Chapter 574 Returning Home
Upon arriving in the Tretidian Capital, Kaizen felt a certain relief. He was finally back in the place where he had his cell phone.
As usual, the city was bustling, with players coming and going, completing quests, interacting in the markets and taverns. Which made Kaizen more relieved, because the last time he had been in this city it had been in flames and badly destroyed. In fact, while the scenery was quite different from the chaos and destruction he had witnessed that last night, it was also different from normal. The city was now buzzing with movement, clearly moving towards the reconstruction of the damaged places.
The streets of Tretidian were filled with adventurers and NPCs, all going about their daily tasks, with a lively atmosphere filling the air. The houses damaged by the battles were now being restored in droves, while some still bore scars.
Caravans of building materials were passing through the streets, delivering supplies and re-erecting the buildings affected by the conflict.
'Many players and NPCs must have come from other cities in search of quest and work.' Kaizen deduced, seeing the crowds of people.
Kaizen walked through the people, observing the solidarity of the player community coming together to help rebuild the Capital.
The taverns were also full of people, celebrating the end of the work day and exchanging stories and laughter.
Kaizen was once again surprised by this world and the people of Rise Online. It was normal to imagine that the spirit of the city would be desolate after yet another disaster, but in reality the spirit of the people was better than ever. Probably because adversity often brings people together.
The sound of hammering and sawing wood resounded through the streets, as craftsmen worked hard on the roofs and supporting columns of various buildings.
New merchant stalls sprang up in the squares, which were more crowded than ever, offering a variety of items and equipment for the adventurers.
Kaizen knew that in the midst of chaos, opportunities arose for those willing to face the challenges, and this excited him a little, because it could mean that Raven's Feather could finally take off with clientele.
In any case, the air of the streets was permeated with various smells, from the sweet aroma of bakeries selling fresh bread and pies to the exotic scent of potions and alchemical ingredient stores.
As Kaizen walked the streets, a gentle breeze carried with it the buzz of the city and the hope that emanated from each person working hard to restore what had been lost. So Kaizen headed towards his store and when he reached the street, he instantly noticed something different: for the first time in his life, the street was busy.
Kaizen's face flashed a clear smile and he hurried to his store. However, when he arrived in front of his store, Kaizen saw that his store, although intact, was closed and so his heart squeezed instantly. He looked at the shop windows and saw them completely empty, which made him think on the spot:
'Have we been robbed?! Wait, but what about OG and Alina?!' Kaizen wondered and opened the door with his key as fast as he could.
Upon entering the store, Kaizen's heart raced even faster. The interior was in order, but empty. All the items and equipment that once adorned the shelves were gone. He took a deep breath, trying to control the mixture of emotions that invaded him at that moment.
Suddenly, crossing the floor from the second floor to the first, Og'tharoz, the demon. With a huge smile and open arms, Og'tharoz did not hesitate to wrap Kaizen in a tight hug.
"Kaizen, my friend, you are alive!" exclaimed Og'tharoz with relief evident in his deep voice.
Kaizen returned the hug with equal enthusiasm and despite the situation of his store, he smiled. "Yes, I'm back! I've missed you and the Crow Feather so much!"
When they finally separated from the hug, Og'tharoz slapped Kaizen on the head and crossed his arms, looking angry. "Where were you? You had us worried. That butler from the Royal Family came here to see if you were back and told us everything that happened, everything you did."
Kaizen closed the doors and smiled understandingly. But before he could reply, suddenly a door in the back corridor of the store burst open, shaking the entire wooden building, and with footsteps as heavy and hurried as a rhinoceros', Alina appeared with tears in her eyes and leapt into Kaizen's arms.
"ARRRHHH! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
*
Thirty minutes later...
"Have you guys calmed down a bit?" Kaizen inquired, looking at Alina and Og'tharoz, who are sitting in front of him with cups of tea in their hands.
"Yes..." They both replied, still sobbing a little with emotion.
"Then why do you still look so sad?" He narrowed his eyes and inquired.
Alina blew her nose and then answered:
"It's just that you've been through so much on your own.... Fighting a dragon in the sea, then having to explore the inside of it, then Mibothen, and then a sewer with infected monsters.... I can hardly imagine how much you suffered."
"It was actually quite fun." Kaizen said and to divert the subject, finally looked at the empty shelves and asked, "By the way, what the hell happened to the store? Why is everything empty?"
Og'tharoz scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Well, it turns out we had a big surprise while you were away. The demand for our products grew a lot, and we sold everything we had in stock. We didn't know if you were coming back, so we needed some money to pay the taxes, especially having such a big hold now."
"What? Really?" Kaizen was surprised and happy at the same time. "That's amazing! But how did it happen?"
Og'tharoz was a little surprised by Kaizen's happiness. "Are you happy? Khum! I mean, yes, as most of the members of the Royal Guard survived, comment about the quality of our products spread quickly among the adventurers." explained the demon proudly. "Also, with the reconstruction of the city, many new customers came here and so several stores opened on our street, drawing a lot of attention."
"That's great!" exclaimed Kaizen, thrilled. "I'm so happy that Crow's Feather is thriving. You two did an amazing job while I was away." Kaizen smiled at them.
Alina, the elven-blooded mage, smiled radiantly at the compliment. "Yes, I helped too!"
Just then, a vein popped out of Og'tharoz's forehead. "You helped?! You were more criticizing the method I was selling, even though I was trying to help you!"
"What?! But I just told you not to sell each arrow for a gold coin, it was too expensive!"
"I know! That's why I sold each one for a silver coin!" Og'tharoz retorted.
"Wait a moment..." Kaizen blinked twice, trying to make sense of the story. "Og'tharoz, you know that every arrow I made cost at least two silver coins, right? Their material was extremely good."
This time, it was a vein in Kaizen's forehead that popped.