Avalonian Royal Fortress Plan

As Archie and Mars enjoyed a warm meal at an inn, Archie couldn't help but notice the boy's reluctance to speak.

It was evident that Mars had endured hardships, and his memories seemed fragmented and shrouded in mystery.

Archie decided to tread carefully, making Mars feel more comfortable.

"So, Mars, you have an unusual name. Do you remember where you're from?" Archie inquired with a friendly smile.

Mars hesitated, his eyes clouded with uncertainty.

"I don't remember much. Just... fiery mountains and a sense of... loneliness," he responded with a trembling voice.

Archie nodded, understanding that Mars's past was a puzzle they would need to unravel slowly.

"That's alright. We'll take it one step at a time. You're safe now."

After finishing their meal, Archie made arrangements for Mars to have his own room in the inn, while he and his entourage booked the entire building.

The next day, as Archie and Mars left the inn with high spirits, they found themselves in the bustling streets of Avalonia, accompanied by the guards.

The sun cast a warm golden hue over the city, illuminating the diverse crowd in the marketplace.

Archie remarked, "This world is so vibrant, Mars. It's hard to believe I've been here for ten years already."

Mars, although the same age as Archie, looked smaller due to his malnourished body.

They spent most of the day exploring the streets with Lilly, who occasionally expressed her concern about security risks.

While Archie had ventured into the slums in search of potential hidden talents, they found no one with Mars's potential. Archie had been spoiled by such a find.

Nevertheless, they shared moments of laughter and discovery that turned strangers into friends.

Later that evening, they sat in the inn's courtyard.

A secret conversation took place elsewhere.

"Can you see him?" said a person in black attire, their face concealed.

"Yes, it seems like they are completely alone with a maid standing there," replied a feminine voice.

They checked their gear and leaped down from a wall into the training grounds beside a bush.

"Hmm?" the man said.

"What's wrong?" asked the woman.

He replied, "It seems that the maid isn't there anymore."

"Who cares? Let's just go-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a horizontal pink light appeared from the back.

Without the chance to continue their conversation, both of their heads rolled away.

A female maid stood behind them, holding a dagger and looking down.

"Heh, where did they get the courage to target my young master?" she snickered.

The Serpent Kingdom wasn't a brainless villain who sent trash to give experience to the main character. After suffering a loss, they would definitely be well-behaved for a period of time.

Lilly returned to her young master and informed him of what had transpired.

"So, it seems like I'm already being targeted." He thought, feeling annoyed.

"It's time we upgraded our defense infrastructure and navy," he stated coldly.

But before any of that, he had to return home to begin cultivating his creation magic for his plans.

At the same time, Mars, who had overheard the situation, trembled. He gazed at the night sky filled with stars, feeling gratitude.

Archie, seeing his difficulty, offered an option.

"Mars, if you don't like it, I can free you with no strings attached. I can even cancel the slave agreement-"

"Archie." Mars interjected.

"I don't remember where I'm from or how I ended up near that volcano, but, Archie, I want to become strong and serve you with all my heart to repay this kindness." Mars spoke with determination.

"I have decided to devote my life to you, Archie, forever. I will devote my all to you! Thanks to you, I found a place I can call home without chains or being degraded."

"You've provided me with food, clothes, and an exciting future I look forward to helping you with. Although I'm still uncertain why you chose me, I will forever be loyal." He knelt down and expressed his unwavering commitment.

Archie smiled and reassured Mars, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Mars. That commitment of yours won't go to waste. Together, we'll unveil the mysteries of your past and ensure you become the strongest you can be."

Unbeknownst to them, their actions set in motion a series of events that would shape the fate of their kingdom and the entire world.

The shadows of destiny began to unfold, and new challenges lay ahead for Archie, Mars, and the world they inhabited.

…

The morning after, they returned to the royal palace in a carriage.

As they approached the gate, which consisted of a fence around the territory, Mars, who had seen the royal palace from a distance, couldn't help but be surprised by the marvelous building. It was his first time seeing anything like it.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, they disembarked from the carriage, finding his family waiting in front of the door.

Reina ran up to Archie, hugging him tightly and not letting him escape anywhere. Archie didn't resist, finally having a loving family waiting at home was a new experience he had longed for.

Archie introduced Mars Dragonia, explaining to his parents about his past and where he had ended up. All Reina could do was cry tears over his sad story.

