Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 189-190 (Patreon)

The back of Arwin’s neck prickled and his shoulders tensed. If someone had bought the street out from under them…

“What does that mean?”

“Well, normally, it would have gone into a bidding war,” Jake said. “I’m not at liberty to say who made the bids, but I can say the price probably would have gone easily to twenty or thirty thousand gold. Can’t imagine why people would be this interested in this particular share of land for any reason other than to inconvenience you.”

The way Jake spoke gave Arwin a second of pause. If someone had managed to buy the street, then everything would have been over and they’d be completely screwed. That didn’t sound like the case.

“The way you’ve phrased this makes it sound like said war never happened,” Arwin said.

“You’d be correct, though it should have.” Jake cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “I… may have put in an order for the land under the Merchant’s Guild’s name when you asked me to hold it for you. I planned to remove the order when you brought the gold since you promised to get it soon.”

“What does that mean?” Arwin asked tersely, hope coloring his words. “They weren’t able to buy it?”

“They weren’t, but the guild was forced to,” Jake replied. “The Merchant’s Guild — and all major guilds under the Adventurer’s Guild — have provisions that stop bidding wars over unimportant pieces of land. As long as we put in our order first, the price can only raise by one hundred percent before it caps out.”

 Arwin’s brow furrowed. “It was 5 thousand when you mentioned it before. That means…”

“I paid 10 thousand for it,” Jake said with a weary nod. He picked his tankard back up and took a long drink from it. “Upper management definitely noticed me making a purchase that big, so I fear we may both be in shit. I can’t justify spending ten thousand gold for a worthless street and unless you’ve got ten thousand gold lying around—”

“I do.”

Jake froze. “What?”

“I should have made ten thousand between my sales today and the ones coming tomorrow,” Arwin said. A flicker of hope sparked in Jake’ eyes and he straightened up in his chair.

“Seriously? You made that much so quickly?”

“I should have,” Arwin said with a nod. “Is tomorrow fast enough?”

“Depends. Are you officially recognized as a guild?”

“Not yet, but I imagine we will be soon enough. The request was already put in.”

Jake started to laugh. “Oh, thank the gods. Yes, that’s fine. It takes time for the pay to go through. Even if anyone notices, the transaction will be fine and I can just say I knew you were good for it.”

Arwin blew out a breath of relief. They’d come so close to being completely screwed but had managed to dodge the bullet by a hair’s width.

Jake really stuck his neck out for us, didn’t he? Ten thousand gold is steep, but the alternative is inconsiderable. We’d have to literally go to war with Milten to keep the street under our control.

“Perfect,” Arwin said. Even with the large hit to their coffers, they’d still have quite a bit of gold left over — and as more people talked about his work and Lillia’s tavern, they’d have more and more sources to earn income from. “We appreciate you taking a risk for us. You didn’t have to do that, and I won’t forget it.”

Jake gave him a weary nod and took another sip from his drink. “The Merchant’s Guild isn’t just about earning money. It’s also about making sure people get the chance to earn money. A lot of people forget that, but I do my best. It’s easier when nobody really gives a shit about Milten. Just don’t forget to pay your dues — including the costs of keeping the street. It’s not cheap.”

“How much?”

“As it is right now? You’ve got two operating sales locations. The other buildings on the street aren’t operating yet, so I won’t count them against you. I’ll cut you a deal and say give hundred a month, so long as the other buildings aren’t operating.”

The price is certainly starting to stack up. Just a day ago, that number would have been impossible. It’s ironic. If the Secret Eye and the Ardent Guild hadn’t inadvertently created a Ranked Dungeon, we never would have been able to afford the street.

“So that’s ten thousand five hundred total to cover the month and the cost of the street, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Arwin held a hand out. “Then it sounds like we have a deal.”

Jake shook it with a grin. “That we do. Saved both of our hides there, it looks like.”

“I just hope you get a commission from sales,” Arwin said dryly. “You just wrung more money out of me than I’ve ever handled in my life.”

