Steel and Mana

Chapter 398 – Return to Markoth

It was an early morning when we were at the landing port, where the Knight's Errand was being prepared for takeoff. Dozens of wagons were already loaded up, filled with supplies, smithing tools, and stonecutting equipment. This time, it won't bring mechs to Markoth, but I'm sending a team of workers so we can start plugging in the Pass before winter comes. It will also be the first time I'll be sending Sasha away alone, but she's a grown woman. And I had complete confidence in her abilities. She will not only inspect the monster resources but also coordinate the building of the fortress.

Of course, she was excited, as this would be her first project done all by herself. I mean, she had made things before, but I was always around to give my ideas or input if needed. Now? Nothing. It will be up to her. It was something that she was ready for a decade ago, hehe.

And... there was also Lancelot, who would join the troops and start his actual service. I was more worried about him... but I tried not to show it. He was my son; it was his choice, and... as his parent, I was standing behind him. Plus, Dad is there, so he should be... fine. I guess. The one who was more worried than any of us... was Yuri.

I watched with a half-smile as Lancelot stood beside his mother before the boarding ramp of the Knight's Errand. He wore a new uniform, freshly fitted to his height, bearing my Father's old sigil: a roaring lion encircled by laurels. Something he took up while training under him. Speaking of training... his sword hung from his belt, made not of metal but the monster bone, of course. It was sleek, slightly curved, more akin to a katana from my old world than a longsword or saber. Aaaaand it was not my influence! Not entirely. Anyway, he chose the design after I showed him some.

"Don't let a monster grab hold of you! It may lay eggs into your bum," Yuri said softly, brushing back a strand of his black hair, making me jerk out of my thoughts as I walked over, just catching her warning.

"Don't worry, my bottom is sealed!" Lancelot grunted but didn't meet her eyes. "It's not like I'm an amateur..."

"You are still a virgin, though." Yuri smiled at him, making my son blush even harder. "Maybe you can bang some locals? Make some bastards for us? It would annoy your Father a lot."

"Khm." I scratched my throat, arriving, but Yuri didn't even flinch. On the other hand... Lancelot was looking at me with pleading eyes, hoping I could help him out.

"He can't stay like that forever!" Yuri argued, raising a brow at me. "Are you saying my son is not handsome enough to open his legs wherever he goes? Man and woman alike?"

"Just use protection, okay?" I shrugged, making Lancelot twitch his mouth... as protection meant... well, we were still in the early stages of making rubber, so condoms were not a thing. Sheep or lamb intestines were the ones that could be bought...

"Nah!" Yuri waved a hand, "Mikki will deal with issues when you get back. No worries, no worries! Go wild, enjoy yourself!"

"Let's not ruin our reputation from the get-go, okay?" A new voice approached. "Are you ready, Lancelot?"

We all turned to see Sasha coming over, smiling after shooting a glare at Yuri, who ignored it, flashing her teeth in a grin.

"I am," Lancelot answered, saluting, meeting her gaze like a soldier would do with his commander.

"Then we should be going," she said, giving a nod of approval and a soft sigh. "We have a long trip ahead."

"It will be weird that you are not here," Luna said as she arrived in tow with Mikki and the rest of the kids. They were coming out from the Knight's Errand and finishing bringing Sasha's belongings.

"Really?" she asked with a smile, but she only got a hug from Luna, followed by the twins, Mikki, and everyone else. No wonder she got suddenly emotional, trying to hide some tears that appeared from nowhere. It was Yuri who stepped aside first, placing a kiss on her and then on Lancelot's forehead. "Write to me," she whispered to our son, which I caught, gently patting her back.

"I will." Lancelot smiled, nodding at us.

"Don't cause too much trouble to Grandpa." I joked, patting my son's shoulders, "And don't play the hero. Understood?"

"Don't worry, Dad," he said earnestly, looking into my eyes. "I'm your son. I'm not stupid."

"That's contestable." Arthur joked, but they just exchanged a knowing glance, nodding before it was really time to leave.

Sasha waited as Lancelot climbed the Knight's Errand before she also smiled at us, disappearing without much of a goodbye as it wouldn't be anything final...

...
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......

Their travel was shorter than Lancelot imagined it would be. He spent most of his time on the bridge, interacting with the crew or sharpening his skills, knowing that his grandfather would test him as soon as they had the time. When their journey ended, the skies above Markoth opened in pale gold as the Knight’s Errand emerged from the low-hanging clouds, its horns blowing loudly. It was a sound that the locals recognized, and this time around, there was no panic. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Standing on the bridge, Sasha could see it all as they banked gently—Markoth’s hastily rebuilt walls in the previous winter, the watchtowers the others had erected, and the cobbled streets that once were described as grey and dead, filled with more color as houses were constantly being repaired and repainted around them. What had once been a battered city was already starting to bloom again. Beside her, Lancelot leaned over to Sasha, whispering while the crew was preparing the ship to land.

“Is it just me,” he muttered, “or are they… actually happy to see us?”

Sasha didn’t answer right away. Instead, she watched as banners were hung from high places below them. They all had the Avalonian crests alongside Markoth’s own, fluttering on rooftops and balconies. Soon, the streets were packed as people began hurrying to see the returning ship, now having two at once around in Markoth. Luckily, they were proven to be sensible people as they listened to the soldiers down below, standing at attention and making sure nobody got in the way. Finally, the ship was lowered onto the open field right next to the city, and it was time to enter a new land, which made Sasha take a deep breath. She was not only a messenger or someone from Avalon... She was the first queen of it, so she thought she had to live up to it as much as she could.

