mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 156 - The Last Task [1]
Chapter 156 - The Last Task [1]
Pwyll, Bernia, Nara, Tatum, and Jed—the five of them had been staying for a week now in the City of Sven.
"Good morining, you two." - Bernia
"Morning." - Pwyll
"GOOD MORNING!" - Nara
The daily routine had quickly become familiar to them. Every morning, they would leave their rooms at the inn, dividing their attention between the busy markets and the crowded taverns, keeping their senses completely sharp for any useful news.
They continued gathering information, especially about their lord; Verc, the 14th Demon Lord.
Not everyone believes the apperance of the new demon king, they think it’s just made up by the nobles as an excuse to raise the tax or something. But the topic was still quite popular until now.
The group’s primary objective was getting information, and they did not take it lightly. They listened to the idle talk of merchants, the drunken rants of soldiers, and the whispered rumors of the common folks.
They even collected a warning poster of the 14th Demon King.
Pwyll had managed to pull it off a wooden notice board near the town square when the local guards were looking the other way, folding it carefully and tucking it into his cloak.
And honestly, the illustration of their lord was pretty accurate, just that the real thing was several times better looking.
The artist had managed to capture the sharp lines of his face and the intensity of his gaze, but the cheap ink and rough paper completely failed to show the true majesty and calm power that their master possessed in person.
Anyway, as they’re gathering information, they were doing their other goal as well... buying resources for the village.
They had a massive amount of gold to spend, and they intended to use every single coin exactly as Verc had ordered.
First thing they did was buy two carriages and additional horses for when they go back, then after that—they started buying a lot of things.
The carriages were sturdy, built with thick wooden frames and reinforced iron axles designed to handle the rough, unpaved paths leading back toward the territory. The horses were strong, picked out by Tatum for their endurance and steady temperaments.
Moving on, the most thing they bought are spices which are limited to their village.
They bought sacks of black pepper, dried herbs, cumin, and rare seasonings that could preserve flavor and make their daily meals much more bearable.
Grainne and the others in the agriculture team are still having time growing such with the unnatural mana in the forest.
The soil back home was fine, but the magical energy floating through the air made the cultivation of delicate spices incredibly unpredictable, often resulting in strange mutations rather than useful seasoning.
They’re focusing on crops they can eat for now.
The main priority for the fields was basic survival—potatoes, grains, and the giant mutated vegetables that could keep the growing population of the village.
Anyway, aside from spices—the group also buy a lot of books as Verc instructed, along with blueprints.
They visited several small bookstores and text traders, looking for practical knowledge that could help elevate the village’s infrastructure.
They prioritized windmill blueprints and herbal treatment books.
The blueprints would allow Aodh and the construction teams to build proper grain mills, reducing the manual labor needed to process their harvests. The medical books were equally important, providing Grainne with human knowledge on how to treat infections, fevers, and standard wounds without relying entirely on rare mutated herbs.
They bought a lot of salt as well for food preserves, the monster meats back in the village rot fasts.
Because of the dense mana inside the flesh of the forest creatures, the meat would spoil and attract unwanted pests within a couple of days if it wasn’t cooked immediately. Massive barrels of coarse sea salt were loaded into the back of the first carriage, ensuring they could finally start curing and storing meat for the winter months.
New crop seeds that might work in their village, and fruit tree saplings too.
They selected hardy seeds like mountain barley and various root plants, hoping the dark elf magic could help them adapt to the forest environment. The saplings, carefully wrapped in wet burlap to keep their roots alive, included apple and plum varieties that could eventually provide an orchard inside the clearing.
And not only that, they made a deal with some local farmers to buy livestock bearing pairs such as chickens, pigs, cows, and goats.
It was a complicated process that required Bernia to negotiate prices without making the farmers suspicious about why a simple merchant family needed so many breeding pairs at once. She claimed they were establishing a new estate in a distant valley, paying upfront in solid gold to shut down any unnecessary questions.
Oh, of course—they bought toys for the babies and kids.
Nara had been the one to point them out at a market stall—simple wooden blocks, carved animals, and small rag dolls. Remembering the newborns in the village and the kids waiting back at the castle, Pwyll didn’t hesitate to buy a whole basketful of them.
And so on.
They filled the rest of the available space with iron nails, basic leather-working tools, sewing needles, and bolts of sturdy cloth that the village desperately needed.
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*****
Three more days passed...
And the group had already bought everything they need in the city—they have three full carriages now of resources, then livestocks that they will bring with them.
