An hour later.

One by one, villagers began to return, carrying sacks over their shoulders, leading the livestocks they own, children clutching worn dolls and threadbare blankets. Some came hesitantly, casting glances over their shoulders. While others walked with purpose, determined to escape the cycle they were trapped in.

Around sixty people out of the village’s more than hundred residents stood before Arthur, families huddled together, their faces filled with a strange mix of excitement and fear.

A young woman, probably no older than twenty, stepped forward, eyes wide but filled with hope. “Lord… is it true? Will we really have a place to live? One that is ours?”

Arthur gave her a warm smile. “Yes, you’ll have a home that will belong to you. And when you’ve saved enough, you’ll even be able to buy it outright. Or, if you prefer, you can buy your own plot of land, build your own house, and start your own farm.”

Murmurs of surprise and disbelief spread through the group.

“We’ll also provide you with jobs and other ways to earn money,” Arthur added.

Even the most skeptical among them began to soften after hearing they would have to work to receive all the boons that Arthur stated.

He turned, and the massive ship slowly descended just outside the village and its gate opened behind him.

The villagers stepped forward hesitantly, one after another, entering the ship along with their livestocks and beginning a journey that would change their lives forever.

As the last person boarded, Arthur looked at Kai.

“One down, ten more to go.”

Kai cracked a joke. “Let’s hope they don’t all think we’re monsters first.” Arthur just shrugged hearing that.

They then entered the ship, and it rose once again, heading toward the next village to pick up more people.

…

As the day ended and the sun was finally setting, Arthur and Kai returned to Avalon with a ship full of people. After visiting more than ten villages they have been able to convince more than 500 people to come with them.

The massive ship slowly descended onto a clearing just outside the city, and the ramp lowered, allowing the people inside to see the view of this new place.

One by one, the villagers began to step out, men, women, children, and even the elderly, all clutching what little they could carry. Some held bags made of coarse fabric, and others herded cows, goats, or chickens. The cattle bleated and mooed as they stepped onto new soil.

Their gazes immediately fell upon the tall circular stone wall that enclosed the city. And on top of the wall, strange objects were mounted that glowed brightly, illuminating the path forward.

Arthur stood calmly at the edge of the ramp as he looked at the crowd. “Welcome,” he said. “This is Avalon, and from today onwards… this will be your home.”

Everyone held their breath in anticipation of their new home, as they followed behind Arthur.

He guided them forward, down the illuminated concrete road leading through the farmland towards the wall surrounding the city.

“The walls are so tall.” a man whispered in awe, seeing the tall metallic walls of the city.

“This land looks so fertile,” another older man muttered, rubbing his calluses on his fingers together, already getting excited seeing such good land to cultivate.

As soon as they reached the edge of the farmland near the tall wall of the city, Arthur guided them towards a separate section just outside the city walls. 

He summoned a swarm of nanobots as they burst into motion. Within minutes, sturdy cattle sheds started to take shape, made from timber and smooth stone. They weren’t ornate, but they were far better than the broken pens the villagers had used before.

The people watched with dumbfounded expressions on their faces, as the sheds started to appear out of nowhere.

“By the gods…” someone whispered. “It’s a miracle.”

“That’s magic, that has to be magic.”

An old man even knelt in prayer.

Arthur didn’t say anything, he could understand their reaction. Learning magic requires a lot of money, which these villagers do not possess, so seeing something magical could be a first time for them. He then designated portions of the sheds to each family, ensuring everyone had space for their cattle and livestock.

Once the animals were secured, Arthur gestured for them to follow him again.

He led them down a wide road that ran directly toward the metallic wall. When they reached the massive gate embedded in the wall, with a soft mechanical hum, the gate slowly parted, sliding open.

Gasps filled the air as the villagers got their first full view of Avalon.

The city was lit up with light. Clean and beautiful buildings framed broad streets, with light reflecting off of their glass windows, and decorative trees lined the roads. Fountains were lit up with lights of various colors, complementing the beauty of the city.

“It’s so beautiful,” a woman whispered, clutching her son’s hand tighter.

“I must be dreaming,” a man said, wiping his eyes. “Is…Is this the place we will live from now on.”

