I parted with Vidar's group at dawn, when the first rays of the sun appeared over the horizon. I collected my belongings, warmly said goodbye to everyone, and headed west. Of course, they offered me to stay at least a week, train, and help with the construction, but I declined. Though, if it weren't for the constant race against time and the questers' task hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles, the idea of training the earthlings would have made sense. But alas, the road awaited me and, hopefully, a meeting with Katashi.

I quite liked this group of earthlings in many ways. They didn't flit from one thing to another, like others, but acted according to a developed strategy. And this, admittedly, bore its fruits. They had already reached Steel when most of ours were still approaching this milestone.

Walking along the bank of the rapidly flowing river and practicing Rune magic, I thought that it wasn't in vain that I gave one of the rods of life to Vidar at the first group trial. Unlike most other earthlings, he wasn't so self-centered. And the more people like him, the better the locals' attitude towards those the questers called sortudo.

Talking to Vidar, it seemed to me that his brief story about how he perceived surviving the first group test as living on borrowed time was mostly true. At least I didn't notice any contradictions with this in his behavior and aspirations. And I think he was very lucky that from his first day in Ain, someone like Edi was by his side. With her cool mind, the girl saved Vidar from many troubles and from being taken advantage of by others. As for the other earthlings in this group, each joined Vidar for their own reasons. Hjerta found protection from harassment. Gotlake, despite the sharp external side of his character, seemed to me by nature a kind person, and he simply liked Vidar's approach. And Wong, it's more complicated with him. I didn't find any internal reasons for him; judging this person, if not as an egoist, then as someone who wouldn't spend their time helping others without a significant reason. Perhaps Lucky is right, and he just liked Edi, so he stayed?

Overall, this group seemed to me balanced not only in terms of combat capabilities but also in the social sphere. Each of them, in some way, complemented the others, which was good as it greatly increased their chances of survival.

I felt a warmth in my heart after this meeting. Seeing with my own eyes that my past decisions were bearing fruit was unexpectedly pleasant. I couldn't find the right words to express the emotions I felt, but they were definitely positive.

Teaching them was also a pleasure. Understanding the importance of weapon skills, each of them, even Edi, tried to take away something for themselves from my lessons. Hjerta, in particular, stood out, absorbing knowledge and fencing techniques like a traveler who had crossed a desert and finally reached water. It even seemed to me that the girl liked everything that was happening around her. The hints dropped in her remarks suggested that she hadn't been very happy on Earth and, having transferred to a new world, decided to change not only her life but also herself. Moreover, unusually for girls, she clearly enjoyed fencing. So much so that in training duels with Vidar, she won three out of five bouts. Her four Talent Stars in long swords were definitely filling up faster than her commander's.

However, this meeting turned out to be useful for me as well. I learned three spells from the section on domestic magic, and now, for example, I could dry clothes by laying on hands or light a fire without needing a firestarter. I also learned to filter water using a spell created by Wong. Alas, I wasn't as lucky in the realm of combat magic. Wong studied Water, Gotlake Fire, Vidar and Hjerta - Air and also Water, while Edi was a "generalist," studying Mental, Life magic, and the same Air. Nobody among them practiced Lightning or Earth, so I didn't learn any new combat spells for myself. Gotlake's "flamethrower" could be mastered with just a couple of Talent Stars in Fire, but it was a very energy-consuming spell. Moreover, when using it, the stream of fire obscured the opponent's actions, so I didn't spend my time and energy on it. To achieve maximum effect in the time remaining until the Invasion, I shouldn't spread myself too thin but focus on my strongest aspects, and Fire magic isn't among them. Though, something simpler than a flamethrower, like a Fire Shield, might be worth learning, as it provides good protection against arrows, which could come in handy in my next encounter with Scully. But unfortunately, Gotlake didn't know this useful spell.

