The larger her population became, the more Sera realised that being literate was not a norm unless one’s job required it. The fact was that Sera required it, and she became more and more aware that she needed to educate her people, not just so that they knew how to read, but so that they too could imagine what she could. Sera spent an entire day learning how to make paper, and how to make ink. Pens were perhaps a bit far-fetched at this time, but pen-like quills and ink were not out of the question. She recruited five workers from construction, a number that seemed at this stage like it would have a significant impact on the building industry, but the truth was that Sera only took this many individuals because the Migration Influx would no doubt make up for it. Sera also asked around to see if there were any already established ways of making paper or ink. Seeing as both seemed to be tools used only for nobility, nobody really had the knowledge, so Sera set the workers up just north of the Lord’s Manor, first getting them to construct their own building temporary and equipment that Sera gave them designs for. During the day, Sera paid a visit to where Mason was building the large ovens for the production of dry concrete. He had managed to clear a large area around the mine and mark out the area for a large warehouse that Sera had given him the plans for. He had also created a mould for the base layers of three large Ovens that would put the Blacksmith’s fire to shame. Masks had been prepared for Mason and another man who had elected to work on the first batch of concrete with Mason while the others either prepared stones for the building around the Ovens, or continued to work on the other numerous projects. In truth, Sera understood she had too many projects ongoing for the amount of man power she had at her disposal. Luckily, Mason had brought this up to her early and made her prioritise projects. That way, Mason could not only focus his manpower, but also determine whether new recruits should be sent to already ongoing projects, or begin on new ones. Out of the 20 construction workers, and roughly 10 farmer volunteers, 10 were working to fell trees around the territory for future expansion, as well as shaping wood for construction. 6 were working on temporary houses and furniture for the migrants. 5 were working on the project that Sera had given them for the paper and ink factory, 4 were up here at the limestone mines, and the remaining 5 were working on digging the tributary rivers. Sera watched as the first batch of powdered limestone was mixed with water, sand and small stones to a consistency that she okayed before it was poured into the waiting moulds and smoothed. The process was a little anticlimactic by the looks on Mason and the other workers faces, but Sera couldn’t wait until they removed the moulds two days later. Even if it would take a couple of weeks for it to set completely, if the weather held, the concrete would harden substantially within a couple of days. Mason then left with Sera to survey some of the cleared area to the west of the town where the urban and residential sectors would be built. Sera also proposed pipes and concrete roads. This confused Mason at first, but after a dinner spent with Sera as she explained the uses of these things, Mason’s eyes were widened to the genius of it. If pipes could directly send water to homes, or directly take away waste, then it would vastly elevate the living conditions of the people. Mason picked Sera’s brain for ideas well into the night, and Sera spoke of glass for windows, and several other ideas that left Mason overwhelmed and feeling inadequate. To this, Sera simply stated, “I’m not asking you to complete all this perfectly in a single night, Mason. I’m telling you that it’s all possible in time if you set your mind to it”. By Day 13, when another 15 Migrants arrived and the population of Epannon reached 92, the problem of where to house everyone had become far more prominent. Sera had been too ambitious with her plans versus the number of workers available to her. She called a meeting in the audience hall and apologised to her citizens, saying that builders were doing their best to meet demand, but the population was growing too quickly to cope, and they needed everyone’s understanding and help in order to better provide shelter for those coming in. Seeing as most had been cramped or without shelter for only a few days, they were far more understanding, and grateful that Sera was so quick to notice their most glaring problem. Sera also spent time explaining to them in the simplest way possible her plans for their future accommodation and why it would take a long time. The things Sera proposed seemed like a Utopia of sorts, and they were all very excited, though perhaps a little sceptical. Sera also stated that she would be making a school that would be mandatory for all citizens. It would not be acceptable for somebody in her territory to be without the ability to read and write or use their numbers. This shocked and thrilled all, as these skills that Sera was proposing as Mandatory were ones that only nobility and those with enough coin had access to. Sera went about writing a curriculum and textbooks, mostly copied but simplified from her own world. Sera wasn’t sure about the Heavenly Empires, but it had shocked her that she was expected to start a territory so massively illiterate. And she had a Diamond Grade Territory. She would hate to see what conditions were like in the Common or Copper Grade Territories. On Day 14, Mason removed the mould from the base layer concrete of the Ovens. He, and all the workers present, were absolutely blown away by the prospect of this new material, and eagerly worked to make more of it so that construction of the town that Sera had told them of could become a reality faster. The Temporary building for the paper mill was also finished. Sera spent the afternoon explaining the process of making paper and ink to all of the 5 individuals. All of them experienced workers, they divided the work to be done among themselves, all smiling at the prospect of this paper and ink becoming the tools they needed to become educated. When Sera retired that night, she woke to the Hollan Estate preparing for the celebration they had proposed. She already considered this world secondary to the one she had found in the Nine