Joe cocked his head, “Sure?”
“We wish to know if our blacksmith has been… offensive to you?”
“No? I am… fine. He was a bit rude, but…” Joe shrugged his shoulders and ended his thoughts on the matter.
Gwenvair bowed, “We are grateful that you are forgiving of his attitude.”
Joe sighed, “I’m not going to kill someone simply because they are rude. You are allowed to speak as you will with me. As long as you make no deliberate attempt to insult me or mine, then I’m completely fine. I may become upset, but I won’t harm another. Even if you insult me and mine, I’d likely not cause an issue either. It would take extreme effort to make me consider physical retaliation.”
Gwenvair seemed to look at him, confused and a bit disappointed, “You do not defend yourself?”
Joe smiled, “Of course I defend myself. I defend myself from words with words, and from violence with defense, then violence. I am simply saying that to cause me to retaliate physically with simple words would be… very unusual.”
Gwenvair nodded at that, “Oh… that is very… considerate, kind even.”
“Is it? It is considered expected amongst my people.”
“Your people are very peaceful.”
Joe laughed, shaking his head, then sighed, “My people are like all others. Sometimes we do well, we are righteous. Sometimes… we fail.”
Gwenvair nodded, “Then, how would you have us deal with the blacksmith?”
Joe seemed confused by that, “Uh… do nothing?”
Gwenvair hid a grimace, but her disappointment was enough that Joe was able to grasp it. He stared at her carefully before looking at her mother. Her mother did much better at keeping her emotions controlled; withdrawn. Joe turned to look back at Gwenvair but she’d controlled herself quite well and simply stared back at him. After a few moments, she nodded at him curtly.
“Then, we will do nothing.”
Gwenvair and her mother seemed to withdraw at that, becoming subtly more distant and Joe quickly held up a hand, “Please. Speak plainly to me. I am not of your people and I do not understand your ways at all. I have no problem offering help, but I must understand to be able to usefully help.”
Gwenvair glanced to her mother at that, both looking to one another with careful consideration before Gwenvair turned back to look at Joe. No signal of any kind was sent, that Joe could see, but it seemed to be one of assent as Gwenvair began explaining carefully.
“Our blacksmith’s behavior yesterday was very… inappropriate. His actions, with another eccentric, could have easily harmed our clan, quite badly. We are grateful for your kindness, but his arrogance is a… glaring weakness awaiting exploitation by our enemies.”
Joe considered for a bit, thoughtful, before he turned to look at the other three, “Garnedell, Zilnek, Kilniara? You were there. Is what the blacksmith did … bad? Or… hmm… tell me your thoughts. Is what he did really so bad?”
All three looked at each other before Garnedell began, “He was not exceptionally rude, nor is what he did really that bad. But it was very foolish, especially considering he was speaking with an eccentric. He was playing with a snake, not knowing if it was venomous or not. His careless actions, especially with a bad tempered eccentric, could have killed the whole Galgandar clan.”
“But why would he do that, if he was so… that seems foolish? If it is known…”
“He would likely have not been killed, as a crafter. Punishment would have fallen on us in all likelihood. He is not so foolish as that, but he is known to be quite… He has a very poor attitude.”
“And he has not received a meaningful punishment from his poor attitude.”
Gwenvair nodded at that but Joe turned to the Matriarch, “Why haven’t you done anyth…”
Joe trailed off when he saw the Matriarch grimace and look away and Joe then understood, nodding.
“Oh… politics.”
The Matriarch glanced back at him then sighed and chuckled, “Politics.”
“Hmm…” Joe lost himself in some thought.
Joe considered for a bit but Gwenvair interjected at that point, “It’s what happened to the Sharnorn clan here before us. A clanner insulted an eccentric. The eccentric took exception and killed the whole clan. Now we are the clan of Coushar.”
Joe raised an eye at that, “Well… that is way too excessive. Hope someone kills that bastard right soon.”
Gwenvair jerked, shocked with some surprise, but said nothing. Joe sighed and returned to his thoughts before replying.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“I do not believe what the blacksmith did was very wrong at all. I feel he has done no wrong at all, only be rude. However, he was foolish. Very foolish. Even with this… extreme possibility, you cannot use that as adequate reason to punish him appropriately?”
Gwenvair’s mother bowed her head at that, silent for a moment before raising her head and speaking, “If I were capable of such, yes. But he is… strong in his own right. If I punish him but he resists, there is little I could do to enforce it. If he does not acquiesce, then it would be… poor for my image.”
Joe grimaced and sighed, “It’ll weaken your position.”
Gwenvair’s mother smiled at that, “Indeed. It is my weakness. My uncle was my… strong right arm in politicking and maintaining the peace within the clan. I find myself… lacking in that skill. The loss of my uncle has been a cruel detriment.”
“I am… sorry for your loss?”
The Matriarch nodded again, “It was… quite some time ago.
Joe bowed again anyway then withdrew from the conversation as he thought carefully, “So, administratively competent but politically lacking?”
Gwenvair tensed at that, but her mother nodded, accepting the assessment, “Internally, yes.”
“And if you punish him, he might just ignore it, which would only make your power fall even more.”
Gwenvair’s mother nodded quickly at that, “Just so.”
