Eternal Empire - Kingdom Building

Never did David expect Addis, born in Iron Tree Castle with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a face hardened by old stubbornness, to rebel as well.

David opened his mouth twice, but only managed to choke out, "This is really surprising."

Thinking back, it wasn't that strange after all. Addis, a hunter by trade, spent most of his time in the forests, especially the western woods of Iron Tree Fort—territory that belonged to the elves. The outskirts of Iron Tree Forest, and even the nearby towns, were rich with spiritual activity.

To the elves, these forests were their domain, and the hunters of Iron Tree Fort were essentially trespassing on their land.

Addis wasn’t just any hunter; he'd thrived in elf territory for decades. It seemed impossible that he hadn't crossed paths with elves during his career. Yet, not only had he avoided being killed, he’d done well enough for himself. A connection between him and the elves made perfect sense.

According to Addis, he had a chance encounter with an elf hunter when he was younger, just outside the Iron Tree Forest. Initially, it was like any meeting between humans and elves—tension-filled and ready for violence. They drew their bows without a word, arrows nocked, poised to kill each other.

But neither succeeded. In fact, they nearly fell prey to a demonized beast in the midst of their fight.

Faced with a greater threat, the two hunters—human and elf—were forced to cooperate. That collaboration sparked a fragile bond that deepened over decades into friendship.

"..."

David watched Addis as he reminisced about his past and his friendship with the elf hunter, Aesop. Honestly, David didn’t know what to think. From Addis’s account, it seemed their mutual disdain for human nobles played a significant role in solidifying their bond.

One human and one elf, united in their hatred for the Iron Tree Castle nobles.

"So," David started, "you helped Aesop rescue Alfie and his mother, and because Alfie's a half-elf, and you saved his mother, she trusted you enough to entrust her child to your care?"

Addis nodded, pleased with David's summary. "That’s about right."

"You've told me about Alfie. Now, what about your current situation?"

"Me?" David blinked, confused. Then he realized Addis was referring to Laura. "You mean Laura?"

"Of course. Who else?"

Addis eyed him skeptically, clearly perplexed by how David had ended up with an aristocrat like Laura Crawford. Given Alfie's situation, Addis was paranoid that nobles were already onto him, and he feared that his own actions might come back to haunt him.

David couldn't fully explain where Laura came from, but he understood Addis’s concerns. "Don’t worry about Laura. She’s not a noble from Iron Tree Castle—or even from the Kingdom of Tilan."

"Not from Tilan?" Addis’s suspicions eased upon hearing that.

Tilan was one of the four great human kingdoms on the continent, and Addis—like most commoners—knew little beyond his own borders. As far as he was concerned, if Laura wasn’t from Tilan, there was no reason for her to cause him trouble.

David, whom Addis had trained and raised, was about to become the village chief. He’d also ended up with a noblewoman and adopted a half-elf. Addis mused that if he lived long enough, he’d eventually see every strange thing life had to offer.

"Let’s head back."

With Laura no longer a concern, Addis started seriously considering David’s earlier suggestion: moving to Winter Village with Alfie for a fresh start.

Although Laura wasn't a noble looking to stir up trouble, the situation still made Addis realize he couldn’t stay in Iron Tree Fort much longer. Living in constant fear wasn’t sustainable.

And how much longer could Alfie’s identity be kept secret? Covering his distinctly elven ears with strips of cloth was hardly a long-term solution. One day, when the truth inevitably came out, there’d be little time to react. It was better to leave before that happened.

Yet, Addis had another concern—Alfie's half-elf identity would remain an issue even after leaving Iron Tree Fort. Moving out of the Kingdom of Tilan wouldn’t change much either.

"Don’t worry," David reassured him, "there aren’t many people in Winter Village, and there are no nobles around."

Addis scoffed. "But Laura’s living there, isn’t she?"

"She’s just there temporarily."

"And what about when she’s the village chief’s wife? No, I’ll stay temporarily!"

The village chief’s wife? David thought the title sounded weak. Laura probably wouldn't care for it either. Her passion was archaeology and adventure, not small titles like that. It was practically in her blood.

