"I would like to know... Are those townsmen different from what they used to be in the past? And do they have the ability to store object and make them appear at will?"
The questions took the Shaman by surprise, 'Was he secretly spying on us during all that time?' thought the Shaman. After a brief moment of reflection, he finally said, "Indeed, we noticed that they could carry a lot of items even without having any storage equipment. In fact, we have recently started conducting trades with each other which is why we are able to hunt in the dungeon so much instead of the forest."
As he heard the answer, Five's eyes lit up with excitement, 'As I expected... They have an inventory which means they are players! Only players would bring the game forward and break the barriers between the barbarians and the townsmen!'
The Shaman naturally noticed Five's change in expression, "May I ask how do you know that they have this ability?"
"Haha, forget about it. Were you not informed that people with these abilities would suddenly appear at some point? As a dungeon master, I naturally have some intel," answered Five as he recalled that Kroff mentioned an oracle at some point.
The Shaman frowned, 'Could he know something?' He was dying to ask more questions, but he could not be careless and reveal any information.
At the same time, Five was tempted to make a new proposal to the deal with the barbarians! The increase in the number of barbarians in the dungeon was only a matter of time but bringing players to the dungeon was another matter. While the NPCs represented the present, the players represented the future!
It was more profitable to earn DP from barbarians at the moment as they were higher leveled but soon, the players would overtake them. It was essential for Five to find a way to make the players discover the dungeon. There was no doubt that once the dungeon was discovered, some players would attempt to farm there.
However, as much as it was tempting to ask, there was a huge risk as it might affect his deal with the barbarians.
A few seconds of awkward silence went by until Five spoke; in the end, he chose to delay that matter and not mention the topic. "You don't have to worry about them, they do not represent a threat to your village. Trading with them will indeed be beneficial for both of us."
He was trying to lower the Shaman's guard and quickly change the topic but unfortunately, the Shaman's expression did not get any better. With a serious expression, the Shaman spoke, "I feel that there is more to it and if you have some information, I would ask you to share it with us as it is essential for the survival of the village!"
"It is true that those townsmen do not represent much of a threat to us but for the past few days, we have been receiving daily reports about the increasing number of guards at the townsmen's encampment! And we are not the only one... All the other neighboring tribes have also been making the same observations and earlier today, we received an invitation from the Wild Bull Tribe to discuss this matter!"
"It might be trivial to you, but this matter is very important to us! The number of guards we saw was more than enough to deal with our village. It might just be a coincidence but at the same time, we cannot allow such a big threat to be there without investigating. So if you know anything about this, will you please enlighten me about that," solemnly said the Shaman.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
It was the first time Five saw the Shaman acting so seriously; it was clear that the situation was a serious one. It would definitely be detrimental to the dungeon if a war broke out as the barbarians would no longer have time to farm in his dungeon. At the same time, if the tribe was damaged, it would have an impact on himself and would strain their relationship.
Furthermore, while he was listening to the Shaman, a possible scenario popped up in his mind which immediately rung a bell. Could it be that the armed force was there to deal with him? The trials were just two weeks away, the timing might not just be a coincidence. As for the huge number reported, it was possible that other dungeons were not very far from there, resulting in many guards being stationed at the same location for a while.
In both cases, Five could not stay idle. "I am sorry but the information I have is not about that. I just know that a large number of townsmen with special abilities and terrific growth potential suddenly appeared. Maybe that now that they have the manpower, the townsmen are planning to expand their territories?"
"What?" exclaimed the Shaman. This was definitely not good news to the Shaman; the balance between the townsmen and the barbarians would without a doubt fall apart in the near future. "And may I ask, if you have anything else to inform us about?"
"No, that's it," answered Five with a straight face, trying to hide his emotions; he could not say that he might be the reason the tribes were in danger.
The Shaman fell into deep thoughts. The situation was more complex than he imagined. He first believed that the townsmen were just doing some military exercises and would soon disperse but even if it was the case, how could he stay calm after learning that such a huge threat was waiting for them in the near future.
At the same time, the Shaman did not discredit the possibility that Five might just be lying to him. The Shaman had a lot of experience and could easily tell that while Five did not lie, he was definitely not saying everything he knew.
"Then, we will discuss with the other tribes on the route to take. Thank you for the information. It is in our best interest to resolve this matter appropriately... Also, since you know so much about the townsmen, I would like to invite you to the meeting of the tribes."
"That is not very appropriate, right? I am not a barbarian after all and I look more like a townsman! Furthermore, I don't want to interfere in your political matter," said Five. In truth, he was very curious about the outside world, especially since now, he could hide his status as a dungeon master. However, Five could not openly show this and more importantly, he needed to stay away from the politics of the tribes or else, they might end up considering him as a threat.
The Shaman nodded, "That's true but the situation is different. The information you have given me is very important for the survival of tribes. It would be best if you report the information in person. I can do so on your behalf but that would end up revealing your identity and possibly the location of the dungeon... I hope that you can understand my position," said the Shaman.
As he heard the Shaman, Five internally sneered. It was obvious that the dungeon would benefit more if more tribes came to the dungeon; that old man was definitely crafty. When mentioning it in this situation, asking the Black Iron Tribe to share the dungeon with other tribes would make him look bad. If he refused to go now, it would look like he was only looking for benefits which would strain their relationship. In the end, the Black Iron Tribe was the closest tribe to the dungeon, it was better to keep them as allies.
Fortunately, this situation also created an opportunity for Five to expand his horizons and explore the world a little bit. He was internally rejoicing as it meant that he could take a break from managing the dungeon, but he needed to be careful as the dungeon might be in danger in his absence!
"In that case, I can only agree. Please look after me during that meeting," answered Five.
"You don't have to worry about that. We will do our best to protect you! And in fact, why don't you bring one of your monsters with you to protect you? I can guarantee that the tribes won't be hostile to you and your monster. We can even add this clause to the deal if you want! However, I would say that I, myself won't be going. I am quite old, this kind of travel does not suit me but I will inform our representative accordingly. The meeting is in 4 days, our group will be leaving in 3 days since we are quite close to the location," happily said the Shaman.
"Alright then, one monster would be good. If there is nothing else, let's seal our deal for now. I have to go back and make some preparations!" said Five after pondering for a moment. He believed that the Shaman was not stupid and would not openly cause him any harm. But first, he needed to see the new clause of the deal. As for the monster, it was better to be prepared in case unexpected events would occur!
The Shaman nodded and stood up, "Of course, it is the same procedure as last time but this time, we'll add the clause that my tribe would ensure that no barbarians would cause you or your monster any trouble and that includes members of our own tribe. Naturally, we won't be able to protect you if you look for trouble yourself!" The Shaman was expressionless as he took out the raw materials for the circle of truth but in reality, he was internally smiling.