It had been just over 30 hours since the system alerted them to the attack that was going to come to the outpost. Everyone had already been back at the outpost, minus Tango and Baek. So there numbers were solid, the only disadvantage was the gate had locked and due to that Jazmel found that Tango and Baek were not going to make it back into the gate before the attack began, they would have to make do.
In that space of a day and some change, Mary had converted the new retainers into a mix between a rabble and a militia, they had formed groups of ten and were doing their best to exert themselves and earn stats to boost their abilities in time for this battle. She sent them out repeatedly for hunting and made them hunt for tier II beasts that prowled the areas further from the outpost walls, now that the ballistae had been erected, they panned around themselves and seemed to be scouting and scanning. He had to read some lore about them when he had the chance.
Luckily, the last time Melle had been with colin she had bought a fresh batch of potions from him. hundreds of them and it has cost the outpost many gold coins. But they were needed, the stores needed to be continuously filled for moments such as this.
He stood on the wall and watched the retainers inside sparring and fighting amongst themselves trying to get better at their skills and earn just a little more to ensure they would survive.
DING!
24 HOURS UNTIL THE ATTACK!
Exactly a day until the attack arrived, he didn’t know what it even meant. The system hadn’t shared anything besides the announcement but what could he do besides await the actual attack and repel it.
Mary came up the wall and stood beside him scanning the spars from where he stood too.
“They are training well.” She told him and he nodded in agreement.
“They have a good commander.” He said and for the first time he saw that she looked a little uncomfortable.
“How do you do it?” she asked, and he turned to look at her, trying to understand what she was asking.
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“How do you only enter the labyrinth in less than half a year and already you are a ranker tier with a faction under you? What is pushing you?” she asked, and he could see, she was genuinely curious.
“Honestly, I am not sure how this has happened to me. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like it’s me, I came here looking for Tango to find out that I could be the prince of a kingdom and that kingdom might belong to someone who could be my father. While all of it sounds daunting, I have my own plots and quests. I cannot even take the time to sit and ponder, I have to keep advancing. That is all I am doing.” He told her and in truth, it was the first time he had actually said it aloud.
“So you just keep going and wherever you end up, you push through.” She surmised and he nodded.
“The faction is like a family to me; I don’t really know how else to be towards everyone. I would put my life on the line for any one of you and believe me, every time I am in a fight. I fight like that.” He said and she nodded, a small grin forming.
“I haven’t seen you fight since the seeker trials, maybe you have learned some new moves eh?” she bumped him with her elbow, and he smiled; feeling a little competitive. They were the same tier now, or close enough. She was tier II but now he was a ranker tier too, they were peers.
“I will be right beside you.” She nodded and then putting her serious face on, she left him and went back down to where the new retainers were still sparring. Some others had returned from her hunting task, and they looked exhausted from the run back.
He descended from the wall and headed back into the tower of the outpost. He was about to enter the chamber room near his living quarters, but he was caught by Melle.
“Leader, we have potions to spare and also we bandages, and healing agents prepared all around. If the attack reaches the wall, we will have to bring the wounded into the chamber hall; with your permission.” She asked.
“You have it, but Melle I wish you would call me Jazmel. Leader is so overbearing.” He said and she looked at him, her face serious and concerning.
“but it is your title, your responsibility. You are to lead the faction even in the face of danger.” She meant it, but she didn’t stew. After gaining his permission, she left with her two aides and went about making her rounds and preparing for whatever would come.
He sighed, closing his eyes, and hanging his head on her words. She was right, it wasn’t just a title; it was his responsibility to support them all with the strength of his arm and the stability of his calmness. He would do better, after all. He was just moving forward.
Changing his mind, he went a floor lower and headed towards where Patton was; in the room with all the maps and he found him pouring over them with Gilmore.
“Can I help?” he asked, and they both welcomed him. He was going to be busy today, he could feel it.