The hour was late, but the main hall of Fort Drakk remained Cedric's command center. A handful of servants nervously kept the great stone hearth fed, their eyes constantly flitting to the young Duke's son who now sat surrounded by ledgers and weapon manifests instead of wine bottles. He hadn't slept, preferring to process the raw, chaotic data streaming from the Player System.
Cedric's mercenary offer, posted hours ago on the Player Trade chat, had generated two distinct types of responses: panic and professional interest. The noise was overwhelming.
[Lord Garek: WHO is wasting an Iron Knight on MAPS?! Need food! I offer 100 gold for your food supply!]
[Lord Sanguine: Mercenary? Your arrogance is noted, Vance. We will meet on the field soon enough.]
[Lord Elara: Desperate. My territory is overrun by Goblins. I offer detailed scouting reports of the Southern Marches. Non-Veridian territory. Validated by three patrols.]
It was the response from Lord Elara that caught his attention. It was structured, verifiable, and located outside the immediate political sphere of Veridia—exactly the kind of strategic intelligence a kingdom-builder needed.
However, the real prize came from a neighboring region within Veridia's vast borders, a Lord positioned strategically between the capital and the wild eastern territories.
[Lord Theron (The Surveyor): Your offer is sound, Vance. I have surveyed three provinces near the Central Plains. My map data is accurate to 90%. I require the Iron Knight for three months, renewable. I also have several Apprentice Mages—Earth Elementalist—I can spare for 500 gold each. Interested?]
Theron's response was a calculated risk. He wasn't begging; he was negotiating. He offered a vital resource (regional map data) and a core unit type (Mages) that Cedric desperately needed, having none in his current roster.
[Offer Accepted: Lord Theron. Contract Duration: 3 months. Cost: 1 Iron Knight.]
[Trade Complete: Lord Cedric Vance receives 3 Regional Map Data Segments (Verified 90%), 150 EXP. Lord Theron receives 1 Iron Knight (Mercenary Unit) for 3 months.]
[Notification: Map Data Segments merged with Territory Map. 4% of Kingdom of Veridia territory now mapped.]
The effect on his private territory map was immediate. Blurry, undefined swaths of grey were instantly replaced by detailed topographical lines, marking forests, navigable rivers, and, most importantly, the known locations of other transmigrated Lords and Native Race settlements. This was worth more than ten thousand gold.
"Steven," Cedric called, his gaze still fixed on the scrolling System interface. "Prepare the paperwork for an immediate transfer of one Iron Knight to Lord Theron. Ensure the contract is watertight: three months, strictly mercenary, with a clause for unit return upon request."
Steven, who had been organizing the logistics of the main supply room, paused. "My Lord, giving away even one Iron Knight sets a precedent. What did he offer that is worth ten times the normal price of a mercenary?"
"Information, Steven," Cedric said, finally turning, a glint in his eye. "We are operating in an information deficit. Knowledge is the ultimate force multiplier. Lord Theron also offered something else. Mages."
The Infrastructure Bottleneck
Later that morning, Steven led Cedric on a thorough inspection of the fort's physical assets, moving from the barracks to the armory and finally to the forge.
Fort Drakk was a pre-transmigration structure, built for simple defense, not industrial output.
"We have ample wood," Steven reported, tapping a raw timber palisade. "The Frostfang foothills provide endless supply. But our metal reserves are dismal. We have enough iron to maintain our current armaments for two years, but nothing for expansion."
They stood in the cramped forge. The bellows were old, the hammer was heavy, and the few blacksmiths were skilled only in maintenance, not construction.
[Resource Check: Iron Ore: 150 units (Critical)]
[Infrastructure Bottleneck Identified: Lack of Iron Smelter. Status: Locked (Requires Master Blacksmith and Tier 2 Workshop).]
"We need a constant supply of iron to replace losses, build defenses, and, eventually, upgrade our units," Cedric mused. "We can't rely on the Player Market, where iron is a thousand gold for a handful of units. It is the lifeblood of this era."
He recalled the Wandering Dwarves he planned to acquire. They were the solution for the long term, but they were months, maybe years, away. For now, he needed a stopgap.
"Steven, post a notice throughout the fort. We are offering fifty gold and double rations for any individual who can locate a local, easily defensible iron vein. The reward is substantial, but the security of the fort depends on it."
This wasn't just a resource hunt; it was a way to integrate the common folk into his leadership and establish an economy.
The Ice Cave Confirmed
Just before noon, a shadow darted into the courtyard—Captain Lysandra. She moved with practiced haste, shedding her snow-dusted cloak and heading straight for the Lord's solar where Cedric and Steven were reviewing construction plans.
Lysandra's breath came out in sharp, cold puffs, but her eyes were alight with focused intensity.
"My Lord, the anomaly is real," she reported, keeping her voice low. "It's a deep cave, high in the Frostfang Range, near a frozen waterfall. The mouth is guarded by a handful of Barbarian scouts, but there's a deeper scent—an ancient, territorial presence. A great beast, larger than any Snow Bear."
[Quest Complete: Reconnaissance of Deep Ice Cave. Reward: 100 EXP.]
[Trait Acquired: Decisive Leader. (Effect: Unit Loyalty gains +5% during direct assault commands.)]
Cedric felt a surge of energy—not just the system EXP, but the pure thrill of a confirmed objective. Lysandra's report was the green light. The Ice Drake egg, the Ice Orb, the path to unparalleled power—it was all within reach.
"The Barbarians?" Cedric asked.
"They're a scouting party, easily handled by Iron Knights," Lysandra confirmed. "But the beast... it will be a fight for our Bronze Knights, My Lord. Its spoor suggests massive size and incredible power."
Cedric activated his personal stats panel.
[Cedric Vance - Silver Knight (Combat Equivalent: 100 Normal Knights)]
He was strong enough to survive, but not strong enough to dominate. He needed his team.
"Steven, Torvin," Cedric stated, looking at his two highest-ranking men. "We move out before sunset. Steven, you will command the rear guard and logistical support. You are my shield. Torvin, you will command the vanguard. Your Bronze Knights will handle the Barbarians. But the beast—the Dragon's mother—will be mine and Steven's."
Torvin, the hulking Bronze Knight, looked startled. "My Lord, with all respect, you are unproven in true battle. Let me lead the assault on the beast."
Cedric fixed him with a cold, hard gaze, the arrogance of the Duke's son mingling perfectly with the calculating conviction of the Player.
"Torvin, I have studied this land, and I know what is coming. The cold is merely an inconvenience. The true struggle is for power, for resources, and for survival. If I, your Lord, do not take the head of the territorial beast, I gain no experience, no respect, and no authority in this wasteland."
He paused, lowering his voice until it was a harsh, frost-laced whisper that seemed to steal the heat from the room. He borrowed the phrase, knowing its historical weight and its capacity to inspire dread and resolve.
"The forces arrayed against us, both natural and political, are immense. If we hesitate, if we are weak, we will be erased." He looked directly into the eyes of his commanders, his voice rising in power, sealing the commitment.
"Winter is coming. And we will be the ones who bring the storm."
[Command Implemented: Assault Force Assembled. Mission: Acquisition of Unique Resource.]
[Unit Preparation: Start 1 hour. Departure: 17:00.]