by Pirateaba
Erin’s jaw dropped.
“What? Why?”
Selys was still rubbing at her forehead as she nibbled at a biscuit. She drank deeply from a glass of water and grimaced.
“At first, I thought it was wonderful. I was remembering having fun with my uncle when he used to visit. And I was so happy—but then the memory kept going and going, and I felt the need to keep drinking. Every time I woke up from the…dream, I just drank more and went back.”
“So? What’s the problem?”
“Remembering a bit is fine. But after a while—there’s such a thing as too much nostalgia, you know?”
“You can get lost in the memories.”
Ryoka nodded. She stared at her gravy, ignoring the smacking sounds Mrsha was making next to her.
“It’s like an addiction. You keep wanting to go back. Put another drink in front of me and I’ll keep drinking it, again and again.”
“To remember.”
Klbkch was silent. He hadn’t even put anything on his plate. Ryoka looked up at Erin.
“Dilute the drink. Maybe offer the full-strength version once in a while, but don’t keep serving it to us, damn it!”
Erin shrank under the strength of Ryoka’s glare.
“Oops. Sorry.”
The three diners turned back to their breakfast in silence. Mrsha ate happily, scarfing down the rich gravy until she had a round belly. She at least, had had no ill effects from last night, having only imbibed a few mouthfuls of the magical ale.
Erin scratched her head. She’d wondered about the drink, but then of course the faeries had come in and she’d given them several pints before chasing them out. She remembered them flying into walls and laughing before she’d managed to get them out the door.
“So…can I get you guys anything else?”
Klbkch shook his head. Selys put her head on the table and moaned softly. Ryoka was rubbing her eyes.
“I’m uh, oh! Lyonette!”
The possible princess walked down the stairs and paused when she saw Selys and Klbkch. She sniffed.
“I am awake. What is for breakfast?”
“Mashed potatoes and gravy. And biscuits!”
Ryoka eyed Lyonette silently as the other girl helped herself to food. Silently, Erin’s guests ate until Selys looked out the window.
“I’m really glad I don’t have work today.”
Klbkch nodded slowly.
“I believe I shall…abstain from my duties as well. It is necessary.”
“Oh, uh, well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
Both Drake and Antinium stared silently at Erin. They looked melancholy. And so did Ryoka. She was just staring at her food.
It was like…it was like everyone had depression suddenly. Erin’s eyes darted around until she saw Mrsha was fidgeting on her chair.
“Hey Mrsha, what’s wrong?”
The Gnoll child was squirming, in a very familiar fashion. Erin realized what the problem was.
“We have a bathroom right outside. Come on, let me show you.”
She took Mrsha’s hand and the Gnoll eagerly leapt off her chair to follow Erin. They’d made it to the door when Erin felt a familiar sensation, that of someone approaching the inn. She stopped, and then the door opened.
The early morning sky was gray, but light still flooded into the inn. It flowed around the figure that entered, and despite the bright sky, the gaping sockets of Toren’s skull were still dark, illuminated only by the two burning purple flames that stared at Erin and Mrsha.
The skeleton was wearing the battered bronze armor he’d found, only it seemed even more battered and torn up than before. In his hands he held a notched sword and shield, and faint streaks of blood covered his blade.
“Toren! There you are! Where have you been!?”
Erin scolded the skeleton as he stood silently in the doorway. He stared at her, silent as always as Erin frowned at him. Then she felt a tugging at her hand. She looked down.
Mrsha was trying to pull away from Erin. All her fur was on end, and she was scrabbling at the floorboards as she tried to run.
“What’s wrong, Mrsha? Oh, is it Toren? You’ve never really met him, have you? Well, he’s really nice—”
Erin broke off. She sniffed. Something was smelling. That’s when she noticed the puddle around Mrsha. It seemed the skeleton’s arrival had affected Mrsha’s bladder control.
“Aw, Mrsha!”
She let go, and the Gnoll scampered back towards Ryoka, whimpering in fright. Ryoka slapped her forehead as Erin stared at the puddle. She looked around and smiled sheepishly at Toren.
