[TWS] Chapter 263 – Rapid Development

Asterios and the girls entered the streets of Glimmervale and merged into the crowd of busy people heading in every possible direction. The town was bustling and it was more than clear that the usual level of activity had risen since their last visit. Besides Asterios’ short trip back to visit Endymion’s and Imadil’s workshops not that long ago, where he hadn’t had time to take a better look at everything else, they hadn’t been in the town in quite a few weeks.

The first most noticeable change was of course the wall currently still under construction. The defensive formation poked out over the roofs of the furthest buildings. But, they could spot numerous new shops and establishments as they wandered the pretty streets. Amongst the crowd, they could also see a bit more variety in terms of races present in Ast’s realm. Elves still dominated the palette, but there were visibly more individuals hailing from other communities than before.

As they continued down the path leading them to the Adventurer’s Guild, many local people recognized them and shared joyful, polite greetings with their lord and his companions. It was pretty obvious that the folks were happy to see their governor back from his journey. They might have not known the details since only the chosen individuals had this privilege, but it didn’t change the fact that they were glad he’d returned able and healthy.

Such little pleasantries brought smiles to Asterios and the girls. Silvia was used to that kind of attention and she was a natural at responding back or just casually waving her hand at people. It would certainly take a bit longer for the rest of the team to catch up to her level but Asterios was already doing decently well. With some more practice and guidance, he would make a fine governor. Or even a ruler.

Soon, they reached their destination and stopped in front of the guild. As expected, it was much livelier than before their expedition. It was clear even from the outside that quite a number of adventurers filled the belly of the newly established branch. Passing by a small group of three they didn’t recognize, they went in and glanced around the lobby.

Right away, they noticed that the guild’s staff had greatly increased. Considering the number of people swarming the place, it wasn’t that unexpected. Two or three receptionists would never be able to efficiently deal with so many requesters and submitters. Suanori must have been forced to recruit some help.

Ast’s gaze wandered over a bunch of new faces behind the main counter as his party moved through the crowded area. Since most of them were busy, including their two friends, they went straight for the stairs, choosing to pay a visit to the guildmaster without interrupting either Ellie or Truvi.

Especially Truvi. They could see a big smile on their short friend’s face and her queue wasn’t much smaller than the other ones. The cute dwarf receptionist clearly thrived in her environment and it made everyone in Ast’s group who had been closely acquainted with her feel warm inside. Her dreams were finally being properly fulfilled. Without any rude bastards making fun of her.

Asterios, Miria, and Selene shared soft smiles and everyone headed up. They passed a few employees they didn’t remember but no one stopped them from going deeper. Some might have recognized them, and some clearly noticed the cyan plate on Ast’s shoulder and matching badges on the chokers a few of his girls wore. Getting in the way of an S-rank was a bit scary, though Asterios hoped for people to not be afraid of questioning the intentions of anyone, no matter their rank or status.

They found the guildmaster’s office and Miria knocked lightly on the wooden door. Suanori’s voice invited them inside and they stepped into her domain, finding their elf friend taking care of some documents behind her desk.

She raised her gaze to the sound of the door being closed. “Ah. Asterios. And everyone. Am I right to assume that our great lord has finally returned to his loyal subjects? Or is it another quick visit and you require something from the guild?”

“We are indeed back,” Tina replied with a gentle smile. “Our business out there is more or less finished.”

“We came to see how you are doing!” Miria beamed at her adorably. “It looks like the guild is busy!”

Suanori chuckled lightly while leaning into the comfortable backrest of her armchair. “It certainly is. I still can’t believe we’ve grown so much so fast. I even had to start considering expanding the building already. If things continue at this pace, this small, cozy hut won’t be enough soon.”

“It certainly sounds like things are going well,” Tina chuckled too.

“We have a big influx of adventurers and people aiming to open a business here or just move in. The latter two are obvious. Everyone is being lured in by the news about a promising town noticed by the Hestizo Household. As for the former, the fact that we somehow managed to secure a cooperation agreement with the nearby elven branch helps a lot too. It was an unexpected offer that came from their side but we now often share quests, information, and resources.”

“It seems like we are being noticed by our fellows on the other side of the fence.” Asterios smirked softly.