Thanks to Edi's phenomenal memory, I was able to get information about all the dungeons in the vicinity. Most of them were Steel, which I had outgrown, but there were also some Wootz ones. Vidar's group clearly tried to think and calculate everything in advance, so they had quite detailed information on some dungeons, even down to their reset times. I was already too late for one of them, as it reset this morning and was a day's journey away. The second would be ready for clearing only in six days. However, a couple of other dungeons really caught my interest. The first one would reset the day after tomorrow, and the other was being cleared by local tunnellers only once a month, simply Resetting it and preventing Overflow. This dungeon was named Bogash's Tomb and was a place "blessed" by Nulgle. As far as I understood from Gotlake's superficial explanations, it was "inhabited" by plague zombies. The enemy was not so much challenging as very unpleasant; make just one mistake – and you could get infected with some magical disease, which couldn't be cured with ordinary potions. So, I understood those tunnellers who were not eager to clear this dungeon every week, preferring to Reset it once a month. If it weren't for the bonus from the "Pure Palm" achievement, granting immunity to all diseases, I would have passed by this place, not wanting to risk it, as magical ailments, especially at the Wootz rank, can be very unpleasant and difficult to cure. But since the main threat of this dungeon was not dangerous for me, I decided to make a small detour, just a couple of hours, and talk with the local tunnellers about clearing it earlier.

The settlement I needed, a fairly large village of about two hundred houses with the beautiful name Silver Meadow, lay on the shore of a shallow lake. I reached it when the sun was nearing its zenith. A sleepless night and a growling stomach were making themselves known, so, meeting a couple of peasants harvesting hay on the outskirts of the village, I asked them if there was a tavern in the settlement and how to get there. After that, under the curious glances of the local children and residents peeking out of windows, I walked along the peasant yards in the indicated direction with the calm and measured step of a traveler weary from the long road.

So I walked unhurriedly until, upon approaching the tavern, I noticed the local sheriff standing by the entrance. Quite young for his position, a lanky guy about twenty-five years old, leaning on his mage's staff. He pretended to be there by chance and not because the swift-footed children had informed him about the arrival of an unfamiliar Wootz Rank traveler in the village. The sheriff himself, despite his young age, was also at Wootz, and in addition to the Sheriff's Badge, he wore the badge of the Tunnellers' Guild.

Pretending to notice me only when we were no more than ten steps apart, the young man glanced at my badge and smiled broadly, but then his eyes fixed on the left side of my chest, and his smile became very strained. Well, I couldn't blame him for such a reaction. It's one thing to meet a simple tunneller and quite another when the unexpected and unknown traveler turns out to be a noble. The motto on my cotta clearly and unambiguously indicated my status.

"Greetings to the esteemed Om in Silver Meadow; I am Count's Sheriff Patrick Snog."

According to the usual rules of local etiquette, the guest should introduce themselves first, but since I have a noble status, the seemingly accidentally present sheriff spoke first. And the way he introduced himself, or rather the nuance that he didn't call me a colleague, clearly showed that he didn't know the legends of the Book Sheriffs, and my slightly altered Guild Badge wasn't recognized by him. Well, that's even better, less attention towards me, and in case of anything, I'll have an additional ace up my sleeve.

"Raven Alexandrite, Sheriff of the Tunnellers' Guild, following the path of Sundbad." I introduced myself fully, only omitting the customary "Om" prefix before my name, thus showing that my noble status wasn't that important.

"A Guild Sheriff?" The young man was genuinely surprised but quickly caught himself and added, "Sorry, I didn't recognize your Badge… I've never met sheriffs of the Great Guilds before. Why are we standing in the street? Would you allow me to make amends for my ignorance and treat you?" He reinforced his question with an inviting gesture towards the tavern doors.

For a simple village sheriff, this young man had quite good manners, as if he had served for several years as a page at the court of some count or baron. Or maybe he just came from a wealthy family that could afford a good teacher for their child. This settlement, unlike the village that Vidar and his company took under management, seemed quite affluent. The houses here were more substantial, the yards much larger, and even the peasants' clothing looked significantly better quality and neater; even the children ran around not barefoot but in simple sandals. Glancing at the sun, I said:

"The time is just right for lunch."

"Please."

With a broad gesture of his hand, Patrick Snog invited me into the tavern, hospitably opening the door for me.

