So, were you doing good back in that place?"
It's been a long time since I last saw Arthur, but I am happy that he is still standing even after what possibly happened to him inside that dungeon.
"You mean Glazov?" I gave a short laugh. "It became better. We have food, water, places to sleep, and an unneeded amount of raw minerals and metals."
Arthur said with a relieved tone. "To be honest, at the moment my uncle started torturing me to betray you, I knew something was wrong, but I am glad that you became stronger when times needed."
"Honestly, I am doing all this for a single revenge and nothing more. I plan on leaving this land, and go somewhere far away and secluded, but before that, there is someone I must kill."
I heard painful laughter.
"Do I know that person by any chance?"
"Better than me."
"Honestly, I lost all purpose. To take one final revenge or at least die trying sounds too good for me." He sounded broken.
"Did anything happen? Somethings wrong with your voice."
No response, so something happened, but what?
"It is about Maria." Arthur was almost crying. "I promised the man saved my life that I would protect them, I promised, but failed, once again, like when I failed to save her, like when I failed to save him."
"I don't know how to answer. Should I even say anything? God damn, what are you going through." I thought to myself
"Hey, I can see the lights. We almost arrived."
"I can see the lights, but wait. We don't have any lights outside." I thought to myself.
"Arthur, strengthen your grip. Fionnlagh, go faster, faster than you ever did!"
Fionnlagh quickly got into diving mode and increased his momentum.
"Please, be good news, please." It didn't look like a military camp, so I ordered Fionnlagh to land close.
"Arthur, use this." I threw my sword towards him. "Fionnlagh, protect Arthur. I will learn what is happening."
There was one giant campsite with hundreds of tents.
"What the hell is happening in here," I shouted.
Suddenly, people from tents started gathering around me. All of them are wearing similar clothing, white robes with green stripes as if they were from a cult.
Thankfully, a friend from inside came for my help.
Silvertower moved through the people and reached me.
"Oh, finally, you are here. These weirdos camped right outside, and they are not moving."
"Why didn't you take action then!" I wanted to shout but kept my calm.
"Who is their leader, and what do they want."
"It is me." A young girl wearing a robe much more decorated than others stepped forward.
She bowed forwards. "My most sincere apologies, Lord Of The Dead, but sadly, we had to keep our identities secret until we confirmed your arrival."
"So, I arrived. What is your deal?"
"We are the followers of a forbidden goddess. Goddess of Mercy. We are here to be under your protection, my lord."
And with her words, the whole crowd kneeled before me.
In mere seconds, I found myself in a sticky situation.
They were not armed and looked vulnerable. I couldn't just shoo them away during the war.
But there were just too many of them for me to feed.
"Goddes of Mercy didn't inform me about your arrival, and I am sad to say that I am not in a good spot to feed you all."
"But my lord, please." She kneeled even more. "She said that you might help us."
I shook my head. "I accept all of you inside. Still, there is a rule in here. To live in a fortress, you must either work or fight. We can't feed any slackers."
My only purpose in helping them was not to ease my conscience. Now, goddess owed me.
"We are healers and craftsmen, clothing, carvings, medicine, and many more. We can provide it, but children. They don't have that ability, please."
"Just gather your stuff and call some of those healers. I have a wounded friend. Now go!"
With my command, our new refugees begin collecting their commodities.
I also ordered some of the guards to come out and help them and take the young bandit into a cell.
"So, are you done with the whole thing?"
It is Arthur. I don't know how, but he gathered enough energy to walk here.
"Yes, and while you are here. Silvertower, here is Arthur, a friend of mine." I casually introduced him to the giant undead.
"Friend of The Lich King is a friend of mine. For his hammer's sake, I wonder what other words fate will make me say."
Arthur staggered by what he saw. His pupils were shining.
"The Legendary Silvertower, champion of the forge. My mama used to tell me your legends. How you crushed mountains with your hands and your brawl with that giant iron snake that spitted magma for an entire month. But to think they buried you in our North out of all places."
Silvertower answered with a little embarrassed tone. "To think someone would call those old legends. Arthur, wasn't it?" He offered his hand. "Though you look battered and bruised, I can see a great soldier just by looking at their spirit. I suppose you also had your great share of adventures."
I interrupted their talk before Arthur answered him.
"I am glad you two are having a good time chatting, but please give me a hand. I just accepted followers of forbidden religion as refugees!"
***Three hours later, in the city.
And the whole population once again gathered for my speech.
They were waiting for an explanation of the current situation.
"Here goes nothing."
I climbed to a ladder and entered the platform built for my speech.
