After forty-two laps, I was beyond exhausted, my large body drenched in sweat, my left arm on fire. Every time a citizen came through they stopped in complete astonishment, sometimes gathering in groups to stare, until a frown sent them scurrying about their work. I lived for the nod of approval from Carradock each time I arrived back at the gate against which he leaned, often in conversation with other soldiers. Also, for the thought of a long, long warm bath.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AxXKh3orB
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbN2NVBExA
A castle servant, the one from breakfast, was ahead of me, twisting her apron in her hands and looking everywhere but into my face.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmP9uX4U3M3
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMYDwxxbZf
'Wha'?' I wheezed out.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEEWCaXrBV
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYlIVHbBmo
'Chef–' she flung her hand out in a gesture towards the keep, where a short man in what looked like a grey baker's outfit '–wants to know what to prepare for dinner.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjaV2GMIMg
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2s4bkeKMYy
'Dear lord.' I came to a stop, worried my aching legs would not want to resume. 'It's not important. But keep it simple.' My predecessor had obviously enjoyed eating extensive meals with several courses. 'Just a couple of slices of roast meat and …' What would an athlete eat? Food with plenty of protein and vitamins. 'Wait. Grilled fish. Nuts. Fresh vegetables, like tomatoes and carrot, that don't need much, if any, cooking.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvykH1nXLn
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMXawP1YY6
I wasn't really hungry just now, my body was too stressed, but no doubt my appetite would revive later.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dsVLtyvdn
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'Ahh…'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPucniTe6sS
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjfNMuyIbw
'What?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZmGsfDtA2
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7R6Jrz5M7o
'Chef won't be pleased.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD54FrmRqqp
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGuRYHuNau
I stared at her. 'Hands up if you are king.' I put my own hand up. 'That puts me in charge.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSVUkFenrc
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPbKSker7w
Once she had turned away, alarmed, I returned my focus back into my final few laps. Although it was distracting I when I turned a corner and was facing the keep: there I could see the chef remonstrating with the servant. He kept looking over at me, as though in appeal, but I wasn't having any of it and focused on moving one leg, then the next, and on keeping hold of that enormously heavy sword.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaIdb0eNT7
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V3WeDSg6J
I wasn't allowed to settle into my rhythm again though, for with a clatter of metal-hooves on cobblestone, a small group of riders came into the barracks yard. Some were soldiers of mine but one was carrying a green pennant (deep green, with a golden wolf's head) and dressed in expensive-looking clothes.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDhiturGtB
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfTwl5BMp9
'King Carlos?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSXrRipenc
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNn9Li9mEg
Either I looked dumb, having forgotten my name here, or else the new arrival was dismayed by my appearance.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeQa900B85
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVPbkqPBTp
'King Carlos?' he tried again.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYgGhQiVUV
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaU36yA9s2
'Yes?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4os0ZMZ1tx
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XkbbraCZN
My impression that this was a man who was attentive to his looks was reinforced as he dismounted and made his bow. No one had a beard as neat his without some effort.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBsosjUeN9
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH11VP8wzmC
'Lord Oseso, ambassador to his majesty King Wace of Southway.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYOtPdEjtH
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkplJzSV9qu
'Pleased to meet you.' My politeness was automatic. I felt no warmth towards this man. Quite apart from the fact his rich, fur-lined cloak and black, oiled hair alienated me, this was the enemy.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs2fDkxX3A
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTXnR1FjTY
A crowd was gathering as soldiers and civilians moved closer to hear the ambassador's words.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2uiXODe2f
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RHzTWCoHl
'Perhaps we can take some refreshment in private?' Lord Oseso suggested.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQuPyR7x9c
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I shook my head. 'There's nothing you can say that I would hide from my people. Why are you here?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhsGlwsbcv
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfiHYFmjOy
'Are you sure?' There was a knowing sneer in his gaze, inviting some kind of complicity from me.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLsnzF716x
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz2UEoNTZp
'Get on with it. I'm busy.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLHH3kL9UZ
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oRj2lfmJP
Supressing a smile, the ambassador from Southland shrugged, as if to pass off any blame. 'King Wace, in his generosity, offers to make Greyland a dependency of Southway. You,' he gestured to everyone, 'are spared conquest. And you personally, sire, will be given a comfortable retirement, dining on the finest food of our realm in the company of delightful personal companionship, in return for implementing the decisions of his highness on your interface.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8K6MXt2To
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGlRGLsucs
A silence fell over the square and even the crows stilled their caws, as if to listen to my answer. I let my heart and breath settle.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCI3UonlhP
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtckag3dQue
