“Let me get this straight… Are you telling me that a level one Mage has killed three Canine Beavers?” Jeanne asked Dorian in disbelief.

“Yup.” The ranger responded in a carefree manner. “Two of those he did have some help from my part, but he did fulminate the first one totally alone. It isn’t that weird having a crafter killing instantly a monster. Especially when it has as much attributes as Nido here. You could also argue that was thanks to the element of surprise, but that’s the same as undervaluing every Ranger and Rogue out there. Right, Garn?”

The rogue of the group only grunted in response, clearly not wanting to participate in the conversation. Nido agreed with the man’s attitude, as he was currently thinking ways on to enchant the monster’s fangs. The uninteresting common item had proven more useful than thought. The fang contained affinity towards three elements, which wasn’t a lot, but it was one more than expected. Multiple affinities weren’t that important, truth be told. The potency and the connection to the element had more value, but the enchanter was now able to craft better things that he had expected.

“Where’s Robert, though?” Dorian asked his other two teammates.

Garn pointed at the encampment in a tired manner, whilst Jeanne elaborated further.

“You two were taking some time, so he went to get us some food before it runs out.” Jeanne added a sigh, alike this situation had repeated before.

“Oh, come on!” The ranger groaned. “We were fast in our feet. Right, Nido?”

“You spent a lot of time talking, to be honest.” Nido replied with a deadpanned face, not really giving attention to the conversation.

“Not you too!” Dorian cried to the skies looking for salvation. The bowman certainly had a fare for theatrics. The enchanter couldn’t say he didn’t like that part about him.

“I doubt Castor is going to leave you with your stomachs empty.” The mage continued to eye fangs closely, as if he was enchanting them with his sight, yet more assertive to the prospect of talking. “I haven’t known him for a lot, but he doesn’t seem like that type of guy.”

“And he isn’t!” A new voice joyfully integrated. “Boys, I came with the goodies!” Robert, the leader of the caravan guards, carried multiple bowls in his arms.

However, the man didn’t walk alone. A tiny figure walked besides him. Well, Eleonore was small compared to everyone in the caravan except children.

“Why do I always get the idea that you are looking me over the shoulder, Nido?” The bard asked towards the enchanter.

“Because, as a matter of fact, it’s impossible to do otherwise.” Nido mocked her.

Surprisingly, the half-elf controlled herself and didn’t retaliate in a physical manner. And she hadn’t been shy about hitting the enchanter before, whether the gesture was friendly or not. Nido got the impression that she tried to be mature before the adventurers of the caravan. A thing that proved difficult with her being an overgrown child.

Eleonore plainly sighed. “You aren’t getting any food like that, you know?”

“Not really hungry, honestly.” The enchanter shrugged.

“HOW!” The whole party and the bard shouted at his in a perfectly chaotic cacophony, the coarse and drowned voice of the rogue was also present.

“We’ve walked for kilometers, then you’ve gone extra ones hunting wolves.” Dorian narrated. “You and I have literally done more than anyone here, and I don’t know about you,” he briefly paused for dramatic effect, “but I’m fucking starving here!”

“I don’t usually agree with Dorian, but holy fuck, how dare you say you are not hungry!” The fencer told with a degree of viciousness. More offended by Nido’s recent statement than anything from their previous conversation.

Whilst the group throwed their complaints at Nido, Robert peacefully and calmly set the food on a blanket on the ground. The warrior didn’t have any problems on began eating before the rest. Even though he was the leader of the party, he stood standby and simply ate his food as he enjoyed the show. Yup, he’s the smarter one here. The enchanter thought in the calmness of his mind as he took on the all-out attack.

At some point, Eleonore had also joined in the berating, but that was completely expect. It was more noteworthy than Dorian, Jeanne, and Eleonore spent three consecutive minutes shouting at him, totally oblivious that Robert and Garn were enjoying his food. The enchanter could understand why he was the rogue, as he didn’t sense the man moving from one place to the other. Not exactly surprising, taking onto account that he was being distracted by three sources of screams.

Overall, Nido had found the situation pretty funny and cozy. Not a lot of people dared shout at him, not even the divines. There was her, but… The enchanter attitude turned sour, as he had avoided thinking about the high elf all this time. Not even when he saw Eleonore and her elven blood, the thought had crossed his mind.

High elves were immortal in the sense of being immune to aging. He had yet to divine how many years had happened since then, and his answer was “probably a lot”. In theory, everyone he knew had to be alive, but he wasn’t so sure. His abilities had debilitated during his not-time in the Void. The null plane had atrophied him in more than one way. And whilst that debilitating effect is what allowed him to cut his connection with the divines in the first place, it also prevented him from contacting with his acquaintances.