The inside of the tavern was neat and clean. Tied in small bunches, dried fragrant herbs hung from the ceiling, filling the room with a pleasant, unobtrusive scent of meadow flowers. There were enough tables to seat about fifty people at once, but only three were occupied. At them sat a group of either shepherds or cattle drivers, quietly chatting and drinking, judging by the light smell, cheap beer, accompanied by dried lake fish. As soon as the sheriff and I entered, they immediately fell silent and started to gather their things, casting curious but somewhat wary glances at me. The sheriff confidently walked to a table by the window and invited me to sit down, simultaneously signaling to the maid standing at the bar.

"I recommend the carp soup. The carp caught in our lake has a very soft and clean taste, with no smell of mud or silt. It's no wonder the fish from Silver Lake are supplied to the count's table. They also cook a good stew with braised cabbage here. The food is simple," he spread his hands as if apologizing, "but hearty and tasty. As for drinks, at my request, the tavern owner bought a couple of barrels of cherry liqueur, I strongly recommend trying it."

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He should have been a barker or an advertising agent, not a sheriff; the way he described it all made my mouth water involuntarily.

"As you recommend." I nod, swallowing saliva.

Having placed the order, Patrick Snog turned to me and, clasping his hands together, asked:

"May I inquire, does the path of Sundbad or guild affairs bring you to our village?" I sensed a hint of wariness in his question.

"Neither. My path leads me elsewhere, and I have no guild business here. I've come to Silver Meadow for a different reason." Without prolonging the sheriff's suspense, I added, "I'm interested in joining the local group of tunnellers for a dungeon clearance."

"In that case, you'll have to stay with us for a bit," the young sheriff said with a wide smile. "The Slime Chamber resets in three days, and the Stone Grotto was cleared just the day before yesterday."

"What about Bogash's Tomb?" I asked, sipping the liqueur, which turned out to have a surprisingly smooth and not-too-sweet taste.

"Bogash's Tomb?" Patrick grimaced and rubbed his temples. "Master Katasakh and his group prefer to clear that dungeon once a month, just Resetting it." Leaning over the table, the sheriff whispered loudly, "To be honest, I've been urging him to clear the Tomb more often, but he doesn't listen to me… He says those expeditions aren't profitable."

"Not profitable?" I was genuinely surprised. "I always thought dungeons with 'tomb' in their name are among the most profitable."

"Yes, there's plenty of gold and silver to be found," Patrick sighed theatrically, "but the problem is carrying it out without catching a disease whose cure costs more than any profit."

"Really?"

"That dungeon bears the name of Bogash, one of the champions of the Plague Lord, for a reason." After saying this, the sheriff made the sign of Antares in the air, as if warding off the consequences of mentioning one of the dark gods. "Every room in the Tomb is steeped in diseases, and it's not wise to linger there. Treasure hunting is a slow process. Usually, out of twenty rooms, a group only searches one, and even then, sometimes someone catches such a disease that they have to make a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Dawn Glimmer... as only the priests of the luminous Antares can help with such ailments." The food arrived, and while the maid set everything on the table, Patrick fell silent and continued only after the waitress left. "So, there's a lot of risk and little profit."

"But I gather you personally aren't satisfied with this situation." I winked at the sheriff from behind my raised mug of liqueur.

"I am not, but as the count's sheriff, I can't order Master Katasakh around. Besides, he's my maternal uncle, and his word always carries more weight. He says someone as young as me shouldn't be taking such risks and venturing into Bogash's Tomb."

Apparently, this guy had recently risen to Wootz and hadn't personally entered this dungeon yet.

"Nevertheless, I would like to speak with Master Katasakh on this matter."

"Around this time, he's usually back from his fishing trips, a pastime he's quite fond of, and naps in the shade of the apple orchard."

"The apple orchard? So, the big two-story house with rich glazed windows, standing right on the lake shore, which I noticed approaching your village, belongs to him?"

"Yes," Patrick replied briefly and then added with a hint of pride. "In the vicinity of Silver Meadow, there are three Wootz dungeons, and our village knows no need. Houses like Master Katasakh's are not found in any nearby village. Even many courtiers of our Count Solver, may his life be bright and easy, can't afford such two-story houses with real glass windows!"

