Archer petted the fluffy cat and said, ”Tell the others they can return. I will give you guys this mountaintop as a temporary home until we can get in the domain again.”

‘I hope this mountaintop will keep them safe for now,’ he thought.

It let out an adorable meow before bumping its head against his as it flew off to get the other Tressyms. Archer soon laid back to wait for Aisha to arrive at the Bastion, which should have taken at least an hour.

‘Those cats are so soft and fluffy,’ he thought as another appeared out of nowhere.

Archer grabbed a hold of the creature and hugged it while relaxing. He pulled out a thick cushion and leaned it against a rock before getting comfortable. Archer soon fell asleep as the afternoon breeze brushed against his skin.

After an hour and a half, Aisha sent him a message that woke him up. I’m here, handsome. Where are you?

The older woman was at the Bastion waiting for him. Archer smiled and jumped up before flying south for five minutes, admiring the scenery below as rolling hills and forests dotted the landscape.

‘This land is far more beautiful than Earth,’ Archer thought while getting close to the fortress Aisha was at.

When arriving at the fortress, he noticed soldiers rushing everywhere. Archer had to admit that he loved their armor, which was mixed depending on what unit they were from. The Dragonblood Knights wore durable pure black armor thanks to the dwarven smiths.

Then there were the Dragon Legionnaires, who wore black armor with white trim around the edges. Their helmets resembled a dragon’s face, unlike the Dragonblook Knights, who only had two eye holes.

After that, he spotted the Homeguard, who wore a mix of leather and metal. They resembled Greek Hoplites back on Earth but had an unbelievable look. The soldiers all held swords and had spears strapped to their backs.

Once Archer paid attention to the infantry, he turned toward the cavalry traveling up and down the road. First, he noticed the Drakewing Outriders, who wore similar armor to the Legionnaires.

However, these soldiers used a mix of melee and ranged weapons, making them the perfect unit to skirmish with the enemy. They rode on horse-like beasts called Drakesteeds, found in forests around Pluoria and Draconia.

Archer was aware that the generals decided to use them as they were tough monsters that were durable and very fast, which made them the perfect scouting mounts. After examining those, he spotted the infamous Drakelord Knights.

They were his heavy cavalry, outfitted in armor similar to the Dragonblood Knights but even more durable. This superior armor enabled them to charge into enemy frontlines and fight in the thick of battle.

The Drakeheart Riders, Draconia’s elite ranged cavalry, were the newest addition to the cavalry units. Archer was pleased with his never-ending military, which would be the largest in Thrylos in a few years.

After looking at the soldiers, he turned his attention to Bastion, Northwest of Dragonheart City, which was nearly complete. The fortress was massive, and Archer guessed it was three to four times the size of Windsor Castle back on Earth.

The fortress was made from white stone gleaming due to the afternoon sun that hit it. Archer noticed tall towers dotted the wall, giving a perfect view of the surrounding landscape. He quickly saw the makeshift town that sprung up around it, which was made up of the family.

They created businesses to cater to the fortress, including farms, clothes, luxury goods, and many other items. Archer was impressed and descended to the edge of town, where he wouldn’t be noticed.

He wrapped a cloak around himself when he touched the ground before pulling the hood up. After that, Archer stepped into the town and was amazed by its busyness. People rushed around, transporting goods or tending to customers standing in line.

Archer passed by and admired the scenery while heading for the fortress. He did notice all kinds of merchants lining the streets selling their wares. The people seemed to buy a lot, reminding him to tax merchants to earn more gold. 𝒻𝘦𝘸𝑜𝓿𝘦.𝑐𝑜

While walking, he came up with an upgrade for the apartment blocks, which included insulation and air conditioning. Archer decided to create something using ice magic and mana crystals that they could supply to the population.

That’s when he messaged Mary, My Darling. Do you know any places to get Mana Crystals?

Seconds passed by before she replied, Yes. Many caves are full of them underwater. Either me, Demetra, and Kassandra can take you there

Are you free? Archer replied, but he guessed she was on the way to Avalon.

