They saw the smoke before they saw the Landing.
Not the black smear of burning, This smoke was clean and controlled. It smelled of cooking fires and charcoal. It was civilization.
"Scouts," Hale said, already spotting the glint of movement through the trees.
A pair of forward runners broke from the shadows near a stand of pines and jogged to intercept them. Lean figures, light on their feet, breathing hard but grinning wide. They were armoured in the standard armour they all were recruited in but they were armed with multiple throwing spears and that was not something they were recruited with.
"You're back," one of them panted. "We—we weren't sure—"
"You sure scared us My Lord, when we first saw a column of troops approaching we weren't-
"We're back," Harold said, clasping the scout's outstretched arm. "Go let them know."
The scouts didn't hesitate. He spun and took off at a sprint, vanishing back into the trees.
Hale gave the call to keep moving and the column started forward with more energy.
Two hours later, the trail was becoming more worn when suddenly the trees parted — and The Landing revealed itself.
Harold stopped walking for a moment and just took it in.
It was still The Landing. Just more…it was amazing how much could be done in almost 3 weeks.
The forest had been pushed back. The fields were at least four times the size they'd been when they left — stumps torn out, underbrush cleared, furrows already cut in clean rows. The tatanka had done good work. He could see one now, lazily pulling some kind of roller over newly tilled soil, a pair of workers guiding it like a living plow.
More buildings dotted the perimeter. The original halls were finished now — shingled, reinforced, and fitted with proper chimneys. Another two halls had been added, and half a dozen smaller structures filled out what had once been empty space: storehouses, workshops, even what looked like a couple homes.
One large framework dominated the far end of the Landing — an in-progress warehouse, judging by the beams and scaffolding. There was a large stack of cut stone piled up near it. The mine must really be producing now. And the forge building looked like it had been expanded a lot. Hopefully that means they are pulling good iron now.
The tatanka pen had doubled in size. Fencing now ran high and solid, built with real lumber and reinforced with stone in some places. No more rope and wishful thinking.
No walls still but the construction for that wasn't slated until they could make concrete and rebar.
Only the military compound — remained behind its palisade, neat and squared, like the hub of a wheel that was now spinning outward. It looked like a second tower was being added to it.
They didn't reach the center before the people reached them.
They came spilling out of the buildings and the fields, from behind buildings, moving fast, clustered in groups, eyes wide. The column slowed, then halted entirely as the first of the villagers crashed into it.
They weren't panicking, the joy was obvious.
Family members shouting names. Children sprinting through the crowd, arms raised. A dozen conversations shouted at once — "Where's Mira?" "Is he back?" "He's alive!" — it was a tide of noise and light.
Somewhere near the barracks gate, Someone had, presumably Beth, mounted a huge wooden sign that arched overhead.
WELCOME BACK, NERDS it read.
The "NERDS" had clearly been added after the fact, in a different color.
Carter saw it and laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
There was no formal reception. No parade. Just a crush of people welcoming their own. The formation dissolved almost immediately.
Margaret, Beth and Josh. Mr Caldwell. Evan and Mark, even Lira was there. The council stood outside the Lords hall, flanked by aides, their expressions unreadable until Harold approached. Then Margaret broke into a slow, reserved smile and offered a crisp nod.
"Welcome back" Beth said.
Harold didn't even reply, he just hugged her.
Hale passed by, already issuing orders to start breaking down the march column, the orders were for show. The formation was already gone. Garrick began counting heads. Sarah had vanished into a crowd of adventurers, all of whom seemed to be talking and yelling at once.
Harold just stood for a second, taking it all in. He breathed in and let his eyes roam over the people. The Happiness. The contrast was stark from Dalens Hold and life on the trail. This was home.
The Landing was alive. And it was growing.
By dusk, the whole place had transformed.
Tables dragged into courtyards. They had real furniture now. It wasn't what anyone would call nice but it was functional. Fire pits were lit. Roasting meat. Boiling stews. No beer still but Harold promised himself next time there would be.
Life just wasn't life without some bad decisions sometimes.
It wasn't official, but it was a feast.
The Landing's population — now well over 2,300, after seven weeks of steady recruiting — had turned out en masse. Old friends reunited. Soldiers told stories. Kids darted around with net-woven flags pretending to be legionaries.
Josh handed Harold a bowl of stew and slapped him on the back hard enough to almost spill it.
"I knew you'd come back. You look like crap, by the way."
"Good to see you too, Josh." Harold smiled back at him. "You look fat and lazy."
"Like the sign?"
Harold arched an eyebrow.
"The nerds bit was my idea," he added proudly.
"Figures." Harold laughed.
As the night deepened, the celebration only grew. Music — crude, but enthusiastic — picked up near the forge yard. Someone had made a flute from a hollow bone. There were dancing attempts. Someone had been showing people how to line dance and it became lively.
Harold drifted through it all, half-seeing, half-planning. They were happy because their Army had come back succesful. It was proof that what they were doing was working. The work was worth it.
