The moment Tobias stepped onto the raised platform near the center of the village square, the surrounding noise gradually quieted down.
Dozens of tired faces turned toward him immediately. Some people still carried tools from earlier work assignments while others stood wrapped in blankets against the cold morning air. The newly erected wooden fence surrounding sections of King's Territory remained clearly visible even from the square, and every now and then, somebody glanced toward it with visible relief.
Iris noticed the guards first.
Several guards carrying crude bows and worn swords stood near Tobias now… their expressions noticeably more confident than yesterday. The existence of the wooden perimeter alone seemed to have changed the atmosphere inside the territory slightly. People still looked exhausted, hungry, and anxious, but there was something else mixed into it now.
Hope.
Fragile hope, but hope nonetheless.
Tobias allowed the silence to settle for several seconds before finally speaking.
"As all of you can already see," he began, spreading one arm toward the outer sections of the territory, "King's Territory has successfully established its first defensive perimeter."
Murmurs spread across the crowd almost immediately.
Some people even clapped softly.
"The process was not easy," Tobias continued smoothly, his voice carrying across the square with practiced confidence. "Constructing defensive infrastructure required enormous amounts of resources, labor, and system energy. However, despite those difficulties, I chose to prioritize everyone's safety."
Iris watched several people visibly relax at those words.
Not because they trusted him completely.
Because they wanted to.
That difference mattered.
"Fortunately," Tobias continued, "our efforts have not been wasted. Earlier this morning, King's Territory received a system notification confirming that we have fulfilled nearly all requirements necessary to upgrade into a Level 2 Village."
This time, the crowd reacted much louder.
Shock spread instantly across the square.
Some people stared at Tobias in disbelief while others immediately began whispering excitedly among themselves.
"A Level 2 Village?"
"Already?"
"Doesn't that mean better protection?"
"We might survive this after all…"
Tobias raised a hand calmly, allowing the reactions to continue for several moments before speaking again.
"There is only one remaining requirement."
The square slowly quieted once more.
"Population."
Iris narrowed her eyes slightly.
"As most of you already know, temporary visitors do not fully contribute toward territory development requirements. In order for King's Territory to complete its advancement, we require more registered residents."
There it was.
The real reason for the announcement.
Uneasy whispers spread quietly through the crowd again.
"At least residents get protection."
"Protection? We're basically handing our lives over to him."
"What choice do we even have?"
"I heard permanent residents get priority housing."
"Of course they do," another man muttered bitterly. "The lord wants people tied to the territory."
Not far away, two women spoke in much lower voices.
"Thank God he finally stopped dragging women into that palace every night."
"Keep your voice down."
"What? Everybody already knows he already has six wives."
Tobias continued speaking smoothly.
"Those willing to support the future of this territory may officially register themselves either as temporary residents or permanent residents. Both options will contribute toward population requirements and future territory growth."
Nobody spoke immediately after that.
The atmosphere had changed again.
The earlier excitement now carried hesitation beneath it.
"Of course," Tobias added with a faint smile, "those unwilling to become residents are free to leave the territory at any time."
The wording sounded polite.
The meaning behind it was not.
Iris quietly watched the crowd around them.
Nobody looked comfortable anymore.
Some people avoided eye contact entirely while others whispered nervously to family members beside them. A few seemed ready to agree immediately simply because the thought of returning outside terrified them.
The wilderness had already broken most people psychologically.
The wooden fence only made that fear more obvious.
Caleb leaned slightly closer toward Benjamin before whispering, "What's the difference between temporary and permanent residents?"
"No idea," Benjamin replied quietly, his expression tense. "But if he's pushing this hard, there's probably a catch."
Henry folded his arms across his chest while staring toward Tobias with open distrust.
"I don't like this."
Veronica sighed softly beside him.
"None of us do."
Iris remained silent.
But internally, her thoughts continued moving.
System territories didn't waste resources.
Neither did territory rulers.
If residency mattered enough to become a system requirement, then residents themselves probably held value beyond simple population numbers.
Labor. Taxes. Authority. Control.
The realization settled unpleasantly in her chest.
Henry exhaled sharply a moment later.
"We're leaving."
Caleb blinked once.
"Immediately?"
"Yes."
Henry's gaze remained fixed toward Tobias.
"The rules inside this territory keep changing whenever it benefits him. Yesterday it was entry fees. Today it's residency pressure. Tomorrow it'll be something else."
Caleb scratched his cheek awkwardly before muttering, "I mean… technically it IS his territory."
Benjamin snorted quietly beside him.
"That doesn't make it less suspicious."
Not far away, Nina noticed their group slowly moving away from the registration area instead of joining the line forming near Tobias. Her expression changed almost immediately before she hurried after them through the crowd.
"You're not seriously planning to leave, right?" she asked, lowering her voice anxiously. "Outside is dangerous, especially after dark. At least inside the territory there are guards now."
"We appreciate everything you did for us," Veronica said gently. "But we can't stay here."
Nina looked genuinely distressed now.
"But where will you even go?"
Henry remained silent.
Because honestly, none of them truly knew yet.
Veronica reached forward suddenly before pressing several gold coins into Nina's hand discreetly.
The younger woman froze instantly.
"T-this is too much."
"It's fine," Veronica replied softly. "Thank you for helping us yesterday."
Nina immediately tried giving the money back.
"No, I can't accept this."
"You can," Veronica insisted gently before closing Nina's fingers around the coins.
The amount was enough to leave Nina visibly shaken.
People inside King's Territory treated even copper carefully. Silver already felt valuable here. Gold was something most residents probably had never even touched before.
For several seconds, Nina simply stared at the coins in her hand silently.
Then her eyes lowered slightly.
Part of her clearly wanted to ask if she could follow them.
But fear won in the end.
And realistically—
King's Territory was still safer than the wilderness.
Even if only barely.
"I hope you stay safe," she whispered eventually.
"You too," Iris answered quietly.
The group gathered their belongings shortly afterward before walking toward the territory entrance together.
Several people watched them leave with complicated expressions.
Some looked confused.
Others looked envious.
A few looked at them like they were insane.
The same guards from yesterday immediately recognized them once they approached the gate.
One of them laughed openly.
"Well, look who couldn't afford residency."
The second guard smirked while leaning lazily against the wooden barrier nearby.
"I thought rich people were supposed to stay rich."
"Maybe they'll come begging to return later."
Several nearby people laughed quietly.
Caleb's expression darkened almost instantly.
Before he could turn around fully, Benjamin grabbed his shoulder firmly.
"Leave it."
"But—"
"They're not worth it."
The guards continued snickering behind them as the group finally stepped beyond the wooden perimeter and back into the wilderness once more.
Cold wind moved through the trees outside immediately.
Different from inside the territory.
Sharper.
Less protected.
Iris glanced backward one final time.
The wooden fence surrounded the settlement unevenly while smoke drifted upward from scattered fires inside the territory. People moved between buildings carrying supplies while guards patrolled near the entrance with noticeably straighter backs than before.
It still looked fragile.
But compared to the wilderness beyond it—
fragile safety was still safety.
Without another word, Iris turned away and continued walking forward alongside the others.
Ahead of them, the endless wilderness stretched outward once again.
And this time…
they truly had nowhere left to return to.