Chapter 879: A Party In The Mines

The Holyfield Mines were not merely a collection of tunnels and excavation sites.

Scattered throughout the territory were small towns where soldiers, miners, and their families made their homes.

Each establishment was self-contained, equipped with hospitals, schools, markets, and every resource one would find in the outside world. In fact, many would argue that these towns offered a better quality of life than most ordinary villages.

Ragnora had seen to that personally.

She understood something that many commanders failed to grasp: people who lived under constant danger needed a place where they could truly relax. A sanctuary.

Without somewhere safe to retreat, the mind would eventually break under the strain. So she had ensured that every town was meticulously planned, properly funded, and maintained to the highest standards.

Clean streets. Good water systems. Spacious gardens where children could play. Everything was designed to provide comfort and stability.

And the largest of these towns, the crown jewel of the entire mining territory was Albrak.

Albrak had been the first settlement established by the original patriarch of the Holyfield family, built to house the miners he had hired centuries ago.

Since then, it had grown exponentially, expanding with each passing generation until it became the largest establishment in the entire mining region.

Over two thousand people called it home.

The town was encircled by formidable walls, topped with defensive ballistae and watchtowers manned around the clock.

In fact, some of the most powerful defenses in the entire Holyfield territory were concentrated in these residential areas.

Ragnora’s philosophy was simple: they could afford to lose some ore to thieves, but they could not afford to lose their people.

So the families, the workers, the next generation—they were protected above all else.

The buildings inside Albrak were beautiful, with square stone structures that were well-spaced and meticulously maintained. The streets were paved, the gardens were lush, and the overall atmosphere was one of warmth and community.

—

Normally, at this hour of night, Albrak would be quiet.

The workers would have returned home hours ago, exhausted from their labor, and would already be in bed preparing for another early morning.

The streets would be dim, lit only by the occasional lantern, with nothing but the distant sounds of night patrols to break the silence.

But tonight was different.

Tonight, Albrak blazed with light.

Lanterns hung from every post and windowsill, their warm glow spilling across the streets like liquid gold.

Families poured from their homes, laughing and chattering with excitement as they made their way toward the town square

In the center of town, the square had been transformed.

A massive bonfire roared at its heart, sending sparks spiraling into the night sky. Around it, couples danced in circles, their movements synchronized to the lively music played by a group of bards in the corner.

Beyond the dancers, long tables had been arranged in rows, laden with an astonishing array of dishes.

Roasted meats from half a dozen different monster species. Hearty stews bubbling in iron pots. Fresh bread still steaming from the ovens.

The smell alone was enough to make a grown man weep.

"Eat up, eat up!"

A plump dwarf woman commanded, shoving another piece of meat onto her husband’s plate.

"You worked hard today! You need your strength!"

"I can’t eat another bite." The dwarf protested weakly. "I’m going to burst—"

"Nonsense!" She stuffed a chunk of roasted boar directly into his mouth. "We spent all day preparing this! You’ll eat every last bite and thank us for it!"

Nearby, a small commotion broke out between two young beastkin males who appeared to be arguing over something.

They were both gesturing animatedly toward a pretty fox-kin woman, their voices rising with competitive energy.

"I asked her first!"

"You asked her last week! It’s my turn!"

"You couldn’t dance your way out of a paper bag!"

"At least I don’t step on my partner’s tail every five seconds!"

Before the argument could escalate, the fox-kin woman stepped between them with an amused smile.

"There’s no need to fight, boys. I have two hands, after all."

She grabbed both of them and dragged them onto the dance floor, where the three of them began an uncoordinated dance that had everyone around them laughing and clapping along.

Everywhere you looked, there was celebration.

Children ran through the crowd, playing games and chasing each other with joyful shrieks.

Old couples sat at the edges, watching the festivities with fond smiles.

Soldiers who had spent the day fighting monsters now relaxed with their families, the tension of battle melting away under the warmth of the bonfire.

But this was not because of any holiday or anniversary.

This party was for Cassius and Isabelle.

—

By the time the sun had set, Cassius and the mages had completed their work. Every uniform had been upgraded, every enchantment applied, every rune carefully inscribed.

The cheers that erupted when the final uniform was finished had echoed across the entire mining territory.

Soldiers had hugged each other. Mages had wept with exhaustion and pride. And Ragnora had felt something loosen in her chest—a tension she’d been carrying for weeks finally beginning to release.

Her miners would be safer now. The sleepless nights she’d spent worrying about cave-ins and accidents would finally come to an end.

She had been walking toward Cassius to thank him properly when the commotion began.

"SAINT CASSIUS!"

"THE HERO OF THE MINES!"

"BLESS THIS MAN!"

Ragnora turned, startled, to see a crowd of women rushing toward them.

Middle-aged mothers and wives, at least a hundred strong, representing every race in the mining territory. They moved with the unstoppable force of a tidal wave, and before anyone could react, they had surrounded Cassius completely.

