The road before me

A month had passed, and the once fractured heart of the estate had begun to beat steadily again.

I stood on the balcony of the northern watchtower, overlooking the bustling redevelopment below. The village stalls had been completely rebuilt, no longer the skeletal remains of a past disaster but lively hubs of trade and chatter. The murmurs of discontent and gossip had not disappeared entirely, but they had faded into the background, lost amid the rhythm of daily life.

Kirach had sent supplies—bountiful ones, both as assistance and as an unspoken apology for the spectacle he had made of us during the hearing. Barrels of grain, crates of fine fabrics, even rare alchemical ingredients had arrived in bulk. It was an excessive gesture, but we accepted it all the same.

Resources were resources, no matter their origin.