The next morning was bright, but it brought little rest for Luke. Thoughts wrestled in his head, two worlds intertwining: Luke's simple life as a bookstore clerk in New York, and Lucas's complex reality as the ruler of a frontier town on the brink of collapse. He had to act quickly, especially since Lucas's memories screamed of the urgent need to find solutions to the food shortage before anxiety turned into despair.
Breakfast was served in his room: dry bread, a small piece of cheese, and a cup of warm liquid resembling tea but tasting more of wild herbs. The food was meager, barely enough to quell his hunger. This confirmed to him the critical importance of today's meeting with Lisa, the merchants' representative.
Meeting with the Merchants' Representative: Lisa and the Chronic Shortage
Late in the morning, Luke, accompanied by Garth, headed to the small meeting hall in the castle. The hall was simple, its stone walls unadorned, containing a massive wooden table and sturdy chairs. Lisa was already waiting, seated at one of the chairs, her simple but neat attire showing a greater attention to appearance than most of the town's residents. She was a woman in her late thirties, with sharp features, intelligent eyes, and dark brown hair pulled back tightly. She held some leather scrolls, appearing tense.
"Good morning, Lord Lucas, Commander Garth," Lisa said in a calm, direct voice. "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but I've brought this month's rations report."
"Good morning, Lisa. Please, have a seat," Luke said, gesturing for her to sit. He and Garth took their seats, and Luke felt Garth's eyes assessing his interaction with Lisa.
Lisa unrolled one of the scrolls and spoke in a formal tone: "As you know, the food supplies we receive from the city (Ironhold) barely cover half of our needs. This month, the situation appears worse. The grain harvest was poor due to drought in the inner towns last year, and consequently, our flour and bread rations have decreased by 20%."
Garth's expression hardened. "That's impossible, Lisa! The town depends on this food! What about meat?"
"Dried meat will barely suffice for a few weeks if we continue at this pace," Lisa replied, then looked directly at Luke. "I've spoken with the merchant agents in the inner towns. They are sympathetic, but they say they are under pressure from their lords to provide resources for their own armies or to stockpile before winter. They cannot send more to us without putting themselves at risk."
Luke felt the pressure intensify. This wasn't just a shortage problem; it was an existential crisis. The wealthy inner towns didn't care about their suffering. This was part of the harsh reality of this world: each region looked out for its own interests first.
"What exactly are our requirements, Lisa? And what can we offer in return?" Luke asked, trying to think practically.
"We need double the current quantity of grain and meat," Lisa replied, then added pessimistically: "As for what we can offer... not much. Falcon's Roost produces grain and meat, but we barely cover our own needs. Roger the blacksmith has some good armor and weapons, but it's not enough to attract the interest of the larger towns."
Garth added seriously: "The situation is worsening. If this shortage continues, diseases will begin to spread, and we might face internal unrest. We must find a solution."
Luke pondered for a moment. Lucas's memories offered no solution to this chronic problem. The town had always lived on the brink of famine. But Luke possessed something Lucas didn't know about: the magical book.
"We have a small reserve of gold in the castle, don't we, Lisa?" Luke asked suddenly.
Lisa and Garth looked at him in surprise. "Of course, my lord, but it barely covers the guard's wages for a few months and the castle's basic expenses," Lisa said.
"Suppose we had enough gold to buy what we need in large quantities. Could we obtain the food?" Luke insisted.
Lisa thought for a moment. "Theoretically, yes. Gold is a powerful and sought-after currency. If we had enough, we could buy food directly from the markets of the inner cities, or even from trade caravans passing through the region, perhaps at better prices if the gold quantity was substantial."
Luke realized this was the key. He had to find gold. Not from his original world, but from this world he found himself in. This gold could acquire the food his town desperately needed.
"Thank you, Lisa, Garth. You may return now," Luke said, a daring plan forming in his mind. "Garth, please stay."
After Lisa left, Garth looked at Luke curiously. "What about the gold, my lord? Do you have a plan?"
"Not yet, Garth. But I will find a way," Luke said with determination. "Now, let's go to the training ground. I want to train today. I want to regain my fitness." This was a small lie. He didn't just want to regain his fitness; he wanted to test the magical book's power and perhaps understand its abilities more deeply.
