Chapter 369: 350. Days In Red Oak III

Omen: 14, 20

Adam sighed, staring at the ceiling. ‘I could have enchanted something real nice today.’

Once he was bathed, he made his way to the group, which had gathered around a pair of tables. 

“You really do love your baths,” Jaygak said, raising her brows at him, smirking.

“Baths for me, horns for you,” Adam said, simply. 

Jaygak tilted her head slightly, thinking about Adam’s words. ‘Ah.’

An hour after breakfast, the merchant appeared. She was short, stoutly built, with dark hair, and bright eyes. She wore the typical clothing of the Aldish, a blouse and trousers, and a pair of thick boots. At her side was a shortsword, one of decent enough make, the pommel smooth and round, polished to a mirror shine. She wore rings of silver and gold all along her left hand, sometimes multiple of each finger. 

“So you’re Fate’s Golden?” the woman asked with a raised brow.

“That’s right,” Adam said.

The merchant’s eyes scanned the Half Elf for a moment. She gave him a dirty look, before her eyes twitched, and she tilted her head at him. 

Adam smiled, noting the way she was looking at him. “Yes?”

“You seem familiar.”

“Do I?” Adam asked. “Well, you know, I’m something of an alchemist myself.”

“Right. Adam, a Half Elf, alchemist. I do know of you.”

“You’ve heard of me?” 

“A troublemaker, I’ve heard.”

“Sounds about right,” Adam said, chuckling.

“This is no funny business, young man.” The merchant glared at Adam.

“Isn’t it?” Adam asked. “It was a funny joke.”

“Do you think I’m joking?”

“Aren’t you?”

“No,” the merchant stated, firmly.

“So, who is it that is spreading this slander about me?” Adam asked.

“Sir Harvey.”

“Ah!” Adam chuckled and nodded. “I should have guessed.”

“I will not leave my life in your hands.”

“Fair enough,” Adam replied, simply. “I’m glad you nipped this in the bud, before we wasted each other’s time.”

The merchant quickly stepped to the counter, working on finding another group of adventurers to assist her. 

Time was money.

Adam leaned back in his chair. “Well, that’s a shame.”

“What did you do to Sir Harvey?” Vonda asked.

Adam pointed to his ears. “This, and I slew a Dragon.”

“That offended him?”

“Nobles,” Adam said, simply, rolling his eyes. 

Sir Vonda raised her brows at him. 

“I’m just saying. Nobles.” Adam shrugged his shoulders innocently. “Can’t I call them, and you, Nobles?”

“Not with such disdain.”

“Me? Having disdain for the Nobles?” Adam gasped, reaching up to his chest protectively. “I’ll have you know that in the Greylands we love to suckle on the teet of our great overlords! We allow them to piss on our graves and thank them for the rain.” 

Vonda furrowed her brows as Adam laughed, almost crying as he did. 

“Adam,” called a familiar voice. 

It was the voice of an older man with pale bronze skin, salt and pepper hair, and dark eyes. He wore a breast plate, which had a stylised sigil stamped against the front, and pieces of segmented armour across the rest of his body. 

“Vice Master Paul,” Adam said, quickly standing to greet him, shaking his forearm. “How can I help you?”

Paul looked to the merchant, nodding his head at her. “I heard there’s some minor trouble.”

“Not that I am aware of,” Adam said.

“Adam,” Paul said, sternly. “Would you be willing to allow your second group to take the request?”

“Afraid not,” Adam replied, simply.

Paul raised his brows, waiting for Adam to elaborate. 

“Look, Vice Master Paul, I’m the captain of this group. Now, usually, I’d be willing to hand over trouble to the rest of them, but I can’t let them go through the grief I had to go through last time when dealing with these types, especially because last time I had you and two powerful Iyrmen to bat for me, and I’m pretty sure you aren’t coming along this time.” 

Vice Master Paul bowed his head. 

“Grief?” the merchant scoffed. “How dare you.”

“I assume there will be no punishment for Sir Harvey for slandering me to others, is there?”

Paul sighed.

“I thought so,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “Well, what can I expect? This isn’t the Iyr.”

The merchant turned tomato red, but the anger quickly passed her. “I have business to do, Vice Master, so I hope you are willing to assist me.”

“Of course.” Paul gave Adam a look.

“Yeah, yeah,” Adam said, placing a finger on his lips. “I’ll be a good boy this time, only for you, Vice Master.” Adam dropped down onto his chair and laughed.

Once the merchant was gone, taking with her a group of Bronze Rank adventurers, Adam looked to his group. “Well, shit. I should have remembered that there’s beef between Sir Harvey and I. I’m surprised it only came to bite me in the back now.”

“It is a shame, but it was expected,” Jurot stated. He was surprised it had taken so long too.

“Well, well, well,” Adam said. “If it isn’t the consequences of my own actions.” 

