The City of Brilliant Moon

What was a genius?

This was a genius.

After Ariel laid out her proposal to establish a City Hall in a clear and orderly manner, Loren was immediately impressed.

A genius-level administrator.

That was the system's assessment of Ariel, and the girl's performance just now had been absolutely stunning.

On top of that, Ariel's loyalty had quietly risen to 90 points, prompting Loren to appoint her as deputy speaker.

She was absolutely worth cultivating with all his might.

Ariel had the authority to nominate officials, but Loren himself had to approve each one. That would be when he checked their loyalty. Only officials loyal to him would qualify for important positions.

Moreover, he had the army firmly under his control. Ariel had gained greater autonomy while remaining under his authority.

So there was no risk of things spiraling out of control.

Though Loren had the whole situation in hand, outsiders couldn't see all that, much less know how high the system's assessment of Ariel was.

All they knew was that the young and beautiful Ariel had caught Loren's attention and been appointed deputy speaker of the City Hall. They couldn't help but marvel at her good fortune.

"The City Hall must begin its work as quickly as possible. Everyone must cooperate with Ariel. Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished by me personally."

With Loren's firm declaration, everyone immediately agreed.

"We will follow your orders."

Having settled the matter with a few words, Loren said no more. With him there, Ariel would surely be able to display her administrative talents.

In this territory, no one could interfere with his will.

His gaze fell on the guard captain, Kool.

"I'll draw up rules of conduct for the Security Department shortly. Oppressing the common people is strictly forbidden. Everyone must obey."

Kool immediately replied solemnly,

"Lord Loren, we will defend your will with our lives."

Loren nodded slowly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Gray Eagle Territory is our foundation, and the land we will defend in the future.

"On this territory, I will build a new city, one more magnificent than Decker City.

"On the Endless Wasteland, this city will shine like the sun.

"I will name it the City of Brilliant Moon.

"From today onward, you are all citizens of the City of Brilliant Moon.

"Our aspirations, too, will become eternal, like the brilliant moon in the sky!"

His words shook everyone to the core.

The City of Brilliant Moon would one day become eternal, like the brilliant moon in the sky.

An inexplicable emotion began to stir in everyone's hearts.

Their chests seemed to burn with an indescribable heat.

"Ding! You have established your main city—the City of Brilliant Moon, radiant and resplendent.

"You have activated a new territory attribute—Brilliant Moon Eternal.

"When the brilliant moon rises, residents of the City of Brilliant Moon will recover stamina 30% faster.

"Note: A territory can have only one main city."

Hmm?

Hearing the system's sudden notification, Loren's eyes showed a flicker of surprise and delight.

That worked too?

He instinctively opened the status panel.

Gray Eagle Territory

City of Brilliant Moon (Main City)

Level: Village

Lord: Loren Grant (View Detailed Attributes)

Special Attributes: Level Up (Anyone who joins the Gray Eagle Territory army gains the ability to level up by killing monsters. The level cap depends on bloodline potential: the greater the potential, the higher the level cap.)

Brilliant Moon Eternal (When the brilliant moon rises, the stamina recovery speed of residents within the City of Brilliant Moon increases by 30%.)

Defensive Structures: 1 Black Iron Grade Arrow Tower (can be upgraded to a Bronze Grade Arrow Tower); 1 Wooden Wall (can be upgraded to a Grey Soil Wall)

Living Structures: Lord's Manor, Blacksmith Shop

Residents: 177

Army:

Barbarian Berserkers (120): 1 Gold, 12 Silver, 107 Bronze.

Human Javelinists (40): 1 Silver, 39 Bronze.

Kobolds (140): 9 Silver, 131 Bronze.

Spellcasters: Kobold Bloodline Mage, 1 Silver Grade

Soul Power: 1157

Evaluation: On the Endless Wasteland, only adventurers dreaming of becoming lords would establish such a rudimentary territory. Perhaps by the next Bloody Day, this territory will no longer exist.

He hadn't expected to gain an extra territory attribute. This was an incredible bargain.

The stamina recovery attribute might not be useful for expanding outward, but it would be worth a fortune for farming and development. It was an invaluable trait.

No matter how exhausted someone became, they could rest for one night and be back to full strength the next day.

People in this world were already physically strong. Add their incredible recovery speed, and their labor efficiency would be through the roof.

After thinking it over, Loren became more and more convinced that this territory attribute was extraordinarily valuable for farming.

His mood lifted considerably.

Naturally, no one else knew about the system's changes. After Loren set the direction for establishing the City Hall, the rest of the discussion focused on it.

Two hours later, all the agreed-upon policies had been written down and codified as laws that everyone in Gray Eagle Territory would have to obey.

These policies included requirements for selecting City Hall officials, regulations for the Security Department, tax laws, and dozens of other miscellaneous rules.

Although these rules were still crude and could only be called a basic framework, once they had been established, everyone felt a little different.

They seemed to see a sapling growing resolutely in the perilous Endless Wasteland. Perhaps one day, it would truly grow into a towering tree.

Several subordinates who hadn't been particularly close to one another suddenly felt a stronger sense of belonging.

After the meeting, Loren gave the newly established City Hall its first task.

"The threat of the Bloody Day is drawing ever closer, but the Arrow Tower behind the wall still can't be put to use.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll rebuild the Arrow Tower."

The reward for rebuilding the Arrow Tower—the blueprint for the Elemental Tower—had to be obtained. There was no room for negotiation on that.

"Ariel, the Construction Department is still just an empty shell. Tomorrow, you'll organize an assessment for the residents and select officials for the department. I need enough talented people."

Ariel gathered her courage and nodded firmly. Her shy eyes held a trace of stubborn determination, and her voice was soft but unwavering.

"Lord Loren, I won't let you down."

Loren's unconditional trust made the girl feel as if the very air was full of hope. She had gained a courage she had never felt before.

She would never let Lord Loren down. Never!

Loren gave Ariel an encouraging smile, then looked toward the burly Barbarian Chieftain, Yas.

"The first task for now is rebuilding the Arrow Tower. Everything must revolve around that.

"But the army can't sit idle.

"Yas, tomorrow you and Sim will lead part of the army to scout the territory's surroundings and identify every danger within ten kilometers."

"I need detailed information about nearby mineral deposits, Magic Beasts, water sources, and orc tribes."

"Once the Arrow Tower has been rebuilt, I'll personally lead you out to hunt our enemies."

Highland Barbarians were a race that survived in the bitterly cold mountains. The perilous wasteland was no forbidden land to them. In fact, surviving on the wasteland might be easier for Barbarians than living in human cities.

The system's ability to level up by killing monsters was practically a cheat. Barbarian Berserkers and Javelinists both had considerable potential. As long as he raised their strength, he would have an exceptionally powerful army.

Loren was very much looking forward to it.