by Elian Tars
“The details are unimportant,” I added hastily. Horn nodded slowly.
For a while, we all sat in silence. The thane suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted an order to someone in the other room.
“Tilda! Get out of the tub! Bring us the map of Ishiria and Tulin’s Travel Journal!”
“In a moment!” came the reply.
“Everyone else, if you want to stretch your legs, get out of the tub!” Horn continued shouting at the door of the adjoining room. “Something’s brewing, and it’s gonna be big!” Glancing at me, he inquired in a hushed voice: “You’ll need all the help you can get, right? You don’t have an army of your own?”
“I have something, but I’ll need assistance. My plans don’t end with Al-Harum.”
“Hmm, what an interesting client you are,” Horn said, bearing his teeth and roared at the top of his lungs. “Get up, lazybones! Call the hirds! As many as you can!”
He breathed out and, snatching his mug, quickly dunked it into the cask, filling it to the brim again. He refilled Tael’s and mine, too. Plopping down into the armchair, he began rapping his long, strong fingers on the oak tabletop.
“While we wait,” I said calmly, deciding to lighten up the atmosphere, and at the same time satisfy my curiosity, “I have a question. It’s not related to the subject that we’ve just discussed.”
“Ask!” he said with a nod.
“I happened to meet a group of mercenaries who call themselves Iron Faced...” At the mention of that name, Horn made a wry face, opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself, letting me finish. “Are they from Sautz, too?”
“No,” he said with a strong shake of his head. “Do you think that every mercenary is a Follower of Noriduel? Do you think that they all live here?” he said, pointing his forefinger somewhere above his head. “There’s a lot of scum like your Iron Faced, too.”
It was just like I thought: there were a lot of Followers of other Gods among the Iron Faced, but here, in Sautz, everyone worshipped one God. Unfortunately, I didn’t know much about Noriduel, the God of Liberty.
Lloyd Koala, the author of the Small Encyclopedia had never been on the Island, so he didn’t have much to say about it. All he wrote was: “According to rumors, there are a lot of men and women among the mercenaries of Sautz. They use different kinds of weapons and fight like wild animals, and they have an ability that allows them to increase their strength through carnal pleasure and endless drinking.” I reread that part several times before going to the Island. Judging by everything that I had seen so far, I was inclined to think that Koala had been told the truth. Physical Pleasure gave buffs to everyone, but they apparently had an even stronger effect on the Followers of Noriduel. As for alcohol, it didn’t give any bonuses to the Followers of other Gods. Though I could be wrong, as I had never been drunk enough to get any system messages about it.
Tilda, the fair-haired woman that Horn had removed from his lap when we arrived, entered the study without knocking, carrying the items Horn had asked for. She was level 120 and dressed in brown leather armor.
The four of us began going over all the available information about Al-Harum. Other high-leveled mercenaries, some of which had the title of “housecarl” in their names, joined us later. Tael explained to me that they were the heads of military squads — hirds. Sautz had a lot of similarities with the northern nations of Earth, whose history I didn’t know too well. But their terminology was a bit different. Terms like thane, hird, and housecarl captured the essence of their earthen counterparts, but that was all. It was interesting to see such a divergence, but I had neither the desire nor the time to dig deeper into how the word-building of this “game” had been done.
When more than thirty people had gathered in the study, we moved to the next room, from which the tub had been removed to make space. Together, we worked on our plans until late in the evening. Once we had a more or less solid plan, Horn told me the cost of his help.
“So, Ken, taking into account all of the risks, transportation, the cost of potions, armor, weapons and provision, as well as all of the possible discounts, an army of 700 soldiers will cost you 700,000 gold coins. I suppose that you knew what you were doing when you came here, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
I tried to bargain, but Horn wouldn’t budge, saying that this was his final offer.
I had to accept his terms.
