I opened my eyes.
In front of me stood a few hundred people, all slowly waking up just like I had. Behind them was a large stone archway—an opening of some kind. I turned my head and scanned the surroundings. There were woods nearby, and what looked like a small river—probably a branch of a larger one. Not too far away, I spotted two relatively large buildings.
Convenient. At least there's shelter.
The land looked rich. Green. Fertile. Promising.
I glanced back at the people—men, women, even children—and realized they were all looking at me. Then I noticed something more: animals. Cows, horses. Someone must've sent them with us. Gifts.
As I stood there taking it all in, one man stepped forward. Three women followed—two younger, one older, maybe middle-aged.
The man approached respectfully, his voice calm but serious.
"My lord... what are your orders?"
"What do you remember?"
"...Not much, my lord. Just my name—Orec. My family. That you are our lord. And that we were sent here by a great entity. That's all I know."
"Why did you come forward?"
"My daughters... I believe they were meant to serve as your maids. At least, that's what I now remember."
Hey, system—what's going on?
"They were likely sent by your mother. She tends to... arrange things her way."
"Alright, you two—what are your names?"
"Ellia."
"Allia."
"Sigh... Fine. From now on, you're my maids. You'll live with me."
I took a breath and looked over the crowd. Their eyes were fixed on me with reverence. Slowly, I began to speak.
"I am your lord—Evander, the Godborn. I ask you to live for me, fight for me, and conquer the world with me."
They all knelt with one knee on the ground and responded as one:
"Yes, my lord!"
"Stand."
I waved my hand, and they rose, awaiting my command.
"All able-bodied men and women capable of fighting—gather your weapons. Scout the area. Find a suitable place for lumber; we need to build homes. The rest—take the children and animals to those buildings. One should be a barn. Let's get moving."
"Orec, can you ride?"
"Yes, my lord. At least well enough to control a horse."
"Good. Ride out. Explore nearby, but don't go too far. Report anything unusual."
"As you command, my lord."
The camp came to life. Orec mounted a horse and took off. I noticed the sisters still standing nearby.
"You two—come with me. Let's check out that manor or whatever it is."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Don't shout like that every time. If I ask something, just do it or answer. No need for theatrics."
"Y-yes, we understand."
The manor wasn't bad. Five bedrooms—one larger than the rest—a few storerooms, a bathroom, a large audience hall, and an open courtyard in the center. It had a distinct Roman style but was well-crafted.
We came across two large doors leading underground.
"Open them."
"Yes!"
The girls hurried to open them. The doors stood a few meters apart.
"Let's see..."
The first chamber looked like a dungeon—useful in the future. The second? A spacious cellar, probably for wine and food storage.
"Alright, let's head to the main hall."
We entered, and I sat on the most ornate chair—still wooden, but clearly the throne.
"Pick a room for yourselves. Prepare mine. From now on, you'll take care of this manor—clean it, manage it, everything."
They bowed, clearly pleased.
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. Go."
I waved them off. They bowed again and left.
"System—open the status screen."
"Here it is:"
Status
Name: Evander
Age: 20 (Body)
Race: Unnamed
Body: 10
Magica: 10
Skills: …
Status Points: 10
"That's... basic."
"Yes. These are the starter functions. You still have 10 free status points to assign."
"Sigh... Put 5 in Body and 5 in Magica. Now open the map."
"Here it is (map is attached in the comments)."
"Is this the whole world?"
"No, just the continent you were sent to. Your island is visible too."
"At least that's useful. Next function?"
"Kingdom Screen:"
Population: 422
Land: None
(More functions unlock as you grow)
"...That's it?"
"Yes, for now."
"Ugh... There's barely anything here."
"The system grows with you. As you become stronger—through cultivation, achievements, or absorbing magic and life force—you'll unlock more features."
"Well... At least you're not completely useless."
I stood up and walked outside.
"Let's see what else needs to be done. This place—village, town, kingdom? Hah. It's not even a proper village... I'm angry."
I go outside and see some women and children—maybe between the ages of 10 and 14. There aren't any toddlers or really young kids around. When they see me, they all bow down.
Now that I think about it, everyone here looks like they can at least hold their own in a fight—even the women. That's good.
I wave my hand."Stand up."
They straighten and look at me attentively. I spot the middle-aged woman who was standing with Orec earlier. I walk over to her.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Laydia, my lord."
What's with these names? Everyone sounds like they're from a different culture or region... whatever.
"Laydia, take everyone here and start clearing the area around the camp—grass, weeds, low vegetation, all of it. We need the space for farming and building. You can use the greens as feed for the animals."
"Yes, my lord."
"Also collect some firewood. If you find anything edible, gather that too. Organize them yourself—go."
"Yes, my lord."
I walk past them and head toward the barn. It's almost as big as the manor—maybe even a little bigger. That's good.
Inside, I see three women and a couple of older children. Looks like they're tending to the animals.
Now that I think about it…System, do these people have specific jobs?
Yes. There are carpenters, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and more. Most of them have trades, and everyone—men and women alike—can fight.
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I have to find everything out myself?"
If I tell you everything at once, it might overwhelm you. Plus, it's part of your growth to discover things yourself.
Sigh… yeah, maybe you're right.I should really stop talking out loud like this. I'll look insane.
As I approach the entrance of the barn, one of the women notices me and bows. The others follow her lead.
"What are your jobs? Are you good at anything?"
Two of them shake their heads, but the one who noticed me earlier steps forward.
"My lord, I'm good with animals. I can treat their wounds if I have herbs, and I can make medicine from them too."
"Hmm, that's good. What's your name?"
"Elin, my lord."
"Okay, Elin. From now on, you're in charge of the animals. The others will assist you. Work hard."
"Yes, my lord!" they all say together.
"Now show me around. Also, tell me the animal count."
"This way, my lord. We have four cows—one male and three females. Three horses—I believe one male and two females. One is out now, but since two here are female, the one outside should be male. We've also got one ram and eight ewes, and around ten chickens with a hen."
"Not bad. Do you have enough tools for milking and care?"
"Yes, my lord. Everything we need was already in the barn. We even found some hay—enough for a couple of days."
"Good. If you need more help, talk to Laydia. Tell her I said to assign you more hands."
"Yes, my lord."
As we talked, we strolled through the barn. It's not bad at all—sturdy construction, decent storage, good space for the animals. It'll do.
"That's it, my lord."
"Alright. Go back to work."
"Yes, my lord."
She bows once more and returns to her duties.
Hmm… it's already past noon. The others should be back soon.