(AAAAA! DAMN IT!)
(Not only did I fail, I lost my Points too?)
(This is freaking robbery!!! At least give me something for my Points!)
But unfortunately, there were no refunds in this world. No customer service, no apology gifts, nothing.
Still, the flop wasn't a total loss. I learned a key rule the hard way: if an animal couldn't sense or perceive me in any meaningful way, I would not be able to grant them citizenship no matter how hard I tried.
That realization sparked several new questions in my mind.
First, where exactly was the cutoff for "intelligent enough"?
If ordinary robins were considered too dumb, what about ravens? On Earth, those black-feathered geniuses could solve complex puzzles, use tools, and even recognize individual human faces for years. Did Azef even have ravens, or some fantasy equivalent?
Or wolves? Foxes? Dogs?
(Well, I'd figure it out eventually if I lived here long enough, I guess!)
And the second, more worrying question was: "Is there any other hidden requirement for Citizenship Granting?"
The System could very well be a jerk and deliberately not tell me everything at once, forcing me to waste more Points through trial and error just to learn how this shit actually worked. I wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly the case.
But… yeah… there was nothing I could do about it for now.
Thus, I settled back into quietly watching the little robin family.
When Jack finally came back and spotted the fresh bread, he stopped dead in mid-air for a second. His head tilted sharply, eyes widening in pure surprise. Then he exploded into happy little hops, fluttering excitedly around the crumbs like a kid who had just discovered sugar.
(Here you go, buddy! A gift for the upcoming chicks. Now you can take it easy for a while.)
And he did. Over the next few days, Jack barely left the nest area at all. He diligently preened his mates, shared whatever food he found, and filled the air with bright, cheerful songs that echoed pleasantly through my empty halls.
****
Little did I know, the robin family was only the beginning of something truly miraculous.
Over the next week, more animals started showing up at my castle as if drawn by some invisible signal.
Another robin family arrived first, and I figured Jack would welcome them with open wings.
Nope!
He puffed up his red chest aggressively, charged straight at the new male, and tried to drive the intruders off with fierce dives and loud chirps. Turns out robins were super territorial, especially when eggs were already in the nest!
Still, the newcomers eventually found a spot on the far side of my western turret and settled in anyway.
After that, more birds kept arriving almost daily.
They still squabbled noisily with one another over prime ledges and corners, of course, but eventually everyone found a place to call home. Here and there, windowsills, turrets, and sheltered nooks slowly filled up with messy little nests.
And just like that, within the span of a single week, I had no fewer than twenty birds living comfortably in my territory.
I was over the moon with joy.
Even though they pooped everywhere, leaving little white splatters across my stone and courtyard… whatever! I didn't mind one bit!
Anyways, it didn't stop with just birds.
One peaceful afternoon, a pair of slender deer wandered cautiously into my overgrown front yard. They moved slowly at first, ears constantly twitching, heads held high and alert for any sign of danger. But when nothing attacked them after several long minutes, they finally relaxed and began munching happily on the tall grass and weeds like it was an all-you-can-eat buffet.
(Oh no! Rest in peace, Sir Lawncelot and Grasstolfo!)
A little later that same day, I noticed a small mound of fresh dirt forming near my eastern perimeter wall.
A bunny.
A fluffy little bunny had decided to dig a cozy den right next to me!
My core nearly skipped a beat from the sheer cuteness.
Then, another night, things got really interesting.
I sensed soft movement near my iron gate — careful, sneaky footsteps padding across the paving stones. A moment later, a whole family of raccoons appeared out of the darkness. One big, bold adult and several smaller ones trailing curiously behind!
They inspected my walls thoroughly, tapping stones with tiny paws, sniffing the air, and peering into every crack. Then, they boldly wandered into my yard, then my halls, explored my empty rooms, and searched for anything edible.
I watched them, completely mesmerized by their playful curiosity.
(Haha. Cute little thieves!)
(And those fluffy tails are so ridiculously cute too!)
The raccoons in this world had the fluffiest, most luxurious tails I'd ever seen. The mother was fairly large and confident, but the little ones were only about the size of soccer balls, waddling around with endless energy.
So cute!
Not wanting them to go hungry, I ended up spending a few hard-earned points to summon an apple and two loaves of bread for them.
They startled at first when the food suddenly appeared, then quickly grabbed everything and shared it among themselves.
Eventually, they settled down and made their main den inside one of my empty, cool basement rooms.
Guess those little guys really liked the darkness and the spacious shelter there!
(Well, good choice! As an abandoned castle, I will sure be able to provide the best darkness and protection!)
And then… after a few more days…
Oh… my god…
The raccoons brought even more friends.
They turned my basement into housing for an entire army of them!!!
(Damn! This is getting ridiculous!)
(But well, more cuteness! I'm not complaining!)
During the day, the raccoons slept soundly inside their chosen basement rooms. Every single one was curled up somewhere in the cool darkness, looking like fluffy black-and-gray balls.
But once night fell?
Chaos!
One by one, they crept out of the basement like seasoned burglars, slipping silently through my halls before vanishing into the surrounding forest to forage.
And when they came back?
Oh boy.
They fought playfully over scraps of food. They chased each other in wild circles around my courtyard! They squeaked, hissed, and rolled across the stone floors like tiny wrestling matches!
It was a mess.
A glorious, noisy mess!
Honestly, it was ridiculously entertaining to watch.
I even started imagining some epic scenarios. Like, for example, some poor adventurer someday wandering into my basement with a flickering torch, taking careful steps while thinking they'd found hidden treasure, only to suddenly get swarmed by hundreds of glowing eyes and fluffy striped tails emerging from the shadows!
(Haha.)
(Good luck with that, buddy!)
***
Just like that, things got so much better after Day 11, when the first birds arrived.
Now, on Day 20 of my reincarnation as a castle, I had birds nesting in my towers and turrets, deer grazing peacefully in my yard, a few bunnies burrowing contentedly near my walls, and an army of racoons overrunning my basement!
Without realizing it, my once-abandoned castle had quietly become a sanctuary. No monsters attacked. No hunters came snooping around. The animals clearly felt safe here.
They still weren't intelligent enough to become official citizens, though. But that was perfectly fine for now.
Because for the first time since being reborn, I didn't feel like a lonely, empty building anymore.