Chương 39: SwordMaster1of1

Mountford rose slowly on the horizon, its sandstone walls catching the sunlight. Ethan and Leah had left Arrowtown not long after spotting Alice rounding that corner. Once she realized the farscribe book was missing, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out who had taken it. He didn't want to be there when she found out. Ethan had considered returning it quietly, slipping it back to her when she wasn't looking and letting events play out naturally. In the end, he had dismissed the idea.

He simply didn't know her well enough. Alice seemed like a decent person, and there was a good chance she would try to do the right thing. Maybe she would even convince the guild leadership to listen. But maybe she wouldn't. In the end, he just didn't know. There were too many variables. Too many lives hanging in the balance. So Ethan had likely made an enemy instead, but he found that acceptable. Trading one person's anger for the possibility of saving hundreds felt like a smart exchange.

Of course, that would only be the case if he actually managed to stop the fighting. Now, after a day of travel, he was feeling confident in his odds. Mountford was drawing closer and he was feeling stronger than ever. He still had a few more skills he wanted to acquire, but overall his build was going exactly to plan. Now he just needed to start leveling skills and getting the best possible upgrades. Chief among them was [Oath].

It still had another five hours before it could be primed again, but once it was ready, he planned to set something far more meaningful than the experimental one he had used earlier. If he chose the objective carefully, the stat bonuses could be substantial and he hoped the levels would increase even faster. His thoughts drifted through possible conditions as he walked. Lost in those thoughts, he almost didn't notice how close he had gotten. The gates of Mountford approached far faster than he had expected.

The massive wooden doors stood open, allowing a steady stream of people to pass through under the watchful eyes of the guards. The line was far larger than he expected. A lot of the people looked fresh to the trials. Ethan slowed as they neared the entrance. Leah had already peeled away earlier. They had agreed she should stay hidden for now. Explaining why she had suddenly abandoned her team would raise questions neither of them wanted to answer.

Technically, Ethan was making her a deserter, but Leah hadn't seemed too bothered. She had shrugged when they discussed it earlier. The Valkyries had been a means to an end for her. Protection. Experience. A chance to grow stronger until Ethan arrived, even if that had turned to shit. Now that he was here, she had no real attachment to them, though she would technically still be a part of the guild at least until the second level.

But with everything about to kick off, he doubted she would be missed, especially with thousands arriving by the day. A guard stepped forward as Ethan approached the gate. He had been waiting for a while, but the line moved unexpectedly fast. Not that he was complaining.

"Stop there." The man wore the standard Valkyrie robes, with a sword attached at the hip. He was the same guard Ethan had dealt with last time. His eyes flicked briefly to Ethan's sword, then to the pack slung over his shoulder.

"What brings you to Mountford?" Ethan stopped a few paces away and gave the guard an innocent smile.

"Just here to resupply at the monolith, then I'll be on my way."

"Going to be another large line," he said.

"Plenty'a people been arriving lately."

"That's no problem." The guard waved him through.

"Fair enough. Just speak to the person behind the gate, they'll take your name."

"Thanks." Ethan moved past the guard and stepped through the gates into Mountford. The place was packed. People filled nearly every stretch of the wide sandstone roads. The constant hum of voices echoed between the buildings, blending with the metallic clatter of armor and the dull thuds of construction somewhere deeper in the settlement. It seemed they had set about adding buildings. Judging from the streets, it was obvious they needed extra housing, and inside settlement walls was the only place it could be done.

Ethan gave his name to the man, who wrote it in a ledger. He thought about giving a fake name, but it didn't really matter. There were so many people entering the settlement that he doubted they could even keep up. The sight brought an uneasy reminder to the front of his mind. What he was seeing now was nothing compared to what was coming. In the next few months, millions of people would arrive on this level. Every road, every tavern, every guild hall would be overflowing. Ethan began to move through the crowd.

Leah's residence sat on the southern side of the settlement, closer to the guild hall and the monolith. Most of the Valkyries had taken up lodging in that district, which meant it was the direction Ethan was already heading. As he turned down a familiar street, a wooden sign swaying above a doorway caught his eye. The Plow and Feather. The tavern was open, and judging by the noise spilling out of the doorway, it was thriving. It was well past lunch now, and the interior looked packed. Ethan slowed.

