Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Everything came as a trade-off. Although it was easier to mass produce the frames with core technology using the golem forge. These poor unfortunate souls that he used them for needed more time to find themselves under the influence of his music.

Even though they had an ego, it didn't mean that they had a very complex conscience. The older a soul was the more it would lose itself. Even if it had an ego, it would be the bare minimum of whatever held the soul on the mortal plane. This made any kind of self-reflection or similar hard.

Soul Music was not exactly cheap, as it cost mana and mental energy at the same time, as well as the activation of all his other passive skills. The costs would also increase over time. This meant the longer he had to maintain the song, the more it took out of him.

He managed to finish nine before he needed to take a break. The blacksmith accompanied the ninth, a gorgeous woman, maybe in her early thirties, out to the workshop after she got dressed. The other eight had waited here, wearing the same simple clothes.

Seth faced their expectant gazes.

"Although I had explained it before, I'm sure you all still need some time to get used to your bodies and collect your thoughts. I have rooms prepared for you all. As per our agreement, you can stay here with us, or you can leave.

You are free to choose and lead this life however you like. Just don't forget, in the case that you wish to leave, you have to come back and help if I need you. You can take your time to make a final decision on this and we will help you as best as we can once you made it."

Seth meant it, and this was also written down in their soul contracts. He was their maker, but he had no intentions to tie them down and be their master. He emphasized for them to take their time with the final decision. They could also go outside and experience the world before deciding whether they wanted to be part of Minas Mar, or find their own way out there.

The only binding condition of the contracts was that they had to come back and help whenever Minas Mar was in danger and that they couldn't do anything that would directly or indirectly harm Seth or his people.

Of course, an army of obedient golems would have been simpler and easier to make. However, a golem couldn't thrive in society. All of the souls he had gotten from Tano'Mol had strong attachments, but not all of these attachments were some tragic epics.

Seth was sure a good part of the souls would stay with him, bolstering Minas Mar's stationary power. He had a different hope for the others. There were quite a few with an unhealthy attachment to power. They wouldn't do well if he bound them down like subordinates.

However, if he allowed them to leave, if he cast them into the air to spread as the wind blew them, the chances were high they would grow powers. Allied forces outside of Minas Mar, led by immortal leaders that had sworn to help with their souls on the line. The most trustworthy kind of allies.

In the next two days, Seth made another 11 more Faer, coming to a total of 20. These were all the small ego souls he had brought from the Soul Emporium. He spent the rest of the time making preparations for the big event, writing his speech, and consulting with Mary and her people about the event.

There was a lot to prepare. Among others the planning of the media coverage for the event.

Begrudgingly, he also had to leave his workshop behind to meet Vladimir and Hesing the day before the big announcement. They had already been briefed over the last week and made a screening of candidates they wanted to recommend for the first expansion.

These two and their people had also done their part in getting the people of Sigma interested in the reclamation of Urth. From his talk with the two, it became quite clear that the people of Sigma were not overly happy with their current situation.

It was one thing to hear rumors, it was another to be told the specifics by the people in question. Seth was shocked when he heard about how bad it really was. Once the guard other than Minas Mar's people were virtually gone, things had turned for the worst.

People kept disappearing, or falling victim to the drugs that were laced in their food and drinks. There were simply not enough people to protect this many low-level civilians from crime. There was barely enough space in Delta to house half of them under humane conditions.

Their only saving grace was, that they didn't have to suffer from any sicknesses, thanks to their healers and the intervention of priests and the Saintess of Samhach. The latter one came as a surprise to Seth.

It seemed that Yvette had also seen her chance to grow her fallen religion. The construction of the Church of Samhach had just finished the planning phase, yet the Saintess was already working hard to collect sheep among the people in need.

"It sounds like Yvette is doing well for herself."

"Yes, the Saintess has already baptized 2000 people, with 150 volunteering to join her church as priests," Hesing added, giving Seth an even bigger surprise.

His shock waned when he heard why there were already so many, despite the people of Urth being atheists in general. Though the Baptism of Samhach couldn't get rid of the poison of the Divine Strength Drug, it could weaken the effects for those that had been poisoned against their will.

But compared to the size of the problem, Yvette's efforts were just a drop in the bucket.

Even Seth felt impacted by the stories the two knew to tell. It was a lot worse than he had initially perceived. He felt that he had not treated the situation with the necessary seriousness. The whole plan of the expansion of the trade route was more out of spite than necessity or concern.

The clammy feeling in his chest when he listened to them, was the same that had once made him return to Urth, instead of staying at Ora. He really didn't like this feeling. Just one more reason to do what he was planning to do.

"Enough of the dreary stuff. Let's talk about the future. You saw the city Karina built?"

Seth changed the subject to something happier, instead of dwelling on the bad things.

"Oh, I've seen it. I heard it won't take much to get the building ready for human habitation," Hesing marveled.

The former policemen repeated what the experts with Mary had said. Of course, human habitation meant getting them ready for modern humans to live in. Installing running water and electricity. The advancements from Y-City would make it easier.

Although Minas Mar lost their best contact in Y-City and their negotiation had stagnated, it didn't mean there was no more exchange between the Districts. Although it was not very important in the eyes of the public, since technology still worked in Delta, the various techno-arcane achievements would be a big help at the Tree Stations.

Since it wouldn't be easy to make great changes to the cityscape and to create an infrastructure and utility buildings, they would substitute it with individual facilities installed in each building for now.

They ended up having a long talk about the future possibilities of the new cities along the trade route before Seth could finally say his farewells and return to Minas Mar.