That is, so long as we’re only counting literal money and not things worth money. I’m pretty sure I could have bought Milten ten times over with some of the rings I used to have and still had money to spare.

Jake flashed Arwin a quick grin. “Let’s just say I’ll be eating nicer these next few weeks. And, speaking of which, I should get moving. I’m technically on the job. Lillia just made a very convincing augment.”

He downed the rest of his drink and mowed through the rest of his Wyrm steak with impressive speed before dabbing at his mouth politely with his napkin. The guildsman gave Arwin one last nod before sweeping out of the emptying room.

Arwin pressed a hand to his chest and blew out a breath. That had been too close for comfort. Far, far too close for comfort. There were so many moving pieces on the game board. Things were going better now, but a single severe misstep could still spell their end.

He headed over to the kitchen. As he stepped past the lantern and inside, he nearly walked straight into Lillia.

“Whoa,” Arwin said, jerking to a stop at the last second. “Sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“It’s fine,” Lillia said with a weary smile. “I overheard your conversation with Jake. He’s a good man.”

“He definitely saved our asses.” Arwin leaned against the wall as the weight of the day reminded him of just how tired he was. “How did running a busy tavern for the first time go? Any trouble?”

“One small incident, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“An incident?” Arwin’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

“Nothing that bothersome. Some idiots nearly started a fight. I threw them out of the tavern.”

“A whole group? That’s impressive. Is your shadow magic that much stronger in the darkness? I suppose that’s a dumb question.”

“It is stronger, but no. That had nothing to do with it,” Lillia said. She hesitated for a second as worry creased her brow. “I… have other powers. When people stay at my inn.”

Arwin tilted his head to the side. “You mean the buffs you get when more people stay over or eat?”

Her shoulders tensed and she looked away, studying the wall intently. It was a second more before she responded. “Not those. Anyone that stays or eats at my tavern is beholden to any command I give them as long as they’re in it.”

“You’re kidding. That’s one powerful ability. No limits?”

Lillia blinked. “I — no, there are. It doesn’t work as effectively on people stronger than me. I hadn’t had the chance or desire to test it out before today. It’s vile.”

“It’s a tool,” Arwin corrected. “And it’s a limited one.”

“Don’t say that as if mind magic isn’t the most wretched form of power there is in this world,” Lillia said. Her hands tightened at her sides. “I don’t know why the Mesh forced it upon me. It makes me sick. I wasn’t even planning on using it today. It just… happened.”

“It’s a tool, and a tool is only as evil or good as the one wielding it,” Arwin said, his tone softening as he put a hand on Lillia’s shoulder. “I take it you just told the offending adventurers to leave?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s fine. Your influence ended the moment they left. Anyone eating or staying at your tavern is agreeing to abide by the rules anyway, and you aren’t going to make them do anything they don’t want to as long as they behave.”

“How do you know? What if I decided someone pissed me off enough to do something worse?” Lillia asked. She met Arwin’s gaze again. “I’d just prove that I am evil. I’ve already used the power once on accident. It could happen again.”

“You won’t use it for anything like that.” There wasn’t a speck of doubt in Arwin’s voice. “We’ve been pawns before, Lillia. I may not know your thoughts, but I know what I’ve felt — and I know that the absolute last thing I would ever do is ever use someone the way I was used. You’d do no different.”

Lillia huffed. “I know that. I wouldn’t choose to, but what if it happens anyway?”

“It won’t. And if it does, we won’t let you. The Mesh wouldn’t give you an ability that’s so ridiculously powerful that nobody could possibly compete with it. You’re overestimating the control it gives.”

“How do you know?” Lillia challenged.

“I suppose I don’t. Let’s find out. Use it on me.”

Lillia paled and took a step back. “No.”

