Despite Katashi's concerns, we approached the entrance to the Garnet Grotto almost an hour before midnight. The Japanese tried to appear calm, but some minor signs, such as his accelerating speech and frequent tapping of fingers on the shield, did not go unnoticed by me. And it was understandable for the blacksmith: after all, showing up at the entrance of a dungeon without prior arrangement and trying to join a party on the spot is considered frankly bad manners, and almost nobody ever does that. As much as I knew Katashi, he was not so much worried about the refusal, quite probable from his point of view, but about the impropriety of the request we would have to make to the tunnellers. I was a little worried about the upcoming conversation with the local group, too, but I had a rough idea of what and how to speak, so I was less anxious than the Japanese.
After gathering some twigs, I lit a fire near the dungeon gate platform and, having collected water from a nearby stream, set it to boil. Then, I suggested that Katashi warm up some food and have a snack. Not that I was particularly hungry, but it's one thing when the local tunnellers notice a tense and armed pair of fighters waiting for them at the entrance, and quite another when they see the same pair peacefully snacking. It's not for nothing that people say the first impression is the most important.
When the water in the kettle boiled, I made some tea, and then, filling our travel mugs, I asked Katashi, who was sitting opposite me, how he knew about this dungeon in such detail. I deliberately avoided this question earlier, while we were walking, preferring to spend the time discussing more substantive matters, such as the debate on the "ideal armor" and the transparent hints that all roads lead to Pentapolis.
"There's no particular secret to my knowledge," Kay replied after taking the first sip of his hot drink. "About a month ago, even before I bought the forge in Hamna, I passed through these places. I stopped at an inn and, as usual, asked people about life in the area. I was looking for a place for the forge and was interested in such details. It seemed desirable to me then that the forge's location be near dungeons rich in iron, as I didn't know then that in the Rur region, acquiring it is much easier than in other parts of Ain. So, I asked people about dungeons, and although I was still Bronze at the time, I was interested in higher-ranked dungeons too." After gulping down his tea, the Japanese refilled his mug. "And the local innkeeper turned out to be surprisingly talkative. He not only gave me a general idea but also enlightened me on such details as the local tunnellers' schedule. As far as I understood, his eldest son is part of their group, hence the innkeeper's exceptional knowledge." Kay gestured toward the huge centuries-old oak tree towering next to the entrance to the Garnet Grotto. "The top of this giant can even be seen from that inn. So, I even learned the location of the Gate. As for what is mined in these places, learning the reason for my interest and desire to buy or rent a forge, the innkeeper also told me about the resources retrieved from the nearby dungeons.
Such talkativeness, especially about such details, is rare in Ain, but apparently, the natural charisma of the Shard dulled the innkeeper's caution since he allowed himself to tell so much to a passing traveler. Noticing my slight doubt, the Japanese added:
"When I realized that the moonstones were stolen and there was a shortage, I asked a trader acquaintance in Bordum to send someone here to clarify the details. Yesterday, I received a message from this acquaintance and started preparing for the expedition, not yet knowing I would meet you."
If someone else had told me something like this, I would have been very skeptical about their story. There are just too many coincidences that happened during meetings and very convenient acquaintances. But, when it comes to Shards, this skepticism isn't quite appropriate. Because their path through Ain is paved with such fortunate coincidences. This doesn't mean that everything comes easily to Katashi. No, that's not the case; I'm sure the Japanese works harder than most earthlings could even dream of. But the "memory of the future" somehow suggests to me that Ain or Fate seem to assist the Shards. And such "assistance" can be expressed in trivial things, like a very talkative innkeeper. Correction: maybe this "assistance" doesn't extend to all Shards, as in the Last Cycle, only four out of twelve survived until the late stage of the Invasion. So, it might be that the luckiness I attribute to all Shards isn't characteristic of them all without exception, but only of those I know: Katashi, Nate, Arien, Dice, and, possibly, Scully. It may be that my observation of all Shards being lucky is a manifestation of the typical "survivor's bias."
After slicing some bread and cheese, I made myself a sandwich and, nodding to the Japanese's story, said:
"Apparently, the news you received was accurate, as the dungeon hasn't Recovered." I indeed checked this detail immediately, as soon as we came out to the dungeon's Gate.