"Dear brothers of the fortress, I am sad to inform you that the situation outside is bad. Even some mere bandits can dare to raid a town that is supposed to be protected by a fortress. I hope gods will protect our loved ones outside."
No one was spooked, but that's normal. As expected, people were anxious about their loved ones still out there.
"Still!" I moved one step forward. "Starting from here, we can change all of this. Heed my promise! I will end this madness and bring the peace this land deserves."
The crowd cheered loudly.
"For Lich King!"
"We shall take back our land!"
I became someone they are ready to follow, not because they have no choice, but because they want to over this time.
"Brothers, stop your cheerings for now because I have an important thing to say." I waited until the crowd stopped.
"Today, I decided to accept more people into outside. It will be sudden and maybe outrageous to some of you, but believe in me."
And the girl, who I later learned is the chosen oracle of Goddes of Mercy, moved next to me. Then, she kneeled before me.
"If, as a Lich, I can seek peace, that's only because of a forbidden Goddes who saved me from the curse. I am not her follower, but I promised to protect her subjects for what she did for me. And the girl you see in front of me is Goddes of Mercy's oracle. You can see that they are not here to restart an ancient war but only to escape from the cruelty of the outside as we do. So, please trust me and accept them. They are not warriors, but only civilians."
There was almost no reaction, so I fired the last bullet.
"Then, is there anyone who opposes that? Please speak."
Of course, no Dwarf talked, as they also believed in forbidden gods anyway, but I am surprised by my subjects.
"No!" A person shouted from the crowd.
"There is no opposition." And then another one.
"We will follow you, my liege."
"If dwarfs they taught us like demons of the underground are good people, why not ones that believe other goddesses shouldn't!"
"We have been fed through enough lies. It is time for truth, for the Lich King!"
"For the Lich King and the freedom."
"For what they took away from us!"
Bullseye.
For some reason, I began remembering tales I learned from Gramps.
Humans, led by the ten gods, first stabbed the dwarves from their backs when they needed help the most.
Then, humanity enslaved another humanoid race called Demi-humans.
They treated these beings poorly and either used them as slaves or made them third-grade citizens.
All of these things happened hundreds of years ago.
Nowadays, ordinary people don't care about the whole war of gods thing. They already have enough problems of their own.
And those ordinary people are the ones I am looking for. I search for people who are tired of everything and want to change things around them.
Oracle stood up. "And as the one who speaks for the goddess, promise that her followers are ready to do anything for him, our savior, lord of the dead."
Screams of happiness rose from the crowd like they never did before.
I ordered the crowd to disperse since it was already late. But I called some stone masons and carpenters for a quick meeting. I needed their expertise.
"As you see, we have lots of new people. Our new friends have their tents, but we must start repairing more houses for better housing."
"That sounds right, my lord, but." One of the stonemasons spoke.
"Go on."
He sighed. "We don't have enough hands. There are so many things to repair, and only so little of us with limited supplies."
I turned towards the oracle. "Tell me. What professions do your people have."
She bowed forward. "We all know medicine and aid, as our Goddess ordered, but many of us are also skillful artisans."
"And exactly what they can do? I need clayworkers, stone masons, woodworkers."
"Let me call them." She went to the temporary camp and came back with more than five dozen people.
"These are people capable of jobs you speak of."
"Good." I looked at my old workers. "I suppose this amount will be sufficient for now."
They quickly shook their head. "Of course."
"I am glad to hear it. I will leave the job to its masters. And about supplies, I will try to cut a trade deal with outside, don't worry."
I left them alone and entered a large tent, which our newcomers used as a hospital.
Arthur was lying on the ground with a faint green glow covering his body while two clerics of Mercy chanted sentences from their holy book.
I sat down next to him. "You are feeling any better."
He looked at his body with a smile. "Honestly, they are doing a great job. I will be ready to fight in a week."
"Don't push yourself too hard." I patted his shoulder.
"So, Erwin, what is about that wyvern?" Arthur suddenly asked.
"Oh, Fionnlagh, I found him here and tamed him. He is a great help to me."
"Great, but what happened to your wolf?"
Fluffy, that little thing was loyal to me as well. "I don't know, just like I don't know what happened to Jarl."
"Huh, I never heard about them either. So, I suspected them to be with you."
"Talking about old friends, Ruckus is here."
"Of course, that old fox is still alive. So where is he? Can't he come to greet an old friend?" Arthur asked with a painful smile. Maybe healing magic was not that great.
"He is probably out there gathering information. He will welcome you when he comes back." I got up. "Now, I have jobs to do."
I left the tent and went back to work. I must control progression in the farm area and deliver some of our grain for planting.
Then I have to make Mel and Arthur meet. I will divide my forces into two and expand into the city now that we can afford more of them.