CH1003

“Welcome,” the guild master said as they arrived the next day, already in the main hall and waiting for them. “Thank you both for coming so soon after the quest was sent out.”

“It’s no problem,” Thera told him. “We just need the specific details of what we’re doing and then we can start. We weren’t given much information before being sent out.”

“Ah, I see. Well, it’s probably about what you can expect for a construction request, though probably on a bigger scale than you were prepared for. Just due to geography and where we sit among a few other major cities and nations, we’re actually quite a safe location and as a result, getting more refugees than most other places, as I understand it, so we’re looking at getting all of them housed as soon as possible.”

“We’ll work as quick as we can. In that case, if you or someone else would lead us to where we’re building, we can get started.”

With a nod, the guild master took on that role, walking them through the streets and giving the two a better idea of the city than when they’d first arrived. When they’d gotten there the night before, it was dark and they’d gone directly from the gate to the guild and then finally to their hotel, but in the light of the morning and on a grander path, it was easier to see the city’s circumstances. People going about their days, sure, but also plenty sitting in the streets, looking bleak, with many of their minds revealing them to be people who’d lost their homes and were in wait for somewhere new, along with whatever work they could find to support themselves.

A bit different from the city with the jötunn, Ben couldn’t help but note. Even with the issues that group’s arrival had caused, they’d still all been housed from the start, only needing to wait for better accommodations than what they were able to receive at the time, in contrast to that one which was leaving people on the streets. But I guess if they’re really getting as many refugees as it sounds like, they might not have had the space to keep up.

With that feeling seemingly confirmed when they left the city’s edge, finding what looked like thousands of tents set up as far as they could see, stretching out into the distance with people trying to make the best of it and leading him to speak up as they kept walking.

“We’re expanding on the city, right? Is this not the general area?”

“Ah, no, specifically it’s more like building a different city beside us,” the guild master explained, a quick flash of shame passing through his eyes. “We’ve given up some land to the west, where-”

He didn’t get to say more, Ben had gone directly into his head to see what they issue was and found himself in enough disbelief that without a word he’d picked the three of them up with his power and propelled them to just where they were expected to build, leaving a frown on Thera’s face as well when she saw it.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“This is a swamp.”

A big one too, stretching out beyond their line of sight and, if the guild master’s thoughts were to be believed, went on for a few miles, while the man who’d brought them there continued to try and hide both his expression, along with his real thoughts on it.