He noted the new structures. The condition of the fields. The flow of people between districts. Everything was better than he expected. The council had done good work. The meeting tomorrow was going to take awhile. He had alot to get caught up on.
But more than that — this place had becomesomething in their absence.
They hadn't just survived while the army was gone, they had expanded and built. They had grown.
Harold had been ignoring the blinking notifications in his vision for hours.
He told himself it was for focus — that there were more important things to handle: reintegrating the army, checking on the Landing's progress, confirming that the relic was secure. But deep down, he knew the real reason.
He didn't want to be distracted by power. It would be too easy to get lost in it and forget why he sought it.
But eventually, the flicker became too much, and with a sigh, he pushed it open.
[WORLD FIRST]
Successful Military Campaign
PERK GAINED: Marcher Lord (Epic)
Your soldiers will move 10% faster while on campaign.
Your soldiers will use 10% less supply while on campaign.
Settlement Bonus:
You will recruit more experienced soldiers from your recruitment portal. (Variable)
Harold blinked.
That alone was huge. But the list was just beginning.
[WORLD FIRST]
Capture a Relic
PERK GAINED: Collector (Epic)
You will sometimes be nudged toward valuable opportunities or objects. (Variable)
Relics that you have displayed and secured will take 50% longer to be stolen.
Settlement Bonus:
Relics you have captured will have their effects increased by 10%.
PERK GAINED: Trusted Council (Rare)
Officials you trusted to run your territory while away will be 8% more trustworthy.
PERK GAINED: Honor the Ancestors (Rare)
Soldiers you command who fight in the traditions of your people will learn those methods 12% faster.
PERK GAINED: Marching Along (Uncommon)
Your marching speed is increased by 6%.
It was a lot.
He hadn't checked them since the march began. Too many small, passive bonuses had trickled in from his people's progress in the territory — mostly minor. Like the one for domesticating animals, which gave a small increase to similar efforts in his domain. The most useful one was probably the ones for loyalty and happiness. Loyal and happy people just worked harder and better. They were all useful, but not critical.
A handful of soldier-specific perks trickled in — minor, but potentially useful. The real prize had been the World Firsts. The biggest was for killing that commander. Several for leadership and command. One that extended the effects of his aura. He wondered if that extend the effect of the aura he got for his legendary Perk.
The world first though?
These were game-changing.
World Firsts were the rarest kind of achievement — and the only ones that came with settlement bonuses for Lords. And the military campaign one? Ludicrous.
That variable recruitment bonus was gold.
With how many recruitment portals he'd eventually have access to, his vision of maintaining a highly trained, elite fighting force was suddenly more than just a pipe dream. The soldiers coming in wouldn't just be raw conscripts anymore. Some of them would arrive with training and perks.
He didn't know what the relic Perk would be before placing it — nobody did. But it was better than he could've hoped. Securing relics was dangerous. Stealing them back even harder. Now they'd be safer, and more effective.
10% more effective, to be precise.
Earlier that day, Harold had made time to handle it personally.
He'd placed the mushroom-shaped relic into the socket at the head of the Lord's Hall — the slot built specifically for anchoring relics to a territory. It had glowed brilliantly for a flash, flooding the room in green-white light, before settling into a steady hum. Thin veins of glowing blue and green still crawled over the surface, like light running through living roots.
It was working.
A panel showed up after it settled into its slot.
Relic Bonus:Name: Verdant Heart
Effect:
Increases cultivated field growth speed by 15%.
Increases cultivated fields nutritional value and medicinal potency by 10%.
Slightly increases the chance of rare or mutated herbs spawning within your territory.
That relic would accelerate growth, boost crop health, and enrich everything from nutritional density to medicinal potency.
Exactly what a potion lord needed to jumpstart production.
Once it was set, he'd kicked everyone that was still sleeping there out of the hall.
No more crashing on cots or storing crates in the main chamber.
It was time the Lord's Hall actually served its name. He'd told Margaret to find sleeping space for them elsewhere — and she had, efficiently. The hall was quiet now for the first time since arriving in Gravesend.
Back in the corner of the Hall, Harold finished scrolling through the last of the notifications. There was a subtle pulse beneath his skin now — not just the hum of more mana, but better mana. His core felt deeper and sharper.
It wasn't just quantity. It was quality.
He'd earned several Epic perks — and he still had the one Legendary he arrived with. That legendary one was probably the reason he could even match that Goblin commander.
He flexed his hand and his mana answered his will.
He'd have to get back into serious training. Mastering this kind of increase in mana took time. He was leagues ahead of where he'd been when he started a month ago, and still not even close to where he'd need to be.
He sat there and listened to the revelry going on outside, he was glad his people were enjoying himself. They deserved it. He had pushed them hard ever since arriving here and they had the proof of their hard work right here in the Hall. They were better off than probably every other village in the Human sphere. It was a reason to celebrate, but there was a lot of work left to do.