Three fortresses stood secured, and a lush field of wheat—nurtured by the farmers and Stella's magic—marked the return of humanity's first foothold in the world.
Part of the sky even cleared as the demons' miasma faded from the area.
Roland had taken this day off after fighting nonstop. He now stood atop the walls, arms wrapped around Stella, watching all they had managed to accomplish in just a week.
Below them, workers tended to the fields with renewed energy. No one needed money yet—everything was traded. It was a rule Roland had enforced with the help of the king, who governed the people gathered in the first liberated kingdom.
Their forces were slowly growing stronger as more survivors arrived. Every newcomer was checked for signs of being a demon; they couldn't afford spies.
This task had become easier with the aid of the light spirit, who could sense a person's true intentions.
No demons had dared enter the camp—or so Roland believed at first.