As the declaration settled in the grand chamber, Rudolf stepped forward, his expression a mix of determination and humility. With a respectful bow, he acknowledged Lord Liam's trust and acceptance of his offer to serve as an advisor.
"Thank you, my Lord,"
Rudolf spoke, his voice quavering slightly with emotion.
"I shall do my utmost to fulfill this role to the best of my abilities and ensure the welfare of our people."
Liam nodded in acknowledgment, a sense of satisfaction evident in his demeanor.
"I have every confidence in your abilities, Rudolf,"
He replied, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
"Your experience and dedication will be invaluable in guiding our domain toward prosperity."
With that settled, Liam turned his attention to Adhart and the group of refugees, his gaze sweeping over them with a sense of purpose.
"Adhart, I trust that Rudolf will handle the affairs of the people with diligence and care,"
Liam addressed the seasoned warrior, his tone firm yet reassuring.
"If Rudolf requires anything to aid him in his duties, he can seek assistance from any of my knights. They are here to serve and ensure the well-being of our citizens."
Adhart nodded in understanding, a sense of relief washing over him at the lord's words.
"Understood, my Lord,"
He replied, his voice filled with gratitude.
"We shall do our best to assist Rudolf and help our fellow citizens settle into their new home."
With a nod of approval, Liam gestured towards the door leading out of the grand chamber.
"Very well,"
He declared, his voice echoing in the vast space.
"Adhart, I task you with leading the people to their accommodations on the right side of the castle. It is over 100 meters away, and you are to ensure they familiarize themselves with the domain. "
"Rudolf, I trust you to oversee their situations and report back to me once they are settled."
"By that time, I have a task for you to accomplish."
Rudolf bowed respectfully, his expression one of determination.
"Of course, my Lord,"
He replied, his voice steady with resolve.
"I shall ensure that our people are taken care of and will provide you with a full report once they are settled."
With that, Adhart and his companions stepped forward, ready to lead the refugees to their new accommodations. As they exited the grand chamber, Liam was finally left in silence, accompanied by his disguised soldiers hidden under the fake skin that they were wearing.
And moments later.
"Hahahaha! That was so fun to pretend."
Liam laughed from his stomach, excited about how his performances had gone just now.
Liam, pleased with the outcome of his interactions with Adhart and the refugees, chuckled to himself as he reveled in the success of his performance.
"Hahahaha! That was quite amusing,"
He remarked, his laughter echoing through the grand chamber.
As he leaned back on his throne, Liam couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at how smoothly everything had unfolded. His ability to play the part of a benevolent lord and a cryptic lord had proven effective in putting the refugees at ease and instilling confidence in their new surroundings.
"Now, onto the next phase of my plan,"
Liam mused to himself, his mind already turning towards the tasks ahead.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the lord's panel, the holographic display shimmering into existence before him.
With a few deft gestures, he navigated through the interface, reviewing the various resources and construction projects at his disposal.
"Let's see what needs to be done next."
Liam muttered, eyes scanning the data before him.
Liam's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the holographic display before him, fingers tracing over the virtual interface. The weight of responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders, but determination burned bright within him.
"Let's see... stable and alliance hall,"
He muttered, lips quirking into a determined smile.
"Time to expand our capabilities."
With a flick of his wrist, he selected the locations for the new buildings, envisioning their placement within his burgeoning domain.
As the construction process began, excitement bubbled within him, mingled with a sense of anticipation for the possibilities that lay ahead.
Hours stretched into the afternoon as Liam oversaw the progress of the projects, his gaze flicking between the timers hovering above each structure.
The steady hum of activity filled the air, a symphony of progress echoing throughout the castle grounds.
"Six hours for the stable... eight hours for the alliance hall,"
Liam murmured, mentally mapping out his next moves.
"Plenty of time to make preparations."
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the landscape, Liam felt a surge of satisfaction at the sight of the nearly completed buildings.
They stood as symbols of his determination and vision, tangible evidence of his commitment to the prosperity of his domain.
But even as he admired his handiwork, Liam knew much would still be done.
Strengthening his forces was essential if he hoped to overcome the challenges ahead, which meant venturing into the wilderness to hunt and increase his levels.
With a sense of purpose burning in his chest, Liam returned to the castle, entered the throne room, and sat back in the cold embrace of the stone throne.
He summed the panel into his view as he opened the map feature.
