A long bath helped, but afterwards, as I made my way down to dinner, every step was a painful one. My muscles were already stiffening. It would be even worse in the morning. Still, I was determined. And that encounter with the ambassador of Southway just made me even more so.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyED1Pjq4VW
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A long, polished wooden table had been laid out with what looked like a banquet to me, despite my instructions. Silver candelabra held our source of light, light which glittered off a wide array of polished trays and bowls. There were grapes; cherries, apples and peaches stacked high; there were at least four kinds of fish, filleted and laid out with herbs and lemon on trays decorated with fishing net designs; bowls of peas, green beans, tomatoes and carrots were full to the brim, at least four different kinds of bread had been prepared, with slices and rolls displayed on yet more silver trays; while goblets of cut glass sparkled, ready to receive wine from a choice of six decanters.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BN5J7IEeO
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The table was laid for four people but the placings were spaced so far apart that it was like a socially distanced event during the COVID pandemic back home. Much to the consternation of a servant who was standing by the wall and hurriedly came over to help, I started re-arranging the plates and cutlery, bringing all the places up to the top end.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL06a18m4y
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No sooner than I'd taken my own seat, than Lord Arval, my Paladin General came in with a brisk march. Even for dinner, it seemed, he wore his chainmail and carried his sword. With a gesture that was nearly a smile, he took the seat to my right after I pointed to it.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kPcDsVuCe
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'I heard about your training today sire. It gave encouragement to the troops.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16q9JllL94
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'There's a long way to go.' I glanced at my fleshy arms, so different to my previous body.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXE1abbGJl
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'I also heard that you scorned the ambassador of Southway.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ5SbYy9Hc
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'Oh did you? What did your sources say, exactly?'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUgq9eU6YH
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'That you were offered wine and women for the rest of your life if you'd do the bidding of their king and you refused, telling him that it was him who would be grovelling in chains before you.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUJQQDJtg2
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'Did I though?' I laughed. 'The story has grown. Good. They have the spirit right at least. That guy was so smug, I wanted to punch him in the face.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8rd76Udl8
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We were interrupted by the arrival of Chancellor Parrin and the sorceress Carlena. Although they were not arm in arm, there was something about them that suggested to me they might be a couple. They were the right ages – she with silver hair and he with the grey and sliver of his beard – and they moved towards me with an ease in each other's company.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvY1SAOZ7E6
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'Another innovation I see,' said the Chancellor with a glance at the place settings and then at the servants. I got the message: careful, go easy on the changes.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNf4pxHjL0a
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I repeated my story of meeting the ambassador of Southway, to the approval of Parrin and Carlena but they were surprisingly taciturn. Only when we had eaten did Carlena lean towards me, so that I caught the full intensity of her stunning purple eyes, and whisper, 'send the servants away please, so we can talk properly.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeEd85Wlly
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I nodded. And after the next time my glass was refilled, I slapped the table with my heavy palm (it was effective for that at least). 'Out! Servants out and don't disturb us until you are called for.' I spoke with unnecessary volume as they jumped to respond.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TsHwsrs6y
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'Spoken like the old Carlos,' said Parrin with a smile when we had the room to ourselves.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ7z2XOMjT
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The two of them then began an interrogation that would have never have been allowed by the previous king. What was I researching? What was I building? How would we cope with the loss of our grain-generating lands? What other information was in the menus? On the whole they were cautiously positive about my decisions and plans. At least, they didn't propose I make any changes to it. I was warned that my popularity, already very low, would drop further if we did start trading iron to the necromancer king, but they could see the necessity of this.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaEZGMVctP
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By the end of their questions, I was totally clear about one thing. Carlena, Parrin and (to a lesser extent) Lord Arval saw me as their instrument. I was accountable to them and had to take their instruction. In business terms, this was a board meeting and I was the CEO, not a king with absolute power. This didn't upset me. I could totally see their point of view: the kingdom was on the ropes and everything they owned, including their lives, was in jeopardy. They couldn't afford any mistakes from me. Also, while I quite enjoyed the authority of being king and the way all the people were quick to obey me, I didn't like the barrier that the role created. At least here, with these three, I could be myself.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL895MzNBx
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'I have a question about the menus,' I looked from one to the other. 'How is it there are so few people on them compared to the size of Carrick?'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7sei8pF0Y
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It was Carlena who answered. 'I believe the numbers allowed on the menu are capped in some way by the overall happiness of the realm. Most of our citizens would join the menus if allowed, wanting Miya to triumph and not wishing to be conquered. You should try to facilitate them.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXestl06tsm
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That made sense and exporing how to raise happiness was yet another goal for me to add to the 'to do' list.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn8LGwoMIZ
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'How goes your personal progress?' asked Parrin.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnllXJ4ceb9
