Two days passed after the fall of Jack's camp, and Ridgebrook did not slow down.
If anything, it moved faster.
Construction resumed at dawn each day. Stone was hauled, timber shaped, and walls slowly rose higher. Refugees kept arriving in small groups—families with little more than bundles and tired eyes. The food lines grew longer. The patrols doubled. No monsters attacked, but no one felt at ease.
Liam felt it clearly.
Their victories had made them useful.
And being useful meant being needed.
Sun Tzu called the council together on the third morning. His tone was calm, but his expression was serious.
"Our population continues to rise," he said, laying out the figures. "Food reserves are stable for now, but consumption is increasing faster than expected. Labor is split between construction, farming, and training. We cannot keep responding to every external problem without consequences."
Leonidas nodded. "Our soldiers are strong, but they are not endless."
Leonardo added, "If manpower is pulled again, construction slows. Fortifications unfinished are weaknesses, not strengths."
Before the discussion could go further, a familiar face was announced.
The Veldoria merchant had returned.
He bowed deeply the moment he entered. "I will not waste your time," he said. "What Ridgebrook did before… it saved lives. Trade has resumed. But another problem remains."
He explained carefully. A second bandit group. Smaller than Jack's, but still dangerous. Led by a Rank 4 bandit. Around a hundred men. Their camp lay along another vital route.
"We are not demanding help," the merchant said. "But we trust you more than anyone else."
The room was quiet.
Sun Tzu did not speak immediately. He let the weight of the request settle.
Leonidas was the first to break the silence. "We cannot make this a habit."
Alexander, however, leaned forward. "This enemy is weaker. Less organized. If we strike cleanly, the cost will be minimal."
Khalid spoke next, calm as ever. "I will lead again."
Vlad smiled faintly. "I'll join this time."
Alexander met Liam's gaze. "I will command."
The plan was set quickly.
Fifty troops again. No more. No less.
There were no long farewells when they left. The village watched them go with quiet confidence.
The battle itself passed in silence.
A single night.
An overwhelming strike.
The bandit camp collapsed before it could react. The Rank 4 leader fell. The rest scattered into the wilderness.
When the force returned two days later, Sun Tzu delivered his report without emotion.
"Enemy eliminated. Zero casualties. No Rank Two or above losses."
Only then did he continue.
"Loot recovered."
The gold was counted in full view of the council.
From the camp's storage: 920 gold.
From the bandit leader's private stash: 310 gold.
From seized goods, weapons, and valuables: 180 gold.
"Total recovered," Sun Tzu said evenly. "1,410 gold."
The number drew quiet reactions. This was no longer survival money. This was development money.
More followed.
Alexander stepped forward and bowed slightly. "I have broken through. Rank Three."
Sun Tzu nodded. "Confirmed."
Then came the larger change.
"Twenty-five soldiers advanced to Rank One," Sun Tzu continued. "Their breakthroughs were stable and verified."
That caused a ripple through the room.
Leonidas allowed himself a small smile. "They've earned it."
Vlad, for his part, had left his mark. Survivors had been spared—barely. Enough to spread stories. Enough to ensure no bandit camp would settle anywhere near Ridgebrook again.
By evening, the merchant bowed again, deeper than before.
"Veldoria will not forget this," he said.
After he left, Liam stood alone for a long moment, staring at the updated numbers.
More gold. More soldiers. More attention.
Sun Tzu spoke quietly beside him. "Every problem we solve makes us harder to ignore."
Liam nodded.
That was the cost of being needed
—
The caravans arrived three days later.
Dust rose along the southern road as wagons rolled into view, guarded by armed escorts bearing Veldoria's mark. Word spread through Ridgebrook quickly. People stopped working. Soldiers straightened. Refugees gathered at a distance, watching with cautious hope.
Liam stood at the gate with Sun Tzu when the lead merchant dismounted.
"You move fast," Liam said.
The merchant smiled. "So do those who want to survive."
No time was wasted. The wagons were brought inside, and the council gathered to oversee everything in full view. Sun Tzu insisted on transparency. Every crate was opened. Every item counted.
Food came first.
Sacks of grain, dried meat, salt, beans, and preserved vegetables were unloaded in large quantities. Enough to stabilize supplies for weeks. Some refugees cried quietly when they saw real food again, not thin rations.
Sun Tzu confirmed the transaction.
800 gold was handed over.
Next came medicine.
Herbs, alcohol for sterilization, bandages, needles, salves, and basic surgical tools. Rasputin inspected everything personally, rejecting what he didn't trust and approving the rest with a nod.
"These will save lives," he said simply.
That cost another 300 gold, included in the food allocation.
Armor followed.
Crates of repaired shields, iron helmets, reinforced leather, spearheads, and arrow bundles were stacked neatly. Not elite equipment, but solid and reliable. Enough to refit exhausted soldiers and arm new recruits properly.
Leonidas tested a shield with a hard strike and nodded in approval.
600 gold exchanged hands.
Construction materials came next.
Stone blocks, lime, iron nails, timber beams, rope, and metal fittings. Leonardo's eyes lit up as he walked among the crates, already calculating where everything would go.
"This saves us months," he muttered.
500 gold paid for that shipment.
The last trade was quieter.
Sun Tzu met privately with the merchant to secure future priority routes, emergency delivery rights, and faster response if food shortages worsened. No goods changed hands yet—only agreements.
440 gold was reserved and recorded as active trade leverage.
When the last crate was counted and sealed, Sun Tzu stepped forward and spoke clearly so everyone could hear.
"Total gold spent today: 2,240 gold."
The remaining gold was locked away under guard.
Ridgebrook changed that afternoon.
Meals were fuller. Armor fit better. Construction resumed with real speed. The infirmary was stocked for the first time since the village began to grow.
Liam watched it all quietly.
Gold meant nothing on its own.
But turned into food, walls, and lives—it became power.
Sun Tzu joined him later, watching workers unload the final crates.
"This is the difference," Sun Tzu said. "Between surviving another week… and surviving what comes next."
Liam nodded.
They had spent carefully.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Ridgebrook felt prepared.
LEDGER –
Population: 1,940
Army Total: 181
- Rank 4: 3 (Leonidas, Vlad, Khalid)
- Rank 3: 5 (Liam, Alexander, Lapu-Lapu + 2 soldiers)
- Rank 2: 5
- Rank 1: 50
- Rank 0 (trained militia): 118
Casualties:
- Rank 2+ KIA: 0
- Total Soldiers KIA: 0
- Civilians KIA: 0
Gold:
- Previous Total: 4,150 gold
- Food & Medicine Purchased: -800 gold
- Armor & Weapons Purchased: -600 gold
- Construction Materials Purchased: -500 gold
- Trade Leverage Reserved: -340 gold
--------------------------------
- **Current Gold Reserves: 1,910 gold**
Resources Acquired:
- Food supplies (grain, dried meat, preserved goods)
- Medical supplies (herbs, bandages, alcohol, tools)
- Armor and weapons (shields, helmets, spearheads, arrows)
- Construction materials (stone, timber, lime, iron fittings)
Special Resources (Secured):
- Rank 6 monster materials
- Hidden mine map (Phase IV – undisclosed)
Construction:
- Phase II accelerated (materials secured)
Trade:
- Active trade agreement with Veldoria
- Priority delivery routes established
Monster Activity:
- Observation only
Summon Cooldown:
- 8 days remaining