Somewhere in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. One very busy skeleton. - But where is this chest? - already losing patience, I slammed the lid with annoyance, turning to the center of the room of one of the small vaults of the guild, where they dumped frequently used things and consumables, each time dragging them into the central treasury will simply evaporate. I needed a container with high-level wands of resurrection, for I had already delayed the execution of the "memorandum", and I was about to leave the tomb soon. The problem was that Momonga, whose memory I inherited, for years ... hadn't even thought much about where in Nazarick those wands were. He had an extremely rare artifact ring of the "Master of Wands", which, in addition to the bonus for enhancing the effects of any magic wand in the owner's hands, made it possible to create any wand with any effect within ten standard spell ranks. at the same time, the created wand could be used by any player, regardless of class. The recharge of the ring's ability was only an hour, and its only drawback was that crafting required user mana, and the cooler the wand, the more mana needed to be pumped up, but this was frankly no problem for a Momonga-level caster. In other words, he basically didn't need other wands - he was his own free store with inventory for any situation. For me, now it turned into a smut on the search in a dock of huge storehouses of the guild of a chest, which I had no idea about, except that it was somewhere. No, you could still sit down and start personally crafting the necessary artifacts, but it will take me more than ten hours to provide the Guardians with the Pleiades alone, But besides them, there are a bunch of other high-ranking inhabitants of Nazarick, to whom such a thing as the ability to resurrect an adored boss should be given, in an amicable way. To spend an extra day on the creation of something that is already lying around somewhere in the right number, I was frankly sorry. So I dug in the warehouse of "urgent" consumables, which no one had inventoried for ten years, remembering with a quiet kind word these damned stubborn hamsters and especially the former owner of his body, who, over the years of lonely grind, also piled heaps of all kinds of drop trash here, but something then he was already broke to systematize in these heaps. There was, however, another option to go to the main treasury, where, in any other way, the sea container of this good was stored and listed in the catalog, but Pandora's Actor, Guardian of the Treasury, hangs out there, for a meeting with which I am not yet mentally prepared. I already have enough obsessive attention and adoration from all sides, and if I visit Momonga's personal creation, then there will be no chances that it will come off after that. Plus, to deal with his cockroaches in his head, which Satoru stuffed there in those days when he himself was not a teenager, I simply won't pull it at this point in time. I would have tamed my own first ... No, threaten the long inattention to the Actor with some troubles, I would have squeezed non-existent rolls and went to play Commander Shepard with a new party member, but the Actor in this regard was a good boy, not like everyone else here - he can be it was bold not to touch it for a week, or a month, or even ten years. Nothing will change at all. It is so spelled out that it will not even notice anything, because it is almost a hikikomori, to whom the silence and loneliness are high, and work as a warehouse guard is what makes him feel good. Actually, he has been sitting there alone for those ten years already - Momonga, as he created him, has forgotten, at best, casting a glance when he went to the Treasury. In general, it was necessary to search here. As a last resort, walk through the personal closets of the rest of the guilds - everyone had one in their personal apartments, and Momonga did not touch anything after they left, and there definitely are resurrection wands, albeit not for all classes, but with the task of choosing who what hand over, I can handle it. Damn ... When I remembered Pandora's Actor, my thoughts involuntarily jumped on to other ... ahem, "personal characters" with valuable skills. There were many such in Nazarick, but the sisters of Albedo stood out especially. Well, if only because they are Albedo's sisters, albeit exclusively by lore and creator, not race. Nigredo and Rubedo. They were not in the manga, but here they were, and they were ... I already shuddered, despite the activated skull purge. And once again he promised himself to bang all the members of the guild, if they were here. Perorontino - with special cruelty, and our "Great Alchemist", who was the "father" of the sisters - especially perverted. Well, or vice versa. I haven't decided yet. What this cadaver stabbed was many times worse than the almost "harmless pranks" of the feathered biting bite towards Shalltear. Just think, complexes about their size. Tabula Smaragdina did much worse with the sisters of my Warden (and with her herself). Nigredo is the weakest of the three, but at the same time the most "senior". A skinny girl with a body of 16-20 years old, created in imitation of the classic image of "a ghost of a woman in a dirty nightgown, with a face covered with black hair ", crawling out of a TV well to kill the heroes of a horror movie. She even had a scripted cutscene, created for the same reasons, to scare the guild members. Well, and possible invaders, but first of all, members of the guild, who accidentally enter its habitat. Actually, her first "appearance" and "presentation" because of this cutscene and the peculiarities of its termination almost ended in an epic massacre and, quite possibly, was accompanied by several sets of pants soiled in real life. Satoru, at least, was close to this, and only an empty stomach saved the "Father of Nazarik Democracy" from such a shame. But returning to Nigredo. The girl has a kind alimony, caring, adores children, and really in a good sense of the word, but does not have a face - he was literally "ripped off" from her head, exposing facial muscles. But this is bullshit, compared to half the population of Nazarick, nothing at all, but the trouble is that, for all her kindness, she is not always able to answer for her actions, being naturally crazy. At least something like that was spelled out in her lore and scripting mechanics, they say, take your favorite doll out of your hands - and a berserk starts, under which she attacks everyone, including members of the guild. And to check how it was transferred to the real world, here is generally reluctance, especially her "loving" creator, no more, no less, put her in the Ice Prison, and not as a guard, but as a prisoner who is locked in a special cell that constantly tortures her obsessive illusions and the voices of suffering children. And, on the one hand, logic dictates that it is necessary to release her from this hell as soon as possible, just so as not to provoke a deterioration in her mental state, but on the other hand, to release the already deliberately inadequate personality close to the top level of strength in a situation where quite reasonable subordinates are capable at any moment to arrange the most fierce game with the most terrible consequences ... scary, to put it mildly. We add to this the fact that Tabula Smaragdina himself had problems with the cuckoo and was obsessed with "prescribing quenta" of his creations more than the rest of Nazarick put together, that is, he prescribed all the features of insanity and mental disorders a hundred pounds in the most precise medical details and extreme stages ... In the same place, there is definitely no chance of curing and fixing something.
