Settling in

As Ethan walked past the village square, his hand brushed against his pocket. Feeling the vial containing the poison in his pocket, a realization crossed his mind.

In the heat of the moment he had taken the vial from Gareth's house, which meant had Gareth not ran off they would've found nothing when they searched his house.

Shivering at the thought of almost acquitting Gareth himself, he muttered in a self deprecating manner, "You live, you learn."

Closing in on Ethan, Anna stomped her feet, with a pout on her lips. "That hurt you know?"

Pausing briefly, he rolled his eyes, and kept walking. 'Who knew Anna had such a personality.'

From his interactions with her when he played the game she appeared so serious almost too serious.

Tilting her head as she walked beside him, Anna read Ethan's expression. "You're brooding again."

Ethan blinked. "More of assessing the whole trial by fire for Gareth. It could've gone better."

"Same thing," she replied with a smirk. "You're too young to be frowning this much. You'll get old man wrinkles."

Pausing, Ethan looked in her blue eyes as he held her by her shoulders. "I almost let a traitor go because I got too excited waving a silver coin."

Raising her eyebrows momentarily, Anna shrugged. "But you didn't. He ran, remember? Kind of confessed with his legs."

"Still. That was luck more than judgment. I need to be smarter."

Shrugging, Anna replied, "Then be smarter, Ethan."

Smiling wryly, Ethan lettm go of her shoulders, then continued his procession toward the storehouse.

Walking to his side, Anna bumped him lightly with her shoulder. "Cheer up, Ethan. You're not the first chief to mess up. And you definitely wouldn't be the last."

Nodding, Ethan kept his gaze focused on the earthen brick building in the distance.

Getting to the building, Ethan opened its doors, staring at the almost empty space, he exhaled, turning around he looked at Anna with a serious expression on his face.

Touching her face, Anna muttered, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"What I'm about to show you, you have to promise not to tell anyone about it."

Staring at Ethan, Anna nodded vigorously before blushing lightly as a thought flashed through her mind.

"Good. Stand back and prepare to be amazed."

Anna's eyes glowed mischievously. 'Here it comes—he's going to show me something big.'

Ethan navigated to the inbox, selecting the resource rewards. Hundred pieces of neatly cut logs materialized on the ground followed by hundred pieces of roughly cut stones.

Anna's eyes widened as the logs and stones suddenly materialized out of thin air. She stepped forward, touching the neatly cut wood.

"That's… actually amazing."

Then, her expression dimmed slightly as she sighed. "Oh well."

Ethan caught the shift. "What? Is it not enough?"

Anna waved her hand dismissively. "It is. I was just expecting something else."

Her eyes drifted lower, trailing Ethan's body, stopping just below his waist.

Catching her gaze, Ethan coughed violently and stepped back. "Anna. No, absolutely not!"

Anna tilted her head, an innocent expression on her face. "Hmm? What?"

"Whatever you're thinking—stop thinking it!" Crossing his arms, Ethan glared at her.

Holding in the giggle threatening to erupt from her with a reddened face, Anna replied, "You're getting awfully defensive, Chief."

Shooting her one last glare, Ethan stomped out of the warehouse. "I'm done with this conversation."

"Look at him running like a startled maiden," she teased. Her gaze lowered once again, biting her lips, she followed him.

Moments later, Ethan returned with Romelu in tow. "So, can you build it?"

Walking towards the stacks of stones and wood, he knelt down, knocked on the wood for a few seconds then ran his hands across it before smiling. "That's quality wood right there Chief."

Standing up, he patted his shorts. "Yeah I can. Leave it to me Chief. The building will be ready in a day or two."

"Good, have someone assist you, " Ethan said as he walked out the store and trodded through the dirt patch leading to his house.

A few metres behind him, Romelu moved with a relaxed gait, three logs of wood settled on his shoulder.

As Ethan and Romelu walked past the village square, the villagers stopped in their tracks.

"Where did all that wood come from?" a woman whispered.

"Did the Chief buy it?" a middle-aged man muttered.

"No one saw a merchant come through," another added, eyes narrowing.