Judging by Seguna's position in the night sky, midnight was approaching, so full confirmation of Katashi's words was only a short wait away. However, I was not worried about this matter at all because I was sure everything would work out as needed. I didn't know the details and specifics, but as long as Kay was nearby and I acted in his interests, I thought everything would go smoothly.
My confidence in the positive outcome of our expedition was so great that when midnight came and the local tunnellers didn't appear at the dungeon entrance, I first thought that I had lost my ability to tell time accurately. But minutes passed, and it was still just the two of us on the platform.
"Could something have gone wrong with the schedule of the local group?" When it was already the second hour past midnight, Katashi grew worried. "And they postponed the cleaning till morning?"
Rising to my feet, I approached the Gate of the Garnet Grotto and placed my palm against them. Unlike my last touch, about two hours ago, the dungeon's status had changed this time. "One of the twelve?" The familiar inscription flashed before my mental vision. Removing my hand, I returned to the campfire.
"Your information was accurate. The locals had reset this dungeon exactly at midnight a week ago. And now the dungeon has already Recovered."
"I thought that tunnelers, to avoid wasting time, plan their clearings in such a way as not to disrupt their usual schedule. That is, they go to the same dungeons, you could say, in a cycle, on the same day of the week and at the same time." Nervously tapping his fingers on the shield lying on his lap, Katashi said.
"And you're right," I nodded, agreeing with what he said. "Usually, that's how it happens. Firstly, if everything goes smoothly from one clean-up to the next, then adhering to such a schedule becomes something akin to a ritual that's undesirable to break. And secondly, when you're ready for a dungeon clean-up right at the moment of its Recovery, then nobody simply has the chance to 'steal' this dungeon from under your nose. Here, in this region of Ain, everything is more or less regulated, and most tunnelers are members of the same Guild. But, as far as I've heard, it's not like that everywhere, and there's a real war over profitable dungeons. Moreover, there are places, for example, near the border of warring states, where 'stealing a dungeon' from the neighbors is a show of skill, courage, and a certain boldness. Well, and thirdly, by disrupting the usual schedule, you lose money. Because one day of such a schedule violation will shift all subsequent clean-ups. Since, if you cleaned a dungeon not, for instance, on Wednesday, as you always did, but on Thursday, then the dungeon will not Recover before the next Thursday. And fourthly, if your group controls several dungeons at once, it might happen that, by disrupting the schedule in one dungeon, you'll mess up your schedule in all the others. Because two or more dungeons will Recover on the same day." Noticing the concern in Katashi's eyes, I added more calmly. "But shifting the start of a clean-up from midnight to morning or noon is usually nothing special. Such things happen, so I suggest we simply wait until dawn."
The Japanese agreed with me and immediately suggested we settle down to sleep right here. Unlike me, he had been working almost two days without sleep, and if the dungeon expedition was postponed, he wanted to get at least some rest. It's a pity because every minute of conversation with Katashi was valuable in its own way, allowing me to load him with information that, in my opinion, should make his life in Ain easier. And, of course, to nudge him in the right direction and help him avoid the mistakes he made in the "Last Cycle." Yes, because of the mysterious Scales mentioned by the quester, I couldn't speak directly, but I dropped hints quite generously in my speech. Nevertheless, I understood the importance of rest, so dividing the night into watches, I agreed to stay awake for the first and the pre-dawn shifts.
My confidence in the boundless luck of Shards wavered even more when nobody showed up at dawn in front of the entrance to the Garnet Grotto. Something in the schedule of the local group's clearing obviously went wrong, as they appeared neither at midnight nor in the morning. Before waking Katashi, I approached the dungeon Gate and stood there for almost a minute, pressing my palm against it.
