After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 1030

Chapter 1030: Moving On

A/N: The Final round for the character selection ends in a few hours! Do send some points if you can~ the competitor tends to drop huuuge points at the last minute lololol

Thanks in advance everyone!! HUGS

Now, on to the story~

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Speaking of babies, the small sound of cruisers scrolled through the pavement. All those who heard would turn and, without exception, they would soften as if they turned to goo.

“Mwammmmmmmaaaa!!”

“Goooggmmmwaaammaa!!”

The babies were currently strolling around in their outdoor cruisers. They were so cute as their little feet stepped on the ground, pushing themselves forward or to the side. They had bright giggly smiles on their faces, and their rounded eyes were wide in wander as they looked at the many people surrounding them.

They went around in their own pace, though a flexible rope was connected from the cruiser to a parent each, making sure they didn’t go or roll too far away.

The handle was also retractable wherein the parents would just secure in place if they wanted to push the babies instead of letting them roam free. There was also the provision to add fabric below the feet of the kids if they didn’t want them to walk as well.

Anyway, their little bodies bounced with every little push of their feet, and the passerbys could see their tiny shoes touching the ground. The babies’ laughter rang out as they cruised around, the melody of pure joy brought happiness to everyone in the vicinity.

“So cute, so cuteeee…”

“Omo… the babies are already on baby walkers!”

“Soon enough they’d be running around without them!”

“Aren’t they, like, not even 5 months old?” Another asked, trying to remember how old babies should be like this.

This earned him a smack at the back of his head. “Don’t question Miss Althea and Sir Garan’s genes!”

Anyway, the locals were more or less used to seeing the babies and just admired them openly. Some aborigines around, however, couldn’t help but pause.

One, because those babies were too beautiful! And second, because they heard how old the babies were and were surprised at their growth.

“Is it like the Holt City child?” One asked. “No, even younger?”

“So amazing?”

“Do you think… they’d also be impressive like that one?”

The Holt City Lord was very, very, proud of his progenies. Basically, many people were updated on the child’s growth even when they didn’t ask for it.

For example, they knew the child had begun walking when he was less than 7 months old. They knew the boy’s first word was at 10 months, and they claimed that the first word was still ‘sword’ or something instead of calling either one of his parents.

He also started making conversations at 15 months, with sentences ‘go fight’ (allegedly) being the most common phrase he used.

It would be interesting to see two more kids with the same potential.

The babies were with Althea and Garan, who were there to see the caravan off, and also to tell them some reminders and the like. Garan, at this time, was having a final meeting with Team C as well as the Terran Mercenary aborigines.

Hugo couldn’t help but look a bit longer at Althea, and then at her children. His heart was filled with mix of emotions, all of which clenched at it with bittersweet feeling.

Back when he was in the Iron Mountains, he thought about her a lot. Now, looking at his nephew so happy, he couldn’t help but feel complicated.

Logically, he knew he had no chance and his feelings were probably just a burden for her. But, he still wanted to express it.

What was the worst that could happen? He was already assigned to Iron Mountains. Maybe a proper rejection would get him to stop longing for her so much, which had been affecting his productivity.

And—selfishly—a part of him thought that being a burden was better than being nonexistent in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he took wide steps to her. He stopped at a respectful distance away from her.

“Miss Althea?” He asked, making her turn to him. His eyes flickered a bit as it met with her bright green orbs, and suddenly his throat constricted on himself.

Thankfully, he was a man who could handle pressure, so he managed to catch himself before he floundered.

“I… Can I talk to you about something? It won’t take long,” he said, appearing professional, but only he knew how hard his heart was beating.

She stared at him for a moment and he drowned in her emerald eyes, but fortunately he managed to gather himself fast enough.

She nodded in the end, handing the babies to Sheila and Harold, and the two of them found a nearby park to talk.

At this time, most people available were in the caravan or seeing them off. The rest were in school or at work, so there was basically no one in the park that time.

Hugo was thankful for this bit of fortune. “I…” he began, but suddenly felt a little cowardly.

How long had it been since he was this way?

Althea looked at him in concern. Was the problem so big that even the usually-composed Hugo seemed befuddled?

“What happened?” she asked. “Is there anything wrong in Iron Mountains?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. This… is a personal problem.”

“What is it?” she asked. “You can tell me.”

Her voice was so gentle that it both soothed and exacerbated his nervousness.

He closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself and when it opened, his eyes fixed on hers as if wanting to connect—as if trying to get a hold of her heart.

Hugo was very handsome and tall, his dark skin making him appear even stronger and more charming. If any other women were met with his sincere eyes, they’d have fallen hard.

“I am in love with you, Miss Althea,” he said, and Althea’s eyes widened a little.

Hugo… was really straightforward…

She blinked, coughed, and cleared her throat. She was suddenly reminded of the confessions back in high school and college.

Rejection was easy at the time because she didn’t have anything to do with those people. She didn’t care what they thought either.

Hugo was different. He was a valuable citizen to Alterra, a precious brethren, so she cared a lot more about how to handle this.

Her thought process showed a bit on her face though.

Hugo gave a wry smile. Seeing her struggle to think of what to say—as if he was a fragile porcelain—was enough of an answer.

“It is fine,” he said. “I just want to say it, to kill the bit of curiosity in my heart.

“Don’t worry about anything. I’ll do my job with the utmost sincerity,” he said, though his voice was a little raspy.

He raised his hand for a handshake, which she took, but he raised it so he could place a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.

“Thank you for hearing me out.”

His feelings for her felt like a burden for him too, but it was one he wanted to carry and hold on to. However, he knew that it wouldn’t do anything to her, to him, or to the world.

As he walked away, his heavy steps slowly felt a bit lighter, and the tightening in his heart just a little bit less. However, he also knew that it’d take a while for him to completely let go, and he told himself he could take his time.

He sighed.

One step at a time…