Dawn

A few days passed quickly as the village was very busy. The expedition's date was approaching fast.

Chris just left Rinat's workshop after one of his regular check-ups on the production of the throwing traps. He was feeling a little lonely as Berg, Titus and Ferlin were all busy with their tasks, and he had nothing else to do.

[Being a King sure is lonely huh.] Lamented Chris as he drew boobs on the ground, he was surrounded by his two soldier escorts who seemed to be very interested in the sky.

[I wonder when the scouts will come back...]

He could hear Petunia's voice coming from somewhere nearby, she was bragging to the other kids. "Look at my pony, you peasants!"

[We have ponies?] He wondered.

"Lord. Carl reporting!" A loud young voice startled Chris.

He looked at the young scout. He was taller than average, with curly and short blond hair and a cheerful expression. [Damn it, he is good looking. His power level is almost as high as Titus.]

"Let me guess. You work under Titus?" Asked Chris half-heartedly.

"I do, I am honored you already know of me, my Lord!" Carl's expression was with filled with sincere joy.

[My eyes! That smile is too pure!]

"D-do you need anything?" Asked Chris as he quickly erased his artwork.

"I am just back from Molten Valley as requested by Sire Titus! However, he is currently busy. May I make my report to you?" Asked Carl.

"Oooh! Were you part of the team? Good, good. I see you are finally back. So, what did you find? Any good place for us?" Inquired an excited Chris.

"We checked the four areas, and we found a suitable one! I've marked it here on the map. It's the best place for us to settle in Molten Valley."

"How safe is it?" Enquired Chris.

"We found Gnolls roaming north of the valley, the usual wolf packs, and other beasts in the nearby forests. But we can roughly expect the same conditions no matter where we settle. It was the same for Five Cave Village." Carl continued. "But it's worth it. The three other spots all lacked at least one basic resource. This one has it all."

"How about the road to there? Can we expect trouble for the caravan?"

"Aside from the Gnolls and wolves, we found some Onyx Alligators in that part of the river; it's best to avoid this area." Said Carl as he pointed to the map. "Luckily this place can easily be bypassed, and we did not meet any bandits on the way. As long as the caravan follows my instructions, our people should be safe."

"Thank you, Carl, great work. Go and get some rest." Praised Chris.

"Sir?" But Carl did not leave yet.

"Is there something else?" Wondered Chris.

"Yes, we found a group of humans under attack by the undead."

"Undead?" Chris was surprised. [This world has undead huh...].

He was suddenly reminded of all the horror movies and tv shows he watched in his past life.

"What kind?"

"It was a bunch of skeletons. There were only ten or so of them, so it's nothing to worry about. But, there should be none there. Undead are incredibly rare." He explained.

"Is this a threat for the city?" Worried Chris.

"Our scout did not find any other undead. And Jane... I mean one of the women attacked said that it was the first time they saw any undead around."

"Jane, huh." Said Chris with a smile, he needed some gossip time. "Is she cute?"

"M-maybe... I'm not sure." Stuttered Carl.

"If you like her, why not invite her group to join us?"

Carl looked down. "I did, but her brother said no."

"Her brother huh..." Chris approached Carl and put his arm on his shoulder. "That's tough. Well don't worry, we know where their camp is. I'll make you a full proof plan to recruit them, just be patient. Now go rest, you earned it."

[Now that should be fun.] Thought Chris with his trademark rascally smile.

And then... He resumed drawing boobies on the ground.

[What to do. What to do...]

****** ******

South of Five Cave Village. In the Kunall Scout Camp.

"Leader Krag, it's our turn this time!" Said a Kunall as he entered a tent.

"Already? Didn't we just come back from our patrol?" Complained the tall Kunall inside the tent.

"That was a month ago leader..."

"Really, damn." Signed the big Kunall. "When do we leave?"

"In two days. The other scout party should be back at the same time."

"Alright, warn the others. Make sure they don't forget to bring food this time." Ordered Krag.

"Heh, very well." Said the subordinate as he left.

[Another full month of patrol. Damn it!] Cursed Krag. [My brothers are racking up achievements up north, and I am stuck here. What kind of achievements can I get in this boring valley?]

He picked up his weapon as he said that. It was a giant iron war axe. It was probably as tall as Chris and much heavier. Due to the Kunall's strength, all their weapons were cast in a single piece to avoid breaking when swung. He enjoyed the cold feel of the rough iron as he slid his fingers on the weapon.

[Huhu. Hopefully, there will be some humans to hunt this time.]