Now they fully believed in what Arthur told them, that he would provide them with a safe haven.

Arthur smiled at their behaviour and led them to a wide, open square where more people had already gathered. Arthur had informed butler Hudson to gather them beforehand as he was returning from his trip.

The original residents of Avalon, the former Brightwater orphans, staff, and the people rescued by Arthur a few days earlier, watched curiously as the newcomers arrived. 

Arthur stood at the center of the square and raised a hand for silence.

“I know some of you may be wondering who these new people are,” Arthur began.

He looked across the crowd, from the previous residents to the new villagers still gawking at the buildings surrounding them.

“I didn’t build this city to keep it empty,” Arthur continued. “This place was built to give people a new life. These people will live here now, as your neighbors, as part of Avalon. And more people will start to come to live here from now on.”

Then, with a flick of his finger, several figures stepped forward from behind him.

They were tall, composed, and dressed in simple but clean clothing. At first glance, they looked perfectly human, young men and women with calm expressions and gentle eyes.

But they weren’t actually humans, these were the synthezoids that Arthur asked the guardian to prepare before.

Arthur motioned to them. “They’ll guide you to your homes and help you get settled. Please follow them.”

The synthezoids stepped forward, one smiled and gestured to the nearest group. “Please follow me, I’ll show you to your residence.”

As each group was guided down side streets into the residential sector, the sounds of awe filled the air.

A young boy dashed into a house and looked at the smooth marble floor. “Mamma! The floor looks so shiny! I can see my own reflection there!”

In another house a man walked into a bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed. “I haven’t seen a bed this soft in my entire life.”

A woman gently opened a cabinet and gasped at the lined shelves filled with utensils.

One elderly woman clutched her chest. “This must be what paradise looks like…”

Arthur stood silently in the square overlooking as the last of the villagers was guided inside and the square emptied slowly.

…

As the square quieted down, Arthur’s mind wandered to something else.

Building the city was just the first step. And the next thing on the agenda was creating a network of information around the various kingdoms and their cities. 

Avalon wasn’t going to survive on kindness and good architecture alone. If he was going to protect this place and the growing community inside it, he needed information. To know if anyone is going to attack this place and also to bring more people to live on the island.

Real-time intelligence about kingdoms, nobles, merchants, slave traders, church, and the world in general was necessary to back up the island’s growth.

Sure, his probes were useful and are mostly undetectable by ordinary means, but they were blind to nuance. They couldn’t interact with people and they don’t provide in-depth information, for that he would need field agents working for him actively gathering information.

And the first thing that came to his mind were the synthezoids, they were the perfect candidates. They looked exactly like humans, indistinguishably so. 

They could mix with the crown and nobody would even know they were not real people until or unless someone dissected them. And unless someone was an Archmage or Grandmaster with detection abilities, no one would ever guess they weren’t humans.

So they can become the perfect agents for him to spread around the kingdoms to gather information for him. 

Arthur contacted the guardian once he decided on this matter, and told it to start making more of the synthezoids. He decided to deploy at most two or three synthezoid agents with a few guard bots depending on the size of the city.

He outlined his plan quickly, these synthezoids would be disguised as common folk, and merchants. Their mission would be simple at first, collecting information on nobles, especially any involved in slave trade networks, corruption, and pay attention to the church. 

And he does not want any criminals to come to his island along with the ones coming here so he needs them to investigate the people coming to his island.

…

An hour later, he decided to leave the island towards the nearest city of Virelia Kingdom. It was one of the smaller kingdoms adjacent to the island. This kingdom was famous for producing various kinds of exotic fruits.

Before leaving he decided to change his appearance, so that the church would not be able to recognize him if the information about him already reached the other churches around Arkanis. Though he thought it might not be that exaggerated, still taking precaution is always good.

The nanobots started to cover his face and body, morphing his features subtly. Within seconds, his appearance changed, now he looked like a tan-skinned man in his late twenties, with a short beard.

He wanted to visit the city as he first needed to see where he could deploy the first synthezoid, and he also needed to start trading with them, so he would have to find a few good merchants for that.

***

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep