A long bath helped, but afterwards, as I made my way down to dinner, every step was a painful one. My muscles were already stiffening. It would be even worse in the morning. Still, I was determined. And that encounter with the ambassador of Southway just made me even more so.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15YHUGNBJo
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A long, polished wooden table had been laid out with what looked like a banquet to me, despite my instructions. Silver candelabra held our source of light, light which glittered off a wide array of polished trays and bowls. There were grapes; cherries, apples and peaches stacked high; there were at least four kinds of fish, filleted and laid out with herbs and lemon on trays decorated with fishing net designs; bowls of peas, green beans, tomatoes and carrots were full to the brim, at least four different kinds of bread had been prepared, with slices and rolls displayed on yet more silver trays; while goblets of cut glass sparkled, ready to receive wine from a choice of six decanters.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUKimTeWUq
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The table was laid for four people but the placings were spaced so far apart that it was like a socially distanced event during the COVID pandemic back home. Much to the consternation of a servant who was standing by the wall and hurriedly came over to help, I started re-arranging the plates and cutlery, bringing all the places up to the top end.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKwFK4wcAb
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No sooner than I'd taken my own seat, than Lord Arval, my Paladin General came in with a brisk march. Even for dinner, it seemed, he wore his chainmail and carried his sword. With a gesture that was nearly a smile, he took the seat to my right after I pointed to it.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAf8AgMaC5
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzLIUwmahQ
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIb0cl7MBB
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR02aikp9v
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJemHzor3l
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'That you were offered wine and women for the rest of your life if you'd do the bidding of their king and you refused, telling him that it was him who would be grovelling in chains before you.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DNkO23xgJ
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'Did I though?' I laughed. 'The story has grown. Good. They have the spirit right at least. That guy was so smug, I wanted to punch him in the face.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDsQGjzvIO
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsTtramEAH
We were interrupted by the arrival of Chancellor Parrin and the sorceress Carlena. Although they were not arm in arm, there was something about them that suggested to me they might be a couple. They were the right ages – she with silver hair and he with the grey and sliver of his beard – and they moved towards me with an ease in each other's company.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPf8XBPTME
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'Another innovation I see,' said the Chancellor with a glance at the place settings and then at the servants. I got the message: careful, go easy on the changes.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwkA1oEODw
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I repeated my story of meeting the ambassador of Southway, to the approval of Parrin and Carlena but they were surprisingly taciturn. Only when we had eaten did Carlena lean towards me, so that I caught the full intensity of her stunning purple eyes, and whisper, 'send the servants away please, so we can talk properly.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YDuiT7agv
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I nodded. And after the next time my glass was refilled, I slapped the table with my heavy palm (it was effective for that at least). 'Out! Servants out and don't disturb us until you are called for.' I spoke with unnecessary volume as they jumped to respond.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D8tPBDDo7
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VjgaImuHv
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The two of them then began an interrogation that would have never have been allowed by the previous king. What was I researching? What was I building? How would we cope with the loss of our grain-generating lands? What other information was in the menus? On the whole they were cautiously positive about my decisions and plans. At least, they didn't propose I make any changes to it. I was warned that my popularity, already very low, would drop further if we did start trading iron to the necromancer king, but they could see the necessity of this.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe7cstTX2R
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By the end of their questions, I was totally clear about one thing. Carlena, Parrin and (to a lesser extent) Lord Arval saw me as their instrument. I was accountable to them and had to take their instruction. In business terms, this was a board meeting and I was the CEO, not a king with absolute power. This didn't upset me. I could totally see their point of view: the kingdom was on the ropes and everything they owned, including their lives, was in jeopardy. They couldn't afford any mistakes from me. Also, while I quite enjoyed the authority of being king and the way all the people were quick to obey me, I didn't like the barrier that the role created. At least here, with these three, I could be myself.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyP0KylpyW
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'I have a question about the menus,' I looked from one to the other. 'How is it there are so few people on them compared to the size of Carrick?'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuqELcbNhU
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhj8jFWwPu
It was Carlena who answered. 'I believe the numbers allowed on the menu are capped in some way by the overall happiness of the realm. Most of our citizens would join the menus if allowed, wanting Miya to triumph and not wishing to be conquered. You should try to facilitate them.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9jrzPDea0
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That made sense and exporing how to raise happiness was yet another goal for me to add to the 'to do' list.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUieo7Iurpc
