The village was no longer just a village.
With the battle won and Ironfang defeated, the air of fear had been replaced by determination. The people moved with purpose, no longer mere survivors but the foundation of something greater.
Leon stood at the center of it all, overseeing the transformation.
---
Strengthening the Defenses
Darius walked up, arms crossed. "The men are waiting for your orders. What's our next move?"
Leon gestured to the wooden barricades. "We need stone walls. The enemy broke through too easily. I won't let that happen again."
"Stone, huh? That'll take time."
"Then we work fast. Gather every able-bodied worker. Start quarrying the nearby hills for stone. We'll reinforce the walls section by section."
Darius nodded and strode off, barking orders.
Leon then turned to the system, which had already registered his decision.
---
[Village Stronghold Upgrade in Progress]
- Wooden barricades being reinforced with stone.
- Watchtowers under construction.
- Basic training ground established.
Estimated Time: 7 Days (Acceleratable with More Resources or Manpower)
---
Leon frowned. Seven days was too long. He needed to accelerate it.
"System, is there a way to speed this up?"
---
[New Option Unlocked: Forced Labor]
- Requires Prisoners or Captured Forces
- Increases construction speed by 50% but lowers morale
[Alternative: Hire More Workers]
- Requires 50 Gold per day
- Increases speed by 30% without morale loss
---
Leon smirked.
"Use the Ironfang prisoners for labor. Put them to work on the walls."
Elara, who had been listening, stiffened. "Is that really necessary?"
"They attacked us. Now they'll repay their debt with labor. It's either that, or they die. Which do you prefer?"
She sighed. "I just don't want us to become like them."
"We won't," Leon assured her. "But mercy won't build us an empire."
---
Expanding the Army
With the defenses underway, the next step was the army.
Leon had men willing to fight, but they were undisciplined.
"Darius, how many of our fighters have actual training?"
The veteran soldier scratched his beard. "Maybe twenty. The rest are just farmers with weapons."
"Not good enough."
Leon opened his system and selected the newly unlocked [Elite Soldier Recruitment] option.
---
[Recruitment Menu]
- Basic Soldier Training (Free, Takes 3 Days)
- Elite Guard Training (Requires 100 Gold, Takes 7 Days, Produces Stronger Units)
- Mounted Cavalry (Requires Horses and Special Training)
---
Leon had little gold but plenty of manpower.
"We'll start with Basic Training. Every able fighter will undergo it."
"Got it. I'll whip them into shape."
---
Scouting the Region
Leon had secured the village, but he needed to know what lay beyond.
He summoned his best scouts and gave clear orders.
"Find out who rules the lands around us. Are there neighboring villages, cities, or kingdoms? I want to know everything—rulers, armies, and potential allies or enemies."
The scouts bowed and left swiftly.
A notification appeared.
---
[Quest: Gather Intelligence]
- Scout the region for resources, enemies, and opportunities.
- Identify potential allies or rival warlords.
Estimated Completion: 3 Days
---
Leon exhaled.
Everything was in motion.
The walls were being reinforced. His army was training. Scouts would soon bring news of the outside world.
His empire had taken its first step.
But he knew one truth:
Power invited challengers.
And soon, someone would come to test him again.
And this time, he would be ready.
---
The Gathering Storm
Three days had passed since the battle with Ironfang.
The village was changing.
The wooden barricades were halfway replaced with stone, prisoners toiled under the watchful eyes of armed guards, and the once-untrained villagers were beginning to resemble a true fighting force.
Leon stood atop the newly built watchtower, scanning the horizon. He was waiting.
For news. For opportunity. For the next threat.
And he didn't have to wait long.
---
The Scouts Return
A distant figure emerged from the trees, moving swiftly toward the village.
It was one of his scouts, a wiry man named Orrin. His clothes were dusty, and his face was tight with urgency.
Leon descended from the watchtower as Orrin reached the gates, panting heavily.
"Report."
Orrin took a deep breath before speaking.
"Two things, Lord Leon. First, we found an abandoned fort not far from here—still intact, easily defensible. It could serve as an outpost or future base."
Leon's eyes gleamed. That was a valuable find.
"And the second?"
Orrin hesitated.
"A noble army is marching this way. They'll be here in a day or two."
Silence.
Elara, who had been nearby, stiffened. "An army?"
"Whose?" Leon asked, his voice calm but sharp.
"Lord Reinhardt of the Western Dominion. He rules the nearest city, Blackstone. He's bringing a force of about two hundred men."
Leon folded his arms. "Purpose?"
Orrin shook his head. "We don't know, but it could be anything. A show of force. A demand for submission. Or… outright war."
Darius grunted. "Nobles don't march for no reason. Either he sees you as a threat, or he wants to claim this village for himself."
Leon's mind worked rapidly.
Reinhardt controlled a city—meaning he had wealth, troops, and influence. If he saw Leon's growing power as a challenge, he might try to crush him before he became a real threat.
"Two hundred men…" Leon murmured. "That's more than we can handle in open battle."
"So what do we do?" Elara asked.
Leon's lips curled.
"We prepare."
---
The War Council
That evening, Leon gathered his top people in the village's central hall.
A crude map was spread before them, showing the village, the surrounding terrain, and the route the noble's army would take.
"We have three options," Leon began.
1. Submit – Swear loyalty to Reinhardt and become part of his domain.
2. Flee – Abandon the village and relocate to the abandoned fort.
3. Fight – Stand their ground and resist.
Darius immediately slammed a fist onto the table. "I won't kneel to some noble who only cares about taxes and land. We fight."
Elara looked torn. "But can we? We have, what, fifty trained fighters? Maybe seventy if we count the half-trained ones. They have two hundred."
Leon tapped the map. "We don't fight them in the open. We fight smart."
Darius's expression shifted. "You have a plan?"
Leon smirked.
"We turn this village into a trap."
---
The Plan: Guerrilla Warfare
Leon outlined his strategy.
1. Terrain Advantage – The village was surrounded by forests. They would create traps—spiked pits, falling logs, and barricades to break enemy formations.
2. Harassment Tactics – Before the army even reached the village, small teams would ambush them, setting fires, killing scouts, and spreading fear.
3. Defensive Line – When they finally attacked, they'd be met with archers from the watchtowers, barricades forcing them into choke points, and hit-and-run strikes.
"We won't fight them head-on," Leon said. "We'll bleed them before they even reach us. And when they do, we'll make them regret coming here."
Darius grinned. "Now that's a plan."
Elara still looked nervous but nodded. "If we can weaken them enough before they attack, we might stand a chance."
Leon's eyes gleamed. "We're not just going to survive this. We're going to win."
And when they did, the world would know:
Leon was not someone to be trifled with.
The path to conquest had begun.