Frostbound
Chapter 315 - Military Parade

The Admiral (Fitzwallace)

New Norfolk

Marching his army back to the coast felt like time wasted, rather than time well spent, but there was nothing he could do about it. The Admiral could hardly fly, let alone teleport his entire army back in an instant.

Not yet at least.

Of the events he was looking forward to the most, portals were definitely one of them. It would still be some time yet before they were feasible, let alone affordable, but he couldn't wait.

A select team he funded was already working on them. Even if they wouldn't see use in a few more years. Having the lead scientist personally invested made him hopeful it wouldn't be too long.

Dr. Park was... a character. Closer to mad than the Admiral would have liked from a man he was throwing so much money at, but the stock of people with the Spatial affinity was small. Those inclined and had the mind for research were smaller.

Nearly non-existent.

A few projects had to be delayed or mothballed while they were gone due to a lack of manpower, but that one wasn't one of them.

Even though he had only been gone for just over half a year, New Norfolk felt like an entirely new city. One much more familiar to the one he'd spent most of his life living in.

Cars, actual cars, drove around the city hauling people and materials to where they were needed.

They did say production was up and running before I left. I just didn't expect there to be so many.

Things are getting back to normal.

While the Admiral was at the head of the procession leading into the city, the alien merchants were not that far behind him. Fitzwallace wanted to keep them close if they tried anything, but they hadn't. Nothing except sales pitches and hawking their wares.

A hint of pride betrayed him as he turned to take in their response to his growing city. He used to not think like that. That the city was his, but he was coming around to the idea. New Norfolk would look a lot different if he weren't there.

Still, a moment of vanity aside, the merchants were noticeably perplexed while taking in the sights. The group was small, at just under a dozen, and nearly all of them took in the passing cars in wonder.

There were two, though, who looked at them oddly. Like they had seen something similar before, but not the same. Do they have cars on their world?

The lead Merchant. The, Fitzwallace hesitated to call him a human, man was one of the more surprised of his grouping. Based on his coloring and slightly webbed hands, I figure he's partly amphibian. Hardly a place suitable for cars.

As much fun as it would have been to take the Merchants around and show them some good ole American hospitality, that honor fell to another. Usually, it would be the job of an aide or secretary of some kind, but that wouldn't cut it.

With the guards accompanying the Merchants now in the D-rank, someone of sufficient power was needed to show them around safely. Of his elite teams the Admiral so painstakingly put together, only a few were still intact.

Of those, fewer still had healed enough to take on the job. Being on the frontlines had put them in the thick of the danger. Those who survived came out much worse off than those stationed elsewhere.

They have to be mentally stable as well, can't forget that. Pricilla was out of the question. Losing her entire team devastated the woman and she wouldn't be ready for a while yet, if at all.

Gonzalez would just as likely cause problems as he would get the job done. Not to mention the bear of a man was still recovering.

Hendricks? His hand was regrown and he should be in the best physical shape. Most of his team made it out, too, so there shouldn't be any lingering issues. Besides the obvious of watching thousands of people die.

It wasn't the man's first war and he'd power through.

He motioned for one of the runners following after him like ducklings and gave him the order, "Have Hendricks lead the Merchants around and show them where they will be staying."

The runner nodded wordlessly and ran off to find the man in question.

He'd been in contact with the City regularly through the Formations and everything was already set up and ready for the Merchants. They could tweak the building to their liking if they so wished, but it was already livable. It had running water and electricity, if the aliens cared for things like that.

The Admiral wasn't one for showy military parades but he knew the value in them. For both his men and the populous. That didn't mean he liked them though, but he did his duty and marched through the town being showered in cheers.

The entire city already knew what had transpired and were out to show their support and congratulations. Everyone felt relief knowing they were safe from invasion for another decade.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, now was it.

There were whisperings and talks of Demons, but that wasn't anything the Admiral had dealt with. There was also the clarifying knowledge that they were only protected from Factions and beings above E-rank. Which was different than what was assumed.

Still, continued System Protections were something to celebrate, no matter the caveats such a statement held.

Smile and wave. Smile and wave. They don't need to know that the Protection they're cheering for has holes.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

___

The Admiral was ambushed as soon as he entered the command center. It felt like the entire building had sent someone to notify him of something the moment he stepped inside.

The gathered crowd had the good sense to now shout over each other, but it was still jarring to see so many people vying for his attention at the same time.

"You, go." He pointed to the Quartermaster's aide. It was probably the most important right now.

"Quarterly material allocation is waiting on your signature and the report on the harvest and food supply in every city is on your desk." the woman said.

Not as important as I thought.

"Okay. You, go."...

The crowd split off one by one as he worked through them and he was free to venture to his office. Even if it was his bed he'd rather veer to, his duty was more important.

"You look like hell." A voice sounded as he finally made it into his office. It wasn't a surprise, as he felt the man's presence already.

"I feel like it too, Robert." The Admiral huffed, "Can this wait, I already got ambushed once by the peanut gallery. And get out of my chair."

The man who was sitting in his chair swiveled to face him as he entered but didn't immediately rise. Robert was one of the few men Fitzwallace trusted unconditionally and they'd known each other for decades now. It also let him do things like that without repercussions.

Colonel Robert Steele. Not that he still held the rank anymore. Retired for years by now. A man of dedication and duty. A friend and comrade in arms. Dedicated enough to come back to... whatever title fit now. It wasn't like former ranks meant much now. Robert was a man of many hats and helped manage things tremendously.

Good enough to leave in charge while the Admiral was away.

