The journey from Wayan down to Ironside took longer than Floki had initially calculated.

The reason for the delay, however, was understandable and, in a way, even beneficial to him.

Because of the large number of people traveling with him and the noise they made, monsters and wild beasts lurking nearby were drawn toward them. Floki, Garrick, and the eight knights from Wayan handled the threats together, cutting down anything that approached. As a result, no one was hurt.

Thanks to his special growth skill, everyone who took part in clearing the monsters gained one or two level-ups. Even Garrick, who was already at a higher level and required far more experience points, still managed to level up.

When night began to fall, the frequency of monster attacks increased, and the danger rose with it.

They were assaulted by all kinds of creatures, starting with weaker ones like goblins and demonic flame-wolves, and escalating to more dangerous threats such as groups of gigantic iron-back boars and fire-spitting flying monsters.

At night, only Garrick could fight at full capacity, aided by his Runic powers that significantly enhanced his perception.

The former Wayan knights did not share that advantage.

Even so, despite the difficulties, no one was hurt and with the type of monsters they hunted and the number of people, they took a lot of game back home.

By the time morning came, they finally arrived at Ironside, which was already alive with townspeople moving about and attending to their daily routines.

When the people from Wayan saw the farmlands, curiosity stirred among them.

Although most of the crops had yet to mature, the rich greenness of the fields made it obvious that the land was fertile, almost unnaturally so.

Floki led everyone toward the town hall, a structure large enough to hold their entire population and more.

As soon as they arrived, without any need for invitations, his townspeople began to gather one after another. Before long, they were greeting each other, mingling, and quickly forming bonds.

This time, the interactions flowed easily. There was no lingering hostility like there had been with Blackstone.

There was no need for speeches, no need for him to stand before them and talk about freedom or unity.

For a few minutes, Floki simply stood and watched.

He found himself enjoying the scene, especially when Angelina and the other women arrived, embracing their people one after another, crying and shouting with raw emotion.

While everyone was occupied, he quietly slipped into the town hall and shut the door behind him.

He switched his Path to the Beast-Tamer path and accessed the beast domain. Then he summoned Nightfang.

HISS

Nightfang hissed excitedly as it coiled itself around Floki’s palm.

Floki smiled faintly, looking down at the small creature.

"How was it in there?" he asked, gently patting its head with a finger. "Did you enjoy your stay?"

HISS

Nightfang responded with a pleased hiss.

It hissed again, and through the telepathic link granted by the Beast-Tamer path, Floki understood its meaning clearly.

It was hungry.

’What kind of father forgets something like that?’ Floki exhaled slowly. ’I didn’t even check on it. How long has it been... almost a day?’

Another problem surfaced immediately.

What exactly should he feed it?

From what he knew, snakes were carnivorous even at a young age. At Nightfang’s current stage, it would likely need insects or small rodents.

As if sensing his thoughts, Nightfang hissed again.

"You can hunt on your own?"

Nightfang gave an affirmative hiss.

Floki shook his head slightly. "It’s too dangerous right now. If it were nighttime, I might have let you try. At least then you wouldn’t be easily spotted."

At this stage, something as simple as a careless step could kill it.

"Don’t worry," he added. "I’ll have someone bring you food."

Right on cue, he noticed three young children playing not far from the town hall.

Little Noah, Ryik, and another boy about their age.

He called them over and told them to gather insects and bring them back.

The three of them dashed off immediately.

Floki returned inside and allowed Nightfang to move freely.

The small creature climbed onto his right shoulder and settled there, coiling comfortably.

Floki took a seat and leaned back slightly. Then he retrieved the two crystals of authority.

Without hesitation, he began the fusion process.

But an error appeared.

[ Your territory has fulfilled certain quotas. You cannot fuse now. ]

Floki frowned.

"I thought population was the only requirement."

[ Negative. From village to town, you only needed sufficient population and certain objectives completed. The probability of a successful fusion also increased after you eliminated a calamity. However, upgrading to a city requires additional conditions. ]

Floki let out a quiet sigh.

Why hadn’t the system mentioned this earlier? The thought crossed his mind, though he did not bother asking aloud. He already knew it would not respond.

Instead, he focused on what mattered.

"What quotas do I need to meet?"

[ Since you have already completed more than half of the required conditions in a short period after your last upgrade, the system will initiate a minimum requirement set. ]

[ Do you want to view it now or later? ]

"Now."

[ Positive ]

════════════════════

REQUIREMENTS:

—1) You must have at least 50 followers who have broken through to silver rank (Current status: 10/50)

—2) Build a stronger fence around your territory

—3) Possess at least 200 professionals among your people, including farmers, craftsmen, mages, builders, tailors... (Current Status: 53/200)

════════════════════

Floki studied the list in silence for a few seconds.

The first requirement was manageable. With the [Quest Provider] and [Lord’s Growth], their progress could be accelerated.

The third was also achievable through similar means, though it would require a more deliberate approach.

The second, however, stood out as a problem.

He lacked builders.

Resources were not the issue. Manpower was.

That made it far more troublesome.

Then something came to mind.

Thalia and Tania had given him a special communication scroll.

He could use it to ask for help.

"Haha... seducing them that day turned out to be more useful than humiliating Evander."

Without dwelling on it further, he took the scroll out of his inventory.

It was not ordinary in appearance.

Pink in color, covered in glowing runes, it pulsed faintly with energy.

He channeled mana into it without hesitation.

The moment his mana flowed in, the runes brightened.

A soft hum filled the room, steady and low, like something waking from a long slumber.

Floki narrowed his eyes, watching carefully.

Then—

The scroll unfolded.

Not physically, but in a strange, almost unreal manner. Its surface stretched and shimmered, forming a translucent screen in front of him.

Ripples of pink light spread across it before gradually stabilizing.

A figure began to take shape.

Blurry at first.

Then clearer.

Long red hair... sharp eyes... a familiar face.

"Floki?" Thalia’s voice came through, touched with surprise as a small smile formed on her lips. "So you finally decided to use it."

"Wait—he actually used it?"

Tania leaned into view, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"I thought you were going to keep it forever."

She waved enthusiastically and blew him a kiss.

They appeared to be in the same carriage as Evander, who tried to sneak a look at the screen, only to be pushed away immediately.

Floki leaned back slightly, his expression calm but serious.

The shift was enough to make both women pause.

"What’s wrong?" Thalia asked.

"Did something happen?" Tania added.

"I need something," Floki said.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Straight to the point. So it’s serious?"

"Yes."

Both of them grew more focused.

"What do you need?" Thalia asked.

"How can we help?" Tania followed.

"I need builders."

The words were simple, but the intent behind them was firm.

Thalia’s gaze sharpened. "How many?"

"At least a hundred."

A brief silence followed.

Tania leaned closer, her earlier playfulness gone. "A hundred isn’t something you can just find overnight."

"I know," Floki replied. "I’m not looking for amateurs. I need skilled workers. People who can build fast and build properly."

The sisters exchanged a glance.

They understood what this meant.

It was tied to his territory... and the contract with Evander.

They tried to dissuade him, warning that he might be setting himself up for disappointment. They even suggested abandoning the bet altogether, offering to convince Evander to end the contract.

Floki understood their concern.

But that was not what he needed.

"I’ll pay," he said, his tone steady. "I’m not asking for charity."

That was enough.

The two women exhaled lightly before nodding.

"Fine," Thalia said.

"We’ll discuss payment when we arrive in Ironside," Tania added.

They also mentioned that the workers would arrive within a day at most. It seemed they were still close to Ironside.

The connection faded shortly after.

"Good," Floki murmured.

That was settled.

Time to deal with the rest.