As the group approached the town several people ran to the them each tearfully squeezing their children or wife while a few women had no one approach them. Sava simply looked at the ground and wiped her face off. “It hurts so much that he’s gone.” Sava’s voice wavered.
“Who did you lose?” Gargrim asked.
“My husband tried to save me. They stabbed him and pulled me away from him as he bleed to death. I didn’t even get to hold him in his last moments.” Sava took a deep quivering breath. “I need to hit something.” She walked on to her blacksmithing shop and went inside.
Gargrim looked over at Victor and sighed. “It’s always hard seeing this. Every time. It never gets easier.”
“I guess just because you save someone it doesn’t magically fix their life.” Victor once again surveyed the damage. “At least some of them still have their loved ones and they are all alive.”
“It’s too late in the day to set out on the road. I don’t want to stay here any longer.” Gargrim slumped his shoulders. “If you want to come with me tomorrow to the north I will take you near to the boarder. I want to be out of Hoxal and back in Peria sooner rather than later.”
“What do you mean near the border?” Victor asked.
“Hoxal has many boarder walls to keep others out and to prevent some people from leaving. They’d take the artifact I came here for in the first place if I went over the border. The massive mountain range makes guarding the border impossible. So I will go through the mountains.” Gargrim explained.
“Can we accompany you?” Victor seemed almost hopeful that he could.
“Listen son going through the caves and trails I go through would kill you. If you find me in the capitol city of Kival feel free to come find me. I’ll likely be relaxing for a while thanks to these big paydays.” Gargrim explained. “Besides, and don’t take this the wrong way, you need a lot of work. You need to spend a long time dealing with the most basic low level creatures to learn situational awareness and positioning. You were standing at the gate preventing people from leaving and blasting those on the roof that was great for offense! Your position however exposed most of your body. You definitely don’t have the mindset of a long ranged spellcaster that has a small handful of health. If you wanted to be close range you’re going to definitely struggle unless you get the Spellsword Specialization. Lean on her and fight low level creatures for a few months. There is still risk, adventuring is always risky but the likelihood of a level 1 or 2 goblin killing you in a single hit is significantly lower than a creature above your level. It takes longer but fighting something your level is foolish, fighting things above your level should be not but a last ditch effort, sure it will level you faster but you’ll be dead before long.”
“That’s a lot of advice. I’ll take it to heart.” Victor nodded.
Serena came over and once again wrapped her arm around his neck practically hanging off him given how much shorter she is than him. The sun nestled itself between mountain peaks in the distance and she smiled. “That was one hell of a day.” The three of them walked into town into the sunset finally reaching the still damaged inn. “I bet I leveled up, we can do that in the morning though. For now a good meal and a nice warm bed sounds great!”
“It should be early enough to get some food.” Gargrim nodded.
“I could use some meat.” Victor nodded. “Do you have beef here?”
“What is beef? It sounds delicious.” Gargrim’s mouth started to water.
‘Oh no, are there no cows in this world?’ Victor started to realize that possibility and opened Swordie. “Cow.”
On Verdan the Earth species cow exists under the name Long Horn. On Verdan both male and female of the species grow horns.
“Oh it’s just a different name. According to Swordie the animal is named Long Horn here.” Victor noted.
“Oh I love Long Horn Steaks!” Gargrim’s mouth started to water.
“I’ve not had one of those since I was 12.” Serena smiled. “My masters never bought me any and in the years prior to that my family got poorer and poorer as the village failed. I’d love to get one but I can’t possibly afford 2 gold for that.”
“Wait it’s 2 gold? Aren’t potions 3 gold?” Victor asked.
“Yeah steak is really expensive.” Serena sighed.
“Oh I almost forgot. Fair is fair.” Gargrim sat down on a rock and pulled out his coin purse and began counting coins. He poured a hundred coins into two pouches. “There was about 400 gold worth of gold coins. Given how much I did I think it’s fair to give each of you 100 of it and I will take 200 gold. That seems fair enough it is pretty standard even given the massive difference in strength.”
‘I see. She did mention that most groups ran rewards this way. It definitely feels unequal but this entire world feels unequal.’ Victor nodded with a smile. ‘I guess I can’t be too upset it was mostly him and would definitely have been impossible without him. I won’t dwell on it.’ He reached out and took the coins. “Thank you, once again I really appreciate your help.” He extended his hand and shook the dwarf’s hand.
Serena held the coin bag in her hand and opened it slowly. She began to cry absolutely distraught. She held the gold close to her chest. She sniffled truly broken as she took out ten gold coins in her hand. She started to pant deeply and clearly started to have a panic attack. She dropped them one by one into the bag and buried her eyes in her hands. “Ten gold. Ten gold…”
Gargrim seemed confused. “One hundred gold young lady, I assure you feel free to count it all.”
