Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 1343: Return and Departure

---Thres---

“Jeez, took them long enough,” Alison commented at the sight below. Standing in the governorʼs estate, the alchemist and the immortal witch were watching a procession of people flow through the gates of Thres. They had been pillaging some of Adamsʼ good booze while he was away.

Governor Adam, Mikeʼs party, what remained of Adamʼs men, and the refugees they saved had finally reached Thres after a four-day journey. It was much quicker because they had taken the direct route, straight through the ruins of Beta.

Originally, his route would have been too dangerous to walk with refugees, even if Adam had not lost many of his comrades. However, thanks to Alisonʼs complaints, Mikeʼs party took the lead on the way back, securing everybodyʼs safety on the express route, which may or may not have involved a huge murder of slimes charging through the ruins and landscape.

The crowd below looked moody and tired, residues of slime still stuck in their nooks and crannies, but alive. Alison couldnʼt imagine what they went through, and she didnʼt really care. She wanted to leave Thres already and finish her own mission. They had stayed here for long enough.

She understood the importance of their mission. But to her, it was not just about collecting and exploring ingredients in the Evergrowing Forests, or acquiring their seeds to spread them across the worlds of Spatia.

Unlike Mike, who chose to take this mission, Alison was here for her expertise. She had been forced to separate from the boyfriend she had finally found! She wanted to return to Minas Mar as quickly as possible, so she could be with Neeco again.

This whole Thres business had only cost them time, and now her original mission was only about to start! How much longer would they have to be apart?

“We should sober up before meeting Mike and Adam,” Evee suggested, casting a detox charm on herself. Alison stared out the window, thinking of Neeco, so it took a moment for the witchʼs words to sink in.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” she said, chucking a small phial of potion that wiped the alcohol from her insides. Her wistful thoughts left with the booze, and she focused back on the situation at hand.

“Letʼs go and greet them,” she said, straightening her clothes and taking the lead to leave the office they had wrecked during their stay.

...

Adam was glad to finally see the Tree in the distance again. He had needed some time to get used to the giant plant tower above the cityscape of Beta, but he had really gotten used to it in the time since Karina visited to bless them with this protector.

Watching the last expedition from Emerald City enter Thres made him think of everything that happened to bring him here. How far he went to allow people like them to return to a safe home, and what it cost him. He tried to hold it together on the way here, but now that he was home, the cork started to loosen, and cracks appeared on the shell he created to keep everything in.

The faces of his comrades who left their lives on that Mountain flew by before his eyes, and he started to choke a little. He swallowed hard and took deep breaths, fighting back his tears. This was not the time or the place.

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He had to keep it together for a while longer and focus on the present. Adam couldnʼt allow that their sacrifice was not for nothing. The whole reason they all decided to work with the Muir Empire, despite what they did, was to keep Beta alive.

They didnʼt want their home to be forgotten by the world, only remembered as a nameless field of ruins in one corner of the world. They wanted to take back their home from the beasts and rebuild Beta, one satellite city at a time.

He could not bring back the men he lost; all he could do was make sure that their dream didnʼt die and create a home for the people of Beta who were still out there. In the future, he hoped that the remaining people of Beta who were spread across Minas Mar and Y-City would be able to return to their old home.

The relocation efforts had been the first step. Although this last expedition brought many losses, overall Thres had experienced a huge influx of new people, with the people from Emerald City joining them.

He couldnʼt break down now. As the governor, he had to make sure he provided them a safe home, to allow them to recover and settle in. Now that there was a proper population, it was time to properly organize and manage the operation of the city.

The first step would be securing the safety. Having lost many of his friends and elites, he would have to rely on the Guardian Tree for the foreseeable future to guarantee the protection of Thres. He needed to get reinforcements from Muir and train more guards, so they could keep the surroundings safe and cull the dungeons.

With this many people, he was sure there would be guilds popping up left and right, which also needed to be managed and organized. Thinking of what Mike told him, there were also things to correct concerning the mermen in general...

“Adam, I will be leaving Thres after this,” TanoʼMol, who had stepped up to him at some point, informed the governor. Adam was standing at the back of the group, watching the refugees enter their new home.

Woken from his distracted thoughts, Adam looked at the demon in surprise. TanoʼMol had been a great help in Emerald City, and Adam had gotten used to his presence. In his mind, the goat was already part of his people.

The sudden message of his departure shook him. Why would he suddenly...? But Adam quickly remembered why. The demon had only been with them out of curiosity and for his business. He had been clear about that from the start. Tano had his own things to tend to, he was the one who forgot.

“Of course, you have a business to look after,” Adam said with a sad smile. Another loss, but only a farewell. It wasnʼt like the demon was gone for good. It took him a moment, but he came to terms with TanoʼMolʼs farewells.

“Thatʼs correct. Things were fun while they lasted... and I got to collect a lot of merchandise. Soo ...thanks buddy,” the demon gave him an unexpected but heartfelt thanks, then he hurriedly huddled away, not giving the druid a chance to give an answer.

Seeing the demon act so out of character calmed Adamʼs heart a little. It seemed like he was not the only one saddened by this goodbye. Noticing that he had been left behind, he quickly caught up with the people entering Thres.

As he got closer, he found the Chosen of Maahes standing at the side of the gate. The beastman was observing the people as they entered, making sure everything went smoothly and nobody was shoving or harassing others. With how tired they all were from the unusual ride, his task was easy.

“Looks like you already had your farewells with TanoʼMol,” Mike greeted him with a comment on the weird goodbye he had just witnessed.

“You could say that. Heʼs probably already on his way to the system church to return to Minas Mar right away,” Adam said jokingly, but then he became a little more serious. Standing beside Mike and watching the last people from Emerald City enter Thres, he couldnʼt keep it in anymore.

“I donʼt know whether I had the chance to properly thank you for what you did. Thank you for looking for me, Mike. You had no obligation to help us, but you came to our rescue anyway. Iʼm really grateful that you came for us...” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

He had bottled them up earlier, but this was a whole other beverage. Earlier, he had been hit by those who were unable to make it home, but now it was the gratitude for those who made it. He was overwhelmingly grateful to Mike and his party that they not only helped him, but also all of them to make it back.free\.c o(m)

A big hand patted Adamʼs broad back.

“No problem. Everythingʼs alright now,” Mike said.

...and Adam believed him until he found his devastated office.