Chapter 142: Chapter 135: Homecoming(REVISED)
The walls of Elarion appeared gradually on the horizon.
For a long moment, Lucien simply watched them.
Home.
The word carried a different meaning now.
When he had first arrived in this world, Elarion had been little more than a struggling territory surrounded by uncertainty.
Now, it had become a center of industry.
A place capable of attracting the attention of kings.
And if the Royal Guardian was correct, perhaps one of humanity’s most important strongholds in the centuries to come.
The carriage continued forward.
As they approached the outer gates, Lucien immediately noticed the increased activity.
Workers moved between construction sites.
Supply wagons entered and exited the city.
New buildings had appeared since his departure.
Several factory chimneys rose in the distance.
Road expansion projects were already underway.
Even from outside the walls, Elarion’s growth was visible.
Malen noticed it as well.
"Looks like Lucas hasn’t been idle."
Lucien smiled slightly.
That was an understatement.
If there was one thing Lucas excelled at, it was turning instructions into results.
Soon, the gates opened and the carriage entered.
The reaction was immediate.
Citizens recognized Lucien almost instantly.
Workers paused what they were doing.
Merchants stopped their conversations.
Soldiers straightened visibly.
Within minutes, word spread through the nearby streets.
The lord had returned.
Lucien was not particularly comfortable with public attention.
Unfortunately, that had become increasingly irrelevant.
Leadership carried visibility.
And there was no avoiding it.
The carriage continued toward the estate.
By the time they arrived, several senior officials were already waiting.
At the front stood Lucas.
The administrator looked exactly as Lucien remembered.
Tired.
Overworked.
Ready to complain.
And somehow still managing everything.
The moment Lucien stepped down from the carriage, Lucas approached.
"Welcome back."
Lucien extended a hand.
Lucas ignored it and immediately began speaking.
"We need to discuss steel production."
Malen laughed.
Lucien was not surprised.
Some things never changed.
The administrator finally paused.
Then he noticed Gandalf and Malen’s expressions.
Only then did he realize that nobody had responded.
A slight cough followed.
"After you have rested, of course."
Lucien smiled.
"Naturally."
Lucas looked relieved.
The administrator clearly had an entire mountain of reports waiting.
Unfortunately for him, those reports would have to wait a little longer.
Several hours later, they gathered in the estate’s main conference room.
It was a familiar sight.
Maps covered one wall.
Industrial reports covered another.
Production schedules occupied an entire table.
Lucien had barely sat down before Lucas began speaking.
"The expansion project is progressing ahead of schedule."
Several folders appeared immediately.
Malen visibly retreated toward a corner, while Gandalf quietly slipped away.
Military discussions were one thing.
Administrative reports were another.
The knight and mage wanted no part of them.
Lucas continued.
"Steel output has increased by nineteen percent."
"Machine tool production has increased by twenty-three percent."
"Rail construction remains behind schedule due to labor shortages."
Lucien listened carefully.
Ordinarily, these reports would have felt routine.
Now, after seeing the technology tree, they looked completely different.
Every number represented progress.
Every factory represented future possibilities.
Every railway represented another step toward unlocking new technologies.
The system had changed how he viewed everything.
Lucas eventually noticed his expression.
"Something happened."
Lucien nodded.
Several people immediately became attentive.
The administrator knew him well enough to recognize that look.
This was not ordinary news.
"Tell me," Lucas said.
Lucien leaned back.
Then he summarized everything.
The capital.
The weapon demonstration.
The King’s proposal.
The Supreme Mage Council summit.
And finally, the Royal Guardian’s concerns regarding the Great Tear.
By the time he finished speaking, complete silence filled the room.
Lucas simply stared at him.
Eventually, the administrator rubbed his forehead.
"Let us review this."
He raised a finger.
"The King wants a partnership."
A second finger followed.
"You are being offered a duchy."
Then a third.
"The fate of humanity may depend on industrial development."
A fourth finger rose.