The Training Ground: The Serpent's Revelation
At the training ground, the midday sun cast its warmth. Soldiers trained diligently, the clash of swords mixing with the sound of footsteps on the dirt. Luke felt the weakness of his new body compared to what he was used to, but he remembered that Lucas's body was that of a low-level knight. He had to make the most of it.
After practicing some basic sword movements under Garth's supervision, who noted Luke's unusual distraction and lack of focus, Luke requested a break. He sat out of sight, under the shade of an old tree, and concentrated his mind on the magical book he felt residing within him.
The book didn't physically appear before him, but it existed within his mind, like an internal entity. Luke clearly recalled the serpent's page. He tried to visualize the serpent, to interact with it.
Suddenly, Luke felt a strange coldness spread through his right hand. He raised his hand and found that the sword Roger had given him had vanished. Instead, something else was in his grip.
It was a small, green serpent, no more than a span long, coiled around his fist. Its skin was surprisingly smooth and cool, and its eyes gleamed with an uncanny intelligence. This was no ordinary snake. There was no hiss, just a feeling of mysterious silence.
"I don't believe this!" Luke whispered. He had succeeded.
Luke tried to imagine the serpent reverting to sword form. In an instant, the green serpent transformed into a gleaming metal blade, a short but sharp sword, hanging from a hilt that was now made of the same material as the serpent's body, smooth and cool.
Then Luke tried the reverse, imagining the sword turning into a serpent. Indeed, in a flash, the sword resumed its serpent form, but this time, he tried to increase its size as he remembered from its abilities.
The serpent rapidly expanded, its muscles bulging, and it grew to three meters in length, coiling around his arm and then extending towards the ground. Its head was larger than his fist, and its green eyes glowed powerfully. Its strength was still at Luke's level (low-level), but its size and appearance were enough to inspire terror.
"My God..." Luke mumbled, feeling awe and astonishment at this power.
Suddenly, Garth noticed Luke under the tree and sensed a strange movement. "Lord Lucas, are you alright?" Garth called out as he approached.
With lightning speed, before Garth could see it, Luke imagined the serpent shrinking and transforming back into the regular sword Roger had given him. The serpent vanished, and the old sword reappeared in his grip.
Garth arrived, looking at Luke with concern. "Is something wrong, my lord? I felt some strange energy from this direction."
"No, nothing, Garth," Luke said, trying to appear normal. "Perhaps it was just an illusion. I was practicing some new sword techniques."
Garth seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he nodded. "Very well, my lord. Remember, we set off to inspect the defenses in an hour."
Luke remained seated under the tree, trembling slightly with excitement and fear. He had discovered an extraordinary power, a secret weapon that could change the rules of the game. The magical serpent. Its ability to multiply when cut, and its sole weakness to fire magic. This ability could be the solution to all problems, not just fighting Orcs, but perhaps even finding the gold.
The Father's Secret Room: Knight Techniques, Not Gold
Later that day, after inspecting the defenses and a grueling training session, Luke returned to the castle. His mind was working fast. Lucas's memories recalled that his father had been a somewhat mysterious figure, preferring solitude in his private study. This gave Luke an idea.
Luke slipped into his father's old study. The room was dusty and dim, its shelves filled with ancient books and maps. After a short search, Luke felt a loose wooden panel behind one of the large bookshelves. He pushed it aside to reveal a narrow secret passage leading to a small, hidden room.
Luke lit a candle and entered the room. The room did not contain gleaming chests of gold as he had hoped. Instead, it was filled with books and scrolls, neatly arranged on stone shelves. These were his father's personal writings, which he had never allowed anyone to approach.
Luke picked up one of the scrolls. It was written in an ancient language, but Lucas's memories allowed him to understand it. The scroll explained the "Whirlwind Knight Cultivation Technique." It wasn't magic, but an advanced combat technique focusing on speed and creating whirlwinds of movement with the sword and shield to increase both defensive and offensive power. This was the technique that Lucas (and his current body) practiced.
Luke realized that he hadn't found the gold he had hoped for in this room. But he had found something equally important: knowledge of the combat techniques Lucas had practiced, and how he could develop them, would help him understand his own abilities and how to grow in this world. Gold remained a problem, but Luke now had other tools at his disposal.
The day had begun with the pressure of food shortages and ended with a surprising revelation of the magical serpent's power, followed by the discovery of a secret room filled with valuable combat knowledge instead of gold. The challenge now was how to integrate this hidden weapon and newfound knowledge into the reality of this new world.