Things were even worse with Rubedo. Let's start with the fact that it was created using a World Item. "Living Golem", you can call it that. And this NPC was the MOST powerful character in the guild. And oh ... breeze, how good you are! In general, Tabula was true to himself and continued to adhere to his perverse tastes. Who do we have? A kind, caring woman, albeit with a flowing roof, looking like a monster. A natural demoness with all the traits characteristic of this race, but a "vivid picture" of a sweet angel. Well, for a snack - NYOKH (I remind you, by the standards of Nazarick, where NYOKH are nine out of ten NPCs). How should such a thing look like? Right, like a sweet, harmless girl of about thirteen. Death bearer Lolka, which, unlike Shalltear, does not try to hide its complexion. And what kind of character should such a good girl have? Correct again - Chaotic-Evel, with a shift more towards chaotic than towards vel, that is, chaotic-evil, but mostly chaotic. Or -250 karma, as the locals say. The model of behavior is ... tomboyku-genki. That is, in general, a very positive and pleasant creature, but if the reins fall under the tail, it will demolish everything and everyone around it fucking worse than any berserker, it will also trample on the bodies of the defeated and kick the corpses of those who especially hurt it. And she really can knock almost all the other Guardians together in one person, because, in addition to total superiority in stats, she also has abilities ideally suited to the destruction of all demons and undead, while she herself has no racial vulnerabilities to their attacks. And most importantly, why, that's why the most powerful Boss of the whole dungeon was made like that? For what? What's the point? Does he exist at all ?! Not only did they draw a loli model for her, it could still be left on Smaragdina's conscience, so she was also shoved into the very ass of the location, making her a "secret boss". That is, the most powerful Guardian is not at all a fact that he will meet with potential invaders, because they will be able to stupidly walk by without finding the "house of a good girl." But this was not enough for that idiot! He prescribed that the "Supreme Beings" feared the power of the resulting creation ... and imprisoned her. That is, all the boss's retinue of level 75-90 creatures were her jailers. One of whom was given a World Item in general, so that she could be nailed down if she started to row. That is, in my basement there is a natural capricious monster of the level of a "world boss" who knows that they are afraid of him and do not like him, and who is held in this basement only by the inertia of the game conventions, and the fact that there is a jailer with a big club outside, and, perhaps, "not bad conditions of detention." A fucking Keter-class SCP. I understand, a game joke and wagering, but why waste the resource so stupidly? This is a natural death-machine with a retinue of "kill-harvesters"! And they shoved her in the ass, which you can get to without knowing the map and not having access to teleports! While poor Shalltear is blown away three floors at once, and the last line of defense in the throne room should be kept by the Pleiades - units of level 46-63, that is, an almost harmless lubricant for swords against hundreds of players! Oh ... wind, don't stop, blow me out! Blow me out completely! But seriously, something needs to be done about this problem. Not now, of course, but in the short term. For now ... it's best not to touch what works and doesn't try to kill you. Observation is worth boosting, though. In theory, both of these ladies are loyal to me, which, however, does not cancel their mental state. Any yandere are also loyal to the cap, but to slaughter a "beloved", in which case, they quite love, can, know how and practice. Reeducate and heal? More precisely, to treat and reeducate? Is it possible at all? I am here Guardians of religious ecstasy at every word I say and manic desire to invent a motivation for me to wean, but what is there to be? Yes, and I have plenty of other things to do now ... So let them sit where they sit, not for them now. Another reason for the headache was Demiurge's story about the Greed Kings and their Heavenly Fortress. Momonga had information in her memory about several guilds with similar bases, but although there were not many of those bases, but in order to somehow have a chance to guess who they are, one must look at that city of Eruentiu personally. At worst, send reconnaissance to him and pick up through the Mirror ... which will only help in the unlikely event that the guild, which bought the "Flight" for its citadel, did not attend to the banal "Concealment from observation". As if there was no sadness for me without information that the locals have at their disposal the storerooms of one of the top guilds of Yggdrasil and owns them, no more, no less, a certain dragon lord - in the same YGGDRASIL, they are one of the most powerful creatures that you pick with figs even at the hundredth level. But the dragon lord on the mountain of treasures is still okay. He sits, consider, on the other end of the continent, and considering how he reacted to the same Demon-Gods, or rather, did not move his tail, until the whole world tearfully persuaded him to give a couple of swords for a good deed, then he should not aggro at me, until I myself go to him. Much worse was the question with those or those who arranged all these social experiments on inter-world transfers. Do they exist or is it my paranoia? If they exist, then what do they want? And if they want, what will happen if I do not justify these Wishlist? When is the next transfer? In a hundred years or in fifty? Who will fall on my head? Another group of greedy youngsters with super powers or such as Momonga, but not a skeleton in the citadel of Evil, but an archangel at the head of the heavenly army with the same subordinates as mine, but instead of "We will conquer and burn the world for the glory of the Master!" will be "We will eradicate all evil and all dark creatures in the name of Good!" and some Demiurgus, on the contrary, in shining armor on the third day will delight the streamlined player with already beginning to be implemented by "his" plan of a military campaign against the vile nest of filth, which (the plan in the sense) the devoted servants restored according to his stingy reservations on the topic: "Well, yes, monsters and the undead are bad "? In short, how I got all this! Give me at least one day to live in peace without all this! Without stubborn servants and the awareness of those pigs that even more stubborn roleplayers for fun, without the threats of world wars, continental catastrophes and just an uncontrollable fierce zest that threatens to start with one of my careless words or without me at all, were pushed to me, but simply because where - then the locals will have a World Class item left over from the past hitmen, and they will decide to fuck them, and even better - without thinking about supra-world entities, for which I am that laboratory hamster, launched into a labyrinth and feeling free exactly until the end of the experiment, after which it will be somehow "removed" from the world. Oh, breeze ... Yes, only you love and support me, I know ...
Okay, we'll solve problems as they come. And now we need to find the wands and distribute them to my uncontrollable fanatic monsters. Hopefully they work according to the conventions of the game and work for the player, even though the player is undead. If not, then it will be "Oops" ... Morning the next day. Environs of the fortress city E-Rantel. - Do you remember everything well? - just in case, I check with Narberal before applying the levitation spell. Having completed the main business in Nazarick and given all the necessary orders, I began to implement the second part of the previously outlined plan. As expected, as soon as I gave a hint about the second trip outside the tomb, Albedo and Sebas seemed to be thrown off the chain, and I almost got an escort of a couple of thousand elite Nazarick guards with tanks, artillery and air support. He barely had time to insert a word that he had already thought out his guard. But as it turned out, he rejoiced early - Demiurge, a yap redhead, managed to cheat everyone and intimidate to insanity. He, you see, with a high degree of accuracy calculated the probability of three hundred and seventy-five options for attempts on my life on behalf of some unknown, or perhaps, Zhidomason, not the cyberreptyloids from Mars, who are the shadow government of this world, which killed all the previous players. I had to put pressure on authority ... In a sense, from the height of the commanding chair, an ultimatum decree that now there will be no assassination attempt and I do not need security for this, that before Demiurge, he is still small and fell into unnecessary alarmism because of not taking into account three important factors (which - I will not say, think for yourself!), In connection with which he is instructed to eat more sweets and walk in nature. Fought back ... Notifying my future "bodyguard" about her new-old appointment did not become a problem. The battle maid was ready to move out at my first request and generally carry out any order. Once again, in a quiet word, remembering in my mind my undead state (whatever you say, and Narberal was just a standard sultry Asian girl, and even in an anime style), I began to instruct her. Then there was a small masquerade with a change of clothes (The plate (!) uniform of a maid is pain. It's just pain. Even if the girl is walking) and a teleport to a small clearing just a kilometer from the city walls. - Yes, Lord Momo ... - the cutie began with zeal, that in a white shirt and tight pants added no less than +20 to kawaii. - Wrong! - I interrupted the girl. - In this world, I have already called myself the name "Zellos", and it is worth using. And I already told you about this. "I beg your pardon, Lord Zellos! - the maid fell to one knee. Eh ... How infuriating when you want to breathe, but it's impossible. But I remember that Momonga had something the same with her! But whoever I took would not change a damn thing! Even Yuri Alpha would fall on her knees like this but if about Narberal I at least know for sure that she will cope with the task of infiltration into human society, albeit with a creak, then you cannot say the same about the others. The same Solution could play a bitchy lady who did not want to meet with anyone, but that was in the company of Sebas, and what she would throw out in my company with all the same "I breathed wrong on the Great!" Is a big question. Most likely, it will ingenuously swallow the offender, and you will not hold her by the hand - it will slip out, for