Eternal Empire - Kingdom Building

Standing before the massive flames, David felt a sense of quiet confidence. With the golden light still radiating from him, he couldn't help but wonder if he appeared tall and handsome in Laura's eyes.

Just as he contemplated conjuring some intricate patterns with the holy light behind him, Laura patted him on the shoulder. “Okay, stop posing. You’re already handsome!”

“...”

David shook his head in exasperation as Laura casually retrieved her remaining arrows. The ones embedded in the now-charred monster would remain lost to the flames.

“Didn’t you learn the Holy Light from Tirion? How can you conjure flames?” Laura inquired, curious about the source of David's newfound power.

“This is holy fire,” he replied.

“Oh?”

“Holy fire is a skill priests can master after cultivating the Holy Light to a certain level,” David explained. It wasn’t a new ability; it was just a progression of what he’d learned.

Laura realized she hadn’t fully grasped the nuances of his training. “So, you have to be close to use it?”

David hesitated for a moment before deflecting, “Don’t you think it looks cool?”

“...”

Laura paused, taken aback by the unexpected question. When no answer came, they both tacitly dropped the topic, returning their focus to the smoldering remains of the creature.

“Have you seen anything like this before?” Laura asked, noting the size and ferocity of the monster. Its unprovoked attack had made her acutely aware of its danger.

“No.” David shook his head. “It’s the first time I’ve encountered this kind of monster since I got here. Honestly, I’m glad it hasn’t emerged from the forest to attack the village in the past two years.”

He thought back to when he first arrived, a rookie hunter without the skills to face such a beast. If monsters like this had been roaming the area, he would’ve fled back to Iron Tree Fort at the first sign of danger.

The realization hit him—if he had run away, he might never have discovered his potential. Instead of becoming a seasoned adventurer, he could have been tinkering away in a bustling city, seeking easier paths to wealth.

He breathed a sigh of relief. If not for his luck, he would have missed out on all of this.

“It’s dangerous!”

Laura was startled at the realization that David had been living near such a monster for over two years without knowing it. “Yeah, I wonder how many more of these creatures are lurking in the forest. Too many?”

David nodded, concern creasing his brow. “Should we continue to look around? If there’s just one, that’s manageable. But if they’re living in groups, we’re in real trouble.”

“Of course we should,” Laura replied, her resolve firm. She was not one to shy away from danger. They had come to the forest to investigate, not to retreat at the first sign of peril. If that were the case, she might as well go back to her world where the Crawford family manor wouldn’t be threatened by such beasts. “But we need to use more powerful weapons next time.”

Laura slung her bow and arrows behind her, replacing them with a shotgun.

David held his furious hunter pistol, which was well-suited for large creatures. As he adjusted his grip, Laura studied their surroundings and suggested, “If your world is full of monsters like this, you should have more firepower.”

“If I could, I’d want to bring heavy artillery,” David said with a chuckle. The more firepower, the better. He imagined setting up several arsenals in Winter Village, each with a banner reading: The more, the better!

“Ha! Sounds like you’re nearly done with the book I brought.”

“Of course! I’m very hardworking,” David replied, a playful grin on his face. Every night, he read the books Laura had given him—not just to improve himself but also to fill the quiet hours before sleep.

“What do you want to read next?” Laura asked. Initially, she had picked some historical books, but David had expressed interest in “the evolution of weapons” and “the history of a certain war.” So she sought out relevant materials for him.

“Next time you come, could you bring some history books from Eastern countries?”

“Eastern countries? Got it,” Laura said, jotting it down.

“If possible, I’d love some introductory language textbooks from there too.”

“Are you planning to read the original texts?” Laura caught on quickly, understanding David's intention.

“Yes. It’ll help us understand the content more accurately.”

“That makes sense,” Laura replied, impressed. She herself was proficient in multiple languages for studying various relics and ancient civilizations. “But I might need some time to gather those.”

“It’s okay. I’m in no hurry.”

As they walked through the forest, the two continued their conversation, but their cautiousness slowed their pace. They left marks along the way to avoid getting lost. As the sky dimmed, they finally stopped.

Instead of returning, they stumbled upon a simple village.

The same types of monsters they had encountered before were present, but a few were even larger.

Looking at the crude houses and shelters made of wood and stone, David and Laura realized that these creatures possessed a degree of intelligence, though their lifestyles seemed primitive, suggesting a lower level of understanding.

“Look there.”

David was still counting the monsters when Laura poked him lightly a few times, urging him to pay attention to a particular spot.

Following the direction of her finger, David’s eyes widened. “It’s the altar…”

This altar was in much worse condition than the previous one they had encountered. Only a small piece of the stone platform remained, and if it weren’t for the stone tablet, it would have been hard to identify it as an altar at all.

“There are sacrifices on it,” Laura noted, her voice hushed.

“Yeah,” David replied, his gaze falling on the enormous corpse in front of the stele—a massive wolf with fur as white as snow.

In addition to this giant wolf, several wolf carcasses littered the area of the ‘village.’ It seemed these monsters had wiped out a whole pack of wolves, and the giant wolf was likely the leader.

“It looks like these monsters took care of a problem for us,” Laura said, glancing at David. They had come to find and eliminate the wolves, only to discover their work had already been done.

“I’d rather deal with the pack myself,” David grinned. Although the wolves were gone, this new threat was much more daunting. “These giants are way more troublesome.”

His thoughts turned dark as he recalled their aggressive first encounter with the monsters.

“What’s next?” Laura asked, breaking the silence.

“Let’s get out of here first.” David’s voice was steady, but urgency underlined his words. They were on the edge of the monsters’ territory; if spotted, they’d be overwhelmed in an instant. Even with the protection of the Holy Light, that would spell disaster.

He considered signaling Fording for help, but even with Fording's speed as a paladin, it would take time for him to arrive. He wasn't a mage capable of teleportation, and any number of things could go wrong during his rush.

For their safety, it was best to leave. Whether they ultimately sought to communicate with these monsters or resorted to conflict, it would need to happen under secure conditions. If confrontation was unavoidable, they’d need to regroup and prepare with Fording, bringing enough firepower to tackle the threat.

Laura seemed to sense David’s thoughts, nodding in agreement. Together, they retreated cautiously, ensuring they remained out of sight as they followed their original route back.

Once they returned to the mine cave, they let out a sigh of relief. They had navigated safely thus far, and the path ahead seemed clear.

But, as fate would have it, an unexpected event unfolded.

With a deafening roar, a monster larger than the one David had just defeated appeared before them, charging straight at them!

“┗|｀O′|┛~~”

The troll, bathed in a strange red light, charged relentlessly, seemingly unbothered by the blood oozing from its wounds. It aimed directly at Laura.

“Shield!” David shouted, releasing the shield of light. He noticed the troll rushing toward Laura and quickly fired at the monster's face, forcing it to slow down. The furious hunter in his hand spit out six bullets, just in time to block the troll’s path.

With the furious hunter stowed away, David summoned the raging holy fire once again. His newly developed super-killing skill against giant monsters roared to life for the second time. “Check this out!

Laura's eyes widened in disbelief. “(｀Д)!!”