Unfortunately not, husband. I’m going to meet Leira, as the Swarm attacks are increasing, and many towns have gone missing

With that message, Archer asked Demetra, who happily agreed as she found hundreds of caves during patrol. He told her to meet him at Bastion and bring Kassandra, which the shark girl agreed to.

Then, Archer arrived at Bastion and saw white flags fluttering above the large metal gate. Whoever designed it decided to put a picture of him in his dragon form on it with Draconia as the background.

Fifteen stars were on it, which confused him at first until an old merchant stopped beside him and said, ”Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Archer turns to spot an old man with a long white beard, bald head, and deep red eyes, which speak of a lifetime of experiences. He nodded in response, ”Yes, it is.”

The man turned to him and held out a hand, ”I’m Evander,” he said. ”I just moved to the kingdom.”

He looked at the hand and took it, ”Archer.”

”It’s good to meet you, young man,” Evander said. ”I must get going, but do some to my spellbook store; I’m sure you will find something suitable for yourself.”

Archer nodded before Evander vanished into the crowd. Following that, he walked toward the Bastion gate, and when the guards spotted him, they knelt while saluting. He passed by and used Aura Detector to scan the fortress.

He soon found Aisha with Meera in one of the meeting rooms by the gardens. Archer made his way there and passed by hundreds of support staff arranging stuff for the legions while carrying clipboards and other objects.

Archer took in the sights and sounds around him as he made his way through the bustling courtyard. Craftsmen hammered away at anvils, creating weapons and armor for the kingdom’s defense.

Despite the hustle and bustle, the fortress had an air of order and discipline. Archer nodded in approval as he passed by groups of soldiers drilling in formation, their movements precise and coordinated.

The courtyard was massive and could fit a small army, but there were also different kinds of buildings dotting it, from Leathersmiths to herbalists and many other things the army needed to operate.

Archer noticed the gleam coming from the wall as the afternoon sun hit it. Eventually, he reached the heart of the fortress, where the administrative offices were located. The doors swung open to reveal a spacious chamber adorned with banners depicting scenes of Draconia’s achievements.

In the center of the room, Aisha and Meera stood waiting, their faces lit up in anticipation as Archer entered. Ever the picture of elegance in her regal attire, Aisha greeted him with a warm smile while Meera, her youthful enthusiasm evident in her eyes, offered a respectful nod.

When seeing the two women, Archer spoke, ”It’s good you see you both. I have a few ideas that will benefit the kingdom and wanted to talk to you about it.”

Aisha was going to rush toward him but controlled herself as she greeted him, ”My Lord. Take a seat, and we can discuss it.”

Archer looked at the dragonkin woman with narrowed eyes as he spoke, ”Why are you so stiff, Aisha? Are we not together?”

“I’m at work, husband, and would prefer to be professional,” she said in character, giving him a smile that shocked Meera, who was watching them.

”Okay,” he said while sitting down and informing them of his plans. ”I want to add insulation to the apartment blocks so the people will be warm when Frostwinter comes back around.”

The two women nodded as Meera asked, ”How will we do that? It will be impossible with the buildings already occupied?”

”From the outside,” Archer replied. ”We need to find a material that can contain the heat inside the building.”

Meera gave him a nod while taking out a notepad while taking down notes. Archer moved onto the air condition for Solaris to keep people cool, which they found extraordinary, causing Aisha to question, ”Are you planning to use mana?”

Archer nodded, ”Mana Crystals that the kingdom will sell to the population as we mine it.”

Their eyes widened as Meera commented, ”There aren’t many Mana Crystal mines; we’ve found ten throughout Draconia.”

His smile widened, ”That’s just up here, my tiger prime minister. We will be getting it from below the waves.”

”How?” she instantly asked. ”

”Farrah Everrose, my cousin from my father’s side of the family, has designed a Deep Sea Mining platform that will allow the kingdom to mine even more resources.”

After saying that, the three continued to talk and plan until sunset, and Demetra sent him a message informing him that she and Kassandra were waiting by the Northwest Sea Wall.

If anyone has ideas for Draconia’s economy, army, and anything, let me know on Discord or comments. Thanks