Lucien leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the glowing text on the lord's panel.
[Your subject, the Construction Master- Gurdurr, has shared the technology "Concrete" with your other subjects!]
[Concrete: Unlocks the process for producing concrete, which can be used to build houses and bridges!]
He blinked. "Concrete?"
That meant the Gurdurr had just shared their knowledge with the city. The realization left him both surprised and impressed.
"Elif," Lucien called, not looking away from the panel, "how are the magical beasts are doing?"
The old steward bowed slightly.
"Your Highness, the group led by Hawley spent the night in their new quarters and rested well. This morning, they followed him to the construction site."
Lucien nodded slowly, piecing the situation together.
It seemed the newcomers had started to open up, learning, adapting, and sharing what they knew. The moment they began to trust, progress followed naturally.
"As expected," Lucien murmured, "a Pokémon that has tasted kindness will never again choose chains."
He glanced at the panel again, satisfaction tugging at the corner of his lips.
With the Gurdurr now added to the workforce and the Machoke to guide them, the city's final construction phase would be finished far ahead of schedule.
But the next problem came quickly to mind.
His population was still small. Barely three hundred humans. In some regions, that was not even enough to call it a village. Many of the newly built homes still stood empty.
"Too few people…" Lucien muttered, tapping the desk.
He began running through solutions in his head.
He could attract settlers by expanding trade and industry, drawing in those looking for work or safety.
He could also prepare to receive refugees once the war inevitably began; displaced families seeking shelter would gladly accept a new home.
And, of course, there was the slow but steady method: encouraging families within the city to grow naturally.
But all of those took time.
He sighed softly. "Some things can't be rushed."
For now, it was better to see what new advancements his growing civilization could achieve.
He opened the Technology Tree on the glowing panel. Lines branched outward like veins of light, connecting everything from agriculture to architecture. With the city complete and the people happy, satisfaction points had surged. His balance now stood at 9,730.
He began to scroll through the unlocked and unlockable technologies.
[Gathering]
→ Basic Fruit Cultivation → Advanced Fruit Cultivation → Fertilizer Science → Plantation (Unlockable)
→ Basic Herbalism → Advanced Herbalism → Bandage Dressing (Unlockable)
→ Toilet → Bathhouse → Irrigation Ditch (Unlockable)
[Animal Husbandry]
→ Basic Processing → Advanced Processing (Unlockable) → Messenger (Unlocked) → Pokémon Army Reform (Unlockable)
[Fishing]
→ Basic Shipbuilding → Advanced Shipbuilding (Unlockable)
[Mining]
→ Basic Ore Theory → Advanced Ore Theory (Unlockable)
→ Fortification (Unlockable)
→ Pottery (Unlockable)
He smiled faintly. Many of these technologies had only appeared because of the citizens' work. The bathhouse, for example, had automatically unlocked the related sanitation tech.
The Messenger system was another gift, introduced thanks to Ivan's discovery, training Pidgeot and other Flying Pokémon to carry messages across vast distances.
But a few entries now glowed brighter than the rest:
[Plantation] — Unlocks cultivation and processing of economic crops such as natural rubber, coffee, cocoa, and oil palm. (Cost: 1500 Satisfaction)
[Bandage Dressing] — Unlocks medical bandage production and simple treatment methods for wounds and fractures. (Cost: 1500 Satisfaction)
[Irrigation Canal] — Unlocks irrigation and water channel construction, forming an effective flood-control network. (Cost: 2000 Satisfaction)
[Pokémon Army Reform] — Introduces unified training methods for all Pokémon serving in the military. (Cost: 3000 Satisfaction)
Besides these, there was another technology that could create Pokémon like Clay Dolls and Clay Giants, but Lucien's satisfaction level was still a bit low.
"In that case, let's unlock some more advanced technologies first," Lucien said.
The Plantation could provide methods for cultivating and processing various cash crops such as rubber, palm oil, and cocoa beans, all of which were highly valuable. The only issue was that the territory did not yet possess the seeds for these crops.
Bandages were also important. During training, both riders and Pokémon often suffered fractures and sprains, and medicine alone was not enough in such cases. This technology could significantly improve the territory's medical capabilities and play a vital role in emergencies.
Irrigation canals were equally essential. At present, most of the farmland in the territory was concentrated along the riverbanks, which was manageable for the current season.
However, extreme weather such as torrential rains was common in the summer. Although moves like Sunny Day could influence the weather, with the current strength of the Larvesta, it was impossible to maintain weather control twenty-four hours a day.
Therefore, this technology was also indispensable.
"In that case, let's unlock four technologies first: Bandage, Irrigation Canal, Pokémon Army Reform, and Pottery!"
Lucien's thoughts flickered, and in an instant, his satisfaction level dropped by 7,500 points, leaving only 2,230 remaining.
He decided to save the remaining points until he reached 10,000, at which point he would unlock the Claydoll technology to see how Claydolls and Claygaints were created.
If the process was simple, they could mass-produce these Pokémon, which would be immensely useful for both development and defense.
While pondering this, Lucien wrote down the newly unlocked technologies on parchment and handed them to Elif, instructing him to oversee their implementation.
Having finished his business, Lucien stood up and exhaled softly.
Next, he planned to take Dragonair and Servine for special training.
Now that they had confirmed Kyurem's location, they needed to strengthen themselves before setting out, at least enough to ensure they could protect each other.
Just then, Lucien suddenly heard a commotion coming from the street outside.
"Huh? What's going on?"
He paused for a moment, then walked over to the window.
The next instant, he saw a large procession moving down the wide street.
That was—?
Before he could react, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Elif, who had just left moments ago, burst into the room, his aged face filled with excitement.
"Your Highness Lucien! People from the capital have arrived! His Majesty received our letter! Not only has His Majesty sent us more people, but he also sent Victini!"
As soon as Elif finished speaking, Lucien heard a familiar yet long-unheard voice ring out.
"Nini!"
...
Stones Plzz
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