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'I don't know yet.' I patted the rolls of stomach fat that were resting on the table top. 'I've made a start on shedding these. But I haven't seen any change to my character sheet yet.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTT5RVRjSM
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Carlena frowned. 'What level Fighter are you?'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf2xmKtb8B
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'I'm not even a Fighter yet,' I confessed. 'In fact I was thinking my character sheet meant I should be a Sorcerer or Cleric.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzHxvydoPK
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All three of them turned pale faces towards me, eyes glistening in the candlelight.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC2FRKyZNJ
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'Oh no,' said Carlena. 'Not a Sorcerer. You won't have any spells. To obtain spells you have to build a scriptorium of the spell level and then research them, getting a random result It would take you forever. And it's not what we need on the battlefield.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvW9DIph9Gl
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'I believe King Wace is level twelve,' muttered the Chancellor pointedly. 'And Queen Rorgesta of Trolland is eleven at least.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxf1zfZvJh9
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I caught the Scout's eyes and said, 'I'll start levelling up soon. But with my current stats, I'd be a hopeless warrior of any sort. I have to find out can I improve my Strength before starting my personal progression as a fighter. Really, I should be a caster: a mage or cleric. And I also need to know how to level. Do I fight monsters? Complete quests?'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtaRSPM5Et
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'I suppose you are right to wait,' Lord Arval spoke after a short interval. 'But every day that you are not progressing is a day more for them to get ahead. You could easily reach level two or even three by performing task quests in the town itself.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSfFt9Us36
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'And we can bring you to areas nearby where there are monsters you can fight and kill for experience,' offered Lord Parrin.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoKHm6QcOM
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That sounded promising and exactly like the RPGs I was used to.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOaI4JfKVq
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I took a deep breath. 'I will progress soon then. For now though, my body is a mass of aches and pain. I can barely lift this fork with my left hand, my shoulder is so sore. There's nothing more I could have done today to advance this body towards where it should be.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaxJjGY9gJ
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'True.' Lord Arval nodded. 'Don't push so hard you damage yourself.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZDd0SN2qT
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'We need time. Time to fix the kingdom's economy and time for me to level up.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvcVIGhoz7
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'Indeed. And in that light, provoking the king of Southway might not have been wise.' Carlena spoke tentatively, as if exploring the idea.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZu5ZTUAgB
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'Sean was right to refute him so publicly and so firmly,' Arval came in, 'the message to the soldiers and people was clear. We will endure.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxo50CkXec
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Chancellor Parrin nodded. 'I think so too. But still, there is a real danger of the two armies continuing their advance together and overcoming our defences.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKIEHAHogA
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'Speaking of which, I'd like to see them. We have a fort at the head of the valley that leads here, right? I might be able to upgrade it.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90Pl8XHVCH
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'You can't get there, it is thirty miles away and no horse can carry you.' It was Arval who made this depressing, if practical, point.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPpQFvQKgH
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'I can show you on the map at least,' offering Parrin, 'and you should be able to find a menu for it. It's called Three-Ways Fort.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5RhX6w1Kf
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'I'll check later. And if it's all right with you, I'll move any remaining troops from here down to it, including the new archers.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnwxJxDIs6
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Everyone greeted my proposal with approval.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uTLlzlMM9
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I had been thinking about Carlena's point about unnecessarily provoking King Wace. 'Could we maybe divide them? By talking with Queen Rorg… whatever … the Trolland queen. By suggesting that we might be willing to be a protectorate under her?'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoat7i68Fb
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'Perhaps,' the Chancellor nodded. 'It would be a mission for Figus.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zOZAs8Lth
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'When he gets back,' I said.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFUPh4sVxd
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'When he gets back,' Parrin repeated.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWkANkJmtf
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'In the meantime, I think you need to go down to the lowlands and monitor the enemy's movements, to give us notice if they are advancing.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBYjKACU4z
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'Me?' Parrin looked surprised. 'We have scouts, of course.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSPcXYmSmc
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'Yes, but they are all level zero, right? Whereas you are level nine.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmKAtWVldU
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'It's been a while since I dusted off my scout skills, but you know what, I'll do it!' Parrin rubbed his beard around his mouth, where a smile was forming. 'I'll set out in the morning.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKSDrINGMt
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'Just don't take any risks.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsI24myGKty
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When our strategizing was at an end, Lord Arval called the servants back in and we resumed a more formal tone, until I was ready for my bed. Well, not quite ready.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoFT4aqC4i
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'Can the king ask for a massage?' I leaned in towards the General.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjlj8IhVs2
