Chapter 339 - Shielder B
Kat wasn’t really sure what she expected to see when she returned to Freybrook. Streets reduced to rubble? People going about their lives as if nothing had happened? Turned out, it was something in between.
She rode past entire blocks where the only remnants of homes were broken beams, scorched stone, and piles of ash. Then she’d reach a public square where the streets buzzed with movement — merchants standing behind makeshift stalls, kids weaving through clusters of adults, and ordinary folk just trying to rebuild.
She’d seen worse. The first attacks by the Tribe of Sin, half a year ago, had wiped some places completely off the map. The fact that Freybrook had taken a hit but was still standing—still full of people—was something of a relief.
At the same time, witnessing the wreckage, passing even one hollow-eyed survivor, seeing the homes left empty by those who hadn’t made it...
It stung.
Freybrook wasn’t just some isolated village with no walls and no way to defend itself. It was a major city, home to thousands upon thousands, full of trade and life and people just trying to get by. It represented part of the empire’s stability. If even places like this weren’t safe, what did that mean for the rest of the empire?
Kat wished she’d been there during the attack. That she could have done something. That was the whole point of her job, after all. To stand as a shield for those who couldn’t protect themselves.
She knew, logically, that her presence alone wouldn’t have changed much in the face of something this big. She knew that. And they hadn’t exactly seen the attack coming when it did. Even if the Guild kept Shielders like her stationed in every city, that just meant leaving smaller settlements on their own. Then what? Who was supposed to help the people out there? The Shields Guild wasn’t supposed to pick and choose.
At least she hadn’t been completely useless during this mess. She’d been close enough to Crowbell when it all happened — helped defend the township, cleared out some of the monsters that had strayed too close to the smaller settlements in the region. It had taken a few days, but it was necessary work. Between her, the handful of D- and C-ranked Shielders in the area, and one of the local barons’ men, they’d kept the damage from getting too bad. Honestly, she’d probably made more of a difference there than she would’ve in Freybrook.
Didn’t stop the nagging feeling in her gut, though. The one that told her she should have been here.
When she reached the square where the Freybrook branch was located, she swung off her horse, boots hitting the ground with a dull thud. She stretched her shoulders, then reached back to tighten her ponytail, fingers catching on a few loose strands the wind had teased loose. Her gaze swept over the mess of tents and temporary shelters scattered about the Guild’s front. Near the edges of the square, clusters of hastily built market stalls stood, their owners haggling with anyone still willing to trade.
She wondered how many were willing to buy right now.