He was technically on a schedule. The longer he waited, the greater the chance the situation in Arrowtown returned to Mountford. Still, he found himself turning toward the door. Tilly had helped him when she had no reason to. The least he could do was offer her a warning. He pushed inside. The tavern was packed to the brim. Tables had been pushed together to create long rows where people sat shoulder to shoulder.

A large pot steamed near the corner of the room where a handful of workers were handing out food in quick succession. It looked almost like mass feeding. The air smelled of broth and sweat, making Ethan wrinkle his nose. Ethan pushed through the crowd carefully until he reached the bar. Tilly stood behind it, moving quickly between customers. Two other workers he didn't recognize helped her handle the rush, filling mugs and sliding bowls across the counter as fast as they could.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She noticed him after a moment. Her expression brightened instantly and she moved closer.

"Afraid I've got no spare rooms for ya this time," she said with a grin. Ethan chuckled lightly.

"That's fine. I'm not here to stay." She leaned forward slightly on the bar.

"Then what brings you back?"

"Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive," he said.

"And that I found my sister." Tilly froze for a moment. Then a wide smile spread across her face.

"Well I'll be damned," she said warmly.

"I'm happy for you, Ethan. Really." Her eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Do I get to meet her?"

"Not today," he replied with a small laugh.

"I'm only stopping by for a moment. Looks like you've got your hands full anyway." Tilly glanced around the bustling tavern and snorted.

"You're not wrong about that." Ethan leaned slightly closer to the counter.

"I did want to leave you with a warning though." Her smile faded quickly.

"What kind of warning?"

"This might sound a little crazy," Ethan admitted.

"But you can probably already see the start of it happening. The rest of humanity will be arriving on this level within the next month or so." Tilly frowned.

"Millions of people," Ethan continued.

"Once they start pouring in, the settlements are going to get even more crowded. Supplies will stretch thin. Space will run out. If you've got plans to move on from this level, you might want to head to the oasis sooner rather than later." Tilly studied him carefully once he finished.

"How would you possibly know that?" she asked. Ethan sighed quietly. He had expected that question.

"I don't have a way to prove it," he admitted.

"You don't have to believe me. Just… look around." He gestured toward the tavern.

"And think about how many more people keep arriving every week." Tilly followed his gaze. She looked across the crowded tables, the packed bar, the steady stream of people still entering through the door.

"Hmmm." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before shaking her head slightly.

"Even if you're right," she said, "I can't just leave all these people behind." Ethan nodded. He felt the same way. He would at least clear the powerful monsters before he moved on, giving others a better chance to survive.

"You might not know this," she continued, lowering her voice slightly, "but my class gains experience based on how well my establishment runs. The more people I feed and serve, the better the growth." She gestured broadly toward the tavern.

"All of this? It's good for business." She smiled faintly.

"Even if they don't have coin. And if things get tight, I can always use my PO to keep the food and drink flowing. It's not like I don't do that already." Ethan nodded slowly. It made sense. He knew the system had unique progression paths for non-combatants, even if he had never personally walked one of those paths himself.

"I get it," he said.

"I just wanted to give you the warning." Tilly studied him again, her expression softer now.

"Well," she said after a moment, "I appreciate it." Then she smiled again, though this one carried a little more thought behind it.

"And if it really is about to get that crowded… I suppose I'll make sure the Plow and Feather is ready for it."

"I'll leave you to it then. Maybe I'll see you on the second level." Tilly agreed.

"I'll be at one of the Valkyries settlements. And I'll look forward to seeing you again. But next time, bring your sister." Ethan nodded and waved before drifting back into the crowd and toward the door. He left the Plow and Feather and stepped back into the busy street. The noise of the tavern faded behind him, replaced by the broader hum of Mountford itself. Leah had told him exactly where she had been staying while working with the Valkyries, so it didn't take long to find the place.

