Eternal Empire - Kingdom Building

“This…”

David stared at the goofy expression on the creature’s face, instantly recognizing it as the infamous Jenny Turtle. A wave of confusion washed over him. How did this thing end up here?

He pondered the possibility that this turtle, like Laura, Fording, and Mark, had crossed over from another world. The twist? All those people were human, while this turtle was not—yet here it was, living by the river all alone.

So, when did this turtle arrive? Initially, David assumed it hadn’t been there long. But then another thought struck him: maybe Jenny had been there for a while.

Not long after Laura first appeared, Fording showed up. After a period of settling in, Mark arrived, and then it seemed like no more newcomers came. At least, that’s what David thought at the time.

He had originally believed visitors from other worlds were sporadic, but now he wondered if he’d misjudged. Perhaps Jenny Turtle had come to Cold Winter Village alongside Mark, following a peculiar pattern of arrivals.

David kept his mind open to other possibilities. After all, as long as his village existed, the increasing number of otherworldly visitors would eventually shed light on the situation.

“This blue turtle seems quite intelligent and interesting.” As David drifted in thought, Maloney and Jenny exchanged glances, both intrigued. “Do you mind if I take it back, Sir David?”

Maloney assumed this creature was a local oddity. Usually, when he spotted something fascinating in the countryside, he simply caught it without a second thought.

In front of David, he maintained a polite demeanor. After all, in Maloney’s mind, David was no ordinary villager; he saw him as an equal.

Huey and Cavalier Hackett had noticed Maloney’s respectful attitude over the past couple of days. Although they didn’t understand why, they recognized that even Lord Maloney Mansfield treated David with respect, implying he was someone worthy of consideration.

Thus, the “officials” from Iron Tree Fort were exceptionally courteous, treating everyone in Winter Village with kindness. Despite the village's rough living conditions, no one expressed dissatisfaction.

Yet, when Hackett observed Maloney asking for David’s permission to catch a turtle, he couldn’t help but feel surprised. Did he offend the village chief somehow?

David glanced between Maloney and the turtle, unsure how to respond. Finally, he said, “It’s my first time seeing this blue turtle. If Lord Mansfield is interested, feel free to do as you wish.”

He doubted Maloney could actually catch Jenny. While the turtle might look silly, it was clever and had formidable strength.

“Call me Maloney.” Maloney smiled, still standing by the riverbank.

Catching pets wasn’t something Maloney Mansfield would do himself. After David expressed his willingness to let him keep the turtle, Maloney nodded in thanks. Just then, Huey, his attendant, stepped toward the turtle.

Though it seemed straightforward, the turtle was far from easy to catch. Sensing danger, it leaped into the Winter River, quickly swimming to a safe distance. Once there, it popped its round blue head above the water, made faces at the humans on the bank, and sprayed a stream of clear water, drenching Huey.

“...” Huey stared at the now-distant turtle, panic rising in him. Could he really catch a turtle that sprays water?

“Hahahaha!” Maloney laughed at his attendant's flustered expression. He wasn’t angry at Huey’s failure; after all, the turtle had proven itself to be quite remarkable. “Okay, Huey, it seems you can’t catch that little guy. Go change into some clean clothes!”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

Maloney waved it off, unconcerned about such a trivial matter. “Just go change. I don’t want my only servant getting sick.”

Huey nodded and hurried back to the village to change, needing to rinse off the water.

Maloney remained on the bank, scanning the river, but the turtle was nowhere in sight. He didn’t mind that an intriguing creature had slipped away; it had certainly caught his interest for a moment.

“David, you really chose a great spot for Winter Village.” Maloney was no mere noble focused solely on leisure. No matter how fascinating the turtle was, his attention soon shifted to other matters.

He gazed at the vast river stretching before him, nearly obscured by its size. He felt the development potential of Winter Village was immense. Besides the expansive northern plains, there were many areas yet to explore. The advantages of water transportation would make it easier and quicker to gather information about the lower reaches of the Winter River.

“It’s a pity I didn’t think of this sooner.” Although the few people accompanying Maloney would document the Cold Winter River, they could only collect data from the east bank—where Cold Winter Village was located. Crossing the river to investigate the western bank would be impossible. “And Iron Tree Fort probably won’t send anyone to check the situation there anytime soon.”

To explore the west bank, they’d need to cross the river. This involved numerous considerations: manpower, supplies, potential risks, evacuation speed—all requiring adequate transportation capabilities.

The Winter River lacked a tributary directly connecting to Iron Tree Fort, meaning any ships would have to be constructed by Winter Village. This required manpower to build a shipyard there, which would take considerable time to establish. Regardless of the circumstances, crossing the river seemed unnecessary.

David didn’t respond to Maloney’s earlier question. He wasn’t focused on the other side of the river for now. In the future, if conditions allowed, he could consider constructing a Golden Gate Bridge—an impressive landmark for Winter City.

After discussing the Winter River for a while, Maloney returned to the village. He was here for work, after all, and couldn’t maintain a relaxed demeanor all the time. He and his soldiers would continue investigating the surrounding geography of Winter Village, compiling their findings to report back to Maloney.

Once Maloney felt they had gathered enough information, he would issue the order to return.

Whether Winter Village qualified as a proper village was no longer a concern.

As Maloney walked toward the village, David chose not to rush back with him. Instead, he found a decent spot by the river and sat down, gazing at the water and letting his thoughts wander.

He lost track of time, but the sun still beat down on him when the sound of splashing water broke his reverie.

David looked up to see the blue round head of the turtle poking out of the water. He waved a hand in greeting. “Hi~”

The turtle and David exchanged glances for a moment before it extended its short front paws, waving back from the water with a silly smile.

“Ha ha!”

David couldn’t help but smile. This little creature brought him joy, and he thought it likely didn’t understand how it had come to be with him. So, he sat by the river, talking as if to himself, explaining in detail how to navigate this world and return to Cold Winter Village.

He sensed that the turtle understood, and after finishing his explanation, he waved again. “If you can’t find anything to eat, feel free to visit the village... Just come back after those people leave.”

The turtle remained in the water, unresponsive to his earlier words, as if it hadn’t comprehended. But then, upon hearing his last statement, it nodded eagerly and replied, “Jenny, Jenny!”

Standing up, David brushed the dirt off his clothes and turned toward the village. However, instead of entering, he lingered next to a wooden house on the village's outer edge, originally used as a kitchen and storage area.

He didn’t wait long before a shadow appeared before him, gradually solidifying into Laura, who approached carrying a bag of potatoes.

Laura didn’t greet David. Instead, she glanced down at her empty left hand, shaking her head in resignation. “I didn’t bring the chicken.”

“I saw.”

Laura had gone home when Maloney’s subordinates led soldiers to investigate the area, making plans in advance about their time in the village. David had come here to keep watch and prevent any accidents.

“In that case, we’ll need to include chickens and ducks in our transaction with Gregory.”

“I think we should just get more chickens.” Laura suggested. Raising chickens seemed less complicated, while pigs and sheep could be bought directly. “Besides, livestock like pigs and sheep aren’t easy to transport.”

Even though they had taken two horses as a deposit, transporting larger animals would require a cart. Unfortunately, there were no horses or ox carts in the Village yet.

“Next, we wait for Lord Maloney to finish inspecting the village, then for Fording to return.” David explained. “Once Fording is back, the inspection of Cold Winter Village and its surroundings should be complete. After that, I’ll head to Iron Tree Fort. Will you come with me this time?”

“Nah, I can’t go to Iron Tree Fort with you this time. I’ve got a few things I need to handle.”