Realm Lord
Chapter 163: Port Nova

Chapter 163: Port Nova

The metallic clang of boots on the ship’s ramp echoed through the morning air as hordes of people shuffled forward in organized chaos. Arthur felt the nervous energy radiating from the crowd around him, a mixture of anticipation and dread that seemed to permeate every conversation and sideways glance. The journey to Port Nova had been long and uncomfortable, but it was nothing compared to the uncertainty that awaited them all on solid ground.

"Everyone keep moving, once you receive your station report immediately for further orders!" The voice crackled through the ship’s speakers, cutting through the murmur of anxious voices. Arthur exchanged a glance with Aziel, both of them unconsciously straightening their shoulders as they prepared to face whatever awaited them.

The line moved with surprising efficiency, though Arthur couldn’t help but notice how some people seemed to freeze momentarily when they reached the front, as if the reality of their situation was only now fully hitting them.

When they finally reached the bottom of the ramp, Arthur was immediately struck by the organized chaos that surrounded them. Military personnel moved with practiced efficiency, directing the flow of new arrivals while processing paperwork. The contrast between the nervous energy of the civilians and the calm professionalism of the soldiers created an atmosphere that was both reassuring and intimidating.

A man in a simple booth flanked by multiple soldiers looked up from his computer as Arthur and Aziel approached. His military attire was pristine despite the obvious wear of long hours, and his expression carried the particular brand of tired patience that came from processing hundreds of similar interactions. The soldiers flanking him maintained alert postures, their eyes constantly scanning the crowd.

"Names," the man said without preamble, his fingers already poised over his keyboard.

Arthur and Aziel exchanged another glance.

"Arthur Kendrick," he said, his voice steadier than he felt.

"Aziel Borasten," his friend added, and Arthur could hear the same forced composure in Aziel’s tone.

The man sighed with weariness, his attention already focused on his computer screen as he began typing. The soft clicking of keys filled the brief silence, punctuated by the distant sounds of the port’s constant activity. Arthur found himself studying the soldiers’ faces, trying to read some hint of what awaited them in their expressions, but their professional masks revealed nothing.

A moment or two passed in tense silence before the man’s eyes momentarily lit up with what Arthur could only describe as surprised recognition. The typing stopped, and the man looked between the boys and his computer screen several times, his expression cycling through confusion, verification, and finally settling on something that looked suspiciously like amusement.

Then he giggled.

It was not the kind of sound Arthur had expected to hear from a military processing station, and it sent an immediate chill down his spine. The giggle had an edge to it.

"Wow... shit luck for you two," the man said, his grin widening as he continued to alternate his gaze between them and his screen. "You’re to report to building three, room 14, to report to the guild you’ll be working under during the campaign of District 3!"

Arthur felt his stomach drop. ’Shit luck? Why?’ The question screamed through his mind as he tried to process what could possibly be so amusing about their assignment. Beside him, he could feel Aziel’s tension ratcheting up several notches, and Arthur realized they were both standing frozen in place, staring at the man with expressions that probably looked as confused and concerned as they felt.

Their stunned silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds. The man’s amusement seemed to grow as he watched their reaction, but his patience had clearly reached its limit.

"Get moving, there’s a line you know!" he called out, his voice carrying the sharp edge of authority that snapped both boys out of their trance.

Arthur felt heat rise in his cheeks as he realized they had been blocking the line while lost in their confusion. "Oh y-yeah, sorry," he stammered, grabbing Aziel’s arm and pulling him away from the booth. They shuffled past the soldiers, who watched them with expressions that might have been sympathetic or might have been professionally neutral—Arthur couldn’t tell which.

As they moved away from the processing station and into Port Nova proper, Arthur’s concerns about their assignment were temporarily overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what lay before them. His eyes grew wide as he began to take in the port in its true glory, and he heard Aziel’s sharp intake of breath beside him.

The transformation was staggering. What had been a normal shipping hub just six months ago had been converted into what could only be described as a fortress city. Massive metal shipping containers, clearly repurposed from the port’s original function, were stacked and arranged to form the foundations of temporary structures. Huge buildings scattered across the landscape spoke of rapid but impressive construction, their utilitarian design clearly prioritizing function over form.

Cities of tents sprawled between the larger structures, creating a patchwork of temporary housing that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. The constant movement of people between these areas created rivers of human activity that flowed with surprising organization despite the apparent chaos.

