The cave was filled with restless silence. Shadows danced on the walls from the firelight, but the mood was grim.
The survivors whispered among themselves. What if he abandoned us? What if he never comes back?
Rudeus clenched his fists. "No. Sir Gabriel isn't like that. He said he'd return. He will."
Darius nodded firmly. "He's not the type to leave people behind. Trust him."
As if to answer their doubts, a rush of wind filled the cave mouth Gabriel appeared suddenly, panting heavily, his chest heaving as though he had sprinted straight through the forest itself. His legs trembled, his lungs burned, and sweat clung to his brow. This body wasn't trained, not yet. Without his magic to soften the strain, he might've collapsed.
Still, he forced himself upright. He fished out a small vial from his belt and uncorked it. The moment the healing potion slid down his throat, the soreness faded, his burning lungs cooled, and strength returned to his muscles.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Gab exhaled deeply, wiped his mouth, and straightened. "I'm back. And I brought supplies."
The weight that hung over the group broke in an instant. A cheer rose, some with tears in their eyes.
Gab motioned for them to sit. "Tomorrow morning, we start building. We'll move thirty minutes from the river, not at the mountain's foot. Landslides are dangerous."
The brothers, Darius and Garen, exchanged quick looks and nodded. "He's right. We've seen landslides before. Flatlands are safer but floods…"
Gab smirked. "Don't worry about flooding. I know how to prevent it. First step is clearing trees and roots."
"Clearing roots will be tough without tools," Garen admitted.
Gab snapped his fingers and pulled two iron shovels from his subspace, setting them down with a heavy clunk. "Here. And if it's too stubborn, use your swords. I'll take care of felling the trees myself."
Their jaws dropped. The tools gleamed under the firelight. For many of them, it was the first time they had ever seen such durable tools of iron.
"Tomorrow will be hard," Gab said, his voice firm, carrying like a commander's. "So eat well tonight. Rest while you can. We'll need strength."
He pulled out loaves of fresh bread from the city market and paired them with the grilled boar meat roasting over the fire. The aroma filled the cave, rich and warm.
At first light, everyone left the cave together. Their goal: the flatlands by the river.
For the boys, crossing the wide river was easy they swam with little trouble. But the girls and children couldn't risk it. So Gab gathered his mana and swung his sword cleanly through a massive tree. With a heavy crash, the trunk fell across the river, forming a sturdy bridge. Its bulk barely shifted even as they walked across.
After thirty minutes of walking, they reached their destination. The flatland stretched out endlessly, concealed on all sides by towering trees. The area was more open than the forest, with average-sized trees scattered about. From here, they could spot monsters approaching from a distance.
"Girls, set up the cooking here," Gab instructed. He pulled iron pots from his subspace, setting them down. "Toto, grab three stones. Build a fire pit for the pot. We'll make a stew."
He dropped a small sack at Toto's feet. "And here salt."
The old man's eyes widened. "Salt? Lord, this is… this is too precious for us."
"Don't worry," Gab said firmly. "Use it. We need nutrition to survive."
Then he turned to the others. "Now let's get to work. We'll build a house today. Lam, Baki, gather stones for the foundation. The rest of you, with me we'll start cutting trees."
Gab lifted his sword, mana crackling along its blade. He swung in wide arcs, each stroke felling a tree. In just one hour, over a hundred trees lay scattered across the ground. The men struggled with the roots, clearing ten by midday, but it quickly became clear they had no idea how to proceed.
The logs were thick and heavy, far too much for simple cabins. No one here was a carpenter.
Gab scratched his head. "Why can't we make a house out of these? This should be easy…"
Darius lowered his gaze. "Forgive us, my Lord… but we don't know how to build houses. We were farmers and lumberjacks, not carpenters."
Toto, the old man, spoke up hesitantly. "My Lord… what if you bought slaves? There are skilled slaves in Kuzar. Some might be builders or even dwarves. Dwarves are master craftsmen. If you sell a few of those fine swords you have, you could afford two at least. They could guide us."
Gab's eyes narrowed in thought. "…That's a good suggestion, old man."
He looked around at the rough logs and exposed roots. "Alright, then. This won't work for now. Even a weak monster could tear down what we build today."
He turned to his strongest companions. "Darius, Garen, Lam, Rudeus you're with me. We'll head to Kuzar. It'll be a hard march, nonstop. Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir!" they answered in unison.
Gab pulled bundles of clean clothes from his subspace. "Change into these. If you walk into the city looking like that, people will think you're slaves."
The boys quickly nodded and changed. Meanwhile, Gab addressed the group staying behind. "Use the boar's pelt to cover the cave entrance. I'll reinforce it with heavy logs. Even if a monster spots you, it won't be able to enter easily. Stay quiet while I'm gone."
"Yes, sir," the women and boys answered, determination flickering in their eyes.
Gab checked his pouch only eight large coppers left. Enough to cover the entry tax. He'd have to sell more swords once inside.
Then, with a sweep of his hand, he cast strengthening buffs on his small party. Their fatigue lifted, their legs lightened.
"Let's move. If we run, we'll reach Kuzar in nine hours."
After hours of nonstop running, the group finally broke through the treeline. By some miracle of stamina and Gab's strengthening magic they weren't even winded. It was only around four in the afternoon when the walls of Kuzar City came into view.
Before they reached the gates, Gab pulled twenty D rank swords out of his subspace. He handed them out to the others, one by one.
"Here. Carry these like you're workers. I'll be the boss," Gab instructed. "If anyone asks, we were attacked by bandits. We managed to escape and brought these swords with us from the Sigfried Kingdom. We're here to sell them."
The boys exchanged impressed looks.
"Wow… that's genius, Lord Gab," Darius said, eyes shining. "I've got so much to learn from you."
Gab rolled his eyes and waved him off. "Enough flattery. Let's move."
The group straightened up, adjusting the swords on their backs. To anyone watching, they looked less like desperate survivors and more like a small merchant party hauling salvaged weapons for trade.
With the towering walls of Kuzar before them, they stepped into the line of merchants and travelers waiting to enter the city.