The Strongest Spellblade

It was our third night on the road and we pulled over to an inn, in a small town. A city normally had a dungeon entrance, a town would have multiple craftspeople, and a village would have one or two craftspeople and a collection of houses. Most places were towns for safety reasons, since they would often have walls.

After putting the magical carriage into the stables, we made our way inside, to get a room and dinner. Ulmer was paying for our travel expenses. We got some looks, Ozy got quite a few looks.

The magical carriage was locked by the merchant. Someone would have to break it open to get inside, which was unlikely. Crime was very rare. It still happened, but there were too many skills to catch criminals to make it worthwhile or safe. Unless someone was a madman like Xanatos or the Dark Cabal.

“Ahh, ale and meat, that’s the best,” Chris said.

“I prefer sweets,” I replied.

“Some kind of sweet meat then?” Chris suggested.

“Roll the meat in sugar, or some kind of sugar sauce?” I suggested back.

“Sauce would be best.”

“You two,” Ulmer the merchant said with a sigh.

“What about you Mister Merchant, you need to eat something heartier,” Chris said.

“I don’t plan on doing any fighting if I can help it,” Ulmer replied.

“Surprised you took this contract when everything was falling apart,” I said.

“The situation was relatively contained. I didn’t think the Emperor would retire, the Moonwood becoming an undead playground, and all the legends going crazy and raising their own armies,” Ulmer said with a sigh.

“You couldn’t cancel?” I asked.

“No. I wish I could, but then I would be bankrupt with expensive spices that won’t easily sell. Us merchants all work by contract. Moving goods about.”

“You can’t use a spatial pouch?” I asked.

“And risk getting it stolen? Those things are incredibly expensive and hard to make. The vast majority are taken by adventurers and major traders. I mean a whole armed caravan type deal,” Ulmer said with a sigh.

“Surprised they haven’t set up a better system for managing trade goods,” Chris said and I shook my head.

“Things have been mostly peaceful for a long time with only regional conflicts. A continent-wide conflict hasn’t happened in about a thousand years,” I said.

“Everyone is scrambling at the moment as battle lines change. It’s a nightmare. That’s also why I wanted to get out of Port Hammer. If we can keep traveling without getting caught up in a battle, that would be for the best,” Ulmer said.

“What if your contact doesn’t show up to pick up the goods?” I asked.

“It doesn’t work like that. There are warehouses in each city. The delivery is to the warehouse, which a merchant runs. They will resell as needed to other merchants. Right now all the travel lines are in flux, allowing a small trader like me to get some high risk contracts,” he said.

“And this is one?” I asked.

“Yes. But before you ask, I spent everything I had on the magical carriage and took this contract off another merchant. If we make it in time, I would consider paying a bonus. But if we don’t, I will be ruined,” he explained.

“Sounds complicated, but I won’t say no to a bonus,” Chris said.

“It isn’t going to be that much. Spices are a low volume, high value good, but you are looking at a profit of 50 gold?” I asked.

“About 75 if we show up on time,” Ulmer said.

“Huh, just keep paying for good food then,” Chris said. That was paltry to what we could make in the dungeon. Traveling quickly was the real benefit.

“Being a merchant is hard work. Just different than fighting,” I replied. This knowledge was one of the benefits of having a much more expansive education growing up.

“I can’t wait for the fighting to end or stabilize. After this deal, I am laying low for a while,” Ulmer said. “What about you two? Not often adventurers are willing to protect a merchant on a trip.”

“Trying to get home. Meldon is just one city away and I can walk the rest of the way. Coming up the wrong passage is a huge headache. I have a family depending on me,” Chris said.

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“Congratulations. Not many adventurers have a family,” I said.

“Jessica is the love of my life and we have three adorable rascals. With the war going on, I want to be at home,” Chris said.

“What about you Justin?” Ulmer asked.

“I am trying to get to the College of Advancement. I have business there that I need to take care of,” I replied.

“That’s the other side of the continent. You are going to be traveling for a while,” Ulmer said.

“Unfortunately. But it is what it is. I just want to return as quickly as possible,” I said.

“Graduate?” Ulmer asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Normally people give how many years they were there,” Ulmer said, slightly annoyed.

“Seven,” I replied.

“Oh. A full graduate, I guess I got lucky that you were willing to come along,” he said.

“The magical carriage is faster than walking, much faster. With sea travel cut off and standard land routes disrupted as well, I could only hitch a ride with you.” I didn’t want to navigate through the dungeon. That would take too much time in my mind.

While the trip across the surface would take a while, I felt like I was actually getting somewhere and could visibly measure my progress instead of just going through dungeon chambers one after another. While I was more than happy to do that, I preferred some surface travel now that it was possible.

“Ahhh, that was a good meal,” Chris said while smiling. That was another reason. I didn’t have to cook and got decent food.

“Glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully we can get to Meldon before trouble reaches us,” Ulmer said with a sigh.

“You should have included a war clause in the contract or not purchased it off another merchant,” I said.

“I know, I know. But it is hard making a living doing this. I have a good head for numbers and trade,” Ulmer said.

“If you take the risk, you get the reward,” Chris replied with a shrug while sipping his ale.

“I believe in understanding risks and preparing. But ultimately, I won’t complain about getting a free ride and food,” I said.

“These seats free?” A group of laborers asked. Most inns in towns also doubled as places for transient workers to sleep and eat. With all the fighting occurring the inn was already filled up.

Chris and I looked at Ulmer. He was the only one of us still eating. He was slow in eating, since he wasn’t used to being hungry and stuck in the dungeon. Down there you would eat everything you could to fuel yourself. At least that was the mindset of most adventurers.

“Of course, I am Ulmer, this is Justin and Chris,” he introduced us.

“I am Sam, and this is Hunter, and Welt,” the laborer said as the three of them sat down at the round table. They had a smell about them, but none of us said anything. It would be rude and possibly lead to a fist fight.

“Hear anything about which way the war is going?” Ulmer asked.

“Bah, it has completely fallen apart. Everyone is scrambling to take what they can. Legends taking cities and raising armies to take more land. Since most of the nobles were wiped out,” Sam said.

“Anything nearby?” Ulmer asked.

“Nothing new, but that can change in an instant. Just you wait, there will be armies marching through here. Bah, fighting, completely pointless. The legends should just fight each other and call it a day or go back to the dungeon,” he said and spat to the side on the floor.

“He didn’t mean any offense,” Hunter said towards me.

“It is fine. Chris and I might be adventurers, but we are trying to get home. Is the harvest good this year?” I asked.

“Good all year round, as long as some idiot army doesn’t march through and burn everything,” Sam muttered.

These were the type of men to get drafted. Their reluctance and aversion to the recent conflict was understandable. “Not often we see a monster outside the dungeon. That thing trained?” Welt asked while pointing at Ozy.

“Yes, Ozy here is trained and assists me in fighting,” I replied.

“And it listens?” Welt asked me, clearly interested.

“Yes. But if I push him too far or abuse him, that bond can break,” I replied.

“Like a horse then. Got to be real gentle, but also firm,” Welt said.

“You aren’t using machines?” I asked. That had been a trend about a decade ago in the Burnstock duchy. Replacing horses with machines.

“Horses are cheap with those magical carriages replacing them. And the horse dung is good for the soil. Never been cheaper to own a horse,” Welt said with a grin.

“That’s for the bigger farms. Most of the farms around here still use horse power. You grew up a farmer?” Sam asked.

“My mother was a farmer, and I grew up near farms,” I replied. Technically true and I didn’t want to get into my background with these people.

“Hard but profitable work if you have the skills. My crew and I specialize in wheat crops. When someone rotates their fields to plant or harvest them, we are the best to hire,” Sam said.

“Has the war been driving up prices?” Ulmer asked.

“A bit, but not too much. Now that everything is going to shit, well, metal is more expensive, that is for sure,” Sam replied.

“Anyone with any kind of fighting skill is being hired as well,” Hunter said.

“You have some skill with a bow, but you are no legend,” Sam scoffed at his companion.

“Never said I was. But getting caught up in fighting is dangerous. I hunt vermin, that’s it,” Hunter said.

“With the way you talk about how you can hit those critters from so far away, I would think you were,” Sam teased back.

“Meat has been going up in price. Salted meat for the most part. Good for campaign rations,” Welt added as Ulmer nodded.

“Bah, meat is always expensive. Mark my words, the price isn’t going down after this war. Ranchers, soul suckers more like it,” Sam said and spat to the side.

“You don’t like ranchers?” I asked.

“Always been that way. Different skills you see. One group makes an honest living. Another sucks the lifeblood out of everyone with their prices,” Sam said.

“It’s the feed, it isn’t cheap,” Ulmer said.

“And the land. Taking up large swathes of land for their herds. Waste of good land for planting,” Sam muttered.

“You are just annoyed that there are a couple big ranchers in the area, cutting back on our work,” Hunter said.

“Damn right. Ranchers have it easy,” Sam complained. Two large men walked over.

“You say something about ranchers?” one of them asked while smacking a fist into a meaty palm.

“Yeah, what of it. I say ranchers are soul suckers. Huh, what you going to do about it,” Sam said while standing up as well. The ranchers looked at me and Chris.

“Just two adventurers and a traveling merchant. We are leaving. Let’s go,” I said and got up, pulling Ulmer behind me while placing another hand on my sword. The ranchers looked away from me. We quickly retreated up the stairs to our room as a fight broke out downstairs.

“Peasants,” Ulmer muttered in distaste. I just rolled my eyes while Chris chuckled. They were throwing fists and it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to get involved in a fight like that.