"Hold on," A middle-aged man frowned, stepping forward. "Chief, we didn't see any merchants arrive. Where did this wood come from?"

Ethan sighed, pausing he met the man's gaze evenly. "Trade secret."

The man's frown deepened. "Secrets? From your own people?"

"Not just secrets, trade secrets and I promise you'll understand soon." Ethan clasped the man's shoulder. "For now, relax and leave things to me."

Henry cut in, arms crossed. "Chief, you can't expect us to trust you blindly. Not after what happened with Gareth."

Ethan met their gazes. "And I don't expect you to. But trust is built over time. For now, just know that everything I do is for the village's survival." With that he continued walking.

The murmurs grew louder, curiosity mixing with unease. Ethan pretended not to hear, but he knew—rumors would solidify by nightfall.

Romelu eyes darted across the surrounding villagers before stopping at a burly man a head shorter than him, crouching down hammering nails onto a wood. "Oi Jord come help me with this."

Jord looked up with a smile, standing up, he approach Romelu. Reaching his hands toward the logs on Romelu's shoulders.

Romelu chided him. "Not that you short oaf! Go to the warehouse"

Scratching his head lightly, Jord made his way toward the warehouse.

Inside his cabinet, Ethan sat on the bed, navigating the transparent screen before him.

Staring at the red-colored gift box labeled Starting Reward, he selected it. The scene before him changed, the box shook gently before bursting open with a confetti flair.

[Lucky spin ticket.]

[x1 Resource point locator.]

[x1 Logging cabinet.]

Staring at the rewards, Ethan cursed under his breath. "Damn you lady luck."

He clenched his jaw as he thought back to last time, he had gotten an elite soldier unit and a fortified house blueprint.

Now? A logging cabinet and a random resource point locator.

A low knock on the door, broke his chain of thought. Anna walked in carrying a plate of rice with a watery curry stew.

Watching her move to the table in the room, he got up and moved toward it also.

Placing the food on the table, Ethan stared at it then at Anna.

Fidgeting slightly, she said, "I'm sorry, Ethan, but I had to make do with what we have."

Patting her, he responded calmly. "Why are you apologising? It's all good, soon we'll be having meals worthy of a king and his queen."

Anna smiled before rolling her eyes, "Dream on."

As she got to the door, the last part of Ethan's sentence registered in her head, pausing, she muttered under her breath, "His queen?"

Her face flushed crimson as she turned to look at Ethan who had a smirk on his face. She harrumphed, before stomping out of the house.

Staring at the door, Ethan laughed. "It takes two to tango Anna."

Soon, the sun began to set, casting a golden brown hue over the sparse buildings in the village.

The chirping of birds echoing softly mixed with the sounds of the villages bustle slowly dying down.

Stretching, Ethan adjusted his body. Sitting up from his slouched position. "Old habits really do die hard."

Dropping the quill pen on the desk, Ethan cast one last look at the financial reports, before turning his attention to the side mission. "Time to hunt a rat."

If his experience with games had taught him anything, it was that you were more likely to get rewards suitable for a mission right before you start.

Navigating to the roulette section of the system, he selected the lucky spin ticket.

The screen before him changed to a huge spinning wheel dotted with numerous colours ranging from brown to regal purple.

Crossing his fingers, he muttered a silent prayer. "Come on god of RNG. Come on."

The wheels, spun faster before gradually slowing down.

Ethan watched the spinning wheel gripping the arms of his chair.

It ticked past "Rusty Dagger (Common)." And Ethan felt his soul leave his body.

It hovered over 'Bag of Carrots (Uncommon)' and Ethan nearly screamed.

Then, finally—it landed on blue pie on the wheel.

[Congratulations: The Twins (Rare)]

[The Twins: a rare dual short blade forged by a dwarf forge master and engraved with inscriptions in Vaelorian.]

[The inscriptions allow them to return to the users hands if thrown within a 100 meter radius.]

Above the description, the image of twin silver short blades with blue inscriptions on its hilt appeared on the screen.

Ethan's heart skipped as he stared at the image, letting out a hearty laugh, he stood up abruptly and punched the air.

"Take that lady luck."