According to the information the blacksmith had, the Garnet Grotto was a fairly typical second-type dungeon. That is, its geometry changed from one clearing to another, but it had no boss, and the "inhabiting" monsters remained unchanged. In the case of the Grotto, these monsters were various stone creatures, ranging from granite spiders to stone trolls. These trolls were the main danger in this dungeon because, besides being over three meters tall and weighing several tons, they were also poorly susceptible to elemental magic spells. For example, Earth Magic had no effect on them at all, as these creatures were akin to it. Air Magic at the Wootz Rank couldn't harm such sturdy beings. As for the Elements of Fire and Water, to inflict noticeable damage on these monsters, you had to keep stone trolls under the effect of spells for a very long time. Lightning also worked poorly, chipping pieces off the surface of the monsters, but to significantly harm a troll, you needed to hit, for example, with "Direct Lightning" in the same spot about ten times, at least. And the "Discharge" I practiced would likely not cause any visible damage to these creatures.
Even "lesser monsters" like the stone spiders could cause quite a bit of trouble. Firstly, because they seemed "small" only compared to the trolls that inhabited the same dungeon, but in reality, the span of their legs could reach over two meters. Secondly, until these spiders started moving, it was almost impossible to distinguish them from ordinary stone. And, as my memory of the future suggested, such creatures loved to hide on the ceilings of caves and then fall on the heads of unsuspecting tunnelers. If you didn't hear the rustle from above in time, didn't manage to jump away, a stone monster would fall onto your head… Which not only weighs like a granite slab of the same size, but its legs also possess enough strength to snap the neck of a Wootz warrior with one swift movement.
Nevertheless, if I understood everything correctly from what Katashi told me, and in turn, the talkative innkeeper hadn't lied to him, then the Garnet Grotto was not as dangerous as the Bogash Tomb. Primarily because the local monsters did not use any magic. And the fact that tunnelers cleaned this dungeon every week, rather than postponing the expedition until the Overflow period, clearly indicated no special surprises inside.
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For a while, I even seriously considered whether I should attempt this dungeon alone. After all, the Des rune works very effectively on stone, even granite. But after some thought, I discarded this idea. After all, everything I knew about this dungeon had been gleaned from second-hand accounts. And who knows what was true in those accounts and what was speculation?
Removing my hand from the Gate, I looked at Katashi, who was sleeping by the barely smoldering campfire. Yes, the Japanese couldn't be called an experienced tunneller, but nonetheless, thanks to his training back on Earth, he was an excellent fighter. One of the best among "ours," that's for sure. Moreover, he was a Shard, and this should not be overlooked. With him as a partner, clearing the Garnet Grotto no longer seemed overly dangerous to me. Yes, there was a risk, of course, a significant one, but the reward was worth it. And it wasn't about the loot that could be taken from the dungeon and shared between the two. That matter concerned me little. But the fact that by going through the dungeon together, constantly covering each other, we would come to trust each other more - now that almost persuaded me.
But, nevertheless, I had to abandon that thought as well. Because if we both entered the dungeon now, even if everything went smoothly and we cleared it without any particular adventures, it might very well happen that the group of local tunnellers would be waiting for us at the exit. A rather angry group. Yes, my status as the Sheriff of the Guild would most likely allow me to resolve such a conflict without bloodshed. But it could very well turn out that by committing such a blatant violation of guild ethics, I would breach the trust of the Book of Ishid and lose my unique Sign.
Moreover, I wasn't sure how Katashi would react to my proposal to "steal a dungeon." Knowing his stubbornness and desire to follow the rules, he definitely wouldn't like it. And his opinion of me after such a proposal could change drastically. I've already spent several hours getting the Japanese to take me seriously and trust my judgments to some extent. And to destroy all that? No, it definitely wasn't worth it. Although, going through a dungeon as a duo, especially on the first clearing, would qualify at least for an Opal, if not a Sapphire Achievement. Of course, it wasn't Mithril, let alone Adamantium, but it was also tempting. But still, it was better to get rid of that thought because a good relationship with Katashi was far more important than an Achievement two Ranks higher.
Waking the blacksmith, I pointed to the sun rising above the horizon.
"The tunnellers haven't shown up," I stated, feigning doubt, and scratched my chin before continuing. "The only thing I can suggest is to go to the nearest village and find out what happened, or whether anything happened at all."
"And if we can't find out anything?" the blacksmith asked, yawning widely.
