Chapter 77
A Tough Road Ahead
Erin’s group had been steadily continuing their journey. With the exception of being attacked by a few beasts, their trip had been going well. During this time, Erin had managed to recover enough for Ryle and Lexton to allow her to resume practicing her magic and other combat skills. The redhead was now able to form small balls of ice that she could shoot at her targets to freeze them. While the area they covered wasn’t large, as it was a bit bigger than the size of a hand, it was still great progress and possible very useful as well.
The others had been getting better as well. Ryle’s experience in fighting and her level in using her ki had greatly improved thanks to Durge’s guidance. The orc himself was able to also build up more experience and get better stamina by fighting the blonde on an almost daily basis. Arkay had also gotten more skilled in using his lightning magic, even though he had been forced by the others to use far less effective methods, but a lot more safe, in training.
However, there was one person among them, who hadn’t been making as much progress as he had hoped. This was none other than Lexton, who was furiously trying to build up his arsenal of acids, potions and other such items. Yet despite his best efforts, he was still far from his ideal level, as he no longer had all the tools and equipment he used to have. One of the things that he greatly missed was his enchanting table, as it allowed him to make the most powerful tools he had ever crafted.
While it was clearly not the kobold’s fault that he couldn’t reach the goal he had set for himself, he couldn’t help but blame himself. He was constantly agonizing over his inability to do anything better, driving himself towards despair. The way he saw it, he was only barely able to make basic potions to help his comrades and nothing more. Even if the others were always grateful for his services, it did very little to calm his anxiousness and despair.
At the moment, it was nighttime and the group had set up campfire to roast some animals they had managed to catch for dinner. They were sharing stories about what they had been doing the whole day and fun stories in order to keep their spirits high. Ryle was currently telling a tale about her time as a bounty hunter.
“So I’m sitting on the roof of this building, looking towards the bar that my target was at, right? I’ve got the picture in my pocket and I’m constantly checking to see if she has left the building and after what felt like an eternity, she finally walks out,” the blonde explained. “Since I don’t want to cause a scene that could get me or some poor bystander into trouble, I start following her by using the rooftops and dark alleys. I’m fully expecting her to go to a motel that’s in the less busy area of the town, but instead she takes a turn and goes to the entertainment district!”
“Why was that so surprising?” Erin asked.
“Because it was something that didn’t seem like she would do!” Ryle answered. “Why would a professional thief that had a big bounty on her head and had been careful not to get noticed suddenly go to such a busy and public place? It made no sense to me! It was almost like she wanted to get caught by getting spotted by so many people!”
“I see. I guess that would be strange,” the redhead said. “So what happened next?”
“Well, I was expecting her to go see a movie or something like that, but I was in for a surprise! She actually went to an arcade!” the blonde said. “Not only that, but she didn’t go there to play any games! She just found a spot to stand and look around!”
“Did she go there to meet an accomplice or something?” Durge asked, interested to hear what happened next.
“Nah! What she went there for was hunting!” Ryle said.
“...Hunting?” all the others asked at the same time.
“Oh yes! And I soon found out what!” the blonde said as she was getting excited. “It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life!”
“What was it? A priceless art piece?” Erin asked.
“A statue made out of gold?” Durge asked.
While most of the listeners were now eagerly waiting for the big reveal, Lexton seemed to have figured it out. A grimace came over his face, as he feared he was right.
“Oh for the love of… Please don’t tell me…” the kobold muttered just loud enough for the others to hear, but it didn’t bother Ryle, as she went on with her story.
“IT WAS THE CUTEST ELF BOY I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!” the blonde suddenly shouted excitedly with a blush on her face and a weird look in her eyes. “Just the perfect face, the beautiful eyes, soft hair and a frame one could only want to hug! I was in heaven just from a single glance alone!”
image [https://i.ibb.co/PgJ9Wd4/Ch-77-Pic-1.jpg]
The others simply gave blank stares at their friend, except for Arkay who seemed to be more concerned even though he didn’t know why.
“...So is this like a regular thing with her or something?” Durge asked.
“I’m afraid so. This is why I try to get between her and Arnie,” Erin answered with a sigh. “Anyways, what happened then?”
“This is where I honestly became very troubled! On one hand, there was a big bounty right before me, but at the same time she was one of my people!” Ryle explained while twisting her face in mock anguish to play up to her performance. “Oh the cruel fate! To have to choose between my paycheck and sisterhood!”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Lexton said as he shook his head in frustration.
