Chapter 123
The Downhill Adventure (Part 1)
It was the day that Erin and her group would ascend down the cliff in order to hunt the Reaper Maggot. They had reserved their last two days of the time given to them by Rayleen for completing this task, thinking that it would be more than enough to get it done by then. However, while they had more than enough time, no one in the group could say for sure that all their other preparations were enough for sure. All they could do was hope that they had done enough and that their skills would carry them through this task.
Erin and the others checked if they had everything ready before walking out of their room. The redhead took the lead as they started to head to the place where Brega would help them descend down to where their target resided. Right now, Erin hoped that she had made the right call in hiring the orc. Her meeting with him was still fresh on her mind and she had avoided talking about it as much as possible, hoping that this would avoid creating unnecessary tensions among them.
“So what exactly is this “Downhill Ventures” that you hired like?” Lexton suddenly asked, hoping to finally get some much needed information on the services Erin had purchased. “Ever since you came back from them, you’ve done everything you can in order to avoid even mentioning them. Don’t you think it’s about time that you told us at least something?”
“W-What!? I haven’t been avoiding it! I’ve been completely honest and open about them! Right!?” Erin asked awkwardly as she turned to look at the others, only to receive blank stares in return from everybody. “...Oh, come on. I couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Erin, you’ve been avoiding this topic as much as Ryle avoids vegetables on her plate. It’s so obvious that even a blind person could see it,” Durge said with a sigh. “Haven’t we already been through this? How you can trust and rely on us?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you guys! Honestly!” the redhead said. “It’s just that this time I’m seriously starting to distrust myself…”
“How come?” Lexton asked, until his eyes went wide with a realization. “Don’t tell me… You got scammed by somebody yet again, didn’t you!?”
“Not as far as I know!” Erin quickly said in her defense. “Although, it almost feels like it…”
“For the love of-!” the kobold cursed, before taking a deep breath to calm down. “Alright, just tell me what we’re in for. Just how bad is the situation?”
“Well, we were told that the prices of Downhill Ventures are cheaper than other places, so we do get to save money. Not to mention, we’ll also be helping out someone who is struggling to make ends meet in order to feed their family,” the redhead began to explain. “The problem is that the store itself didn’t really fill me with confidence, when you think about how it looked. Even the shopkeeper himself didn’t really look the part of someone trustworthy.”
“Okay, that does seem a bit concerning, but is it really enough to be so cautious around us?” Lexton asked. “I mean, smaller shops often have to rely on being the cheapest in order to get any customers at all and this often means that they don’t have the most impressive stores or even equipment. But as long as they do their job well enough, isn’t it enough? I mean, I did make weapons for you, Ryle, Arkay and Durge out of scrap metal, yet they work perfectly fine!”
“Trust me. You’ll know what I’m talking about once you meet the guy in person,” Erin said with a sigh, already dreading whatever Brega had in store for them.
Seeing as he wouldn’t be getting any straight answers out of the redhead, Lexton decided to drop the whole thing. He figured that he would see the whole Downhill Ventures business for himself anyways and get all the answers he needed anyways, so there was no need to bother trying to get information out of Erin.
“Hey, Lex?” Durge suddenly called out to the kobold. “I’ve been looking over my new weapon that I got from you and I kind of want to to ask about it.”
“Of course. I’m more than willing to tell you anything you need to know,” Lexton replied. “What’s the matter? Are you unhappy with the hammer I’ve made for you?”
“Not at all! It’s a completely fine weapon!” the orc quickly replied. “However, there is this one thing that caught my attention the moment I got this weapon from you. It’s this part right here.”
The part Durge was referring to was on the other side of the head of the hammer. While the hammer for the most part looked normal, this place had what looked like small holes within the head. Upon closer inspection, one could see what looked like rocket boosters inside.
“That’s the special mechanism that I’ve prepared just for you!” Lexton said proudly. “If you inspect the handle, you should find out that it’s not completely solid and the lower part feels a bit loose. Try twisting it just a very tiny amount.”
Durge inspected the handle and found the part the kobold was referring to. He did as he was instructed and twisted the part just a tiny bit. Upon doing so, he could hear a sound coming from the rocket boosters and one could feel warm air come from there as well.
“Hang on… Is this what I think it is?” the orc asked with widened eyes.
