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

Others, like Holt City, had also recovered well after the fire plague. First of all, some of the formulas they already had. After all, Zenno was originally from their City and had used their resources to create several of the initial versions or prototypes of what were being used now.

They also had huge amounts of resources, so after they received the formulas, they had dozens of expert alchemists figure out the formula (which were presented as efficiently as possible, which impressed these alchemists).

After that, thousands of people were mobilized to make batches and batches of the inhibitors, the vaccines, and eventually, the cure.

Like this, next to Alterra, Holt City was the next to settle down the plague.

In fact, the average time was even faster if one considered the numbers, considering Holt City had millions of people within its walls, citizens or not.

This was an incredibly great achievement and, ultimately, won the Glen family a huge amount of favor from the entire City. Zenno, too, of course, but they were told he didn’t want to be bothered now, so they respected that.

That said, the royal family did have an idea where their nobles were frequenting, especially if they specifically investigated, but the royal family was so secure that they didn’t really care so much for worldly things.

For one, other than official decisions for the City, the King himself was focused on absorbing aether crystals, and well, doing leisurely things.

He was more than a hundred years old at level 88, and there were no monsters of that level anymore—at least not enough to give him experience to upgrade just by killing monsters.

Absorbing aether crystals had its cap, so the King had long accepted that his lifespan—which was still in the decades, anyway—also had a cap. When someone already accepted their eventual death and could see that his descendants weren’t bad, they generally had a lot less dependence on power and control. He had no problem giving credit where it was due.

The Glens had received family prestige. Like this, they climbed up to among the top families, receiving the aether crystals promised at that level.

Today was actually the Court of Honors, wherein a meritorious family would receive acknowledgement and rewards. It was a proper ball, and it was also the first one after the disasters had been settled.

Well, it was the first ball since the Cold Wave, but it was the first Court of Honors in the past two decades. Holt City was so old; there were naturally very few things that could be seen as deserving of this honor now.

And the reward? The Family’s official entry to the High Noble circle!

The entire family had their chins up high and smiles on their faces at the after-party when various nobles and accomplished individuals approached them.

”I am looking forward to your new store! I was part of the taste testers. I cannot forget the taste!”

”I heard that we have a new supplier for luxury cloth?” another asked.

”Yes, we’re still maintaining deals with the Cloth City, but it’s good to have more.”

”Yes, more will mean we have more options!” For luxury items, like special cloth, the Glens just matched the price of the available luxury fabric and added a bit more.

The reasoning for the very expensive pricing was not because they were greedy (though that was a part of it), it was to appear less threatening to the merchants selling the old products.

They had purchase limits to Alterra anyway, and making it expensive was also a way to balance their stocks and prolong them for a bit, all while keeping their brand.

Most importantly, the quality, the patterns, and the beauty of many of Alterra’s line of products were superior to the cloth cities. Of course, it had to be priced higher; it could be declaring war on those cloth cities that had been monopolizing this market. They might even take it as a mockery if they prized it lower.

Holt wasn’t threatened by them at all, but the Glens would rather maintain amicable relationships with everyone.

Other than the business-related inquiries, there were also some heartfelt expressions of gratitude. Unlike the luxury items, the Royal family and the Glens didn’t add an excessive markup for the medicine. It was part of Alterra’s conditions, but they also played a part in it.

Of course, the Royal family supported them a lot and dedicated huge amounts of resources to be able to create massive batches.

”My children were both afflicted by the illness. I will owe the Royal family and the Glens a lot.”

”Fortunately, they’re not the type so far to take advantage.”

”I’d argue that’s why they took so long to climb.”

”Pssh, many high-level noble families drop every few years. Their foundation is much stabler now.”

”They really brought in a lot of goods. Not to mention the formulas, but also other things.”

”They seem to have connected to a few highly innovative places.”

”Probably at least three or four. So many good places to partner, how did they find them all?”

They would absolutely never guess that all of these were from a single territory. The possibility simply didn’t even enter their minds at all.

Anyway, there were similar talks all over, especially since the event was in honour of their rise, and some of them were either within earshot or were told directly to the members of the family, all of whom were basking in reflected glory, regardless of whether they actually had a part in the success.

The happiest one was naturally the Patriarch.

”Good job, lad! Good job!!” Cauron, Cauis’ father, proudly slapped his shoulders. ”As expected of my heir!”

The other family members nodded. Cauis gave a small smile, feeling a bit shy, though it only made him look even more handsome.

In his mind, Cauis couldn’t help but think of how fast things changed, and he knew that this was just the beginning of it.