Heavens. This life in the estate was not a life. She was trapped and without a path forward. She wondered for the first time as she went about her new routine, if there was something that she could use to bring her to the Nine Heavens faster than the five-year deadline. When the time came, Sera dressed in some of her better clothes, seeing as she would likely be called out if she didn’t, and made her way towards the celebration with the guard escort that had come to retrieve her. The celebration in the main square was already in full swing by the time Sera arrived, though she was grateful for it considering it allowed her to blend in much easier. Sera arrived behind the rest of the line waiting to congratulate the territory holders and greet the Patriarch, and patiently waited her turn. Nathaniel sat in a spot of honour as the Gold Territory Holder. Seeing the way he was fawned over made the smallest bit of Sera regret not being honest in what she had been given, but she quickly shook the thought away knowing the territory would likely have been taken from her at the earliest convenience. Arriving before her blood-related family, the atmosphere dimmed significantly as she bowed. “Honour to the Patriarch and the Family,” she greeted, “And Congratulations to all territory holders for their impeccable feats”. Sera caught the eyes of her father for a moment. The man had earned himself a bronze territory from what Sera had heard. “Yes, yes,” the Patriarch said, “I heard you were granted individual development opportunity. How have you progressed?” The Patriarch had asked similar questions to many of the guests, so Sera had learned that the average level of those present was roughly 6. Sera was at Level 10 thanks to her training with the Guard and her many experience points earned through management, planning, ‘invention’ and resource development, not to mention her 2x experience reward from her territory trial. “I have managed Level 5, Lord Patriarch. The Nine Heavens truly presents wondrous opportunities and adventures,” stated Sera with a small smile. The second part she hadn’t at all been lying about. “Hmm,” the Patriarch replied to her words, “It does, best you not fall behind too far. Your duty is to the family, child. Once the first Tier is reached, it will become possible to travel between Established cities, and you will be expected to meet with others of the family as soon as possible so that you might better your achievements together. This will be the plan for all, so as a direct descendant you are not to disappoint”. Tier 1? With current progress, many could reach that milestone within the first 2 or 3 months. From what Sera had read though, ‘Enlightenment’ was not nearly as simple as one would initially expect. She wondered if the Patriarch knew this and simply had high expectations for all in his estate, or if he and all others were in for a rude surprise upon reaching level 20. “I understand, Lord Patriarch, I shall do my very best”. “See to it you do”. A dismissal if ever she heard one. Sera bowed again then retreated into the crowd. Nobody interacted with her, so she mostly stood on the outskirts, eating a little and drinking a little until the family stood for speeches. As soon as it was over, Sera elected to return to her isolated home. She was a stranger here. An ‘other’. A Bastard. They would never accept her. Not even if she handed them a fully developed Diamond Grade Territory. But when they found out about it, because they would soon enough, Sera would have no choice but to actively defend herself. That would take more skilled people than even what her generous migration influx could offer. Sera settled into a routine naturally even with the many things she was doing. When she woke just before dawn in the Nine Heavens, she spent 2 hours training with the growing Guard. Following that, she surveyed construction projects and better laid out plans, most of the time with Mason present. She would also consult with the farmers and/or Helga and the hunters regarding the acquiring of animals. The now the 4 hunters had located types of wild animals that could be domesticated, including wild sheep, boars, the bison, wild goats and wild dogs as well. The Hunters had been communicating with Helga, who had in turn planned for large fields where they could be domesticated. By day 16, Helga had managed to calculate both how much food and water were needed to sustain the animals, and how many of each animal could be initially captured. Giving the numbers to Sera, Sera thought the numbers seemed a little small, but Helga was aware of the expected population growth, and still insisted on the smaller amount. “We need to expand the crops before the new animals are old enough to breed,” said Helga, “Otherwise, they will eat through our food supply incredibly quickly”. Sera trusted Helga’s expertise and so ordered that the animal pens be made ready, and the teams prepared to go out and capture the appropriate number of animals. They decided to begin their operation in 5 days. Sera was headed to go and see the progress of the concrete when she felt a mental prompt like someone had politely poked her or make a pleasant chiming noise nearby. She paused and focused on it, realising that it had been the Action Tab from her personal information that had prompted her. She silently read the action with a smile. Congratulations! Your Territory has met the requirements and is now considered a Level 2 Territory! Sera realised that the new set of Migrants must have arrived, bringing her population over the 100 milestone. Sera checked her new Territory Status, noticing that it was much lengthier than when she had first looked at it thanks to all of the development she had encouraged over the past fortnight. Name: Epannon Grade: Diamond Level/Tier: 2/1 Ruler: Lady Seraphina Terqiue Time since Inception: 15:11:13:56 Population: 107 Satisfaction: 75% Total Area: 6km² Land Type: Government – 2%, Business – 4%, Residential – 6% Farmland – 60% Industry – 28% Fertility: 90% Faith: None Blessings: 100% increase on Crop Growth Rate, 50% chance of increase in the Potential of Citizens, 60% decrease in natural disasters, 100% chance of developing a Mana Environment Treasury: 4999G, 12S, 50B Allies: N/A Enemies: N/A Significant Buildings/Infrastructure: Lord’s Manor (Private Barracks, Town Meeting Hall, Storehouse), Inn, Butcher, Baker, Tailor, Cobbler, Healer’s