“I see you’ve already figured out the genius of my design!” Lexton said in a bragging tone, fully enjoying getting to explain the weapon he had designed. “Using fire magic stones, I built a mechanism that has created powerful rocket boosters into your weapon! By adjusting the power, you can unleash far more powerful attacks with it and demolish whatever may stand in your way!”
“That’s pretty cool!” Ryle said, looking at Durge’s weapon in amazement. “Hey, try increasing the power! Let’s see what happens!”
“Okay!” the orc said excitedly, as he twisted the handle further.
“Wait! Don’t-!” Lexton tried to war the two, but it was too late.
Having twisted the handle, Durge increased the output of energy, causing actual flames to shoot out. The orc had luckily been careful enough not to increase the power too much, so the weapon didn’t go flying out of his hands and flames were still manageable. However, he and Ryle did end up with a couple of their hairs fried and light burns on their faces. Nothing serious, but still very unpleasant and painful. Durge had fortunately reacted fast enough to turn off the power upon noticing it going too far, so further damages were avoided.
image [https://i.ibb.co/80wGmBB/Ch-123-Pic-1.jpg]
“You freaking morons! What are you!? Children!?” Lexton angrily ranted at the two who had just gotten burnt due to their curiosity. “What made either of you think that increasing the power carelessly was a good idea!? Had something gone wrong, we could have all died! How about next time you think for a moment, before you do anything!?”
“...We’re sorry,” both Durge and Ryle apologized like children that had just been scolded.
“Seriously… Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only sane person in our group!” the kobold said with a frustrated sigh. “I’m especially disappointed in you, Durge! I could have expected this type of behavior from Erin or Zeldana, and obviously Ryle, but not you! I thought you were better than this!”
The orc simply looked down in shame, not finding it in himself to muster up a response.
“Hang on, what do you mean you could expect this from me!?” Erin asked, upset at the accusation. “Are you really saying that I’m on the same level as Ryle!?”
“Hey, since when did I become the bottom standard in here!?” Ryle asked angrily.
“Well, Erin, while I sometimes do consider you to be one of the smarter members of our group, you tend to make some of the most downright idiotic decisions imaginable!” Lexton ranted, ignoring the blonde. “In case you’re wondering what I’m referring to, how about the time you went far away from our camp to train magic and almost got eaten by a spider? Or when you hired that crazy cultist to be our guide and almost got us all killed, DESPITE MY WARNING?”
“Don’t ignore me!” Ryle said angrily. “Could somebody explain how I-!?”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Hey, those might have been mistakes, but I have always tried to make the best and most logical decision in every case!” Erin said, trying to defend herself. “And are you still holding a grudge over that whole thing with the guide!? Can’t you just let it go!? I already apologized for it!”
“Can you guys hear me!? I’m right here! Hello!?” the blonde said in an attempt to get the attention turned towards her.
“Maybe so, but haven’t YOU been telling us about this possible new mistake you might have made?” Lexton asked. “At least that’s what it really seems like. Or did I misunderstand something about this Downhill Ventures thing?”
“...Let’s just get moving,” Erin said as she continued walking towards their meeting with Brega. She was soon followed by others in their group.
Meanwhile, Ryle was left standing dumbfounded over having been completely ignored by everyone.
“...What the hell!?” the blonde asked. “Did they suddenly forget that I was here or something!? Is no one paying any attention to me!?”
“I was paying attention to you,” Arkay said, being the only one who stayed behind with Ryle. “I just didn’t know what to say during all that. Sorry…”
“...Arnie, you’re the best,” the blonde said as she pulled the cat boy into a tight hug with tears in her eyes. “Never change.”
While Ryle was having her moment with the completely confused Arkay, who was doing his best to comfort the crying blonde, a couple others from their group were looking their way.
“What’s wrong with her now?” Durge asked while staring at Ryle with a raised eyebrow.
“Who know or even cares?” Lexton said. “Let’s just keep following Erin. She’ll notice that she has been left behind soon enough and will come rushing after us. No need for us to worry about whatever antics she’s up to this time.”
----------------------------------------
Continuing their trip, the group soon arrived at the place they would be meeting Brega. It was an area on the eastern side of the city, where there was a large spot without any buildings. The place had been converted for the use of businesses just like Brega’s where researchers, hunters and other fortune seekers could descend into the pit below. There were a few other places like it in the city with their own businesses operating there.
Looking around, Erin soon spotted Brega waving at her while running towards them. The orc had a bright smile on his face, as this was most likely his first group of customers after a long time of no business. Because of this, he was intending to do the best work possible in order to ensure future prosperity.
