After only a month since the battle against the 3rd stage vampire, Saltstar City had already had 60% of its infrastructure repaired.
The city was still buzzing with the many workers rebuilding buildings and homes in various city districts, but the most important places in the city were already back to their condition before the vampire's arrival. Meanwhile, local citizens were gradually returning to their usual routines.
The city's strongest people were also returning to their routines. Several local nobles and rich men had already received Vicente's pills or potions, items produced from the vampire's body parts.
The Fuller family's chief alchemist still had half of the vampire's organs, so he would continue to produce items for the family for the next few weeks.
Vicente and Benson had already created new artifacts using the superior vampire skin. At the same time, the other two family professionals who had been left with those remains had produced other types of items for the family.
Bart had awoken from his seclusion and reached the beginning of the 4th stage!
Soon after the basilisk's advance, Bart took over Onyx's responsibilities, and Vicente gave Onyx the vampire's flesh for the beast to eat.
Onyx was currently sleeping soundly in the Fuller family's rebuilt garden.
In addition, the family members had begun to develop Vicente's plans for the aftermath of the vampire's defeat. Some blacksmiths had already left the city to go to Millfall, where they would begin the construction of the railway line between that city and Martell Village.
Meanwhile, Vicente and his stronger companions were just waiting for the problems of the previous battle to hit them before setting off on their new journey outside the city.
But after a month since that battle, those problems would finally arrive in the city!
...
In the middle of the afternoon, the temperature in Saltstar City was perfect, and there was no cloud over the city.
The sound of broken hammers and stones could be heard everywhere in the city as people came and went along the local streets and sidewalks.
On the city's main avenue, wagons and carriages went from one side of the city to the other, while some vehicles bearing the symbol of the royal family and the royal army passed together through the wide streets of the city center.
In these carriages were none other than the king's envoys, who had promptly begun their journey to this city until, about 20 days ago, news of a vampire falling in this city reached the capital.
Consequently, a group of Sovereigns and High-level Mages was there to ascertain the local situation and find those who had eliminated the 3rd stage vampire.
This was no mean feat. The king wanted to bring these people over to his side and had already issued a decree inviting them to his city!
This decree was in the hands of the leader of this group, Princess Lina Seidel, who was in one of the five carriages of this group.
In that carriage, she was alongside her advisor and two royal guards, both Sky Sovereigns!
She was observing the surroundings through the windows of her carriage, noticing how this city was being rebuilt.
"It looks like the battle against the vampire was terrible." She commented to her group.
The strongest Colonel in the group, who was in front of Lina, nodded positively. "It sure was. I don't know if I could kill a Mid-level Mage vampire without causing great destruction, Your Highness. Such a creature has many methods of defending itself and attacking."
"Hmm, it's a surprise that so few people in the whole city died in the confrontation against the vampire." The other Colonel there commented, aware of the number of losses in Saltstar City on the day of the vampire's 'visit' to the city.
"The person who did this must be a genius. It's no wonder His Majesty wants to find him." Said Lina's old advisor.
"Who is this person exactly? Where is he now?"
The old advisor said, "His name is Vicente Fuller, and he's supposedly been in the city since the vampire came here. He's a successful merchant and talented blacksmith. I've heard rumors that he's already a 4th stage blacksmith."
"Oh? That sounds pretty impressive."
Being a Sovereign and being a 4th stage blacksmith were quite different things. There were several Sovereigns in the kingdom, although not many. But there were only four 4th stage blacksmiths in the Seidel Kingdom until Vicente's advance.
"Does Your Highness wish to go to him first?" The strongest man there asked.
"Hmm, it would be good to start with the most important, wouldn't it?" She asked. "We'll go to his estate to find out where he is. After that, we'll see the local nobles and the city's soldiers for our talks."
Their convoy soon headed towards the Fuller estate.
After 13 minutes, they would arrive in front of Vicente's large estate, where the group's guards would soon sense the presence of four Sovereigns there.
But even before Lina got down from her carriage, Rory appeared at the estate's gate alongside Sarah, having already been notified by their many local observers that such a group was coming towards them.
He looked at the beautiful princess, whom he and Vicente had spoken to many times before because of her beauty.
'She really is fantastic.' He thought to himself as he made a gesture of greeting to the princess.
"Your Highness Lina Seidel, welcome to Saltstar City," Rory said in a courteous tone.
"Are you Vicente Fuller?" Lina asked before the old man beside her said in a low voice, "That Vicente has black hair, Your Highness."
Rory replied. "No, I'm not. My name is Rory Point. I'm a friend of him. Our patriarch is at the Royal Academy at the moment, but if Your Highness accepts, I can receive you while we wait for him. He'll be back soon."
"Royal Academy? What's he doing there?" She asked in curiosity.
"Today is the first day of the new academy year. As Your Highness may know, the parents of the students of the Royal Academy have to go with the students of that institution on the first day of the year to find out what the timetable will be like and other important information. Vicente is with his younger sister there now."
"Oh?" Lina understood, while her staff remained silent.
"Then I thank you for the information, but I won't wait," she said to Rory before ordering her group. "Let's go to the Royal Academy."
The group left as quickly as they arrived, leaving Rory and Sarah watching them from the doorway of that estate.
"It looks like you missed your chance to interact with the princess." Sarah patted one of Rory's shoulders before going back inside.
He laughed to himself. His luck with women wasn't the same as Vicente's!
