The journey back took longer than Derrick expected.
Not because the distance was far.
But because moving fifty-two villagers through a forest was painfully slow.
Some villagers were injured.
Some were carrying children.
Others dragged carts filled with whatever belongings they had managed to save before their village burned.
Broken tools.
Clothes.
A few sacks of grain.
Derrick walked at the front of the group while the five giants surrounded them like moving towers.
Honestly, it was the safest Derrick had ever felt in his life.
Walking around with five eight-meter giants was basically like having portable tanks.
Still…
Walking was exhausting.
Derrick stretched his arms as they moved through the forest path.
"Man…"
He muttered to himself.
"I should've invested in transportation tech first."
Behind him the villagers were whispering nervously.
Their voices carried easily in the quiet forest.
"Are we really following him?"
"He commands giants…"
"He saved us from the monsters…"
"But he looks so young…"
Derrick pretended not to hear.
He had already realized something important.
These people were scared.
Not just of monsters.
But of him.
Which honestly made sense.
If Derrick saw someone casually commanding giants, he'd probably be terrified too.
The village elder slowly walked closer to Derrick.
He cleared his throat respectfully.
"My Lord."
Derrick looked over.
"Hmm?"
The elder bowed slightly while walking.
"We are grateful for your help."
Derrick waved his hand.
"Relax. If anything I'm the one who benefits."
The elder blinked.
"…Benefits?"
Derrick nodded.
"Yeah. Population means workers."
He pointed behind them.
"And workers mean buildings."
Then he pointed at the giants.
"And buildings mean stronger territory."
The elder looked confused.
Derrick sighed.
Right.
These people didn't understand game logic.
He scratched his head.
"Think of it like this."
"You help me build a settlement."
"I protect everyone from monsters."
The elder slowly nodded.
"…That is fair."
A loud snap echoed from the forest.
Several villagers jumped in fear.
The giants immediately turned their heads toward the sound.
Derrick noticed how quickly they reacted.
Interesting.
Their combat instincts were extremely sharp.
Good.
That meant his army wasn't just big.
They were competent.
The sound turned out to be nothing more than a deer running through the trees.
Still, the moment made Derrick realize something.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
If monsters attack in groups…
Five giants might not be enough.
He needed more troops.
Which meant more mana stones.
Which meant more hunting.
He sighed.
"Man, being a Lord is already starting to feel like a full-time job."
About fifteen minutes later his legs started to hurt.
Derrick stretched again.
"…Okay."
He muttered quietly.
"This walking thing is getting old."
Just then the giant walking beside him suddenly stopped.
The massive figure slowly knelt down.
Derrick blinked.
"…Uh?"
The giant lowered his head respectfully.
"My Lord."
Then he pointed toward his own shoulder.
Derrick followed the gesture.
Eight meters tall.
A shoulder wide enough to comfortably sit on.
It took him about two seconds to understand.
"…Oh."
His face slowly broke into a grin.
"You mean I can ride?"
The giant nodded.
Derrick clapped once.
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
The giant carefully lifted Derrick like he weighed nothing.
A moment later Derrick was sitting on the giant's shoulder.
The change in perspective was immediate.
The forest suddenly looked completely different.
From this height he could see above most of the trees.
Rolling hills stretched across the horizon.
The mountain range in the distance looked even larger now.
Derrick grabbed onto a thick leather strap attached to the giant's armor.
He leaned back comfortably.
Five seconds passed.
Then he sighed happily.
"Okay."
"This is definitely the most illegal Uber ride I've ever taken."
The giant paused slightly.
"…Uber?"
Derrick waved his hand.
"Don't worry about it."
Behind them the villagers had completely stopped walking.
They stared upward in shock.
One small boy pointed excitedly.
"Mom!"
"The Lord is riding the giant!"
The woman quickly covered the child's mouth.
"Don't shout!"
But the whispers had already started.
"The Lord rides giants…"
"He must be chosen by the gods…"
"Maybe he's a divine warrior…"
Derrick heard everything.
He rubbed his face awkwardly.
"…Okay that escalated fast."
Still…
He didn't correct them.
Authority was useful.
Especially when you were trying to lead fifty-two strangers into the wilderness.
The group continued traveling.
With Derrick sitting comfortably on the giant's shoulder like some kind of fantasy king.
From his new vantage point Derrick began analyzing the terrain.
Good visibility.
Plenty of trees for wood.
Nearby mountain range for stone.
His strategist brain immediately kicked in.
If he built a settlement near the forest edge, they would have easy access to resources.
But they also needed defenses.
He looked down at the villagers.
Right now they were completely helpless.
No weapons.
No armor.
Just farmers and craftsmen.
Which meant the responsibility fell entirely on him.
"Great."
He muttered.
"I went from college student to kingdom manager in one day."
After another twenty minutes of walking—
The forest finally opened.
The group stepped into a wide grassland.
And there it was.
Derrick's territory.
The glowing Territory Core floated in the center of the field.
Beside it stood the Giant Altar.
Ancient runes glowed faintly across the stone structure.
The villagers froze.
They stared at the altar with wide eyes.
The village elder slowly stepped forward.
"My Lord…"
"What is that structure?"
Derrick jumped down from the giant's shoulder.
"That?"
He pointed at the altar.
"That's how I summon giants."
The villagers inhaled sharply.
"You mean… more giants?"
Derrick grinned.
"Yep."
He walked toward the Territory Core.
The crystal pulsed with gentle light.
A system panel appeared immediately.
[Population Update Detected]
Population: 53
Another notification appeared.
[Construction System Unlocked]
New Buildings Available:
Basic House
Wooden Fence
Storage Hut
Derrick's eyes lit up.
"Oh."
"Now we're getting somewhere."
He turned around and looked at the villagers.
Most of them looked exhausted.
A few children were barely able to stand.
The journey had clearly taken a toll on them.
Derrick crossed his arms.
Then he pointed toward the open land around the Territory Core.
"Alright everyone."
His voice carried across the field.
"This place isn't much yet."
He paused for a moment.
"But it will be."
He gestured toward the land.
"This is where we build our new home."
The villagers looked around uncertainly.
Then the village elder slowly knelt.
"My Lord…"
"We place our lives in your hands."
One by one the villagers followed.
Men.
Women.
Even the children bowed their heads.
Derrick scratched his head awkwardly.
"…You guys really like kneeling."
Still.
He couldn't deny the feeling rising in his chest.
Responsibility.
For the first time since arriving in this world…
Derrick truly felt like a Lord.
He looked toward the mountains in the distance.
A faint glimmer of ancient stone structures was barely visible along the cliffs.
Derrick narrowed his eyes.
"…What's that?"
But before he could investigate—
Another system notification appeared.
[Territory Objective Updated]
Build Your First Settlement
Derrick looked at the villagers.
Then at the giants.
Then at the open land surrounding the Territory Core.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Alright."
He rolled up his sleeves.
"Let's build a civilization."