By the next day, the chaos of the previous encounter had finally settled.
The raiders had returned safely, though many came back battered, shaken, and carrying news of the avarice that weighed on everyone.
Within the mayor's settlement, life continued to move forward.
The place was still under expansion, scaffolding and half-finished structures lining the streets, yet it had grown far beyond its early, makeshift state.
Sturdy buildings now stood beside newer foundations, merchants had set up semi-permanent stalls, and patrols moved through the area with a more organized rhythm.
It was a settlement trying to look like a city, even while the scars of the apocalypse remained etched into every wall and road.
Meanwhile, inside the mayor's office, his officials had been summoned for another meeting, this one convened in the aftermath of everything that had transpired the previous day.
Maxwell sat at the head of the room, with Franz, Ross, and Zack seated around the long table.