She nodded. “Yeah. Plus, I bet the rumors about a possible dungeon reveal in our territory fan the flames of curiosity and excitement too.”

“A dungeon? Here? Are those rumors true?” Silvia asked with a raised brow.

“They have to be since we are the ones spreading them.” Suanori winked at her. “Radir and Venuzathor confirmed locating a concentration of spiritual energy not that far from the place of the summoning incident you guys resolved recently. They aren’t perfectly sure but the possibility is high.”

“The presence of that energy deep under the ground might have sped up the contamination of the array in the cavern so it’s not that improbable for a dungeon to exist near it. What happened there is of course already enough, but who knows? Maybe it’s another place like that. We will find out at some point in the near future, I guess.” Asterios rubbed his chin. “But yeah, this is a great promotion for the town. Adventurers are moving their bases of operations here to be the first ones to cash in on this opportunity.”

“Anyway, how did it go for you?” Suanori switched the attention to them.

“The information we found is lacking but we managed to solve the issue that was troubling Master’s body,” Bryn answered.

“And don’t forget that we reclaimed an important area from the claws of the monsters while doing so,” Asterios pointed out with a smile.

“So, no more being half-dead?” The guildmaster glanced at him curiously.

“He never felt more alive.” Grea snickered. “Half-dead will be the people who see his Dragon. Out of shock.”

“Yeah. I’m afraid we will have to be a little bit careful if we don’t want to cause unnecessary panic.” He chuckled.

“I’m assuming that she isn’t talking about scaring the townsfolk with your manhood this time.” Suanori followed suit. “What did you gain?”

“I’ll show you when we find a good moment.” Asterios smiled mysteriously. “Not the manhood, of course.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that, then.” She laughed quietly while shaking her head. “Have you already visited the Town Hall?”

“Not yet. We just started catching up and you are the second person we met up with. We will most likely head there right after, or we might drop by Imadil’s first since it’s on the way,” he replied.

“Good. I heard that they have something for you so don’t delay too much. It doesn’t seem to be that time-sensitive but it certainly felt important.” She nodded.

“Got it. We’ll leave you to your work and be on our way, then. Thanks for the information.”

They shook hands and Ast’s group walked out of the guildmaster’s office. On their way out of the building, they were stopped by Ellie and Truvi, who had taken a short break to greet them, explaining that they had noticed him and the girls earlier but just had no way of abandoning their queues. They chatted happily about the guild’s life of the receptionist duo for a little bit and the two ladies returned to their duties right afterward, excited to continue aiding their adventurers.

Without further ado, Ast’s party resumed their wandering and picked Imadil’s smithy as their next stop. He had technically been there not that long ago but they hadn’t talked about that much stuff besides his gear and equipment at that time. Plus, it had been before the major turning point of their expedition.

The artisanal district was as busy as usual and the streets were filled with lots of noise. They admired the people working out in the open in front of their businesses for a moment and stepped into their friend’s place. Compared to the first days after the small family of elves had moved in, the shop section was much more alive and entrancing. Many creations of the father and daughter duo decorated various showcases and displays, either hanging on the walls or standing by them. Some of the weapons looked mighty and magical.

Hearing the bell announcing the visit of another customer, Cynthia walked out of the doorway behind the counter while wiping her hands with a wet cloth.

“Oh. It’s you guys. Welcome.” She sent them a polite smile. “Do you have any business with us?”

“Not really. We are just going around and checking on people after our return. If you are busy, we can come at a different time,” Asterios replied.

“I’m glad to see all of you safe and sound, then. And don’t worry, we are good on time. Follow me. I’ll just grab my father and we can take a rest to acquire some sustenance.” Cynthia gestured at them and unlocked the moving part of the counter.

She guided them to the meeting room and left them by the table. They didn’t have to wait for too long before she came back with her father, both of them holding onto a plate with some kind of tasty, mushroom soup.

“I hope you don’t mind us eating while we talk,” Imadil said with a smile as they sat down with Asterios and the girls.

“Of course not. We are intruding on your break time, not the other way.” Asterios shook his head. “Thanks for your quick maintenance back then again. It definitely helped a ton.”

“Share with us the tales of your adventures whenever you get a spare moment and we’ll be even.” Cynthia winked at him. “It sounds like your journey was eventful.”

