It seems that in this small group of earthlings, it is this girl, whom Vidar called Tatiana, but the others call Edi, who embodies "common sense." Her assumption is a bit of a stretch, but I generally understand her line of thought. After all, there are only two fast ways to ascend the Spiral of Elevation. The first, the one Arien and I, and probably Katashi and Dice, are following, is the way of feats and Adamantium Achievements. Naturally, such a path is not available to everyone. To successfully follow it, one needs to be incredibly talented or be a Shard... Or, as in my case, to know exactly what needs to be done. The second quick way to rank up is not as "demanding" in terms of skills, talents, and knowledge. To follow it, one simply needs the ability to compromise with their conscience, as well as be a skilled fighter and have a knack for finding suitable opponents. This is the path of murderer, a road paved with bones and skulls. Yes, this path is also difficult, and a hunter risks becoming prey at any moment and losing their life, should they make even one mistake in choosing their target. But there are people who, understanding all the risks, still choose this very path. Most who embark on it perish, achieving little, but one in a thousand, leaving behind a mountain of corpses, does reach the top. And their example of rapid advancement tempts and calls to the weak of spirit, so this path is never empty.
As for Tatiana, or rather, Edi, as the other earthlings in the group call her, she is apparently a talented mentalist. After all, Mental magic's potential is revealed quite late, and on the Metallic Coil, it's of little use. Even reading emotions and moods while on Steel is quite difficult. At least, I didn't even think of attempting it yet. So, she must have a natural talent for this branch of magical art. Four Stars, no less. Moreover, perhaps the servants of Ishid have taught her some basic Mental spells. Even with my three Stars, without the artifact clasp, I wouldn't even realize that someone was trying to "read" me.
"Remember what Vidar told us about his first group trial and how he described this Raven," Edi's voice carried evident tension. "Dangerous, cunning, unprincipled, one who easily decides who lives and who dies. For someone like him, killing for personal benefit is no big deal!"
"You misunderstood my story," Vidar shook his head. "I never called Raven a murderer or even a bad person. Yes, in my opinion, he too easily and even casually made decisions for others, but he had some right to it. And it was he who, at my request, went to help the girl who was in danger…"
This argument could have dragged on for a long time, but, having suddenly become angry after the artifact clasp was activated, I had already taken my emotions under control. So, placing my hand on the neighboring table, I said:
"Firstly, if I wanted to kill you," I drew the Rune of Destruction on the palm pressed against the tabletop, "I would have already done it." A mental command of "Des!" - and the table under my hand cracked sharply into pieces. "And the fact that there are five of you and I'm alone wouldn't have helped you." My face froze with a mock expression of regret. "It's usually believed that one Wootz warrior is worth two Steel fighters." I sarcastically glanced over the frozen earthlings. "There are five of you, so apparently, you think that the odds of strength are in your favor. But that's just an illusion." With these words, I removed my hand from the spear and sat down on a chair, my movements calm, relaxed, and confident. "And secondly." I raised my right hand above the table and visualized my Affinity with Light. "For both of you," my gaze shifted from Vidar to Edi, "who have spent several weeks among Ishid's followers, I hope I don't need to explain what this means?"
This was, of course, a bit of a dirty trick on my part, as my Affinity was not obtained through purity of soul or righteous deeds, but rather through the destruction of the Dark Altar. But my conversationalists didn't know this detail.
"Affinity with the Light," Gotlake quietly uttered, shifting his gaze to Vidar.
"It is believed that this Affinity can only be obtained by a person with strong moral principles," explained the leader of the group of earthlings.
Turning my head towards the counter, I caught Edi's glance and said with a slightly tired smirk:
"You must admit, having a blessing of Light doesn't quite align with a path of murder."
The girl looked a bit lost. She clearly had regretted her outburst and now felt out of place. At that moment, I thought her words were spontaneous, not premeditated. After I unexpectedly caught her trying to read me, instead of starting to justify herself, she followed the principle that "the best defense is a good offense" and attacked me. As it was not in my plans to conflict with this group of earthlings, I decided to defuse the potential quarrel:
"Edi, you've already sliced the fish, so bring it to the table and grab my mug too." Turning to the rest of the earthlings, I added, "Let's consider this misunderstanding resolved. I hold no grudge against Edi. Besides, I believe a dose of healthy paranoia is never excessive." I shifted my gaze back to the girl, who was still standing behind the counter. "Truce?"
