Chapter 152: Owner

Edgar returned to Soragon Bazaar several hours later.

The journey back was considerably quieter than the trip to the Han River Fortress, but the strange events he had witnessed continued to occupy his thoughts.

The message on the ground, the Nightmare migration, the mysterious light, and those enormous footprints all pointed toward something he didn’t understand.

He eventually entered the inner Fortress and found Gordon speaking with several soldiers near the main courtyard.

The veteran knight noticed Edgar almost immediately and walked toward him.

"My lord, is everything alright at the other Fortress?"

Edgar shook his head slightly. "Things are complicated."

He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I don’t know what to expect from now on."

Gordon’s expression immediately became concerned. "Did something happen?"

Edgar looked toward him before deciding there was no reason to hide the most important part.

"The Nightmare that attacked the Yamhad Clan has returned."

Gordon’s face immediately became grave.

He didn’t ask for further details, as he already understood how serious those words were.

"I’ll increase the security around the Bazaar immediately."

Edgar nodded. "Do that."

He glanced toward the surrounding Fortress before continuing.

"For now, I’m leaving Soragon Bazaar in your care."

Gordon straightened his back. "I’ll do everything in my power to keep this place safe while you’re gone."

Edgar nodded before turning away. "Good."

He walked through the corridors of the Fortress, his thoughts already returning to the approaching Nightmare Tide.

There was still time before the next moon appeared, but he wasn’t sure how much preparation would be enough.

Eventually, Edgar reached his room and pushed the door open.

He stopped almost immediately when he entered.

Hera was standing near the window with a towel wrapped around her hair.

She had apparently just finished bathing, and her silver-white hair was still damp beneath the cloth as she gently dried it.

The moment she noticed Edgar staring, a bashful smile appeared across her face.

"Welcome back."

Edgar nodded as he closed the door behind him.

Hera walked toward him with a small smile before leaning closer and giving him a gentle kiss.

Then she looked up at him. "Do I look pretty?"

Edgar stared at her for a moment before answering honestly. "You always do."

Hera’s cheeks immediately became slightly red.

She smiled and moved closer, but Edgar’s expression remained serious.

"We need to return to the Fortress."

Her smile slowly disappeared.

"Now?"

Edgar nodded. "Yes."

Hera studied his face carefully before asking, "Is something wrong?"

Edgar hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to tell her everything he had discovered.

The last thing he needed was for Hera to become frightened before they even knew what was coming.

"It would be better if you were with me."

Hera’s eyebrows furrowed. "Is it dangerous?"

"It might be."

She stared at him for several seconds before asking another question.

"Did something happen while you were away?"

Edgar remained quiet as Hera immediately noticed that he wasn’t going to explain everything.

Instead of continuing to question him, she slowly nodded. "Alright."

She picked up her cloak from the nearby chair. "I’ll come with you."

Edgar gave her a small nod. "Get ready. We’re leaving soon."

---

The journey back to the main Fortress took several hours.

This time, Edgar didn’t use the Gorilla Commander because Hera wouldn’t have been able to comfortably travel on its massive shoulder for such a long distance.

Instead, the two of them rode together on horseback.

Hera sat behind Edgar with her arms loosely wrapped around his waist while the horse moved steadily through the forest.

Neither of them spoke much.

Edgar’s thoughts remained occupied by what he had seen at the Han River Fortress, while Hera seemed content simply staying close to him.

Eventually, the familiar outline of the main Fortress appeared through the trees.

Edgar immediately noticed something different.

A huge section of the surrounding land had already been dug up.

Andrew and several workers, along with Soul Guardians, were busy excavating a massive trench around the Fortress, while his minions carried soil away in large quantities.

The trench had already reached an impressive depth.

Andrew noticed Edgar approaching and immediately waved his hands.

"Young master!"

Edgar slowed the horse before looking toward the enormous construction site.

Andrew ran over with dirt covering his clothes and a huge grin on his face.

"We’ve already made a lot of progress!"

Edgar looked at the trench before nodding. "Good."

Andrew proudly pointed toward the excavation.

"We’re going to make it even deeper before the next Nightmare Tide."

Edgar looked around the Fortress.

Workers were moving constantly, soldiers were reinforcing the walls, and Soul Guardians patrolled the surrounding forest.

The entire settlement had become a massive preparation ground.

Edgar quietly took a breath. ’We’re going to need all of this.’

He looked toward the distant forest where the Eternal Night would eventually return.

He turned toward Hera. "Let’s go inside."

Hera nodded as she followed him toward the Fortress.

Behind them, Andrew continued digging with renewed enthusiasm.

As the two of them entered, many of the people began to notice something different.

Perhaps they noticed the closeness between them, but all of them were happy for them.

It didn’t take long for Hera to notice Semele, who was smiling beside the ’Unbroken Fire.’

She gestured for her to come with her, and Hera turned her gaze toward Edgar. "I will be back."

Edgar glanced at Semele and nodded. "Alright."

As Hera walked toward the mysterious girl, Edgar focused on the work at hand.

In just a few hours, the Eternal Night would come once again, but Edgar wasn’t sure what to expect from it this time.

’...I really hope I have enough time to prepare myself.’

Taking in a deep breath, Edgar decided to look around the place.

Finally, his gaze landed on the Watch Towers in the Fortress.

There were four Level 4 Watch Towers that were the main backbone of all offensive attacks.

’...I need more.’ Edgar thought to himself. ’And I need to upgrade all the ones that I currently have.’