After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

A/N: Thank you for the castle a.k.a. sitewide shoutout, Chibi_Wolf38~! *hugs* If you have any chap requests do tell~ \o/

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When she could hide the fact that she was the Lord, and when she could go around without having to worry that her death would directly cause the deaths of thousands of others, only then would she be comfortable enough to head out.

She was hopeful it was soon, just for peace of mind, but she wasn’t in a rush either. In the next few years, she’d probably just go to easily accessible areas like Voumi—ah, no, it was called Ceramic Town now—as well as Flaret.

She wouldn’t be able to bring her children out on a long-term adventure, after all. She did not want to miss their growth because she wanted to explore the world.

She looked at the older alchemists, who could use the Mercenary Hall willy-nilly, which meant they were members of high-ranking mercenary teams as well.

”Joining mercenary teams must’ve assisted, I’m sure, since it’d allow you to use the halls. But I’m curious if the teams also ask you for things you make in exchange?”

She soon found out that the two alchemists were honorary members of Class A mercenary teams from their respective cities.

Grandmaster Zenno, as they knew, was from Holt. She thought Master Cheman was from Hassen City, since that was where she had last heard him from. However, he had apparently been born in Warrior City, far, far East of them.

He just got into a conflict with someone from the royal family and was almost imprisoned, forced to make more pills for them. People with orc blood were common there, and the royal family as well. They might not be considered half-orcs due to the dilution, but they also gained the disadvantage of having a difficult time procreating.

The bastard wasn’t even from the main branch, but he ended up leaving the City and going around in the end. After exploring several places and finding new plants, he decided that territory-hopping was the lifestyle he preferred.

Until now, that was. But he hadn’t quite voiced out this part to anyone yet.

Anyway, since he was born in the borders of orc territory, this meant that Cheman also knew a lot about half-orcs. Unlike most places, half-orcs were proper citizens in Warrior City. Due to their strengths, they could even gain advantages.

It seemed like being next to the Orc region let the territories develop in more varied ways than they thought.

Some of them could develop extreme aversion and hate to anything related to orcs, which was actually the majority. In these places, half-orcs were actually treated even harsher than elsewhere in the human regions,

After all, they had been victims of the plundering of that race.

But there were also very, very rare situations wherein they took advantage of the inevitable crossbreeding instead. The royal family of Warrior City actually had orcish blood in them, which was also why most human territories treated them like barbarians.

Interestingly, most of the ingredients for his fertility pills were from that region, and a lot of them were used by orcs themselves to improve their own fertility. The current versions he could make were not too effective for them, but any effect was appreciated. At the same time, it was quite effective on humans, even the powerful ones.

”The mercenary team I work with asks for a batch of fertility pills every year, but otherwise it’s free rein for me.” Cheman was best known for his superior fertility pills that could work even among strongmen, and he reckoned a few of his customers were half-orcs.

Some of them might be selling to the orcs, but that wasn’t his concern anymore, especially since he couldn’t make too many at a time anyway.

Zenno, on the other hand, thought for a bit. ”In my case, I usually have the ingredients I need delivered as well, and when I travel, it’s mostly for leisure or just some errands. The mercenary team would have no qualms letting me use their name.

”I am part of King Amadeus’ own mercenary team,” he said. ”I have been a member since it was still a little Class D team. That was many decades ago.”

Althea knew there were a lot of stories on that side, though it would take time to know all of them. Instead, she turned to her own master, Hoffen. ”Are you part of a Mercenary Team, Master?”

”No,” he said. ”I’d just get someone else to get my ingredients for me.”

A.k.a. Gregor.

She laughed. ”Well, any one of our storage rooms is wide open for you if you want, as always.”

”Aww, my sweet apprentice...”

Seeing such support from the younger generation, the two other old men couldn’t help but sniffle a bit.

Hoffen saw this and grinned, his chin raised high. He remembered them mocking him for not taking an apprentice after so long, pitying the world that his knowledge could be gone just because he was too stingy even on his deathbed.

Unlike most professionals, the three of them understood the importance of passing knowledge, so their words were meant to insult him for being small-minded.

Now...who’s having the last laugh! HAH!

”Obviously, I was apprenticeless until now because my standard was too high.”

Althea chuckled and took out a bottle from her space, handing it over to her master. ”My gift for you,” she said. ”It’s not much since you don’t need anything. But it’s something I have been working on.”

Recently, she also upgraded to Class D Toolmaker. During this time, she had also made a few tools. She also received some gifts from the World Knowledge for them.

It was truly interesting. She had made a lot of potions, and only half of them had given her gifts from the World Knowledge, no matter how amazing.

One gave her a superior C-class shield she couldn’t use (and was passed on as a product to purchase in the Contribution Shop), while many others did not give her anything from the World Knowledge.

It was either someone had already made it elsewhere or from another time, and even if it was completely original, she might not receive a gift either if it was impossible for others to make it even in the future.

Basically, if it could not become an Inheritance, the World Knowledge wouldn’t expend precious energy in integrating it.

It was a pity, but she didn’t mind. She could live without those rewards, and she believed she could find a way to pass on her own knowledge on her own, without the need for inheritance. Ideally, to her own children and her people.

But, again, that was still something for the far future.