"And now you possess access to an enormous technological progression system."
Lucas lowered his hand.
Then he sighed deeply.
"That is a concerning amount of responsibility."
Malen laughed.
For once, everyone agreed.
Lucien was not sure whether to feel encouraged or alarmed.
Later that evening, the meeting finally concluded.
Lucas immediately disappeared to begin reviewing the implications of everything he had learned.
Malen went to inspect the military training grounds.
Gandalf returned to the library.
That left Lucien alone.
For the first time all day, the estate had grown quiet.
Outside his office window, the lights of Elarion illuminated the night.
Factories continued operating.
Workers moved through the streets.
Construction continued even after sunset.
The city was alive.
Slowly, Lucien opened the technology tree once more.
The enormous network appeared before him.
Ground Forces.
Naval Forces.
Air Forces.
Thousands of possibilities stretched across his vision.
Yet this time, he was not looking at weapons.
He was looking at their requirements.
Factories.
Steel.
Coal.
Transportation.
Education.
And so much more.
The deeper he examined the system, the clearer one truth became.
The greatest challenge was not unlocking technology.
It was building the foundation necessary to support it.
Even the most advanced tank meant nothing without factories.
Aircraft meant nothing without engines.
Powerful weapons meant nothing without a civilization capable of producing them.
Then a small notification appeared.
[NOTICE]
[Civilization Development Recognized]
[New Management Interface Available]
[Would You Like to Open?]
[YES / NO]
Lucien stared at it for some time.
Then he slowly smiled.
Apparently, the legendary reward was not finished surprising him yet.
Without hesitation, he selected:
[YES]
A completely new section of the system began unfolding before his eyes.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then the technology tree moved aside, making room for something far larger.
A new interface unfolded before him.
Layer after layer of information appeared.
Cities.
Factories.
Resources.
Population statistics.
Transportation networks.
Agriculture.
Energy production.
Education.
Research.
Military infrastructure.
The amount of information alone was staggering.
Lucien immediately sat upright.
This was not a military system.
It was not even just a technology system.
It was closer to a civilization management system.
The display gradually stabilized.
[CIVILIZATION INTERFACE ACTIVATED]
[Current Civilization: Elarion]
[Civilizational Tier: II]
[Development Status: Expanding]
[Overall Assessment: Promising]
Several new tabs appeared.
[Population]
[Industry]
[Infrastructure]
[Research]
[Agriculture]
[Military]
[Resources]
[Administration]
[National Projects]
Lucien stared for a moment before selecting the Industry tab.
A detailed report appeared immediately.
[Steel Production: 18,740 tons annually]
[Machine Tool Production: Growing]
[Industrial Efficiency: 61%]
[Factory Utilization: 78%]
[Skilled Worker Availability: Limited]
[Industrial Bottlenecks Detected]
His eyes narrowed at the words.
Industrial bottlenecks.
The system immediately highlighted several areas.
Lack of skilled technicians.
Insufficient transportation capacity.
Steel shortages during peak production periods.
Limited precision manufacturing.
Then several recommendations appeared.
[Priority Recommendation:]
[Expand Technical Education]
[Estimated Impact: High]
Another recommendation followed.
[Priority Recommendation:]
[Increase Rail Infrastructure]
[Estimated Impact: High]
Lucien slowly leaned back.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The system was not merely presenting information.
It was actively analyzing Elarion.
Almost like a strategic advisor.
He opened another tab.
[Research]
The display changed.
[Current Research Capacity: Low]
[Research Institutions: 1 — Gandalf]
[Research Efficiency: 42%]
[Innovation Rate: Limited]
[Major Limitation Identified:]
[Lack of Educated Workforce]
Lucien immediately understood the implication.
The technology tree was not enough.
Knowing how something worked did not automatically create people capable of building it.
A civilization required engineers.
Scientists.
Technicians.
Managers.
Workers.
Teachers.
The realization struck harder than expected.
The greatest bottleneck was not steel, coal, or factories.
It was people.