Slime. Shizu? Silently shoot it or burn it out of your eyes with some kind of laser - you won't have time to blink. Entoma is an insect, you cannot disguise it, since there are not even hands. Yuri, I give a grudge, my head will surely fall off at the most inopportune moment - it rests only on a thin collar. Of course, there is also Aureol Omega among the Pleiades, which I did not know at all from the manga (however, as well as a bunch of people that were not mentioned in the manga, but at the same time exists here), and she is even a human, no matter how strange it may be for Nazarick, but she is responsible for the teleportation gate inside the tomb, and without her everything will immediately fly to hell ... Lupusregina could have come up, but ... she's too active, and the devil knows what comes into her head. Suddenly, the dog is tyafknet next to it, and her wolf instincts will boil up to a complete inadequacy? Plus, as far as I knew from Momonga's memory, sadism is registered in her personality, that is, if Narberal simply despises people, then Lupus will want to hurt these people as much as possible, while smiling sweetly at them and not giving away anything of his plans until it's too late ... In general, as already mentioned, if there is a reliable recipe, then there is no need to invent a bicycle. - Do not call me "Master", it will attract too much attention, - I lift it from the ground by force. - It is enough to use "master". - Understood, Vla ... - and stopped short. And she began to fill up with paint. Doppelganger, yeah. - Mr. Mo ... - followed by a second attempt, after which the utterly embarrassed Narberal bit her tongue and pulled her head into her shoulders. "Once again," I encouraged the maid. "Forgive me, Mr. Zellos…" the girl grumbled barely audibly, looking at me with the guiltily frightened eyes of the "beaten puppy". This time, the wind in the skull brought both relief and annoyance. Relief because I will not disgrace myself, penetrated by a surreal picture, annoyance because I cannot fully enjoy it. - Try to repeat it in your mind until you get used to it. And just in case, I will repeat the rest: do not kill, maim or humiliate anyone without a special order. That's an order. Our task is to collect information and place some bookmarks for the future. I have plans for this kingdom, and I would not want their implementation to be complicated by annoying misunderstandings. Do you understand everything? - Yes, Mr. Zellos. - Do you have any questions? - How ... What if these lower beings dare to show you insufficient respect? - who the hell would have doubted? - Control yourself. If I deem it necessary, I will deal with anyone who offends me myself, but I would not want your reaction to interfere with the conversation if I myself force the interlocutor to cross the line. There are many situations where unbalancing or provoking aggression can be helpful. An angry person will easily blur things out that they would never normally say, as well as can be used to manipulate someone else. Just take all such cases as part of my plan, and it will immediately become easier for you to endure them - not that I can do all this, but justify this - this is something that she will accept easily and with joy. - Got it! I will try! - here, as I said, immediately inspired.
- More questions? - Well ... - the girl hesitated, looking away. "Are you sure you should have chosen me?" - deep breath - and black eyes with resolute dedication again look at me. "I'm convinced that someone more beautiful and gentle, like Commander Albedo, would fit much better!" - You had a conversation with her before we left, am I right? - of course right! I myself saw Albedo sneak sideways into the room where Narberal was changing. - Huh? .. Me! .. But ! N-no! .. Well ... Just don't think I'm trying to push you towards Commander Albedo! I ... This is ... - the maid fussed in panic. - That is, she, of course, is wonderful and the best and most beautiful in all of Nazarick, but I would never try to influence the decisions of Lord Momonga in order to force him to draw closer to Lady Albedo! what she blurted out, and the girl's face glowed with a bright crimson. - I mean, that's not what I wanted to say! You misunderstood me, Lord Momo ... Mister Zellos ... I ... - completely wilted. - I just wanted to say about ... - the voice of the Pleiades dropped to a squeezed whisper, - competence and ... Excuse me! - bent in a waist bow with an even letter "G". "Narberal," as soon as I spoke, the maid's head sank even lower, "it's high time for you to understand that I love all the inhabitants of Nazarick," to lie is bad, but sometimes you cannot do without it. " - Someone a little more, someone less, but all, otherwise I would not stay with you until the very end. All of you: you and your sisters, and Shalltear and Aura, and, of course, Albedo, are dear to me. You are the finest diamonds in Nazarick, the stars that give the night skies all their magical beauty and perfection. And Albedo does not have to try to get closer to me - I already trust her more than anyone else, and she herself occupies one of the most important places in my heart - I put my hand on the crown of the girl who has frozen with a monument to herself. - And stop already bowing, you are not guilty of anything. - Sorry, I beg your pardon, Vl ... Mr. Zellos, - a half-choked squeak sounded from below, in which panic and delight are intertwined. I wanted to sigh heavily and close my eyes, but ... not destiny. - What did I just say? "…" Narberal straightened up uncertainly, still glancing at me with the hunted rabbit. - That's great. And remember: I'm counting on you. Then there were "Invisibility", "Flight", and now we are in E-Rantel. Of course, it would be possible to go through the gate, but the guard could be very interested in an incomprehensible magician in a mask, in addition, there may be a couple of greasy compliments in relation to Narberal. I didn't want to start my acquaintance with the city by cutting out local guards or mass brainwashing, just flying over the outer wall was much easier and cheaper. The day had already come into its own, and therefore there were not so many people on the streets - everyone was busy with their own affairs - who worked in a shop, who worked as an official, someone, of course, tried to lure not very numerous passers-by into their shops, drinking open-air establishments or counters. In general, the standard life of a standard medieval town was perhaps cleaner than I expected. Or is it a problem with the "outstanding" sense of smell of my type of undead? - I beg your pardon, - I attract the attention of a decent-looking passer-by, - I am looking for the alchemy shop of the Barel family, Can you help me? - BUT? - the man who turned to me clearly wanted to say something not very pleasant, but when he saw the robe, clearly not cheap, and also a very beautiful girl standing next to me in no less high-quality clothes, the city dweller decided to show restraint. Hmmm, maybe the guy has some good intuition. - Yes, of course, go straight - so you will come out to the central square, there you will need to turn onto Craftsmen Street, it will be on your left, there is a sign, do not miss it! And then along the street, the shop of the master Barela will be at the corner of the avenue. - Thank you, - I nod to the passerby. - Come on, Narberal. - I'm following you, Mr. Zellos, - the battle maid under disguise bowed slightly and, contrary to her words, went a little ahead - to scout and watch, I suppose. There is nothing you can do about it, it's easier to accept and accept, than trying to re-educate. Anyway, at this point in time. The alchemist's shop was found exactly where we were told. And to be honest, somehow I imagined the place of work of the "best master of the city", although ... this reputation was given to me by the villagers from whom the guy buys, besides, do not forget that we are talking about a border town in the kingdom, really not having a magical school, or rather, a centralized magical organization. Nonetheless, a sturdy but clearly not new stone house with a modest signboard is a bit different from what I expected to see. Subconsciously, I wanted something more ... magical, in general. Now let my mind understand that just such a shop, combined with the master's house and laboratory, is just a completely normal phenomenon in local realities. Well, let's go in. * Tink! * - the bell at the door issued an uncomplicated trill. - I'm coming! - a young and cheerful voice sounded from the bowels of the room. By the way, about the room itself. A small "hallway" with a couple of benches and chairs, where, apparently, the customer was supposed to wait for the execution of the order, or just when the alchemist brings out the prepared material. A couple of meters from the entrance and benches there is a wide wooden counter, and behind it there is a little free space and a wall with shelves nailed to it. On the shelves - all sorts of flasks, powders, bunches of herbs and other junk. Moreover, it is junk - in Nazarick, this would not even fall under the "trash" section, I hope that there are only things for show and ready-made cheap compositions, which I do not mind if there were an invasion of thieves or some other nuisance. Otherwise, I'm wasting my time on this inferior being. Grrr ... okay, calm. And generally speaking, in canon, he was able to somehow pump his potions on the basis of a sample, even invent a new one, which means that the guy can have brains in reverse engineering, and this is not bad. It was at this moment that the subject being considered himself appeared. A rather short and puny guy with light brown hair, rather long, which is hardly good for someone who mixes various decoctions, although maybe he has a hat? Ah, not my problem. The owner of the shop was dressed in a simple linen shirt and the same trousers, over them - a rough and well-worn leather apron. - How can I help you, sir, madam? - the guy also walked over our figures with a glance. A rather short and puny guy with light brown hair, rather long, which is hardly good for someone who mixes various decoctions, although maybe he has a hat? Ah, not my problem. The shopkeeper was dressed in a simple linen shirt and trousers of the same kind, over which a rough and well-worn leather apron. - How can I help you, sir, madam? - the guy also walked over our figures with a glance. A rather short and puny guy with light brown hair, rather long, which is hardly good for someone who mixes various decoctions, although maybe he has a hat? Ah, not my problem. The shopkeeper was dressed in a simple linen shirt and trousers of the same kind, over which a rough and well-worn leather apron. - How can I help you, sir, madam? - the guy also walked over our figures with a glance.
