Chapter 19 – This land is Reborn
A week had passed since that bloody night.
The shadow of the Thalveran assassin who had nearly taken their lives was now nothing more than a bitter memory slowly fading away. The village of Andora still stood—and more than that, it had begun to grow. No longer just surviving, for the first time, they were building a future.
Hyunwoo stared at a document in his hand, an old scroll that had become the most dangerous weapon he possessed. A piece of paper powerful enough to make King Lucareth Valenmoor tremble with fury—and fear. The hidden threat within those lines left Thalveran with no choice but to comply with Hyunwoo's demands.
And Hyunwoo didn't waste the opportunity. He began making requests that normally required long negotiations or bloody wars. But this time, with just one document, the shipments began. Thalveran—normally arrogant and stingy—was forced to send timber, grains, metal materials, and even grant access to the mountain water source they once monopolized.
In a small meeting room at the center of the village, Hyunwoo sat with Andora's key figures. Before them lay a map of the village filled with new markings.
"With access to the mountain water, we can build a much better irrigation system than before," Wonho said, pointing at a simple diagram he had drawn.
Hyunwoo nodded. "I want you to lead this project, Wonho. We'll create a main channel running from the north, and branches that spread to the fields and residential areas."
Wonho gave a small smile. "Already thought of that. We can build a small dam too, to control the flow."
Taeyang, sitting beside Yerin, chimed in, "With enough water, the fields can be planted again. I want to try growing some herbs that couldn't survive before."
Yerin nodded. "If it works, we can start building that health center you were planning, Hyunwoo."
Hyunwoo flipped through several pages of documents. "That's one of my top priorities. A health center, a market, a blacksmithing hub, and—"
"—an industry," Jaehyun interrupted as he set down a cup of tea. He glanced at Hyunwoo calmly. "Imagine if we didn't just survive, but produced. Our goods could reach other villages. We set up a distribution system. Start small. But it could change everything."
Hyunwoo paused for a moment. He knew Jaehyun was serious. The two of them spoke at length after the meeting ended, crafting a concept for a local enterprise that could be the foundation for regional growth. Jaehyun hadn't shared the idea with the others—not yet.
Soon, the mountain water Thalveran had once kept to themselves began flowing back. Wonho, eyes sparkling with unusual energy, led the construction of new channels with the help of the Lizardmen. The water system that once relied on a single spring now evolved into a network that brought life to the fields.
Wonho stood at the edge of a stone canal under construction, wearing a sweat-soaked, mud-stained shirt. His face glowed—not just from the sun, but from his blazing excitement. He pointed to a rough map in his hand, giving instructions to the Lizardmen, who moved swiftly to lift large stones, dig trenches, and connect bamboo pipes.
"Direct the flow toward the eastern field! If the pressure holds, we can irrigate two at once!" Wonho shouted, eyes gleaming.
Krothar and Rakka worked shoulder to shoulder with Andora's youth, forming lines to reinforce the canal walls. Village children cheered each time the first drops of water trickled into a new trench, soaking the parched earth that had long yearned for life.
The once-feeble spring behind the hill was now a mighty flow, channeled through a regulated irrigation system. A small dam had been built upstream, and a waterwheel—designed by Wonho—spun endlessly, lifting water to higher ground.
Meanwhile, wooden trucks from Thalveran arrived nonstop. Their massive wheels carved permanent grooves into the village's soil, now a center of construction. They brought beams of wood, rolls of cloth, bricks, and even bulk food supplies. But more than goods, they brought an unfamiliar presence—Thalveran guards with sullen faces and hostile postures, forced to unload supplies under the watchful eyes of the villagers.
Vanessa Valemont stood nearby, clad in a long silver coat. She handed a manifest to Belinda, her face expressionless. Every movement was composed, yet her icy gaze pierced like a blade, as if reminding Hyunwoo this was all under duress.
"Are you satisfied with this?" she asked him one day, her tone flat but laced with tension.
Hyunwoo replied with a faint smile. "I'm just taking advantage of the situation—just like Thalveran always has."
Andora changed within days. At the village center, a new marketplace was taking shape—the land leveled, foundations laid, and thatched roofs installed. The builders moved quickly. Among them, Verine bustled about with her usual snark, managing the now-constant communal kitchen. Smoke rose every morning, and the scent of potato and meat stew filled the air. Children arrived with bowls in hand, laughing amid the clang of hammers and saws.
Not far from there, Yerin's health center stood tall—a modest wooden building with wide windows that welcomed natural light, and tables lined with dried herbs. Yerin smiled as she occasionally glanced at the workers arriving for first aid.
To the west, Thadrick was building a new forge—twice the size of the old one, with a metal chimney already spewing black smoke. The sound of clanging metal echoed each morning as the village youth began learning the basics of blacksmithing. Gorln, the Lizardman cartwright, even set up a special area to repair wheels and craft agricultural tools.
Hyunwoo watched it all from the balcony of the newly renovated town hall. Beside him, Jaehyun sat with a pile of documents and sketches.
"If everything goes well," Jaehyun said, "we could start our own production in two months. I wouldn't call it a company yet, but... a small inter-village distribution network. Start with Andora, then expand to Rivenwood and Cloudmere."
Hyunwoo nodded slowly. "We're not just building homes—we're building a future."
That night, Hyunwoo walked slowly along the edge of the village, breathing in the cool night air.
"What about the idea…" Jaehyun's voice came from behind, calm but deep. He caught up with Hyunwoo without hurry.
Hyunwoo glanced back, smiling faintly. "Your idea earlier—I think we can make it happen."
"What kind of industry should we start?" Jaehyun asked. "I don't think we're just building buildings anymore. We're making Andora the center. We start here, then spread to other regions. Be it food processing, crafts, or even metal tools. We could build an enterprise."
Hyunwoo raised an eyebrow. "We'll start with a plow. Use livestock, and forge the blades from iron."
Jaehyun looked up at the starry sky. "That's genius. We have momentum. We have the people. And most importantly—we have leverage. Thalveran can't make a move as long as we hold that document."
The next day, in the town hall, a major decision was made. Claude and Arlain stood to the left, Belinda and Elden to the right. Their faces were tense, but resolute.
Hyunwoo stepped forward. "Today, I appoint Ahn Jaehyun as Andora's Chief Advisor."
Silence, then a round of applause—not extravagant, but sincere.
Elden smiled warmly. "I'm getting old. And Andora needs a younger voice with a sharp mind. I'll gladly serve as the secondary advisor."
There was no ceremony, no pomp. But the atmosphere shifted—Andora was no longer just a rescued village. It now had structure, direction, and a foundation.
That night, Hyunwoo sat at a wooden desk covered in rough maps of Andora and its surrounding areas. Sketched buildings, place names, and water channels sprawled across the surface. A small torch dimly lit the room.
For the first time since they had arrived in this world—the future felt possible.