Morning arrived early, without ceremony. The atmosphere in the demi-dragon kingdom left no room for laziness or indecision. The moment I opened my eyes, I already knew exactly what needed to be done. The banquet from the previous night had fulfilled its role. Now it was time to act.
I got up and headed to the main hall. As usual, I wasn't the only one awake early. Scarlett was already leaning near the entrance, observing the movement outside. Lyannis was analyzing some papers she had brought. Elara was speaking quietly with a servant. Liriel stood near the window, calmly receiving the morning light. Vespera maintained her silent posture, attentive to everything. Rai'kanna seemed more focused than usual.
"Shall we begin?" she asked.
"Yes. Today is not a day to wait."
It didn't take long before we were informed that the king was already waiting for us. We headed to the castle without hurry, but also without distraction. When we arrived, he was already prepared, accompanied by two guards.
"Good. I see you didn't waste time," he said.
"There would be no point in wasting it," I replied.
He nodded.
"Then come. I'll show you what truly matters."
We followed him to a prepared carriage. We climbed in, and soon began traveling away from the central area of the kingdom. As we moved forward, the scenery gradually changed. The grand structure of the castle and the main city were left behind, giving way to simpler, more direct areas.
After some time, we finally arrived.
The village wasn't large, but it also wasn't too small. There was basic organization. Houses lined up properly, cultivation areas around them, and constant movement from the residents. Nothing indicated immediate collapse.
I stepped out of the carriage and observed everything around me.
"It doesn't seem that bad," I commented.
The king crossed his arms.
"And it isn't. That's the problem."
I looked at him.
"Explain."
He pointed toward the village.
"They produce. They work. They survive. But they don't grow."
I continued analyzing the surroundings.
"And why?"
"Lack of administration."
That confirmed what I already expected.
"Who managed these lands before?"
"An incompetent noble," he answered bluntly. "He spent more than he produced, organized nothing, and left everything in the hands of people who didn't know what they were doing."
"So you took the lands."
"Yes. And now they are yours."
I looked toward the village again. This wasn't a scene of destruction. It was a scene of stagnation. And in many cases, that was even worse.
A man approached us. Advanced age, firm posture, attentive gaze.
"Your Majesty," he said, slightly bowing his head.
"This is the new lord of these lands," the king said, pointing at me.
The man studied me for a moment.
"So it's you."
"It is."
"I am the village master."
I nodded.
"I need to understand everything happening here."
He didn't hesitate.
"Then you'll have to walk with me."
The king gave a faint smile.
"I'll leave it in your hands, Takumi."
I looked at him.
"You're not sending anyone to help?"
"No."
Direct.
"You've already proven that you can handle lands. Now I want to see if you can do it alone."
That didn't bother me.
"Seems fair."
He nodded.
"Then show results."
Without another word, he returned to the carriage and left, leaving me there with the group and the village master.
I took a deep breath for a moment.
"Then let's begin."
We walked through the village while he explained the general operations. The plantations were active. The villagers were working. Harvests were happening.
But as he spoke, the problems started to appear.
"We produce well… but we don't know what to do afterward," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"We sell poorly. We spend without control. We have no reserves."
Lyannis stepped closer.
"Do you keep records of income and expenses?"
He frowned slightly.
"We record what we can remember."
"That's not record-keeping," she replied.
Scarlett let out a faint laugh.
"I already understand the problem."
I kept walking.
"And the crops?"
"They work… most of the time."
"Most of the time?"
He nodded.
"There are days when part of the harvest spoils for no clear reason."
I looked at Liriel.
She already understood.
"It could be the influence of corrupted mana," she said.
"Or miasma," Elara added.
Vespera remained silent, but attentive.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"That would explain the instability."
I continued observing the ground.
"How often does this happen?"
"It's not constant… but it happens enough to cause damage," the master replied.
That was more serious than it seemed.
"Anything else?" I asked.
He sighed.
"There's a lack of organization. Everyone does things their own way. There's no system."
That confirmed everything.
It wasn't a problem of capability.
It was a problem of structure.
We stopped in the center of the village. I looked around once more, this time more carefully.
"You have potential," I said.
The village master looked at me, surprised.
"We do?"
"Yes. But you're wasting it."
He fell silent.
Lyannis was already writing down possible changes.
Elara analyzed the workflow.
Scarlett observed the workers.
Liriel kept her attention on the surrounding environment.
Vespera evaluated everything in silence.
Rai'kanna stared at me, waiting for my decision.
I took a deep breath.
"First, we're going to solve the land problem."
I looked at Liriel.
"Can you handle it?"
She nodded.
"I can. But I need time and a central area to start."
"You'll have it."
I turned my attention back to the village master.
"Second, we're going to organize the finances."
Lyannis stepped forward.
"I'll handle that."
"Perfect."
I continued.
"Third, we're going to structure the work. No one does anything anymore without a defined system."
Scarlett smiled faintly.
"Now it begins."
I looked at everyone.
"This place is going to change."
The village master still seemed somewhat surprised, but there was something different in his eyes now.
Hope.
I looked at the village once more.
This wasn't a lost place.
It was a badly directed place.
And that… I knew how to fix.
I turned toward the group.
"Today we begin."
And for the first time since I arrived, I felt that this place truly had a future.