Chapter 8: Our Home

[STATISTICS]

[AUTHORITY LEVEL: Commoners (400/1500 XP)]

[STRENGTH: D (0/1500 XP)]

[COUNTRY: Small Village (Money: 0/10,000, Villagers: 5/25)]

[SUPPORT: (Public: 85/100(%), Politics: 0/100(%))]

[UPDATE: AL + 15 XP, Support Public +10%]

Darren and his friends had a morning routine—they would have breakfast in the forest while sitting by the riverbank. After saving Rich, who was chased by bandits on his way to Mierre-Park, Darren earned 15 XP and gained increased public trust. Darren knew his friends placed their trust in him.

If Darren wanted to win this game, he had to complete every mission successfully. Thanks to his experience managing his family business, he didn't feel too pressured when leading people who worked under him.

There was only one challenge Darren needed to face—how to generate income to save the many lives that depended on him. Honestly, that was the most difficult task for him. With money, their lives could improve. There would be more opportunities for they could develop.

Should Darren consider borrowing money from Rich? As a merchant, Rich might have plenty of money.

But Darren quickly realized that money wouldn't be going anywhere—after all, they were too far from the city. Who knew how many days it took Rich to travel from Narima Beach to where they were now?

"We all know that last night my brother, Richard, came to warn me not to go to the city," Darren said amid the laughter of a few people joking in the background. Everyone immediately went quiet, eager to hear what Darren would say.

The young man shifted his position, turned around, and looked at his friends and Rich, who were still eating breakfast. With a confident smile, he explained his idea to start something new. He wanted to win the game. He wanted to return—he wanted his world back.

"Let's build a home to survive. Let's turn this land into our land of hope," Darren said with hope and confidence.

Darren knew that, no matter what, he couldn't avoid the rules unless he was on equal footing with Richard. That's why he wanted to prove that he could survive here despite the hardships. He knew the only way to fight Richard was to surpass him in quality.

"You agree to build this place?" Kael asked, a bit surprised. He knew Darren was the most stubborn one and had chosen to leave rather than stay. "You're not going to a better place?"

"I thought about it all night. I think there's no harm in staying here." Darren turned to his friends, who looked equally happy. "Maybe we can start by selling apples—or anything we can sell to the city. Then come back with supplies to build this area."

"I agree, Boss. We can get rich on this land!" Evan added enthusiastically.

"Boss, I'm a weapon expert. Since we don't have raw iron yet, I can make bows and arrows. Let me handle the weapons section. We can sell those in the city," Cal offered, which Darren immediately approved.

"Boss, I can take care of healthcare. I studied medicine before joining the military. Maybe we can also sell herbal medicine later." Elric offered his help. Darren already knew Elric's skill from the previous night when he treated three people at once. He trusted that Elric could handle the medical matters well.

"As always, building is my expertise. I'll probably spend a lot of time here building homes for all of us," Kael said confidently, drawing laughter from everyone.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what my skill is," Leon said, seeming insecure. "I don't think I have any notable abilities."

"No problem, Leon. But I'm certain everyone has a skill. Including you. Or let's try something simple—what's something you enjoy the most? Maybe a hobby you do often."

"Umm..." Leon thought for a moment while everyone listened, ignoring the birds chirping around them. "...I think I like handling food. I love eating, and I enjoy making sure everyone has enough to eat."

Darren immediately understood what Leon meant. "Alright, maybe you can take on the role of Supply. You'll make sure we always have food. What do you think, Leon?"

"Do you think I'll be able to handle it?" Leon asked, still unsure.

"I'll help you for the next few weeks," Darren assured him. "For a small group like this, it won't be too hard. Trust me—you'll become skilled at managing supplies even if we end up leading a much larger group."

"Really?" Leon's eyes sparkled, and Darren smiled, pleased to see his enthusiasm.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready, Boss!" Leon agreed, unable to hide his smile.

Darren knew that the desire to stay in this place was shared by everyone, even the developer. And Darren's task was to complete all the missions and become a worthy leader for their survival.

"Evan and I will figure out how to develop this place. One way or another, I'll make sure we don't freeze to death in the winter," Darren said with a smile, glancing at Rich, who looked at him with pride.

"I admire your spirit, Your Highness. This place may look gloomy, but I believe there's gold that could make this land attractive. The bandits might leave, and this place could become busy," Rich said, and Darren agreed. If they stayed united and fought back against the bandits, their land could slowly thrive.

"Oh, and we'll probably always face threats from the bandits. That's why I highly recommend martial arts training. Since I can't fight, I'd be very interested in taking the class to help defend against the bandits. Among you, is there anyone who can teach us?" Darren asked, scanning his friends.

"Evan might be able to, Boss." Kael nodded toward Evan, who immediately rejected the suggestion. "Evan is your most skilled aide."

No wonder Evan was always by Darren's side—he was clearly the strongest among them. In Darren's world, Evan was probably more like his personal assistant.

"I don't want to outrank my Boss. I don't want to teach Prince Darren," he said, showing his reluctance.

"I'm open to learning. Besides, aren't you the best at fighting?" Darren asked again, teasing Evan, who looked uneasy.

"Boss, I can't do it," Evan refused again.

"You can. Okay, I've decided—we'll start martial arts training to strengthen ourselves, especially against those naughty bandits." Darren had made his decision. Now it was time to discuss the next objective. "Kael, I want to discuss the housing plan with you. For now, let's build three houses. Can you calculate how much wood we'll need?"

"Of course, Boss. I've done it before," Kael replied.

"Okay, so what kind of house do you think we should build here? I suggest making a sturdy house that can protect us from winter storms. But I'm open to your ideas, too." Darren asked about the kind of house his friends wanted to build. He wanted to know their dream home.

"It should have a fireplace, if possible. I don't think we need too many houses. One is enough, as long as we have a fireplace," Cal said, and Darren agreed—they might not survive without fire nearby.

"But if we want a fireplace, it'll take more time. We'd have to produce our bricks," Elric responded to Cal's suggestion.

"That's why we should just build one big house. We'll all live there—six of—us-with a stove inside," Evan agreed, listening intently to the discussion.

"In winter, bandits usually don't roam the roads," Rich chimed in. "They're too busy keeping warm. But as a merchant, I'd say we'd need an inn. Maybe the bandits would even stay longer in the inn. How about you build one? I think it would be a great success."

It was a good idea, but Darren's priority was to build a house for them first. After all, only Rich had stopped by so far.

There were two possibilities—either Rich had gotten lost, or this was the perfect time for Darren to build an inn as his first business venture.