"Greetings," a short nod. - Are you Enfiria Barel? - Yes, but what is it? - the artisan immediately became slightly suspicious. - I have a letter for you, - I give the guy a note from the village. - ABOUT! Allow me? - he clearly recognized the handwriting of the subject of his adoration and was almost dancing in impatience, although he tried to portray a serious master. "Of course, it's meant for you, even if it touches us," the alchemist nods and delves into reading. As he reads the letter, his face stretches more and more, and he has become somewhat pale. Although ... if I hadn't learned that if it hadn't been for the magician who passed by by chance, that he could not have interfered, the object of my love would have been, at best, killed ... he is still holding on well. - So, those prisoners from Theocracy that Captain Gazef brought, were captured from Karn ... "Enfiriya bit his lip. - Thank you, Mr. Zellos, - the guy came out from behind the counter and bowed, which obviously earned a couple of points in the eyes of the battle maid, - um ... Mistress Shalltear? - What? - from surprise, Gamma goggled and even squatted down a little, after which she sharply fell into panic: - I am infinitely far from the greatness of Lady Shalltear! - Enfiria, let me introduce you to Narberal, - I put my hand on the girl's head, trying to calm down, - she is my dear servant and bodyguard ... And she is very sensitive to the issues of hierarchy, - I considered it necessary to add. "Um… I see, Enri just wrote that you were with your daughter. In any case, I am in great debt to you and will provide any help I can. "Thank you," I nod. - As you already know from the letter, we came from distant lands, and therefore, first of all, we would like to navigate the local geography, laws and, of course, magic. I would like to purchase the corresponding atlases and reference books, if possible. We also need a guide to navigate the city. - I grew up here, so I can guide you around the city, as well as buy you everything you need according to the geography and laws of the Kingdom, but with magic it is more difficult, - the guy thought. - I would rather just exchange a few coins or gems for local money and buy everything myself. "B-but…" "In any case, we will need the coins of the kingdom for our onward journey, and the services of a guide and an informant as help from you will be quite enough. In addition, I do not want to introduce you into unnecessary spending, and a handful of gold is not a problem for me, - I understand that the guy is grateful and all that, but just sticking a few coins on purchases and thus, as it were, "pay off" for the service rendered ... No-no, he won't get off so easily. Even if he didn't mean anything like that. The subconscious mind is a weird thing. Or is it the lich in me talking? Difficult question. - W-well, then you should go to the moneylender - it is their guild that is engaged in the exchange of coins. Wait, I'll ask my grandmother to look after the shop and come back! - Thank you. - This is the least that I can do for you! - and the venerable master rushed off somewhere behind the counter, judging by the rising footfall - there was a staircase to the second floor. Less than five minutes later, he went downstairs, already without an apron, but in a tight jacket, and a dry old woman stomped behind him, a kind of classic grandmother-God's dandelion. - Hello, young people, - half-blindly squinting, she nodded to us and rushed behind the counter. - Oh, I'm too old to stand here, but since such a thing ... - contrary to her words, the old woman dived into something behind the counter, from where a chair, a pair of knitting needles and a ball of thread was pulled out, and then sat down on the designated chair and armed with knitting needles. On this, the subscriber was lost to the world, but the young alchemist had already headed out into the street, offering to follow him. The next point on our route was the money-lender's shop. The local "bank larva" was a solid stone house with narrow loopholes, a heavy bog oak door, reinforced with steel strips, and a couple of mordovorotov in heavy chain mail, which sat decorously at the entrance. Yes, they were sitting, because from a warrior who stands for hours in one place with a dozen kilos on his shoulders, in which case, there won't be much sense, in general, Common Sense and a pragmatic approach are visible. - Oh, Master Barel! Glad to see you in my modest establishment, would you like to put money into growth? Or do you need a loan? Old Man Oldie will have the best percentages for you anyway! - a little man of about fifty greeted us, as soon as we crossed the threshold of the shop. He was short, with shifty eyes and rather mobile facial expressions, a kind of image of a kind uncle. But for some reason, my imagination drew how this "uncle" with the same friendly expression on his face ordered the mordovorot who stood at the door to break a couple of bones to the debtor in order to stimulate him to pay off the debt. With interest and additional compensation for the delay and concern of a respected person. Although I may be wrong. "Hello, Mr. Oldie," the alchemist nodded slightly to the moneylender. - My friends recently arrived in the city and would like to exchange some of their money for coins of the kingdom. - Oh, of course, let's go! - the peasant took us to a small separate room, where there were pharmaceutical scales, some kind of jars-cones. - So? - the moneylender raised an eyebrow questioningly. - I think fifty is enough for the first time, Narberal, be kind. - Yes, sir, - the battle maid reached into the bowels of the enchanted bag, from where she took out a pre-prepared bag with the required number of coins and put it on the counter. The usurer quickly untied the ribbons and took out the coins, after which he simply stuck for a couple of minutes, poking at the unfortunate coin with some kind of probes, pouring it over with compositions and even gently hitting it with a small punch. The further the money changer's research went, the more his eyes climbed onto his forehead. - Yes, that cannot be! More precisely, maybe, but why ?! - Something is wrong? - politely interested. "It's not like that, sir… um. Sorry, I don't know your name. - Zellos. So what about the coins? You look quite surprised, Mr. Oldie.
