Chapter 19: Chapter 19 – The Duel (Krossa Mine III)

The last piece of bread had been stuffed down before we all sat around the table sipping the last drops of “Tai,” a caffeinated beverage that was drunk by almost everyone here during breakfast. It resembled tea more than coffee and contained a ton of sweet sugar along with crushed cardamom seeds. It left a herbal minty aftertaste in my mouth. I preferred my tea bitter, but this concoction smashed my expectations.

While the others were occupied by small talk, I made my way to the warmth of the hearth, the fire was smaller than that of the previous night. I lifted my cloak which had been spread out above a stone shelf built into the chimney. I ran my fingers through the wool and found it to be dry enough to wear, what moisture remained would soon dry out once we got going. The wool felt comfier with the added heat from the fire. Tove had done a great job of scrubbing the muck and grime off and it looked just as good as the day I bought it, minus a few scuffs and tears scarring the outer layer. The damage was barely noticeable unless you were standing within arm’s length, but I don’t think anyone was going to be doing that. I wrapped it around and tied the strap around my neck.

“Have you thought about who you’re going to go with?” Artos asked, getting up and doing the same with his cloak.

Over breakfast, I pondered over the two options and finally decided it would be more beneficial to meet the other warriors that would be joining us on the mission. Sure, looking around the town and markets would have been a great opportunity to discover more about the economy and learn more about the town but seemed stupid when our current goal was to reclaim the mine, and besides Azer was capable enough not to need me looking over his shoulder when it came to buying things. “Yeah… I’ll be joining you at the refugee camp. I want to see what this Ronta guy is all about and what the other men are capable of.”

Artos chuckled, “Well, you’ll be in for a treat. He’s one of the best people I know. Come on then, we need to get a move on.”

Azer looked a little bit jealous, he probably thought I was going to choose him over the brothers. His expression became more understanding. “Indeed... where do you want to meet up once I’ve gathered the supplies?”

“We need to make way for Vern Village right after the camp to convince Cadfael as soon as possible. We still have a few horses there that we’ll be taking, so it’ll be better if you meet us there. Also… don’t take all day, I know what you’re like when you go on crazy shopping trips.” Artos finished with a chuckle.

“Indeed, I won't be long. Just make sure you don’t rouse too much trouble when you’re there, Ronnu seems agitated these days.” Azer explained giving Atreyu a weird look, who scoffed.

“Who cares what that little cock thinks. He’s still not over me ploughing his wife on the pantry table in his own house. He knows I’ll smash his face one of these days if he carries on berating us.” Atreyu snapped, shaking his head.

Holy shit! That explains why Ronnu was butt-hurt when I mentioned the twins, I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation to which the others also joined in.

“There’ll be plenty of time to joke around on the road. Come, let's move on!” Artos pushed us all out.

A salty breeze smashed my face as soon as the door swung open. With the morning sun rising above the walls, I could now see the details missed from the night before. It looked as though most of the buildings had been constructed of wood with most being single-storey and some double. Looking way into the distance there was one building that stood out the most. It towered over the others and had been constructed of stone. Seagulls gawked upon its spiral towers and a few guards could be seen walking along the balconies along its highest level. There was no doubt that was where this so-called duke laid his head to sleep every night.

From what Azer had mumbled to me before arriving, the town was actually situated near the coast hence why the air seemed salty enough to leave a funny taste in my mouth when I licked my lips. There was another gate at the other end where a small path would lead you to the docks. Azer had said that was where most of the trade came in from the mainland and where the Royal Army resupplied.

“There will be time for that later.” Artos interrupted and pushed me towards the gate. “We won't arrive at the camp gawking about like that.”

Now that I think about it, I really should have gone with Azer to look around. Artos was beginning to annoy me with his pushy behaviour but at least there was one person here to keep us focused. “Until we meet again, Djarin town…” I sighed as we neared the gate.

Ronnu stood there with his snot-nosed goons giving Atreyu a gaze that would put the devil to shame but from the level difference he wouldn't stand a chance against the twins in combat. The guards were slack when it came to lifting the barricade and opening the doors, there was no doubt Ronnu was behind this.

You are reading story Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) at novel35.com

“Hurry up you... cocks!” Atreyu shouted, “If you’ve got a problem with us, we can settle this by combat if you wish.” The guards quickened their pace ignoring what Ronnu must have said earlier. It seemed as though Atreyu had a reputation around here for being badass. I was excited to see how well he would do in combat and what his Ranger call would bring to the party.