“Hey there, miss Erin!” Brega said happily as he came up to the group. “I see that your whole group is here! That’s great!”
“How come?” the redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Because the laws state that if a person from a group doesn’t arrive due to whatever reason possible, their share of the total price must be refunded,” the orc explained. “It’s apparently so that in case the people who go to the pit die, the ones left behind will have at least something to help themselves move on. With all of you here, I’ll get paid for each and every one of you!”
Erin shared an uncomfortable glance with her friends at that statement. She then let out a sigh and decided to introduce Brega to them.
“Guys, this here is Brega, the owner of Downhill Ventures,” the redhead said, trying her best to sound confident. “He will be taking us to the bottom of the cliff, so we should be in good hands. …Right?”
“Oh, absolutely! You are one lucky group of adventurers, I tell you!” the orc said happily. “You have bought the most legitimate and trustworthy name in this business to assist you! Why I’d be so daring as to say that only the Five Overlords themselves might be able to compete with me on that department!”
Brega let out a loud laugh in order to complete his act of the confident merchant, only for it to not land well at all. Erin’s friends could only stare at the orc before them in disbelief, at how bad of an act he was putting forth. The only one who didn’t do so was Zeldana, as she was already aware of what kind of a character Brega was. Erin herself had her face buried in her palm from the embarrassment she was currently feeling.
“Are you freaking serious?” Lexton asked while looking over Brega. “THIS is the best you could buy? With the money made through MY products?”
“I’ll admit that he’s a bit… off, but we shouldn’t judge him too harshly,” Erin said, trying to believe her own words. “I mean, appearances are one thing. It’s the product or service that truly matter, right?”
“I can’t believe you’re putting me through this crap…” the kobold muttered as he shook his head, feeling a migraine coming. “Erin, while the product itself is the most important thing, any decent merchant should know that putting up a good front is vital in order to get any deals going at all!”
“Hey, what’s wrong with my clothes!?” Brega asked, sounding offended over Lexton’s accusation. “I’ll have you know that this suit came from the finest tailor in the whole city!”
“I’m guessing after he was done wiping his ass with it!” the kobold shot back, before turning towards Erin again. “If a businessman looks filthy, any intelligent customer will make the connection that the business itself is the same way! How the hell didn’t you make this comparison in your mind!?”
“Hey, isn’t that a bit harsh, not to mention hypocritical coming from you?” Ryle asked. “No offense, but you aren’t exactly a prize in your looks either.”
“...I’m not talking about appearance in terms of getting someone to drool from them alone, you moron,” Lexton said with a groan. “Apologies I’m not a catfolk boy or some other thing that’s to your tastes.”
“You better watch it, you-!”
“BACK TO THE MATTER AT HAND!” Erin suddenly shouted, steering everyone’s attention to what was truly important. “Even if we have issues with Brega’s services, we cannot really back away from it now! Not only is it questionable whether we can find another place to help us, but we are running out of time, remember!? So I say that we take our chances and get going! Alright!?”
Realizing that the redhead was right and further arguing would get them nowhere, the others nodded in response to her suggestion.
Seeing as things had calmed down, Brega decided to step up closer to the group. He walked up to Durge in order to ask him a question.
“So is this normal in your group?” Brega asked in a whisper.
“Pretty much a daily thing at this point,” Durge replied bluntly.
“Hopefully it doesn’t get too bad, considering where we are going,” the merchant said with a shrug, before addressing the whole group. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Would you like to go to your lift? After all, we are on a schedule here!”
“Sure. Lead the way,” Erin said.
With that, Brega began to lead the group through the area. All around them, they saw all sort of people gathered around them. Some were armed and looked to be hardened by tough battles, having come there as either hunters of some kind or as bodyguards for those who weren’t fighters themselves. There were also those who were carrying books and all sorts of tools with them, marking them as scholars hoping to make discoveries in the pit.
As they made their way towards Brega’s lift, Erin and the others noticed some of the people around them give them questioning looks, which were mostly directed at Brega himself. Despite wanting to ask about it, the redhead knew that she wouldn’t receive a straight answer so she decided to try and ignore the stares for now.
Having reached his lift, Brega noticed a sign placed in front of it that said in bold red letters “BANNED FROM USE.” Acting quickly on his feet, the orc rushed to the sign, took it off and threw it away into the pit before his customers noticed it.
