Jonar turned around and then froze, comparing Sam’s face to that of one of the frescoes on the city hall. He let out a squeak of terror, and then fell to his knees.
Sam sighed, and left, heading towards the city hall. He would be able to get some answers there. With his helmet off, everyone made way for him, whispering amongst themselves. Sam was far stronger than he had been upon leaving, and his aura billowed out in all directions. He was not a man to be trifled with.
The interior of the city hall was just as richly decorated as the outside, with vast hallways lined with carpets of red velvet. Sam could only imagine how much this had all cost. Every hundred feet, an entrance to a meeting room was located, each with a sign above the door. They seemed to be dedicated to various parts of the city’s administration, from a blacksmiths’ guild to a carpenters association. However, at the far end, a staircase led up to the second floor, where the true governing organ of this city was located. A vast auditorium stretched across the entire floor, slightly visible from this angle,and it seemed that a meeting was in session, given the noises that Sam could hear.
Sam walked briskly towards the stairs, noting that there were a few guards present at the bottom, warding off intruders. They took a step towards him as he approached, but then recognized him, and bowed. Sam nodded his head in return, and started up the stairs.
He ascended them rapidly, and stopped at the top, taking a peek at the meeting in session. A few hundred people of varying levels of power sat in a semicircle, facing a small dais, where a few of his captains stood. Talnor stood behind a podium, and Eduardo and Lao stood behind him. It looked like Talnor had assumed some sort of leadership role in Sam’s absence, as none of the other captains were of that inclination.
“The forces of the Titans are encroaching upon our territory, and they are coming up against the defenses that we have put in place,” Talnor intoned, facing the crowd. “When Faction Leader Atlas returns, hopefully he will have enough power to face against the hordes. As it is, the Corpse Titan is almost fully awake, and it will be coming for us soon.”
Unnoticed by the others, Sam started to walk forwards down the aisle, drawing a few stares that quickly turned to awe. Talnor frowned at this, and then looked down, finally spotting Sam. He quickly fell to one knee. It was entirely unnecessary, but as the movement spread across the auditorium, Sam could not help but feel pride in his people’s accomplishments. They all rose a moment later, and Talnor walked down to greet Sam.
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“I would claim great prescience for that chain of events, but it was merely a coincidence,” the man said as he approached. “In any case, welcome home.”
“I can see that a lot has changed here,” Sam replied, looking around the auditorium.
“Yes. Our fortunes have grown immensely, and a lot of that money was invested back into the city. Your money manager, Okita, recently rose to F Rank, and his new class allows him to increase our holding at a monumental rate. Along that vein, did you achieve what you needed?”
Without saying a word, Sam let his true aura out, funneling it into his Mantle of the Arbiter skill. A wave of power shot out of him, carrying across the room, and energizing the people there with its light. Sam seemed to rise off the ground as he did so, and Talnor nodded.
“It would seem that you did.” Talnor turned to face the audience. “This meeting is now adjourned! I must meet with the faction leader.”
Everyone except the other captains trooped out of the hall, leaving Sam with them. Sam teleported up onto the podium, smiling at the reaction that it elicited. Lao and Eduardo walked forwards and embraced Sam, smiling widely as they did so.
“That last month has been the longest of our lives, but you have finally returned,” Lao said a moment later. “We were living in fear of the Titans, but now perhaps we have a chance.”
“So, what exactly has happened in my absence? I can tell that the city has gone through great improvements,” Sam replied.
“Well, after you left, some of the alien invaders began to flock to our banner, bringing their skills, and their wealth. In addition, with the credits that I brought with my own faction, we had enough to make the city far greater than it was before,” Talnor said. “That metropolis core is a lifesaver. We accomplished years of normal growth in a month. Back on my planet, we did not have that luxury. The System rarely grants such a boon.”
“The city is now almost fifty miles in diameter, and the surrounding land has been repurposed for our military endeavors. Thomas has made great headway in the field of space travel, and we already have a vessel capable of reaching low orbit. In addition, we have over a dozen retrofitted planes, each capable of supersonic flight. They run on mana rather than fuel, so they will never run out if the pilot has enough,” Eduardo interjected.
“This all sounds incredible. You barely need me, it seems,” Sam replied, smiling. He was intrigued by the thought of all of the new enhancements to the city, and wanted to check them out.