“She was sold for 10 gold.” Victor explained wrapping his arm around her as she cried silently.
She shivered as it finally reached her. “They sold me for so little because I was wounded and they didn’t want to heal me. My life was so meaningless to him. 10 gold coins would have bought my freedom.” She shook trying to control her tears. “I hold someone’s life in my hands right here…” She took a deep breath “and I can’t bring myself to even consider using it to free someone!” She took three more panting breaths practically begging her body to cooperate. “You spent four times my life on consumables and then used it to save a dozen women and children. I just…” She shook her head.
“Aye, slavery reduces a life to nothing more than a pile of gold coins. It’s a pretty terrible practice but what are you going to do, kill every slaver?” Gargrim asked.
Victor thought to himself. ‘I wish I had a hat so I could tip it to him and smile.’ He turned to him. “That would be a good start.”
“HAH! Son you really are delusional, a truly crazy kid.” Gargrim replied.
Serena’s breathing started to slow and she wiped her face off. “I’ll never get over how worthless I was to him.”
“You aren’t worthless to me.” Victor stood up and extended his hand. “You’ll never serve another master ever again. That gold is yours. Do what you want with it. I’d say you more than earned a steak if you want one.”
She took his hand and stood back up. “That does sound good.”
“Well then let’s go get dinner!” Gargrim slapped his legs and stood up. The three of them sat down at the inn. Most of the tables had been destroyed by the bandits but one with four chairs remained intact in the corner.
The innkeeper who gave them the room last night quickly walked over. “What’ll it be?”
“Do you have any Long Horn steaks?” Gargrim asked.
“I do but it’s expensive. Those damned bandits didn’t make their way down to my preserves and wine at the very least.” He answered. “It’ll be 3 gold out here. Not exactly easy to get the stuff.”
“That’s fine. I’ll have that and whatever the strongest alcohol you have is. It’s a celebration after all.” Gargrim’s smile came through his beard.
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“Sir are you sure? The strongest I have is a Dwarven Rocksmasher vintage.” The innkeeper noted. “A single glass of it is 9 gold.”
“You have Rocksmasher? It’s so expensive; bring me a glass and a mug of beer along with the steak medium.” Gargrim nodded sure of himself.
“I’ll take a beer and a steak, medium.” Serena nodded having regained control she now seemed to be excited for the food.
Victor paused unsure if he should order beer. He had never drank before. ‘Should I drink? No I don’t want to do something like that right now, especially if Serena is going to get drunk and something could happen.’ Victor placed his order. “I’ll take water and the steak, medium.”
Cawthorn squawked. “MEAT!”
“I’ll also take a sausage for Cawthorn.” He nodded.
“I will get to making those for all of you.” He walked behind the inn counter and poured two mugs of beer and a glass of water. He brought those to the table and then opened a hatch behind the counter and started stepping down. He eventually emerged and opened a door to the back and lit a fire.
“Oh is he a mage too?” Victor asked.
“Many chefs are mages.” Gargrim explained. “They use fire magic to manipulate the flames and cook meals evenly.”
“I guess that makes sense, most people would use their skills and stat points to be more proficient at their jobs instead of being combatants.” Victor just started to realize how divergent lives in this world could be. “Do they still gain experience?”
“Well yeah but experience is typically based on danger, difficulty, and contribution. Some mages in schools and mage towers know exactly how it works but I’ve never seen it. That said, fighting things endangers your life, is objectively difficult, and how much you contribute to the defeat of said creature directly determines how much experience you receive.” Serena explained.
“Wait wouldn’t that mean as a slave you were constantly taking away experience from the men who had used you as a slave?” Victor asked.
She went quiet and Gargrim spoke up. “Adventurers use slaves to check for traps, search dangerous rooms, and to lead the way. They are often directed only to defend themselves and restrain creatures even if they could kill them. They use slaves as cannon fodder. Lower level combat capable slaves typically survive between 3 and 10 missions before dying. It’s rare for them to ever level up.”
“Oh.” Victor realized just how much worse it really was. “I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine.” She took a long drink of her beer and tapped her fingers on the glass rapidly as though she was debating something. “When did you say you’d decide about me?” Her sly smile cracked her tan skin as a single short hair fell over her eye.
“I’ll decide before we reach Peria.” Victor nodded.
She took another drink. “Right now we haven’t reached Peria.” Her smile grew slightly smug.
“Your future wife wishes to drink her fill.” Cawthorn calmly noted.
“Cawthorn can you stop calling her that?” Victor asked turning red.
“Wait what is he calling me?” She leaned toward the bird.