“Hey Toren. I’ve got a job for you.”
—-
Some days I just want to punch Erin. I’d probably get my ass kicked, but I’m still tempted*. It takes me nearly half an hour to calm Mrsha down after Toren appears, and even then, she won’t go anywhere near the skeleton.
*How strong is Erin, anyways? I know she has [Minotaur Punch] as a skill, but is there a set limit on how strong the Skill is? And if it depends on her hitting her target, that’s not too reliable in a battle. Plus, if she hits armor wouldn’t she break her hand?
Not that I blame her. Toren freaks me the hell out too, and I don’t understand how Erin’s so cavalier about having him around. She’s busy ordering him around even as I finally finish breakfast.
“Thanks for the food, Erin.”
“Oh, no problem! How did it taste?”
“Good. Was that roux you made?”
“What?”
“Roux.”
“No…it was gravy.”
“But—Erin, do you know what roux is?”
“…No.”
I rub at my face.
“Never mind. I guess your skill told you what to do, right?”
“Yup! I’ve got [Advanced Cooking] now. Isn’t it great?”
Erin puffs out her chest and looks proud. Selys looks impressed and Klbkch nods. I shrug.
“I guess. It’s an important skill, right?”
“For an [Innkeeper], it’s great! Most [Cooks] and [Innkeepers] in the city have [Basic Cooking], but [Advanced Cooking] is even rarer.”
Selys explains as she finishes her plate. I rub at my head. It still aches, but it looks like it’s time for me to get to work. Time to think, and plan. Selys is a native here, and she knows a lot of common-sense things. So I ask her the obvious questions.
“If that’s the case, there’s presumably an [Expert Cooking] skill, right? How many people would have that?”
“[Expert Cooking]? Well…no one in this city has it. You’d have to be a really high-level [Chef] to have that. I’ve heard some of the Walled Cities have people with that skill. They’re always hired by the nobility.”
So. You can rate skills by their rarity, which generally corresponds to a level. Makes sense. And I guess it’s still a parallel to our world.
“What level would you say that skill appears at?”
“Um…Level 40? Maybe Level 30, if you got lucky. There are better skills—or so I’ve heard, but it’s still rare.”
“Right. Because most people don’t usually get to Level 30?”
“That is correct.”
Klbkch nods as he delicately slurps up some gravy. I try not to look at him eat—I try to be open minded, but the Antinium creep me out in a way the Gnolls and Drakes don’t. Hell, even Selys is still sort of disturbing to me. I don’t know how Erin is so natural around all of them.
But here I am, sitting with Klbkch the Slayer and a Drake [Receptionist] of all people, talking as if I’ve known them for a long time. They’re so friendly.
“I still can’t believe you don’t know all this. Is it because you don’t have levels?”
Selys stares at me, and I tense slightly. She doesn’t know I’m from another world. But hell, I have to know how levels and classes work. I might not use them—and possibly can’t anymore—but not knowing how this world function is only inviting trouble. So Ryoka, lie your
ass off.
“That’s right. I’ve never paid attention, I guess.”
“Erin was like that too, you know. Are you both from the same nation? You seemed to know each other.”
“Something like that.”
Klbkch nods.
“I am familiar with the country they originate from, Selys Shivertail. Their people have customs unlike ours.”
That makes me stare hard at Klbkch, even though Selys accepts his statement at face-value. He just covered for me, didn’t he? Erin did say Klbkch knew she was from another world. And now Erin’s coming over. I try to signal her with my eyes to play along, but she’s oblivious.
“Oh yeah, this is a lot like…uh, where we come from. I mean, there are some big differences, but there’s actually a lot of stuff in common, right Ryoka? Like, this is totally like Dungeons and Dr—”
“It’s sort of similar, but I wanted to be sure about all the details.”
I cut Erin off and glare at her. She returns my look blankly.
“What? I’m not a gamer, but you told me you understood something about the system, right? It’s like Diablo, you said.”
“Diablo?”