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'Of course. I'll send someone.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5LmWsXMIj
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'Good, I'll go on up to my bed.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtvf2fD4Zm
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It was an effort, I was almost tempted to ask for help and a push, but my groaning legs carried me up two flights of stairs until I collapsed on the bed. Not long after I did so, a heavy knock came on the door and after I called for the person to come in. It was the masseur I was expecting. Well, not quite. A tall, muscular man in a soldier's tunic came in.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xK12rKQUm
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'Massage sire?' he asked gruffly.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ1VLJEeWN
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'Please.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkGq4uIofB
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'Saw you walking today sire. You'll want the legs looked at.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjGnZXVchA
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'Left shoulder too, from carrying that sword.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1ZoBOrOa2
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He nodded. 'Too right. You know they make the dummy out of lead, deliberate like? So when you pick up your first real blade, it feels light.'500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OrY3sLMgB
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I didn't reply and soon I felt his hands on the backs of my thighs, through my clothes. I wasn't going to remove them, even if that limited his access.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshl96xkb1L
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Before long, I was getting some serious work done, loosening my cramped and tight muscles and while it was borderline painful, it was effective. What with the wine and the exercise, I'd sleep well. There was one thought still nagging me though, arising from the questions that the sorceress and the chancellor had raised with me. Oh yes. The hunting lodge, level 2 had been due for completion earlier this evening.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vsTIAcWXF
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I paused the massage long enough to call down the town menu, then got back into position while I studied it.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPpdXzBTl4
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Greyland500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgto1Bl09B
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Economy500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCfw2c9bCz
Currently building:500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLywFZStnB8
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Monthly trade income: 0500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RRyW0uhue
Monthly tax income: 54 gold500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqvbeBIKeU
Treasury: 2 gold500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4bAPVR3b8
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Daily food consumption: 13 units500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU7V4OSd6f
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Grain yield: 0 due in 17 days500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoxfSTD3Pg
Vegetable yield: 35 food units due in 20 days500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡig1VUi38Dx
Wool yield: 3 bales due in 33 days500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60PkS1Ep3J
Meat yield: 5 units daily500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFBKdLKKO4
Timber yield: 17 planks daily500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFEMyFrzqH
Iron yield: 2 ingots daily500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OUUJWGeri
Quarry yield: 6 blocks daily500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrvbejBpZZ
Smithy yield: steel pickaxes on hold. Awaiting iron.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7x180K4xiI
Weaving yield: 4 bolts daily500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡis5W2IjP4O
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Research: Shipbuilding One500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ239eU90lJ
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Resources:500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebuxp3PTtm
Wheat: 14 food units500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjynU9RVSZ
Vegetables: 25 food units500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7npFUFhg6f
Meat: 8 food units500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4VO4Kzxvy
Wool: 7 bales500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysuKhWxWfn
Timber: 150 planks500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNgqbSWL41
Iron: 0 ingots500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgU7fj741q
Stone: 39 blocks500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZRrhTomHt
Cloth: 4 bolts
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The meat yield had gone up by one. I had hoped for two but I couldn't argue with a 25% increase. That still left us losing about 6 food units a day, with reserves of 47. I winced, and not from the pain of the knuckles digging into my shoulder. I had to set a new town building project and the attractive options were hunting lodge level 3 or mine level 3. Both would take two days to upgrade.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk2HNeDLar
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In trying to figure out which of the two would work best for solving the food crisis, I realised that something was wrong. The smithy should have made me eighty-four steel pickaxes. If they significantly improved iron output, I would build the next level of hunting lodge. Yet the smithy was on hold.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkXhMVwaks
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The problem was iron. I had made a mistake. I blushed at the thought of talking about this with the others. If I had waited to create the new archers, I would have had plenty of iron for the pickaxes. Scrolling deeper into the menus, I could see that the Smithy had built a stock of 12 pickaxes before I had assigned the remaining iron to training the archers. Then it had come to a halt.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mF2cLPzmh
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Oh well, I allocated the twelve new pickaxes to the miners and given that at least two iron would come in tomorrow, the Smithy would be able to make 24 steel pickaxes, which would surely improve the daily output of iron? Three days would see me with a mining workforce fully equipped with the new pickaxes. Three days though. When I should have been using those days in building up a surplus ready to trade for food if Figus came back from the Necromancer with a decent deal.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAIgnQC5OV
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This was discouraging, but more positive was the discovery that the hunting lodge level 2 had the capacity for four more workers. That was a must. I assigned the new hunters from the reserves of workers (now only 8 strong) and went for the hunting lodge level 3 as the next build. While iron was vital, food was even more so and there was no guaranteeing that my ambassador would even return, let alone with a trade agreement.
and then Add to home screen.