In the early morning, the mist floating over the cliff dispersed, and dew hung on the tents. Flora woke up early and prepared breakfast for Byrne and the others.
Byrne had finished washing up, and breakfast was already laid out in the tent.
"The presentation isn't bad."
He devoured the food in a few quick bites.
He opened the territory map he had just acquired yesterday. In an instant, Byrne's consciousness sharply expanded, breaking free from the constraints of physical sight, replaced by a grand and clear vision. He felt as if he were suspended above the territory, the entire town laid out before him like an exquisitely detailed sandbox model, revealing everything without reservation. Every crack in the flagstone path, every hole in the fishing nets drying on the decks of the harbor's fishing boats, he could even track beetles scurrying across the roof tiles.
This unprecedented perspective, combined with the territory boundaries he had outlined in his mind, gave him a thorough understanding of the land. Reform of the territory was imminent: chaotic transportation, mixed-use areas, outdated facilities… "It must be reformed."
This thought was overwhelmingly strong: roads needed to be widened, clear transportation and pedestrian routes planned, the Living Area, slaughter area, and breeding area strictly separated, an effective sewage system established, the dock rebuilt… A blueprint for a future town quickly formed in this aerial view.
The imagination was beautiful, but Byrne lacked talent in this area. The Hall of Heroes could solve this problem, provided he had enough Hero Points. The problem was, he had no Hero Points.
Just as Byrne was troubled, a red skull appeared on the edge of the territory map, indicating, according to the map, that there were invaders.
Hero Quest: Discover invaders. Please defend your home.
Hero Points: 10 points.
"Cotton, come with me."
Byrne sat on Cotton's shoulder and headed toward the town. He was not in a hurry, allowing the invaders to enter. This was also related to Byrne having only recently arrived in the town; the residents were unfamiliar with him, and he had not yet established a lord's image in their hearts. Only by saving them when danger struck could he win their loyalty, which would be beneficial for better managing the territory… Wind Town.
Clyde held an iron basin inverted in his hand, and a metal rod in the other, running and banging as he went.
"Bandits are here!"
The residents nearby didn't understand; usually, this old man wasn't like this. When bandits came, they just gave them money, right?
"Pick up your weapons! We can't let them bully us anymore!"
Clyde knocked on every door, very anxious, but no one listened. He threw the iron basin to the ground and roared, "Pick up your weapons!"
"Clyde, are you crazy? Pick up weapons to resist whom? The bandits? Isn't that just asking for death?" a man stepped forward.
Immediately after, residents continuously spoke up: "Are you stupid?"
"Our Lord will come to help us."
Before Clyde could finish, curses and insults erupted: "Who knows if that Lord will come."
"Maybe he's a soft-hearted Lord who already ran away. Why would he help us?"
Clyde sighed helplessly. There were only a dozen bandits who came to plunder each time. As long as the residents picked up weapons—kitchen knives, axes, or hoes—anything they could use to resist, along with the Lord's Formal Knight squad, it would be enough to deal with those bandits.
Soldiers on warhorses, clad in plate armor, entered the town, charging recklessly, overturning fish stalls and vegetable stalls in their path.
"Clyde, where's the money?" the bandit leader approached, his face full of mockery, his tone flippant.
"Sir, the money is here." Clyde pulled out a bag of coins, his eyes occasionally glancing toward the outskirts of the town, his dim eyes growing brighter.
The bandit weighed the money bag in his hand. "The weight is decent." He raised his hand, signaling the soldiers behind him to grab some more women. After waiting and finding no movement, he turned to see a wall of steel.
His head slowly lifted, and next to the helmet sat a blond man smiling at him.
"Cotton."
A giant hand grabbed the bandit's head, lifting him from his horse. He struggled constantly, letting out wails, but could not break free.
The steel giant hand suddenly clenched tightly, and the head burst open like a watermelon, blood mixed with white bone fragments splattering out.
Byrne pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the blood from his face, and tapped the helmet beside him, "Cotton, don't be so violent next time."
This bloody and violent scene scared the mounted bandit soldiers, who turned and fled. But there was only one road in and out of the town. After Cotton crushed that head, he put Byrne down and went to block the entrance.
"Clang."
Weapons fell to the ground; all the soldiers had lost their will to fight. They weren't fools; even their captain, a mere apprentice knight, was instantly killed by this monster. How could they resist?
One by one, they were brought before Byrne, kneeling on the ground. The scene was silent, save for the sound of leg armor scraping on the flagstones.
The town residents' eyes were wide, as if everything before them were a dream, their lips trembling.
"Is this real?"
"It's real."
As soon as the words fell, an astonishing roar of cheers erupted. The cancerous growth that had oppressed them for so many years had been eliminated by this newly appointed Lord. They cried tears of joy, and some even pulled out rum to start celebrating.
Byrne pressed his hands down, and the entire crowd fell silent.
"The culprits are dead. As for the remaining soldiers, we'll punish them by making them clean the town and build the Lord's castle. What do you all think?"
"The Lord is wise!"
Byrne knew these soldiers had committed many evil deeds, but he had too few people. The Lord's castle needed to be built, and the town needed renovation. These ten soldiers could be used as labor, handling all heavy and hard work.
"Then let the celebration begin."
As Lord, Byrne said a few words at the banquet, then sat on Cotton's shoulder and took the captured soldiers back to the camp. He didn't want to participate in the celebration; with the top boss present, the town residents would definitely not relax.
He opened the Hall of Heroes and found his Hero Points had reached 10.
Completed the 'Defend Your Home' quest, gaining 10 Hero Points.
He continued to search for any heroes he could inherit.
Callan Hoover
Town Mayor
Level: LV5
Skills: Tax Collector, Infrastructure and Production Management
Hero Points: 10 points
Looking at the hero panel, Byrne thought, "Why is it so expensive? A Level 5 hero is even pricier than a Formal Knight hero."
Combat-type heroes were suitable for warfare, while management-type heroes could assist the Lord in managing the territory. Managing the territory well was the duty of a Lord.
From the Hall of Heroes exchange rules:
"Since it says so, then so be it. Who should I choose to inherit?"
"I've got it."
A suitable candidate appeared in his mind. Only when the territory was on the right track would there be a continuous influx of Hero Points. Byrne looked at the quests; as long as it was something beneficial to the territory, there was a specific quest for it. For example, building a Blacksmith Shop, repairing the dock, appointing a Town Mayor, building a bakery, a vegetable market…