“Three hundred thousand in advance. Two hundred when we get there, and the rest when we capture the city,” he said in a businesslike manner, offering his hand for a handshake to seal the deal. I saw a small, amber colored pearl in his hand — an Oath Keeper.
“Deal,” I said tiredly.
“Great!!! This calls for a drink!” Tia, a housecarl with a dark complexion, exclaimed and lifted her mug. The others joined her at once.
We drank. I paid. We drank again.
“We’ll set out at dawn!” Horn said cheerfully, itching to get into a fight as soon as possible. “You can stay here. Ken. I’m sure that you’ll enjoy the company.” He nodded at Tia and a pretty, red-haired lady named Helly.
Unlike me, the girls clearly didn’t mind the implication. I wasn’t a Follower of Noriduel. I didn’t live purely for satisfaction. I had no desire to get so close to women I had just met. Why risk for no good reason?
“No, thank you. I’m married,” I refused politely, catching myself feeling glad that I had such a convenient excuse.
The mercenaries chuckled and shook their heads. I decided to stir the conversation to a different topic.
“Horn, I have one more question for you. A rather important one. Can you find out if anyone saw a giant, black Sea Serpent?”
The mercenaries stopped chuckling at once and immediately got serious. Horn took a long gulp of wine and gritted his teeth.
“Why do you need the beast?” he finally asked.
“The details are unimportant, but I’ll pay for the information. I’m especially interested in where its lair is. Is there an island where the Serpent likes to bathe under the sun, lying on the shore?”
Horn nodded. “There is such an island.” His gaze passed over everyone present, but seemed to linger on Tael. The thane sighed heavily and continued: “It’s called Penta.” He pointed with his forefinger on the map and circled a small area. “It’s further to the north from the island where you met Tael.” He drew an invisible line, connecting two islands. “It’s a couple of days of sailing from here. But I won’t rent you my people or my ships. Especially not the people. You can only buy a ship.”
“Hmm…” I drawled and scratched my beard. “Is the Serpent so scary?”
“Yes,” he answered shortly. “Enough talking. It’s time to celebrate the beginning of a great campaign!”
***
Drinking with mercenaries was a thankless job, especially if you weren’t a great drinker. Almost a third of the entire Island’s population had gathered at the long tables, the rest were drinking on the streets. No one seemed bothered by the fact that at dawn they’d have to set sails.
“For our gloomy client!” Horn lifted his mug.
“For the campaign!”
“For the blood of our enemies!”
“For trophy women!”
“Hey! And for trophy men, too!”
There were all kinds of toasts. They lifted their mugs even for Vella, who was chewing a leg of a roe near the fireplace.
The fun atmosphere was gradually increasing: people, both men and women, began dancing and even taking off their clothes to the approving roars of their friends. I was afraid that the party would turn into an orgy. I couldn’t help but wonder were all of their parties this wild.
“Are you too much of a prude to have fun with us?” Tael chuckled, sitting down beside me. I didn’t notice where, or when, he had left.
“You could say so,” I replied.
“Do you want to leave but don’t know how to do it without offending anyone? Without, say, ruining your
relationship with the crew?”
“Yes.” I nodded, surprised that he had guessed what was on my mind.
“Then stand up and leave,” Tael chuckled. “What’s stopping you? No one will say a word to you. No one will hold a grudge. We follow the God of Liberty, which means that we are free to do whatever we want, within reasonable bounds, of course. Being tired of celebrating and going to your room is within those bounds. Let’s go!” he exclaimed and smacked me on the shoulder. “I’ll keep you company. And we’ll discuss something in private.”
Not wishing to argue, I stood up after Tael. He was right — nobody cared much about me. Most of people paid absolutely no attention to me; some of them even waved me goodbye with their mugs.
Together with Tael and Vella, I went up the second floor, walked down the hallway and entered one of the rooms.
The room given to me consisted of two adjoining rooms. There were chairs, a table and a cask with wine in one room, and a closet and a big double bed in the other.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked, closing the door behind me.
