Chapter 289: An Invitation to the Unknown

Iron leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge of the wooden desk in his office as he stared at the letter lying in the middle of it. After a few moments, he reached for it, picked it up, and turned it over, examining the neatly written words on the front: For Iron Everfall.

After a brief pause, he opened the envelope and carefully pulled out a sheet of thick paper folded in half, tossing the empty envelope back onto the desk.

Taking a few steps back, he leaned against the sofa’s soft armrest and sank onto the sofa.

Iron unfolded the letter in front of him and began reading the neat lines of text.

Dear Iron Everfall,

You may be wondering why this letter was sent specifically to you and why I came to your village to deliver it personally. But let me assure you right away: I am not your enemy, your rival, or anything of the sort. Please keep that in mind.

I would like to invite you to join our council. Major changes are taking place in the world right now, and you are someone who could help us.

If you agree, please sign your name with the pen enclosed in the envelope...

Below the text was a neatly drawn, wavy line. Iron moved his gaze further down the page.

Once you have done so, a portal will appear near you exactly one day later. I ask that you keep the envelope with you at all times so that you can step through it whenever you're ready.

If you still don't trust us, you are welcome to bring any number of guards to protect you. We have absolutely nothing to hide from you. We simply want your help.

With best regards,

Abel

Iron quickly read through the lines once more, then turned the sheet over and carefully examined the back for hidden symbols or secret markings. The reverse side was completely blank.

Shaking his head, he carefully put the letter back, got up from the sofa, and returned to his desk. Picking up the envelope he had tossed aside earlier, he peered inside and found a small pen.

He took it out, laid the letter flat on the desk, and brought the pen to the wavy line. With a firm stroke, he traced the curve on the paper.

The moment the line closed, the pen in his fingers suddenly began to dissolve from top to bottom, vanishing before his eyes. Within a couple of seconds, it had disappeared completely, leaving behind not even a speck of dust.

At the same instant, the wavy line on the paper flashed with a blinding white-blue light. Its intense glow illuminated the edge of the desk, but a moment later, the brightness faded, leaving behind a steady, soft blue glow.

Iron carefully folded the letter, slipped it back into the envelope, and placed it at the very corner of the desk.

Iron leaned against the edge of the desk, tapping his finger against the wooden surface as he sank into deep thought. He kept mulling over the letter, its contents, and the man who had delivered it to the settlement.

A few minutes later, he pushed away from the desk and strode toward the door, calling quietly into the empty office:

"Elyria."

In the very next second, Elyria materialized right beside him without making a sound, hovering in the air with a slight sway.

"Oh, you called?"

"Did you build those big houses I asked you to?"

Elyria immediately put on a serious expression, theatrically resting a hand on her chin as if assessing the scale of her accomplishment. Then she proudly raised her chin.

"Of course I did! What, don't you trust me?"

"Show me," Iron said evenly.

"All right."

She abruptly raised her hand, giving him a triumphant thumbs-up, and the space around them warped the next instant.

They reappeared behind the Main Building, right beside the edge of a dense forest. Before them stood three brand-new houses. Two faced each other, while the third stood a little farther away, neatly fitted into the space between the trees.

The houses had light plastered walls contrasted with massive dark brown wooden beams, steep roofs covered in dark tiles with tall brick chimneys, and windows with closely spaced diamond-patterned panes.

Iron slowly walked along the row of houses, carefully inspecting every architectural detail. The half-timbered buildings looked neat and sturdy.

A faint, barely noticeable smile appeared on Iron's lips.

Good work, Elyria, Clerk, and the other guys.

He was thoroughly pleased with the quality of the buildings and the result of their work.

Iron turned to Elyria and said calmly:

"This is great. You really did a good job."

Elyria practically lit up with joy at his words, puffing out her chest with pride. Iron glanced at the newly built houses again, considering how they could expand the settlement, then added:

"But we still need a few more of these. Could you build, say... seven more just like these, in a row, the same way you built these three?"

At that, Elyria crossed her arms sharply over her chest and pouted.

"What, seven more? Damn it, you're asking the impossible!"

Iron simply looked at her, remaining completely unfazed.

"Indeed, I am asking the impossible. Maybe I am... It's just that someone is busy drawing up plans for a fountain and her own meditation space right now... Oh dear, I can't even imagine what would happen if that person suddenly stopped working on them."

Elyria immediately panicked. She started flailing her arms and legs in every direction right in front of his face, frantically blurting out:

"All right, all right! I'll do it all! I'll do it, just don't abandon those plans!"

A faint smile crossed Iron's lips.

"Good."

With that, he turned around and leisurely headed back. Elyria, meanwhile, was instantly brimming with enthusiasm and energy. She eagerly dashed off to get started on building the new houses.

Iron strolled down the settlement's street with his hands in his pockets, lazily glancing from side to side.

Our village really is... pretty chaotic, he thought, noticing how simple wooden log houses stood right next to sturdy stone buildings and neat half-timbered houses. But that's what makes us unique.

After walking a little farther, he spotted Nastya up ahead. She was standing in the middle of a group of newcomers, answering their questions and helping them settle into their new home.

Iron slowed his pace, watching them from a distance as he continued thinking.

I think it'll look pretty nice if every ten houses are different from one another... But to pull that off, I need Elyria to return to her true form. And for that, I need to create a personal space just for her.

Approaching Nastya from behind without making a sound, he lightly tapped her right shoulder with one finger, then silently stepped to the left.

Nastya spun sharply to the right, expecting to see someone there, but nobody was around. She blinked in confusion and turned back, only to hear Iron's calm voice coming from a little way off to the side.

"Just so you know, those three houses in the distance are for the newcomers. Of course, there isn't enough room for everyone, but figure out how to divide them up somehow, okay?"

Startled, Nastya flinched and let out a quiet breath.

"Damn it, Iron... All right."

Without waiting for a reply, Iron turned and continued down the street. Nastya took a moment to compose herself, then smiled at the newcomers and gestured toward the new houses. The whole group obediently followed her.

Once inside the Main Building, Iron made his way through the hall.

Hey, Lumon, do you remember when we talked about pocket dimensions?

A low rumble sounded deep within him, signaling agreement.

Iron opened the door to his office and said:

"Pull up our old blueprint. It's about time we got started on this."