Chapter 254
The moment the battle ended, I had returned to my private forge, and started creating spearheads. The reason I worked alone was the speed of my forging, which increased once more after my most recent level-up. However, it also meant that, even the slightest mishap could be deadly to other blacksmiths.
Also, it made getting confidential reports easier. They found me at the forge, delivering the explanation. I didn’t stop forging, choosing to multitask.
Some reports, like a number of farmers who had managed to surpass level seventy, or the success of Logan’s team in clearing a small silver mine nearby, were nice and promising.
Others, like the recent report I had received about one of our aid teams being ambushed by a roaming group of corrupted monsters, killed to the last man, barely able to send news of their demise, were a stab to my guts. Another sign of my failure. If only…
Then, there were concerning reports. Like the one, Rosie was delivering the last words of it. “… And the first legion, the true elite of Drakka, has been seen moving toward Asterion. The siege is only heating up. What should we do?”
I sighed, trying to ignore the knot in my throat. “We expected Drakka to be allied with heretics, and we made our preparations for it. This is just confirmation. There’s nothing we need to do.”
“But —” Rosie started.
I cut her off. “Damn it. I know we need to do something, but we’re stretched to the limit, then more. We don’t have any reserves. Not the kind that could matter in a battle like that.” Then, I passed, taking a deep breath. Rosie didn’t deserve my anger. “My apologies. The stress is getting to me.”
“No, I understand,” Rosie said, patting my shoulder. “We have gotten used to coming to you, expecting you to pull another miracle from your pockets. It’s not fair.”
I sighed. “Fairness doesn’t matter, Rosie. We all want the same thing. It’s just…”
“How long since you have a rest,” Rosie asked.
I shrugged. “Sometime before all this mess started.” She frowned and grabbed my wrist, stopping the hammer. “What are you doing. You’re going to ruin the tempering of the metal.”