The building was quiet compared to the streets outside, allowing Ethan to feel like he could finally breathe. He stepped inside and moved through the simple hallway until he reached the room Leah had described. The door creaked softly as he pushed it open. The interior was sparse. A small bed, a desk, a single chair. Little decoration, little personality. It was a jarring change compared to how Ethan remembered her room on Earth. Though, he supposed she hadn't been here that long.

He moved towards the rug on the floor. Leah had told him exactly where to look, which made his life infinitely easier. He crouched down and rolled the fabric back. Beneath it, a section of the floor had been cut carefully and placed back into position. He slid his fingers into the edge and lifted it free. Inside was a small divot. The book rested in it. Ethan chuckled; the hiding spot wasn't the greatest. If anyone came searching, under the mat probably would have been one of the first places searched.

He shrugged and wiped the dust from it. It's not like anyone was really looking for it anyway. He picked it up and flipped through the pages just in case. Everything was still there. No missing sections, no signs that anyone had tampered with it since Leah had hidden it. Ethan tore a spare sheet from the back of the book and stood, walking over to the desk. The surface was bare, but when he opened the drawer he found a pen tucked inside, which was ideal. He sat down and began to write.

The pen scratched softly against the paper as he worked quickly but carefully, making sure every detail was clear. When he finished, he read it over once to ensure nothing important had been left out. Then he signed the bottom and folded the page neatly. He looked around the room. There didn't seem to be anything else of Leah's, so he stepped outside again and made his way toward the guild hall. The Valkyries headquarters were easy enough to recognize.

The building was larger than the surrounding structures, with guards posted near the entrance and members coming and going at a steady pace. He could also see the information desk, where he had once enquired about Leah. Ethan walked inside, skipping that area and keeping his expression natural. He tried his hardest to act like he belonged. People passed him without much attention.

Most were too focused on their own conversations to care about another face in the corridor, especially now, when there were likely hundreds of new members. Ethan made his way to the guild master's office. It was an easy affair considering all the guild halls were structured the same internally. When he reached the door, he crouched slightly and slid the folded note underneath. The paper disappeared into the room. Ethan straightened just as footsteps approached from around the corner.

A guild member turned into the hallway and immediately slowed when he saw Ethan standing there.

"What are you doing?" Ethan scratched the back of his neck and gave an awkward shrug.

"Uh… I think I'm lost." The man frowned.

"This area isn't open to the public."

"Yeah, I figured that out a bit late." The guild member gestured sharply toward the hallway.

"Out." Ethan raised his hands slightly in surrender.

"Already going." The man didn't fully trust that answer and stepped closer, guiding him firmly down the corridor. By the time they reached the entrance, the escort had turned into a shove.

"Don't wander in here again," the man said. Ethan stumbled forward out the door and nodded.

"Got it." Once he was outside, he didn't linger. He headed toward the settlement monolith. The area around it was packed with people waiting their turn to activate the interface. Ethan waited patiently for a while. The line was a slow crawl. But he didn't have any other options. His coin was light, and he had the spare PO. Finally, after resupplying, Ethan left the plaza and headed to the gates, ready to put Mountford behind him. —~~— Armin opened the door to his office and stepped inside.

His foot crunched softly on something. He looked down and frowned. He was standing on a piece of paper. He bent down and picked it up before unfolding it. He moved over to his desk and took a seat, sighing as paperwork slipped off the table and landed on the floor. It was a cruel reminder that his day was far from over. God, he almost missed the months when he was out in the desert, growing stronger by the day. Now, no matter how much killing he did, it hardly made a dent in his level.

The truth was staring him in the face. He was a big fish in a small pond, and soon he would have to find deeper waters. And at the rate things were going, maybe even before his two year timer. He looked down at the paper. Had his assistant dropped it? Probably more paperwork. He unfolded it and did a double take. This definitely wasn't from his assistant. The writing was barely readable. Armin squinted—and that was saying something, with his level forty stats.

He read the paper again and again, trying to understand it. Slowly he began to put lines together. And his brows rose higher and higher, until he could see the fringes of his hair.

"Who the heck is SwordMaster1of1 and what the hell is this nonsense?" he muttered, scrunching the paper up.