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3ecXyKEAl
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'I don't know yet.' I patted the rolls of stomach fat that were resting on the table top. 'I've made a start on shedding these. But I haven't seen any change to my character sheet yet.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSsZDCTC4f
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorPsiP3XnO
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'I'm not even a Fighter yet,' I confessed. 'In fact I was thinking my character sheet meant I should be a Sorcerer or Cleric.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWk1Sda0hi
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKZK47SAmn
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'Oh no,' said Carlena. 'Not a Sorcerer. You won't have any spells. To obtain spells you have to build a scriptorium of the spell level and then research them, getting a random result It would take you forever. And it's not what we need on the battlefield.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX3OSLCQcy
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnGRz200eG
'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXD0txmWBr
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2UZjKJZea
I caught the Scout's eyes and said, 'I'll start levelling up soon. But with my current stats, I'd be a hopeless warrior of any sort. I have to find out can I improve my Strength before starting my personal progression as a fighter. Really, I should be a caster: a mage or cleric. And I also need to know how to level. Do I fight monsters? Complete quests?'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoWM4VrHEU
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuocSL9Yc9
'I suppose you are right to wait,' Lord Arval spoke after a short interval. 'But every day that you are not progressing is a day more for them to get ahead. You could easily reach level two or even three by performing task quests in the town itself.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTODAFWEuZ3
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'And we can bring you to areas nearby where there are monsters you can fight and kill for experience,' offered Lord Parrin.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzKFlZclgD
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAn0ge406X
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I took a deep breath. 'I will progress soon then. For now though, my body is a mass of aches and pain. I can barely lift this fork with my left hand, my shoulder is so sore. There's nothing more I could have done today to advance this body towards where it should be.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve1mzzydpV
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkjXnQCbg5
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM63hnTGNt
'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoDeuWEyZA
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'Indeed. And in that light, provoking the king of Southway might not have been wise.' Carlena spoke tentatively, as if exploring the idea.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5GmrFbTws
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'Sean was right to refute him so publicly and so firmly,' Arval came in, 'the message to the soldiers and people was clear. We will endure.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlyhWFjzPx
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Chancellor Parrin nodded. 'I think so too. But still, there is a real danger of the two armies continuing their advance together and overcoming our defences.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowqe6tcRCt
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'Speaking of which, I'd like to see them. We have a fort at the head of the valley that leads here, right? I might be able to upgrade it.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqDRreRCHj
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'You can't get there, it is thirty miles away and no horse can carry you.' It was Arval who made this depressing, if practical, point.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwB54b8r4a8
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'I can show you on the map at least,' offering Parrin, 'and you should be able to find a menu for it. It's called Three-Ways Fort.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdMVvd4eRN
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'I'll check later. And if it's all right with you, I'll move any remaining troops from here down to it, including the new archers.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4OW5QTNKW
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymJNCVeeVp
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I had been thinking about Carlena's point about unnecessarily provoking King Wace. 'Could we maybe divide them? By talking with Queen Rorg… whatever … the Trolland queen. By suggesting that we might be willing to be a protectorate under her?'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvxVFDouZh
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vPKNAXLwy
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'When he gets back,' I said.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KB3Lgh3Vp
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0wrRgfkJq
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'In the meantime, I think you need to go down to the lowlands and monitor the enemy's movements, to give us notice if they are advancing.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAJAvKcRsK
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprFkjoPPFX
'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsbESlB6vT
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwHcefAdLk
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcStioU78uL
'It's been a while since I dusted off my scout skills, but you know what, I'll do it!' Parrin rubbed his beard around his mouth, where a smile was forming. 'I'll set out in the morning.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76Vg9qps7v
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'Just don't take any risks.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn1bVKzqDa
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When our strategizing was at an end, Lord Arval called the servants back in and we resumed a more formal tone, until I was ready for my bed. Well, not quite ready.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoivfi3KGnv
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lywF9awPc
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl03zgzK3Lk
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypQHYrqY0p