“I’m not telling you to have me throw myself into the wall,” Arwin said. “Just order me to do something simple. The effect probably won’t even be as strong since I didn’t sleep or eat in the inn yesterday. Your power is just a weapon, but an unused weapon is a danger to its wielder and foe alike.”

“Godspit. I know you’re right, but why do you have to look at it so logically? It’s frustrating.”

“It’s easier when it isn’t my problem,” Arwin said with a chuckle. “Just give me a simple command.”

Lillia nodded. Her brow furrowed for a moment and she swallowed. Then her eyes sharpened. “Raise your arms to shoulder level.”

Her words came out different to her normal voice, wreathed in a sharp, biting tone of command that dug into Arwin’s mind like barbs. A compulsion gripped him and his arms twitched, nearly moving but stopping before they could.

They stared at each other.

“Huh?” Lillia blinked. “That’s odd.”

“I… right. I’ve got a Title called Indomitable that stops mental effects,” Arwin said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry. I suppose that was a bit of a lackluster test.”

Lillia let out a relieved laugh and the tension tightening her back loosened, letting her shoulders drop. “Are you joking? This is perfect. It means I can’t actually control you as long as we’re close in level. If I ever start doing something I shouldn’t, you’re a guaranteed way to stop me.”

“I don’t think it’ll ever come to that.”

“Just knowing that it can’t is a relief. It’s like holding a ball of raging fire but having a lake right next to me.”

“Well, I’m glad to be of help, even though I don’t think I’m really doing anything.” Arwin’s stomach rumbled and he coughed into a fist. It hadn’t been long since he’d eaten metal, but the smells in the tavern weren’t helping.

“Hungry?”

“I have to make some more metal soon, but I should be fine. Now, if you’ve got a sandwich lying around somewhere, I certainly wouldn’t object. I missed mine yesterday.”

“I think I’ve got something better. You aren’t the only one that got something out of today,” Lillia said. She turned back to the stove and started gathering ingredients. “All those customers netted me quite a bit of magical energy as well as some rewards for having such a successful launch day.”

“Rewards?” Arwin raised an eyebrow. “What kind of rewards?”

Lillia set a chunk of marinated Wyrmling meat from her icebox onto the pan and it started to sizzle. She looked over her shoulder at him, a devious grin playing across her lips. “Instead of being boring and just saying, how about I show you instead?”

Chapter 190

After around ten minutes of work, Lillia plated up a few chunks of Wyrmling meat upon a metal plate and handed it over to Arwin. As far as he could tell, it looked identical to all the other food she’d made so far.

He squinted at it. Nothing stood out. The food smelled great, of course. Everything she made did. That couldn’t have been it. The expectant grin on her face told Arwin that he was missing something.

“Just eat it already,” Lillia said, leaning against the counter. “Looking isn’t going to show you anything.”

Arwin gave up his search and did as she instructed, and took a piece, throwing it into his mouth. His back stiffened and he nearly choked on the juicy chunk of fried meat as more than flavor poured into him.

Magic.

The sensation was muted, but the taste and feel of devouring magic wasn’t something he could forget. He swallowed, disbelief swirling through him as he grabbed another piece and ate it.

More magic, as if he’d eaten a small bracelet, poured into him. There wasn’t anywhere near as much as he got from the better-made magical items, but it tasted… pure, for lack of a better word.

While many of the items he’d eaten smelled awful due to Magical Olfactory, Lillia’s cooking just smelled exactly like food. There wasn’t any impurity within it.

“This is incredible,” Arwin said, barely pausing to chew as he worked on polishing off the rest of the plate with reckless abandon. “When did you learn how to do this? You can put your magic into food?”

“I got the idea from watching you craft. I realized that there was no reason our classes would work that differently from each other,” Lillia said, her excitement finally breaking through as she gestured to the plate. “So I tried it. I started putting magic into what I cooked. Just a little, and without any intent.”

“And?” Arwin held a hand over his mouth to avoid accidentally spraying her. He wanted to speak, but the food was so good that he couldn’t quite bring himself to stop eating for long enough to talk normally.

