems in place to prevent these kinds of mistakes. Something's not right."
Thomas nodded grimly. "Too many problems at once. Either people are getting sloppy, or someone's causing them deliberately."
The sentiment was shared by others throughout Valentra, though most people attributed the issues to growing pains rather than malicious intent. A community expanding as rapidly as theirs was bound to experience some challenges.
But Walter had been watching the patterns with growing suspicion, his years of experience telling him that coincidences this consistent usually weren't coincidental at all.
---
Walter found Maria in her quarters, reviewing reports with a furrowed brow. The papers spread across her table told a story of increasing inefficiency despite the settlement's overall growth.
"We need to talk," Walter said, settling into a chair without waiting for invitation. "About the problems we've been having."
Maria looked up from a particularly confusing logistics report. "You mean the mix-ups and scheduling issues?"
Walter nodded. "These aren't random mistakes, Maria. Someone's causing them deliberately."
"You're sure about that?"
"I've been watching the patterns. Tools disappear from locked storage. Work assignments get changed after being distributed. Materials get switched despite clear labelling."
Walter tapped his cane against the floor. "Each incident is small enough to seem accidental, but together they're creating significant disruption."
Maria set down her reports, giving Walter her full attention. "Who do you suspect?"
"Richard's name keeps coming to mind." Walter paused. "But I want to be certain before we act. False accusations could damage community trust."
"What do you recommend?"
"Let's gather the guys and see what they think."
Maria nodded sending out the word for them to gather.
---
The core team assembled in Maria's quarters within the hour, their expressions growing serious as Walter outlined his observations in detail.
"So you think Richard's behind the sabotage?" Victor asked when Walter finished.
"I think someone is behind it, and Richard's the most likely candidate," Walter replied carefully. "But I want more evidence before we make accusations."
AJ shifted in his chair, his new human appearance making his expressions easier to read. "The timing does seem suspicious. Most of these problems started after Richard recovered from his injuries and began moving around more freely."
"What about Damien?" Lily asked. "He's been causing his own problems."
"Different type of issue," Victor replied. "Damien's openly refusing to work. This sabotage is subtle and sneaky."
Ethan's expression darkened. "If Richard's willing to sabotage our operations, what's to stop him from escalating to more dangerous acts?"
"That's exactly why we need to be careful about how we handle this," Maria interjected.
Victor leaned forward. "What's our approach?"
"Surveillance first," Walter said. "We need some kind of evidence against him before we do anything."
"That could take time," AJ pointed out.
"Better to be thorough than to create a bigger problem by acting on insufficient evidence," Walter replied.
"I need a change of pace, I'll keep tabs on Richard if you can watch the farm for me Walter." Lily volunteered.
"What about Damien?" Victor asked. "His refusal to work is a separate issue, but it's still undermining our systems."
"Talk to Captain Thessa," Maria decided. "Their people agreed to follow our work assignment system. If Damien won't comply, she needs to address it."
"Alright, I'll handle that conversation," He said.
The meeting concluded swiftly, even if Lily was assigned to watching Richard they all took it upon themselves to watch their surroundings a little more carefully, in case they picked up on something or someone causing problems.
---
Victor found Captain Thessa near the River Pact's temporary camp, where she was reviewing travel schedules with several of her traders.
"Captain," Victor said as the traders dispersed to their various tasks. "I need to discuss something with you."
Thessa looked up from her papers, immediately noting his serious expression. "Of course. What can I help you with?"
"It's about Damien."
Thessa's expression tightened slightly, a reaction that Victor caught, giving him an uneasy feeling already.
"What about him?"
"He's been refusing to participate in our work rotation system," Victor said. "Yesterday he walked away from animal care duties. The day before, he refused construction work."
"I see."
Victor waited for more response, but Thessa offered nothing else.
"When we established the partnership between Valentra and the River Pact, we agreed that your permanent residents would follow our community standards. That included participation in work assignments." He reminded.
"I remember the agreement." Thessa said bluntly.
"Then you understand that Damien's refusal undermines the foundation of our partnership," Victor continued. "We can't have some people exempt from community responsibilities while others carry the full load."
Thessa was quiet for a long moment, her gaze focused on the papers in her hands. When she finally spoke, her voice carried reluctant resignation.
"I can't help you with Damien."
Victor blinked, caught off guard by the blunt refusal. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I won't get involved in disciplining him. It's too troublesome."
"Too troublesome?" Victor's voice sharpened. "Captain—"
"I understand your position," Thessa interrupted. "But I can't deal with this particular situation. You'll need to handle it yourselves."
Victor stared at her, recognising the wall he'd hit. "Why? What makes Damien different from any other member of your group?"
"He just is."
"That's not an answer."
Thessa's expression hardened. "It's the only answer I'm giving you."
