The day after the impalements felt strangely quiet.
Not peaceful—peace no longer lived in Ridgebrook—but steadier. Clearer. As if the village was finally breathing again after weeks of suffocation. The stakes at the gate loomed like silent guardians, casting long shadows across the dirt road. Every villager passed beneath them differently: some shuddered, some nodded with grim satisfaction, and others hurried past, refusing to look for too long.
Liam inspected the gate repairs with Sun Tzu beside him. The frame still leaned slightly, but it stood—reinforced with beams scavenged from ruined homes. Several men hammered planks into place, sweat dripping down their faces.
"A symbolic victory is not enough," Sun Tzu said calmly. "A leader must build substance beneath the symbol."
Liam rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I feel like I'm pretending at all of this."
Sun Tzu shook his head. "A pretender seeks admiration. A leader seeks solutions. You have done the latter."
Before Liam could respond, shouts erupted from the road beyond the gate.
"Traveler! Someone's coming!"
The village tensed instantly. Weapons lifted. Orin arrived first, spear in hand. Vlad appeared moments later, as if violence itself had summoned him.
A thin, dust-covered man stumbled toward the gate. His eyes widened in terror when he saw the impaled corpses. He nearly collapsed.
"I—I bring news!" he gasped, hands raised. "Please—don't kill me!"
Orin rolled her eyes. "No one's killing you. Unless he feels like it." She nodded toward Vlad.
Vlad smiled politely.
The man shook harder.
Liam stepped forward. "What news?"
The traveler swallowed. "Everyone south of here knows. The rumors are spreading fast. They say Ridgebrook wiped out the Warguard in a single night. That your chief is blessed by the gods. That you command warriors from distant lands. That—" He hesitated, voice dropping. "—that you're protected by the greatest killer on the continent."
Vlad nodded approvingly. "Accurate."
Liam groaned.
The man continued, "Nobles are panicking. Some think there's hidden treasure here. Others think you've allied with demons." He licked his lips. "Lord Rathmore is sending scouts. The Dunlin Merchant Guild wants contact. And Baroness Merwin may try to claim Vantor's former territory."
Sun Tzu's eyes sharpened. "Then the game begins."
"The game?" Liam echoed.
"War is loud," Sun Tzu replied. "Politics is quieter. But both kill."
They let the traveler inside. He drank greedily from a wooden cup before collapsing against a barrel.
Sun Tzu waved the villagers away. "Return to your work. Food must be counted. Tools checked. Walls rebuilt."
As the crowd dispersed, Sun Tzu turned to Liam.
"It is time," he said. "Hold your first council."
Liam blinked. "Now?"
"No leader waits for comfort," Sun Tzu said. "Comfort does not come."
They gathered in the partially repaired meeting hall. The long table was scarred and uneven, but it stood. Lira sat to Liam's right, hands folded tightly. Orin leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Vlad slouched near the doorway, alert beneath his lazy posture.
Sun Tzu stood at the head. "Begin."
Liam hesitated, then spoke. "Food is our biggest concern. The farms were trampled. Winter's close."
Lira nodded. "We have maybe four weeks if we ration carefully."
Orin tapped the wall. "Hunting helps, but beasts will be hungry too."
"Hunting rotations," Sun Tzu said. "Small groups. Never alone. Expand fishing nets. Plant hardy crops immediately."
"We salvage every usable tool," Liam added. "And forge new ones from Warguard metal."
Vlad perked up. "Good iron. Armor melts well."
Orin raised an eyebrow. "Anything you're not planning to impale?"
Vlad smiled. "Undecided."
They discussed patrols, borders, trader negotiations, and responses to noble envoys. As Liam spoke, his nerves faded—replaced by something steadier. These people needed direction. And for the first time, he knew he could give it.
When Sun Tzu finally said, "Meeting adjourned," something settled inside Liam.
Not peace.
Purpose.
Lira lingered as the others left. She stepped closer, touching Liam's arm softly.
"You spoke like a leader," she said.
"I was terrified."
"But you still did it."
Her hand slid to his shoulder. Their eyes met. His pulse jumped.
"You keep saving us," she whispered.
Her face was inches from his. Her lips parted—
Orin cleared her throat loudly.
Lira stepped back, flustered. Orin's gaze flicked between them, irritation flashing.
"Sun Tzu wants you at the gate," Orin said. "Watch planning."
Liam escaped quickly.
Outside, the setting sun painted the stakes in orange light. The bodies swayed faintly. Vlad studied them like artwork.
"Beautiful," he said.
"In a horrifying way," Liam muttered.
"The best kind," Vlad replied.
Sun Tzu approached. "Your display has already borne fruit."
"What kind?" Liam asked.
"There are watchers in the forest."
Liam stiffened. "Bandits?"
"Too quiet. Too disciplined," Sun Tzu said. "Scouts."
"For who?"
"Not Vantor." His tone hardened. "Another lord has noticed you."
The Ledger pulsed in Liam's mind:
[NEXT SUMMON: 28 DAYS]
[VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT: EARLY PHASE]
[WARNING: EXTERNAL EYES OBSERVE RIDGEBROOK]
The forest felt deeper. Darker.
Liam stared into the treeline where unseen eyes lingered.
He wasn't afraid anymore.
But he wasn't naïve.
The world had finally turned its gaze toward Ridgebrook.
And this time—Liam would meet it head-on.