Actual, normal food that would sustain his magical requirements. He’d long since given up on eating other than metal for the sake of survival, and he hadn’t realized how much better things tasted when they were eaten for the proper reason.

“I figured out that when I just randomly stuffed magic into stuff, it could end in some… less than ideal results. After giving it a little thought and comparing it to what you did when smithing, I realized I could actually change what it did,” Lillia said.

Arwin finished off the last bites of food as she finished speaking. The moment he swallowed to ask what kind of changes she was able to accomplish, a thrill of energy raced down his back and spread through his body.

His eyes widened as he felt power pump through him. He flexed his fingers, staring down at his hands in shock. “Do I feel…”

“Stronger?” Lillia finished, arching an eyebrow as her grin grew wider. “Yes. You do. For the next hour. Not very long, but I didn’t want to waste too much power when I was just showing off. I can extend the effects up to around six hours.”

“Hell,” Arwin breathed. “That’s incredible. What other effects can you achieve? Can you control it?”

“I can. To a degree, at least. The moment I started trying to play with it, the Mesh gave me a Challenge.”

The exact thing it gave me.

“When?” Arwin asked, a flicker of worry passing through him even though Lillia was clearly fine. “Did it go well? You passed?”

“Of course I did.” She snorted. “And I got it at the worst damn time possible. Right in the morning, as customers were starting to pour in. I had to alternate trying out new dishes with making the normal ones. We aren’t ready for a horde of people coming here demanding magical meals. I’d get locked up forever.”

“So… you can control the buffs now?”

Lillia nodded. “To a degree. It depends on the monster I’m working with and the way I’m preparing it. It’s kind of an inverse thing. If you’ve got a physically strong monster and want it to make you stronger, you need to make sure it’s really soft. If you want something that’s related to fire to give heat resistance, you’ve got to chill it. That kind of thing. It’s pretty complicated, but I’m getting the hang of it. The Mesh approved, at the least. I got a slew of Achievements and reached Apprentice 5. It also gave me a unique class specialization called Soul Food. It’ll let me keep focusing on the food I make and getting more buffs and benefits out of it.”

Arwin blew out a breath and shook his head, laughing. “That’s incredible. You managed to do all of that in the middle of your first ever day running a busy tavern? How are you even still standing?”

“I’m trying not to think about that for too long,” Lillia said, her smile faltering as a large yawn forced its way from between her lips. She rubbed her eyes and blinked heavily. “Are you actually going to sleep today?”

“I don’t think I could avoid it if I wanted to, and I don’t.”

“Good. Just take a shower first. You smell like the forge.”

Arwin let out a chuckle and turned, heading off toward the bath rooms so he could clean off. Sleep was calling his name and he was eager to greet it. He was going to need some rest if he wanted to tackle all the work waiting for him tomorrow, no matter how exciting it was.

***

The night passed by far faster than Arwin would have liked. Before he knew it, the morning was upon them. Even though they had no way to know what time it actually was within the darkness of Lillia’s room, she just seemed to have an instinctive knowledge of the sun’s position.

“What are you going to work on today?” Arwin asked as he reluctantly untangled himself from Lillia and rolled out of bed. He still couldn’t see anything, but he’d started to remember where pretty much everything was in the room.

He held a hand out to Lillia and she accepted it, letting him pull her up to her feet and pressing herself against his chest. For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then she let out a small huff.

“More testing with the Wyrmling meat, I think. I might look into more remodeling as well. None of the adventurers were looking for a place to stay the night, and that might be for the best. You’re all okay with slightly lower quality accommodations, but they might not be. I need to make sure my satisfaction rating doesn’t get too low.”

“What is it at? There’s no way it dropped after yesterday.”

“It actually went up to eighty-five percent,” Lillia admitted. “But that’s because nobody stayed over and the atmosphere was great. Atmosphere is a huge portion of how much people like things. Today was energetic, so it went well. The real test is the long term, and that comes with quality.”