After being scrutinized by Henry and receiving approval, they all went on to have their first dinner together.

The following morning, Archie had an important task to complete: introducing Mars to the world of cultivation and magic.

As they met at the training grounds, he noticed the nervousness in Mars's eyes.

"Don't worry, Mars. What I'm about to show you will help you unlock your potential and protect yourself," Archie reassured him.

He began by explaining the basics of the world's magic system, cultivation, and the different associated elements. Mars listened attentively, gradually absorbing the information.

Having already been baptized before they met, they went right into practice.

"Alright, Mars, I want you to try and channel your mana like this." Archie said, demonstrating the simple task of forming a mana orb in his palm.

Mars tried, and after a few attempts, a small, flickering flame appeared.

Archie nodded in approval. "Good start. Now, let's work on your root circle; it's essential for improving your abilities."

He taught Mars how to visualize his root circle, which was essentially the core of one's mana and where their power originated.

Over the next few days, they continued these sessions on the training grounds.

Mars's progress was astonishing, as his cultivation aptitude was extraordinary. His golden-fire mana ability was unique and extremely powerful.

His skills in swordsmanship and combat tactics improved rapidly, making him a fantastic prodigy in his current age class.

Despite his memory gaps, Mars adapted swiftly to his new life, forming a close bond with Archie.

…

1 month later.

After years of gathering information and analyzing it, Archie finally had a full view of the situation of his kingdom.

"Avalon Island, claimed by my ancestor Merlin Avalon, was once prosperous, but millennia of corruption, instigated by foreign countries like the Serpent Kingdom, Derean Kingdom, and Sunfire Empire, have taken their toll. Only my grandfather and the Edenian Empire have protected us till now."

Thinking about this, Archie couldn't help but feel like the world was vast, and these were just some of the hostile human settlements. There were others that remained uninvolved or were too far from their location, not to mention settlements of other species. Archie's head started to ache.

"Being prevented from acquiring the necessary talented workforce of craftsmen and formation masters to fully utilize our vast resources of mana crystals, metals, and fertile land, the land started to decline."

"Based on this, we need to clean up the corruption, which I've already done inside the royal palace. But the palace isn't the only governing body on our vast island."

"There are a total of three Dukedoms inside our territory: the Blackthorn house, the most powerful, then the Ironhold house and Moonrise house. Under them, the land is distributed to Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, Barons, Lords, and then knights."

"With the vast amount of corruption, we'll end up like a certain continent in my previous life, even with vast resources, without proper leadership and corruption being prevalent, we'll only be prey for foreign entities looking to take advantage of us."

"Next, we'll have to achieve self-sufficiency. We depend too much on our ally, the Edenian Empire, especially for food. With our navy being our weakest link, if something were to happen to it, we'd collapse in a matter of years."

"Third, we need to revamp our military equipment and training. With the system's help, I should be able to buy a cultivation manual to strengthen the knight's foundation and strength."

"We need a stronger navy, we only have weak-armed wooden sailboats being supported and dragged by sea creatures. We don't have enough high-level knights to man and cover our island's water borders."

"Fourth, we need to remodel and develop the kingdom on our own. Since we are in an outlying area, isolated from the world, it won't be easy to earn money from here. Even if we sell our resources, it will be difficult to turn a profit because sea transportation is expensive. It's also hard for our billions of citizens to produce high-value crafts due to our low-level education foundation."

"The current kingdom does not have enough high-level cultivators or a budget for all of these projects. Mining, farming, construction, health, education, and defense, I will establish an efficient foundation before I'm sent to the academy."

"We will become an Autarky, I call this the Avalonian Royal Fortress Plan!"

Archie declared as he stood in front of his father, telling him a simplified version of what was said above, without the mention of the system or the other world.

Henry and Alfred clapped their hands at the end of the presentation.

Henry sat there thinking, proud of how ambitious his son had become.

Henry asked, "I like everything I have heard you say so far, but there is a huge problem: how do you plan on bringing in enough expertise in all of these fields to accomplish this?"

Archie responded as he lifted his palm up.

"You do not have to worry about that, our enemies are many... but my equals are none."

Archie used his creation magic, illuminating the whole office in golden light and showcasing his progress.

All Henry could muster up to say when he witnessed it was:

"There's hope…"