“So what did you do?” Durge asked with a raised eyebrow. “Did you two shake hands and become the best of friends?”
“Well, that did cross my mind, except I decided not to do that in the end,” Ryle replied. “You see, it was at that moment that I remembered something about my target. Not only was she a very skilled professional thief, but she had also ties to slave trafficking! Upon realizing what she was actually trying to do, I knew I had to protect one of the treasures of this world and charged in! Thanks to the element of surprise, I was able to beat her down with little issue and claim my the bounty placed on her!”
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“So all’s well that ends well?” Erin asked.
“...Not exactly,” the blonde said as she scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment. “I accidentally broke one of the machines when I apprehended her and I had to give up most of the bounty to pay the damages. Not only that, but the elf boy ran away from me for some reason. Kind of sucks, huh?”
“I’d say it’s more fortunate than anything else,” Lexton muttered as he stood up. “I gotta go now. I’ll see you guys later.”
The others watched as the kobold walked away from the campfire and disappeared into the darkness surrounding them. Once he was gone, they turned to each other with the same question on their minds.
“Is it just me or was there something up with him?” Durge asked. “I know I haven’t been part of this group for all that long, but I can’t help but feel like he was acting in a weird manner.”
“Nah, I think you’re right,” Ryle replied. “Lex can be pretty grumpy and all, but this is a bit too much even for him. If he was acting normal, he wouldn’t have just suddenly left like that.”
“M-Maybe someone should go talk to him?” Arkay suggested. “If there is something wrong, we might be able tp help him out. We just need to know what it is and then we can figure out how.”
“I’ll go talk to him,” Erin said as she stood up and started to follow after the kobold. “I might have an idea as to what is bothering him as well.”
The others didn’t question the redhead and simply wished her luck. She walked a decent distance away from the campsite, but not too far away. You could still see the campfire and the three people sitting around it fairly well, but you couldn’t hear what they were saying. It was the perfect distance to keep safe, while also get some privacy.
Erin found Lexton sitting on top of a large boulder, looking up at the stars in the sky. The light coming from the moon was able illuminate his face enough for the redhead to see a rather saddened look on the kobold’s face.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Erin called out to Lexton, who turned to face her. “You seem rather troubled. Maybe I could help you out with whatever it is?”
image [https://i.ibb.co/tY130Vp/Ch-77-Pic-2.jpg]
“...If you’re thinking that it’s the story that idiot told us, then you’re dead wrong,” the kobold muttered as he turned his gaze back to the night sky. “She might give me a headache with her stupidity, but I have far bigger issues to worry about than whatever nonsense she might spew.”
“Oh come on. Give me some credit, would you?” the redhead said as she climbed on top of the boulder and sat next to her friend. “I know you far too well to ever think that one of Ryle’s antics could bother you that much. So mind telling me what is really the problem?”
Lexton remained silent for a moment, as he wasn’t still completely used to laying out his heart to others. Having lived a life of prejudice and discrimination, he still had issues when it came to trust and seeing things in a more positive manner. Because of this, the kobold was able to scam others without any issue, as he saw most people as nothing more than potential enemies. In short, it was better to hurt them first, before they had the chance to do so to you.
However, now that he had traveled in Erin’s group for some time, he couldn’t help but have a more positive outlook on things. Maybe it was okay to trust and believe others? At least none of the people he had been traveling with had shown any signs to contradict that.
While the logical side of him wanted to just keep the whole issue to himself, his heart made the choice for him.
“...For the lack of a better term, lately I’ve just been… frustrated,” Lexton answered. “I’m just sick of how I can’t seem to make any progress at all. Meanwhile, you and the others are constantly moving forward and advancing. You’re all learning new skills and abilities, yet all I can do is give you some potions to help heal whatever injuries you might have gotten.”
“Hey, don’t look down on yourself like that!” Erin said with a smile, hoping to cheer up her friend. “After all, it’s thanks to your potions that we can keep practicing and-”
“But it’s not enough!” the kobold said, cutting off the redhead. “You all have your different abilities that will help us take on whatever is going to come after us next, but not me! I don’t know how to fight, I can’t use magic or ki and now I don’t even have the tools that made me even worth noticing! Now I have nothing…”
“...Look, I get that you’re frustrated that you can’t do the things that you used to, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change in the near future,” Erin said. “All the potions, enchantments and even golems you make are still with you. Once you get the tools you need, I’m sure you’ll be able to once again open up shop and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with! I mean, remember how you were able to beat Ryle?”
