The morning sun had barely risen over Oakridge when the first axe struck wood.
Thud.
The sound echoed through the quiet valley.
Another followed.
Then another.
By the time the church bell rang, nearly thirty villagers had gathered near the abandoned mill.
Some carried axes.
Others brought ropes.
Old carts creaked beneath stacks of worn tools that hadn't been used in years.
No one had been ordered to come.
They had simply...
Shown up.
Kael stood beside Bram, watching the villagers organize themselves.
He noticed something immediately.
Nobody waited for instructions.
The older craftsmen naturally grouped together.
The younger men carried timber.
The women prepared food beneath a large canvas shelter.
Even the children had found ways to help, gathering loose nails and clearing stones from the riverbank.
Bram smiled beneath his gray beard.
"You see it?"
Kael nodded.
"They already know what to do."
"They've just never had a reason to do it."
Bram rested his hand against the old mill.
"Good communities don't disappear."
"They fall asleep."
Ethan approached, carrying a rolled-up piece of parchment.
"I found something."
Kael accepted it.
"What is it?"
"My father drew this before the mill broke."
He carefully unrolled the parchment across a wooden crate.
It wasn't perfect.
The corners had yellowed with age, and several ink lines had faded.
But the drawing was detailed enough to understand.
The gears.
The wheel.
The support beams.
Everything had been measured by hand.
Kael's eyes widened.
"This is incredible."
Ethan scratched the back of his neck.
"My father always said..."
"If something breaks, leave behind enough knowledge so your children can fix it."
Kael looked at the faded signature in the corner.
Harold Ashcroft.
"So your father planned for the future."
Ethan smiled sadly.
"He never expected the future to ignore him."
The system quietly appeared.
"System Notification"
Ancient Blueprint Detected.
Scanning...
Scanning Complete.
Basic Watermill Construction
Blueprint Successfully Recorded.
New Profession Unlocked:
Architect - Apprentice Rank
Benefits:
Improved Structural Analysis Increased Construction Efficiency: Ability to Modify Existing Blueprints
Kael blinked.
"So the system doesn't just give me knowledge..."
"It learns from this world too."
That...
Changed everything.
He wasn't here to replace this world's knowledge.
He was here to improve it.
The sound of galloping horses interrupted his thoughts.
Every villager instinctively looked toward the road.
For a brief moment...
Fear returned.
Then they realized the riders weren't tax collectors.
The horses wore the black dragon crest of House Asterion.
Imperial soldiers.
There were only six of them.
Their captain dismounted and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness."
Kael returned the gesture.
"What brings you to Blackwood?"
The captain removed a sealed wooden chest from his horse.
"By order of His Imperial Majesty."
Edwin stepped forward in surprise.
"The Emperor?"
The captain nodded.
"His Majesty received your report from the Imperial Council."
"I wasn't aware I sent one."
"You didn't."
"The Council did."
The captain opened the chest.
Inside were several rolled maps.
Engineering tools.
Surveying equipment.
Ink.
Measurement rods.
And...
Books.
Lots of books.
Kael carefully picked one up.
Imperial Engineering Standards - Volume I
Another.
Road Construction Across Mountain Terrain
Another.
Bridge Design and River Flow
He couldn't hide his smile.
His father hadn't sent gold.
He hadn't sent soldiers.
He had sent...
Knowledge.
Edwin looked almost speechless.
"I've worked for His Majesty for thirty years..."
"I've never seen him send gifts."
Kael slowly closed the book.
"They aren't gifts."
"They're a test."
The captain nodded.
"His Majesty instructed me to tell you one thing."
Kael looked up.
"What was it?"
The captain smiled faintly.
"He said..."
'An emperor who wishes to build should first learn why others failed.'
Kael couldn't help but laugh.
"That sounds like him."
The captain mounted his horse again.
"My duty is complete."
Before leaving, he lowered his voice.
"One more thing."
"The palace is watching."
"Not to stop you."
"To see whether you truly mean what you said."
With that...
The soldiers rode away.
For several moments, no one spoke.
The villagers stared at the books as if they were treasures.
Walter finally broke the silence.
"Those... are from the Imperial Palace?"
Kael nodded.
Walter looked genuinely shocked.
"I've never held a book before."
Kael looked at him.
"You can read?"
Walter chuckled.
"My wife taught me."
"But books are expensive."
He carefully touched the leather cover with rough fingers.
"I never imagined I'd see one this close."
Kael slowly looked around.
"How many of you can read?"
Silence.
One hand.
Then another.
Out of nearly thirty people...
Only four raised their hands.
Kael frowned.
"So few?"
An elderly woman smiled sadly.
"The village school closed before most of these children were born."
Another villager added,
"Our teacher left."
"No one replaced him."
Kael looked toward the children playing beside the river.
Some couldn't have been older than five.
Others, perhaps ten.
Not one of them held a book.
Not one.
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
A broken mill could be repaired.
A road could be rebuilt.
But a generation without education...
That was a wound much deeper than cracked stone.
The system appeared again.
"Hidden Opportunity Discovered"
Education Index:
Extremely Low
Recommendation:
Infrastructure builds kingdoms.
Education builds civilizations.
Kael quietly closed the notification.
He looked at the villagers.
Then at the books.
Then at the abandoned chapel near the edge of the village.
An idea slowly formed.
Not for today.
The mill came first.
But after that...
A school.
A real one.
One where every child in Blackwood could learn.
Not because they were nobles.
But because they were citizens.
As the workers returned to preparing the mill, Kael opened the engineering book.
The pages smelled of old parchment and fresh ink.
He smiled.
His previous life had taught him modern ideas.
This world would teach him magic, engineering, and craftsmanship.
The system would help him combine them.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
Kael felt as though he wasn't just rebuilding Blackwood.
He was laying the first stones of a future empire.
Far beyond Oakridge...
Inside a lavish manor overlooking fertile vineyards...
Baron Cedric Halwen stood before a roaring fireplace.
A servant entered and bowed.
"My Lord."
"The Tenth Prince has begun restoring the old mill."
Cedric didn't answer immediately.
He slowly swirled the wine in his glass.
"And?"
"The villagers are following him willingly."
That finally caught his attention.
"Willingly?"
"Yes, my Lord."
Cedric walked to the window overlooking his estate.
He smiled.
Not with amusement.
With curiosity.
"So..."
"The forgotten prince wishes to play lord."
He took another sip of wine.
"Good."
"I was beginning to think this inspection would be boring."
He turned toward his steward.
"Prepare the carriage."
"We'll visit Blackwood Manor..."
"...in six days."