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Jurot threw him a look, nodding his head slowly. 

“Let’s try and find something to do.” Adam stretched out his arms and neck. ‘One day they’ll regret messing with me. Just you wait until I start making all kinds of magical weapons.’

Adam decided to make a potion that evening, only to realise he didn’t bring along any herbs. ‘Damn it.’ He thought about finding the herbalist, but recalled how he felt every time he went to her. He shuddered.

Omen: 6, 13

“Oh no,” Adam said, looking to the Vice Master of the Adventurer’s Guild. “What did I do this time?”

“Nothing,” Paul replied, wondering if he should be telling the young man off about something. “I am here for you to keep to your side of the deal.”

“I already made your son a sword,” Adam whispered.

“The other deal.”

“What other deal?”

“The deal with the Adventurer’s Guild.”

Adam furrowed his brows for a moment. Paul raised his hand, revealing a white pearl. “Oh! That deal!”

Adam spent the day casting Identify on the items Paul had brought to him. There were five in total.

+1 Sword
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

+1 Dagger
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

+1 Spear
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Water Cup
Upon stating the command word, the cup fills with water. The cup can only fill with water once per day, and this feature recharges at dawn.

Hardy Egg
Upon consuming this egg, you may regain 1D6+5 Health. 

“Damn,” Adam said, looking down at the five items. The weapons were boring, but quite useful. The other two items were quite thematic. 

Adam explained to Paul what the items did.

“And the egg?” Paul asked.

“It’s got a lot of protein.” Adam burst out in laughter, slapping his knee. 

Paul blinked. 

“It heals someone upon eating it. About as much as a typical potion, maybe a little more.”

“Thank you.” Paul handed Adam a pouch full of fifty gold.

“No,” Adam said, feeling the heft of the pouch. “Thank you.”

Over the course of the next few days, Adam spent some time crafting potions. He had to meet with that woman, but as quickly as he arrived into her store, he left, not wanting to spend more than a few seconds in her store. 

‘I should never meet with her again,’ Adam thought, wondering if he could find a new herbalist. He blocked the meeting with her in his mind. He sold his potions to the Adventurer’s Guild, just two of his more basic Health Potions, which he sold for eighty gold, a little less than market price. 

He spent some time outside the Guild too, sometimes only some steps away, watching as the people sparred one another in the two fields. 

A town guard remained nearby, just in case. The Guild and the guards weren’t stupid, they knew what could happen when so many hot blooded warriors came together to spar. 

“You’re an Expert,” a guard said, motioning to Adam’s bronze tag. 

“Yep,” Adam said, adjusting the scarf around his head slightly. 

“You look pretty young for an Expert, but I guess with the Iyrmen about, not really something that’s impossible, I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, smiling. “They’re quite strong.”

The guard nodded. “You joining up in the army?”

“Not really my thing,” Adam admitted.

“They say Experts like you’ll get five gold a day.”

Adam whistled. “I might change my mind. Five gold a day, you say?”

“Aye. They’re looking for Experts to form an elite unit or something. Not sure about the particulars.”

‘It’s just under two thousand gold a year. I could make that in a week, if I wanted.’ “I don’t think the army life is for me.”

“I thought about it, but I’m no Expert. I’m just a guard. I’ll stay here, defend my town from outsiders and insiders. They’re reforming the guards, I hear, but I should be alright. Passed my test with flying colours, you see. Never knew colours flew, but what do I know?” The guard chuckled.

Adam smiled. “What do you think about them?” Adam motioned his head to the youth who were practising. “Think they’re army material.”

The guard leaned back, crossing his arms. “Kids like those are good for a javelin or two. Either to be thrown, or…”

Adam slowly nodded his head. “Here’s hoping there’s no more war for a little while.”

“Forty thousand,” the guard said. “That’s how many the King wants for his army.”

Adam whistled. “That’s a lot. I heard they only send a few thousand to the islands.”

The guard nodded. “A bunch of labourers have been sent to make forts around the land. They say there’s going to be double the amount of forts soon, and that they’re going to make more. They’re going to make some new roads and all.”

Adam raised his brows. ‘Seems like they’re serious about this army.’ “They’re making a proper professional army then, with logistics and all?”

“That’s what they say. Going to be training the troops for six months before they’re sent out, a couple of thousand at a time. Ships are being made too, to send them all to their deaths.”

“Fighting for your country brings you glory,” Adam said, quietly. 

The guard pulled out a pipe, and lit it up, before taking a puff. “Glory won’t feed my little James.”

Adam nodded his head slowly, watching as the peasant youth tried to practise with their staffs. “Yeah.”

“They make money for their family, and worst case scenario, there’s one less mouth to feed.”

‘Damn,’ Adam thought glancing at the guard, who continued to smoke, taking in the sight of the boys and girls he was sure he’d never see again.

 

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Still very sick. Two chapters tomorrow and a trade offer.

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