Around the Lonely Mountain lay a vast, barren wasteland. The landscape was a grim tableau of charred tree stumps and cracked, desiccated earth, utterly devoid of life. Records stated that this place was once a vibrant green field until the dragon came. Its fire had scorched the entire expanse, permanently scarring the world.
From then on, it was known only as Smaug's Desolation.
"Help… help… Is anyone there…?"
At this moment, a corpulent figure lay panting on the dead earth, slowly, pathetically, crawling forward. It was none other than the former Master of Lake-town.
"Please, anyone… give me some water or food," he rasped, his voice thin and cracking. "I can give you all the treasures on me… I can give you half…"
"Is anyone there—"
The Master shouted until his throat was raw, but only the cold, indifferent wind answered him.
"Ah—!!"
He let out one final, miserable howl with the last of his strength, and then there was silence.
The former Master and his clutched treasures remained forever in the wasteland. He died in agony from hunger, utterly alone and unknown. When he chose to abandon his people, he had also sealed his own fate, abandoning himself to oblivion.
No one would ever look for him. He had long since faded from memory.
…
In front of the walls of Roadside Fort, Levi looked at the group of refugees before him and scratched his head.
"I've been on a long journey, so it's been a while," he said. "It looks like you've been here for some time."
"Yes, my lord," an elder with a kind but weary face stepped forward. "We arrived just as autumn began. The Misty Mountains were too dangerous; we dared not cross the passes, so we had to take the long way around to get here."
"I remember you," Levi said, his gaze sharpening slightly. "You are their village chief, if I recall correctly?"
"I am," the old chief replied with a respectful nod.
Levi looked past him at the assembled people. "There should be more of you. Where are the others?"
"They left," the village chief answered, a touch of sadness in his voice. "We passed many stable villages and towns along the way. Some did not wish to travel so far and chose to leave the group to settle in those places. The rest of us… we were willing to give up that comfort to seek refuge with you."
"Alright," Levi nodded, a sense of responsibility settling upon him. "Since I showed you the way, and you've found this place as I instructed, then… welcome to Roadside Fort."
The crowd immediately erupted in weary but heartfelt cheers, shouting the name of their new lord.
"Come with me, all of you."
A group of nearly two hundred people followed Levi toward the city gate. The old village chief wanted to remind him that the great gate didn't seem designed to open, but he held his tongue. This was the lord's territory; perhaps he was simply ignorant of its secrets.
Click.
Levi pulled a hidden lever, and a smaller iron door slid open smoothly beside the main gate. "Come in through here."
A mechanism, the chief thought. That's still within understanding.
However, as the refugees gradually poured into the city, their quiet awe quickly turned to gasps of disbelief.
"I've never seen such a beautiful place in my entire life," someone whispered.
The village chief, walking at the front, simply shook his head, unable to stop a sigh of profound wonder from escaping his lips. He had lived his entire life in a quiet river valley. The most beautiful scenery he had ever known was the river reflecting the rosy hues of sunset. He had never imagined a place like this could exist.
Outside were only cold, impossibly smooth walls that blocked everything from view. But inside… inside was a world of warmth and dreams.
Yes, dreamlike.
Neat paths wound between vibrant flowerbeds and clear ponds. Beautiful, sturdy houses were visible everywhere, all oriented toward a grand castle in the center. Livestock wandered in clean enclosures, yet needed no tending. Plump crops grew in perfectly tilled patches, radiating a vitality that suggested they would never wither. And despite the city's size, there was not a single person inside, only tall, friendly Iron Golems who would occasionally offer a freshly picked flower to those who approached.
A little girl in her mother's arms reached out and took one. She raised it high, her eyes wide with joy. "Mommy, is this the castle from the story you told me?"
"No, child," the woman whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Mommy could never tell a story this good."
"What… what should we do, my lord…" The old village chief seemed flustered, his hands trembling slightly. The environment was too perfect, almost unnervingly so. He cautiously asked, "Can we… can we really live here?"
"Houses are built for people to live in," Levi turned and said matter-of-factly. "This is where you will live from now on."
But upon hearing this, the refugees only felt more uneasy. Finally, the village chief stepped forward again, his expression earnest. "My lord, I want to know… what can we do? What is our purpose here?"
Most of them were farmers; they only knew how to work the land. But looking at this magical territory, it seemed their labor was not needed. The Iron Golems alone looked stronger than ten men combined. What could they possibly contribute? To simply live off charity all day was a thought that troubled their pride. People needed to feel their own worth.
"This—" Levi paused. He finally understood the core of the problem. What could his people do? He lacked for nothing. Was he to let them be idle forever?
