The bailiff's men had barely left the room when the atmosphere in the manor shifted.
The door closed behind them with a heavy *thud*, and the tension in the room seemed to drain, leaving behind a brittle silence. Leon's father, Lord Thorne, stared at his son—or, rather, the young man who now wore his face—with an expression caught between disbelief and reluctant hope.
"You handled that better than I expected," Lord Thorne said after a long moment, crossing his arms. The words were begrudging but sincere. "That man, Bale, would have dragged you off in shackles if you'd said the wrong thing."
Leon leaned back against the pillows, still feeling the dull ache in his ribs, the aftershocks of the earlier confrontation. "He won't. Not yet. Bureaucrats like him don't want blood—they want gold. And gold... is something we have to give them if we're going to survive."
Thorne's eyes flickered with a mix of cynicism and realization. He had been reduced to a man clinging to whatever shreds of dignity his family had left. A family that, even as the world around it crumbled, still commanded a certain respect, however faint.
"Which we don't have," Lord Thorne said dryly.
"But we *will,*" Leon replied, his voice sharp, carrying a weight of certainty he hadn't expected. The words settled like iron, heavy in the room.
Thorne's lips twitched into something like a bitter smile. "I've heard you speak with confidence before, boy. Just never so... coldly. It suits you, strangely."
Leon didn't respond. Instead, he focused inwardly, summoning the system.
*System. Open Estate Overview.*
The familiar interface flashed before his eyes, transparent yet impossibly clear, a window to his new life, one that felt both foreign and uncomfortably familiar.
> [ESTATE OVERVIEW: HARTFELL DOMAIN]
>
> STATUS: Critical
>
> ASSETS:
> - Hartfell Manor: Damaged Roof, Limited Defensible Value
> - Village of Briswell: 48 Residents, Morale Low, Productivity Low
> - Farmlands: Neglected, Soil Quality Average
> - Brewery: Closed – No Grain Supply
> - Herb Garden: Overgrown
> - Lumber Mill: Tools Broken
>
> LIQUID FUNDS: 9 Gold, 22 Silver
>
> LOYAL PERSONNEL:
> - Harold (Steward): Faithful, Skilled
> - Mirella (Healer): Limited Potions Available
> - Milla (Cook): High Morale, No Supplies
>
> QUEST AVAILABLE:
> → **Revive Hartfell Brewery**
> Reward: Unlock "Local Distribution" Feature + 50 EXP
> Cost: Repair Tools (20 Silver), Hire 2 Workers, Acquire Grain Supply
Leon scrolled through the list of assets, his brows furrowing. It was worse than he'd feared. The estate wasn't just in debt—it was functionally dead. They had nothing to sell. No output. No workers. No trust. This was a house built on pride, now reduced to nothing but a crumbling relic of its former glory.
His fingers tapped the edge of the bed unconsciously as he thought.
The brewery. That was something. It could be a source of income, a product to start rebuilding everything, even if only a little at first. Alcohol could sell anywhere, whether in cities or small villages, and a revived brewery would offer more than just a drink—it would offer a reason for people to talk about Hartfell again.
He looked up at his father. "The brewery—was it producing anything recently?"
Lord Thorne blinked, caught off guard by the question, and then his face fell into a resigned frown. "No. We had to shut it down last year when the harvest failed. No barley, no work. The brewer left, the workers followed. It's a ghost house now."
"Then that's where we start."
Elly, Leon's younger sister, looked up from her sewing in the corner. "Start what?"
Leon turned to her and gave a small, gentle smile, though inside his mind, the calculations were already running. "Saving this place."
---
An hour later, Leon stood outside in the cold courtyard, wrapped in a fur-lined cloak that smelled faintly of old pine and soap. The afternoon sun was a weak thing, barely piercing through the thick layer of clouds, and a biting wind whipped through the crumbling stone walls of Hartfell Manor.
From a distance, the estate still looked impressive—ornate towers, thick oak doors, sprawling balconies—but up close, the cracks showed. Shattered windows, mold creeping into corners, and guards who looked more like retired farmhands with spears than trained soldiers.
Leon walked with Daren beside him, his younger brother's eyes still wide with uncertainty. Harold, the steward, trailed behind them, a stack of parchment in his arms.
"You're sure you're strong enough for this?" Daren asked, glancing at Leon with concern, though it was clear his worry wasn't just about his brother's injuries but about the daunting task ahead.
