Chapter 147. What is that alter?

Chapter 147: 147. What is that alter?

"A single territory like Bearkins can be just the most important thing to a military territory." She spoke.

"But you have Bearkin, you have these trolls, I see a berserker barrack too, some wolf riders." She spoke while looking around.

"Then you have farmers and cooks too and I don’t know which barrack summoned this beautiful lady." She said and looked at Kaia who looked at her like a deer in front of a headlight.

"I-I am from a permanent contract, ma’am." She spoke as quickly as she could.

Elena looked at Carlos with an expression he had not seen before.

"What is it, mom?"

"You even got troop contracts? I don’t know if it’s just luck or that difficulty you were playing in anymore..."

"Definitely the difficulty, ma’am." Mira spoke from the side while shaking her head in exhaustion.

Carlos only realized now that a little briefing before he called his mother here would have been better. They kept straying the conversations to topics that could get Carlos an earful.

"Alright," Carlos said. "Let me show you things properly before everyone says something else."

Elena looked at him with a smile.

"I was waiting for you to do that."

Carlos took her away from the training yard first. Kaia followed for a few steps, but Carlos gave her a look.

"Go train them. I can show my own mother around."

Kaia nodded quickly and turned back to the Shield Militia. Mira stayed where she was, but Elena kept looking at her like she wanted to ask ten more questions.

The Bearkin Guardian Hall was the closest large building. It was not like the smaller barracks. The wooden frame was thick, and the doors were wider than a normal person needed.

"This is where Brann and the other Bearkin come from," Carlos said. "I got it early."

Elena looked at Brann, who was already going back toward the yard with Garr.

"How many Bearkin do you have?"

"Five."

She nodded slowly.

"Five Bearkin are already more than what some normal territories can afford to feed."

Carlos did not tell her about how much Brann alone ate. Elena would find out soon enough when Mira showed her the food numbers.

They walked past the Blue Water Slime Barrack next. Blue floated near the roof, while One and Two moved through the grass below it. The other Slimes followed them badly, trying to copy their movements.

"They are cute, I never had any slimes." Elena said.

"They can shoot water hard enough to knock people down."

Elena looked at the small Slimes again.

"Still cute."

Carlos did not argue.

"They need Slime Cores instead of food. It was a problem before, but we have enough for now."

"And that one?" Elena asked, pointing at Blue.

"Blue is different. It is a Sprite."

Blue floated closer when Carlos said its name. Elena held one hand out carefully. Blue looked at Carlos first, then touched Elena’s fingers with a small wave of cold water.

Elena smiled.

"You are so polite, nice to meet you." She spoke which flipped Blue into its shouting ’Blue’ streak again while floating around.

The Shield Militia Barrack stood near the western side, darker and stronger than the other Common buildings. The metal reinforcement was easy to see even from a distance. Next to it was the Training Yard, where Kaia had the Militia repeating the same shield movement again and again.

"This building was upgraded," Carlos told her. "It is Level 2 now."

Elena looked at the dark beams inside its walls.

"Did it need a specific ingredient or just wood and stone?"

"I did use something from a conquest, but mainly wood and stone."

"You keep saying that like it is normal. Using something other than wood and stone."

"It is normal for me."

Elena gave him a look, but did not answer.

The Woodland Archer Lodge was farther down, close enough to the wall that the Archers could reach a tower quickly.

Nessa was speaking to one of the newer Archers while checking arrows. The Garrison Gatehouse stood at the western entrance with its reinforced fittings, blocking a clear view of the gate from outside.

"You shouldn’t be having direct troubles to have archers on top of watchtowers and walls yet, did something happen before?" She asked.

Carlos went quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"One of the raids was a little too farm specific and strong so I lost some crops to it. I have decided to have full defense all the time to protect the crops and the land."

Elena looked at the Gatehouse, then at the normal people working behind it.

"I see. You had to do it early but did have to do it someday. I am glad you are early." She spoke.

Carlos felt a little proud hearing that.

He took her toward the food side next. The Farmer’s Lodge was busy even at this time.

Tarin and Sela were carrying tools back inside while the other Farmers worked near the rows.

The Hearthkeeper Lodge and kitchen were close together, because Mira had said there was no point making people carry hot food across the entire territory.

"That is where the Farmers come from," Carlos said. "And the Hearthkeepers are the ones helping Mira cook. She is one of them."

