The Master Builder System

Kent arrived near the West Gate with long, purposeful strides. Rolo was right behind him, still slightly out of breath from all the running.

Two guards who had been stationed at the West Gate earlier stood nearby, shifting uneasily as Kent approached.

The place looked completely different now.

Five large buildings stood tall and clean, arranged neatly like they had been built days ago—not minutes. Lines of villagers moved in quiet order, collecting food with smiles and whispered prayers.

Kent's eyes narrowed.

He turned to the guards. "You two. Tell me exactly what happened here."

The guards exchanged a quick glance, then one of them stepped forward.

"We didn't see anything at first," he said. "We were just doing our rounds. Then… the wall moved."

"The wall moved?" Kent repeated sharply.

"Yes, sir," the second guard added. "It shifted outward. The West Gate followed too. It just… moved on its own."

Kent frowned. "And the buildings?"

"They appeared one after another. Not like magic… more like they were built, piece by piece. But there were no workers."

"Then, after the buildings are finished, they are already workers inside but not humans. Just… things."

Kent's eyes narrowed. "Things?"

"They looked like humans but weren't. Metal bodies. Glowing eyes. They started working as soon as the buildings were up."

Kent said nothing. He looked around again. The buildings were real.

And then he asked, "Who came through the gate before all of this started?"

The guards paused.

"Just two people," one of them finally said. "Finn and Xabi."

Kent's eyes snapped toward the new structures.

There, not far away, he saw them.

Finn and Xabi stood in front of the Crop Field, speaking quietly. Finn looked calm. Confident. Like he belonged there.

Kent's brows pulled together.

Finn again.

Yesterday, it was Finn's name that came up after Old Hann was brought back, half-dead. The story spread that Old Hann had shielded the boy from the wild beast. Protected him with everything he had.

And now, the same boy was standing at the center of something no one could explain.

And there was one more thing that had slipped past his notice.

The Reading Hut.

It had appeared without warning right next to Finn's cottage. A magical structure that was able to produce the exact same copies of books and scrolls no matter how many times it was taken out.

And that was also tied to Finn.

Kent stared long and hard.

Something was happening.

And it was all circling around the same name, Finn.

Rolo looked around, still trying to process what he was seeing. Villagers walked past him with baskets in hand, filled with vegetables, eggs, meat, and bottles of milk. Some had loaves of warm bread tucked under their arms, still steaming in the morning air.

He stopped one of them—a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a shawl wrapped around her head.

"Wait, what are you all carrying?" Rolo asked.

The woman smiled brightly when she saw him. Then her eyes widened slightly when she noticed Kent standing nearby.

"Ah, Sir Kent," she said with a small bow. "And Rolo. Good morning."

Kent gave her a brief nod, keeping his eyes sharp.

The woman held up her basket.

"These came from the new buildings," she explained. "The ones the gods sent to us."

Kent's eyes narrowed. "The gods?"

She nodded, her voice filled with awe.

"Yes. Look around—this is a blessing. Fresh food, cleanly packed. There are tall metal servants inside, the ones working without rest. They never speak unless needed. One of them gave this bread to my son. Still warm, like it came from a baker's oven."

She pulled back the cloth covering her basket and showed them.

There were leafy greens, a few carrots, a small cut of meat wrapped in wax paper, and a jar of milk sealed with a strange blue stamp.

"And all this was just… given?" Rolo asked.

"Yes," she said, her voice soft. "We didn't pay anything. We just stood in line. And when it was our turn, one of the gods' servants gave us our share."

She looked back at the buildings, eyes full of wonder.

"I don't know how it happened. But I know it's a miracle."

Kent said nothing.

He stared at the food, then at the orderly lines of villagers, and finally, back at the buildings.

A miracle, they called it.

But Kent wasn't convinced.

Not yet.

And his eyes slowly turned back to the boy standing in the distance.

To Finn.

Kent walked toward Finn with steady steps.

His hands were behind his back, his expression unreadable. From a distance, he looked calm. In truth, he was debating what to do.

Should he act strong? Push for answers?

Or should he be careful? Keep things polite?

There was no proof that Finn was behind any of this. No proof that the buildings, the food, or even the walls were his doing. Just guesses.

But if he said the wrong thing… if he angered Finn… it might cost him more than he could afford.

At the same time, if he played it well, he might bring Finn to his side.

He took a breath and made his choice.

He approached with a warm smile.

"Finn," Kent called, his voice friendly. "Xabi."

Finn turned. Xabi stood beside him, watching closely.

Rolo followed behind Kent, his face clearly confused. This wasn't the kind of tone Kent usually used with villagers.

Xabi's eyes narrowed. He said nothing but stayed alert.

Finn forced a polite smile, but he felt awkward. His body was tense. He didn't know what Kent wanted.

Sensing that, Kent chuckled and looked at the food lines.

"Well," he said, "why aren't you two queueing up? Everyone else is getting food from the gods."

He was watching them closely. Testing.

Then he smiled again.

"I'm grateful. Truly. Whoever gave us this… god, spirit, or something else, they've done more for this village than anyone in years."

Xabi raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Kent turned his head slowly and met Xabi's eyes.

"I mean what I meant. We've been through a lot. This village has lost too many good people. Too many warriors. Too many families."

He paused.

"For years, we've lived on the edge. Always waiting for the next beast, the next bandit, the next bad season."

Then he looked toward the new buildings.

"But now, we have this. Food. Safety. Walls that hold. It feels like we're finally being cared for."

He turned to Finn.

His voice dropped just a little. Calm. Curious.

"I wonder what's next," Kent said. "What do you think, Finn?"

He said it like an honest question. But Finn knew better.

He was being probed.

Kent didn't know anything for sure. But he was sharp. Sharp enough to read the situation, even if he hadn't seen the beast chase himself. Somehow, he had pieced it all together from bits and whispers.

Xabi was impressed. He hadn't expected Kent to be this sharp.

But he didn't show it. He stayed calm.

Finn, however, wasn't calm.

Kent wasn't just strong. He was clever. And that was dangerous.

If he found out about the system… if he figured out what Finn could really do…

Finn didn't even want to think about it.

So, he stayed quiet. Smiled a little. And hoped that was enough.

Kent looked at Finn a moment longer, as if hoping for some kind of reaction.

But Finn gave him nothing.

So, Kent smiled again.

"Well then," he said lightly, "see you both later."

He turned his gaze to the food lines, hands behind his back once more.

"I think I'll get myself something nice too. Maybe even ask those servants of the gods which god had been kind enough to bless us with all this."

He chuckled softly, as if it were a harmless joke.

But the way he walked away—slow and steady—made it clear.

Kent wasn't done.

He was just waiting. Watching.

And Finn could feel it.