“The number of battles, puzzles, and challenges we encountered is indeed quite high. And the surprises.” Selene hid her beautiful smile behind her slender hand.

“You could definitely write a good book out of it if you wanted. Especially considering the numerous plot twists we stumbled onto.” Silvia nodded faintly.

“Now, you are making me really curious.” Imadil chuckled a bit. “Almost as curious as I am about this.”

Everyone directed their gazes where the elf man was pointing and they turned to face Grea. The demon lady glanced at each of them in mild confusion before looking herself all over to identify the reason why everyone was staring at her so intently.

“Ah. You mean this bad boy?” She grinned devilishly and patted the massive crossbow leaning against her chair from the side.

Grea grabbed the weapon firmly and hoisted it onto the table, causing the dishes to jump from the impact with a ceramic noise. She ran her fingers over the long body of the almost ballista-sized piece of military equipment.

“It’s so charming, isn’t it? There’s only one other thing I love stroking more like this.” She sighed dreamily while continuing to caress her newly-gained partner.

The girls chuckled while Asterios shook his head. But, it didn’t look like their elf hosts paid any attention to Grea’s usual, obscene jokes. Both the father and the daughter were focused on the peculiar crossbow.

“Fascinating. The design is very interesting. It looks so big but it seems like you are able to lift it up without any trouble. I really wonder what’s it like on the inside…” the man mused.

His eyes glowed faintly as his gaze roamed over the magnificent weapon. They skipped briefly to Asterios, who was sitting next to Grea, and quickly returned to the mysterious item. Then, his brows shot as far up as they could and Imadil’s gaze snapped back to Ast’s chest so quickly that the movement spooked his daughter.

“What in the…” he whispered in confusion.

“Father?” Cynthia furrowed her brows, and seeing her father’s stunned expression, she activated her ability too and her face instantly mirrored his after her eyes fell onto Asterios. “Good gods… Are you kidding me right now?”

“It looks like your recent journey was much more fruitful than I would have expected.” Imadil let out an awkward chuckle.

“How are there three?!” Cynthia slammed the table with her palms while standing up. “Oh, Divine Treemother… This universe is done for…”

“Well… A lot of things happened.” Asterios showed a wry smile.

“Everything that involves you is just outrageous…” Cynthia fell back onto her chair with a defeated sigh. “At this pace, your current Spellslinger will snap in half just like the sword you tried out the first time. What kind of a monster are you really? Or are you a descended god having a blast freaking out mortals?”

“A god. Definitely a god.” Grea snickered, sending Asterios lusty glances as she licked her lips.

“Closer to a monster, I’d say.” He squinted at the mischievous demon before turning back to the elf duo. “Even amongst my own kin, I seem to be something that shouldn’t exist. That’s why my parents split me into pieces and sealed them away, limiting my power.”

“You are sure he isn’t an evil horror regaining his strength to destroy the very essence of existence, right?” Cynthia glanced between Ast’s mates and they exchanged wide smiles.

“As a wielder of Holy Magic, I can assure you that Master is the purest form of love and affection,” Bryn said with slightly flushed cheeks.

“No way someone evil can be this warm.” Silvia shook her head while clutching her fist to her chest.

“There is no bigger good guy in all the realms combined than Master!” Miria bounced on her chair with a proud expression.

“Now, we all know that’s greatly exaggerated.” Asterios reached out to fluff Miria’s adorable ears. “And the evil horror has already recovered his strength. He is my underling.”

Umbra’s deep chuckle echoed throughout the room, causing the elf duo to shiver.

“But, jokes aside, you know what I am. I think it’s a good moment to show everyone we can trust the truth. Perhaps we should gather at the castle’s training grounds and do it there.” Asterios rubbed his chin. “And believe me, I didn’t have the slightest idea in the beginning. So much has changed in less than a year from that fateful day.”

Miria placed a hand on Ast’s thigh and looked deep into his crimson eyes. “I always knew you were great, Master. I could just feel it. Even with all the seals and barriers. But, before you say that your origins might be the only reason why I was so attracted to you, please don’t. It was your kind and caring nature. And I’m really glad it hasn’t changed even a bit.”