- Everything is alright with them. Too okay! And they are also made of pure gold! "Shouldn't a gold coin be pure gold?" - the battle maid did not understand the essence of the claims, and I must confess that I was a little at a loss. - Of course no! Gold is an extremely soft metal and would wear out quickly from walking! Therefore, in normal gold coins, at best, a third - everything else is silver and fortifying additives, right there not just gold, but alchemically pure gold! - What ?! - goggled eyes from under the bangs of Enfiry. - Who will make coins from alchemical gold ?! - So I ask myself this question, - the moneylender looked sideways at us. - But this is not enough, to strengthen the coins, they were either sustained in some kind of fortifying composition, or a fortress enchantment was imposed on them, and of such a level, that you will not find a royal guard on every armor! Yes, one treatment of a coin is worth a dozen of its denominations! - I saw what a scientist looks like, in whose eyes someone is hammering nails with a microscope. Very ... ahem ... well, just very much. I can't even find the words, you just need to see it. - So can you exchange these coins or not? - I decided to return him to reality. "I can," the peasant sighed, "if we take it in terms of the ratio of gold and its purity, then the rate will be this one coin to five royal crowns. But what kind of country is this, where only coins strengthen like armor ... - Oldie shook his head, starting to count the required amount. "Very distant," I replied, nodding to Gamma to collect the bags exhibited by the moneylender. - Well, thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you. - Similarly, Mr. Zellos. If you need my services, come in, the friends of Master Barela are my friends, "the little man smiled. - Hmm, and he is quite welcoming, - I said, leaving the shop. - Well, - the guy ran his hand into the hair on the back of his head, - I periodically supply him with ointments for rheumatism, and he has known my grandmother for thirty years. - Clear. Well, shall we continue? We also have atlases, a code of laws and magical treatises on our agenda. - Well, atlases and collections of laws are sold in bookstores, but with books on magic, as I said, it will be more difficult. - More difficult? - I already understood that everything is not very good with magic here, but I hoped that the primitive level of everyday life was quite accessible. - Yes, you see, Mr. Zellos, there are no such impressive Magic Academies and Magic Schools in our kingdom, as in the Bagaruth Empire and the Slane Theocracy. The City Guild of Mages of E-Rantel is only listed as such, in fact, these are several alchemists and wizards working on their own, like me and my grandmother. A few more provide services as a branch of the Adventurers Guild, and that's all. - How, then, do you have magicians? After all, even in your alchemy magical manipulations are required. "My grandmother taught me everything," the guy smiled embarrassedly, "the rest are also about the same, science is passed from Teacher to Student, almost always they are relatives. The capital also has a main Mages Guild and several private schools, but their services are available mainly to nobles. - I see, it is really understandable. A classic example of feudal fragmentation, except that within the magical framework it is still harsher, although ... even a simple blacksmith will not be the first comer, let alone teach some family secrets, but the simplest things are not the fact that he wants to tell, after all, this craft is his bread, and to reveal his secrets is to breed competitors. And in magic it is still trickier, because the expression "knowledge is power" in relation to magicians is literal. Of course, the magical power and the volume of the reserve also play a role, but without knowledge it means nothing. "I advise you to contact the Adventurers Guild," the guy continued. - There are libraries in their branches, where everyone can get access for a small fee, there you can also buy ready-made magic scrolls, but only if they are available. There are also some adventurer mages who hire them "for training," or simply let them copy something from their Books of Spells. Also not free, of course, and not all, but many spellcasters start out like this ... Oh! You can also trade spells! It is unlikely that this will be a problem for such a powerful magician, Mr. Zellos. - Yes, perhaps this is the best option. - Then we go there, - Enfiriya turned to face in the right direction and began to show the way. - Tell me, Mr. Zellos, - after half a minute he spoke again, - how did it happen that your coins were so enchanted? Did you enchant them yourself? - No, I have never been involved in coin business, I am more ... - I look out at a group of guys in mismatched armor and with weapons with tokens glittering around their necks, - an adventurer, or rather, he was at the beginning of his career. - ABOUT? - Of course, there is no complete correspondence in traditions between our lands, as far as I managed to find out, but in general, a similar system of yours was common with us. As for the coins ... To be honest, I see no reason why one of my colleagues could not earn money in the Treasury. If the spell you want has already been cast, casting it is a matter of seconds, I guess it is possible and just one-time enchant the equipment of the mint. As I see it, the savings on protecting the coin from damage and counterfeiting will be much higher than paying for the services of one or two specialists, - I gave the first logical explanation of the revealed absurdity that came to mind, most likely caused by the game conventions of YGGDRASIL. - But such an artifact would be insanely expensive! Adding other metals to the alloy of coins is much easier and cheaper. "Perhaps," I shrug. - I have not yet figured out the level of your magical tradition, but I can assume that it's all about the number and strength of spellcasters available. The value of a service is largely determined by its availability, so if there are enough magicians, the prices for their work will inevitably fall. By the way, Enfiria, I think it's better to start with the bookstores, otherwise, I'm afraid we won't get to them - I'll get too carried away with magic. - As you say, Mr. Zellos, - the boy shrugged his shoulders and again changed the direction of the path.
The bookstore resembled ... a bookstore, perhaps, to place it in the realities of even my world, hardly anyone would have noticed the discrepancy, except that instead of electric lighting there were small glowing crystals, and so - a solid carved rack, covered with green cloth, and several shelves with books going deep into the store, the only difference from the modern bookstore was only in the absence of a "hall" where a potential buyer could wander and even look through the offered goods. Although there is nothing surprising, judging by the general state of affairs, it is unlikely that typography is developed here, which means that each tome is rewritten by hand or, at best, magically copied. But both should cost decently, so no one will put up such expensive and at the same time not the most durable things for general access. The bell rang at the entrance, and a dozen seconds later a young man, about twenty-five, slightly stooped, glasses on his nose, short-cropped hair was in a creative mess, came out to us. - I am glad to welcome you to the Alesov bookstore, how can I help you? Oh, hello, Enf, did you decide to buy a collection of medicinal herbs from me? - Hi, Rick, - the scribe nodded, as an old friend, our guide, - no, today I am accompanying Mr. Zellos - he is recently in our kingdom and wants to buy several maps and code of laws. - Unusual, - the merchant looked at us and ... - Oh, sir, beautiful lady! - He began to diligently wipe his glasses. - Ricardo Ales, completely at your service, what exactly interests you? - Map of the world, or at least the continent and more detailed kingdoms and regions, if any. Historical treatises, from ancient to recent history. You also need a collection of kingdom laws. If there is one about the Empire and Theocracy, then we will also take it. - One minute! - the guy darted into the bowels of the store. He was absent for much longer, but he returned with a whole armful of venerable-looking volumes and scrolls. - Here! - he laid out his treasures on the counter. - Map of the famous ecumene! - the guy unrolled the first tube. Hmmm ... again, no coordinate grid, no "altimeter", but filigree drawings of houses on the site of villages, fortresses depicting cities on the map, and a schematic castle in place of capitals, well, all sorts of curls and dragon octopuses in the corners. Shown a little later, the rest of the maps did not fundamentally differ from the first, except in scale and, accordingly, in details, the same village of Carne, which I saved from the invasion of theocrats, was not even displayed on the large map, but it was already on the atlas of the kingdom. - Hmm ... - God knows not what, but without fish ... it will do. - I will take these copies, - I put aside the highest quality of the reviewed crafts. - What about the code of laws and history? - Here is a collection from the Bagarut