Tael didn’t sit down. He stopped in the centre of the room, with an intent look in his eyes.
“The trip to Al-Harum will take ten days. Six by sea, and about four by land,” he began with what I already knew. “Why do you have to spend so much time on the road? Wouldn’t a man who can so easily and effortlessly part with 700,000 gold coins have more important things to do?”
“What are you trying to say?” I frowned.
“Nothing,” Tael shrugged. “I just think that you should leave the stone you use for teleporting and as your resurrection point with me.” He smiled crookedly, letting me know that he had no doubts about me being a Gleam. “I’ll take it to your destination and, presto, in ten days you’ll be there without having had to lift a finger. Could you teleport your troops this way, too, or had they already set out to Al-Harum on their own? You haven’t told us the details, just said that they’ll be there as backup.”
“The details are unimportant,” I reminded.
“That’s true. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But think over my offer. And give it a good thought. The sooner you do it, the better.” Turning around, he materialized an empty mug. Having filled it with wine from the cask, he sat down at the table, pretending that the boar’s head that was hanging on the wall was much more interesting than I was. It was as if he was hinting that he wouldn’t go anywhere until I left him the shard.
Such insistence made me very tense. I planned to go with them and bury the shard somewhere once we get there (though, I’d have to make a resurrection point out of it first, because I didn’t have any “charged” ones with me at the moment). I also wanted to go back to my barony and then come back together with my guys. The downside of that plan was that I’d waste ten days travelling. I doubted that I’d be able to accumulate anything except Faith Points for everyday prayers under the gaze hundreds of pairs of eyes during that time.
If Berg was with me now, I would leave him with the mercenaries and return to the village to grind for “lives” in the nearby forest. Unfortunately, there were no people I could trust here.
“Having doubts?” Tearing his gaze from the boar’s head, Tael put the empty mug on the table and looked at me again. “I understand. You must think that I’ll, I don’t know, break your stone or something. Or that I’ll throw it into the sea, making you and your army drown. Or maybe… Maybe you think that I’ll be able to track your other resurrection points?”
Tael didn’t stop surprising me. Was he a Gleam himself? Where were those ideas coming from?
“Maybe I do,” I answered dryly.
“Well, you shouldn’t.” Tael smiled and, putting his hands behind his head, leaned back so much that the front legs of the poor, squeaking chair rose into the air. “You clearly have no idea what kind of God Noriduel is. There are bounds which he doesn’t cross and which he doesn’t let his Followers cross. Like using the clients’ secrets against them.”
“What an honorable man,” I chuckled unkindly. I was looking down at Tael, but he was too relaxed and cheerful to care about being treated as a subordinate. Followers of Noriduel were strange people… I could even say that I liked them for their frankness, but…
“I’d trust him, maybe,” I continued, forcing myself to sit down in front of Tael. Our eyes were on the same level now, but I was the one who felt uncomfortable. The fact that he was so relaxed annoyed me. He seemed arrogant. “If not for one issue — you abandoned me once, and then you used me, threatening to kill me.”
“Hey, hey, easy, man!” he exclaimed, returning the chair in its original position and putting his hands in front of him. “Your words sound pretty nasty! Watch what you say!” He stopped fooling around and got serious again. “I never said anything to anyone. If you leave your stone with me, you’ll teleport to it in ten days and get it back.”
“N-…” I wanted to refuse, but black smoke filled the room. Vella barked happily, leapt to her feet, and wagged her tail in greeting.