An intense blush bloomed on her gentle cheeks as she did her best to keep looking straight at him. Asterios smiled, placed his hand over hers, and leaned in to place a delicate peck on the panthergirl’s cheek. Miria purred lovingly in response as they drew back.

“I guess there’s no way that an evil horror would be such a lady killer.” Cynthia snorted quietly with a tiny smile. “I can’t wait to see your true form.”

“We’ll arrange it soon. First, we need to finish our duties as the overseers of this town. We just were on our way to the Town Hall to get filled in on everything that happened since we departed. So, thanks for your time and help. We appreciate it greatly.” He stood up and nodded respectfully.

Everyone followed suit and the girls also showed their respect to the two incredible blacksmiths. Asterios glanced at the crossbow still lying on the table and placed a hand on it before Grea swooped it back.

“We don’t really expect to get into a serious fight in the upcoming days, so what do you say about leaving this curious thing with you for now? What do you say, Grea?” He glanced at his red-skinned lover.

Grea met his gaze, looked at her new favorite toy, and bit into her bottom lip as she ran her fingers over the weapon one more time.

“Fine.” She sighed in defeat. “But you owe me something else to play with in the meanwhile.”

Asterios snorted at her implicative grin and nodded. “Whatever you desire.”

She pulled the additional magazines and ammunition out of her pouches and set them on the table next to the weapon. Giving them one last glance, she stepped closer to Asterios and hugged his arm, leaning onto his shoulder with a heartbroken sigh of a doting mother having to part with her beloved children for who knew how long. He chuckled and started patting her head, deciding to play along with her antics for now.

“You have our thanks. I can already tell that it will be so fun trying to figure this thing out.” Imadil smiled at him brightly and Cynthia nodded with visible enthusiasm.

“It packs quite a punch so if you manage to analyze its structure and succeed in recreating it then it could be a decent siege defense weapon even without the enchantment reducing its mass,” Silvia shared her thoughts.

“I agree. The speed, accuracy, and power of this contraption are unimaginable. I haven’t seen anything similar amongst the gear our ranged warriors currently use so I assume it comes from the ancient era when our civilization was at its peak,” Bryn added.

“Then we will do our best to revive this lost technology and share the results with you.” Imadil bowed towards the Valkyrie with the crossbow in his hands and his daughter followed.

They bid their farewells and went their own ways.

Not wasting any more time, Asterios and the girls walked straight to the Town Hall. Grea kept sighing gloomily on the entire way there, dragging her feet over the ground like her entire life lost its meaning. Since it was getting a bit annoying, Asterios yanked her to the alley next to their destination and proceeded to kiss the hell out of Grea’s luscious lips while hidden from everyone’s sight. She moaned fervently as he pressed her into the wall with a rough hold on her waist and the single horn, leaving herself fully at his mercy.

As they left the dark alleyway with their elbows still linked, she had a visible bounce in her step and a dazzling grin couldn’t leave her face. The girls rolled their eyes at their crafty sister-mate and followed the duo into the building, heading up for the Committee’s offices. They walked into the cylindrical chamber and were immediately spotted by the gray-haired elf hunched over the round table.

“Ah! My Lord, My Lady! Good to see you again!” Ulyssen quickly walked up to them and made a polite bow. “I dare to assume, your journey went well?”

“I think we can say that,” Tina replied with a small curtsy. “Were things well here too?”

“Except for the part where our work increased like tenfold from the sudden influx of visitors and travelers, everything was great.” Esotvi grunted as she emerged from her personal office.

“Certainly, this is the busiest Glimmervale has ever been since the very founding.” Danny chuckled while joining everyone in the middle with Keenu by his side.

“But it’s so exciting to see the town thrive, is it not?” Merfinna said as she showed up at the same time as Ted.

“It looks like it’s our lucky day. Everyone seems to be here.” Selene let out a ladylike chuckle.

“Not for long, but indeed, you’ve chosen the best possible moment to return.” Ulyssen nodded.

“Then we won’t take too much of your time. We would just like to know how things are going in each area and if there is anything that requires our attention,” Asterios explained the reasoning behind their visit.

“Nothing important to report in the mercantile sector,” Esotvi began. “All the shops belonging to your family have opened without any issues, My Lord, and there are multiple other businesses that are starting their branches in our town or fighting for the chance to. So far, everyone follows the rules and acts nicely. Well, not like anyone would dare with an entity resembling a giant Dragon resting at the back of the main market.”

