Lord Of The New World

The next few days were... monotone to put it lightly.

Sure, I was worried about the future, and the coming winter, but everything was progressing nicely and nothing bad happened.

3 days after Rae returned, I completed the quest Enough To Blot Out The Sun and got 10 Exp and 1 Research point as a reward.

And took a quick look at my researches, and after a bit of looking at them, I researched Masonry and Basic Tanning, and as the information flooded into my mind, I saw that I gained 2 new quests that... were just not happening anytime soon.

Rock And Stone – Construct at least 1 quarry, and mine 1.000 units of Stone – Rewards: 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

Leathery – Construct a tannery and teach at least 1 Homunculi how to make leather. - Rewards: 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

And as I closed my empire tab, I saw that I had gained stone house making.

Stone House Making – An information packet about how to build stone houses. – Costs 2 Research Points

...I kinda don’t need stone houses right now, but it will be important research that I should definitely get as wooden houses like the ones I am making don’t tend to last for more than a few decades, and starting construction of concrete houses is going to take me longer than a few decades so... they are going to be necessary... at least in the cities where you just can’t keep replacing houses every few years.

After I finished looking at my systems, I returned to trying to tame the Cat-horses, and only 2 days later, I got another system notification.

Quest Irl Farming Sim completed! Rewards, 20 Exp + 1 Research Point

have been granted in the Empire System!

Though I was surprised by the progress of farmers, it was understandable.

For a few moments I thought about ordering them to increase the number of farmlands, but that wouldn’t’ve been a good idea as any new farmlands they ploughed would be ravaged by animals and monsters alike while they were focused on farming their other hectares.

Hell, the overhaul amount of crops we had would even decrease if people attempted to defend all the farmlands even!

Which just showed how much I needed a town guard of sorts, but I simply didn’t have the resources for it so... later!

For now, I am just going to open my research tree and buy Church Construction, so I can actually construct it and get blessings.

And after I researched church construction, and information about how to construct a church that was “befitting of the goddess” I saw that I gained 2 new researches at the top my research tree, and a new quest.

Blessing Conjure Light – A blessing that comes with a basic prayer that conjures a ball of light. The intensity and size of the light increases with the length and complexity of the prayer, the devotion of the one who is casting the blessing, and mana spent. – Costs 2 Research Points

Blessing Heal – A blessing that comes with a basic prayer and can heal any injuries but costs a lot of mana. The strength of the blessing increases with the length and complexity of the prayer, the devotion of the one who is casting the blessing, and mana spent. – Costs 5 Research Points.

Home Of The Goddess – Construct a temple for goddess Rae. - Rewards: 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

“...Rae, does the blessing Heal, heal... everything? Or does it only heal physical injuries and overgoes things like illnesses and cancer?” I turned to Rae and asked, my interest being piqued by the new blessing.

“Like what’s written on the blessing description, the power of the blessing depends on the length of the prayer, devotion of whose casting it, and the amount of mana spent.

“So, while Joe Schmoe may only be able to heal small scratches and such with this blessing, a proper priest can heal most injuries, though to actually heal terminal illnesses such as cancer you are going to need to spend a few million points of mana so only a Tier 3 priest, or a few dozen Tier 2 priests can do it.”

“...Well then.” I muttered after Rae finished explaining how the blessing worked.

And, though I lamented at the fact that I’d never use this blessing at full power, as I held little to no respect to Rae and definitely no devotion, I found solace in the fact that people in the future would be able to be healed from terminal illnesses with this blessing.

Then the days started passing faster and faster. I made some progress with the herd, and I could stand around them without the leading male trying to gore me, and the construction group continued to make barracks, and the smelters continued to make more and more iron tools, nails, and wheelbarrows to help people carry stuff within the village.

And, around day 160, I completed the quest The Second Step and made 10 unique alchemical products and gained 10 exp and 1 research point, which I actually saved this time as I simply had no need for any other research right now, and I was not that interested in them either.

And fall had started a few days ago, and the weather was getting colder, though we had more than enough hides right now so everyone could just take a few with them every night and come out pretty okay.

Though as the fall progressed a few ill people appeared, which I felt guilty about as it was my duty to take care of them as their emperor.

But I couldn’t really do a lot for them other than being a caretaker for them which was what I did!

Though I first got confirmation from Rae that the herd I was trying to tame wasn’t going to just wander over to another region.

Not that I would’ve leaved the ill to fend for themselves if that was the case, no no no—I’d have just left the members of my exploration group to care for them while I tried to tame the cat-horses myself.

Afterall, while there was strength in numbers, I’d be able to defend myself well against the wayward animals without a problem, and I was kinda the only one that was good enough with animals to actually get close to the cat-horses to tame them.

Then as the days started passing by again, I got closer and closer to the cat-horses, so much that they finally allowed me to walk amongst them without getting angsty and I could finally pet some of them, but the... calves? Kittens?

I couldn’t pet their young, whatever they are called.

But good news! The houses were complete!

Quest Eco-Housing completed! Rewards, 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

have been granted in the Empire System!

And as I looked at the houses in glee, and moved into my house, which was, while smaller than the others, was only for 1.

As I laid on the hides that were my bed, I opened my empire system and saw 2 new quests.