"Then you'll have to switch to plan 'B'," I shrugged with feigned indifference. "That is, head to the nearest trading city not affected by the 'moonstone fever' and buy a couple of jewels there." Katashi didn't respond immediately but looked intently and contemplatively toward the Dungeon entrance. "There's also the option to try and 'steal a dungeon'," I added in an annoyed and instructive tone. "But I advise against doing such a thing. Such an act would undermine your reputation much more reliably than failing any order."
Katashi turned to me in surprise and asked, "Steal a dungeon? Do you mean to clear it just the two of us, without the help of local tunnellers and without their knowledge?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I was talking about."
"But is that even possible? Physically? To go through a dungeon with such a small group?"
"I've cleared dungeons solo." I shrugged as if I were talking about something mundane for me. As proof of my words, visualizations of Achievements for solo clearing those dungeons I went through when traveling on the Larindel ship hovered above my palm. "Yes, the dungeons in Wootz are much more difficult than those I cleared alone. But there are two of us, and as I've understood during our journey, you have a good grasp of martial matters. So, while there would be a risk in such a theft, nothing about a duo run through is fundamentally impossible. But! That's in theory!" I added in an even more irritated voice after saying all this. "In practice, I'm against such thefts. It's wrong. Besides, my status doesn't allow me to engage in such activities." I didn't bother to elaborate.
"Yes, I wasn't thinking about anything like that." The way the Japanese hastily averted his gaze made it clear to me that a similar thought had probably crossed his mind, even if it hadn't formed into anything concrete.
"That's good," I replied with a smile that was meant to convey relief. "Then I suggest we proceed as follows. I'll go to the nearest village because, according to that innkeeper, that's where the local sheriff lives, and I'll find out the details and the reason why the tunnellers decided to postpone the planned clearing of the dungeon. You'd better stay here." In response to the Japanese's puzzled look, I explained, "If the tunnellers do show up before I return, you'll ask them to wait for me. To get them to listen to you, tell them that the request comes from Raven from Seattle, the Sheriff of the Tunnellers' Guild."
"So you're..." I hadn't mentioned this detail earlier in the conversation with Katashi, so now I saw genuine surprise in his eyes.
"Yes, it just turned out that way... I wasn't looking for this position; it kind of fell into my lap. And so far, it's been more of a headache than a benefit."
"Will they really listen to me?" Somehow, he didn't doubt it when he was about to come here with a request to take him into the dungeon, but now, see, doubts began to overwhelm him.
I had to explain:
"It's not customary to refuse such a small thing as waiting if a guild sheriff asks. So, yes, they will likely listen to you and wait until I return. Besides, the sooner we find out the reason for the tunnelers' schedule disruption, the faster we'll understand what to do next." After which, I added with a light but noticeable chuckle: "Or do you prefer to sit here another day?"
Of course, Katashi didn't want to waste time idly, so he eventually agreed with me. After clarifying with him the direction to the nearest settlement and taking only the Striking Whisper and a small bag of avalonium ware with me, I set out in search of the local sheriff...
Interlude.
As he watched his temporary partner walk away, Katashi picked up a stick and, stirring the coals, added some wood to the dying fire. Usually, the thoughts in the blacksmith's head flowed smoothly and steadily, but now the usual rhythm was disrupted. And the reason for this disruption of spiritual equilibrium was none other than Raven.
Even during their first meeting, in the second group trial, Katashi noticed the uniqueness and extraordinariness of the ravenhead. But back then, he could not have imagined how truly strange and even frightening this person could be. Perhaps for the first time in his life, the Japanese met someone whose confidence in themselves, in what they were doing, exceeded even his own. Sometimes, Katashi liked to compare himself to a blacksmith's hammer that would tirelessly strike the workpiece until it acquired the necessary shape. In the same way, he always pushed his own life, changing the environment to suit himself until it took the form he needed. Even his father, a man highly respected by society and accustomed to complete obedience, resigned himself to the fact that his son would always do what he deemed necessary. However, the situation with Raven was completely different. It was as if the blacksmith's hammer and the workpiece had switched places. And this comparison was very displeasing to the Japanese.
Even stranger was the fact that it was Raven who came to him with a request. Moreover, it seemed that the ravenhead was doing what was beneficial for Katashi. Yet for some reason, the Japanese couldn't shake off the feeling that he was the one being led, not the one leading in their temporary duo.
