After an hour of travel, Arthur and his forces finally returned to their territory. The journey had taken longer than usual due to the distance—they had gone far out to cleanse every mini monster gathering area within a 5-kilometer radius on the eastern side of his land. The battles had been swift and one-sided, and now the eastern front was completely secure.
Upon arrival, Arthur noticed that more houses had been constructed in neat rows. The credit went to Robin, the professional architect he had summoned. Robin had taken full responsibility for construction within the territory, and he was clearly doing an excellent job. Not only had he completed several residential houses, but he had also built a blacksmith shop. The only unfinished structure was the one Arthur had ordered just the previous night—a soldier training ground.
Arthur looked at his tired but victorious troops, then turned to George, Lily, and Richard. "Lead the army back to the camp. Let them rest and eat for an hour. After that, we move south. I want every mini monster gathering area within five kilometers eliminated."
The three heroes nodded and began carrying out his orders.
Arthur made his way toward Robin, who paused his work and saluted immediately.
"Greetings, my lord. I hope your hunt was successful," Robin said respectfully.
Arthur grinned. "Of course it was, Robin. When have things *not* gone smoothly for me?"
He scanned the area, watching the workers move supplies back and forth. These were common humans summoned via card extractions—loyal but without any notable combat or trade skills. Unfortunately, he hadn't obtained many of them lately.
"How's the construction going? Is the manpower sufficient?" Arthur asked, eyeing the busy men.
Robin sighed. "To be honest, my lord, manpower is lacking. But we've managed. Almost everything you asked for is complete. Only the soldier training area remains."
Arthur nodded confidently. "No need to worry. From tomorrow, that won't be a problem. Just focus on finishing this project for now. I'll handle the rest."
"Yes, my lord. I'll see it done," Robin said and turned back to his work.
Arthur spent the next few minutes strolling through his territory, quietly admiring the progress. The rows of houses looked organized and practical. Some older structures had already been upgraded, and the infrastructure was taking real shape.
Curious, he opened the territory interface.
---
**Territory Status:**
- **Name:** [Unnamed] (Can be named)
- **Lord:** Arthur
- **Level:** 2
- **Area:** 500x500 meters
- **Special Traits:** (Not awakened)
- **Total Population:** 700 / 2000
- **Soldiers:** 550 / 1000
**Heroes:** George, Lily
**Resources:**
- Wood: 2000 units
- Stone: 2000 units
- Iron: 2000 units
- Food, Water: Sufficient
**Rare Resources:**
- Mithril: None
- Monster Stones: None
- Weapons: None
**Upgrade Requirements:**
- Population: 1000
- Lord Cultivation: Bronze Rank Tier-1
- Army: 500 soldiers
- Buildings: 10 Houses, 1 Blacksmith Shop, 1 Tailor Shop
---
Arthur's eyes sparkled.
"I can upgrade the territory by tomorrow," he muttered to himself.
He called over one of his soldiers. "Tell Robin to build a tailor shop before tomorrow," he instructed.
With that handled, he made his way to his house. Inside, the aroma of freshly cooked food greeted him. A few female commoners, now part of his growing population, had already prepared his lunch. Arthur sat at the dining table, his eyes shifting to his inventory while he ate.
Suddenly, he froze. His gaze locked onto something he had nearly forgotten—**a gold-rank pet egg.** He remembered receiving it when he had upgraded the territory last time.
But he still had no idea how to hatch it.
He clicked on the item.
---
**Pet Egg**
- **Name:** Unknown
- **Species:** ???
- **Status:** Not Hatched
- **Description:** A reward from the system. Only hatching will reveal what creature lies within.
---
Arthur blinked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting..."
Curious, he addressed the system: "System, how do I hatch this egg?"
The response came immediately.
**System Prompt:** *Lord, to hatch the egg, provide it warmth and wait.*
Arthur stared at the simple response, then chuckled bitterly. "Seriously? Even I know an egg needs warmth to hatch."
Still, he wasn't one to ignore instructions—no matter how basic they seemed. "No worries. I'll do exactly that."
He picked up the egg gently and placed it on his bed, then covered it with a thick cloth to keep it warm.
---
Thus, Arthur began to prepare for the next phase of his conquest, his territory steadily growing, his strength multiplying, and his future unfolding with ever more promise. And as the egg rested quietly under the warmth of the cloth, Arthur's instinct told him—
Something extraordinary was about to hatch.
---