Meanwhile, back in Alterra, the scientists, researchers, and the like had all shifted their attention to helping the babies. No one complained that it was using public funds.

First of all, Althea was funding it. Most of all, everyone adored the babies!

Even if Lady Althea didn’t ask for it, it was estimated that most of them would’ve tried to find their own way about it.

As such, even after they won such a big war, no one could celebrate. And this was not just because of the children; everyone had experienced losses, some more than others.

At this time, Gwen still hadn’t woken up.

Whether she knew what she had lost, instinctively or not, they were not sure, but it was certain that she had lost a lot of her luster, as if a part of her had given up on something.

Those close to her could feel this, and their hearts broke.

Ryan had taken leave from his job so he could be next to his wife, hoping to be there when she woke up. It was just that she had yet to do so.

He held her hand in both his hands, burying his forehead against it as if in prayer.

"Please, my love, I need you..."

...

There were more than two hundred confirmed deaths in the war, and several hundred more were still in critical condition. It was feared that the death toll would double in the next few days, so every medical facility, pharmacist, and those in related fields had not slept a wink in an attempt to lower this number.

A lot of the deaths during the war could not be avoided, but now that it was over, how could they still lose people?

Most of the people who died early were during the initial burst and wall breakage, wherein hundreds of enemy forces and powerhouses forced their way in.

The trebuchets themselves also caused a number of deaths, as the Alterran powerhouses couldn’t weaken or redirect all of them. Even if they were weakened, those enhanced projectiles could ignore any defense equipment, so those with lower levels or injuries died after they got hit.

Mathilda led the ceremony, and they all watched as their dead were burned in a solemn ceremony. It was also the attitude of hoping there would be no more deaths among the injured, so they held the ceremony now.

Joe and Lee, some of Alterra’s first guards, were among those who perished. Their team had blocked a small group of powerhouses who had managed to escape the initial blockages.

They protected the evacuation center behind them with their lives.

They were Clutch’s neighbors and drinking buddies. They had been with Alterra since it was a village and had made quite a life for themselves.

If there was any source of comfort, it was that the two had managed to find some members of their families before they died.

They were found thanks to Alterra’s reunification of places, with Joe finding his family in a village west, while Lee found his in a village North.

At the very least, they could be assured that even when they were gone, Alterra would take care of their bereaved, so when they died and caused deaths on the enemy side using the sentries, they closed their eyes with a smile.

...

Another two days passed and, to some degree, Alterra returned to its original pace. Life could only go on, after all, though people’s hearts were naturally still heavy.

It reminded them that they had to keep getting stronger and stronger. It wasn’t that they didn’t know, and it wasn’t that they had grown stagnant and complacent—because they were not.

It was just that Alterra was only moving forward—and fast—and their enemies were getting stronger as well. They had no choice but to catch up; they would only lose more people next time.

Although many aborigines kept telling them that the death toll was extremely small for the scale of the war they had just been in, deaths were deaths. Even if it were only one, people would be depressed for days.

Not to mention, since there were so many this time, they would also see the people they left behind.

Even while the territory took care of the bereaved well, how could they ever replace the sincere love of a family member?

Still, for everyone’s sake, and for the sake of those who lost their lives to keep the peace, people could only push themselves forward. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

...

While Alterra was in the process of healing, a rather intimidating entourage arrived at the gates.

They saw the level 7 wall, which was usually a wall found in level 3 Towns and some new cities, and then they looked at how dense the sentries were. There were also loose sentries located around 300 meters from the main walls, adding an extra layer of defense.

It was estimated that most territories a tier higher than this place would find it extremely difficult to breach.

"They...give a lot of priority to defense, more than any other towns I have seen," Cauis, the guide, told them, and those in the party nodded in interest.

Since they did not announce their arrival, they did not expect anyone to greet them. Rather, Cauis had warned them about it.

Still, having to queue and being treated like everyone else did cause a bit of imbalance within the party. It was just that the princess herself had not spoken, so how could her servants utter anything.

Cauis could feel people’s moods and cleared his throat. "This territory is unlike others," he said. "In their old world, nobility is a somewhat obsolete concept. They would interact with any nobles the same way they would others, so please don’t take offense."

He was managing her expectations. Princess Naia couldn’t help but give this guide a look. "You must really like this place."

"Pardon?"

"You’re already defending them when I haven’t even seen them."

"..."

Cauis cleared his throat and furtively rubbed his nose. "I suppose I do."