noveltune Chapter 122: Good Samaritan
Chapter 122: Good Samaritan
Chapter 122: Good Samaritan
As the company registered the disbelief of my presence, they came by to slap me on the back—not gently—and congratulate me once again for a miraculous survival. I think the slaps were to make sure I was actually here and not an illusion. With the welcome done, I started eating breakfast in earnest.
I was pretty sure Firth started whispering a new nickname for me around the table: The Revenant. He thought it was funny, but I did not. Konstantin had called me that before he almost attacked me. Brutus informed me that a revenant was an undead creature that rose from its grave to avenge itself.
As the excitement of my return from the dead once again ebbed, Castile got everyone’s attention, “At this point, it is safe to say Fortuna is watching over Eryk. We are going to need her supervision. We leave for the Elven Ruins of Caelora tomorrow after Konstantin and Flavius return.”
Mateo was the first to break his focus off me, “Isn’t that the ruins we passed on that old road? The one filled with ghosts?”
Castile nodded, “Specters, not ghosts. We are going to explore the ruins and look for the entrance to a dungeon mentioned in the books recovered from the ruins a long time ago.”
Surprisingly, Benito asked a smart question: “Would we get another dungeon discovery fee from the Adventurer’s Guild if we find it?”
Delmar stepped forward, “If we find it, yes. But most likely, any reward would be delayed. The Duchess needs to use the information to barter with the Emperor to add the surrounding lands, and we would also have to open the trade road.”
Firth groaned, “We will have to take care of that pack of dire wolves then.”
Delmar affirmed the announcement, “Yes, the dire wolves will need to be handled, but only after we confirm the dungeon exists and is viable.”
“How are we going to kill the specters? Only Delmar and Konstantin have runic weapons,” someone asked from the table far to my right.
Castile couldn’t contain a smile, “The Duchess called in some favors. I have twenty runic arrows for Blaze, and fifteen each for Pavel and Flavius. Delmar has been given a runic long sword, and I have two more to assign.” Those three were the company’s best archers, so her division of arrows made sense.
Adrian stepped forward, “Those two blades will be wielded by the best swordsmen among you lot.” Everyone started eyeing everyone else, trying to figure out who that would be.
“Should have gotten runic spears,” Firth lamented loudly enough for everyone to hear. He was an excellent spearman and average swordsman in the company.
Adrian snapped at him, “What we have are blades, Firth, and we are thankful for them. This evening, we will have everyone on the training grounds to contest for the two blades.” That got ripples of excitement from the table. Any type of competition was welcome—especially one with a reward at the end.
“We also have a kettle of souls, men. It can permanently banish a specter so it cannot come back to hinder us again,” Castile added emphatically to encourage everyone. I don’t think the men knew that the specters regenerated over time in the city. Being able to vanquish them permanently was a huge boon.
Adrian announced to the growing fervor of conversation, “You have the remainder of the day off. Rest and enjoy your time in the city. It may be a few weeks before we see the comforts of walls again.”
Firth added, “At least walls that are not manned by the spirits of the dead.” His comedic delivery got laughs from everyone as they made their way out.
Brutus came to talk with me, “Can I buy the Revenant a drink in the city?” I rolled my eyes and hoped this nickname disappeared as quickly as the last one had.
We walked together to the establishment in the city that the other men favored. Brutus told me the ale tasted foul but was strong, and the food was decent. As we entered, I noted it was also favored by all the city and citadel guards our men had been training. We found a table, and a woman came by, and Brutus said, “Two specials and two ales.”
He leaned into me eagerly, “So tell me how you escaped a dragon.”
“Not much to tell. It was not a true dragon, anyway,” I paused. I was not going to tell Brutus I could heal. “I was injured but was lucky as the elven summoner Konstantin had struck down with an arrow had a healing potion.” That reminded me that I had three potions that needed to be identified by the Scholar. “I was nearly killed but was able to heal. The wyvern—was exhausted from fighting Sebastion. It just lost its train of thought in the fight, and I prevailed.” I smiled at the confused Brutus by the bullshit story. He was expecting some hero’s tale, but I was no hero.
We sipped ale, waiting for the food as I deflected Brutus’ questions about how I prevailed. “Did Quentin have a family?” I asked after the Legionnaire, who the hill giant had killed. It was an attempt to steer the conversation away from me. Brutus was clearly frustrated at my storytelling capabilities.
