Necromancer: Kingdom Building with My Legion of Undead Knights

Chapter 215: Finally Home!

Just at the entrance of Percvale, where the buildings start to appear and where people might see them, Darion set her down.

Her feet touched the ground slowly, unsteadily, as if she was still adjusting to the feeling of solid earth beneath her.

She laughed, the sound light, carrying a mix of relief and lingering dizziness.

She was still a bit pale, still a bit shaken from the ride, but she was also relieved. They were home. They had made it.

"Thank you," she said, her voice soft.

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "You’re welcome."

They headed into Percvale now. The streets were quiet, the evening settling over the town like a soft blanket.

The last rays of sunlight painted the buildings in shades of orange and gold, casting long shadows across the cobblestones.

Some people were still out, moving about their business, but most had retreated to their homes. A few people recognized Darion and Seren, nodding or waving as they passed.

The town looked different in the evening light, more peaceful and settled.

The familiar sights and sounds were a welcome relief after hours in the forest. The smell of wood smoke drifted through the air, and the distant sound of a blacksmith’s hammer echoed from somewhere in the distance.

It was good to be back.

At first, they went to the castle, where Maret and Aldra greeted them with warm smiles. Maret was already heading toward the kitchen before they had even said a word, her movements quick and purposeful.

Aldra brought them water, her face bright with concern and relief.

"We were starting to worry," Aldra said, handing them each a cup. "You’ve been gone all day."

The women were smiling, clearly happy to see Darion and Seren. The castle had felt empty without them, and their return brought a sense of life back to the quiet halls.

Soon, Maret and Aldra granted them food: warm bread, thick stew and fresh water. The meal was simple but hearty, exactly what they needed after a long day of hunting.

The stew was rich with vegetables and meat, the bread still warm from the oven.

They ate together, talking heartily about the hunt. Seren described the Yuimons, her voice animated as she recounted the battle.

She talked about the Horned Olfs, the way they had waited for their leader, the way they had died together.

She described the gorilla-like creatures, their sharp teeth and powerful limbs. Darion added his own details, the strategy, the undeads, the moments of tension. They laughed at the close calls, and reminisced about the more ridiculous moments.

In the end, Seren said: "It was a fun hunt. Thanks for agreeing to take me with you."

Darion looked at her.

"Thank you for coming along," he said. "I wasn’t sure about bringing you at first, but I’m glad I did."

She looked down at her hands, a small frown on her face. "I felt like a liability," she admitted. "Like I was just holding you back."

He shook his head. "No, you made it more fun. And you helped more than you think. Those arrows? They made a difference."

Her eyes met his, searching for any sign of insincerity. She found none.

"Really?" she asked, confirming.

"Really," he said. "I mean it."

Seren blushed, her cheeks turning pink. She looked at Darion’s eyes for quite some time, and he returned the look.

They looked at each other dreamily for a few seconds, the silence stretching between them. The moment was soft, intimate and charged with something neither of them could quite name.

The air between them seemed to thicken, the sounds of the castle fading into the background.

Then Darion broke the tension, saying: "Let’s eat up so we can check on the farmland, see what the carpenters have done."

They went to the stable. It was a lively place now, and actually clean, unlike when Darion had first come to Percvale.

When he had first arrived, the stable had looked gloomy, unkempt, dirty, and barely functional. The stalls had been in disrepair, the floors caked with mud and manure, the horses thin and listless. .

But now, with workers working on it, it looked well-kept and organized. The stalls were neat. The floors were swept. The horses were healthy and well-fed.

Wulfric was there, giving orders to the stable workers. He was moving between the stalls, checking on the horses, pointing out tasks that needed to be done.

His voice was confident, commanding, a far cry from the man Darion had met months ago.

Darion remembered when he had first come to Percvale. Wulfric had been a man barely holding on, his body thin, his eyes haunted.

He had done all the work himself, maybe proud to ask for help (not that there was any), too tired to delegate.

Looking at him then, you would pity him so much, a man who had given up but hadn’t stopped working. He had moved through the stable like a ghost, his movements slow and mechanical, his eyes empty.

Now he looked different. He looked more confident. He was the leader of the stable, giving orders to his own workers, and he was proud of what he had built. The stable was thriving under his care, and he had become a respected figure in the castle and maybe in Percvale even.

Wulfric gave them two horses, healthy ones, well-fed, ready to ride. They were sturdy animals, their coats glossy, their eyes bright. Darion thanked him, and Wulfric nodded, a small smile on his face.

Darion mounted his horse, and Seren mounted hers beside him. She settled into the saddle, her hands finding the reins comfortably. She looked at Darion and grinned, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Finally," she said, "I get to ride on my own. No more clinging to your back like a scared child."

Darion laughed. "I thought you enjoyed it."

"I enjoyed not falling off," she shot back. "There’s a difference."

They rode toward the farmland together, side by side. The evening air was cool against their faces, the sky deepening into shades of purple and blue.

The fields stretched out before them, dark and quiet. In the distance, they could see the outlines of the pens, the shapes of the carpenters’ work taking form.

It had been a long day, but it had been a good one.