“Selys looks between us. I shake my head.
“It’s just…nothing. It’s a game from where we come from.”
“Oh, I see.”
I am going to kick Erin’s ass. As Selys and Erin start talking about Mrsha, I cover my face for a second. Then I look up and see Klbkch is staring at me.
Oh shit. Did he…how much did he get from that? Erin says he knows she’s from another world. What about me?
Kill Erin. But watch him. Klbkch the Slayer. I read the history of the Antinium Wars—damn it, I wish I’d read more than the first section now. They didn’t mention much about the Prognugators, but this guy was around thirty years ago. He dueled General Sserys—he’s dangerous.
But the Antinium in front of me is sitting in Erin’s inn, eating gravy. And he was killed by Goblins, or so Erin said. Weakening Prognugators. Hmm. And Erin’s involvement with the Antinium is also special. She can make unique Individuals, which could mean…
Gah. My head hurts already, and not just from the alcohol. I thought my life was complex, but Erin’s is ten times more convoluted. Not only is she involved with the Antinium, she’s attracted Lady Magnolia’s eyes, and she’s on the receiving end of a Gnoll debt so massive it can only be settled with death—unless one of us has fifty thousand gold pieces lying around.
Holy fuck. I close my eyes for a second. What should I do? What can I do? Normally I’d be running off to collect my payment from Teriarch, but—
No. I look over and see Mrsha, crowding around that Lyonette girl for some reason. She’s feeding Mrsha scraps from her plate and scratching her behind the ears.
Oh yeah, and Erin’s got a princess or some high-ranking noble’s daughter in her inn. God damn it.
I massage my temples. Selys looks at me sympathetically.
“Head still hurting? A healing potion will get rid of that. I know a shopkeeper who sells cheap ones.”
“No—thanks. I’m just really busy. There’s a lot of shi—a lot of stuff I need to deal with.”
“Like what? I’m free today, if you need some help, let me know. A friend of Erin’s is a friend of mine.”
Selys smiles at me. I hesitate.
“Nothing too important. I wouldn’t want to bother you.”
“As you like. I’m going to see if Erin wants to relax in the bath house. You’re welcome to join us.”
“…Thanks.”
Selys gets up to chat with Erin. I stay at the table, thinking. People move around me. Klbkch is still sitting—he’s not eating, but I suppose the Antinium have to sit to digest? I put him out of my mind and think.
I’ve really got to think, because there is a lot of crap for me to deal with at the moment. I won’t say that this is a terrible situation but—no, aside from moments where I’m actually in danger of being killed, this is probably one of the worst.
Fifty thousand gold pieces. Let’s just focus on that. Yesterday I made a claim to the Gnolls that I would pay Erin’s debts. There’s multiple reasons why I did that.
First, it’s pretty clear the Gnolls have power. Erin’s been helped by them in the past, and they might be an ally. If there are any groups she and I can trust, that is. But Krshia seems intelligent, and it’s better to have someone on our side than against us. Which leads me to the second point.
We need the Gnolls to cancel the debt, or else Erin and Lyonette are in danger, and so is Mrsha if she’s staying with them. Is this even a place for a young Gnoll? How can Erin raise her? I can’t…I can’t stay with her. But she needs a home. A family. If Krshia could—
Third point. Krshia might be able to mitigate the stigma associated with Mrsha’s fur, but not with her authority contested. The debt of Lyonette’s is sapping her influence as long as it remains unresolved. That Brunkr idiot seems to be trying to usurp her position, and he would be a danger if he took control. All in all, that means resolving the debt is really damn important.
The only question is…how? I have some ideas. I could give the Gnolls a technology—that was what I claimed, but now that I think of it…
Fuck. I am so screwed.
Let’s put this in perspective. I need to give the Gnolls a technology worth 50,000 gold pieces. At the same time, I can’t destabilize the world by giving them gunpowder.
No.
All flesh is grass.
No.
So what do I do? It seems simple, right? But what can I physically give the Gnolls besides weapons? The industrial revolution? What the hell would a nomadic society need that kind of infrastructure for? And they wouldn’t be able to make use of it, anyways.
