It was a warm afternoon when we returned to the bustling city. Exhausted from the long expedition, I stumbled into my house and collapsed onto my bed. I longed for a moment of solitude, so I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. But as soon as I did, Chloe's face appeared in my mind's eye, her beauty causing my heart to skip a beat. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was constantly thinking about her, even when I was alone.

I had been lonely here for a long time, and Chloe was the only one who had connected with me and been with me from the start. I suppose I had grown attached to her because I found myself constantly thinking about her. I was lying on my bed, lost in thought when someone knocked on the door. I called out for them to enter, and my minion manager appeared. He handed me a progress report from the previous day and informed me that an intelligence variant minion was waiting outside with information about a village that we might attack. I glanced over the report and saw that everything was going smoothly. I told the manager that I would be out soon. Just as I was lost in thought, a knock at the door pulled me back to reality. My minion manager entered, a stack of papers in hand. He gave me a progress report from the previous day and informed me that an intelligence variant minion was waiting outside with information about a potential new target: a village in the northeast.

Despite my weariness, I knew I had to attend to this matter. I dragged myself out of bed and made my way outside to meet the minion. He stood at a respectful distance, and as I approached, he began conveying his message. He told me about a village known for its skilled weapon makers, who crafted and sold their wares to anyone who desired them. The iron gate at the barracks, I learned, had even been made in this village.

"What news do you bring?" I asked.

"My lord," the minion began, "I bring word of a village in the northeast, known for its skilled weapon makers. They craft and sell their wares to anyone who desires them, and the iron gate at the barracks was even made in this village."

I nodded, intrigued. "And what else?""The village has a talent for weapon innovation, my lord," the minion continued. "They have created such designs as chained axes and arrow shooters."

"Interesting," I remarked. "What about their army? How many soldiers do they have?"

But the minion didn't stop there. He went on to describe the village's talents in weapon innovation, mentioning the creation of chained axes and arrow shooters. My curiosity piqued, I asked about the size of their army.

Before the minion could respond, Chloe spoke up from behind him, having apparently joined us at some point. "What about their army?" she asked.

**

"The weapon makers don't know how to fight; they only create weapons. They have the support of many kings in this land, so they don't keep a large army. No land has ever tried to enslave them because they are the weapons providers. There is a very small army, only 100 warriors. 30 are archers, and the rest are skilled in sword fighting."

"You're suggesting that we could easily take on this village and win?"

"Yes, my lord, however, you must be very cautious with these people. They are quite clever and famous for their smart antics. They have a hidden passage out of the village. If you'd like, I can go and gather more information about it, as it could be problematic if any of them escape and call for help during the attack on the village."

"We will attack and once we are there, you can find out about the hidden passage," Chloe said. But I wasn't sure about this. If some of their people saw my army approaching, they might escape as soon as possible. Sending the minion earlier was a better plan.

"No, we cannot do this. It would be very risky. We will not attack at once; we will attack the village tomorrow, and until then you will have to find out about the secret passage out of the village," I said, wanting to be cautious with every attack.

"So, should I go, my lord?"

"Yes, you may. But first, provide me with a map of the village. You haven't provided me with a map yet."

"I was waiting for your order, my lord. Here is the map of the village," he said, handing it to me.

He showed me all the houses, weapon shops, and other places in the village. He pointed out the storage areas, which were double the size of the last village. He told me there were a lot of resources in this village, enough weapons to last forever.

My eyes widened at the thought of all these resources. I told him to provide me with a map of the village, and he said he would bring it soon before leaving.

As I studied the map, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the thought of attacking this village. The weapon makers seemed unprepared for a fight, and the small army they had seemed no match for my own. The storage areas were filled with resources, enough to sustain us for a long time. The village itself was quite small, nestled in a valley between rolling hills. A river flowed through the center, dividing the village in half. On one side were the homes and weapon shops, while on the other were the storage areas and training grounds for the soldiers. It was clear that this village had much to offer us, and I couldn't wait to claim it for our own.

Well, as excited as someone as plain as I was could be.

Now that I thought about it, what really was my life here?