The small courtyard behind the inn had become completely packed with their purchases, the animals making low noises as they waited in their temporary pens.
Fortunately, probably because they’re part animals as well, and predators at that—Tatum and Jed were able to keep in check the animals easily.
The cows and goats, which would normally get startled by the heavy scent of the city or the presence of strangers, became completely silent whenever the two kids walked past. A single, cold look from Tatum was enough to make a stubborn bull stop moving, and Jed only had to stand near the horses to keep them perfectly inline.
Along with the carriages, they would have some of the animals walk all the way to the village.
The pigs and goats would be herded behind the main wagons, tied with loose ropes to ensure they didn’t wander off into the brush during the long trek back.
Anyway, they’re planning to leave as soon as the sun rises the next day.
"We’re good to go." - Tatum
"That’s good to hear." - Jed
The final inspections had been completed, the wheels were greased, and the cargo was securely tied down under heavy canvas sheets to protect it from the weather.
Fortunately, nothing really big happened during their stay in the city.
They had managed to keep a completely low profile, avoiding any arguments with the local merchants or any interactions with the city guards that could have compromised their false identities.
But before they leave—the five of them have somewhere to go and last thing to do. Verc instructed them to do so.
"Let’s call the others and do the last thing on the list then." - Jed
"You do that, I’ll wait here and look at the animals." - Tatum
"Ugh, you’re just too lazy to come with me." - Jed
"Haha, you caught me." - Tatum.
"I really can’t believe how hardworking you are whenever Lord Verc orders something, when you are like this normally." - Jed.
"Well, our Lord is our saviour, we owe him everything. Of course I can do that much for him." - Tatum
"Ugh, fine. Just wait here." - Jed
After their short casual banter, Jed entered back inside the inn to get the others.
*****
The last thing the group need to do in the city before they leave...
It was a specific order given to them by Verc before they left the castle, a task that required them to venture into a completely different part of Sven.
Tap- Tap- Tap—
Tap- Tap- Tap—
Tap- Tap- Tap—
The sound of their boots hitting the changing ground echoed quietly in the narrow spaces.
The five walked to the undeveloped part of the city of Sven—the houses and structures were ran down and old, the street were dark and smelly as well.
The clean stone buildings of the merchant district quickly disappeared, replaced by rotting wooden shacks that leaned against one another for support. The air was thick with the stench of garbage, stagnant water, and human misery.
Less people and the stone path ended abruptly, making them walk on soil with muddy patches.
They had to step carefully to avoid the deep puddles of foul water that collected in the ruts of the road. The bright sunlight from the main square barely reached down here, blocked out by the cramped, overhanging roofs.
"It’s like we’re in a different place." - Jed
"Is this place cursed as well, just like our forest?" - Nara
As the group continued walking, they saw more and more beggars, some are even eyeing at them with not-so-good intentions.
Desperate men leaned against the damp walls, their eyes tracking the clean clothes of the "merchant family" and the heavy pouches that were hidden beneath their cloaks. Whispered conversations broke out in the dark alleys as they passed.
But with the members of their group; a champion gladiator, a knight squire, two vampiric beastmen, and a cute little kid—they just ignored such looks.
Pwyll kept his hands loose at his sides, his posture completely relaxed but ready to explode into violence at a second’s notice. Bernia was ready to grab her hidden dagger as well as soon as something happens. Tatum and Jed walked with a cold, predatory grace that made the more experienced thieves in the shadows instinctively pull back, recognizing the danger hidden beneath their robes.
There were no real threat to them in this place, perhaps even in the whole city.
A bunch of starving, poorly armed thugs stood absolutely no chance against them.
TAP.
Then finally, after a few minutes of walking—
"We’re here."
Bernia muttered that. They arrived in their destination.
She stopped in front of a large, high-walled compound that looked significantly sturdier than the surrounding slums, its iron gates heavily reinforced and guarded by two men holding short spears.
And seeing their group arrival—
CREAAAAAK!!!
The heavy iron gate groaned as it swung open slightly, and a figure stepped out from the courtyard inside to greet them.
"Hello, are you looking for something?"
A man with a weird but expensive looking outfit approached them.
His clothes were made of bright silk that didn’t fit the muddy streets at all, covered in elaborate embroidery that had seen better days. It was a fat man with a long well kept mustache.
He rubbed his hands together, his small, greedy eyes immediately assessing the quality of their cloaks and the potential gold they carried.
The group... they’re currently in a slave shop.
This was the final task Verc had given them—to find those who had been discarded by human society, and bring back useful people if they can.