"That makes for four shelters," Lucan said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "One for me, one for Evan and Dalia, and if Kenny and Alian want to stay with them, the other one will be for you, Nors."
Four shelters now stood where none had been. Who knew if new members would arrive, but for now, the survivors felt a sense of security and accomplishment.
"Yes, Lord, it's good that I now have a shelter too," Nors said to Lucan, as they stood by their newly built structures. "Staying outside has made me so uncomfortable. The mosquitoes bite me every time I try to sleep."
A short distance away, Dalia and Alian spoke quietly about the new shelters that Lucan, Nors, and Kenny had built.
Evan remained in his shelter, but as night fell, Dalia went inside to help him out. Once he was settled by the firepit, Dalia began cooking the meat they had obtained earlier.
The meat was from the beasts. Upon closer inspection, one could see their claws, as large as a human's hand, and their dark fur, which made them difficult to see at night.
Lucan had learned from Nors that they were Dark Wolves, a type of beast that hunted in packs. They had likely been drawn by the light of the fire, only to be stopped by the swordsman.
Now, they were food for a group of survivors who hadn't eaten anything this good in a long time. For Lucan, it had been a little over two weeks, but for the others, it felt like an eternity.
They couldn't care less how the meat was obtained; the excitement of eating good food was all that mattered.
Everyone gathered around the fire, watching as Dalia began cooking. The clean water from the filter machine would make it taste even better.
Eager to taste the new food and break the silence, Kenny voiced a thought he had been having. "Lord, will we build more shelters tomorrow, or are these all we'll make?"
"Yes, we need to build about six more," Lucan replied, waiting for the meat to cook. "I don't know why, but I've had a feeling since this morning that someone will probably come, and that's why I wanted to build them."
Everyone's eyes remained fixed on the meat.
"If it's just a feeling, Lord, then why do we need to build them?" Nors questioned Lucan's plan. "I mean, maybe people will come, or maybe they won't, and the shelters will be empty. And in this wasteland, who would even come?"
What Nors said was true; in a place like this, it seemed unlikely that anyone would show up. But in this strange place, anything was possible.
"I know that," Lucan responded. "But let's forget about it and see if the meat is cooked. Why don't we all take a bite and see if it's as good as it smells?" Lucan looked at the meat, which was now ready.
The meat wasn't much to look at, but the smell was incredible, and the aroma made everyone's mouth water.
With Alian's help, Dalia served everyone, and they began to eat. Everyone's face lit up in shock.
Seeing their expressions, Dalia became worried. "What happened? Is the meat not cooked properly, or is it bad?" she asked.
"No, no, it's just too good," Lucan replied. "I didn't think I'd get to eat such quality meat after leaving my home." It seemed the Dark Wolf meat was delicious.
"Yes, Dalia, it's just too good," Nors said joyfully, savoring the taste as he bit into the meat. "How many months has it been since we've had food like this?"
"Mom, it's not just good; it's great!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Yes, Mom, what my brother said is right. It's too good," Alian added, encouraging his mother for preparing the meal.
"Dalia, if I can eat more of this tomorrow, I'll probably be healed in the next two days," Evan told her. Dalia was helping him eat the meat.
Dalia was the only one who hadn't tasted the food she prepared. But after hearing everyone's praise, she took a bite, and a smile spread across her face.
If someone were to see them, they would think they were about to cry—not from sadness, but from pure joy.
Everyone was eating, but what they didn't know was that two people were watching them from the fence.
They looked like hunters—thin and in ragged clothes, each carrying a bow and some arrows. One also had a dagger attached to his belt.
"Brother, why don't we attack them and take the food?" the person with the bow asked. "They're eating with so much happiness."
It seemed they wanted to kill Lucan and the others to steal their food, but the hunter also seemed interested in the place.
The other person replied, "No, Elias, we can't. If we do that, we'll kill them, but what do you think we'll do after that? Just sit here forever?"
"Can't you see that they're healthier than us?" the hunter with the dagger added. "And if you don't see it, I do. The person in noble attire is just too powerful. There's a shadow behind him. If we were to attack them, it would kill us."
They appeared to be brothers, but with different outlooks. One wanted to attack and kill Lucan and the others, while the other was terrified of the shadow he saw.
"Why don't we go there and ask them for some food?" the dagger hunter said to his brother. "If they accept, we'll work for them to repay them. Otherwise, you can go get yourself killed."
"No, no, I don't want to die so young," Elias pleaded. "I haven't even gotten a wife yet. How can I just die like that? What you're saying is good, Marcus, brother. We'll talk to them and see if they need our help."
"Okay, so on the count of three, we go there, okay?" Marcus asked, his voice full of worry.
"Okay," Elias agreed.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
They began to walk slowly toward the fire. Lucan was the first to notice them. He couldn't see their faces in the dark, but he heard their footsteps and saw their shadows.
"Who's there?" Lucan asked, looking in their direction.
"What happened, Lord? Is there someone there?" Nors asked, also looking in that direction, but he couldn't see due to his poor eyesight. After a few seconds, the hunters approached them.
"Sir, don't be cautious," Marcus said, his voice measured. "We're not here to fight. We just wanted some food. From the looks on your faces, I'd say it's great, right?" Elias stood silently behind him, just as Marcus had told him to.