Elena looked at the wheat, beans, vegetables, and the protected cucumber bed farther away.

"Amazing, you have a variety of vegetables. Do you put different crops in different lands? I can clearly see a difference in them." She examined.

"We grow common and uncommon grade crops in lands we have dug on our own." She spoke as he pointed at a few. "As for this one, it’s an epic grade farmland. We grow rarer crops and plants here and also use it to quickly get seeds for normal crops. Rowan says wasting the space on normal harvests would be stupid."

Elena looked toward Rowan, who had returned to the wheat after meeting her.

"Epic grade farmland..."

"Yes, it can grow a full harvest of wheat in 20 minutes, but we are trying to get it down."

Elena looked at him as is he was speaking rubbish.

"This is more amazing than I had expected. And I am not only saying this because I am your mother."

Carlos smiled and showed her the Cold Storage after that. It was not full enough to make him happy, but it held their protected food and the things Mira did not allow anyone to touch without asking.

Near the warehouse, the four Blackstone Supply Wagons stood in a row. They looked out of place beside the smaller buildings.

"I got those from the fifth conquest," Carlos said. "They take a lot of space, so I took them out of my inventory."

"These wagons are good quality, Carlos. You can use them to your advantage later. They will be needed when you grow past your inventory space and everyone else does too."

"I see."

Elena looked at him for a moment.

"All this is making me wonder how the Goldwins will react. Everything can be the main thing for a territory that you have here."

Carlos almost smiled.

"I might put the wagon somewhere else during the inspection, then."

"I don’t think that will change anything..."

They passed the Dire Hyena Den. The three hyenas watched Elena from their shelter, but none stood up.

The Goblin Berserker Barracks was on the other side, with the four-armed goblin sitting near its entrance while it watched the training yard.

Carlos told her about the Goblin Wolf Rider Stable and Marsh Troll Barracks still stored in his inventory.

"You do not have to put every building down just because you own it," Elena said.

Carlos looked at her.

"That is what I said too."

"Good. You have grown mature, Carlos."

Carlos smiled and they moved on.

They came to the southern side of Ironroot last.

Carlos slowed down before Elena could get too close to the strange plant near the path. It stood beside a marked space in the ground, its thick green pod facing outward. The covered barrel near it was pointed toward the empty land beyond the wall.

"Stay here for a second," Carlos said.

Elena stopped.

"That is an interesting looking plant. You are acting as if it will attack me." She said jokingly.

"It attacks only people it does not recognize. Its name is the Burstpod Sentry."

"..." Elena didn’t know what to say to that and just stood there.

Elena looked at it carefully while Carlos moved closer.

"It looks like a peashooter from that game you played."

"It is not a peashooter! It’s better than that." Carlos shouted, making Elena giggle.

Carlos stood beside the Burstpod and waited. The plant turned slowly toward Elena. One leaf lifted from its stem.

Elena did not move, but Carlos could see that she was holding herself still on purpose.

"It will be fine," he said. "Just don’t walk forward."

The Burstpod’s covered barrel lowered a little. A small panel opened in front of Carlos.

--

[Elena Goldwin recognized as ally]

--

Carlos let out a breath.

"Now you can walk around it."

Elena approached slowly. The Burstpod did not react. She looked at the green pod, then at Carlos.

"You have to introduce every new person to this?"

"Yes. It is annoying, but it keeps people from getting shot."

"That is not annoying. That is important."

Carlos nodded. There was one part of Ironroot he had not shown her yet.

It stood close to the middle of the territory, behind a short marked boundary.

The altar-like structure was not large, but it did not look like any of the other buildings. Dark stone sat beneath the ground around it. Two Shield Militia stood beside it with their shields ready.

Elena saw it when they walked back toward the Lord’s Hut. She slowed down.

"What is that?"

Carlos stopped too.

For a moment, he almost said it was only another defensive building. But his mother was not someone he wanted to lie to for no reason.

"Something dangerous," he said. "And something I am not ready to explain yet, Mom..."

Elena looked at him, then at the two Militia guarding it.

She was clearly curious. Carlos could see it on her face. But she only nodded.

"Okay. You can tell me whenever you are ready."

Carlos looked at her.

"Thank you."

Elena turned back toward the altar once more before following him toward the Lord’s Hut. She did not ask another question.