Leon tightened his grip on the reins as his horse trudged forward, hooves crunching against the rocky path.
To the east of the Solana Greenlands, the morning sun rose steadily, climbing above the jagged silhouette of endless mountains. Its rays cut through the mist, burning away the chill of night and replacing it with a wave of heat that rolled across the forested land.
It was a harsh, wild place—so unforgiving that no race willingly settled here. Only the greenskins, who knew nothing beyond fighting, breeding, and raiding, made these lands their home.
And yet, Leon and his company rode deeper into it.
Fifteen knights in chainmail beneath their riding cloaks flanked him, each astride a warhorse. Behind them trudged thirty "peasants," pushing three heavily loaded supply carriages pulled by teams of horses. The caravan stretched down the narrow forest road like a weary serpent.
Leon sighed heavily, tugging the hood of his linen robe over his head as he gazed ahead. His long blond hair slipped over his shoulders, catching the sun like spun gold. Despite the grim journey, his youthful face seemed almost radiant, a stark contrast to the wilderness surrounding him.
The Solana Greenlands was a vast, untamed forest, virtually untouched by human hands. Before the Kingdom of Cailux had "conquered" this land ten years ago, no signs of civilization had existed here. Only goblins, orcs, and dangerous Pranic Beasts prowled its depths.
Even now, Leon knew the kingdom's so-called conquest was more a boast than a reality. Scholars didn't even acknowledge it. The official border still ended at the Tierra Range, the mountain barrier to the south. North of that was nothing but unclaimed wilderness.
The Greenlands were worthless for farming, too dangerous for settlers, and avoided even by criminals and runaway slaves.
Leon chuckled dryly. "Haah… what a glorious fief."
If he'd had any other choice, he would never have come to this forsaken land. But the bastard son of King Leopold rarely got choices.
The sun climbed higher, and the temperature rose quickly. Sweat dampened his clothes, and the air grew thick and heavy.
"It's scorching already," Leon muttered, adjusting his hood.
He spurred his horse forward and called back to the group, voice sharp and commanding.
"Move it, everyone! If you don't want to roast by noon, we need to set up camp before the sun hits its peak!"
"Yes, Sir!" came the half-hearted replies.
The knights and peasants pushed onward. The wheels of the supply carriages groaned against the uneven mountain paths, built for flatland travel rather than rocky forest trails. Even the sturdy horses were beginning to falter under the strain.
Leon exhaled through his nose, frustrated. 'This is awful.'
"Your Lordship," a voice called.
Carlos, the captain of the knights, rode up beside him. A seasoned man with graying hair and sharp eyes, Carlos rarely showed unease but today he looked tense.
"Forgive me for asking, my lord," Carlos said carefully, "But… how much longer until we reach the Ruins of Solace?"
Leon kept his eyes ahead, face calm. "Honestly? I don't know."
Carlos grimaced. That was not the answer he'd wanted.
Leon allowed a small smile. "But based on our pace, we've been traveling nine days. If the map is accurate we should arrive soon."
Carlos swallowed hard. The knights were exhausted, nine days through mountains and forests had pushed both men and beasts to their limits. The sooner they reached the ruins, the sooner the escort could turn around and leave this cursed place.
Leon, however, didn't share their desperation. For him, the ruins marked not the end of a journey but the beginning of exile.
At his coming-of-age ceremony, he'd been granted the title of Baron and ownership over the Solana Greenlands. Officially, it was a fief. In reality, it was a convenient prison for an unwanted son.
Still, Leon's eyes gleamed with quiet resolve.
Unlike others, he had something no one else in this world did.
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes, floating silently in midair.
[Build a village]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Status: Incomplete]
[Introduction: You can only become a lord by having a village. That is the first step to constructing your foundation. Please be careful.]
The System—his greatest secret and cheat since arriving in this world from Earth.
Leon's system wasn't like the ones in the novels he'd read. It had only three sections: [Status], [Shop], and [Achievements]. No quests, no daily missions just achievements.
Completing "Build a Village" was his first step toward survival. Once the knights departed, he would rely on the System's power to raise structures from nothing, just like in the game he knew so well: Clash of Clans.
Villages could grow into towns, towns into cities, cities into fortresses. This wilderness could become a kingdom.
He just needed to make it happen.
Leon turned his gaze behind him, toward the thirty so-called peasants sweating as they pushed the carriages.
They were nothing like commoners. Each man stood nearly seven feet tall, with tan skin, blond hair, and thick mustaches. Their muscular builds were as solid as stone pillars.
They were Barbarians, his first troops granted from the system's Newbie Pack. Fierce fighters and relentless builders, they were the backbone of his future village.
'These men will be my foundation,' Leon whispered to himself, eyes burning with determination.
Raising his voice, he called back to the group.
"Keep going! There's a lake up ahead—we'll rest there before noon!"
"HURRAY!" the Barbarians roared, their energy seemingly endless.
"Yes... Hurray..."
The knights, however, responded half-heartedly. They didn't share the Barbarians' enthusiasm or Leon's vision. To them, this land was cursed filled with dangerous beasts, savage greenskins, and unbearable heat.
They thought Leon a fool.
None of them understood.
The Barbarians existed because Leon existed and Leon… had plans.
In the Solana Greenlands, heat and beasts weren't the only dangers.
The greenskins, those who had once been slaughtered and driven back still lurked in the shadows of their ancestral forests. Watching and waiting.
For the first time since his exile began, a spark of excitement burned in his chest.