Eternal Empire - Kingdom Building

Captain Gregory examined David's development order, uncertain of its authenticity. But that wasn’t his primary concern.

Their team had been reassigned to the northern guard post, where humans weren’t truly on guard, which explained why David and Laura were allowed inside without interrogation.

“I didn’t expect a team managed to build a village in the north. I heard from those who quit just how harsh the environment is on this plain.” Gregory shook his head. “Doesn’t that mean the land here can’t grow food?”

“We were lucky,” David replied, pulling a few potatoes from his backpack—not as provisions, but as a kind of proof. “We discovered a wild crop that’s actually quite tasty. Want to try?”

“Newly discovered crop?” Gregory inspected the potato, sniffing it a few times. It seemed promising.

However, his caution held him back. He returned the potatoes to David with a practical excuse. “These are for showing to some officials, right? No need to waste them here.”

“Sure thing. This crop is easy to grow. If you’re stationed here for a while, you’ll definitely get a chance to taste it.” David tucked the potatoes back away. Gregory’s vigilance was understandable; one had to be cautious to be stationed at a border post.

Curious, David asked why the abandoned sentry post had been reopened.

“The reopening is related to the pioneering team,” Gregory explained briefly, leading David and Laura to piece together the situation. The primary reasons for reactivating the Northern Watch became clear.

Some of it matched David’s earlier speculation: the pioneering team heading northeast had failed to establish a village and had even given up sooner than those in the west.

The cause of their failure stemmed not just from the harsh living conditions but also from attacks.

“According to the survivors, they were attacked by a strange race—taller and stronger than humans. Brown and khaki skin, huge fangs…”

As Gregory described the attackers, David’s mind formed a clearer image. The more he heard, the more he recognized that he was likely hearing about orcs.

Orcs existed in this world?

He hadn’t encountered them before, but that didn’t mean much; David was just a young hunter, after all. His lack of experience made it understandable. From Gregory's reaction, it seemed even the captain wasn’t familiar with these creatures.

David chose not to interrupt, listening attentively. After all, he could be mistaken; perhaps it was a creature similar to the trolls he had encountered before.

The pioneering camp in the northeast had been destroyed in the attack, with survivors fleeing back to Iron Tree Fort to report what happened.

Upon learning of this unknown force in the northern plain, Iron Tree Fort sent soldiers to investigate. They eventually discovered that a race they didn’t understand had settled in the area where the pioneers had attempted to establish themselves.

At first, Iron Tree Fort didn’t think much of it. After all, it was common for pioneering teams to fail. Countless groups had fallen to various forces and ferocious monsters throughout history, so the destruction of this team didn’t warrant excessive concern.

However, when another team also failed—this time due in part to the harsh environment and the elves' attack—Iron Tree Fort decided to take the matter more seriously. Gregory was tasked with sending a small team to station at the northern guard post.

It sounded strange, considering the Iron Tree Forest bordered Iron Tree Fort, while the Northern Sentinel lay northeast of the forest.

Even with concerns about elf attacks, it seemed unnecessary to restore the northern guard.

As David contemplated this, he realized that the purpose of reopening the northern sentry wasn’t merely to keep an eye on the elves; it was about monitoring the entire northern plain. The elves and humans of Iron Tree Fort had been neighbors for ages, with tensions between them never truly settling. Iron Tree Fort had always maintained a wary stance towards the elves.

If a third-party force suddenly emerged from the north during a conflict with the elves, Iron Tree Fort could easily find itself vulnerable. Hence, a small team had been dispatched to the area—not just to warn of potential attacks but to give Iron Tree Fort time to mobilize their troops.

Understanding the reasoning behind the northern guard post’s resumption led David’s thoughts to the mysterious force in the northeast.

“Does this mean I started too easily? Did they arrange an opponent for me?”

If this were a game of farming and conquest, this unexpected enemy was like a main competitor in the early stages. The monsters at the door? Those were merely beginner-level obstacles.

“I thought I could take my time, develop slowly. Now it looks like I should speed things up.”

David had initially envisioned it would take years to grow his village to the size of a town. Turning Winter Village into Winter City? That would take many more years.

The critical issue remained the population. Increasing the population was a daunting task, especially with the limited numbers in the Iron Tree Fort area.

“It’d be fantastic if we could bring some people from elsewhere.”

Laura and Mark remained silent. As long as Fording could bring people from the world of Azeroth, David wouldn’t have to worry about numbers.

It made sense. Fording had been exiled and lived in seclusion, which meant the world was likely not far from the plot of Warcraft 3. In that story, Arthas Menethil, the former prince of Lordaeron who became a death knight, led the Scourge Legion across the Eastern Kingdom, causing immense destruction to many nations and countless people.

Although the Scourge was powerful and terrifying, many Lordaeronites had survived the catastrophe, becoming refugees without homes. Moreover, there were numerous elves from Quel'Thalas, skilled mages and top hunters.

If David could offer assistance to the refugees from Azeroth, it would benefit both parties.

“Such a pity…”

David didn’t dwell on it for long. He quickly set aside those thoughts to focus on the immediate tasks ahead.

After resting overnight at the northern sentry post, David and Laura departed early the next morning, making their way toward Iron Tree Fort along the road between the Tilan Mountains and the Iron Tree Forest.

This road wasn’t entirely safe; the nearby Iron Tree Forest posed a risk, with elves potentially launching sneak attacks at any moment.

So, Laura and David walked as quickly as possible, staying alert during their nighttime rests to ensure their safety.

After thirteen days of trekking, they finally arrived outside Iron Tree Fort—two days faster than their shortest estimated time.

“Is this Iron Tree Fort?” Laura gazed up at the tall city walls, surprised at the strong defenses that exceeded her expectations.

“No, this is just the northern pass.” David gestured to the fortifications. “Let me give you a rundown of Iron Tree Fort’s layout. Because of the tense relationship with the elves and the need to be cautious about the vast lands to the north, a pass was constructed here when Iron Tree Fort was established. It’s integrated with the fortress wall on the west side, serving as the outer defense of Iron Tree Fort.”

In the pass and the fort on the northwest side, more than half of Iron Tree Fort's troops were stationed, led by Ismael Sosa, the most trusted knight of Lord Dudley Marquis Morgan.

After passing through the pass, they still had a long way to go before reaching the outer city of Iron Tree Fort.

The outer city was the civilian area surrounding Iron Tree Fort. After the establishment of the core area, countless ordinary people migrated here, gradually forming a large residential area. Various shops targeting these civilians sprang up, ultimately creating the outer city.

The outer city was vast but lacked any planning; the building quality varied widely. It was synonymous with chaos and filth. Even from a distance, Laura could already catch an unpleasant smell.

“Oh my god—this smell…”

David smirked. He had expected Laura’s reaction, but seeing it unfold in real life was far more amusing than he had imagined.

As they got closer, the details of the outer city became clearer. There were no city walls, allowing the area to expand unchecked.

Surveying the environment, which resembled the worst slums, Laura felt her understanding of “backward civilization” broadened. She knew conditions were poor, but witnessing it firsthand was eye-opening.

“I suddenly understand why you joined the pioneering team,” Laura said, trying to breathe through her mouth. The overpowering smells overwhelmed her senses, making her feel as if her thoughts were being muddled.

“Hey, that’s definitely one of the reasons.” Instead of leading Laura into the chaotic city, David turned south after a while. “I’ll take you to meet someone. We can stay with him tonight. It’s late, and I’ll head to the city tomorrow for business.”

Noticing Laura's hesitant steps, David reassured her, “Don’t worry. That person lives in a relatively remote area. The environment is a bit better.”