“But if I say it, then…”
“You are a city killer’s killer. The first of any that we’ve ever heard here. He may be brash, even rude, but he is not a fool. To set himself against you would be… incredibly foolish.”
Joe fell back into his seat with a heavy sigh. He struggled through his thoughts, mind attempting to deal with this can of worms but he really didn’t like it either. Punishments, especially from what he had seen in the city and what little he saw of the clan, were quite harsh, much too much so for the man’s simple rough words. I really don’t want to hurt the guy, but… it seems that if he’s not checked, the next guy isn’t … might not be as kind as I. But, how can I … he’s a crafter and… He’s a crafter!
“He’s a blacksmith.”
Gwenvair seemed surprised by the statement. OK… duh… obvious statement is obvious…
“Let me clarify. He’s a crafter and crafting is more than his hobby. It is a passion?”
Gwenvair quickly nodded at that, “Yes. Very much so.”
“As a crafter… a blacksmith, finding new and exotic materials to craft with is… vital, right?”
Gwenvair nodded slowly at that, but her mother quickly interjected, her own nods much more firmly certain, “Very much so. A crafter’s growth and skills are very much tied to ever more rare and powerful materials.”
Joe nodded, “Makes sense. So… would he be interested in the giant’s corpse?”
“To some extent, yes. Especially if the bones prove to have some form of metallic content.”
“Does it?”
The Matriarch paused at that moment, then called over the maid, speaking quickly, “Have a report sent to me of the harvesting… never mind, bring me the primary records keeper for the harvesting of the city killer corpse.”
The Matriarch turned to look back at Joe, this time smiling, “Quite… devious.”
“It does him little harm, but very much nails home the… importance of being polite.”
The Matriarch smiled at that and Joe nodded, “We’ll see what they say, then have the blacksmith invited here after the record keeper comes. I’ll have a better idea after.”
The Matriarch nodded, and the conversation turned to other small talk until the records keeper returned and the Matriarch quickly interrogated the woman.
“How goes the harvesting of the city killer?”
“We are ever cautious, Matriarch, but we have our best preservers and butchers on site. We also included many of the crafters as they seem incredibly excited of the possibility of new materials.”
“Has any been taken?”
“Of course not, Matriarch. It is all butchered and awaiting the eccentric’s will.”
Joe blinked at that, surprised but kept his silence. The Matriarch continued.
“What materials of note have been found?”
“Force quad core, earth attuned…”
The Matriarch interrupted her, “An intact city killer core? Four core? It was harvested?”
The woman bowed with a smile and nodded, “Yes, Matriarch.”
“Bring it to me immediately.”
The woman bowed again and reached a hand into her pouch and held out a small four core object in her hand, “I thought you would desire it, Matriarch.”
The Matriarch actually smiled at that as she plucked the core from her hand, “You know me so well. Much thanks. Please continue.”
“Yes, Matriarch. We have retrieved the force quad core you have there, earth attuned bones, earth attuned…” Joe found himself lost in the long list of stuff that had been acquired from the corpse of the giant and as the woman went on, he tried to keep his disappointment from showing as he did not hear any metals listed. The Matriarch, however, kept her face passive and listened carefully. The list went on for quite some time, a list some forty or fifty items long, but it seemed there were a bunch more things not listed as the record keeper ended by saying there were another couple hundred notable materials. Joe felt his eyebrows raise at that… although… forty meter tall giant… that’s… a lot of body!
The Matriarch nodded, “Thank you. You are dismissed. Return to the recording.”
The record keeper bowed and left and the Matriarch turned to Joe, smiling, “It seems we are in luck. The bones, muscles, and blood will likely be of great interest to all blacksmiths.”
Joe nodded, “Great. Seems it will be easy. Do you wish to invite the blacksmith?”
Gwenvair’s mother paused, then shook her head.
“Let us visit the blacksmith. It would be wiser.”
She called over another maid, directing her to clean up the table and they prepared to leave the villa. While she did so, Joe had a minor epiphany and popped up his job list and available skills. Wasn’t there something useful… ooh. Joe grinned and quickly equipped the party job named looter. Nice skill… time to use it? Treasure nose!
Immediately, his surroundings came alive with scents and a strange visual overlay that allowed him to see the directions of the scents as well. The quad core from the giant was the most vibrant… somehow… Is it… brighter? Or… smellier? But its not really a scent? Definitely a synesthesia of some kind… but that thing really smells… good… and glows a lot! Head to the ... hmm.
“Excuse me, Matriarch, but would it be better if he hears it from me?”
She nodded, “Possibly.”
“If you do not desire this?”
“It… it would be best, if you are willing?”
“Certainly.”
The Matriarch didn’t nod this time, instead bowing a bit more deeply before offering her thanks and leading the party out of the villa. They headed off deeper into the clan compound and after a while, Joe began to notice a massive increase in the various treasure scents and color trails around him. Many of them seemed to head off in a singular direction off to the left of where they were walking. There were a couple significant trails heading in the direction they were walking as well, one of them was the same brown color as the giant’s quad core. Same what… element?
Their destination ended up being exactly the same as the couple scents they were following. They made it to the house and Joe looked at the trail coming out of the house, then at the trail that was wafting from the Matriarch. They’re… almost the same… how are they the same? It’s not the element… the core is supposed to be… force? How is force… anyway… and there’s only one core… unless?
“Are there monsters with more than one core?”