"I didn't..." At first, the girl seemed to want to justify herself, but then she quickly changed her mind and, nodding at me, said, "Truce."
"Now that this misunderstanding is resolved," I said, spreading my arms, "will you satisfy my curiosity? Why do you need this poor village, and how did you manage to acquire its governance?"
"As for 'how we managed,'" Gotlake answered for all the earthlings, "it was a stroke of luck. A few days ago, we teamed up with a group of local tunnelers and cleared a dungeon with a boss. We got a unique stone from the dungeon's master. Not very valuable on the market, but a rare drop, and for some reason, this stone was rumored to be highly valued by the local baron's family. Since we killed the boss, the stone, as irregular loot, fell to us according to the Guild Code. So, we ended up offering it in exchange for this village."
"More precisely, a year of managing this village," Vidar corrected him. "We passed through here four days ago, and we were struck by the poverty in which the people live."
"Poor soil, mostly clay," I nodded, "barely any wheat grows on it. There's little space for grazing goats and cows on this bank, and the good fields are across a rather turbulent river. So, it's no wonder the local peasants are poor."
"That's the answer to the first part of your question," Vidar said, bowing his head, "we want to change that."
"Change?" I didn't quite understand him.
"Yes, change," Vidar's voice carried a firm conviction.
"We've already tried improving the lives of the locals," Edi spoke up, replacing her commander. She brought a board with sliced meat, set it in the middle of the table, and sat down on a free chair, passing me my mug through Wong. "But the trouble is that people don't want to change their lives... Even if such changes will make these lives easier, more comfortable, and richer in the future," she shrugged. "They don't want to. We've offered our help many times, passing through different settlements, but no one listened."
"This time will be different," Vidar nodded. "The locals still have to work a certain amount of time as a tax payment. And since we now manage the village, we will decide what work they will do."
"Work? And what kind?" I asked, pouring myself some young wine and sipping it.
"First, this village needs a bridge," Lucky started counting on his fingers. "Second, the land here isn't suitable for wheat, but there's a lot of good clay, so we'll set up a workshop for making ceramic tiles. And third, there's a small, unfreezing waterfall nearby where we'll build a sawmill and make planks, which are in high demand among the locals."
"The plans are wonderful, but accomplishing all this is not as easy as it seems," I shrugged, not hiding my doubts.
"If you know what you're doing, it's actually not that difficult," Gotlake Lucky dismissed my words, then, seeing my continued skepticism, continued. "I grew up in a small town in southwestern Germany. The town lived off tourists... an old castle, a tourist village, and several restored mills and primitive manufactories for visitors. As a kid, I explored everything there, from the basements to the rooftops, and I still remember how a water-powered sawmill works. This childhood interest led me to study engineering after school." He then continued with a hint of self-satisfaction in his voice, "So, I know what to do and how to do it." A heavy sigh followed. "I've been trying to do something from day one, but always met with complete incomprehension from the locals." Lucky rubbed his hands. "I know how to build a bridge too; the river isn't wide here, there's a spot close to the village where it's less than thirty meters from bank to bank. And the banks are rocky, so you don't have to worry about a solid foundation. Besides, the locals, even those on Copper, possess some useful magic, and they're stronger and more enduring than ordinary people."
"So, you want to ''make them happy,' against their will, so to speak," I smiled.
"They are obliged to work certain hours for the baron as taxes anyway," Wong shrugged. "Only the work they did before was all pointless. The old reeve only thought about how not to make things worse, not about improving life. And he didn't hesitate to line his pockets with the 'free' labor of the peasants. He didn't earn much from it, but it was enough for him."
"The plans are good," I said, filling my mug with a hint of doubt, "but you can't do all that in a couple of days. And staying in one place for long, considering that questers will likely keep coming after us, doesn't seem like the best idea."
"They won't let up," Vidar nodded calmly. "But we've taken that into account. The thing is, Achievements can be obtained not only for killing monsters and clearing dungeons. For 'social' Achievements, you can get even more growth energy for the Core than for clearing dungeons."
"Altruism with a touch of egoism," Lucky winked at me.
"I know that," I agreed with them. "On my journey, I met a girl named Arien who reached Steel without ever entering a dungeon or fighting at all. She Elevated solely through establishing several businesses and introducing some innovations to the lives of the locals."