It wasn’t only the people he knew, but also his items. It sounded egotistical, but for someone who had spent as long as decades making the perfect object, he was guaranteed to have some emotional like to it. The loss of the Tower’s Core weighed on him as much as his stupid death wish. Nido scratched his coiled ring in deep thought, he’d rather avoid reminiscence anything from his past, until he was capable to do something about it.

Nido sighed, taking the thought out of his soul and ignored the energized youngsters shouting at him. He wasn’t in the mood right now. The trio stopped with the show as they saw that they were unable to influence the man, yet unbeknownst of his current state of mind.

His attitude slowly got better as the people around him talked while they ate. Dorian narrated the events of the recent hunt in a bard-like manner, something expected out of the half-elf next to him. Of course, he didn’t have any rhymes or music, just using the tone and imitating the standard bard. Though everyone flinched a bit when the ranger told the part when the mage had mutilated the chimera with his Life spell. It was a gruesome experience on its own. Now more whilst they were eating. Specially now.

Jeanne threw a jaw at Dorian’s stomach for telling such things at lunch time, with the excuse of “if someone’s gotta puke, better be you”. That raised everyone’s morale, Nido’s included.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“How are you going to enchant those fangs then?” Robert asked him after having finished his food. Not a difficult job considering he was half-done when most began. “They are quite small, I don’t think they could pass for daggers for Garn here.”

“I’m not really sure.” At this time, Nido had recover mostly. The echoes and failed promises of his ancient life drowned in his mind. “They don’t work as weapons, that’s for sure. Sorry, Garn.” The rogue responded with a dismissing grunt. “I’ll most likely make a trinket. A necklace or earring, as they are quite easy to make.”

“Oh, I would like an earring.” Eleonore commented.

“You’ve already gotten that brooch from me. And now you want more? You’re certainly greedy.” Even when taunted, the bard maintained herself composed. “Either way, you wouldn’t like the bonuses that this fang would give. I have been inspecting it, and these fangs are related to the Life, Chaos, and Water elements. The first two are obvious, and the latter I think is related to the fact the monster was a beaver hybrid. And whatever item I make, it’s going to have a Strength bonus, not something you’ll likely appreciate.”

“Well, I could become a battle-bard and wield my music into battle, you never know?”

Everyone laughed at the notion of the petite half-elf entering into battle with a lute and hitting people until they died. Eleonore half-pouted and repented that those words had left here mouth in the first place.

“The item in question is going to end in the hands of Robert and Jeanne.” Nido told after the collective laughter died down. “I have four fangs, so I’m going to make two set of necklaces with two fangs each.”

“That’s a bit crappy, isn’t it?” The ever-happy ranger commented. “Aren’t tooth necklaces supposed to have a lot of teeth?”

“Then you should have picked more fangs then.” The enchanter huffed at him. “Wait, now that I think about it,” Nido vaguely remembered his discussion with Dorian a back ago, “didn’t the beavers made a dam? Shouldn’t we have taken it down?”

“Nah…” Dorian dismissed it in a laidback grunt. “We didn’t even see it, so Gods know where it is in the first place. Let’s give the local adventurer’s some job, they don’t even have to kill the wolves, just take down the dam. It isn’t like it is our job.”

Nido recalled why he didn’t like the Adventurer’s Guild since he was young. The place was filled with deadbeat people that only did the bare minimum to fill their request, and that didn’t seem to change even after millennia.

Dorian wasn’t an adventurer, maybe not right now. Though the enchanter had the suspicion the man had clearly worked in the guild before. And they also had a tight schedule, they couldn’t leave the caravan waiting for them. But leaving the dam even thought they were next to it, it felt half-assed.

“Yup, Dorian’s right.” Robert added confidently. “We shouldn’t take the job from the adventurers, especially in these lands where they don’t have a lot to work with.”

The enchanter liked the ranger, even if he couldn’t trust it completely. But the warrior had a more cold and down to earth thinking. If Robert said it was okay, then it probably was.

“When are you going to have the necklaces ready?” The warrior grinned at him. “I would certainly appreciate a boost to my raw power.” Then he flexed his muscles a demonstration.

Robert was certainly tall, not as much as the towering Castor, but taller than Nido for sure. That didn’t mean he was bulky, in fact, he was rather thin for a warrior. Even Jeanne, the fencer, had more muscle than him. That arose a question for the enchanter. How does physical mass contribute to power, if the Arcane Records boost your strength because of yes?

Enchanted items of his age increased physical and mental parameters like the Records do now. But the boost worked a bit different. An increase of strength would give the user more physical power, but also help his growth in muscular fiber. Nido didn’t get that reaction from the enchanting influenced by the Records, even if he hadn’t even tested it out yet.