As they walked back toward the door, Addis mulled it over. Eventually, he made his decision—he’d take Alfie and move to Winter Village.

According to David, only a handful of civilians lived there. Even if Alfie’s true nature were discovered, it wouldn’t be as dangerous as staying in Iron Tree Fort.

Winter Village was far enough from the fort, and its remoteness would provide some cover. Worst case, Addis could always disappear into the depths of the forest with Alfie. An old hunter with a half-elf child could easily shake off ordinary pursuers in the woods.

"Still, before I go, I need to inform an old friend." Addis meant Aesop. He couldn’t just vanish with Alfie without explaining things to the elf.

"Tomorrow... I’m heading to the city at dawn," David said. "It’ll take a few days. That should give you enough time to say goodbye to your friend—and for Alfie and his mother to do the same."

David had considered inviting Alfie’s mother to join them in Winter Village, since they weren’t hostile to other races there. But he thought better of it. She trusted Addis, her savior, but probably not him. And from an elf's perspective, David becoming the village chief might make him one of the very humans they disliked the most.

"David." Addis stopped him as they reached the door. "Thank you."

This wasn’t just for the help David was offering now. It was also for coming back to find Addis after making a life for himself outside the village.

“That’s how I say thank you? I want to help you take care of yourself.” David’s voice was low, almost lost in the quiet room. The memories of being raised, taught, and trained by Addis flooded his mind. He couldn’t ignore the debt he owed. If life hadn’t turned out well, maybe he’d let it go. But now? Now he was living better than most. He couldn’t sit idle, doing nothing. It’d make all those lessons, all those books from his previous life, seem pointless.

David pushed open the creaky wooden door, stepping into the chill air. He walked back to his makeshift bed and flopped down without looking toward the bedroom. "I’m heading to the city after dawn. Get some sleep," he muttered.

Addis, already making his way to his own bed, glanced briefly at the bedroom. He lay down quietly, and soon, the familiar sound of his snoring filled the house.

As dawn broke, the snoring stopped. Years of routine snapped the old hunter awake right on time, despite missing some sleep in the night. It didn’t faze him.

David stirred, his eyes opening slowly. In truth, he hadn’t slept much at all. Instead, he’d spent the night ‘practicing’ with the holy light, focusing on building his strength. It wasn’t real sleep, but it would do.

From the bedroom, the faint rustle of fabric reached him—Alfie, already awake, was getting dressed. He stepped out, preparing to fix breakfast for everyone.

“Alfie, your ears are showing.”

David’s casual remark made Alfie freeze, his hands flying up to cover his ears in panic. But when he checked, the strips of cloth were tightly bound around his head, keeping his elven ears hidden.

“…”

Addis shot David a withering look. Two years out in the world, and instead of becoming more serious, David had only grown sharper with his teasing.

“Just giving him a little wake-up call,” David said with a smirk. He turned to the wide-eyed Alfie, “Don’t worry, Addis already filled me in on your situation.”

Alfie’s gaze flickered between Addis and David, then to Laura, who had just emerged from the other room.

Though Laura was dressed plainly, there was no hiding the nobility in her bearing. Everything about her—from her perfectly neat clothes to her meticulously arranged hair—screamed refinement. She greeted everyone with a warm, “Good morning,” and then eyed David, who was still fussing with his hair. “You’re leaving for the city soon?”

“Right after breakfast,” David replied. He wasn’t sure how long the day’s tasks would take, so it made sense to get an early start.

Staff might not even be working yet. But no worries there—Addis’s place was a good distance from the inner city, and he had some walking ahead of him. It wasn’t like he could handle any official business in the outer city, packed with civilians. He had to make his way into the heart of Iron Tree Fort.

As he mentally planned the trip, an idea floated into David’s mind—how to convince people to move to Winter Village? Maybe even bring their livestock, like joining some kind of pioneer team. Solve the livestock issue in one go.

Addis grunted, shaking his head. “You’re dreaming. Haven’t even woken up yet, have you?”

David couldn’t help but chuckle as they shared a moment of familiar banter before the morning truly began.