Finally! After the gate was opened, we walked along a tiny dirt path along the exterior of the town walls going past a heap of wheat crops which seemed to be a staple around these parts until we arrived at a clearing where a flat meadow presented itself. A group of seven or eight tents had been erected in a small field barricaded by a small shoddy fence. Children played in the fields and noticed us as we neared, most of them ran towards us while some made their way to the tents shouting something along the lines of “Lord Krossa's here!”

Most of the little ones wore rags for clothes and seemed to be slightly malnourished. Atreyu opened his satchel and removed a few pieces of bread and let the children nibble on them. I had wondered where all the bread had gone, must have either sneaked it in while no one was looking, or the guy had some seriously fast hand movements… No wonder Ronnu’s wife had the time of her life on that poor pantry table.

The twins carried the smaller ones on their shoulders and made their way towards the centre where the entrances of the tents converged. By now, almost everyone had come out and greeted the brothers who were the rightful leaders of the community. Once the initial commotion was over, Artos wasted no time beginning his speech. He explained everything that was discussed in the inn carefully without missing any details. I also received a little introduction, but I preferred to just hide under the cover of my cloak.

A giant man walked forward, he seemed older than the others but was still built like a bull. From the confidence in his gait, I could tell this was the famed Ronta the brothers were fanboying over earlier. His greying hair along with the healed scars on his face, sure made him look intimidating. He gave me a quick glance and frowned as if I was the reason for this stupidity. “Have you both lost your minds?” He asked. “How do you expect us to fight a horde of goblins like that? When they took over the town, we were lucky to get out alive. Our people need us here, not dead in a forgotten town no one even thinks about anymore. Whoever this man is and whatever poison he has spilled in your ears, I’m not buying it and no one else is, for that matter.”

Artos cleared his throat, “Ronta, I understand what you’re trying to say but look at us. We have nothing, the town wants nothing to do with us, we’re on our own. The duke is only concerned with his own troubles. If we don’t fight for what is ours, then who will? We’re lucky to have Ali’Creed here who is willing to invest in the mission and fight alongside us. This is for the sake of our children and future generations, is it not?”

Ronta huffed, “I don’t see what’s so special about this coward. He doesn’t even have the balls to show his face and hides behind a damn cloak.” He took a few steps toward me and became very agitated. His skin began to boil, and he looked like he was about to lose his rag.

And I was there thinking he was supposed to be a great guy from what Artos said... What a lying piece of shit! Plus, he seemed to hate me, though he knew nothing about me. Fuck this guy.

“You can stuff your mission where the sun doesn’t shine!” Ronta shouted, pointing at us very aggressively with each word.

“Hey!” Atreyu interrupted, “what happened to serving our family? You’re supposed to be our sworn sword. I thought you were better than this.”

“Our people are safe here. Indeed, we are treated like dirt, but we are alive and well. I won't allow you to risk the lives of our fighting men for a case lost a decade ago on the hopes of this clown.” He finished pointing at me.

“We’re not going to wait around while you all die of starvation here. Have you seen the state of the children? How can you call this surviving? You’ll die of famine soon enough, not to mention the threat from the bandits. Just use that stupid head of yours for once, Ronta.” Artos barked back before walking towards him.

The two men squared off with each other, with Atreyu trying to come in between to split them up but failing miserably. Things were sure to get heated, and I had no doubt fighting would break out, not to mention the people of the camp began to look pale. Whatever this was had most likely been brewing for some time and only now reached its boiling point.

Ronta locked his gaze with mine again and sighed, “I’ll give you a deal. Your special man here fights me in a duel. If he wins, we’ll join you, but if I win, then I will kick some sense into both your heads.”

Both brothers, along with everyone else, turned to face me before burning me with their gazes, the deafening silence just made things go from bad to worse as they awaited an answer. It looked like I was going to be taking one for the team, this was the reason why I would have preferred going solo. The only reason I was here was because the scope of this mission was far greater than what my abilities could offer at that point. Damn it! I needed these people, so I grit my teeth, “alright, I’ll fight him.” What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?

You can find story with these keywords: Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series), Read Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series), Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) novel, Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) book, Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) story, Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) full, Rekindle Project (A LITRPG Series) Latest Chapter