Ted cleared his throat to capture their attention. “Safety and garrison are all good too. Most of our men have already received new, high-quality gear produced by the artisans under the guidance of the Spellsong family and they are training vigorously to bring honor and respect to our small army. Everyone was inspired by your courage and battle prowess during the defense so the morale is really high.”

“In terms of agriculture, we are expanding as quickly as possible. If we want to remain independent on most provisional resources, we need a lot more farms, plantations, and such. I’m working on it with Keenu but the number of requested renovations and constructions of new structures, especially villas, is at an all-time high,” Merfinna added.

“That’s right. I already doubled the size of my team but we are still behind on the schedule.” The demon man sighed while rubbing his forehead. “We could hire contractors from other places, and we were even offered that by the settlement on the elven side, but I really wanted things to remain in line with our traditional craft. Someone would have to supervise those contractors anyway.”

“We are slowly running out of vacant locums, which certainly is a problem. People are coming and coming and coming with no end in sight. We already had to devise a more complex system to manage the requests for relocation. Additionally, we switched the method to acquire already constructed houses from a first come, first served basis to an open auction with a set duration announced ahead of time. The tension slightly dropped while our profits exploded,” Danny reported.

“And that’s pretty much it, My Lord. Logistics are hanging on decently well. There are plenty of delays, of course, since it’s completely unavoidable with so much happening around, and I’m certainly not proud of that, but there’s just nothing that can be physically done in that regard,” Ulyssen finished.

“You really have a lot on your shoulders because of us, don’t you?” Asterios chuckled wryly.

“Don’t be mistaken, My Lord, as much as it might sound like we are complaining, we are unspeakably grateful to you and your companions for this chance,” the elf replied and everyone on his side nodded. “If you have any suggestions or advice for us, please feel free to share.”

“I think it would be wise to focus on agriculture first before housing and general construction,” Silvia pondered out loud. “It’s better to take care of the people already living here first before providing a place to stay for those thinking about moving in. The latter can wait for as much as necessary. Food is the most important aspect that a city should never be low on. In locations that allow for developed agriculture, the split between production and import should strongly lean towards the former.”

“I agree.” Tina nodded confidently. “Otherwise, when bad times suddenly arrive, the cost of living will rise considerably. The city will have to purchase more goods as they become more scarce and the market will react accordingly. Rising prices are one of people’s major worries. The only possible responses to that situation are to either raise the wages or freeze the market. Both options are a huge financial loss for the city and pose a high risk of things going wrong further on.”

The two noble girls shared a look and smiled at each other warmly.

Asterios rested a hand on Silvia’s and Tina’s shoulders and nodded. “What they said. We shouldn’t forget about the original residents and the vision the founders had for Glimmervale. Being in the center of attention is great but we can’t let it control us if we want to retain our independent status.”

“Progress and development are wonderful but when you stray away from the values that have initiated the entire thing, you will one day wake up with something that’s nowhere close to the perfect outcome you were chasing after,” Grea added with a slightly melancholic smile.

The Committee Members exchanged glances and bowed at them respectfully.

“We will be careful not to be swept up by the current,” Ulyssen said. “Thank you for your advice, Your Lordships, Your Highness.”

“It wasn’t much. You are doing an amazing job on your own and I’m sure that what little education I had in the royal castle can’t even compare to the years of experience everyone here has managed to accumulate.” The princess politely lowered her head.

“Ah. Speaking of which, I almost forgot.” The gray-haired elf chuckled awkwardly.

He hastily dashed into his office and returned with a fancy envelope in his hand. Stopping in front of Asterios, he held it out for him to receive. The girls gathered around him with curious gazes.

“That’s my father’s seal,” Silvia pointed out after Asterios flipped the envelope.

“Yes. This letter came in about two weeks ago. We were supposed to deliver it to you as soon as you returned. It seems important,” Ulyssen explained.

Selene formed a small knife with her spiritual energy and cut the envelope open for Asterios. He pulled out the letter as Ulyssen backed away to give them some privacy since he couldn’t know if the contents of the message weren’t sensitive.

“Looks like we are being summoned. Seems like an international matter.”