That was true enough. There really wasn’t all that much difference between their jobs when Arwin boiled things down. It didn’t matter how well his gear sold today if it didn’t translate to sales in the future. They were in this for the long haul.

“Then we’d best get to work,” Arwin said.

He felt Lillia nod, but she didn’t move. Arwin leaned down and found her face with his hands, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She hugged him, then pulled away and grabbed his arm to lead him out of the room.

A few steps after there was enough light to see by again, Lillia released him, her purple cheeks a slight shade of pink. She immediately set about starting to gather ingredients and start her work for the day, and Arwin headed out toward the Infernal Armory.

He had three main objectives for the day. The first — and simplest — would just be modifying the armor of everyone that needed changes from the previous day. That could be done whenever they showed up.

His second goal was to make a pair of gauntlets for himself with the Ivorin that Madiv had brought. He’d need some Brightsteel as well if he wanted to make it match the rest of the Ivory Executioner set, and he wasn’t sure if he currently had enough left for that.

And finally, he needed to figure out what he could do with the giant heart thumping away in the back room of his smithy. There had to be something he could make with it. Even though the Mesh hadn’t identified it as an inherently magical item, no normal heart kept beating after its owner was dead.

If I can’t determine some way to use it properly, I should give it to Lillia. I’m not sure if anyone is going to want to eat a still-beating heart, but at the very least I’m sure she’d get a fair amount of magical energy by cooking the creepy thing.

Arwin headed out of the tavern and stepped onto the street, his mind lost in thought.

There was a soft thud as Madiv dropped down from a rooftop, landing beside him with straight legs and matching Arwin’s pace without missing a beat.

“I need a new job,” Madiv said. “Reya has informed me that I need to practice my skills on my own and in new environments in order to become more affective. Also, I must stop threatening people with death when they are not inside the Infernal Armory.”

Baby steps, huh?

“Do you know what Brightsteel is?” Arwin asked.

“No, but I can find out.”

“Do that,” Arwin said with a nod. “I need some as soon as possible. Preferrably within a few hours. I know that’s pretty short notice. I believe it was around thirty gold a bar when I bought it from the other merchant — I’ll give you twenty.”

“Forty.”

“Why would I accept that? No.”

“He is unlikely to sell to you now. Rumors of what we are doing have doubtlessly spread through the city.”

Arwin blinked. That was a good point. Madiv wasn’t just randomly choosing numbers to charge anymore. “That’s a fair argument, but my counteroffer is that I’m dating your boss. Twenty gold.”

“That is an unfair argument.”

Arwin smiled. “I never claimed to be fair.”

To his surprise, a grin passed over Madiv’s features as well. “Respectable. Twenty gold, then. I will acquire ten bars. Wait my return.”

He slipped into an alley and vanished.

Huh. Interesting guy. Not nearly as insane as I feared when we first met. Just… very ill adjusted. I think I’m starting to understand him a bit more.

Arwin drew up to the door of his smithy and unlocked it. He only managed to take a grand total of one step into the room before he heard someone running up behind him. Arwin turned and nearly summoned his armor instinctively as he spotted a huge mountain of muscle in the form of a woman barreling toward him.

  She skidded to a stop just before Arwin. “Are you the smith’s assistant?”

Arwin hesitated, then nodded. He hadn’t actually expected someone to be out this early in the morning. The sun still hadn’t even properly risen from behind the horizon. A mistake on his part, but not a major one. It wasn’t like it mattered if people found out his true identity. Still, there was no reason to give it away for free.”

“I work with him, yes. He’s already inside the smithy. What is it?”

“Name’s Wanda. I was hoping to get in line first. I’m hoping to hit that new Ranked Dungeon today with my team, and I’ve got a set of armor ordered. Do you think he could get it handled in a few hours?”

Arwin smiled. “Come inside. I think Ifrit can get that handled for you.”