“I’ll got them ready for tonight.” Nido told a few moments later, though he had spent most time thinking about the Records, rather than Robert’s question.

“That soon?” Jeanne asked without hiding her doubt.

“You don’t have to pressure yourself, man.” Robert added after her. “We don’t mind if you wait a few days.”

The enchanter chuckled at their misunderstanding. “Don’t worry about it, this is a trivial job. I only need a need a few hours and carriage to work on, but that’s about it. Do you have any extra requests about your enchantments?”

“Not really, do whatever you fancy. You’re the expert here.” The warrior’s tone suggested that he did have a request but chose not to bother him.

“Well, if that’s all,” Nido stood up from the blanket, “I’ll talk with Castor and see if I can have a place that I can use as a carriage to work on the necklaces. See you later.”

Having given his goodbyes, Nido made his way back to the encampment, but a person cut him off. Garn, the rogue waited before him, his back laying on a tree.

“Do you also want an item?” Nido asked him in an amicable manner.

“Not exactly.” The rogue responded with his coarse voice.

“Well, what do you want then?” The enchanter added a few seconds later after he hadn’t gotten a response.

“You use Life magic, right?” Garn spoke slowly, every word containing weight.

“That’s right.” Nido nodded. “If this is an attempt to intimidate me, I can assure you, it isn’t working.” He said with a deadpanned voice and a stoic visage.

“No.” The rogue negated the enchanter’s statement. “I want you to heal me.” Then he pointed at his neck.

“Wait, are you telling me that isn’t your normal voice?” Garn slowly nodded at the question. The damage seemed to also limit his movements. “Why didn’t you ask the Herbalist in the caravan? According to what Eleonore has told me, she would be more than willing to help you. Why are you asking me, a novice in the healing arts?”

Garn looked at him with disdain, not wanting to respond such a long question. “Can you heal me?”

That would be a triviality for the ancient enchanter. Even without the use of his Tenet of Immortality, his domain with the Life element, was far superior to any archdruid. But showing prowess besides his enchanting skills would be also a way to draw attention towards him. If he was going to solve this problem, he had to do it as an Enchanter, and not a Mage,

“Look for me tonight.” Nido sighed. “If someone asks, you are just going to pick up Robert and Jeanne’s necklaces.”

The rogue nodded with more emotion than before, and promptly disappeared in the shadows. It was nothing more than an illusion, a petty one at that. Nido could make one better without using his staff, not that it gave an incredible bonus in the first place.

The exchange had been quite weird, but Nido give it much though and went his merry way back to the main enclave. As lunch time came close to an end, the noise of conversation and the clattering of cutlery died down significantly, though the Wanderers were as lively as ever. The enchanter noticed the hurried footsteps behind him, Eleonore had decided to come with him. Yet she decided not to strike conversation, and just walked with him in comfortable silence.

Castor was talking with the cooks, and although he had no intention to spy on him, he noticed the Wanderer had a knack with cooking, even if he didn’t appear to never cook. Nido didn’t want to break the conversation he was having with the cooks as they cleaned the kitchenware together. Eleonore was a different deal, however.

“Nido wants to have a workshop.” The bard told to the Wanderer’s leader.

“You know I could have told him, right?” And then she wonders why I treat her like a child. “I don’t actually need a workshop, just a place where to enchant meanwhile the caravan is on the move.”

“And what’s that but a workshop.” Eleonore replied, Castor giving her a smile.

“Sure,” the tall man replied, “I’ll see what I can do. There isn’t really an empty carriage, like never, but maybe I can make room for you in the schedule so you can do your job.” Castor approached Nido after drying his hands. “And besides, this way I can have Nora rest. Unless I trick her, she won’t have do it herself.” It was surprising that the charismatic man wasn’t able to convince someone like Eleonore to listen to him, but the enchanter was fine with following his charade.

“Alright, I’m sure Eleonore would love to learn enchanting with me.” Nido replied in a loud voice as he grinned at the Wanderer.

“Wait, really?” The petite bard hadn’t heard their exchange and was surprised by the turn of events. Her reaction proved quite more eager than expected.

“Sure, why not.” Nido told her. “I teach you some enchanting, and you help me with the lute. I feel my skills are rather rusted, and a refresher would do me some good.” All in all, it would a nice way to spend time.

Until the caravan began moving once more, Nido taught the half-elf the basic of enchanting. The very basics. He took this free hour of teaching to craft a simple ring of regeneration as a way to visually instruct Eleonore in the field. He didn’t get the feeling she had paid attention all that much when it was finally time to begin marching again, but he wasn’t worried about it. If she were to be his apprentice, he wouldn’t last a single day before she lost complete interest in enchanting.