No, think. It has to be something simpler. A practical technology or revolution. Think, Ryoka.
Hm. Trebuchets. But damn it, that’s a siege weapon—not something roaming tribes need! First off, wouldn’t trebuchets exist in this world? They were a medieval invention, and this world has renaissance-era technology at times.
For instance, they’ve got glass. Hmm. Lenses? But that technology is dependent on glass grinding to focus the lenses properly, and I don’t know how they’re made.
Damn. So telescopes are out. What else?
Radios…? Hah. Even if I had the ability to work with wires and metal to that extent, who needs radios when you have mage spells and the ability to howl? Long-distance communication isn’t a problem for them.
Bows. Gnolls use bows. I’ve seen them use composite bows and short bows so…fuck. They don’t have compound bows, though. But could I make one? Nope. I’d need industrial-era technology.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Okay…steel. But this world has steel. On the other hand, I never saw steel in the Gnoll tribes which means only a high-level [Blacksmith] can probably make it. It’s no revolutionary technology, though.
I wish I knew how to make Damascus steel. There’s the Bessemer Process of course, but that requires industrial era technology, again…
A printing press? This world still has handwritten books in many cases, but…
Two reasons why I can’t give the Gnolls that. No, three. One, I don’t know how to make a printing press. With screw-based technology, of course, adapting from the wine press…but hell, I’d need months to figure out the exact way to set one up. Second, the cost in resources and space isn’t practical for Gnolls again, and third…
You can’t copy magical spell books with a printing press. That’s obvious. I’ve seen spells, and if they exist on paper, it’s not just in the two-dimensional sense. My guess is that it would be impossible to copy one with any kind of printer, so that already makes one of the greatest revolutions of our world fairly useless to the Gnolls.
What they need is something immediately useful, but the more I think, the more I don’t have any good idea. None except for weapons, and I won’t give that to anyone.
“Fuck.”
I h
old my head in my hands as I sit at the table. Then I hear someone clear his throat delicately.
“You appear to be in a state of distress. May I inquire as to your predicament?”
I look at him. Trust no one.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Klbkch pauses.
“Does your issue relate to the Gnoll debt towards Lyonette du Marquin?”
What the hell? Klbkch is just staring at me. My heart rate picks up, but I keep my face straight.
“How do you know about that?”
“The Antinium know much of what occurs within Liscor.”
“…Were you listening to our conversation yesterday?”
The Antinium shakes his head.
“No, but there are a finite amount of topics which would necessitate such discussion. And the Gnoll’s issue with Erin and Lyonette is a pressing concern.”
“To you? Why the hell would the Antinium care about something like that?”
“Erin Solstice is…important to the Hive. And to me.”
What an odd thing for an Antinium to say. I stare at Klbkch.
“What do you want?”
His multifaceted eyes are fixed on mine.
“I wish to speak with you, Ryoka Griffin. I have desired to speak with you for some time. My observations of your behavior lead me to believe I can trust you.”
He’s been…waiting? To speak with me? And watching me? I’m naturally paranoid, but this makes every instinct I have scream out warning signals. I shrug, carefully.
“I’m free to talk. What…did you want to talk about?”
“I would like to speak candidly, Ryoka Griffin. You are wary of me; that is understandable. But I do not wish to cause you or Erin Solstice any harm. I would like to assist you, and I hope you will regard me as an ally, not a potential foe.”
I…fuck. This is coming out of left field. I thought I was in left field already, but this is catching me totally off guard. I scramble for a response. Test him.
“Are you trying to say we’re on the same side?”
Klbkch tilts his head slightly.
“Are there sides, Ryoka Griffin? The Antinium are not your enemy.”
“I disagree.”
“As do I. If the Antinium were your enemy, Ryoka Griffin, you would be dead. You do not matter to the Hive or my Queen. Erin Solstice is only a tool to be used. So long as that is the case, any interaction with either of you falls under my purview of responsibilities.”
