"Why are you talking like this all of a sudden? We've done well so far!"
"Call it a reality check. Did you see that pile of corpses? One day, we're going to end up just like them if we keep this up."
"Co on, get a grip! Complaining won't fix anything. We have to keep fighting."
"There's another way," Emily said with a bitter smile.
"We can join a stronger group."
"…!"
Justin listened to the grumbling of his companions as he steadied his shaky posture. After hearing the victory announcent, they had been transported into the castle grounds, which was a relief.
Everything had gone well—until an unexpected earthquake shook the ground beneath them before they could even fully enter the castle.
"Could it be that they're no longer free from natural disasters here?" Justin thought, his frown deepening at the possibility of another problem arising.
Just as he was beginning to feel concerned, a system ssage echoed in his ears:
"Ding! Transferring the first stage of 'Full Territory Developnt' from your previous territory."
"Ding! Castle expansion, wall reinforcent, residential improvents, and additional facilities have been completed."
"Ding! The developnt transfer is complete. Please review the changes."
Hearing this, Justin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little sheepish.
"...Oh, right. I almost forgot about that."
He rembered the detail he had pushed to the back of his mind during the trial. He'd been told that any developnt already done in the previous village would be transferred to the new city. Having been so srized by the grand city, he hadn't expected it to get even better.
"Impressive. It's been less than three months since you arrived in this world, and you've already developed a whole village."
The unexpected voice startled everyone, and they all turned to see the Dark Elf approaching with a curious look on her face.
"I doubt you managed to fund all of this just by clearing a dungeon or two," she said, her eyes scanning Justin.
"Well, I worked hard and sohow gathered the funds," Justin replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
"'Worked hard,' you say. Only you could downplay such an enormous feat with so few words," the Dark Elf said, smiling softly, clearly pleased with Justin's new position as lord of the city.
"As I ntioned before, this city is now yours. You are the lord, and you will rule over it."
"It's nice to hear that," Justin responded, "but is that all you're giving?"
"All? Are you saying you're not satisfied with such a magnificent city?" she asked, an amused challenge in her tone.
"No, not that. I was wondering—does the city co with anything hidden? From what I know, Elven cities usually co with magical books, and Dwarven cities with anvils."
In gas, Elven cities typically ca with magical libraries, and Dwarven cities had powerful forges, granting significant bonuses to units with certain professions. Justin figured that Dark Elf cities would have sothing similar.
"Ah, I see what you're asking. Of course, we have sothing," the Dark Elf said, her smile widening with confidence.
"When you're done exploring, head down to the castle's basent. You'll find a treasure there that will more than satisfy you."
"I'll look forward to it," Justin replied with a grin.
"Oh, one more thing I almost forgot."
At that, the Dark Elf waved her hand, and another system ssage appeared:
"Ding! A new developnt option, 'Civilians Migration,' has been added to your territory managent."
"Ding! This option allows you to imdiately transfer all civilians from your old territory."
"Ding! This is a one-ti option and will disappear after use."
Justin checked the system and saw that the new feature had indeed been added.
"I thought it would be unbecoming for the lord of a city to look disorganized in front of their people. Take your ti exploring before you summon the civilians," the Dark Elf advised.
"Good service. Thanks," Justin said with a nod.
"You're welco," she replied.
Her form began to fade, blending into the air around them, but her voice lingered, echoing softly.
"This city was once ours—a place where the glory of our past still lingers. Now, revel in it. Marvel at it. For this city's greatness is a reflection of our own."
And with that, the Dark Elf vanished completely. Justin's companions stood still for a mont before cautiously stepping forward to address him.
"Is she really gone for good?" one of them asked.
"Seems like it. She has no reason to stick around," Justin replied.
"So this city...?" another companion began.
"Is ours," Justin said, his voice firm. "Just like she said, I'm the lord now."
The realization finally sank in, and Justin's companions exchanged excited glances. This grand city was truly theirs now.
Raising his hand, Justin called out to the group. "Alright, everyone! Go explore the city again! There's probably been a lot of changes since last ti. And while you're at it, find a place you'd like to live in!"
"Yes, sir!" ca the enthusiastic replies as the group quickly dispersed to explore the city.
When they flung open the large doors of the castle, exclamations of amazent filled the air.
"My God...!"
"This is incredible!"
The lavish architecture and atmosphere of the city seed to belong in the pages of a fantasy novel, far beyond what any of them had expected.
"The rooms are bigger, and the furniture is fancier!" soone shouted.
"There's even more stuff inside than before!" another voice called out.
"There's even a whole building just for the servants!"
The entire group was caught up in their excitent, with no other factions left in the city to dampen their spirits. As Justin watched them roam around, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
Then, one of the scouts from the group approached him cautiously.
"Uhm, Jus....Lord."
"What's the matter?" Justin asked.
"There's sothing strange happening at the city gate. So people are still hanging around outside... and they're trying to talk to us."
"...Really?" Justin raised an eyebrow, curious as to why anyone would still be lingering around.
"They haven't attacked the gate or anything, but they keep shouting sothing. I didn't want to get too close, just in case."
"Hmm." Justin's curiosity grew. He couldn't think of any reason why anyone would still be outside. Hadn't everything been settled?
"Let's go check it out. Everyone, gather up!"
His companions, who had been joyfully exploring, quickly regrouped with serious faces, preparing for a potential conflict. They followed Justin as he led them toward the city gate.
As they approached, weak, desperate voices could be heard from the other side of the wall.
"We surrender! We're surrendering, okay!? Please, soone open the gate...!"
"Is there no one there?! Please, soone—anyone—open the gate!"
"If I keep shouting like this, my throat's gonna bleed—cough, cough!"
"Are we going to starve to death out here...?!"
Justin blinked in confusion, staring at the gate, unsure of how to respond.
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