Chapter 80: Shipping problems
The Eternal Night ended with some Nightmares attacking the Fortress once in a while.
Edgar didn’t have to do anything, and he even got some sleep last night.
Though as soon as the fog returned, Edgar walked towards the ⟨Tower of Souls⟩.
With his hands in his pockets, the boy looked at the tower with a rather complicated look on his face.
’...What are you really?’
He couldn’t help but wonder as he took out the rune-engraved stone from his pocket.
Edgar still had no idea why they both had the same runes on them.
What connection did the building given by the system and the road in the Norwood Mountains have in common?
He was just not well versed in the ways of runes to understand what these runes even meant.
’I really, really need to learn more about runes as soon as I get the chance.’
The job of a Runesmith was as rare as that of a Builder.
But because basic runes could be made by anyone with enough knowledge, they were not as valuable.
Within the entire Fortress, there wasn’t a single person who knew how to use or even understand what runes were.
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar put the rune back into his pocket and walked away.
As he stepped away from the ⟨Tower of Souls⟩, the Fortress had already begun another day of work.
Smoke rose from the blacksmith, with the constant sound of hammers hitting metal echoing throughout.
Farmers carried baskets toward the ⟨Agricultural House⟩ to collect today’s harvest.
His gaze soon shifted toward the half-finished "big basket."
Virgo and his group were already hard at work, weaving together the elastic vines with earnestness.
Nearby, Andrew supervised another group constructing wooden frames.
Everything was progressing exactly as planned.
’Good.’
Wandering around the place, Edgar reached the ⟨Unbroken Fire⟩, where butler Oswald was talking with the citizens.
Unlike before, Oswald wasn’t looking old. Once he took the Elder Tortoise Shard, his body had undergone considerable changes.
The roots of his hair had turned black, and his back, which was usually slouched, was now upright.
Oswald now looked like he was in his forties rather than his sixties.
Once he noticed Edgar, he excused himself and approached the blond boy. "Do you need anything, Young Master?"
"How are things going with the harvest?" Edgar asked, continuing to walk.
"It’s excellent," he replied with excitement. "I have never seen such a wonderful harvest in my entire life."
The two continued walking side by side through the Fortress.
Oswald couldn’t hide the smile on his face.
"We harvested enough yesterday to feed everyone for quite some time, and judging by how quickly everything grows..."
He glanced toward the ⟨Agricultural House⟩.
"...We’ll have another harvest by tomorrow."
Edgar wasn’t surprised. It was truly an extraordinary building.
Thinking about it, Edgar couldn’t help but voice his thoughts aloud.
"I was wondering if we could sell the excess supplies." He looked at the old man. "We need money to buy more things."
The old man lowered his head and said in a thoughtful tone, "But who will we sell them to, Young Master?"
"....."
Edgar opened his mouth and shut it once again.
Given their current standing, everyone around them was an enemy.
’The Northern Sect is against us, the Atreus Clan is against us... I’m not too sure about the Bullan Clan.’
From what he had heard about the clan from Andrew, he wasn’t sure if he should deal with them.
Edgar rubbed his temples when Oswald pointed out another problem.
"Besides, we will need a lot of manpower, cargo, and soldiers to keep the goods safe from bandits, and if we don’t supply the fresh food quickly, it might spoil."
Edgar nodded his head, understanding that all the problems were valid.
"What if we used the Han River?" he asked. "Every clan lives more or less close to it."
"That is a problem in itself." Oswald shook his head. "There are too many pirates and Nightmares who would definitely try to seize our ships or destroy it."
Edgar fell silent. He had underestimated just how isolated the Fortress really was.
Even if they managed to reach another settlement, there was no guarantee the buyers wouldn’t simply kill them and seize everything.
’Trade isn’t just commerce. It’s a display of military strength.’
Whoever had the bigger army dictated the rules.
Without enough soldiers, merchants were nothing more than walking treasure chests.
"I see..." Edgar muttered before letting out a quiet sigh. "So we’ll consume everything ourselves for now."
Oswald nodded. "I believe that’s the wisest choice."
The old butler looked around the Fortress before adding,
"Besides, I don’t think storing extra food is necessarily a bad thing."
Edgar looked at him. "Do you have something in mind?"
"The Eternal Rain," the old man said grimly. "Young Master, you’ve only been here a short while. You haven’t experienced one yet."
His expression slowly began to morph into fear and distress. "During every Eternal Rain, monsters go rampant, and Tides become common."
"I see..." Edgar mumbled, his gaze drifting toward the ⟨Watch Tower⟩. "We really do need to make preparations for it."
Edgar talked a bit more with the old man before they separated and went their different ways.
The veteran soldier, Gordon, was already out at Soragon Bazaar to get the other two items needed for the ritual.
’I should be able to upgrade the towers later today.’
Edgar’s footsteps unconsciously carried him toward the Fortress Wall.
From there, he could see nearly everything within the settlement.
He rested both hands on the battlements.
’The Eternal Rain...’
Another reminder that this world never gave people time to breathe.
If the Eternal Night belonged to the Nightmares...
Then, judging from Oswald’s expression, the Eternal Rain was something even worse.
’Hah. I haven’t even dealt with the monster who is after Hera.’
Taking in a deep breath, Edgar smacked his lips. "One step at a time."
After calming his mind at the top of the Fortress Wall for a while, Edgar stepped down.
Walking inside his house, he sat down on the sofa and took out a wooden parchment.
Calming his heart, Edgar picked up the quill and dipped it into the ink.
’It’s time to create a new building.’