Hut, Hunter’s Hut, Storehouse, Town Square, Paper & Ink Mill, Sawmill, Concrete Production House… Looking at her progress, it was safe to say that unless the others were actively conquering nearby peoples or places, Sera was likely the first to level up her territory in just 16 days. However, given that their numbers would be much lower than Sera’s, this was unlikely. Sera had calculated that if everyone started off with 31 individuals and 2km², and if someone with a gold territory were rewarded the 50% increase in the migration influx for 30 days like she had been, it would still take them a minimum of 25 days to cross the 100-population mark. If she assumed the 50% increase was just for her, then it’d take even longer at 37 days. But it would do her no good to assume until she had more information on the others from her world, which she was far more likely to get here in the Nine Heavens where she was free to move than in the world of her birth. The milestone was only momentarily exciting given the amount of things on the territory she needed to care for and oversee. She did however look at the requirements for Level 3, which were a population of 250 and a land area of 5km², as well as at least 2 level 2 building. The Inn was a level 3 building, and the blacksmith, healer’s hut, tailor and cobbler were all level 2 buildings, so she had already met that requirement. In fact, if she’d already met the land area as well, and then some. Her territory was approaching 8km² rapidly. With the thought in mind that she would reach the population cap in 36 days if nothing went wrong, Sera continued looking at the progress of construction projects. While it took a while for concrete to set, it was not the same for producing the dry powder needed to make it. While three individuals from the builders worked on mining limestone and producing the concrete with help from the Blacksmith’s fire, others began more rapidly clearing the forest and digging the tributary rivers. Sera had already proposed that there be one main river flowing towards the crops and herds, and another that flowed towards the town. She was planning to move the Central Plaza further west, and she would eventually do the same with every other building so that it was further away from the animal farms and construction areas. Sera also thought to build a dam to the north west that would supply water to the town seeing as no significant lake had been found in the immediate area. With all of these plans, the problem of the ‘pipes’ was again brought up, specifically how they were built, and where they would go. The water one was simple enough in concept, but the waste one was harder, as Sera currently had no place to send waste. This was probably one of the major problems that disturbed her. There was a massive pit to the north east where the people dumped their waste currently, and they knew enough that it was used as fertilizer for the crops, but in future, they could use animal manure for that. Human waste would need to be brought to something akin to a sewage treatment facility. Sera saw no other option as continuing to bury it as the population expanded would not be conducive to an environment that felt, and in particular smelt, clean. Dumping it back into the river was absolutely a no-go considering how much spread of disease that would cause. Sera spent several days in the real world researching how a sewage treatment facility worked and all the chemicals that needed to be produced from scratch in order to make it work. Of course, with this also came the glaring problem of power. Electricity didn’t seem to be a thing in this world. The people had no concept of it. Besides, even if the steam engine was a great invention, Sera had no desire to pollute such a clean environment more than she already would be. Hence, Sera began researching both clean forms of energy in her world, and the use of Mana as a replacement for electricity. By day 19, she concluded that her best option was to build a hydro-electric dam. The goal would be to use it to power lights, some industry buildings like the waste treatment plant, and a public transport system. It was an ambitious plan that would put other construction back several months if numbers to her population were not brought up. But rather than second guess herself, Sera immediately ordered that the plan be put in place and integrated into the plans for the pipes underground. Of course, electricity would also need a special kind of pipe to transport it… On day 22, a solution to Sera’s problem of lacking manpower presented itself when the new batch of migrants reported being attacked by Wildlings on their journey from the South. “Wildlings?” Joseph asked in surprise, “This far north?” “What are Wildlings?” Sera asked. “Wildlings are humans who are born in the Wilds,” Mimi explained, “They are commonly viewed as barbarian peoples that migrate from place to place to get what they need to survive”. Sera raised an eyebrow, then turned back to the new migrants, “How many were there? And what were they after?” “Food, mostly,” one of the women replied. Her name was Jenny, and from her skills, Sera planned to install her as a teacher once the school room was built, “There were about two dozen, though from conversations I overheard, there could have been many more of them somewhere else”. Sera smiled, her expression taking Joseph off-guard as she turned to him, “How many guards have we now?” “30, my Lady,” Joseph replied, “Though half of them are off capturing the animals for the pens right now”. Sera thought a moment, “I need Silas to scout out where the Wildlings could be”. “My Lady?” “They want food, yes? And there could be many of them. If we manage to make a deal with them, or if that fails, conquer them, we’ll be able to provide them food as well as boost our numbers for labour,” said Sera. Those around her widened their eyes in surprise, “You mean to take in the Wildlings as Citizens?” “I’ll take in anyone who proves to be a hard worker,” said Sera, “I don’t care about their origins or even their race. My only wish would be that we build this place up together”. Her people were surprised by her words, and felt in some ways that she was too naïve. Sera determined that she was aware of the risks though, and ordered that once the animals were brought back, scouts be sent out to look for the Wildlings.