'Firstly, we are not conquered yet. Secondly, we all know what it would mean for our kingdom to be run by an invader…' I raised my voice for all to hear. 'People dragged off to work wherever your ruler wanted; our soldiers used up in his battles to spare his own troops; our wealth drained into your coffers; starvation and ruin here.' I knew what I was talking about, it's what I intended to do to them.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hXxUKFoHl
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c2WE4lV2k
Lord Oseso shook his head. 'Careful what you say next, this offer won't come again.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXuoSXvAur
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vk1UBwpPG
'Good. If we see you again, you'll be executed as a spy. Greyland will never surrender and you can tell King Wace that unless he withdraws from our territory, it is he who will suffer conquest.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi39afaY9VH
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHSdUsVf3l
'I'll tell him of your empty threat and he will laugh. And he will remind you of it when you are in chains at his feet.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWI68wl0UJ
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAVD62SfIe
'That is disrespectful.' I was furious and at least a part my anger was drawn from the uncomfortable feeling, fear even, that he was going to be proven right. I walked over to him, using my height and bulk to lean down and snarl. 'Vincit qui patitur, he who endures conquers. And Greyland will endure.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumsQGiJkL6
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNODD7cgUq
Perhaps he saw the determination in my eyes. Perhaps he understood how close I was to striking him with the sword in my left hand, which no longer felt heavy. In any case, the ambassador's head dropped and he stepped back, then turned away to find his horse and remount.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva4VOKQj4L
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZOCFsal2I
'Blindfold him and lead his horse. Don't let him look around as he leaves.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxCpPmrpcZ
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE9Hgz44pF
'Yes sir.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWyeDkfova
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacnWGl0qSa
'Right, then everyone, back to work. We're going to have to work extremely hard, myself included, to endure and escape conquest.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JJNvc0i45
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZcon4QGz2
Muttering broke out among the people and it was hard to judge the tone. Certainly, it was not the cheering enthusiasm of a people rallying to their king. But among the soldiers especially there were several faces that looked brighter and more supportive than they had.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmiXUSvqm9
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3x0D9EPbcQ
'Now, Carradock. I was on lap forty-four, was I not?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS084ycghC
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAIuDawWjX
'Forty-three sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGbC0BCV3C
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4VhX8jcF4
'Damn pedant.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4psLeSJUhT
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmFwKm38dW
The last few laps were painful. It did help, however, that I could study the town menus and take my mind from the constant complaints of my body. That gave me one measure of the effect of my responses to the ambassador from Southway, which was that the score for Happiness under the people menu had risen from 14 to 16. At least it hadn't gone down, so on the whole, they seemed to approve of resistance rather than surrender.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zFN7QkjIt
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNN8TRcTJJ
It was the military menu that got me thinking again.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fopaoks5a
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlj9S0EeDZ
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUl9TEBI4r
Military732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBij8yqwXNQ
Light infantry: 32732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON4QLGioLR
Heavy infantry: 12732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqsla8VI0Y
Archers: 18732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9UZZP6EOp
Light cavalry: 24732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTnzZ8UB6n
Heavy cavalry: 4732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUvjUWycKK
Ballista: 1732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOpbusZxfS
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZMwbCC6gM
Hospital: 17732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvVMAWbPkx
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWMrjN0qWd
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9lMx5bKHs
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshQsvWVFHc
Currently training: 1 heavy cavalry732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr89o1siIHT
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctcjUJleWU
Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgZoVErMvL
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQshXHEhbSk
Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqyy0F5t0P
Why was I training heavy cavalry? They were costly in terms of iron and tactically useless. We would be holding defensive positions for the foreseeable future and while I hoped the day would come when I rode at the head of a line of formidable heavy cavalry, that was a long way off. Although it meant losing whatever raw materials my predecessor had invested in the project, I cancelled the heavy cavalry from the training queue and instead added fifteen archers to it, at a cost of 10 iron ingots and 15 gold and 15 of the unassigned townspeople.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW0ynaE2du
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYAfP4Fe5o
That left me 12 unassigned townspeople to think about. Before setting them to various tasks, I needed to know about building a trading vessel. When I tried to call up information about ships, I got a frustrating message.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPje6WDOmP
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBxfjnWx9c
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORMHB0343A
Shipbuilding732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwAFkU2DTu
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI1kNF7UUX
Unknown.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aMAYyDqzI
Create a Shipwright to unlock this option.