Empire, on the Slane Theocracy, unfortunately, I only have their religious literature, which they send in large quantities around the world - propaganda is good, but there was no point in buying this waste paper - our "guests" and so each had a similar book, and they even began to translate under the direction of Demiurge. Rather, the prisoners explained what was written there, and the subordinates of the chief strategist wrote it down, but it would come to normal learning of the language there, just as long as the demon had other tasks in priority, and I did not interfere with this question. - As for the collection of laws of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, I can only suggest an outdated one. - Outdated? Why? Your shop looks very wealthy, you are unlikely to have problems purchasing books. "That's right, Mister Zellos, it's just that Her Highness the Third Princess Renner Theire Chardelon Rile Weiself recently reformed, banning slavery in the kingdom. Thus, the entire section of laws devoted to the conditions of falling into slavery, keeping slaves and responsibility for spoiling someone else's slave is no longer relevant, at the same time there is still no section on responsibility for trafficking in human beings and keeping slaves, since these laws are just published. - It's okay, I still wasn't going to buy slaves, so I'll take this book too, - well, yes, how could i forget? Until recently, a slave-owning system reigned here, and the locals did not see anything wrong with this, it is quite possible that this guy did not mind keeping a slave or two with him ... for various cases. "As for history, I recommend these works to you," two more folios were moved to me. - The first book is "Records of the Southern War" by Lanpos the First, the second is "Death of the Gods" by Nicholas Rydon, which tells about the clash with the Greed Kings and its consequences for the world from a purely historical, not theological point of view. - Okay, I'll take them. - Fine! Anything else? Perhaps the beautiful lady wants to buy some interesting novels? In my collection there are even works by Count Jean Jacques de Jacques, a recognized master of the pen. - No, - with an expression on his face, as if talking to a pile of cow dung that suddenly acquired a mind, answered Narberal, morally destroying the poor scribe with one short word, as he immediately became sad. - I will not insist. Then from you ... - the guy looked at the pile of parchment with a glance, - twelve gold and six pieces of silver, - yes, there are no sour books here, since they pay for them in gold. Although ... not a fact, you will need to go to the tavern and see the prices of food or even walk around the market ... Or not suffer from bullshit and ask the guide. - Pay, - I give a sign to my battle maid, and she counts out thirteen gold coins from the bag, in return received change in four silver coins, after which I, without embarrassment, put the purchases into inventory. On this we left the scribe who had hatched out of his eyes under the suggestions to go in again. - Now to the guild? - asked Barel. - Yes ... By the way, I wanted to ask at local prices, how much does food and other essentials cost? - Well, - the guy became thoughtful, - it depends on what and where to buy. A dinner in an average tavern will cost you about a couple of coppers, if without wine and frills, you can leave the gold on the road. Spend the night - five or seven coins, - the guy looked sideways at Gammu and clearly turned pink, - if without ... uh-uh ... additional ... ahem ... services. If you buy food on the market, then a pair of silver coins will be enough for a month. Weapons, ingredients for potions and scrolls of spells are much more expensive, here they pay already in gold. The monthly salary of a city guard is about two or three gold, for example. - depending on what and where to buy. A dinner in an average tavern will cost you about a couple of coppers, if without wine and frills, you can leave the gold on the road. Spend the night - five or seven coins, - the guy looked sideways at Gammu and clearly turned pink, - if without ... uh-uh ... additional ... ahem ... services. If you buy food on the market, then a pair of silver coins will be enough for a month. Weapons, ingredients for potions and scrolls of spells are much more expensive, here they pay already in gold. The monthly salary of a city guard is about two or three gold, for example. - depending on what and where to buy. A dinner in an average tavern will cost you about a couple of coppers, if without wine and frills, you can leave the gold on the road. Spend the night - five or seven coins, - the guy looked sideways at Gammu and clearly turned pink, - if without ... uh-uh ... additional ... ahem ... services. If you buy food on the market, then a pair of silver coins will be enough for a month. Weapons, ingredients for potions and scrolls of spells are much more expensive, here they pay already in gold. The monthly salary of a city guard is about two or three gold, for example. then a pair of silver will be enough for a month. Weapons, ingredients for potions and scrolls of spells are much more expensive, here they pay already in gold. The monthly salary of a city guard is about two or three gold, for example. then a pair of silver will be enough for a month. Weapons, ingredients for potions and scrolls of spells are much more expensive, here they pay already in gold. The monthly salary of a city guard is about two or three gold, for example.
- And the alchemist? - Heh ... - the guy was embarrassed. - Depends on orders, but on average, minus reagents ... you can earn about a hundred. - I see, but how much do the adventurers charge for their services? - It depends on the rank and assignment, for example, I periodically place orders for magical herbs and ingredients of animal origin, on average, you have to pay ten to twenty gold, part of it is taken by the guild, the rest goes to the adventurer or team who took the order. Here we are, by the way, and came - the Adventurers Guild! - our guide waved his hand in the direction of a strong building, even having something like decorations on the facade, in general, it was clear that the Guild has money. Inside, the building was ... almost the same tavern, except that there were a few minor nuances - most of the local public was clad in armor or wore cloaks-robes, everyone was armed, one of the walls was studded with various notes and leaflets, and instead of the innkeeper, there were several pretty-looking girls at the counter. - We need to contact the registrar to place an order, - the alchemist decided to imitate Captain Obvious and pointed in the direction of the counter. - Okay, let's go, - to the registrar so to the registrar. - Welcome to the E-Rantel Adventurers Guild Branch, how can we help you? - The blonde behind the counter smiled on duty. - Master Barel, hello, - but the smile addressed to a young unmarried specialist with extremely high, by local standards, earnings, turned out to be much warmer and sincere. Or is it because that he is a regular customer here? - Hi, Lisa, - the guy smiled at the lady. Does he even know everyone in this city? A very helpful person! "My friend, Mister Zellos, would like to apply to the Guild for hiring. - Yes, of course, so what can we do for you? "I would like to hire a medium or low rank spellcaster to advise in the magical sciences. - Usually such an order costs ten gold for a specialist of the Iron rank, however, unfortunately, now we do not have single specialists, - the girl buried herself somewhere in the record. "But I can suggest that you hire a team, which includes a druid and a spellcaster, as well as a warrior and an archer, they are now free and I think they will agree to hire for twenty gold a month. "Hmm ... a druid?" - and this is interesting, in the game world of Yggdrasil, the magician could not learn and use druidic spells. Rather, if he got very confused, he could, but they had almost no effect, if, of course, he remained a purely magician, and did not take the druid class for himself, but here it seems that the world is real, albeit with some game conventions , so what the hell is not kidding? - Why not? I agree. "Okay, then I'll make sure they agree, too. If everything is in order, then you will need to deposit twenty-five gold into the cashier - and they have good commissions here, I tell you. It doesn't matter that there are billions, if not trillions of these yellow rounds in Nazarick, unnecessary spending is not buzzing. The verses of one great poet spontaneously appeared in my head: "There the Tsar Koschey was withering over gold ..." Hmm, apparently, problems in the psyche of liches were already known in those distant centuries, yes ... Or just fairy tales from those distant centuries gave rise to the problems of liches from future games and worlds created based on them? I don't want to think about it. While I was in heavy thoughts about the despicable metal, the corruption of being and the scale of infinity, the girl managed to return in the company of four people. Two guys of the kind "positive doltin vulgaris", a fine-looking guy with a light beard and a general feeling of slight "bearishness", as strange as it may sound, he was