Chapter 26
Setting Off
Level 78
Vitality: 413
Endurance: 268
Strength: 317
Agility: 375
Intelligence: 349
This was how my stats looked with my items equipped, but without my weapon, which was usually stashed in the inventory, and after two purchases of a week’s worth of stat points with the help of the deliverer, ten days worth of intensive trainings, and plus fifty-five to all stats for reaching level seventy. In total, I now had 4,230 HP, which was more than Jerome and Hulne had, and almost as much as Una had, dressed in that simple dress she wore at the mayor’s office (I recalled that her armor increased her vitality by sixty points or something like that). Needless to say, all three of them had gotten bonuses for reaching levels eighty and ninety, but thanks to my cloak and the stat points that I had bought, I was now much stronger than most fighters of my level. However, I was aware that fighting serious opponents without the skills that I had would still be hard.
Ten days ago, the Old Man convinced me to create a new resurrection point and leave it with Tael for safekeeping. Not without doubts, I decided to trust my patron. My grunting and occasional jealousy aside, the Old Man had never let me down.
As a result, I finally got some time for peaceful grinding, if it could be called “peaceful.” I grinded as if my life and the future of the entire world depended on it. And I wasn’t the only one to have done so! My entire estate was practically turned into a military camp. Some of the peasants were busy building new houses, and the village women were preoccupied with their household duties, but everyone else fought. Two on two, five on five, ten on ten — group trainings helped them to understand what they were capable of, and at the same time, taught them how to work as a team. The battles we’ve fought helped them gain experience and separate potential leaders and strong fighters from the rest. The strongest fighters were the ones who fought one-on-one. Such people should be able to have a situation under control, push their bodies to the maximum and fulfill whatever task had been given to them, as well as help the weaker members of the squad to survive.
As for me, I spent half of my time in the woods with Vella; the other half I spent fighting, as it helped me gain XP faster. I got a good chunk of the XP bargaining with the Old Man over the villagers that Shawn and Kane had brought and the Endless quest that Rugus had given to me a while back.
I slept little and usually ate on the road. Sometimes I had to deal with administrative matters — I was a baron now, after all.
During training, we used our entire supply of potions made out of the Essence’s Storage. To make up for it, we turned two and a half Stones that Berg had found into dust, which we then diluted with water. All of our hard work wasn’t for nothing – the villagers gained several levels. However, our supplies grew scarce. We had enough to march to Al-Harum, but after that… Damn it, should I
risk jumping into the “Lake?” I really don’t want to reveal that resurrection point Tiara…
Speaking of her, a few days ago she sent a dove — a beautiful white bird with an ugly scar along its back. This mark was left after a blood ritual, with the help of which Tiara created a special connection with the bird, one akin to what Kane had with his Wights.
“Hello, my dear husband,” spoke Tiara’s voice when the dove flew to me in the middle of the forest. “I’d like to say that I’m happy to see you, but I can’t see you. But I feel you. Always.”
“I know, honey,” I replied. “Did something happen?”
“No, I just missed you,” she said, sounding slightly offended. Luckily, she quickly composed herself. “I can’t hold the connection for too long. The bird is dying. Tell me, why are you wasting your time there? Why haven’t you told me that my father had given you land and a title?” She didn’t sound just offended anymore, but irritated. If she knew about all this, she must’ve caught up with Caer’s army.
“I’m training and preparing the troops. Don’t worry, I’ll be in Ishiria very soon,” I replied, deciding not to answer her last question. Luckily, the reply seemed to have pleased her.
“You’ll teleport using your special skill then,” she concluded. The dove, walking in the grass, bobbed its head to and fro. The magic she was using was strange — Tiara didn’t use the bird’s mouth to make sounds, her voice sounded as if it was coming from inside the bird’s body. “All right. Fine then. Everything’s in working order here, too. We haven’t had any serious battles yet, but they’re coming. The count of Beldera brought back his troops from the border; he’s preparing to meet us. That, and the king will probably be waiting for us in the capital. I doubt that he’ll go anywhere.”
“Won’t he support the count? Use his people to buy some time and cripple your forces?”
“Apparently not. But enough of that, we really don’t have much time. I just wanted to know what you were so busy with. I’d love to spend more time alone with you but, unfortunately, that’s not possible now. A pity.”