Volume 4 Chapter 33 I'm Home
"Sir Cain, Sir Cain, can you wake up? We're about to arrive at the town of Sanroze."
Lala leaned over and gently shook Cain, who was dozing off in a pile of cushions in the back of the wagon.
"Ugh... huh? Already? I-I'm getting up!"
Still half-asleep, Cain groggily lifted his head. The air smelled different now—familiar. Jolted by the realization, he quickly scrambled to the driver's seat to look ahead.
There it was: the outer wall and gate of Sanroze, coming into view. The same construction that had only just begun before he left was now complete.
"Finally back... It's only been two months, but it feels nostalgic already..."
But as the gate grew clearer, Cain blinked in confusion. Something about it felt... off.
"The masons really outdid themselves," Barvish said, watching the structure draw nearer. "To finish it this fast... I'm impressed."
(That gate... it looks like the Arc de Triomphe in France... though I've only seen pictures.)
Cain kept the thought to himself, quietly marveling at the Sanroze gate's grandeur.
Though it was just past noon, a long line of people had already formed outside the gate. Back when Cain left, crowds only gathered during the early morning and late afternoon. Clearly, Sanroze was drawing more visitors than ever.
"Let's line up with the others today," Cain said, settling into the front seat beside Barvish and Gardy. "Since we're here, I want to take a good look at the new gate."
Barvish and Gardy exchanged weary glances before nodding. "Understood," they replied, their faces subtly saying, "Oh no, he's got another idea."
Their covered wagon joined the back of the line, falling in behind two merchants chatting nearby.
"Whoa, that wall and gate weren't there the last time I visited."
"I was here two years ago," one merchant said. "If you put in the work, things can change fast."
"Well, even if you say that... sure, I guess. But is it true that if you complete a year's worth of the lord's requests, you get permission to open a shop here?"
"Yeah, sounds legit. I met a guy in Shield Margrave territory who signed the contract already. There's a strict screening process, and spots are limited, but this is a big opportunity."
Cain listened to their conversation with quiet satisfaction. Before he left, Luke and Randolph had been deep in talks about attracting merchants. It was good to see those efforts paying off.
"Hey, Gardy," Cain asked, "with all these people coming in and a new part of town being built... is there enough food? I haven't heard anything about shortages."
"I don't know the full details," Gardy replied, "but I heard they're planning to use the land inside the new walls for farmland. Still... seeing this crowd after only two months makes me a little nervous."
"Yeah... if the population jumps too fast, there could be issues. And planting season's coming up. Even if they want to expand farmland, there's hardly any space near the gate."
Cain looked out at the weedy patch of land nearby. It had once been forest, cleared to make space for construction, but no one had maintained it since. The town walls were still far off, and the area between was more wilderness than farmland.
About an hour later, their turn at the gate finally came. The moment the soldiers spotted Cain, a commotion broke out. The gatekeeper was getting an earful from the captain for not recognizing Cain's covered wagon earlier.
"We'll notify the mansion right away," the captain said. "Please return at your leisure."
Cain tried to explain that he was only here to observe the newcomers, but the captain insisted such matters could wait until after his return.
Sighing at his failed attempt, Cain nonetheless smiled, relieved to be back in the Sanroze territory once more.
Notes:
• Lala - Cain's companion, likely a servant or minder, cautious and protective.
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
• Luke - Cain's father.
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