"Ten times the size?" Marella raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitching in disbelief as she looked at Kenzo's sketch.
Kenzo nodded seriously. "If we're going to make Velmira a proper stronghold and home, we can't just build for now, we have to build for the future."
The early morning wind swept through the fields beyond the current perimeter, carrying the scent of dew and fresh timber. Marella folded her arms across her chest, scanning the tree line. "You've got ambition, kid. I'll give you that."
Akina came over, holding a rough map Kenzo had drawn. "We've marked spots for agriculture, a future training ground, storage, and merchant stalls that we will need once more people arrive."
"Speaking of which," Rina added, walking up beside her, "I spoke with a traveling merchant yesterday. He said there's a small refugee camp two days east from here. Survivors from the Bandit Wars a few months back."
Kenzo's eyes lit up. "If they're displaced… they might be willing to settle."
Two Days Later
The camp was modest with perhaps fifty people gathered in worn tents, their clothes ragged, and expressions guarded. Kenzo arrived with Akina, Rina, and a few villagers to bring supplies and food.
He stood before them, not as a noble, but as someone who once knew what it meant to feel forgotten.
"My name is Kenzo. I'm rebuilding a village called Velmira. It's a place that's finally safe with walls, water, homes. It's not perfect yet… but we can build a future together. You'll have work, food, and a voice in how the village grows."
Silence lingered. Then, a woman holding two children stepped forward. Her eyes were tired, but something sparked behind them.
"Can we really live there? And not just survive?"
Kenzo nodded. "You can live. You can belong."
[Quest Updated: Populate Velmira – In Progress]
[New Settlers Gained: 49]
One Week Later: Velmira
The sounds of life multiplied.
Children ran through half-built alleyways. Villagers hoisted beams together under Marella's direction. The smell of stew and fresh bread drifted from a rapidly growing cookhouse. In the open space beyond the current walls, Kenzo prepared to execute the largest expansion he'd attempted yet.
He stood at the center of the village, breathing deeply.
[Recreate – Expansion Tier 4: Great Defensive Perimeter]
Parameters: Tenfold land expansion, Modular Guard Posts, Reinforced Wooden Walls with Stone Base
Mana Required: 220/220 (Charged with Bond-Generated Overflow Mana)
Success Chance: 95%
A radiant pulse of blue energy swept outward like a shockwave. Trees cleared in uniform arcs. Massive wooden walls burst from the earth like roots summoned from memory. Stone bases locked into place, anchored by enchantments he barely understood but they held.
Watchtowers rose like sentries on the horizon.
Velmira wasn't a village anymore.
It was becoming a small fortress.
[Great Expansion – Complete]
[Velmira Tier Upgrade: Hamlet → Stronghold Hamlet]
[Population Cap Increased: 500]
The villagers erupted into cheers, many falling to their knees in awe. Even Marella, seasoned as she was, looked stunned. "You're not just building a home here… you're building a legacy."
Kenzo smiled faintly, arms crossed as Akina leaned against him and Rina beamed nearby.
"This place saved me," Kenzo murmured. "Now I'm going to save as many as I can."
That night, the new villagers were given real beds and real roofs.
Kenzo looked out at the stars above the rebuilt walls and felt something he hadn't in years.
Purpose.
But with so many new lives to protect and guide… the weight of responsibility was only beginning.