Returning To The Territory.

Magnus, followed by Robert and his men, returned to his territory without incident. The moment his foot crossed the boundary, his screen erupted in a flurry of notifications.

-[Some of your subjects are pleased by your generosity; their trust level has increased.]

-[Some of your subjects are thrilled to hear you are God's chosen; they now see you as a beacon of hope, the one chosen to save the territory from its current predicament.]

-[Some of your subjects are skeptical about this development; they wonder if the rumor is true.]

-[A few of your subjects are not happy about your recovery; they wish you dead.]

The notifications continued to pour in like a flood, each one a testament to the varied reactions of his people. Magnus observed the messages, noting that they only appeared after he entered his territory. Did this mean such notifications were geographically restricted? He pondered this as more alerts arrived, some bringing a smile to his face, others a frown.

'It seems Gaylord has quite a few spies, or at least potential spies, in my midst,' Magnus mused, a plan beginning to form. 'I need to start weeding out those who harbor ill will towards me.'

His return to the territory was uneventful. Not that he expected any major issues; he had only been gone for five hours. His territory had survived a week without him, so five hours was insignificant.

Instead of retiring to his quarters, Magnus decided to utilize the remaining daylight. He strolled through the territory, inspecting various areas, and then ventured to places he hadn't yet visited, such as the main agricultural district of Lancaster Territory.

Upon arrival, he surveyed the scene. The fields were bustling with women and children, along with a few men who had joined their wives, since mining and hunting were currently impossible due to the territory's precarious situation.

"Greetings, Lord Magnus!" the people called out as he approached. Magnus responded with a wave and a smile.

"Where's Elena?" he inquired.

"She's over at the wheat field," one of the women replied.

"Thank you. I'll leave you to your work," Magnus said, heading towards the designated area. He scanned the workers in the wheat field until he spotted the person he sought.

It was Elena, a young woman slightly older than himself, with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Her vibrant green eyes and simple green attire reflected her down-to-earth personality.

Elena's mother, Cecelia, had been the former head of agriculture and farming. She was responsible for overseeing the farmers, ensuring the quality of the annual harvest, and guaranteeing the well-being and fair treatment of the women who worked the land. She was exceptionally skilled, even overqualified, for the position. Tragically, a year ago, a farming accident resulted in a severe leg injury. Even after recovery, Cecelia's leg couldn't withstand the physical demands of her job.

Following the accident, Elena, who shared her mother's passion for plants, naturally stepped into the role. Despite her young age – she was only eighteen at the time – she inherited her mother's talent, charisma, and warmth. She seamlessly transitioned into the position and maintained the high standards her mother had set.

As Magnus watched, Elena sensed his gaze and turned. A warm smile illuminated her face as their eyes met. Like the sun, her smile radiated warmth, seemingly brightening the mood of everyone around her. Even Magnus felt his worries dissipate in the presence of her genuine joy.

Elena approached, her smile unwavering. "Lord Magnus, it's good to see you in good health," she said, her sincerity evident.

Magnus returned the smile, memories of the previous Magnus surfacing. He and Elena had been close as children, playing together often, their ages being so similar. However, as Elena discovered her love for crops and farming, she began spending more time with her mother and the women in the fields, leading to a gradual drift in their friendship. Despite this, a fondness remained between them.

"Thank you, Elena. It's good to see you're in good health as well," Magnus replied.

"Nature has been merciful to me," Elena beamed. This was typical Elena; every event in her life, good or bad, was attributed to nature's influence.

"So, what brings you here today, Lord Magnus?" Elena's voice shifted as she inquired.

"I came to check on how things are progressing here," Magnus explained.

Elena's face fell slightly. "Things aren't looking good. The crops are receiving less and less water each day, which is impacting their growth. This, in turn, is affecting the morale of the women working in the fields. I'm doing my best to manage the situation, but I fear it will soon escalate beyond my control," she said sadly.

Magnus frowned, having anticipated this predicament. With the limited water supply, the territory prioritized drinking water for its people. Consequently, areas like the farm received less of the reserved water, causing the farmers to bear the brunt of the shortage.

"Lord Magnus, we desperately need more water. If not, I don't know how much longer these women can endure this. The plants are slowly dying from lack of water," Elena said, her voice filled with sadness and concern.

For many of these women, farming was more than just a livelihood. They had developed a deep connection with the plants they nurtured and watched grow year after year, providing sustenance for the community. Witnessing their crops wither was taking a toll on their mental well-being.

A frown etched itself onto Magnus's face. "I'll see what I can do. I'll discuss the matter with Augustus to see if we can allocate more water to the farm," he promised.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Lord Magnus," Elena said, the warm smile returning to her face.

"Don't mention it. I'm simply doing what's necessary for my people," Magnus replied, causing Elena's expression to soften even further.

"Alright, take me around. I want to see the extent of the situation firsthand," Magnus requested.

"Certainly, this way," Elena said, leading the way. They began their tour, inspecting the various crop fields.

Minutes later, Magnus left the farm and headed towards Augustus's location. The situation at the farm, while not yet dire, was clearly unsustainable. The plants hadn't begun to completely wither, but it was evident that the situation would quickly deteriorate without intervention.

Magnus searched for Augustus, eventually locating him distributing food from the territory's reserves. He and several other men were also portioning meat from the beast Robert and his men had brought back, fulfilling Magnus's earlier instructions to provide for the people.

Upon seeing Magnus, the people's faces lit up with happiness. Augustus had made sure they knew it was by Magnus's order that they were receiving this food. Seeing their lord, who demonstrated such care for their well-being, they greeted him cheerfully.

"Lord Magnus, what brings you here? Is there a problem?" Augustus asked, frowning slightly.

"Nothing serious. I simply need to discuss a few things with you in private," Magnus replied.

Augustus nodded and signaled the men to continue distributing the food. He then led Magnus to a secluded corner for their discussion.

"So, what is it, Lord Magnus?" Augustus inquired, still slightly concerned.

"It's about the women at the farm. They're struggling with the limited water supply and I wanted to see if we could adjust the allocation, perhaps provide them with a little more," Magnus explained.

Augustus frowned. It wasn't that he didn't want to allocate more water to the farm; the problem was the scarcity of water and the numerous demands on the limited supply. He was striving to be equitable in its distribution.

Augustus explained his predicament to Magnus, who furrowed his brows in thought. After a lengthy discussion, they finally devised a better distribution strategy. Magnus promised to address the underlying water issue very soon, assuring Augustus he could increase the farm's allocation in the meantime. They eventually reached a workable solution.

"By the way," Magnus added, "I haven't seen Nutgrove today. Do you have any idea where he might be?"