None Left Roofless – Make enough wooden or stone houses for all of your people, or at least 1000. – Rewards: 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

Befitting Of A Lord – Construct yourself a mansion. – Rewards: 10 Exp + 1 Research Point

“Hmm... maybe next year.” I muttered as I looked at the quest Befitting Of A Lord as... a mansion was just not really feasible right now.

Opening my door and leaving the house, I looked around me to see a few dozen barracks surrounding me, all built side by side.

And as I looked at the “Roads” which were just patches of dirt, and the houses and the empty land around the village walls, I started thinking of where the future structures would go.

Our granary was just a hole in the ground as of now, which helped it cool down the food. Though, I was simply not satisfied with its current form, so I’d need to expand it and actually give it a wooden frame.

And other than that, I needed to build a church, a smithy or a forge, a carpentry, a tannery and a masonry.

Though all of the houses were concentrated west, so I was definitely going to have to built everything west of the wall... or just outside of it as they were not exactly the quietest of places.

Afterall I was going to give people off days in the future, and it’d suck for them if they were just trying to sleep in and a forge was operating just next door.

So, granary, or granaries, a church and houses inside the walls, and everything else outside, preferably near the gate or the forest, where most of our resources are coming from.

Starting with the granary... the workers should be able to build on top of the granary we have right now and expand it so that it can feed a bit more than 800 people a year, in 2 months.

And I am going to order them to build it that small due to the fact that I need them to construct other things too.

If not for that fact, I’d allow them to actually build that granary into something gigantic!

But sadly, that was not possible.

And the forge, masonry, carpentry, and tannery will take... you know what? I don’t need them to be proper buildings now, do I?

The bloomeries and bowl furnaces can be outside of the forge, and the carpentry only needs to be large enough for a few people to work in, and I won’t need a masonry and tannery this winter, so to next year they go!

For now, the smelters will have to use the few mud huts near the furnaces that have not yet been destroyed to rest, or go back to their homes to rest, while James can just do carpentry in his home... actually, carpentry doesn’t make that much sound now, does it?

So, I can just make him a home, and put the carpentry in front of his home, like a shop, can’t I?

And doing so will not take longer than a week... so that’s my plan, I guess.

The next morning, so on my 216th day in the new world, I ordered the construction workers to expand the granary, which should keep them busy until day 276, and then they’d make a new single “family” home for James and build a carpentry station/shop in front of it, and then they’d start building the church which would take... 6 months.

6 months for a church that can fit 100 people that is.

“...Rae, do I need to construct a proper church?” I asked, turning to her.

“What? What do you mean “Do I need to construct a proper church?” of course you do! It’s the home of the goddess after all!” She said, seemingly surprised that I’d even ask her something like this.

“Well... I kinda just don’t want to? It’d be so—so much easier to make a small hut for the church, and then turn it into a proper house of the goddess you know? And I need more houses too! I mean, I need to expand my population now, don’t I? And I am going to need a year or two to get 1000 people already! So, give me some slack, will you?” I pleaded to her as spending 6 months for a single building was... just not a good idea.

In that time frame, I could make enough houses for another 100 people easily! And I definitely wasn’t spending that time on a stupid church!

“NO!” Rae stood her ground, it seemed that she really wanted me to actually spend those 6 months and make her a proper church, didn’t she?

“... Rae, you know that I am only capable of making a wooden church, right?”

“So?”

“And you know how big the church I am planning to build is right?”

“Damian, I said this before, I can’t read your mind. So, I have no idea how big or small the church you want to build is.”

“Well, I know, I just thought that you’d be able to hazard a guess as to how big a church I can make right now with the size of my empire. And, in case you can’t—”

“I can.”

“It won’t be that big, at most a church for a 100 people, maybe even less as I just don’t have the people for it, so, lets compromise!” I told her, tried to make a deal.

“A compromise? What can we even compromise?” She asked, visibly confused.

“I know that you want a big church—and you know that I simply do not want to make a big church befitting of you right now, as that’d just mess with my empire’s growth prospects. So, what I am offering is that you let me make a small hut, a bit bigger than all the other barracks and my house and call it a church.

“In exchange, in the future I’ll make you a church that can fit... at least 200 people, deal?” I asked extending a hand to her.

“...I want it to be gothic.”

“...Are you kidding me? Do you know how long it takes to make a gothic structure? That will bring the time needed to be spent on the church from a year to 10.”

“A gothic stone church that can hold at least 200 people that you must start the construction of at most 1 year after you reach 1000 population, or no deal.” She said, and after a bit of thinking I nodded, and she reached out and shook my hand and then my empire window opened up and a new quest slotted itself just beneath my main quest.

Divine Quest – A Church Befitting of The Goddess – Construct a gothic church that is large enough to fit 200 people.

No rewards huh? Well, that shouldn’t be that much of a problem as I got something out of this and now, let’s see...

To reach Level 3 and get sapient people I need to get 30 more exp, and to do that the fastest thing I can do is to make the small church I just talked to Rae about, and complete Nurture Over Nature II, which I should be able to complete after I complete the divine quest I’ll get after getting a church.

Though I can’t help but wonder... what will that divine quest be? Will it be something superficial—or detrimental to me and my empire... probably superficial seeing that Rae is an entitled brat.

“... Wait, I should just tell the construction group to start the construction on the hut church before long, shouldn’t I?”