I still placed everything I had found from a morning’s work on the counter while Lyla sorted through it and Ria dealt with a middle-aged male customer. When she finished, she looked up, “Three silver, fifty copper. Best we can do at the moment. Plenty of others are coming in to sell, and we cannot process what we have.” Ria had joined Lyla as the customer had bought a tincture and left.
I nodded as if thinking, “What if I could find you some help? I know some of the refugees, good people.”
Ria perked up, “Experienced herbalists?” She asked, interested.
I frowned, “No, you would have to train them.”
“Not interested, then,” Ria said with a dismissive wave. “Food is scarce and coin tighter. We wouldn’t be able to feed them, only pay them a pittance, and with the coming snow, things are going to get worse. Prices have already doubled and will double again before too long.”
“What if I could give you some food? Not from the Duchess, but some Legion stores I have access to? It is not a lot. Maybe a month’s worth for the three women. I will also pay for their housing inside your shop. Is a silver a week for each fair?” The shop had a second floor, so I assumed there were multiple rooms up there.
“Three?” Lyla barked a laugh. “You are keeping three women satisfied? You should have come to us, boy. There are two of us, and we know things they don’t!” She chuckled, and I smiled weakly, trying not to form any mental images.
I wanted to close the deal, “Is it a pact then? Three apprentices? A month’s worth of food and two gold coins to train them for a year?” I tried to press an agreement on the herbalists.
Ria seemed to be the decision maker and held up her hand to have me pause as she thought, “No. The coin would cover housing your women, but a month’s worth of food is not enough. In a month, it is going to take two silver a week to feed a single person. Getting through winter to spring is going to be hard.”
I did not have a shortage of coin, so I offered, “Six gold for the year, then? They are all young and eager and will be able to forage and harvest for you in the local woods.”
“Young and eager?” Lyla smirked at me. I ignored the insinuation.
The two old herbalist sisters got together and discussed it privately. I waited patiently for their decision. Ria finally turned around, “The three of them will have to share a room upstairs. They will not be paid, but we will feed and house them for the next year and teach them what we know. Six gold and whatever food you can offer to help, Eryk.”
I smiled in victory, “So you did remember my name! Can I give you a little extra? I would hate for the women not to have any money to buy clothes.”
Lyla’s aged face returned a smile, “Your name was kicking around in here,” she tapped her temple. “What investment do you have in these women?” She asked curiously and maybe slightly suggestively.
I went with the truth, “I met one of them in Macha. The other two—I don’t even know their names. I found them in the woods foraging this morning and figured I could help.”
The two sisters looked at each other, “You are a strange one, Eryk. We agree to your terms.”
The sisters left an hour later as we wrote out a contract of sorts for them and the three women. I gave them the eight gold, mostly in silver, to take all three young women on as apprentices. They would be fed, housed, and paid fifty copper a week each. Both old women left their shop to go to the blue wagon and make them the offer. I was supposed to wait in the shop for them to return.
Instead, as soon as they left, I emptied my dimensional space of most of the food. Three jars of berry preserves, a bag of onions, thirty pounds of flour, twenty pounds of sugar, four jars of yeast, two casks of pickles, nine massive salami links, one block of hard cheese, two large bags of mushrooms, and two bags of potatoes. I decided to keep the honey and my remaining ration bars. The pile of foodstuffs looked like it was enough to feed a few people for a month. I left before the sisters returned, locking the door behind me. I did not need the adulation and was just happy to know my coin had helped some people.
I was at the stables in the Citadel and unsaddling Ginger. The stable boys were not here, which surprised me. A pair of guards walked by outside on patrol, and I asked, “Where are the stable boys?”
“They are probably in the center courtyard with everyone else. Your Legion company is holding a fighting competition,” he replied before continuing to walk on his patrol with his partner. Did the contest for the runic blades start already? I rushed through Ginger’s rubdown and fed her before rushing to the central courtyard. I thought I had a decent chance of winning one of the two blades for myself.
PLEASE NOTE THIS STORY IS ONLY POSTED BY THE AUTHOR TO HIS PATREON, ROYAL ROAD AND SCRIBBLE HUB. IF YOU ARE VIEWING IT ON ANOTHER SITE IT HAS BEEN STOLEN WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION.