Spring arrived early in Blackridge.
Snow melted.
Rivers flowed again.
Green slowly returned to the land.
With stability restored, people from nearby villages began moving in. Refugees, craftsmen, farmers, and former soldiers all sought shelter under Arin's rule.
Within a month, the population increased by nearly thirty percent.
Kelsin was overwhelmed.
"Housing is insufficient. Food storage is tight. We need expansion plans immediately."
Arin nodded. "Open the eastern plain. Build temporary settlements first."
Construction began at once.
Wooden houses rose.
Roads were extended.
Wells were dug.
Blackridge expanded beyond its old walls.
Meanwhile, recruitment intensified.
Young men and women lined up daily.
Some were poor.
Some were desperate.
Some were simply ambitious.
Rynor and Selene handled combat assessments.
Lyra tested mana sensitivity.
Jaren checked endurance.
Only one out of five passed.
Quality over quantity.
That was Arin's rule.
One afternoon, a skinny boy stood before Arin.
He was dirty.
Clothes torn.
Eyes sharp.
"My name is Kael," he said. "I want to serve."
Arin activated Observation.
Strength: 12
Mana: 18
Speed: 22
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 35
Charisma: 16
Talent: Tactical Intuition (Rare)
Arin's eyes narrowed.
"Where are you from?"
"A border village. Destroyed by monsters."
Arin was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"You're in."
Kael bowed deeply.
From that day, Kael became Arin's personal aide-in-training.
Fast learner.
Good memory.
Sharp instincts.
Kelsin approved.
"He could replace me one day," he joked.
At the forge, Doran made another breakthrough.
Using refined Redstone fragments, he created mana-infused blades.
They vibrated slightly when mana was channeled.
Rynor tested one.
"Feels like it's part of my arm."
Production began immediately.
Blackridge weapons gained another reputation boost.
Traders competed for contracts.
Gold poured in.
But success brought envy.
One evening, Selene approached Arin privately.
"Several minor lords are forming an alliance," she said. "They're afraid of you."
"Afraid?" Arin repeated.
"Yes. You're growing too fast."
Arin exhaled slowly.
"So now even neutrals are uneasy."
She nodded. "Politics is fear."
That night, the system responded.
[SYSTEM PROMPT: Influence Threshold Reached]
[SYSTEM PROMPT: Regional Power Status – Rising Faction]
Arin stood on the balcony, looking at the lights of the town.
"Rising faction…" he murmured.
Not a prince.
Not yet a king.
But no longer insignificant.
Blackridge was becoming a force.
And soon, others would be forced to acknowledge it.