"Thank you for gathering, everyone. This is a momentous occasion for us all, and I wanted you all to be here to witness it."

Cassarae stood on a makeshift podium, probably one she had gotten the militiamen to put together casually. To her side and a step back, there stood Olivia, while before her and down on the ground before the podium, there was a line of militiamen.

Although the scene was a bit shabby, it got the point across and raised her prestige in their eyes. Cassarae could practically feel the popularity rising.

"Today, we will move forward, leaving behind the dregs of the Rudimentary Village rank and move to the stage of a true Village. The security, our number of helping hands, and our quality of life will all increase."

Cassarae waved a hand and there was a flash of light that cabin from the cabin behind her. The people gasped in awe as a ripple of light spread through the surroundings.

In the distance, the weak suburban fences became more substantial, replaced by a wall of thick logs even larger than the gnoll village had had.

The tents in the surroundings became shacks more like the one Cassarae lived in, while Cassarae's shack became larger, taking the shape of a minimalistic cabin.

The village itself became larger as well. If before it had been around 50 meters in diameter, now, it was double that and nearly took up the whole marsh. There was a lot of empty space created by this change, but the happiness in the eyes of the villagers couldn't be shaken. In fact, even Maya looked quite content as her abode got a substantial upgrade.

Of course, those complete beast skins also had a large part to play in it.

Cassarae smiled. "I would also like to introduce you all to a new addition to our village, a man that we will rely upon heavily from now on."

With a click, a man who seemed to be in his late thirties walked out of Cassarae's cabin. Compared to the villagers who all wore linen clothes, he seemed to be dressed more… nobly. It was an odd feeling considering the fact his dress was much the same, just a simple linen shirt and pants.

But the way he carried himself easily attracted a great deal of attention.

Sylas narrowed his eyes. He could feel that this man's Charisma was very high, but it manifested in a weird way. Sylas definitely didn't have this sort of magnetism when he just appeared.

'This feels similar to that feeling the gnoll head was giving off. It's like a Comprehension but not at the same time… so it's a Class?'

—-

[Gregory Chambers (F+)]

[Level: 0]

[Profession: Steward (Common)]

[Favorability: —]

—-

Sylas couldn't see the Favorability. That was likely something that only Cassarae could.

'I see… it's likely that a Class, or a Profession in this case, doesn't just improve certain stats. I don't believe this man spawned with higher Charisma than me, though it's potentially possible. It seems that a Class modified how a stat works, or maybe changes its Effectiveness…'

Everything he learned about these systems, their stats, and how they worked made it all so much more complicated. He could almost understand why they had just given them a stripped-down version of the system.

Soon, the ceremony was almost over, and Cassarae looked toward the Quest takers and Sylas.

"We aren't quite finished with introductions quite yet. Everyone, please allow me to introduce the heroes of last night's battle. They will be joining us from today onward and become solidified members of our family."

Cheers broke out, and the small excursion drew to a close. Afterward, Cassarae invited the Quest taker, Olivia, and the newly minted Gregory into her cabin.

"Gregory, just listen in for now. I want you to understand the layout of the village for a while longer before you start making suggestions."

"Not a problem, City Lord," he bowed.

Cassarae nodded and looked back toward the others.

"I will be blunt. Sylas and I do have a relationship that goes a long way back, but we have not seen each other in almost ten years. Our meeting was purely a coincidence, and I sent him on the mission yesterday because he was the only one fit to go.

"You all should have received your Quest rewards already, and I have the spoils of the battle here. There were ten gnoll corpses and ten Rotten Wolves, including the evolved one.

"As you all probably know, the Rotten Wolves are useless to us. The Genes are corrupted, so we can set them aside for now. Of the ten remaining corpses, there's the gnoll head, and there is one other elite gnoll.

"Technically speaking, Sylas and his methods killed almost all of them, so he is entitled to the majority. What you are all entitled to is a cut of what was found in the village, as it was thanks to our collective strength that they were dealt with.

"You all played a large part in allowing the village to upgrade to a new stage, so I am willing to compensate you for your efforts.

"First, I will give you all your own individual homes. You won't have to share bunk beds any longer. It will all be paid for on my own dime.

"Second, the armor I am wearing now, I will have one commissioned for each of you."

Cassarae displayed the stats of her armor for everyone to see and their eyes couldn't help but open wide. Why were the stats so exaggerated?!

"Third, so long as you need anything and have the funds to pay for it, I will be able to trade for it for you so long as it is at the F-minus level."

"Wow, dom—City Lord, that's crazy!" Alex recovered quickly, covering his early slip up with enthusiasm.

Morgan shook his head, and Lauren covered her mouth, holding back her laughter.