Eternal Empire - Kingdom Building

David blinked at her question. English? He hadn’t spoken it fluently in years. Yet, as if some switch had flipped, the words came effortlessly, naturally, like his native tongue—French.

“It seems I can…” His voice trailed off, puzzled. How is this possible? English hadn’t felt this comfortable since… well, never. He had always struggled with it back on Earth. Now? It flowed as smoothly as water, as if the knowledge had just appeared.

This isn’t me, David thought, his brow furrowing. This is something new, something… given.

His mind flicked back to those absurd stories of 'golden fingers'—miraculous gifts that granted impossible abilities to people after they crossed into other worlds. He had scoffed at the idea once, but now, standing face to face with a video game character brought to life, he realized that the absurd had become his reality. So, it’s finally happened, huh?

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Took your time, didn’t you?” he muttered, mostly to himself. After all these years, his golden finger had finally arrived. Better late than never, he supposed. But why now? And why in front of her?

"Better late than never," he thought, recalling the French proverb "Mieux vaut tard que jamais."

But why now? Had something significant changed recently?

Perhaps it was because he had just turned eighteen. Joining the pioneering team at sixteen, he'd spent two years in this remote land. Now, at eighteen, things were shifting.

Aside from age, his status had changed—from an ordinary settler to a village chief.

Considering Laura's sudden appearance and his newfound proficiency in British English, he leaned toward the latter explanation.

"A fellow traveler," he mused. It wasn't unheard of.

In his previous life back in France, he'd daydreamed about opening shops or inns that attracted all sorts of world-hoppers. Becoming a village chief might just be the start of such encounters.

"Time will tell if my hunch is right. If more familiar faces start appearing..."

"In that case, I need to keep this village running!"

As his thoughts raced, he stole another glance at Laura, standing there with a mixture of confusion and suspicion etched on her face. The bruises, the dirt, the blood seeping through her fingers—it was all so real. Far more real than any game he’d ever played. He suddenly had the feeling this wasn’t just a character from a game. Something bigger is happening.

But why me?

"Although it sounds unbelievable, what I said is true." David tried to sound convincing, though he knew how absurd it must seem to her.

Laura’s expression didn’t change much. Her eyes, sharp and wary, assessed him from head to toe. It was clear she didn’t buy his explanation just yet, but something about David’s calm demeanor seemed to soften her stance.

"Alright…" She said after a pause, her British accent cutting through the air. "So, where am I? And who exactly are you?"

David exhaled, relieved that she was willing to talk, at least. "You’re in the pioneer camp, northwest of the Northern Plain in the Iron Tree Forest. I’m David, the village chief here."

Laura’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Laura Crawford. I’m an archaeologist. I ended up here after a shipwreck… I got separated from my team." Her voice was steady, but the uncertainty flickered in her eyes. "Iron Tree Forest? Where’s that?"

David nodded, pointing vaguely in the direction of the nearest town. "It’s north of Iron Tree Fort, one of the major towns in the Kingdom of Tilan."

"The Kingdom of… what?" Laura repeated, blinking in disbelief.

Right. Different world, David thought. He tried his best to explain, laying out the geography and history of the region. "The Kingdom of Tilan. It’s a human kingdom, far north on the mainland. The land we’re standing on now? We only started reclaiming it two years ago. I'm part of one of three pioneer camps established to cultivate this land. If all goes well, we'll develop a new village and integrate this territory into Tilan."

Laura listened, but the skepticism never left her face. As David continued, the absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on him. Here he was, trying to explain the workings of a fantasy world to a woman who, up until a few moments ago, had been nothing more than pixels on a screen.

While speaking with David, she'd scrutinized her surroundings.

This was clearly a plain. How had she gone from mountainous terrain to flatlands in the blink of an eye? And the drastic climate change baffled her.

Still, he pressed on. I guess I’m not the only one out of place here, he mused. "I suppose it sounds a bit strange," he said, offering a weak smile. "But that’s where you are."

Laura crossed her arms, clearly not fully convinced but no longer as guarded. "Right. So, how do I get back to my team?"

"That’s the tricky part," David admitted, glancing toward the distant horizon. "I don’t know how you got here, and I’m not sure how to send you back. But I’ll help you figure it out." He hesitated before adding, "We’re in this together, it seems."

As David narrated, Laura's expression grew more bewildered by the second. The questions swirling in her mind seemed to pile up, one after another, until it felt like they would burst out of her. Still, she didn’t interrupt. She listened carefully, nodding occasionally, her lips pressed tight, until David wrapped up his explanation.

"You're telling me a story, right?" Laura asked, her voice tinged with disbelief, as though she were waiting for him to admit it was all a joke.

"No," David replied, spreading his hands and putting on a serious face. "It’s the truth."

"How can this be?" she muttered, more to herself than to him.

If what David said was true, then she hadn’t just survived a shipwreck—she had somehow crossed into another world. His explanation was sparse, sure, but there was enough detail for her to piece together what this place was like. The sheer distance David had mentioned about the Blazers team leaving Iron Tree Fort was staggering. There was no way this was some small, isolated island.