Noticing the earthlings' curiosity, I told them in detail about Arien, what she achieved, and how she did it. After my story, which made a considerable impression on everyone at the table, a brief silence ensued. No wonder, as it's not easy to accept that one person, in such a short time, could accomplish what Arien had.
"Still, in my opinion, it's not worth forgetting about clearing dungeons," I added after a couple of minutes of silence.
"And we have no intention of forgetting about it," Vidar replied, taking a big sip. "In this area, there are many Steel and Wootz dungeons. Within just a two-day journey from the village, there are more than a dozen of them. Plus, we've already made arrangements with a couple of local tunneller groups, and they've agreed to call us when it's time for the next clearing." He glanced at Edi and added, "We've calculated everything. Our plans for the local construction projects will take about a month, and the nearby dungeons will be enough for that time."
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"About a month?" I asked, not hiding my doubts.
"Considering that we will order pre-fabricated logs for the sawmill and ceramics workshop from an external supplier, and they will be delivered to us ready-to-assemble, the timeline is realistic," explained Gotlake Lucky, nodding. "We already have a preliminary agreement with a team of carpenters from a neighboring village."
"Also, having our own base, a place that can be called a temporary but still a home, never hurts," Wong added another argument.
"Moreover, by taking control of this village, we'll become more understandable to the locals, and they'll be less wary of us. Dealing with some outsiders is one thing, but doing business with the reeve of a neighboring village is quite another," Hjerta smiled. "Psychology…"
"I see you've calculated everything," I allow a hint of light surprise in my voice.
"We are very calculating," Lucky nods smugly. "Fortunately, we have someone to do all the calculations." He glanced at Edi, who just snorted in response.
For me, the altruism and helping others proclaimed by this group hardly aligned with being "calculative," but they managed to reach the Steel rank, surpassing most other earthlings, so there must have been some truth in Gotlake's words.
"For instance, we have two relatively free days right now," Lucky continued after a short pause. "And then we have planned a raid across three dungeons... The third one is still uncertain, we haven't finalized the agreement with the corresponding tunnellers' group yet, but I think we'll persuade them by giving up half of our entitled loot. This expedition will take about three days, and during this time, we'll finalize arrangements with the carpenters for the timber and order the necessary amount of clamps and nails from the blacksmiths for the initial stage of construction. So, these two free days need to be spent on on-site measurements."
"It's you who will spend them on measurements," Vidar said with a slightly sad tone, "while I'll have to receive the locals, explain everything to them, and listen to their complaints."
"Hang in there!" Lucky smiled in response. "You are the commander, after all, meant to handle the toughest tasks."
"And you also need to compile a list of what skills and useful magic the peasants have. Pay special attention to those with the Affinity with Fire," Edi added with some enthusiasm. "We have the previous reeve's records, but considering how he managed things, I don't have much faith in them."
"Yeah, I remember, I remember," Vidar rolled his eyes. "We've discussed this more than once."
"I'm quite impressed by your approach," I said, looking around at those seated at the table. "One could say I follow it myself... with some caveats, of course. I help whoever I can and share the information and knowledge I've acquired with those of our kind whom I encounter on my journey."
"Oh really," Lucky took the bait, "sharing knowledge is indeed useful."
"In that case," Edi leaned forward, pushing her mug aside, "if that's true, would you mind sharing how you reached Wootz in such a short time?"
"In my case, it's not about the quantity of cleared dungeons or a large number of Achievements, but the quality of these Achievements," I explained. "For instance, one Achievement ranked by Ain as of the Precious Coil 'weighs' as much as several Metal Coil Achievements."
"That makes sense," Wong said, scratching his stubbled chin. "But obtaining higher Achievements is not so simple."
"You're right," I agreed with him, putting a sour expression on my face. "For example, to obtain one such Achievement, I had to destroy the Echo of the True Altar of a Dark God." Noticing skepticism in the eyes of the earthlings, I explained, "I did it with the help of the locals, more precisely, a Ruby mage. As it turned out, I was merely used because whoever destroys such an Altar is supposed to die. I survived only due to a coincidence… Specifically, a previously earned Achievement that nullified the divine curse placed on the one who destroyed the Altar. I also had to kill a Dark Priest with their entourage." I thought better of mentioning that the priest was an earthling and that it was a completely different case. "Additionally, I won a major Tournament organized by the Great Guild of Alchemists."