A familiar notification pulsed in his vision.
[Population has reached the standard. Conditions for establishing a faction have been met.]
He opened the faction system. It seemed certain functions would only unlock after he took this next step. There was just one thing that had been holding him back.
The faction's name.
He was suffering from a severe case of name-choosing difficulty. Roadside Fort was named because it was by the road. Dale already had a name. But a faction that encompassed both? Naming was a meticulous art. Throughout Middle-earth, no faction's name was random.
For example, Rivendell—the word, when broken down, means 'torn valley,' which perfectly matches the terrain there.
Another example is Lothlórien—in the Elven language, it means 'dreamland where flowers bloom,' which also perfectly suited its characteristics.
So, what about his? One territory was on the plains west of the mountains, the other was a city built against a mountain in the east. Should he call it Rivendell-Lothlórien? Or Lothlórien-Dale? If he did that, two very powerful Elven lords would probably come knocking on his door the next day.
Levi shook his head, pushing the absurd thought aside. He finally typed two words into the interface.
"Free City-States."
['Free City-States' Faction Successfully Established]
That would do for now. The name wasn't set in stone anyway. As soon as he confirmed it, a cascade of notifications popped up, almost dazzling him.
[Faction Reputation for 'Free City-States' unlocked]
[Free City-States Reputation: ∞]
[Citizen System unlocked]
[Citizen Reputation enabled]
[Permission Management System unlocked]
"You all rest for a bit. I have something to do; I'll be back in a moment," Levi told the refugees before finding a quiet place to read through the new functions.
The system was powerful. He could now see every individual's reputation within his faction, just as he could see his own in others. It was a perfect system for monitoring contributions and transgressions. Following that was permission management. He could create 'classes' and grant system permissions based on reputation.
After some thought, Levi set up the first two tiers.
[Visitor]
Reputation required: 0
Permissions: Can use wooden tools to work within the territory and gain faction reputation.
[Resident]
Reputation required: 10 + Oath of Allegiance
Permissions: Can use the crafting table to craft stone tools. Can craft and use personal chests.
This would do for now. He closed the interface and returned to the waiting refugees. Seeing him approach, they immediately rose to their feet.
"Don't worry," Levi announced loudly. "There's plenty for you to do here. The development of this territory needs your help. But for now, the most important thing is to fill your stomachs and find a place to live."
At a glance, none of them looked healthy. They needed rest. He placed a large table in the plaza and brought out several stacks of fresh bread, piling them high.
"Take food from here, as much as you can eat," he commanded. "Then, choose your houses by family." He found the old village chief in the crowd. "I'm leaving these matters to you for now. There's plenty of bread, and the houses are all empty. After you've settled everyone, come find me at the castle. I still need your help."
"As you command," the old chief bowed and immediately began to organize his people with practiced skill.
Levi breathed a sigh of relief. Having competent help made things much easier. He returned to his castle and began the long-overdue task of sorting his inventory, which was crammed with dragon hearts, blood, and scales from his battle with Smaug.
Just as he finished, the old village chief arrived. "My lord, the tasks are complete. Do you have any further instructions?"
"Come with me." Levi crafted a set of simple wooden tools and led the chief to a vegetable patch. He handed him a wooden hoe. "Take this. Try harvesting the crops."
The chief held the strange, blocky tool, skepticism clear on his face. But it was his lord's command. Though old, he still had the strength to swing a hoe.
Chop.
With a single, light swing, the entire plant vanished, and several carrots popped out of the ground, lying neatly on the tilled soil. The old chief's eyes went wide.
"Did I… did I see that wrong? They just… dropped?"
"You're not wrong," Levi confirmed. "That's how things work here. Just consider this place to be under a spell. All items in the territory possess a kind of magic."
"Magic? I understand, my lord." Though his face remained calm, the old chief's mind was in an uproar. Our lord is a wizard! A wizard who wields powerful magic!
Suddenly, the future seemed brighter than ever. His people had made the right choice.
"Now pick up the carrots and plant one back," Levi instructed.
The old village chief did as he was told. The moment the carrot touched the tilled soil, a green shoot sprouted instantly, leaving him utterly speechless. After testing farming, Levi had him try feeding animals, chopping wood, and mining stone. Everything worked with the same impossible efficiency. After a full tour, the old village chief was completely numb. The experience was so bizarre he wondered if he was dreaming.
If this is a dream, he thought, I hope I never wake up.
Meanwhile, Levi was summarizing his findings. Farming, ranching, mining, and logging. These were the basic production tasks his [Visitors] could perform to produce food and materials and, through them, earn their way to becoming true [Residents] of his new faction. A plan was beginning to form.