"I don't have a choice," Leon replied, his voice low and firm. There was no time to think about his own limitations. He had to act.
> [QUEST TRACKER ENABLED: "Revive the Brewery"]
> [Progress: 0%]
The journey was brief but telling. They passed through the gates and descended a narrow path to the outer grounds of the estate. The brewery sat near the edge of the estate, beside a dried-up stream. The building, though large and made of solid stone, was shrouded in ivy and looked forlorn, as if even the earth itself had abandoned it. The faint smell of stale hops hung in the air.
Inside, dust blanketed everything. Broken tools and barrels lay scattered across the floor. A large copper vat stood near the back, cracked and cold. The brewery, once a hub of activity, had become a hollow shell.
> [SCANNING BUILDING…]
> [Repairs Required: 20 Silver, 2 Workers, 1 Bushel of Barley]
> [Estimated Time: 3 Days]
Leon turned to Harold. "How many able-bodied men can we hire immediately? Even temporarily?"
Harold scratched his balding head thoughtfully. "Maybe five or six… if we can pay. Some still trust your father. Others have lost hope."
Leon nodded, already thinking of the next step. "Offer them one silver per day. And a meal."
Harold looked stunned. "That's generous."
"It's a short-term investment. If we don't make them feel like they're working for something, they won't work at all."
Daren, still trying to make sense of the situation, frowned. "But where will we get the grain?"
> [SUGGESTION: SEARCH LOCAL VILLAGES FOR SURPLUS CROPS.]
Leon turned to his younger brother. "Is there a village nearby that had a decent harvest last year?"
Daren nodded. "Brindel. Two days west. They have river-fed fields—always more food than they need."
Leon smirked. "Then we're going to buy—or barter—for barley."
"But we have no trade goods," Daren pointed out, the skepticism clear in his voice.
Leon's grin widened, his confidence growing. "We will soon."
---
That night, Leon sat in the manor's library, what little of it remained. The walls were lined with bookshelves, but most had long been emptied. Dust motes danced in the flickering candlelight, and Mirella, the healer, applied a salve to the wound on his shoulder.
"You're different," she said quietly, her voice soft, almost a whisper.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"You *are.* You move like a man with purpose. Not like the boy who gave up after the last tax notice."
Leon didn't answer immediately, not because he didn't have a response—but because she was right. The man he had been was dead. The world he had known no longer existed, and in its place, something else had taken root. A will, tempered by the knowledge that without action, without change, everything would crumble.
The system screen pulsed softly in his vision.
> [QUEST UPDATED: Brewery Workers Hired – 2/2]
> [Next Objective: Acquire Barley – 0/1]
>
> REWARD ON COMPLETION: 50 EXP + Unlock Trade Feature + **Special Alcohol Recipe: "Hartfell's Golden Ale"**
Leon paused, reading the system's message carefully. His heart skipped a beat.
**Hartfell's Golden Ale**
A rich, smooth ale brewed from barley and herbs found only near the Hartfell estate. Known for its crisp finish and ability to refresh the drinker, this ale has the potential to revive not just your brewery, but your name.
*Recipe*:
- 1 Bushel Barley
- 2 Bunches of Wild Herb (can be foraged around the estate)
- 1 Gallon of Water
- 1 Silver Coin for Yeast Cultivation
*Effects*:
- +10% to Morale of Workers & Villagers
- +2 to Trade Value in Local Markets
- Unlocks "Reputation Boost" When Distributed Widely
The excitement that coursed through him was a mixture of relief and anticipation. This wasn't just a recipe—it was a way forward. Not only could this brew help them gain a foothold in the market, it could spark a revival of Hartfell's reputation. And if he played it right, it could be the beginning of something much bigger.
The quest had taken on a new weight. This wasn't just about repairing a brewery; this was about reclaiming his family's legacy, one bottle at a time.
---
The next morning, Leon gathered Harold, Daren, and the workers they had managed to hire. It was time to begin.
"We'll need more than just barley," Leon said as they set off toward Brindel. "We need a silver coin for yeast cultivation."
Daren frowned. "Yeast? You mean, like, magic?"
Leon chuckled. "Not magic. Just… good old-fashioned science. But this world doesn't know much about it. Yet."
They began their journey westward, and though the road was harsh and their supplies meager, Leon's mind never wavered. With every step, he felt the weight of his family's future pressing down on him, but he also felt something else—*hope*. This was his chance. A chance to build something that would last.
A chance to make them all believe again.