Chapter 18: Chapter 18 – Preparations (Krossa Mine II)

I could have pressed harder with the negotiations for a bigger slice of the profits, but it wouldn’t have done me any favours in the long run. After all, I was trying to get in their good graces so they would offer their support for later on. Artos and Atreyu both sat down. Tove took this as her cue to bring their drinks over now that things had settled down between us.

Artos turned to face her as she approached. “Tove… how are you keeping?” He asked before grabbing his drink and taking a sip.

“Very… busy. I’m still learning the way of things around here, being new and all. Once again, you have my thanks for getting this job for me.” She replied, bowing her head as she passed Atreyu his tankard.

Artos smiled, “Ahh…, you don’t have to mention it every time. Your mother served us for many years, it’s the least I could do. I’ll be round the camp tomorrow to see how everyone's doing. I’ll let your mother know you’re doing well. Now… about that stew?” His stomach growled like a lion just as he finished speaking.

“Just a moment, it’s nearly done.” She finished before scurrying off behind the bar only to emerge a few minutes later. She balanced a few bowls on her arms effortlessly and placed them on the table before going back to get the rest before we began eating.

The chunks of potatoes and carrots complimented the well-seasoned broth. Whoever had cooked this most likely had years of experience under their belt which led me to believe that it must have been Lady Brina that was the mastermind behind it.

A pile of empty bowls had been erected in the centre of the table with not a single drop of soup wasted, as usual the bosa went down very nicely with the food. Tove had informed us earlier that the baths were ready, but I wanted to let the food settle before getting wet as stomach cramps in the bath suck. Azer sure didn’t care about that and had rushed as soon as he had finished eating, but not before paying the bar tab off as his guards left for the stables to take care of the cart.

I waited around with the brothers who had already begun formulating a list of people to bring into the fold. Two names kept popping up in the conversation often. The first went by the name Ronta Kybert who had served as the personal bodyguard of the Krossa family when the mine was still operational. From the way the twins described him, he had been one of the greatest fighters on the island having won a few combat tournaments, which were normally held here annually. The second man was the blacksmith of Vern Village, a man by the name of Cadfael Sayer, whose forge was previously situated in the village at the mine. Apparently, his newfound ability to craft explosives would be a game changer when it came to dispersing large congregations of our green foes.

There were still a few things I needed to know, “I have a question about these goblins, if you don’t mind.”

Both brothers turned to face me like they had forgotten I had been there all along, “Yeah… go ahead.” Artos nodded.

“Exactly how many of these creatures will we be facing? And any other information that would be helpful?” I asked.

Artos cleared his throat, “When we first encountered them in the mine, they managed to swarm us with roughly a hundred. The most the village could muster was twenty good men, including the miners. Unfortunately for us, they had the element of surprise, otherwise I’m certain we would have given them a run for their coin, but that was ten years ago. Me and Atreyu went on a little scouting run about a year ago and found they have increased in number. The guards of Vern Village encountered a small group not so long ago but managed to hold their own against them but are scared that if they come back with a larger host they will surely perish. I can’t be sure, but they’ll be near enough, a thousand, with most burrowed in the mineshafts.”

“Are there any patterns to their behaviour we might be able to use against them?” I asked. Maybe they followed some strange patterns or were led by some kind of ruling figure. I remembered what Azer had told me before, that they were stupid creatures who only cared for shiny things.

Artos turned to Atreyu, who looked eager to explain, “From what we have seen, they are broken into smaller tribes or clans, with each one being led by a chief. Each clan is different in the way they function and their goals. If we could take out the leaders, I doubt the rest wouldn't hesitate to scatter away like little mice. Give me a decent arrow, a clear line of sight to the head, and something to distract them with.”

“I’m assuming you're good with a bow?” I asked. It was silly for me to ask as I already knew he was a ranger from the scan earlier.

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“I've practiced my entire life.” He replied before giving a cheeky smile to his brother, “Artos was groomed to know the inner workings of the mine while I slacked off hunting in the woods.”

“That figures. So… are you two actually twins or something? I thought you were going to look exactly alike but I was wrong.” They did look similar but not the same as twins normally would.

The two brothers looked at each other and laughed before simultaneously saying, “We are!”

“We looked very much alike when we were younger but taking different paths in life changed us into what you see now. You’re not the first to ask this, it’s something only people from Krossa would know.” Artos explained before yawning, “It’s getting late, and we’ll be needing the rest for tomorrow. I’ll send someone around to wake you up in the morning. Take care of yourself.” He finished before they both made their way to their rooms.

Tove waited behind the bar for me with her arms crossed, giving a strange look to hurry up and most likely thought I was just some idiot not worth her time. Brina pushed the last of the punters out and placed a large wooden piece in the locking mechanism of the door before starting on the final round of cleaning. I was taken to my room where a tub of hot water had been placed in the centre. I removed the dirty cloak and passed it over to Tove, who took a moment to gawk at the gleaming armour beneath. I had actually removed the helmet a while back before entering the boundary of the town to not rouse suspicion. She finally took the cloak and scurried off. I could tell by her body language her perception of me took a giant U-turn, I had gone from some dirty hobo to a mysterious knight in shining armour… or I hoped that was the case.

I removed the armour and jumped in the mixture of soap and warm water before scrubbing away the blood, sweat, and tears that had accumulated these last few days. Once I was clean enough, I wiped myself down with the cotton cloths that had been provided. I leaped onto the soft bed and sank into the feathers as if I had landed on a cloud. How the heck was this bed better than what we had on earth?

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A loud thud on the door shuddered me awake. I gasped for air and wiped my eyes when a notification popped up on the screen.

Getting a good night's sleep will grant a special bonus to your stat points for one day.

You are Well Rested. +10% to Stats.

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