“It’s nothing.” Victor insisted as he became more embarrassed than he had ever felt before.
“Ooo I bet its good. Tell me.” She pressed on.
“Cawthorn calls you my future wife.” He answered.
Gargrim spit out his beer before laughing. Serena threw her head back laughing. “Tell Cawthorn he’s great!”
Victor relayed the information to Cawthorn he nodded. “Caw caw hah of course your future wife knows greatness when she sees it. She will be good for you.”
Gargrim laughed. “You know there is only one way you’ll ever get rid of that title future wife.”
She brought her head back to level and tilted it with a mischievous smile. “Of course! Not an easy task with him though. I might even level up when I remove that title.”
Victor put his hands up. “Hold on, I still haven’t had time to think about it really at all. I’m not really opposed to a relationship with you I just don’t know how I feel.”
“Why?” Serena leaned forward.
“I’ve never had a girlfriend. This dinner is the closest thing to a date I’ve ever been on.” He held his water in his hand tightening his grip. The innkeeper returned with their food and the Rocksmasher in a small glass. ‘You know I haven’t had steak in years.’ He thought as he took the knife and carved off a piece of the charred steak and the taste felt heavenly after nearly dying earlier.
“Oh so you’re like really inexperienced and sheltered not just small town sheltered more like lived out of one room and a library in a mage tower sheltered.” Gargrim took a bite of his steak.
‘That is a shockingly close assessment of my life.’ Victor thought. “That isn’t far off.”
Serena took another gulp. “Well that makes a LOT more sense.”
“Yeah that fits I haven’t seen many mages like this but a couple I’ve met definitely had preconceptions about the outside world that didn’t fit at all with the country or city they lived in.” Gargrim noted downing his Rocksmasher and shivering a little. “Goddess that’s good stuff.”
“Oh I bet I know he tried to make a deal with a devil for power while studying with a caring instructor and the price of the curse has something to do with his past or the source of his power. Might have something to do with his luck.” Serena looked at Gargrim.
“I like that theory. It definitely fits but it’s not like he can confirm it. Wait we could just ask him a bunch of questions and he can deny it until we get it right.” Gargrim smiled. “Well son what do you think? Were we right?”
‘Do not test me.’ The message popped up in Victor’s vision.
“The curse is telling me if you figure it out something bad will happen. If I help you at all in this matter it will bad. So I refuse.” Victor noted.
“I wonder if the instructor kicked him out of the mage tower after that event.” Serena ate a chunk of her steak. “So good!”
Victor fed the smoked sausage to Cawthorn who choked it down whole. “MARVELOUS!”
“Oh I bet I know! Someone died as a result of his carelessness that’s why his instructor sent him here. It explains his absolutely intense desire to save others.” Gargrim added to Serena.
Victor sighed and tried to change the subject. “The food is good.”
“That’s got to be it! A shut in mage who summoned a devil with his only friend and it cost him his life! Then his instructor sent him out in the world likely in hopes to teach him a lesson about the value of life, and now he’s learning that others are even more reckless with life than he was. I bet his teacher was some kind of pure hearted angel.” Serena leaned her head on her knuckles.
Victor took a deep breath and ate his steak. “Cawthorn do you like the food?”
“THE FOOD IS FANTASTIC!” Cawthorn proclaimed.
“Oh I’d love to meet an angel. They are always so beautiful.” Gargrim noted.
Victor pulled out Swordie and cracked him open. “Swordie how do you feel about angels? Are they right?”
“Angels are the pinnacle of virtue. Most virtues are named after angels, most vices after ancient devils.” Swordie noted.
“Oh he pulled out the book. He clearly wants us to solve it I bet his master is an angel!” Serena added.
“I bet she is just as beautiful as the Golden Goddess. Oh what I wouldn’t give to see just one before I die.” Gargrim sighed.
“No no!” Serena corrected him “He’s basically never interacted with a woman so the angel had to be a guy!”
Gargrim grimaced and glanced at him. “Ah hell you’re right. His instructor was definitely a guy.”
Victor took a drink of his water. “Cawthorn would you like a drink.” He raised his glass to Cawthorn.
“OF COURSE MY MAGE” Cawthorn proclaimed lapping up all remaining water he had left.
“At least that backstory makes some sense.” Serena nodded. “Regardless of your past I’m willing to wait but I’m doing everything I can not to leap across this table and kiss the hero who rescued me.”
“At least you are forward with him. A lot of girls would just pretend they didn’t have feelings for him until he confessed to them or forever if he was too dense to notice her. You’re going after him and I respect that.” Gargrim reached a fist across the table and Serena pressed her fist up to his to bump it. “Take good care of him.”
“I plan to!” She laughed.