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1FWSoMAsX
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ877q4OFeYV
'Hey, you!' I called out to a skinny youth, who was hanging around near the steps of the keep watching me with earnest eyes as though I was last man in for a cricket team that was over a hundred runs behind. And I couldn't tell if he wanted me to fail or succeed.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJ7VaGXP02
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'Sire?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvagEFe0GS
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'Get the Chief Carpenter for me.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3e3IzbAwg
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfkB4AHgTT
'Yes, sire.' The lad got up without any urgency and strolled down a shadow-filled street.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyMo75mYEz
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFTApzndvF
I was on lap forty-six when the carpenter arrived, he was a bald, confident looking man, with intelligent brown eyes.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2vyJfJi4b
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yaa0yXkZs
'Walk with me,' I grunted.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhOk27TPg5
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgv1HgH1rl
'Sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TAEIX5V9c
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8oxW6N3T4
'Can you make us a trading ship?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqN08SWOi8
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpdY9H5ur8
The question came as a surprise but he took it well, hardly faltering in his step. 'No sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFLcJRREJX
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q22TZOmJO
'What if I researched Shipbuilding One?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8brHPGBx2x
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKOemL3wwT
The man looked at me, surprised, then down at the ground. 'As you know, sire, I only have access to a limited menu in order that I can view my tasks... I couldn't be sure about research, but Shipbuilding does sound like it will make the role of Shipbuilder available to you.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiyy3s4i6K
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuEwM8nDnV
'And I can then assign someone to it?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOR8xR8BMNZ
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FyFIxSpfC
'If it becomes an option sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNZKKzDGmn
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKJHoucCz5
'Would you like to do it?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIWe02PCAu
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSrJ0uyAp8
'Me? It's up to you sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE7bBpwvSD
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOSmFWXgpL
'Yes,' I said, a little impatiently. 'I know that. But I'd rather people enjoyed their work than hated it.' This wasn't just coming from my innate sense of politeness, it was practical too. I wanted that town happiness score to rise and surely by assigning the right people to the right jobs, at least when it came to specialist roles, that was going to help?732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrmcvFBosG
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGfWNmVxAZ
We walked the entire length of the barracks square and turned back towards Carradock before the carpenter answered. 'I think I would like that sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn51jdHgKKO
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFbTGey6BK
'Right so, find someone in your workshop who wants to be the Chief Carpenter and I'll make you Shipbuilder in…' I checked the research menu, dropped Navigation (there was no penalty, but I risked having to restart it again from the beginning), as it still had five days to go, and swapped to Shipbuilding 1, 'four days.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXOIVNovLE
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrJKG9v2qj
'Thank you sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8JVYmWX3M
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k0WLaKrhL
'Now tell me this. I see a lot of people in the town. But not very many on the menus. Why is that?'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsmJKlalkI
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9XBkuI9zM
Again, the carpenter looked astonished. Then a little wary, as if I'd set a trap. 'People want to join the menu, sire, to serve the goddess... and you. But it's limited, isn't it? They can't get on unless you've been able to make room.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSET0qzAZlB
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDMyo42mZ9
That wasn't an answer that clarified very much, but I gave him a grunt to signal he could go back to work. It was as much as I could manage. As for the twelve unassigned people in the town, I decided to leave them for now. Soon I'd want shipbuilders and sailors.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qnB0dIMNU
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj0Wldpjj3
Forty-seven.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKef4BynOGI
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Forty-eight.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmxGCnDZ2E
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojiLrfBK1i
Forty-nine.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvMJH4FmUh
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoO44nwIG2V
Fifty.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTXjCI5IJK
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mJRNSBVNU
'That's me done for the day.' I spoke to Carradock with as much nonchalance as I could muster. As if I could do another fifty, although every muscle was groaning.732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOnYqVE9Ve
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKS4QdYwyh
'Well done Sire.'732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhndZG1RUwV
732Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7HCIYhTfc
That acknowledgement lifted me all the way back to the keep.
and then Add to home screen.