Cassius could barely speak as the women pressed in around him, their voices overlapping in a chorus of gratitude.

"Thank you, Sir Cassius! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"My husband has worked these mines for thirty years! Thirty years of me worrying every single day!"

"Every time he walked out that door, I wondered if it would be the last time I saw him!"

"You’ve given us peace of mind! You’ve given us hope!"

"Bless you! A thousand blessings upon your house!"

The women were crying, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they expressed their gratitude.

They looked at Cassius as if he had personally saved their husbands’ lives, which, in a very real sense, he had.

Cassius found himself blushing and Isabelle was giggling behind her hand.

It wasn’t often that her shameless husband found himself flustered, but being mobbed by a hundred grateful wives was apparently enough to do it.

"I-It’s really nothing—" Cassius stammered. "There’s no need for all this—"

"Nonsense!" One of the women declared. "You deserve a celebration! We’ve already prepared everything!"

"A...celebration?" Cassius blinked.

"A party! In Albrak! Everyone’s waiting for you!" Another woman added eagerly. "We’ve been cooking all day! The whole town is lit up!"

"All the women from the other settlements have come too!" A third chimed in. "They wanted to thank you personally for what you’ve done!"

The soldiers nearby perked up immediately.

"A party? With food?"

"What kind of dishes did you prepare?"

"Did someone make the honey-glazed Rock Boar?"

"What about the spiced Cave Fowl?"

"Is there going to be ale? Please tell me there’s going to be ale!"

The women turned on them with terrifying synchronization.

"QUIET!"

The soldiers fell silent instantly.

"This party is for Sir Cassius!"

One of the wives declared, pointing an accusing finger at her cowering husband.

"Not for you greedy lot! You can eat the leftovers!"

"Yes, ma’am." The soldier mumbled, his ears drooping.

The women then turned back to Cassius, their stern expressions transforming into warm smiles.

"Now then, Sir Cassius—shall we go? Everyone is waiting!"

Before he could protest, they were dragging him toward the town square.

Ragnora watched them go with a small smile on her face. It seemed her plan to offer a simple drink would have to wait.

—

The celebration in Albrak was everything the women had promised and more.

Cassius found himself seated at the head of the main table, a mountain of food piled before him.

Every time he finished one dish, another appeared in its place, each one more delicious than the last.

The wives fussed over him like he was their own son, insisting he try a bit of everything.

"Here, Sir Cassius—this is my grandmother’s recipe!"

"No, no, try this one first! The marinade takes three days to prepare!"

"You must sample the roasted Skitterback! It’s the specialty of our house!"

"Don’t forget the mushroom stew! My husband swears by it!"

Cassius tried to keep up, but even his legendary appetite was no match for the combined culinary forces of a hundred determined mothers. His stomach was already beginning to protest, pushing against the waistband of his trousers.

"You’re too skinny!" One woman declared, piling another helping onto his plate. "A man like you needs proper nourishment!"

"Skinny?" Cassius managed between mouthfuls. "I assure you, I’m quite—"

"Eat!"

He ate.

Isabelle, seated beside him, was receiving her own share of attention. The women surrounded her, complimenting her dress, her hair, her complexion, her manners.

They asked where she’d bought her clothes, how she kept her skin so clear, what her secret was to maintaining such a loving marriage.

To her credit, Isabelle handled the attention with far more grace than Cassius.

She answered each question patiently, smiled at each compliment, and somehow managed to make every woman feel personally acknowledged.

The wives were utterly charmed.

"Such a lovely young woman." One of them whispered to a friend. "And so humble, despite being a future Supreme Mage!"

"I know! You’d never guess she had such power, the way she talks to us common folk."

"She’s a true lady. Sir Cassius is lucky to have her."

"And she’s lucky to have him! What a handsome couple they make!"

The dancing began shortly after the feast.

The women dragged Cassius and Isabelle onto the dance floor, eager to teach them the traditional steps that had been passed down through generations of miners.

"These dances originated from the old days."

One of the elder women explained, her eyes distant with memory.

"Long ago, a group of miners was trapped underground for weeks. To keep themselves from going mad in the darkness, they created these dances. When they were finally rescued, they brought the dances back with them."

"Now we perform them at every celebration." Another added. "To remember those who endured, and to honor their spirit."

And so Cassius, who had never been able to resist a game or a spectacle, grabbed from the corner and pulled Isabelle into the music as well.

"No time to be shy." He said, laughing. "You heard the lady. We’re honoring their grandfathers!"

He was gloriously bad at it, all extroverted flailing heart and no technique, but his joy was infectious.

After a moment, the whole square was laughing and joining, and the firelight spun into a blur of color and sound.

Ragnora watched from the edge of the celebration, a small smile playing on her lips.

She had politely declined all invitations to dance, preferring to stand guard as she always did. But she found herself genuinely enjoying the sight of her people so happy.