Nors looked from Marcus to Lucan, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Oh! Someone like us has come, Lord!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think your feeling would be so spot-on. You said people were coming, and here they are. Evan, aren't they just like us when we first met the Lord?"
"Yes, Father, they are just like us," Evan agreed, "but not as desperate. We were hanging on by a thread, but these two look as though they haven't eaten in days."
Nors and Evan's words caused the hunters to stiffen, misinterpreting their meaning. The fact that the noble-looking Lord, sitting in the middle of them all, knew they were coming made them believe their plan to kill them had no chance of success.
Lucan, unaware of their internal panic, felt a different kind of feeling. 'I'm still getting this feeling,' he thought. It was a lingering sense that more people would be coming.
Putting that thought aside, Lucan turned his attention to the newcomers.
"So, you want some food," Lucan began. "But why should I give it to you? Give me a reason. If you'll do some work, like these people, then I can give you food, but if not..." He trailed off, knowing from experience that people's reactions depended on their inner state. If they were scared, they would either beg or agree to work. If they were arrogant, they would cause trouble.
"Sir, my brother and I can hunt," Marcus replied, addressing Lucan's silent question. "From the looks of your faces, I don't think you've eaten food this good in a while. We've also eaten meat, but it was raw."
"Oh... okay," Lucan said. "Then show me some of your skills."
"Sir, we haven't eaten, so we can't perform at our full power," Marcus stated.
The others at the fire remained silent, their focus entirely on the food. They listened, but didn't speak. In their minds, Lucan was their savior, and what he decided would be best for them.
"I don't want your full power," Lucan insisted. "Just show me what you can do, and I'll consider it."
A sudden snort of laughter, "Puff," came from Kenny, and soon everyone was chuckling.
"Lord is just joking," Nors explained, a smile on his face. "You don't need to fight. Lord was just trying to see if you would truly do as he says. And you passed. You will hear more about your 'passing' from Lord himself."
"What?" Elias blurted out, a look of confusion on his face. 'What did that mean? A test? What happened?' He stared at Nors, then Marcus, before his gaze settled on Lucan.
Feeling their stares, Lucan explained, "When you were coming here, I already sensed that there were people approaching, and even when you got this close, everyone else didn't know you were here. So that means you have potential. Based on that, you can join us, and, like you said, I'll make you work for it. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," Marcus replied, a look of relief on his face. "We will do that, but we don't know your name. What should we call you?"
"Don't you think you should tell me your name before asking for mine?" Lucan said, his tone serious, though a faint smile played on his lips. He was enjoying this.
"Sorry, sir," Marcus apologized. "My name is Marcus, and this is my brother-like friend, Elias."
"Okay. My name is Lucan, and I am this land's owner," Lucan stated. "You can call me Lord or anything you want."
"So, sir's name is Sir Lucan," Marcus and Elias said in unison.
"I'm Nors," Nors introduced himself.
"I'm Kenny," Kenny said. "And he's my brother, Alian."
"My name is Dalia, and he is my husband, Evan and these two are my sons," Dalia added, gesturing to Evan and her sons.
"Sir Lucan, can we eat some meat now?" Marcus asked.
"Please, Sir Lucan, let us have some meat," Elias pleaded.
Not wanting to delay them, Lucan motioned for them to sit. They settled beside Nors and Kenny, their focus solely on the food.
They didn't want to talk too much, or rather, couldn't, as the food was too good to pass up. Everyone, including Marcus and Elias, began eating.
After the meal, Lucan assigned the two brothers to the fourth shelter they had just built. With their work for the day done, Dalia cleaned the firepit.
The hunters, wanting to stand guard, went to the fence. Alian went into the shelter with Evan and Dalia, while Kenny slept with Nors in the third shelter.
The shelters were built easily with the collected materials, much faster than the first time. Lucan, sitting on his leaf bed, watched as the system screen appeared. This was the fruit of his labor, and how he used it was up to him.
[Shelter Built x2: +10 LP, +100 CP]
[2 New Members Joined: +10 LP]
It was a good feeling to see his work rewarded by this non-sentient entity.
"Hah... let's hope there's something good for not spending it all," Lucan whispered to himself in the now-quieter shelter. The sounds of snoring from Nors and Kenny, and the children's voices from another shelter, filled the air.
"So, let's see if that machine was purely for our good, or if there were some things I didn't see." As soon as he thought this, the screen showed a single prompt.
[Filter Machine's Limits]
Lucan felt a bad feeling as three more prompts appeared.
[The machine's core wears down with each use, risking a backlash of curses if it's not replaced in time.
[The stone waste box has a limited capacity; if it fills completely, it will violently erupt and contaminate the surrounding area.]
[The machine can be used for a few cycles without mana, but will require a consistent source of mana to continue operating after that.]
"Oh... so the core wears down, the stone box has a limited capacity, and it runs on mana," Lucan said to the screen. "I can understand the first two things, but where do I find a mage to put mana into it? Nors misunderstood that I'm a mage, but he also can't see it runs on mana, so there's no problem with Nors." The screen seemed to listen, but also not.
"So, now tell me, if you're going to pop up every time something happens, what do I do to call you when I need you to show up?" Lucan asked, a thought that had been on his mind for a while.
The screen didn't react for a second. Then, a single prompt appeared.
[Status]