about forty years old. The group of mercenaries was closed by a skinny boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old ... or was he not a boy? Ahem ... Apparently, fate has a sense of humor, well, or ... I managed to come to the city at the same time as Momonga, and therefore ran into the same squad, looking for a new job at that time. - Here, Mr. Zellos, the Sword of Darkness team is willing to hire you as bodyguards and consultants. - Hmm ... - Gamma looked at these "bodyguards" with a lot of skepticism. - Okay, Narberal, pay off. - Yes, sir, - the girl went to the cash register to count the required amount, the admiring glance of one of the mercenaries followed her. Y-yes, well ... that was to be expected. However, I cannot blame him, Narberal is a beautiful girl, very much. If it were not for the "prescribed" hierarchy, then with the same Albedo she had a good chance to compete. Well, the fact that her native form looks like a very contour child's drawing with black circles in place of her eyes and mouth ... Albedo also has a combat uniform, like Shalltear, Lupusregina and a good half of the other female NPCs of Nazarick. If all of them are perceived differently, what they are ninety-nine percent of the time, and what they can become in an exceptional one, it is easier to immediately go and kill yourself. - Well, let's get acquainted, gentlemen adventurers, - I waved my hand, inviting everyone to sit down at the table, since there were enough empty ones in the hall, apparently, they were installed just for such purposes. A minute later, we settled down at a round table in a kind of semi-office, fenced off on both sides by wooden panels about half a human height, so that in a sitting position, both from the side of your neighbors, you could not see your head, and you could not see, what is happening there. On the third side there was a wall, and on the fourth side, the view opened only to the center of the hall, where the nearest tables were only five to seven meters away. - I am the leader of the Sword of Darkness, Peter Moke, - the guy sitting opposite me at the table smiled cordially. "This is our ranger, Lukrut Bolve," the second dolt tried to show a charming smile and "modestly" waved to poor Gamma. In response, she closed her eyes and ... I do not presume to assert, but, in my opinion, she began to mentally recite a mantra about the inadmissibility of killing an "insignificant gnat" without an order. I wonder if they'll give me a new adventure team if something happens to these? - This is our specialist in healing and magic of nature, the druid Dyne Woodwander, - the peasant nodded benevolently and said in a rather powerful, but at the same time pacifying voice: - Glad to meet you. she began to mentally recite a mantra about the inadmissibility of killing an "insignificant gnat" without an order. I wonder if they'll give me a new adventure team if something happens to these? - This is our specialist in healing and magic of nature, the druid Dyne Woodwander, - the peasant nodded benevolently and said in a rather powerful, but at the same time pacifying voice: - Glad to meet you. she began to mentally recite a mantra about the inadmissibility of killing an "insignificant gnat" without an order. I wonder if they'll give me a new adventure team if something happens to these? - This is our specialist in healing and magic of nature, the druid Dyne Woodwander, - the peasant nodded benevolently and said in a rather powerful, but at the same time pacifying voice: - Glad to meet you.
"And finally, the magician and brain of our group, the Sorcerer Ninya," Peter gestured at the girl in disguise with short hair. - Glad to meet you, - the designated "brain" nodded and immediately looked at the leader with reproach: - Peter, could you stop calling me this title? - BUT? Why not? - What title are you talking about? - I considered it necessary to inquire. - Our modest was born with Talent, - the leader of the group smiled happily, - his strength is called "Inclination to Magic." You've only studied magic for four years instead of eight, right? - he asked Ninya. - Uh ... - the magician embarrassedly pressed his head into the shoulders. - That is why he is known to everyone as the Ingenious Sorcerer! Peter finished proudly. Narberal tried very hard to save face for this statement, I clearly saw this terrible struggle, the result was ... hmm ... well, she at least tried. - In this city there are people with Talent and better than mine, for example, Master Barel, - the rising star of witchcraft and wizardry continued to deny. - Enfiria? - I turned to him. - Well, - he ruffled his hair, - I have a talent to use any magical things, despite their limitations, - which means that everything coincides here. By the way, this is a significant reason to tie a guy to yourself. Even I, on the hundredth level, have a lot of class and racial restrictions on items, all of which I cannot remove even at the cost of donated supplies from Nazarick. Actually, I will not even try, since a huge number of objects inaccessible to me are things for a very rare occasion. Nevertheless, getting at your disposal a person who can apply them without requiring the expenditure of irreplaceable resources is a very useful thing. - Master Barel ?! - almost jumped to the ceiling Moke. - We are honored to meet you! - the people rushed to express their respect, and I thought a little. The guys wore iron guild tokens, which seemed to be not the very bottom, but spoke of some deservedness of the team. And it was strange, although ... even if this squad was not newbies, it did not mean that they had the money to buy from an alchemist of the level of Enfiria, and they were not obliged to know him by sight. Hear - heard, but did not intersect before. "Okay, my name is Zellos, I'm a magician, and this is my assistant and bodyguard, Narberal. Now let's go directly to the terms of employment. I have come from faraway places where the magical art is somewhat different from the local one, and I want to find out what caused this. So I need lessons on the very basics of magic manipulation of magic power and spells of the first circle. For the opportunity to copy something from your spellbook, if I suddenly don't find it, I'm ready to pay separately - one gold for the first round, two for the second and three for the third. "W-I'm sorry, but I only own the spells of the first and second circle," Ninya admitted, perhaps I will call her in accordance with her real gender. - Sadly, however, the very basics will suit me for now. Now, regarding accommodation ... - You can stay with me, - the alchemist suggested, but I just waved it off. "Thank you, but I don't want to embarrass you. Lessons will take time and space, and the extra people in the alchemy laboratory will clearly not benefit the work. I'll just rent the nearest hotel. - Um, in the sense of a number? - the ranger did not understand. - In the sense of a hotel. This month you will also need to live and eat somewhere, besides, by this we will get the premises necessary for demonstration and practice, which will only need to be enchanted with protection from magic in order to avoid accidental incidents. - H-well, - the eyes of the group have become noticeably larger, because they puff. It looked funny, if it weren't for the nasty passive that doesn't allow you to fully enjoy the emotion ... Breeze, you wouldn't have a price if you only worked when needed! - Well, since everything is clear with this, I propose to take us to the nearest decent inn, so that I can sort out all the nuances there. - Um, excuse me, Mr. Zellos, but what should we do? The swordsman asked. - Formally, as my bodyguards, you are placed at the disposal of Narberal, - Lukrut immediately began to blur into a happy puddle, with all his appearance showing that he is ready to be at the full disposal of the beauty even right now - but since she is unlikely to order you anything, - the look of the battle maid confirmed that she would not even trust this brother to clean up the dog der ... excrement, - then you can do whatever you want, as long as it does not contradict the laws of the country, of course. "I see," said Peter. - Well, since that's all now, I suggest you still find a suitable inn, - I got up from the table, and my companions were forced to do the same. - Enfiria, thanks for your help. - What are you, Mr. Zellos, - the guy waved his hands, - this is the least that I could do for you after you saved my ... my friends from Karn. If you need anything else, please contact us immediately! - Hmm ... It's too early to talk about it, but perhaps Would you mind answering a few questions about the local alchemical tradition a little later? As far as I managed to find out, at least healing potions in your kingdom are made differently than in my home, and I would like to cover this issue in my research. - Huh? .. I do not mind, - slightly confused, but quickly regaining consciousness, Barel nodded. "But what do you mean by other potions? "Here," I take out the Medium Recovery Potion from my inventory. "As I heard, your healing potions are blue, which is very unusual for me. - Oh-oh-oh ... - the alchemist, as if hypnotized, stared at the vial of red liquid, so to speak, the fish swallowed the bait, it remains to hook it. - Can I take a look? - the teenager died away. "Yes, of course." I hand the potion to Enfiria. - You can take it and study it. I'm not very good at alchemy myself so I will be glad to hear the opinion of a local expert. - Many thanks! - Barel got worried. - To be honest, I have never seen anything like this, - while the guy was happy, the Shadow Demon slipped into the shadows imperceptibly - a small insurance against any left-wing personalities, quite capable of any local guest quietly breaking his neck or, at least, paralyzing. Well, tell me the whereabouts of your target.