ACT III

ACT III

Population: 1
Food Stores: Very Low
Wealth: 300 G
Status: Surviving

Eldric pulled the folded map of the kingdom from his bag and spread it across his knee.

The parchment was slightly worn from years of study. Faint creases ran across the surface where it had been folded and unfolded countless times.

He compared the landscape around him with the markings on the map.

The curve of the river.

The position of the hill.

The distant silhouette of the rocky mountain rising beyond the trees.

After a moment of quiet observation, he nodded to himself.

Judging from the surrounding terrain and retracing the path that had brought him here, Eldric could form a fairly accurate idea of his location.

According to the map, he was southwest of the Kingdom Palace, close to the outer edge of the Sylidian Kingdom’s borderlands.

To the west of his position, a river flowed steadily toward the south.
Farther east lay Ashford City, one of the kingdom’s major frontier cities. Between them stood the rocky mountain ridge that divided the valley.

Eldric narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Hmmm…”

He traced a finger along the mountain range.

“This place is hard to reach,” he murmured.

His finger continued toward the narrow paths that wound around the mountain.

“And with the mountain limiting the roads… it would make a perfect place for bandits to hide.”

He leaned back slightly and looked toward the distant ridge.

A narrow passage. Limited patrol routes. Plenty of forest cover.

Yes… bandits would love this place.

His finger then moved across the river on the map.

Beyond the river marked the border of the Eludia Kingdom.

Eldric rested his chin on his hand as he thought.

“We’re on good diplomatic terms with them…”

For now.

“But if anything ever goes wrong…”

His eyes drifted toward the horizon.

“This place would become the front line of war.”

The valley suddenly felt a little less peaceful.

After a moment, Eldric shook the thought away.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a silver pocket watch.

Its casing gleamed softly under the sunlight. Thin lines of bright blue enamel ran along the edges, framing a carefully engraved emblem at its center.

A golden trident, with an estoile star shining behind it.

The symbol of his family.

He clicked it open.

The small hands ticked steadily.

“Hm.”

Eldric closed the watch with a soft snap.

“It’s just past noon.”

He stood up and looked toward the forest and the riverbank.

“If I want to survive the night…”

His eyes sharpened with determination.

“I’d better start preparing.”

Our hero walked to the spot he had marked with an X on his map and drove his shovel firmly into the ground.

The metal tip sank into the soil with a dull thud.

“Good enough. From now one, this place shall be called Fronterra!”

This would be the place where his first shelter would stand.

Eldric stepped back and surveyed the area for a moment before reaching into his bag.

From it, he pulled out a small wooden-handled axe.

Eldric Alderman — the son of the kingdom’s strongest paladin…

…had a woodcutter’s axe as his first weapon.

He stared at it for a moment.

“…Father would probably cry if he saw this.”

With a small shrug, Eldric turned toward the forest and began collecting fallen branches and sturdy sticks.

In deep thought, a page comes into his mind palace. The illustration of a simple wooden frame tied with rope across it. A Tumpline Pack.

Eldric quickly gathered a few suitable branches and tied them together using the rope from his bag. Within minutes, the crude wooden frame rested against his back.

Tumpline Pack Unlocked - Wood Gathering Efficiency +30

A primitive carrying frame used to haul large bundles of wood.

Eldric smiles.

“Hmm… much better”

Meanwhile, back at Alderman Estate, moments after Eldric’s wagons departed.

The Alderman family sat in the living room.

Cecilia held the trick coin her brother had left behind. She lifted it toward the sunlight streaming through the window, turning it slowly as she observed it.

“Mom… is Brother leaving us?” she asked softly. “Is he getting married?”

She sat on the couch, swinging her legs back and forth.

Lady Merilda looked at her adorable daughter, smiling warmly. She pulled Cecilia into an embrace and planted a gentle peck on her cheek.

“Hehe, no dear. Your brother hasn’t left us,” she said gently.
“He’s simply been given a task.”

“A request from the King that he must fulfill… just like your father does.”

Cecilia looked into her father’s eyes.

Suddenly, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.

“Huhuhu… but Dad always comes back from those requests covered in blood,” she sniffled.
“And Big Brother even struggles to help me move my bed!”

Sir Aldis glanced at his wife and smiled knowingly.

He bent down, lifted Cecilia up, and settled her comfortably on his arm.

Walking to the window, he swung it open. A cool gust of wind rushed into the living room.

Cecilia slowly calmed down.

From the window, she looked out at the peaceful life of the Alderman Estate.

A maid cleaned the courtyard.

A gardener knelt in the flower beds, pulling weeds.

And a few men practiced sword strikes against a wooden dummy.

“Don’t worry, Cecilia,” Sir Aldis said gently.
“The request given to your brother is different from mine.”

“What does Big Brother need to do?” Cecilia asked curiously.

“Hmmm…”

He paused, pretending to think.

“He needs to have tea parties… and build a biiiiig dollhouse with farms.”

“Wow! Really?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Can we visit him sometime, Dad?”

She gave him her cutest big-eyed expression.

She knew very well that she was adorable.

And she also knew her father was weak against it.

Sir Aldis sighed dramatically.

“Hmm… fine. We’ll go visit your Big Brother someday.”

“But only if you finish your homework properly,” he added.

Cecilia immediately jumped down from his arms and sprinted toward the library.

“I’m doing my homework right now!”

A pile of branches and chopped wood lay beside a lonely shovel.

Next to it stood our hero — doing his best impression of a human sponge, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

Thud.

Another log fell after his axe struck it.

“I'm lucky there were some fallen trees in the forest,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

One by one, he gathered the wood and branches he had cut.

After a long moment of staring at the pile, he nodded to himself.

“Yeah… this should be enough for a small camp.”

He began arranging grass, moss, and small branches into a raised patch above the dirt, forming a crude mattress.

Impromptu Bed Unlocked — Comfort +10

He dusted his hands and reached into his travel bag.

“Let’s see what we have here.”

He rummaged around until he pulled out a folded cloth.

“Mom is the best,” he thought happily.

He unfolded it.

There was an embroidered picture of Lady Merilda striking an adorable pose, surrounded by pink stitching.

Below it were the words:

I ♥ MOM

“Urgh.”

Eldric’s face twisted in visible pain.

With a disgusted expression, he immediately shoved the cloth back into his bag.

“….”

“…Ahhh.”

He sat there quietly.

His face slowly turned red as a plum.

After a long moment…

He reached back into the bag and slowly pulled the cloth out again.

“…It’s still good cloth.”

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he began tying wood and branches together into a rough dome shape, stretching the cloth over it as a cover.

The shelter stood proudly.

On the back side of the tent, the embroidery faced outward.

I ♥ MOM

Small Camp Unlocked — Comfort +10

Eldric crossed his arms and nodded proudly at his work.

“Not bad.”

Just then—

A sudden gush of wind blasted through the clearing.

FWOOOSH

The cloth ripped loose.

Branches collapsed.

The entire structure scattered across the ground.

Silence.

“….”

Eldric stared at the destruction.

“….”

“…The book made it look easier than this.”

Small Camp Destroyed — Comfort -10

Hello Readers, this is Sir Shuusaku. Thank you for reading this chapter. I am excited to bring you into this world and hope that you enjoy the many adventure to comes.

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