"If such a respected person is enjoying his post-lunch nap now, let's not disturb him." I brushed off the matter indifferently, though making a mental note to visit this affluent tunneller after eating and resting for a couple of hours.

"What are you saying!" Patrick threw up his hands and, jumping up from his chair, added. "I'll go fetch him immediately and invite him to talk with you."

Before I could object, the young sheriff was already heading briskly toward the tavern's exit. Of course, I could have called out to him and stopped him, but why bother? Especially since the soup brought from the kitchen was indeed remarkable, and it would be good to enjoy its taste in silence.

Just as I finished my fish soup and the maid took away the empty plate, the door to the tavern opened again, and the young sheriff entered with a dignified man. Master Katasakh's years were clearly leaning towards the twilight, and judging by the wrinkles on his face, as well as his gnarled fingers and slightly limping gait, his age was confidently approaching his sixties. Yet, he held his back straight, and his gaze was firm. The tunneller was dressed simply but richly. His pants and shirt, stitched with silver thread, were clearly custom-made from expensive material.

"Om Raven Alexandrite, Sheriff of the Tunnellers' Guild. Master Katasakh from the Snog family, head of the tunnellers' team of Silver Meadow." Patrick introduced us to each other and invited his uncle to sit down, immediately signaling the maid to bring more liqueur.

Unlike his nephew, Master Katasakh immediately noticed my altered guild badge and understood it correctly. Perhaps he had some past indiscretions, and initially, the leader of the local tunnellers behaved quite reservedly, casting slightly wary glances at me. For about ten minutes, we engaged in casual conversation. But after the second mug of liqueur, Master Katasakh wiped his lips with his sleeve and said:

"Om Raven, I am happy to invite you to join any clearance. Come to us in three days, or stay here for the time being, and we will clear the Slime Chamber together." He gestured towards the bar. "It would be a great honor for me and my people to clear a dungeon side by side with a Guild Sheriff. But as for Bogash's Tomb, we will not venture there until the time of Overflow approaches, that is, in eight days."

His words and gaze were firm, and even the authority of the Book's Sheriff could not shake his resolve to deny me. Well, I had my own cards to play:

"Respected Katasakh, the path of Sundbad leads me, and in eight days I might be very far from these parts."

"Patrick," the head of the local tunnellers turned to his nephew, "find out if Sigerik has already returned home."

The young sheriff started to rise from his chair, intending to call the maid, but Master Katasakh checked him:

"Go yourself. After all, Sigerik is your older cousin, show some respect."

Understanding that he was being temporarily dismissed, Patrick blushed, but despite his status as the count's sheriff, he chose not to argue with his uncle. With a short, sharp nod, he pushed his chair back loudly, nodded to me, and briskly walked out of the tavern.

"Ah, youth…" Katasakh muttered after him, then turned to me and, placing his hands on the table, said, "Om Raven, please don't take my refusal as disrespect." He sighed heavily and continued. "I never thought I would meet a Sheriff of the Book in my lifetime, let alone have to refuse him. But believe my gray hair, the risks of venturing into Bogash's Tomb are not worth it. How old do you think I am? Don't answer? Think I'm an old man? In reality, I only entered my fifth decade two weeks ago. But nine years ago, I was unlucky. I was young and a bit greedy, lingered in one of the crypts of the Tomb searching for gold, and caught a dark contagion. I spent a week at the threshold of the Temple of the Dawn Glimmer, begging the priests of Antares for help... In that week, I aged fifteen years. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The diseases you can catch in the Tomb cannot be cured with ordinary potions, and even the servants of Elai cannot help with them. Your youth - and you are, if I'm not mistaken, even younger than Patrick - is not worth the gold held by those ancient crypts."