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one to be surprised," I tried to joke. I'm not sure what happened, since it was dull with emotions and did not feel like joking. - But enough about that. I still have to rent an inn, and I see you are anxious to start your research. I'll send someone to tell you where we are, to your shop. If you have any questions - come in, we will try to solve them. - Certainly! Good evening, Mr. Zellos, Mrs. Narberal, guys - with this happy Barel hurried to the exit. - So, gentlemen, where are we going? - let's see what these adventurers can offer me as an option for housing. "There's the Ilantiere Inn not far from here," Peter perked up. - There are many free rooms and you can negotiate with the owner. Let's go I'll show you ... A few minutes later we were standing near a large wooden building, the entrance to which was blocked by hanging doors, as in American films about cowboys. I would not call the building presentable, but, making allowances for the medieval specifics, the fact of the relative cleanliness of the street and the proximity to the headquarters of the Adventurers Guild could speak of some prestige of the institution. - Here we are! - the first to enter the door, stated the obvious Moke. - Adventurers often stay here, and the owner is used to different things. In places for merchants and nobles, it will be much more difficult to agree. I looked around the room. The room was noticeably smaller than the guild building, but still quite spacious. A couple of small companies in mismatched outfit sat decorously at tables with mugs and some kind of food. A fit man with a scar across his left eye was bored at the bar. There was dirt on the floor ... there was. - Something you came back early, - the bartender threw to our guide not too friendly, as soon as we approached the counter. - But with a profitable business! - and Peter did not raise an eyebrow. - Here, get acquainted, this is Mr. Zellos, he would like to rent several rooms from you. - I would prefer to rent the entire building for a month. - Eh-uh? .. - surprise of the people present swept through the general hall in different ways. Then a bargaining took place, in which Moke played the main role on my part, working with the language for three. The innkeeper tried to get away with, either charging the price, or seriously pushing the idea that he could not leave regular customers homeless for a whole month (even if rare adventurers lived here for more than a couple of days, mostly just spending the night between missions), but be that as it may, they came to a consensus. It cost me twenty gold, and ate a good half an hour of time, and neither the impressive growth, nor the ominous black robe, nor the faceless mask helped - the campaign, here and not such freaks happen, well, or local adventurers are much bigger scumbags than one would expect with that level of strength. The innkeeper was just one of the "former" adventurers, which could be concluded from the reservations during the dispute, and, to be honest, I was completely sure that the tavern itself was a guild enterprise through and through, and not a banal "accidental convenient " a place. - Let's start tomorrow, - I turned to Ninya, when all the formalities were settled, and the owner of the establishment began to slowly escort the visitors. - I think you need time to prepare the material and refresh your memory, and I will have something to do. "Okay," the disguised girl nodded. - A ... m ... - Yes? - You said that you want to protect the premises with magic ... - with a mixture of shyness and curiosity recalled the spellcaster. - Yes, that's right ... - I raise my hand, pointing to the ceiling. - Medium Terrain Enchantment: Great Protection Against the Elements. - The walls, floor and ceiling flashed a yellowish-greenish rainbow for a moment and went out. "Great resistance to spells." A wave of bluish rune chains spread in all directions from me, absorbed into the wood and extinguished in a split second. "Shadow citadel." The walls now flickered with a shiny gray-black film. - Well, and "Mass fortification" - I finished activating the appropriate enchantment on the spell that turns wooden walls into an analogue of reinforced concrete. - Ah ... - the girl-spellcaster fell into a holy trepidation, like the druid ... and the ranger, and their leader, and those of the visitors who have not yet left, and the owner of the tavern. "Don't worry," I turn to the last one, "I'll take off all the spells when I move out." * Clink-crunch ... * - quietly sounded from the entrance in the hanging silence. And then… -A-a-a-a-a-a !No no no no no! - Turning to the sound, I see a girl in a man's leather suit and with shaggy fiery red hair up to her shoulders, that with horror and an expression of universal loss on her face looks at the blue puddle and the broken bottle under her feet ... Come on ?! - I was undernourished so much, saved on food and drink in order to save money for him ... I tried so hard, collecting them ... All for the sake of today ... And ... Ah-ah-ah! - a cry of pain and despair was accompanied by attempts to pull out his hair and a face turned to heaven. Once - an accident, two - a coincidence, but three - this is already a pattern. First Narberal, then this party of adventurers, now this girl, if I remember correctly, according to the canon, Shalltear was almost raped ... One of two things: either the principle of the historical rut works with this world, or someone has problems with imagination. Meanwhile, the scream was interrupted, and the girl, in whose eyes tears had already appeared, froze in large drops only on the edges of her lush eyelashes, turned to me. - Hey you, mister ... - the blue eyes of the adventurer flickered with a feverish light, and a slightly hysterical smile appeared on her lips. Well, one of those who try to seem polite and nice, but immediately tell others that something is not good at all with their owner - you seem to be not poor ... Yes, you are such an amazing magician, you probably have a couple of healing potions on hands? - Let's say - but I like her impudence. So quickly to cut through the only chance to receive compensation from life with such a blow of fate ... I did not know how in my past life. So, Nabe, stop! Do not dare to kill "lower beings"! At the last moment, my hand rested on the shoulder of the already springy leg and the battle maid, which began to exude a thirst for blood, and squeezed it with force. Poor doppelganger from this already shriveled, like a cat, behind which a copper basin suddenly banged on the floor.
- I dropped my potion because of you! - not noticing nothing in her grief, but feeling hope, the victim moved closer. - I just bought it, and now it's broken! But you have shown such magic, it will surely be easy for you to share a little bubble ?! "If I were to blame, I would have done so, but you yourself did not hold your potion well," I mercilessly trampled the girl's feelings into the dust with the forged boot of heartlessness. For a second ... She is completely indifferent to me, that's true. She herself dropped the potion, although she could have put it in her pocket, and not hold it in her hand ... Also right. The fact that I am really indirectly to blame for this with my fire shows is not my problem ... But here stop. Essence of the lich, is that you? Stupid question, though. Let's try differently, so ... Well, her face is pretty, it's far from the main beauties of Nazarick, but in general I understand why Shalltear licked her lips at her. The arms, however, are too inflated, which can be seen even under the sleeves, but these are details, especially since here even the breasts pressed by men's clothes go to a confident C grade. Output? At least as a tasty reward for Shalltear, she is suitable, which means ... Damn it! So, again! Challenge: don't be an asshole! In order not to be an asshole, you need to get into the position and help the girl! To get into the situation and help, you need a reason! What excuse can I think of? ABOUT! There is a thought. - However, this does not mean that I do not sympathize with you, - I return to the dialogue, - but it is not in my rules to give people something for free. Tell me, can you read? - BUT? To read? - Shocked at first "in flight", and now confused, the girl blinked in confusion. - Yes I can. Without this, you cannot take tasks from the board, - Reflexively, the adventurer pointed her thumb somewhere behind her back. - Okay. Then I am ready to offer you a private hiring and, as a result, pay the cost of the potion or give a new one, but we will discuss specific conditions without outsiders.