The candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow across the tent.
Raven sat at the table, savoring the fish soup the maid had brought.
Dratini curled up nearby, happily devouring chunks of tender fish.
Steam rose from the bowl. The broth was rich, the fish meat delicate. One sip sent warmth flowing through his entire body.
Raven quickly filled his stomach.
He then unrolled a parchment map of the Unova region and studied it, trying to deduce their current location.
Based on where Eindoak was situated, and the route described by the old butler Aelif, it was likely they were somewhere in the northeastern part of Unova.
But more precisely? Raven couldn't tell.
Fingers interlaced, he sat at the table, reviewing the detailed records of his people while quietly thinking.
"Your Highness Raven, Acting Captain Lyon of the knight order requests an audience!" the maid's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Let him in," Raven said.
That fool Lyon quickly dashed inside.
"Your Highness, we've finished surveying the area around the camp!"
"Go on," Raven nodded.
Lyon reported, "The knights found traces of many small beasts in the nearby forest. So far, none of them have posed a threat to us. But oddly enough, these past two days, we haven't encountered a single large beast…"
"Perhaps they're in hibernation?" Butler Aelif ventured. From what he knew, some large beasts did indeed hibernate.
Hibernation? Ursaring, maybe? Raven thought.
"I'm not sure," Lyon admitted. "Tomorrow at dawn, we'll push deeper into the forest to investigate."
If they found signs of large beasts, preparations would have to be made in advance.
Raven nodded, then glanced at the charcoal burning in the brazier. "Aelif, how much charcoal do we have left?"
Aelif replied, "We've burned through quite a bit on the way here. What remains will last us only about a month. Some of the commoners have already started gathering twigs and wood in the forest for firewood."
"A month?" Raven frowned. That wouldn't be enough. The commoners were in danger.
His own tent was made of quality leather, enough to block some wind and cold.
But theirs were not.
And this wasn't even the coldest part of winter. In a month, the temperature would plummet further.
When the wood ran out, many in his domain would freeze to death.
What should he do?His brows knitted tighter. At that moment, Raven realized—every decision he made now carried the fate of seventy-eight lives.
After some thought, he recalled the retainers the old king had assigned him, those with special skills.
"Aelif, fetch the carpenter."
"At once, Your Highness."
The butler soon returned with a burly middle-aged man.
Looking him over, Raven asked, "If given enough hands and tools, how long would it take you to build a wooden house?"
The forests surrounding this land were vast—wood resources were plentiful.
Carpenter Tucker answered honestly, "From gathering materials to cutting planks to assembling the house… by myself, it would take over a month. And that's just for a small basic cabin. Larger ones would take longer."
"Over a month?" Raven thought for a moment. "What if everyone in the settlement helped?"
"Then… just a few days for one small cabin!" Tucker replied.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you." Raven turned to the others. "Lyon, suspend scouting for now. Tomorrow, lead everyone in helping Uncle Tucker cut wood."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Lyon, understanding the gravity of the task, agreed without hesitation.
"Aelif," Raven continued, "spread the word. Starting tomorrow, everyone except the injured must work—fishing, gathering berries, collecting wood. Tell them: as long as we endure this winter, everything will turn for the better!"
"Understood, Your Highness," Aelif said with a gentle nod.
Raven paused, then added, "Also, Lyon, I have another task for you. While cutting wood, search for any beasts capable of breathing fire."
"Fire-breathing beasts?" Lyon blinked in surprise.
Raven nodded. Firewood was consumable. It would run out eventually.
But Fire-type Pokémon were different. As long as they were fed, they could channel their inner energy to unleash moves like Flamethrower, providing heat.
Charmander, Rapidash, Magmar, Slugma… creatures like these could keep humans warm even without firewood, using only the flames and heat of their bodies.
More importantly, with their fire, they could fire bricks and cement—materials needed to build stronger, safer houses.
Lyon studied Raven's expression and suddenly recalled what he'd seen earlier. A wild guess surfaced in his mind. He blurted out, "Your Highness Raven, do you mean to make use of those fire-breathing beasts?!"
"More precisely," Raven corrected him, "to borrow the power of beasts."
"Borrow their power?" Everyone froze.
Raven looked at Dratini and spoke calmly: "From what I've observed, beasts aren't uncontrollable. They're intelligent, wise—even capable of understanding human speech. Dratini, come here."
Having just downed a bowl of fish soup, Dratini happily flew into his arms under the astonished gazes of the others.
S-So obedient!
"Your Highness, surely you don't mean enslaving them?" Tucker asked.
He'd heard that in the capital, people often captured weaker beasts, chained them, and forced them to labor under the whip.
If the beasts resisted, they were beaten mercilessly.
"No. Not enslavement, but something far closer," Raven shook his head. "Like this Dratini here. Or perhaps another example you'll understand better…"
He paused, then said, "Like my father and Victini."
Everyone from Eindoak knew the story: their king, in his youth, had relied on the power of a beast named Victini to defeat a rival nation and establish the Kingdom of Eindoak.
And even now, that Victini still lived with the king in the royal castle.
(End of Chapter)