“Hey, what was that?” Erin asked.
“N-Nothing! Nothing at all!” Brega quickly answered, forcing out an awkward laugh. “It was just some trash some kids must have left here! Vandalism is such a big issue these days, after all!”
The redhead gave the orc a suspicious glare, but went along with it. They had come so far anyways and there wasn’t really any turning back now.
“Alright, my good customers! Are you all ready for the adventure of your lives!?” Brega said, hoping to lift the mood. “When you’re ready, please step inside, so we can-”
“Brega, you slimy little turd!” an angry voice suddenly called out. “How the hell can you show your face around here!?”
Erin’s group turned towards where the voice had come to see a group of angry people walking towards them. The group was directing glares at Brega, who seemed to be sweating underneath the unwanted attention.
“I thought that your sham of a business was already shut down and rightfully so!” another person in the crowd shouted. “It’s people like you who give our business a bad name!”
Hearing such an accusation, Erin and her friends turned to give Brega questioning looks. The orc tried his best to keep himself calm underneath the pressure, as he was looking for an excuse to give.
“W-Well hello, my good colleagues!” Brega greeted the newly arrived group with a forced smile. “I wasn’t expecting to receive such a warm welcome after being away for so long! How have you all been doing?”
“We were doing far better without YOU here!” one of the people in the group shouted. “After all the terrible things you’ve done, you should have been thrown to the bottom of that godforsaken pit! Or at least driven out of the city!”
“Woah! Woah! Let’s not get violent here!” the orc said. “Besides, I haven’t committed anything so heinous that this level of animosity would be warranted, have I? I’m certain if you think about it, all I am guilty of is doing all within my capabilities to run a successful business! Can you really fault me for that?”
“Running a business? HA! More like running a death trap!” another person said. “Out of all lift companies, yours is the one with the highest amount of deaths among your passengers!”
This got the attention of Erin’s group, who gave each other fearful and awkward looks. Brega noticed this and tried to explain things in his own way.
“How vile of you to make such accusations! It’s almost like you think of me as the killer!” the orc said, putting on a tone that sounded offended. “Have we all forgotten that deaths, no matter how tragic, are an unfortunate part of our business!? Those in our trade all have seen their fair share of fatalities in their work, so I see no reason to put any unnecessary focus on me alone! As for having the highest amount of these tragedies, there always has to be a number one in everything, even things we don’t want to claim such titles! It’s just my own misfortune that this title has fallen upon me!”
“That would be true, if the poor bastards died at the bottom of the pit! Your victims die before that due to your crap equipment!” one of the people in the group yelled angrily. “And that is just one of the issues when it comes to you!”
“Name one thing that I’ve done wrong!” Brega said.
“Your pricing for starters?” another voice asked.
“I’ll have you know that I have priced my services accordingly!” the orc replied. “Not only that, due this being my first trip in a long time, I’ll have you know that I’ve cut down my prices by 70 %! That’s more than can be said about any of you!”
“The numerous sexual misconduct allegations?”
“None of those have ever been proven to be true!” Brega said. “Even that one case where I was taken to court was dropped, after it was proven that I only touched her accidentally.”
“How about the case where YOU killed your customer yourself? They say you shot the poor guy 12 times!”
“I’ll have you know that was a case of simple case of self-defense!” the orc explained. “Besides, it was 11 times.”
As Brega was busy defending himself, Erin was conversing with her group about the mess they had just gotten themselves into.
“Do you guys think we might be able to back out of this after all?” Erin asked. “I’m not so sure about this any longer!”
“I wish I could agree with you, but I’m afraid we’re out of options,” Lexton said. “As we were walking past the others, I could see their timetables. They’re all booked for the next two weeks, so we don’t have the time.”
“In other words, we have to take our chances with this bozo?” Ryle asked to which the kobold nodded. “...Can we just take our chances fighting the warlord? I feel like we have a better chance against her than with this guy.”
“Let’s just go for it and hope for the best,” Erin said with a sigh.
“Excuse me, my good customers!” Brega suddenly called out to the group with a smile on his face. “I feel like I should remind you that you’ve already signed a contract with me, so if for some reason you were to decide not to use my services, there would be no refund! I’m fine either way, so… Do you guys want to get this started?”
Erin looked at her friends, who gave her uncertain looks. Despite their feelings, they all knew they were out of options and followed after Brega. All they could do was hope that they wouldn’t end up regretting their decision.