"Regarding youth – appearances can be deceptive, as you, of all people, should know," I corrected him. "As for diseases... I can help you with that." A Sign of Affinity with Light appeared over my raised palm. "One of my Achievements reliably protects me from all diseases and ailments, even those inflicted by the remnants of the Plague God's former power. I can easily stand at the forefront and absorb all the dangerous curses. They won't harm me." Then I added, "As far as I understand, you only clear the Tomb of monsters, but don't search the crypts yourselves," Master Katasakh's nod confirmed my words. "Just think how much gold and silver has accumulated there over all these years?"

"Nine years ago, I once gave in to my greed," the man, looking much older than his actual years, shook his head. "It's one thing for me or the fighters in my group; we've lived our lives... The youngest among us is well over thirty, and we've all reconciled with the fact that we won't cross the First Wall. But you and Patrick are still young…"

"You'll have to reset the Tomb in eight days anyway, to prevent Overflow," I shrugged, pouring myself a bit more of the light spirit. "Besides, as I said, I can be on the front line."

"The very air in the crypts is saturated with dark filth. Inhale it, and you're sure to catch something. Only the main corridor of the Tomb is clean. But if even one of the undead breaks into that corridor, it will infect the entire air. A couple of years ago, that happened, and Lomerak still occasionally wakes up with a bloody cough. And no pills or rituals have cured him of this affliction."

"Still, Master Katasakh, I suggest you weigh it again. On one scale, you have eight days, after which you and your men will have to go to the Tomb anyway. On the other, go there just over a week earlier, but with a fighter in your group who is immune to diseases and can gather all the treasures that have accumulated in the crypts over the years."

"Eh-h-h-h..." My interlocutor sighed deeply. "I'd probably even agree. But if you go, I can't deny Patrick the same. And risking my nephew's health..."

"Just assign him to the rear. If you don't want to risk your kin's health," I shrugged.

"Kin..." Katasakh bitterly smiled. "It's no secret in Silver Meadow who my unbearable and long-deceased sister, may her soul dwell in the Light, got that child from. If something happens to him, especially because of me, the count will quickly shorten me by a head."

From these words, I understood how Patrick got the position of sheriff at such a young age. The young man was evidently the count's bastard, whom his father had put in this position to test the boy's abilities or maybe for some other reason.

"If Patrick overcomes the First Wall," continued the grizzled tunneller, "the count promised to recognize him and bring him closer to himself. He won't make him an heir, of course, but who knows…"

And he would clearly benefit from the presence of his nephew at the count's court, but the tunneller, who looked much older than his real age, naturally didn't mention this.

"Then simply forbid him from going," I shrugged.

"I do forbid him, but if we go with you, it won't just be a refusal, it'll be a real slap in the face. He'll lose respect in the village. And what kind of sheriff would he be then? A sheriff is not just a position – it's about respect and status. I didn't take him to the Tomb before under the pretext that he's young, but you are even younger..."

It's a pity, I tried, but it seems he is unshakable. However, maybe I'll still stay in the Rur area for a while, and in eight days, I can come here again. Or maybe earlier, for example, to accept the invitation and participate in the clearing of those two dungeons nearby.

"Om Raven," Master Katasakh addressed me with a note of interest, "would it be impolite of me to ask you to show the Achievement that grants you protection from diseases?"

In principle, displaying Achievements is a personal matter for everyone. Besides Larindel and Ender, I haven't shown the "Pure Palm of Five Empty Fingers" Sign to anyone else. There wasn't much sense in hiding it, except I didn't want excessive attention to my person. But in this case, such a demonstration could be beneficial. After thinking for almost a minute, I visualized the Sign above my palm and let my interlocutor take a good look.

"P-p-p-f-f-fff..." Katasakh could only exhale loudly after I removed the sign thirty seconds later. "Pure Palm of Five Empty Fingers... Ah... Uh..." For three minutes, he was silent, as if digesting what he'd seen, and then he loudly slapped the table. "I can't decide this alone, I need to consult with the other fighters in the group."

"I was just about to rent a room here and sleep until sunset," I spread my arms.

"That'll be enough time for us to discuss everything," Katasakh nodded, standing up from his chair, his gaze wandering far away.

"Then we have an agreement. See you here at sunset."

When the gray-haired tunneller left, I gestured for the tavern owner and, paying an advance, asked to be shown to a free room.