“Remember what your father said,” she murmured. “We’re not guests. We’re partners and their protectors.”

"I know." Lancelot nodded, adjusting the collar of his uniform.

The moment the ramp dropped from nowhere, drums below them began playing. It was a deep and steady rhythm, echoing through the city, welcoming them with, well, a little bit of fanfare.

At the base of the ramp, King Edric waited patiently, flanked by two Avalonian soldiers. He looked less like a war-torn refugee and more like a proper civilian now. No, not a noble, as Lancelot thought, measuring his stance. He wore clothes bought in Avalon. They were simple ones that anyone could get, but after he looked at the others in the crowd, he also realized that compared to the average people... he still looked like a noble. Heh.

While thinking about it, Sasha descended from the ramps first, flanked by her assigned guards. As her boots hit the stone below, Edric stepped forward and offered his hand—not to shake, but to help her down the final step, bowing deeply and reverently.

“Queen Sasha,” he greeted, his voice warm and elated. "Please, let me welcome you into Markoth.”

“I am happy to be here,” she smiled in return, clasping his hand briefly before releasing it. “We have a lot to do, so we should not dally around.”

“Of course,” Edric replied, nodding toward the city. “I have been preparing for this day since I returned from Avalon. The honored Knights are currently at the Pass, surveying it, and have begun preparing the site for construction. I can take you there whenever you wish.”

Sasha wanted to go at once when she glanced back at the crowd, at the cheers rising as more Avalonian soldiers and workers disembarked. There were no jeers, no side-eyes, or fear in those faces, just smiles, claps, and happy cheers. Flowers were thrown from balconies, and children waved at the black, skull-masked soldiers as if they were their heroes. No... They indeed were.

It surprised her. And moved her... so she decided not to rush it today.

“Yes, that would be good... But first, I'd be happy to tour your city, just like you toured ours. I want to see it to gain a bit of inspiration. We’ve come to build something more permanent this time,” she said, stepping aside so Lancelot could also approach them.

"Ah," Edric’s eyes studied the young man. “Young Prince Lancelot, yes?”

“Just Lancelot,” he said, standing tall. “I am here to serve as Avalon's soldier, not as a prince.”

"Of course," The King gave him a firm nod and a slight smile. “But even then, you are still the Son of the Sovereign Avalon... and Markoth.”

"..." Lancelot looked momentarily uncertain, but Sasha gently nudged him with her elbow and began walking forward.

Without delay, Edric led them on foot through the gate into Markoth's streets, walking past the people who were visibly excited to see people from Avalon. Especially knowing their statuses. Sasha was almost intimidated by the reaction as she walked beside him, calming herself by taking note of the subtle changes compared to what Edric told them about the state of his city. Even without seeing it before Avalon's arrival, she could tell that the avenues were cleaner. There was new scaffolding on old homes in every alley she looked, and even glimmers of new glasswork in the windows instead of planks and boards nailed to their frames.

“You’ve been rebuilding,” she noted. "I am glad to see it."

“All thanks to you,” Edric replied. “And we also know that winter won’t wait. So, neither will we. We won't wait for death anymore. We will fight against it, and to believe in that mindset, we are rebuilding. Because we will protect it.”

“I am pleased to hear that..." Sasha nodded, glancing back towards the Knight's Errand. "And now we bring more than just tools,” she said. Our goal is to erect a new stronghold in the Pass before the first snowfall.”

"If it had been told to me only a month or two ago, I wouldn't have believed it. Nobody would." Edric sighed, but not with disappointment, but with wonder. "But I am fully confident now. You just need to point us in the direction, Queen Sasha, and we will go."

"That's good to hear because we brought the tools and the experienced workers. But," she looked at the people, "we will need the laborers from your city to help us out. Don't worry; with our tools, a single man can lift boulders like our mechs."

"Really?" Edric asked, a momentary shock visible on his face, which soon turned to complete acceptance. "Of course. Whatever Avalon builds, it is above and beyond what normal humans could do."

"Err... we are normal humans," Lancelot mumbled, but he only got a small smile from Edric. But then, the man's face suddenly changed, as if just remembering something, finally resurfacing in his mind.

"Oh, yes, there was something that Lord Kalash wanted me to inform you about it, the moment you arrived."

"Hm?" Sasha stopped, her brows furrowing. "Is it about a new nest?"

"No." He shook his head, "The Stormbringer said that on a midnight flight, scanning the borderlands, they noticed a group of people. By their trajectory... they were heading north, towards us."

"Refugees?" Lancelot asked, but after a momentary hesitation, Edric shook his head.

"From the images, I was shown aboard that magnificent ship... no. I think... they are scouts from the Khulman Empire."

"Interesting," Sasha mumbled, crossing her arms and looking at Lancelot. "If they are from there... I think you will get your very first mission."

"Me?" Lancelot asked, surprised, pointing at himself, clearly excited.

"Uhm." She nodded with a proud smile, but Lancelot felt that Sasha simply did not want to deal with... politics. "I will be occupied with the construction... I will let you handle this part."