"You won a tournament?" Hjerta was incredulous. "From what I've heard, the best fighters from all around come to such contests. How did you manage to win?"
"I just happened to be better," I replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "Yes, the local fighters are quite skilled, but their combat schools are mostly geared towards fighting monsters, not people. And it was this weakness I exploited. To support this observation, I'll mention that in the final of that tournament, I faced another earthling." Noting their widened eyes, I added, "A very skilled fighter, by the way; his name is Ronin. If you meet him on your journey, make sure to ask him to teach you."
"If you won the tournament and not him, why shouldn't we ask you about it?" Wong asked logically.
"I'll help however I can," I nodded, "but my knowledge and skills are not systematized and aren't well-suited for teaching others. Ronin, on the other hand, clearly had a well-established combat school behind him. I won because I recognized this school and knew its strengths and weaknesses. This allowed me to read the pattern of the fight earlier than he did, giving me an advantage in the duel." After a short pause, I continued, "So, I reached Wootz so early because I was getting higher-ranked Achievements, thereby saturating my Core faster."
"What about your initial group of five?" Edi asked with barely noticeable tension in her voice.
"It turned out that I outpaced them in Rank in the very first days, and our paths inevitably diverged," I explained, noting some confusion. "The day after I Elevated, a quester appeared and assigned a task for Rank Elevation... I had to seek faster ways of Elevation and couldn't stay with the initial group."
"Is there a story behind this rapid Elevation in your early days in Ain?" Hjerta asked, clearly more intrigued by my adventures than the others.
"Well, not much of a story..." I waved off. "Got drunk with the sheriff at the tavern, bragging about how good I was. It ended with me betting with him, and to prove my prowess, I entered a local dungeon alone."
"Entered a dungeon alone?" Lucky choked on his wine, looking at me as if I were a ghost.
"Don't ask," I dismissed. "I was so drunk I remember nothing. I only know that I did come out of the dungeon, but was so injured that if it weren't for the sheriff's help, I would have died right at the exit." Smiling wryly and taking a sip of the young wine, I added, "Since then, I vowed never to drink that much again."
"So, you solo-cleared the dungeon?" Lucky clarified.
"Well... I entered it, I came out of it, the dungeon was Reset, so apparently, yes, I cleared it." I shrugged, as if still bewildered by my own feat.
"You're tough," Wong clicked his tongue, giving a thumbs-up.
"By the way," Edi spoke after a brief pause caused by my short story, "why did the baron's representative call you a sheriff? I don't see a badge like his on you."
"Here it is," I pointed to the Guild Sign with my index finger, "my badge is a bit different from yours, it has the image of a scroll in the center."
Edi leaned over the table to take a closer look at my Sign, then her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed:
"So you're also a Sheriff of the Book!"
Apparently, since Edi had spent her first weeks in Ain at the Ishid monastery, she picked up some knowledge there and, unlike the other earthlings, understood the meaning of my modified Guild Sign.
"Sheriff of the Book?" Lucky asked her.
"I'll explain later..." Edi brushed him off and sat back in her chair, deep in thought.
"I am a guild sheriff, and unlike territorial or authority-appointed ones, I can only deal with matters concerning members of the Tunnellers' Guild," I decided to clarify.
"And he was appointed to this position not by people but by the Book itself," Edi murmured very softly.
"The Book?" Gotlake didn't understand her.
"Have you forgotten the artifact that exists in every guild branch?" Edi looked at him with slight bewilderment.
"So, a divine artifact made you a sheriff?" Lucky asked me, his jaw dropping.
"Yes. But first, I didn't ask for it, and second, I don't really understand why I was chosen."
"Such 'things' don't do anything without reason."
The apprehension that was clearly visible in Edi's gaze towards me earlier vanished, replaced by something else that I couldn't quite decipher.
"So, the Book deemed Raven worthy of such a position," she said, glancing at her companions. "It's very rare. The last records mentioning an appointment by the Book itself date back three hundred years."
"You're really cool!" Wong raised his mug in acknowledgment.
"Well, commander, of course, described you as a rather dangerous individual in his stories about his first group trial, but it turns out he even understated it," Lucky shook his head.