Take the dialogue about the armor, for example. At first, Katashi listened to Raven, barely concealing a snide smile. But gradually, somehow, in just half an hour, the dark-haired man managed to convince him of his correctness. Him! A professional blacksmith, who, albeit not for a very long life, personally created several complete sets of armor, was persuaded by someone who had never stood at the forge! Yes, Katashi still disagreed with the ravenhead in some respects. For example, he still considered the conquistador helmet not the best choice. And the shoulder protection proposed by the dark-haired was hardly suitable for the requirements he had mentioned. Nonetheless, at some point, Katashi caught himself no longer laughing deep inside, listening to someone else's wishes, but actively, and most importantly, substantively arguing, largely agreeing with the armor concept proposed by Raven.
And it was undeniable that some of the ravenhead's opinions were more than convincing. Katashi unconsciously rubbed his right side. The arguments presented by Raven were sometimes painful but indeed very persuasive. However, the blacksmith harbored no ill will for the blow to the liver; after all, before delivering it, the ravenhead had asked Katashi several times, and the fact that the Japanese didn't fully understand what was being asked was his own fault. Moreover, it was precisely the pain that made the blacksmith reconsider the benefits of the small plates with which he had reinforced his chainmail.
Katashi had encountered other earthlings on his path before, not even counting the original five he had been forced to leave due to disagreements about the way forward. He had seen at least a couple of dozen other "compatriots." Mostly, they came to him with requests or pleas. For some reason, each earthling who found out that Katashi was a professional blacksmith immediately started demanding that he forge weapons or armor for them, and he was supposed to do this for free, or at best, such a "client" promised to pay for the materials.
Initially, the Japanese thought of Raven as just another such petitioner. This was largely why he received the dark-haired man so coldly. But the more he listened to what the ravenhead wanted, the clearer he understood that this man came to him simply because the local masters wouldn't understand what he wanted. And even if they did, there was a high chance they would make something wrong or skewed. Not because they were poor craftsmen but because, in addition to skill, creating what Raven needed required specific knowledge that none of the locals had.
At some point, Katashi even caught himself thinking that he would have enjoyed working on the ravenhead's order. The unusual requirements of Raven, the bold mix of different, seemingly incompatible fragments of armor from various places and eras – all this seemed to the blacksmith as a real challenge to his craftsmanship. If it weren't for the "urgent order" to make a pair of bracelets for a merchant's daughter from Bordum, Katashi would most likely have eventually allowed Raven to persuade him. But he always knew how to prioritize and understood that maintaining an impeccable reputation was more important to him than even the most exciting work. Therefore, until the priority task was resolved, Katashi was not in a hurry to agree to the job proposed by the ravenhead. He hesitated, even knowing that Raven was the type of person who would not sit around waiting for an answer. After all, he was helping Katashi not out of the kindness of his heart but because it was beneficial for him, and he made no secret of this.
However, Katashi could not deny that interacting with the ravenhead brought him a lot of benefits as well. It was amazing how much Raven had managed to see in such a short time! His knowledge of the local customs, religion, geography, and other aspects of life in Ain was simply astonishing. And what was even more surprising, the dark-haired man made no secret of these insights. On the contrary, he readily shared what he had learned, often asking for nothing in return. This contrasted so much with the behavior of other earthlings the Japanese had met before that Katashi still couldn't decide how to react to such openness. And what was it on Raven's part: genuine openness or a cunning game with a hidden agenda?
This uncertainty and the black-haired man's perplexing behavior caused a resonant irritation in the blacksmith's soul. Just when he thought he had figured out Raven and understood his hidden motives, this man would, almost mockingly, effortlessly dismantle these perceptions.
Just recently, it seemed like Raven was gently, through denial and objection, leading Katashi to consider dungeon delving together. But suddenly, it turned out that these denials and objections, voiced by Raven, were not cunning lead-ins or attempts to gauge the blacksmith's mood but genuine disapproval, expressed as warnings and even cautions from the perspective of the guild's sheriff!
Katashi stirred the boiling water in the kettle, lost in thought.
Surely no one would lie about being the guild's sheriff?
Surely not...