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It was an effort, I was almost tempted to ask for help and a push, but my groaning legs carried me up two flights of stairs until I collapsed on the bed. Not long after I did so, a heavy knock came on the door and after I called for the person to come in. It was the masseur I was expecting. Well, not quite. A tall, muscular man in a soldier's tunic came in.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hy72JMIse
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwwhAcp0z6
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'Please.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZurQLJdtxu
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceu6WGDUhr
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqJY3h1zAS
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He nodded. 'Too right. You know they make the dummy out of lead, deliberate like? So when you pick up your first real blade, it feels light.'522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPOdhCf1Cq
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I didn't reply and soon I felt his hands on the backs of my thighs, through my clothes. I wasn't going to remove them, even if that limited his access.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ101b4FWG4L
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Before long, I was getting some serious work done, loosening my cramped and tight muscles and while it was borderline painful, it was effective. What with the wine and the exercise, I'd sleep well. There was one thought still nagging me though, arising from the questions that the sorceress and the chancellor had raised with me. Oh yes. The hunting lodge, level 2 had been due for completion earlier this evening.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJK9MTYb4d
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MsWSrgbdx
I paused the massage long enough to call down the town menu, then got back into position while I studied it.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡronz43Tnjv
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Greyland522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QMM40ZV2F
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Economy522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Sqya0rJWA
Currently building:522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTgRvLUrQF
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Monthly trade income: 0522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9ZIucW8Zp
Monthly tax income: 54 gold522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh9GEH8xva
Treasury: 2 gold522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQL2vQfWCu
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FVvUXZfcT
Daily food consumption: 13 units522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGssavV3sy1
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbPuzk5fek
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljKfJf4ZvU
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt4QhwksON
Meat yield: 5 units daily522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMuaCzj89V
Timber yield: 17 planks daily522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCneJwKP4rb
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbqMsfF8sO
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiS8qZoJkc
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEBJggos1f
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmQlGRtLA1
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Research: Shipbuilding One522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWu1mzXXOK
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Resources:522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU9yXqekTN
Wheat: 14 food units522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VNWVfjECt
Vegetables: 25 food units522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoMLICilWm
Meat: 8 food units522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pgVt91CFc
Wool: 7 bales522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZI9GpRXZF
Timber: 150 planks522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3lBqkzAOm
Iron: 0 ingots522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywGA8FBV9L
Stone: 39 blocks522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFBDN9HVUC
Cloth: 4 bolts
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The meat yield had gone up by one. I had hoped for two but I couldn't argue with a 25% increase. That still left us losing about 6 food units a day, with reserves of 47. I winced, and not from the pain of the knuckles digging into my shoulder. I had to set a new town building project and the attractive options were hunting lodge level 3 or mine level 3. Both would take two days to upgrade.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejkHcdvM0J
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesswZPXYpE
In trying to figure out which of the two would work best for solving the food crisis, I realised that something was wrong. The smithy should have made me eighty-four steel pickaxes. If they significantly improved iron output, I would build the next level of hunting lodge. Yet the smithy was on hold.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNczODDyEZP
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Qhq7At7F
The problem was iron. I had made a mistake. I blushed at the thought of talking about this with the others. If I had waited to create the new archers, I would have had plenty of iron for the pickaxes. Scrolling deeper into the menus, I could see that the Smithy had built a stock of 12 pickaxes before I had assigned the remaining iron to training the archers. Then it had come to a halt.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJh5kjuH5Y
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Oh well, I allocated the twelve new pickaxes to the miners and given that at least two iron would come in tomorrow, the Smithy would be able to make 24 steel pickaxes, which would surely improve the daily output of iron? Three days would see me with a mining workforce fully equipped with the new pickaxes. Three days though. When I should have been using those days in building up a surplus ready to trade for food if Figus came back from the Necromancer with a decent deal.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuie1Vi6Yb
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCib3svGTh4
This was discouraging, but more positive was the discovery that the hunting lodge level 2 had the capacity for four more workers. That was a must. I assigned the new hunters from the reserves of workers (now only 8 strong) and went for the hunting lodge level 3 as the next build. While iron was vital, food was even more so and there was no guaranteeing that my ambassador would even return, let alone with a trade agreement.