But dominating everything else was the wall. Arthur had to crane his neck back to see the top of it, the massive structure rising easily sixty meters into the sky. The engineering feat it represented was almost incomprehensible, especially considering the timeframe in which it had been constructed.

"Holy shit," Aziel breathed, his voice filled with awe and disbelief. "This was a normal shipping hub just 6 months ago... how did they build all these buildings and those walls!"

"It’s amazing," Arthur agreed, though he wasn’t sure if ’amazing’ was the right word. Impressive, certainly. Necessary, probably. But there was something about the scale of the construction that spoke to the severity of whatever threat had necessitated it. You didn’t build walls sixty meters high unless you were expecting to face something truly terrifying.

They wandered toward the main cluster of large buildings, their heads on swivels as they tried to take in every detail of their new environment. Military jeeps roared past them with urgent purpose, their drivers focused on destinations that Arthur could only guess at. Soldiers ran between buildings with the kind of disciplined haste that suggested constant activity and high stakes.

Scattered throughout the scene were scared civilians, people who looked as displaced and uncertain as Arthur felt. They wandered through the tent cities with lost expressions, carrying their few possessions and trying to find their place in this militarized landscape.

Finally, they reached the cluster of the largest buildings and stopped, looking around with expressions that Arthur was sure looked as confused as he felt. The buildings were impressive in their utilitarian design, but none of them had clearly visible markings that would indicate their purpose or designation.

"So uh, which one is building three?" Aziel asked, scratching his head.

"I-I guess let’s ask?" Arthur replied, though he wasn’t particularly looking forward to potentially looking foolish in front of more military personnel.

They approached a soldier who was standing near what appeared to be a checkpoint, and after a brief exchange, he pointed them toward the smallest building in the cluster. Arthur felt a sinking sensation in his stomach as he realized that their assignment to the smallest building probably wasn’t a good sign. In his experience, the most important operations tended to get the most resources, and resource allocation usually included space.

As they walked slowly toward the building, Arthur could feel anticipation filling his head like a physical presence. The nervous energy that had been building since they left the ship was reaching a crescendo, and he found himself simultaneously wanting to rush forward and run in the opposite direction.

"Wonder what type of guild we’ll be working with," Aziel said, his voice carrying forced casualness. "I wonder what they’ll have us doing."

Arthur didn’t respond, too lost in his own thoughts and nerves about what kind of future awaited them behind the door of room 14. The unknown was eating at him, and the processing officer’s comment about their "shit luck" kept echoing in his mind. What could possibly be so problematic about their assignment that it had amused a man who clearly processed dozens of these assignments every day?

Soon enough, they found themselves standing in front of the door to room 14, and Arthur felt his throat tighten with anxiety. The simple wooden door looked unremarkable, but he knew that whatever lay beyond it would define the next Chapter of their lives. He gulped audibly, the sound seeming unnaturally loud in the relative quiet of the hallway, as he slowly reached for the door handle.

Before he could turn the handle, voices drifted through the door, and Arthur froze with his hand halfway to the knob.

"When the hell are the newbies gonna get here? I’m tired of waiting! And why do we even need new people? We were doing fine alone" The voice was clearly female, high-pitched and laced with an attitude that managed to convey impatience, frustration, and general irritation all at once. Arthur felt his anxiety spike as he realized they were apparently late for whatever meeting they were supposed to attend.

"We should be glad we won’t have to work alone anymore," came another voice, also female but completely different in tone. Where the first voice had been sharp and demanding, this one was nothing short of... angelic. The contrast was so stark that Arthur found himself momentarily distracted from his anxiety. "Its a death sentence to be alone in this place for to long, so be happy."

The second voice carried a quality that seemed to resonate in Arthur’s chest, and he found himself unconsciously leaning closer to the door. There was something about the tone that spoke of both strength and compassion, a combination that Arthur had rarely encountered.

Realizing that they were indeed expected and clearly late, Arthur forced himself to turn the handle and slowly push the door open. As the door swung wide, he and Aziel found themselves staring at the people behind the voices, and Arthur felt his jaw drop in complete disbelief.

Their eyes were wide and their jaws hung low as the impossible became reality before them.

"Y-y-y-You guys!?" Arthur stammered, his voice cracking with shock as he tried to process what he was seeing.

The universe, it seemed, had a sense of humor after all.

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