Laura opened her mouth to speak, but the words refused to come. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the growling of her stomach, which snapped her back to reality. She sighed, rubbing her temples. "This is... really hard to believe."

They continued talking. Laura peppered him with questions about the customs, the people, and the land. She learned about strange races, mythical powers, things she had only ever encountered in fantasy novels. Slowly, the truth settled in: she wasn’t dreaming. This was real. She was in another world.

A new thought crossed her mind, and she blurted out, "Don’t my questions make you wonder?"

David shook his head, his calm demeanor intact. "No. The way you appeared... it told me you weren’t from here. I figured your origin would be special."

He explained how strange her appearance had been, and suddenly, everything clicked for her. Of course, he didn’t think she was ordinary. From the moment she’d stumbled into his life, he had sensed there was something different about her.

"So that’s why..." she muttered, massaging her temples as the weight of this revelation sank in.

A dull ache began to throb in her head. *Can I even go back?* she wondered. The idea of being stuck in a foreign, magical world might thrill some, but all Laura could think about was her partner. They had been through a shipwreck together. Were they okay? Had they survived? She had no idea.

David, noticing her distress, had been busy in the background. Laura didn’t even register what he was doing until the rich aroma of broth wafted under her nose. Her eyes snapped to the steaming bowl in his hand, and her worries faded, replaced by gratitude.

"Thank you!" She accepted the bowl, her voice soft but earnest. "Really, thanks. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know where I’d be."

David gave her a warm smile. "You’re welcome."

He seemed cheerful now, a brightness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Laura sensed it wasn’t just the satisfaction of helping someone in need. There was something deeper—like her presence had triggered something for him, something important.

She quickly downed the broth, savoring the warmth that spread through her body. Then, she noticed David just standing there, watching her. A tinge of embarrassment crept in. "Aren’t you going to eat?" she asked, setting her empty bowl aside.

Then it hit her. He’d mentioned being alone out here. "Wait... is there not enough food?" She felt a pang of guilt. Had she eaten the last of his rations?

David shook his head. "No, no. I already ate before you got here," he reassured her. "I was lucky today. Managed to hunt a deer."

Laura exhaled in relief. "Oh, good. For a moment there, I thought I’d eaten all your supplies."

Her stomach full and her worries about food momentarily eased, she leaned forward. "So... what’s the area around here like?" she asked, her voice calm but curious, ready to hear more about this strange, new world she’d fallen into.

David could sense her curiosity—the hunger for answers gnawing at her expression. She wanted to confirm if there was anything extraordinary near this village, some hidden force that could explain why she had arrived here so suddenly. **Maybe that force could lead her back**, she thought. Her eyes scanned the horizon as if the answer lay just beyond the distant trees.

David knew what she was after, her thoughts almost transparent. But he didn’t tell her the truth. **The mysterious power she’s looking for? It’s probably me**, he mused silently, his lips forming a faint, restrained smile. Instead, he pointed toward the landscape, laying out the facts with a bluntness that didn’t invite further probing.

“To the west is the river. Vast. Its source is somewhere up north, near those distant peaks,” he said, nodding toward the barely visible outline of mountains on the horizon. “The river curves west after passing the village, and another, narrower stream runs from the south. Both merge here. That's why this spot was chosen as the camp. Plenty of fresh water, fish, shrimp. Ideal for a settlement.”

Laura listened, absorbing the practicality of his explanation, but her mind refused to let go of the deeper mystery. “And the forest?” she asked, her voice edged with anticipation.

He continued. “The northern forest supplies high-quality wood. Flat terrain. East and south are plains—perfect for farming if we ever get that far.”

She heard the words, but there was nothing magical in them. No strange phenomena, no hidden forces. Just the cold reality of survival. **Could this really be it?**

“Anything... special? In the last two years?” she ventured, still hoping for a spark.

David looked at her, his tone dry. “The most special thing is your presence.”

Laura sighed, realizing this wasn’t leading anywhere. She’d have to search elsewhere for answers. **This can’t be it**, her mind whispered.

“Get some rest,” David broke the silence, his voice softening. “If you’re planning on figuring anything out, it’ll have to wait until morning.” The sky was already fading into a dark yellow hue, evening fast approaching. David needed to make preparations for the cold night ahead.

They worked side by side, gathering firewood as the cabin loomed in the background. The wooden structures were basic, hastily built, barely a place to survive the bitter cold. The fire pit in the middle of the room would be their lifeline tonight. David had lived through many winters here, each one harsher than the last. Laura helped, her movements efficient, but her mind elsewhere.

And then, as they were stacking firewood, **both of them stopped**.

In the fading light, a shadow appeared—a faint outline, barely visible, hovering in the open space just outside the village. The air around them seemed to still, the soft crackle of the evening dying away into silence.

David narrowed his eyes. **This feeling**... it wasn’t the first time.

Laura stiffened, her heart skipping a beat. “Is that... another one?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

David’s jaw tightened. **So it begins**.