Chapter 241: The Last Checkpoint

After Markala had distributed the meat to everyone, showing his dependable nature, he packed the whole skin of the gate creature and tied it with ropes, making a very large roll that was too heavy for anyone to move.

Seeing what he was doing, Moon approached him. "It’s fine; we don’t have to take everything," he said.

Markala seemed to be the type who just wouldn’t let anything go to waste. He raised his gaze to Moon; for a moment, he didn’t say anything.

After a beat, "Your choice; it belongs to you." The black warrior stood.

"WAIT, BOSS." Basil came running. "Boss, we can’t leave this; this is too expensive!"

"Who would carry this?" Moon asked, frowning.

"Boss, leave me behind, throw me away, but not this hide; you can’t throw away so much money!" Basil retorted, wagering his life against the hide. "In such a perfect condition, this is enough to trade for a house!"

Moon pursed his lips, and Basil ran off.

Soon he returned with Colten’s group and Barrett. "We’re here, Boss," he said confidently before turning to the others. "Let’s carry this!" He pointed at the huge hide.

The hide was thick and still unprocessed. Full of moisture and incredibly heavy.

Only someone as stubborn as Markala would waste his entire early day hours working on it. And it took someone who loved money as much as Basil to also be stubborn enough to carry it.

Colten’s face twitched watching the size of the hide.

"Markala, bro... That hide, how many sets of armor would it make?" Basil asked.

Markala thought for a moment. "Depends on the height and width... 4 at least, 8 at most," he explained.

Basil turned around to Colten and the others. "You heard him; if it’s shrimp-sized ascenders like us, this could make 8 whole sets of damn armor."

No one retorted or said anything, not Barrett, who also valued money, and not Colten, who was trying to bear the choice he had made.

The problem was that they still couldn’t properly carry it.

Moon rubbed his chin. "I think we can use a few logs," he said, describing the method of hanging prey under two logs, where as many intersecting logs would be inserted above or below at intervals.

They started cutting a few small trees and arranging them with the help of Markala.

More ascenders Moon didn’t know joined and gave a helping hand.

His display of power was already making him popular; a few were trying to get closer to him through help or to strike up a conversation.

Before long, the hide was carried by 10 ascenders, 5 on each side.

This would also slow them down, but there were more ready to take their place.

Thankfully, the trip ended without a hitch.

Before nightfall, everyone was already in their rooms. Gustav ordered the servants to take care of the hide processing.

Moon resumed his routine again, training his Echo and forging with Dorbish.

Another day of travelling passed, and now they were only a single day away from Deshter.

Meanwhile, on the Assault Faction’s side.

Enzo stood with Lorian and Mando by his side. Behind them were endless green plains, and in front of them, large mountains casting irregular shadows.

"So this is the last checkpoint," Enzo said, studying the long chain of mountains blocking the horizon.

"Yes, Sir Enzo, we’ve already built a castle on the top of the last mountain to use as a base during the invasion," Mando explained slowly.

They had already done meticulous work sending the troops to be stationed on the mountain and even went the extra mile of building a castle there to be a formal base and properly accommodate the troops.

"Here, Sir Enzo, in that direction." Mando pointed his finger forward. "We expanded the path merchants used during the times of peace for trade."

He lowered his hand, and his tone turned regretful. "Unfortunately, the only clear path is between two peaks, which made the expansion efforts limited to manpower only."

Enzo nodded, aware of the treaty and restrictions of the region after travelling for a few days himself.

"Sir Mando," called a man in the same military armor as everyone in Fable.

Leather over their arms and legs, bronze plate over their torso, and leather surrounding their waists down to their knees.

The man was wearing a bronze helmet that didn’t cover his face, with leather strapped over the top flowing down like a braid.

Mando, like Gustav, had so far worn regular clothing, leaving their armor for the time of battle.

The man approached Mando and whispered something in his ear.

Mando nodded. "Dismissed," he said, sending the man away.

Mando turned, facing Enzo. "The scouts brought a rather interesting piece of intel," he said with a smile.

Enzo turned his attention to Mando, looking in anticipation. "Go ahead."

"On Strand’s side, the first two lines were evacuated," Mando explained.

Lorian frowned. "Isn’t it normal to evacuate civilians before war?"

He asked the most logical question.

Mando nodded. "I think I failed to properly explain... Not evacuated, but let’s say, abandoned."

He explained again. "The first two lines... both the troops and civilians abandoned them, leaving no one behind," he said with a smile.

His eyes glittered as if he had already achieved victory.

"Did they go insane?" Lorian’s frown deepened.

He was, to the public at least, the current king of the faction. Though, in reality, he always turned to Enzo before making any decisions.

Enzo, on the other hand, chuckled. "Interesting guy..." His voice was cryptic.

Enzo didn’t explain anything to Lorian or Mando. "Korr was probably telling the truth," he whispered before turning around and walking in the direction of the distant palaces beyond the green plains.

The smile in Enzo’s eyes didn’t waver... The smile of excitement, of challenge.

Maybe Enzo needed to feel challenged, having been born at the top of the Tower’s political power and offered all the resources that could exist.

Enzo finally found an opponent.

Time passed slowly for both factions, and Moon finally arrived at the castle. A vast, city-like place that was built between the mountains with walls blending into them.

A sight majestic and breathtaking, but that wasn’t everything.

The troops and civilians were both inside, in different parts; the outer parts near the wall were where the troops were stationed, training and preparing.

Weapons being crafted, armors smelted and training ongoing.

Moon was met with an active dynamic structural military camp that he had never seen anything like in his life on the battlefields.

Training was done meticulously... There were those sparring, running, swinging weapons or training Combat Arts with what little Echo they had as people who had never once ascended.

Moon watched this scene, absorbing everything they were doing. He couldn’t help thinking of the king of these lands that everyone seemed to love here.

The man who little by little built a kingdom where people would live a peaceful life and enjoy the stability they deserved.

Living a normal life was a luxury for some.

Moon had yearned for a normal life for long years, and today, he was seeing people who were being stripped of it.

Yet, if anything... Moon had a pressing feeling...

One he couldn’t truly explain in words...