The conversation had taken a turn that Victor hadn't anticipated. This wasn't the response of a leader dealing with a difficult subordinate—this was someone avoiding a problem they didn't want to confront.
"I need to understand what we're dealing with here," Victor pressed. "Is Damien connected to someone important? Does he have leverage over the River Pact somehow?"
"I've told you what I can tell you." Thessa's tone carried finality. "Handle the situation however you see fit, but don't expect help from me."
Victor left the conversation with more questions than answers, his trust in the River Pact partnership significantly shaken.
Thessa's evasiveness suggested complications that went beyond simple personnel management, and her unwillingness to explain left him wondering what other surprises might be lurking beneath the surface of their alliance.
---
The area between the residential buildings provided enough privacy for quiet conversation without seeming deliberately secretive. Richard had chosen the location carefully, timing his approach to coincide with Damien's return from another refused work assignment.
"I've seen you're not a fan of the work assignments," Richard said casually.
Damien looked over in Richard's direction. "That's an understatement. They want me mucking around in animal pens like some common farmhand."
"Waste of talent," Richard shook his head. "Though I suppose the current leadership doesn't really understand how to utilise people's capabilities effectively."
"You can say that again. This whole place operates like some kind of commune where everyone pretends to be equal." Damien's voice carried frustration.
"It wasn't always this way," Richard said thoughtfully. "I used to run this settlement."
That caught Damien's attention immediately. "You were in charge?"
"For months. Built the first shelters, established work systems, kept people alive when everything was chaotic." He sighed. "I allocated work based on people's abilities and experience. The capable ones handled important decisions, the others followed their directions."
"What happened?"
"You could call it a coup or a revolution," Richard replied with practiced bitterness. "Maria and her friends convinced people that my methods were too authoritarian."
"And now you're just another resident?"
"Worse than that, I'm forced to live as a bottom feeder." Richard gestured toward the settlement around them. "Look at the confusion we've been having lately. Tools in the wrong places and work assignments getting mixed up. That didn't happen when I was running things."
Damien leaned forward with interest. "You think the current system is failing?"
"I think systems that ignore natural hierarchy and proper organisation always fail eventually. The question is how much damage they do before people realise their mistakes."
They talked for quite some time, Richard carefully drawing out Damien's grievances while sharing his own perspectives. They found common ground in their frustrations.
"It's refreshing to talk to someone who understands," Damien said as their discussion wound down.
They parted with an understanding that went beyond their words, both men feeling validated in the shared grievances they'd been carrying.
---
Despite the undercurrents, Valentra's development continued with impressive momentum.
Near the livestock areas, Walter worked with the specially crafted bison harness that AJ and Robert had helped design. The massive creature stood patiently as he made final adjustments to the straps, it's dark eyes alert but calm.
"There we are," Walter murmured, stepping back to admire the fit.
The bison snorted softly but showed no signs of discomfort with the new equipment. The time spent carefully taking care of the bison had created enough trust for this milestone, though the real test would come when they attempted to use the harness for actual work.
"Tomorrow we'll try some light pulling exercises," Walter told Thomas, who'd come to observe the progress. "If she responds well, we could have working animals in the next few days."
In the construction area, Sam was installing the latest of his electrical lighting fixtures. Thin copper-like wires ran from the water mill's generator to strategic locations throughout the settlement, terminating in small but reliable light sources.
"Remarkable," Catherine said, watching Sam.
"Just the beginning," Sam replied with satisfaction. "We'll need to create proper bulbs and then there's all the other applications for electricity."
The lights weren't bright by old-world standards, but they represented a significant step toward reclaiming the technological capabilities they had once grown to depend on.
---
During the afternoon meditation session, Maria felt a subtle but significant change in her energy circulation. The familiar sensation of mana flow felt different, there was a sense of fullness.
The feeling persisted throughout the session, growing stronger as time went on.
After the session ended, Maria found herself walking alongside Sam as people dispersed to their next activities.
"Sam," she said thoughtfully, "I experienced something different during meditation today. A feeling of... fullness, absorbing mana is becoming more and more difficult."
Sam's expression immediately brightened. "That sounds like you've reached the peak of the Realm of Man. How long has it been since you started?"
"A little less than 3 months."
"Then it must be that. The fullness you're experiencing indicates your body has reached the current maximum capacity. It'll soon be time to attempt your Earth Realm breakthrough."
Maria felt a flutter of excitement mixed with nervousness. "What should I expect?"
"We'll discuss the details later when we have more time," Sam promised. "But this is excellent progress. You'll be joining the rest of us at the Earth Realm soon enough."
Night fell over Valentra after another semi productive day. Sam's electrical lights cast gentle glows throughout the settlement, the bison settled peacefully in their enclosures, and the River Pact traders made final preparations for tomorrow's departures.