Chapter 463 – Geothermal.

The next morning, Roland woke up feeling more rested than he had in a long time. Sunlight filtered through the window, casting a warm glow across the room. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and then noticed the woman dozing off against his bare chest. For a moment, he wondered how he entered this room but soon he recalled dozing off in the dining room.

‘Ah right, now I remember…’

His sleep had been short-lived due to a certain oversized wolf deciding to nap next to him. The snoring was so loud that his heightened senses mistook it for a monster attack. After waking up he spotted the blanked Elodia placed over him, which he assumed she had done to ensure he was warm. Eventually, he found himself in their bed and had a nice intimate encounter with his wife.

‘It’s good to be back…’

He gently moved, trying not to wake her, but her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at him, looking just as content as he felt.

“Good morning, Dear.”

“Good morning, Elodia. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She stretched, her smile already making this day a lot brighter. Roland was still getting used to being married and having someone who cared for him so deeply. It was a feeling he was slowly embracing. He was a loner, so having someone like Elodia by his side was somewhat new. However, it was not a burden but rather something that motivated him to strive even harder for their joint future.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re back and I hope you’ll be staying longer this time around?”

“I hope so but…”

“Is it about your sister?”

“Yes but also a few other things.”

Elodia’s voice was soft and full of warmth. She already knew about his adventures at the magical academy and the possibility of his return there. He had not detailed how he planned to return, but she had been informed about Lucienne. Keeping secrets from his wife was not something he wished to do, and having someone who cared for him offer advice was always welcome.

“Of course but remember, You don’t have to shoulder everything alone. If there is something I can help you with, just let me know, alright?”

“If you keep saying things like that, I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself…”

Roland nodded at her words of support, his desire to tackle her down into bed once more momentarily overshadowed by the warmth of her encouragement. However, before his carnal instincts could take over, a loud sound echoed from inside his home. It sounded like scratching, and upon further investigation, it appeared to be Agni scratching against their bedroom door.

His disappointment was immeasurable as he was forced to open the door. There he spotted Agni wagging his tail around which caused some of the wooden chairs to break. Roland sighed, resigned to the fact that his time alone with Elodia was over, at least for the moment. With a sigh, he left his bedroom and pushed the oversized wolf out of his home. His size had become a problem and letting him inside was not the best idea anymore.

“Borf!”

“No, you can’t stay inside, you have your own place, that’s why we made it, go stay there!”

“Warf!”

Roland rolled his eyes as Agni continued to protest against being shoved out of the house. Luckily, with some coaxing and well-placed scratches behind the ears, Agni relented and trotted off to his designated wolf house. He looked a bit saddened and his tail was curling downward but nothing could be done about it. His size was too large for his workshop so he couldn’t keep him company like he used to when he was a puppy.

‘Maybe in the future, something could be done about that though…’

There was one idea in his mind that would allow his wolf companion access back into the underground smithy. His time at the Institute was well spent and his research into dimensional magic had been extensive. If he was able to create the core of the structure he desired, then perhaps making some more space without digging around would be feasible. However, such things would need to wait for later as he first needed to do some other things.

“Does he seem more clingy than before?”

“He just missed you and then there are also the people from the Solarian church, some of them can be peculiar…”

Once Agni was taken care of, he had a business meeting with his wife. She had kept informing him about the state of Albrook while he was gone and there were indeed several pressing matters to attend to. The presence of the Solarian church caused an influx of believers and refugees from other cities. A new growing city was always an opportunity to start over so it attracted people that weren’t necessarily able to bolster the economy. Work was scarce and the influx of people wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If something wasn’t done now, then in the future he knew that this place would resemble Aldbourne with its extensive slums and criminal element.

“I have my work cut out for me. Well then.”

Roland knew what had to be done and soon he set off to take care of some business with Arthur. Over a month had passed since he had left this place and the presence of the Solarian church had only grown stronger. The priests and believers had set up new shrines and small temples, attracting a steady stream of pilgrims and new settlers to Albrook.

‘Did they enlarge the main church through some magical means? I don’t remember it being this tall…’

With the help of his helmet, he spotted a high concentration of people beneath the church, some of them belonging to the Solarian Paladin order. It seemed they had begun expanding downward, likely digging to create more rooms for their priests and perhaps also escape tunnels. These cathedrals were large structures with thick walls that could become important military structures during a siege attempt. They wouldn’t be easily breached, as they were reinforced with holy magic, which was particularly potent against undead and evil creatures.

It was early in the morning but already many adventurers were crowding the streets. Many of them seemed to be of the gold rank but platinum ranks were also there. He noticed a few races he hadn’t seen in a while, such as gnomes, who likely belonged to the recently formed Alchemical Guild. The same that wouldn’t let Rastix into their circle. The man would soon have some interesting work to do and perhaps with it, he could show that they were mistaken.

“It’s the Knight Commander, make way!”

As he was walking through the streets, people started moving to the sides. The cape he was wearing had the Valerian crest on it and he was also being followed by a small squad of soldiers. Roland didn’t like the attention but had already made peace with standing out. His two-meter-tall armored form could no longer blend into the crowd. Soon, he found himself at Arthur’s estate, ready for the strategic meeting.

The estate was abuzz with activity as Roland arrived. Arthur had clearly been preparing for his return, and the knights and staff moved with purpose. Roland made his way through the familiar halls, greeted by nods and salutes from those he passed. His presence commanded respect, something that took a while to earn. Arthur was waiting for him in his office where on his desk maps and documents were spread out.

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“Sir Wayland, good to see you. I trust you managed to get some rest?”

“Yes, Lord Arthur. Thank you. It was much needed.”