Educated people.
For the first time, Lucien understood why advanced civilizations invested so heavily in education.
Without educated citizens, progress slowed to a crawl.
Another notification appeared.
[Strategic Recommendation]
[Establish Technical Academies]
[Priority Level: High]
[Long-Term Impact: Exceptional]
Lucien smiled.
Lucas was going to love this.
Or hate it.
Possibly both.
He opened the Military tab.
The display shifted again.
[Military Assessment]
[Ground Forces: Strong]
[Naval Forces: Nonexistent]
[Air Forces: Nonexistent]
[Overall Military Rating: Regional Power]
[Projected Growth Potential: Exceptional]
That made sense.
Elarion possessed modern artillery and armored vehicles.
Its ground forces were already becoming formidable.
Its navy barely existed.
Its air force had not even become a concept yet.
The system was not being insulting.
It was being accurate.
Lucien continued reading.
Then another section caught his attention.
[Threat Assessment]
[Internal Threats: Moderate]
[External Threats: Low]
[Long-Term Existential Threats: Unknown]
Unknown.
The word bothered him.
He immediately selected it.
A new window opened.
[Data Incomplete]
[Insufficient Information Regarding:]
[The Great Tear]
[Demonic Forces]
[Ancient Civilization Records]
[Supreme Mage Council Archives]
[Further Investigation Required]
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
Even the system lacked complete information.
That was unexpected.
For the first time, the Great Tear felt even more mysterious.
If the system considered its own knowledge incomplete, then there were clearly missing pieces.
He made a mental note to remember that.
The Royal Guardian might know more.
The Supreme Mage Council almost certainly knew more.
And perhaps, somewhere within ancient records, answers still existed.
Eventually, Lucien closed the report.
Then he paused.
One final tab remained.
[National Projects]
Curious, he selected it.
The display changed.
A list appeared.
Some entries were dark.
Others glowed faintly.
Several immediately caught his attention.
[National Railway Expansion]
[Status: Available]
[Estimated Completion Time: 5 Years]
[Civilization Impact: High]
Another appeared beneath it.
[Industrial Education Initiative]
[Status: Available]
[Estimated Completion Time: 8 Years]
[Civilization Impact: Exceptional]
Then another.
[Integrated National Steel Program]
[Status: Available]
[Estimated Completion Time: 6 Years]
[Civilization Impact: Very High]
Lucien stared at the list.
They were long-term goals.
Projects capable of transforming entire regions.
Then he noticed something near the bottom.
A project unlike the others.
Its icon glowed gold.
The same color as legendary quests.
Slowly, he opened it.
The description appeared.
And for the first time since unlocking the civilization interface, Lucien’s expression changed completely.
[LEGENDARY NATIONAL PROJECT]
[Humanity’s Shield]
[Status: Locked]
[Requirements Incomplete]
[Purpose: Prepare Civilization for the Next Great Tear]
[Progress: 0%]
The room suddenly felt colder.
His heartbeat slowed.
Humanity’s Shield.
The wording alone carried enormous implications.
Slowly, he opened the project requirements.
The list began appearing.
One line at a time.
Each new requirement was more intimidating than the last.
Lucien read the first one.
Then the second.
Then the third.
His eyes widened slightly.
Because for the first time since arriving in this world, the system had shown him something truly frightening.
A goal.
And the scale of that goal dwarfed everything he had accomplished so far.
Outside the window, the lights of Elarion continued shining beneath the night sky.
Factories worked.
Workers labored.
Citizens slept peacefully.
All of them were completely unaware of the challenge waiting centuries in the future.
Lucien slowly leaned back in his chair.
His gaze remained fixed on the golden project.
The Royal Guardian had spoken of preparing humanity.
The King had spoken of strengthening civilization.
The technology tree had pointed toward industrial growth.
Now, the system itself had confirmed it.
All roads led toward the same destination.
The next Great Tear.
And for the first time, Lucien began to understand the true scale of the journey ahead.