Finding out the man survived the Change was one of the only good things to come out of such a time.

The levels had done his friend well. The grey around his temples had receded along with the lines of age he used to carry. An older man revitalized to middle age through magic alone.

"What is it you had to wait in my office, Robert?"

"You think you can come marching back with such goodies and I won't be the first to greet you?" Robert said brashly.

Ah, the treasures. He was looking for a suitable technique.

"I don't have them on me if that's what you're wondering."

Robert chuckled, "I know that, but you have a list I bet. One that will be easier to look through than tracking them all down myself."

That much was true. There was the thought to withhold it just to needle the man, but he decided against it. He wasn't in the mood.

After receiving the list he was after, Robert didn't immediately leave. Fitzwallace raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You feel powerful. Much more so than before, but you are hollow." An observation laced with a question. He has always been observant.

"The levels I gained were tremendous," an understatement. Fitzwallace was sitting at the cap, "But I'm still not fully recovered."

An admission he had told no one. No one save for Robert.

"Even after so long?" His friend was surprised. Rightly so, as Robert knew how strong he was.

Fitzwallace nodded, "It will take some time to get fully recovered, the fight... the fight was difficult." Difficult didn't even begin to describe it, but that was all he was willing to go into it now.

Calling on the amount of power he did was... unwise to do so again. Not until he was back to top shape and even then, it wouldn't be a good idea. His injuries were mainly internal, with most being of the magical and spiritual nature. They took time to heal.

"It's more than just levels. You feel solid in a different way than just that." Robert said.

I should have known I wouldn't get it passed him.

"I formed my Anchor."

"Hah," Robert laughed, "I knew you were close. All it took was getting beaten down by an Orc! Well? What is it?"

It's only fair. He told me his.

"A phrase and a belief. A mixture." His memory went back to the fight. Back to the War Leader throwing him around. Of his men dying. "A Captain is only as good as his crew."

The words still rang out inside his head. Still felt raw and new, but not unwelcome. Like he finally realized something about himself. It had been a long time since he'd been just a Captain, but the sentiment never truly went away.

Only God was above a Captain on his own ship.

"I should have known it was Leadership-related," Robert muttered. "Well, one more Step achieved. Your evolution should be better for it."

The Admiral didn't plan to stop there. Before meeting so many people near him in strength, he would have evolved already with what he had, but not anymore. Barons were powerhouses not far away from his own level.

Just in this half of North America, there were nearly a dozen. If he wanted to protect his people, he needed to push for more.

Especially with what was coming next.

"Our fears will be delayed for a time." The admiral stated, ruining the good mood.

Robert lost the smirk on his lips as he nodded, "I'd assumed as much after learning of the casualties. Delayed, yes, but not forever. The deaths will stop them for a time while they rebuild, but they will be at each other's throats before you know it."

"I know."

"What's your take on the other Leaders? I read the reports on them, but I want to hear it from you." Robert questioned.

"Most are good. They seek to protect, rather than conquer, but not all. There are a few we should watch more closely as I could see the ambition in their eyes."

"The Stormbringer, I presume? The dossier on him stated as much."

"Yes, him specifically, but not just him. He wants to forge his own Empire, but others are eyeing treasures rather than land. I heard whispers of one in the North. A Water treasure perfect for anyone with the affinity." The Admiral said.

"What of the Necromancer? I don't know how I feel about knowing zombies and skeletons are a thing now." Robert asked.

Most of his soldiers were ill at ease when the man made himself known. It was natural to have an inherent dislike of such magic. Especially being so close to the horrors that came out of the Haunted Woods. They didn't reek of death like the thralls of the necromancer did, but they had hints of the dark magic. Unmistakable hints.

"New Orleans is a long way away." The Admiral said, "I don't know if there's much we can do about him. The Bayou surrounding it doesn't help."

"Yes," Robert said, "The swamp's quite something. I can't imagine what it's turned into now with magic and whatnot. I spent some time at Fort Polk and the area was dreadful even without mutated beasts and plants."

"We suspect the average level in the area is above 100." D-rank. A swamp full of nasty D-ranks.

For all they'd done to remake cars, traveling was still a daunting task. Roads were still in the process of branching out. His Faction was still working to connect the cities under their own banner, let alone connect to other cities.

The logical assumption was to move on to planes next, but those hit a rather clawed and feathery wall. The few test flights they'd done ended in flames.

The skies were not nearly as safe as they once were.

Bird strikes were already an issue before, and that was before they grew to monstrous sizes and could literally rip a plane in two.

Helicopters were safer, if only because they were more maneuverable and there were openings to attack out of. Gunners to both kill the birds and keep them away from the aircraft were necessary in some areas.

The shores were rife with mutated seagulls and other such beasts, leaving flying over them or through them... not the best idea. The swamp would no doubt have its own aerial defenders.

The ocean was the next best, but that was even worse than the air. The monsters of the deep that they sometimes ran into were frightening and more often than not led to a sunken end.

Even some of the elite teams the Admiral deployed to keep the ships safe didn't work that well. Hendricks and Pricilla working together still had troubles, and they were two of the strongest team leads he had.

To reach New Orleans, they either had to march through a dangerous swamp, or sail around the coast. Both were dangerous options.

The conversation naturally died down as both men turned inward to their thoughts and Robert finally made to leave, "Well, I'll leave you to it. I know you've got work to catch up on." The man waved the list in the air to signal what he would be doing next.

He gets to strengthen himself while I get buried in paperwork.

Still, it was something he had to do. If they were to be ready to face the next Test, they needed to start preparing now.