Meanwhile, a certain blonde felt a sudden surge of anger come over her, but didn’t know why.
“The way you handled her back in that arena was nothing short of amazing!” the redhead continued. “Those skills are still with you, right!? You just need your tools and that’s it!”
“That’s easier said than done,” Lexton said with a snort. “Most of the stuff I had was inherited from my dad and wasn’t easy to come by. In fact, the enchantment table I had was like a family heirloom that had been passed down through multiple generations! Ever since the Five Overlords took over, only select few can even buy them.”
“Well… That might make things… difficult,” Erin said a bit awkwardly. “But I’m sure we can find a way around it! I know we might not be able to get back the precious heirloom you lost and I’m sorry about that. However, we can always go to the black market and buy one from there! It might not be able to replace what you lost, but it will be better than nothing!”
“As much as I hate that the enchantment table I lost is most likely gone forever, that isn’t the biggest issue. Even in the black market they are very rare and also very expensive, even if you’re buying a low quality one. At the rate we are going, I doubt we’ll ever even have the money to buy one,” the kobold explained before looking away in shame. “But what really bothers me is that… I can’t help you now that you need it from me.”
“What are you talking about?” Erin asked. “You’ve been a great help to all of us ever since you joined our group! How are you not able to help me now?”
“I should be making you a new prosthetic hand to replace the one you lost, yet I can’t even get my hands on the basic materials,” Lexton answered. “Back when I told you that I would make you a new one, I hadn’t thought about our current situation. I’ve gotten so used to the feeling of having more than enough tools and materials on hand to make anything I can, but now I can’t do even half of them. If I still had everything I used to have, you’d already have a new hand and everything would be good.”
“Lex, I’m… happy that you want to help me out that badly, but you shouldn’t let it bother you too much, okay?” the redhead said. “You’re much more than just the stuff you build, so-”
“BUT THAT IS ALL I AM!” the kobold suddenly yelled as a couple of tears fell from his eyes. “The only thing I’m good for is making items for others to use and that’s all! Without my tools… I’m practically nothing…”
Erin was a bit taken aback by the sudden outburst from her friend, so for a moment all she could do was stare at Lexton. She was only shocked even more, when she realized that the kobold was even crying. Knowing that he needed some comforting, the redhead decided to give her all to help him and destroy the doubts he had about himself.
“You’re completely wrong, Lex,” Erin said. “There is much more in you than just making items for us to use. You have helped us in far more ways than you can even imagine.”
“Really?” Lexton asked in a sarcastic tone, not believing the redhead at all. “Tell me just one thing that I’m actually good for, besides making things.”
“There’s actually quite a few things that you are more than good for,” Erin said. “You understand how the criminal underworld works and can guide us around it. You can set up a business for us to gather money and keep our finances in check and you know how to deal with the wildlife around here. But most importantly, you can keep a cool head during heated situations and find a solution that most of us wouldn’t have even considered. Like that time with that dragon and how you helped us defeat it.”
“Hang on… Wasn’t it Durge who beat the dragon?” the kobold asked.
“Well, he might have dealt the finishing blow, but I’m pretty sure that it wouldn’t have survived for much longer after it ate the bomb you made for it,” the redhead said. “Nonetheless, I still stand by what I said. You’re not just here to build stuff for us. You are far more skilled than you’re giving yourself credit for. Believe me.”
“...I guess you’re right,” Lexton said after thinking about it. “Thanks.”
“Hey, I was just telling the truth. I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Erin said as she stood up. “Anyways, I’m going to head back now. You coming along?”
“I think I’ll stay here for a bit longer. I just want to clear my mind properly,” the kobold answered.
“Alright, but don’t stay here for too long,” the redhead said as she hopped off the boulder and started to walk towards the campsite. “See you later.”
“...Just one more thing,” Lexton said, causing Erin to stop in her tracks. “I promise I’ll make you the best prosthetic hand as soon as I can, okay?”
“I know you will,” Erin said with a smile. “I’m already looking forward to it!”
With the redhead now gone, the kobold was left alone to his thoughts. He looked up into the stars glowing in the night sky, thinking about what she had just told him. He also considered their current situation, especially the problems they were facing, but he also thought about how they could be fixed.
For all of his life, Lexton had been a realistic person that always put focus on the more negative sides before him. Yet right now, he somehow couldn’t help but be filled with hope and positiveness, despite the challenges they were facing.