As he remembered, that part of the forest was becoming thicker and thicker, so it was difficult to find the place. Unfortunately, he couldn’t download a map from a forum with a marked cross anymore. The worst thing was that there wasn’t a unique wall of rock in which to look for an opening, but a terrain full of small hills. In one of them there should be a cave that went into the ground, hidden by vegetation.

He had expected it to not be easy, but he was beginning to despair. The only reason his body wasn’t covered in scratches was Regenerate and Steel Body, but he was tired of cutting plants with the axe. Or of finding holes that were nothing but holes. At least, he was lucky that the Frozen Aura could protect him from small insects, since the Burning one was too dangerous to use between so much vegetation.

He cut a tentacle that was twisting around his arm and secreting a paralyzing poison, enough to render an animal of up to level 20 helpless, though it only caused a slight numbness in his arm. Had he been in that situation days ago, he could have been in a much more serious problem, since he would have run the risk of being digested by the carnivorous plant that owned those tentacles.

Other tentacles rushed towards him, so he decided to end the root of the problem, using Javelin against the main body of the plant, which was dragged by the spear to the hole that it had been covering.

Eldi entered that hole, both to recover the spear and in the hope of finding what he was looking for. And so it was. The light of the lamp discovered the beautiful reflection of the metals embedded in the rock.

The caves were extensive and devoid of danger to him, and were connected to another group of caves. It was a small hole barely visible from the other side, since it was hidden among the rock formations of a ceiling five-meter high, in a place with no light.

He went down a rope, while his assistant was coming and going without apparently caring about the height, only worried on its collecting minerals job.

These newly discovered caves were wider and there were clear traces of having been visited, like ashes on the floor of a small camp already abandoned. Probably, a resting place for hunters, with an entrance that he found easily. It was almost night, so he decided to go back the way he had come, climb the rope and rest in that part of the caves that looked safer. And he also cast Mole’s Power to set some traps around, just in case.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The next morning he went back down to the other caves and left through the entrance, to explore around. He climbed the hill to find a clear place from which to watch the surroundings, and from which he saw a village that was around 10 kilometers away. The road that reached it wasn’t too far from there, and a carriage was driving towards the village, so he decided to come closer to observe it.

The carriage carried the coat of arms of the kingdom of Engenak and that of the Count of Tenakk, one of the nobles of the kingdom which in the game were considered weak, and whose lands contained no places higher than level 30. Therefore, it didn’t have extreme need for high level soldiers.

The eight soldiers who were protecting the carriage were very low levels, with a maximum of 15. In fact, low level soldiers go from 5 to 20, while veterans from 20 to 35. From there, there are knights, 30 to 45; veteran knights, from 45 to 60; elites, from 60 to 75, and special forces, which can reach level 90 and are usually exclusive to royalty. Only a few noblemen can afford to have soldiers of such a level.

In addition, there are mercenaries who can be hired for a reasonable period and price, along with adventurers who may or may not provide their services. What was clear is that the carriage didn’t carry anyone that the counts considered essential, as neither looked very luxurious nor the escort was of high level. But the fact that there were guards meant that it had some kind of official matter between hands.

He followed it with his eyes as it lost itself on the road, wondering if it was some messenger, a tax collector or had some other kind of business in that village. Be that as it may, in the current circumstances, it was difficult to find out.

Meanwhile, in the village, two children were waiting fearfully for the arrival of the count’s envoy. With no parents and under the care of the rest of the village, they couldn’t oppose the generous offer of the nobleman who dominated those lands, although everyone knew that his interest wasn’t altruistic. Those children had the ability to learn magic leatherworking, allowing them to use the magical utensils of that job, a very demanded one, like all magic crafting.

The count had offered to welcome them, and give them a home and a teacher, but no one doubted that the life of a slave was awaiting them, as others had suffered. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to hide the children in time, and they didn’t have the power to oppose him, since it would only mean disgrace for them and their families.

The only hope for them was the return of someone who almost a hundred years ago had forced the nobles to treat their vassals as something more than mere possessions. And although the news of the arrival of the last visitor had reached their ears, until now couldn’t be confirmed if Eldi Hnefa had been the one who had returned.

Thus, the villagers had no choice but to bid farewell to the twin siblings. And they could only accept their fate, and wait for the envoy to come and pick them up, hoping that their life wouldn’t be too bad under the counts’ direct control.

They swallowed when they saw a cloud of dust that meant the imminent arrival of the carriage, and they tightened their luggage, the few belongings they could take with them.