"As long as I'm not bothered or angered, I'm not dangerous to anyone," I replied with a smile.
"I really hope so!" Gotlake said, pretending to move away from the table. "So, you weren't exaggerating when you said you could handle all of us at once..."
"I don't know your training or what skills each of you has, but I think yes, I would have managed. It just so happens that, in light of my past, I was somewhat more prepared than most other earthlings for being transported to another world," I vaguely explained.
"Interesting, and who were you on Earth?" Lucky asked directly.
"The first half of my life, I was a professional athlete. A gymnast. As for the second half, I'd prefer to keep that to myself, as I don't want to lie unnecessarily."
I could have made up stories like those I told my initial group, about serving in the Mossad or struggling for survival in the slums of Latin American cities, but I chose to remain silent. Sometimes, what is left unsaid works better than any tale, no matter how incredible.
"Ah," Lucky sighed theatrically, "I was just a simple engineer and wasn't prepared for the 'wonderful' moment," his face twisted as if he bit into a lemon, "when I'd find myself in another world."
"Few were prepared for such a thing," I shrugged. "As for my advantage, this is a different world, with its own magic and mysteries. In a little while, we'll get used to it here, and my initial 'head start' will no longer be so significant."
"By the way," Wong said, scratching his nose as if remembering something, and looking attentively at my right palm, "about magic. How did you blow up the table? I hardly felt any energy surge."
"Ah... That..." I drawled, as if about something trivial, and stretching out my hand, turned it palm up. "Rune magic." The image of the Rune of Des appeared on my palm. "It hardly requires personal energy, drawing it instead from the world itself."
"Rune magic?" Wong frowned.
Settling into my element, I gave a brief lecture on this subdivision of magical arts, not forgetting to mention that Runes are the language of the gods, in which many divine revelations are recorded. I had to filter every word, careful not to reveal too much and to stay within the bounds of what any earthling could theoretically have learned by this time. Whether the quester was telling the truth or not about the mysterious Scales and Balance, I wasn't about to take any risks. In talking about Runes, I aimed not so much to convey information as to awaken the earthlings' curiosity about the divine speech. Judging by the interest with which I was listened to at the table, I succeeded.
"I saw the application of Rune magic at the Ishid monastery," Edi spoke up after I finished. "Some monks used it, but I have no predisposition nor enough Stars of Talent for its mastery, so I had little interest in it. However, the priests of Ishid, especially those studying and trying to restore ancient rituals, highly revere Runes. But it seemed to me they consider this knowledge secret and are not eager to share it with outsiders."
"Runes..." Hjerta leaned forward, intrigued. "I have three Stars of Talent in them, but I still haven't found how to learn and use them."
I had to deliver another short lecture explaining that to start learning and understanding Runes, one must find a Living Rune, one created before the Fall. It's also helpful to preliminarily learn what various Runes look like, to know what to search for. Having explained this, I demonstrated the Runes I knew using Illusion magic.
During the conversation, I figured out the roles within this group. Wong and Gotlake were mages, with Gotlake inclined toward Fire magic and Wong toward Ice, a subset of Water magic. Vidar and Hjerta were warriors. As for Edi, her role was less clear-cut; she seemed responsible for both healing and magical support. Regarding social roles, Vidar was indeed their leader, having the final say. Gotlake was the lively instigator, constantly prodding and pushing for action. Wong acted as a counterbalance to the Fire mage, always calming him down. Edi functioned as the group's chief of staff, so to speak. As for Hjerta, a tall girl with Scandinavian features, she spoke rarely and only entered the conversation when a topic of personal interest was raised.
I was pleased to see these people had already adapted to Ain and shed many earthly illusions. From their stories, they had already had to deal with conflicts with the locals, which – thankfully – ended without bloodshed. But these mistakes taught them valuable lessons.
Our conversation lasted another hour. I answered their questions, shedding light on various aspects of life in Ain, and also didn't shy away from asking my own, framing them to spark interest in the discussed topic, thus steering the group in the direction I deemed necessary. Namely, not just focusing on their rapid development but also learning about this new world, paying special attention to the Fallen gods and Ain's religion in general. I did this because I believed the roots of the impending demonic legions' Invasion lay deep in Ain's past. After all, the conflict between the two worlds didn't start yesterday but many hundreds of years ago.