Here is the thing about combat and battle, especially when it involves the lord's participation. The Lords rarely went to the fight themselves since they could command their troops through the map while giving orders.
Looking over the map, Liam dragged the screen around the area in search of something. And after several minutes, he finally found his target.
"A small group of bandits, mostly level 1 with few level 2. The numbers are around 12 people."
"This can be a good test of the combat effectiveness of my slime."
Liam's eyes gleamed at the thought of this, and next, he began to command all of his slimes and ordered them to move towards the edge of the bubble energy facing the south.
The bandit group was approximately 13 kilometers from the castle, nestled within a dense thicket of trees. Liam surveyed the map again, plotting the most efficient route for his slimes to traverse the terrain.
After determining the route, Liam tapped on the bandit group location, and a panel appeared before him. However, compared to the norm, this panel only possessed two action icons and one question mark icon at the top right.
[Rouge bandit group][Level 1][?]
[Attack] [Scout]
Seeing this, Liam decisively chooses to attack the group of bandits.
And in the next moment, he commanded, his voice projecting through the mental link he shared with his summoned creatures.
"Move forward at a steady pace, but remain vigilant.
"We don't want to alert the bandits to our presence before we're ready."
The slimes, currently using the knight forms, obedient to their master's will, began to move forward.
Liam monitored their progress closely, ensuring they maintained a safe distance from potential threats while staying on course toward their destination.
While the Slime was marching, a green trail appeared on the map feature that Liam was using. This green trail is called the marching line, and only the Lord's profession can observe this line hidden by the world.
The trail will appear in footsteps, extending from the Lord's castle to the designated attack spot.
In the logical way to view it, wouldn't it be dangerous that such a feature exist for all of the Lords in this world?
Wouldn't this mean that every time any Lord sends out their troops, the other Lord can trace back the trail on the map to find their castle?
Well, it is a yes and no answer.
Yes, it exposes the Lord's location, and no, it is not dangerous since both sides can observe this hidden trail. The actual battle between the Lord in this world is far beyond this little means of tracing the enemy castles through the enemy's path.
It involves many more mechanics and features, and all the lords tactically agreed.
-
As they moved deeper into the wilderness, the terrain grew increasingly rugged, with dense undergrowth and towering trees obscuring their path.
But Liam's slimes proved adept at navigating the challenging terrain. Their current forms allow them to navigate the terrain seamlessly.
After an hour of traveling, Liam received a mental ping from one of his slimes, indicating they had reached the outskirts of the bandit encampment.
With a surge of anticipation, Liam instructed his slimes to halt their advance and await further orders.
"Stay hidden for now,"
He instructed, his voice tinged with excitement.
"We'll wait until nightfall before launching our Attack. We want to catch them off guard."
The slimes obediently complied, melting into the shadows as they awaited their master's command.
Liam settled back into his throne, his mind already strategizing the best approach for dealing with the bandits.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness blanketed the land, Liam knew it was time to strike.
With a mental command, he signaled his slimes to change their form back and advance, their gelatinous forms slithering silently through the night.
As they drew closer to the bandit encampment, Liam could hear the faint sounds of laughter and revelry drifting on the breeze.
The bandits were unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows, their guard lowered by the false sense of security that darkness provided.
With a flick of his wrist, Liam summoned his panel again, accessing the combat commands he needed to orchestrate the Attack.
He issued orders to his slimes with a few deft gestures, directing them to encircle the encampment and cut off any potential escape routes.
As his slimes moved into position, Liam's heart pounded with excitement. This was the moment he had been waiting for—the chance to test his slime's abilities in battle and prove himself as a capable lord.
With a final mental command, Liam signaled the start of the Attack. The slimes surged forward, their gelatinous bodies engulfing the bandits in a sticky slime.
Caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, the bandits cried out in alarm, their cries echoing through the night.
They desperately struggled to get the slimes off of their bodies, and without giving them a chance, tentacles struck out in the form of spears, puncturing their necks one by one.
It was too late—the slimes had already won, immobilizing them with their viscous embrace and killing them off with the final blow.
With a sense of satisfaction, Liam watched as his slimes swiftly subdued the bandits, securing victory for his very first battle.
[Ding congratulations to the host for destroying a level 1 group of rouge bandits]
[+1200 experience points]
[Ding, the experience point will be stored within the Lord's panel. The lord can allocate them freely to any troops, but the same amount will still be applied to the Lord's level]