Chapter 15
That morning, after a good night’s rest and a hearty meal. We all left the house to do our jobs. Layla was to make the rounds, and help supervise the militia’s training. With the harvest still on the way, its important the farmers are properly supervised, so they have to be posted all around.
Aida was to go to elder Zaina. She needed to tend to their herb garden, and later go around helping whoever is needing it.
As for me. Clearly the village expects me to have a greater role in battle. Already having made some prior preparations. This doesn’t mean I get to stay idle. Any help I can give, is a bigger chance of everyone coming out alive. So, I’ll continue my work at the forge for now.
Passing through the village, I am greeted all around in a respectful tone. Don’t know if I can really get used to it. The only ones other then the mother and daughter duo, that seem to treat me normally, are the children. I wish I had time to play with them. Perhaps once this is over.
Walking around, you could also see everyone getting ready in one way or the other. Even simple things such as boarding up windows and helping make wooden spears and shields. Which reminds me of providing more spearheads for them. The whole place was buzzing with activity and tension.
Arriving at the forge, first thing I do is check the wards for signs of intrusion. The dangerous stuff is all in the spatial storage. Even so, I wouldn’t want a kid getting hurt because of their curiosity.
Settling down in my study area. I begin to think about the next steps in the village’s defense. The wall I’ve built will probably be enough. Even so, I’m afraid of what comes next. I have a feeling the powers at be, won’t let us go quiet after defeating a force of such number, including a mage. This is a worry I haven’t voiced to the others yet, seeing they’re just busy surviving this crisis to get distracted with the possibility of the next.
The next item on the agenda, was Layla’s gift. Watching her unnerving precision and speed the other day, made clear that increasing her power would be greatly beneficial.
The problem is the design. I can’t do a magical artifact because she couldn’t start it herself, so that’s discarded. A proper gun would take too long to do and prototype. Also getting her properly trained in its use. Not to mention I’m still not convinced on spreading them into this world. So that’s also a no.
Ultimately, I’ve chosen a modern compound bow design. The cam wheels and pulley mechanism will maximize the strength, allowing for a powerful, semi portable weapon. Besides, I suspect Layla will have no trouble using something with a harder pull.
Starting up the forge. I promptly begin to melt some stored lumps of what now I know as Hirokane. People might find it wasteful to use such an expensive metal for a simple bow. But I still have lots of it, and I think she deserves it.
Slowly, the metal starts to take the shape of the individual pieces. The Body, consisting of the limbs and the risers, will be fully metal, as well as the idler wheels. I imagine this is somewhat of a novelty in this world, but with the compound mechanism, there’s no need for wood.
This kind of precision work takes unbelievable amounts of concentration to do. Making lumps of metal into specific shapes is “easy” relatively speaking. The hardest part is guiding the internal microscopic structure of the metal to be in the desired shape so it can show its proper resistance. What I’m essentially doing here, is substituting all the hard work of hammering, folding and reheating metal a typical blacksmith does. You could call it cheating, but I have no intention of laboriously hammering things away.
Finishing up the body, in comes assembling and stringing. What I end up with after a few hours is a very potent, and potentially expensive bow.
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Exiting the village. I see Keya, the responsible for the farmers rushing everyone inside again. The rush of people making it clear something’s been happening.
“Hi deary. Good to have you here. The hunters have been sending everyone inside again. And with so much work to do still.” She said as I approached, going opposite to the rush of farmers.
“I’ve just came to find Layla, perhaps she can give us some answers.”
Going on ahead, I see her with a group of hunters.
“What is happening?” I ask.
“Scouts detected another party a few kilometers from here. They rushed back before detection thankfully.”
She said as everyone looked at a crude map of the surroundings.
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“Think it’s another scout group? Or the main band?”
“I’m inclined to think they’re scouts.”
“You wish it is. We need at least another day to finish picking the crops.” Said Keya as she too approached the group.
“Let us hope so. Since Rhea is here, I guess we could check them out. What do you think?” Said Layla as she pointed to Balto.
“Sure can do. In that note, I have something special for you.” I then took the compound bow from my spatial storage. Drawing all eyes of the small crowd to it.
“Is that all Hirokane? How does that even work?” She exclaimed in a shocked expression.
I then proceeded to explain the mechanism to her, and done a quick firing demonstration.
“Now that is the best present I’ve ever gained!” She said while scrunching me into a hug.
“Mind the crowd wont you.” Came the comments from the peanut gallery consisting now of mostly envious hunters.
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After an hour of riding. Way too close to the village for comfort. We arrived at a distance from the last reported sighting.
Dismounting, we leave Balto behind as both of us silently begin to stalk through the woods.
Finding the assailants was an easy task, as their loud hollering and laughs echoed through the distance.
Finding a position behind them, and hidden from sight by a group of rocks, we begin to observe. The group consisted of 5 obvious bandits, judging by their lack of discipline.
“I can’t wait to get to those elves! Do you think boss will let us play with them before selling?” Said one idiot taking a leak.
“We are scouts. Boss just wants us to see the lay of the land before the main group arrives. He will kill us himself if he finds us playing with the goods.” Said another, getting drunk with a flask.
“That asshole Gilbert thinks he’s all that. Probably took off with some merchandise. We were supposed to find a messenger from him days ago.”
“Why are we even scouting in the first place? Everyone is like Three days behind us.”
As we continued to listen to their talk. It became clear how little they thought of the dark elves. And how easy it was to know what we wanted. I would even think it a setup if they didn’t look so stupid and drunk.
Looking besides me, I see Layla practically fuming with rage as she too observed the trash walking towards our village.
Giving her the ok signal, she takes out her new bow from her back, and notches an arrow.
Releasing it, you could hear the sound of the arrow strongly breaking the wind. Practically exploding the head of the target, and continuing on the other side. Just how damn strong is she with this bow?
Before anyone could even properly react, another arrow is on the way. This time, I’ll go with a decidedly more painful method. They earned it.
Suddenly a large wall of fire envelops the surviving bandits, and a wall of earth spikes stops them from escaping.
The sounds of their screams a nice background to the sounds of nature. Although bandit barbeque doesn’t sound very tasty.
“You know. Us doing this kind of thing is kind of becoming a routine.” Joked the elf, now busy stripping the remains for any valuables.
“Thanks, you know. For getting pissed off for us.” She continued.
“Hearing them treat sentient beings as merchandise just grinded my gears.”
“Grinding gears? Strange expression you got there.”
“I’m just weird like that.” I said from my sitting perch on top of a rock.
“Yeah. I’m getting used to it already. Strangely enough.” Joked the elf.
“You weren’t supposed to agree with me you know.” I said in a faux offended tone.
Back to the village. In came further meetings with all parties to relay the news. Knowing we have barely 3 days to work with, lit a fire under everyone’s asses. Keya promptly rushing the rest of the farmers to work, even though its late afternoon already.
As for me, I will go back to the forge for a bit. See if I can come up with something.
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“Boss. We have had no communications from any of the scouts we’ve sent.” Came in the report from my second in command.
“Those are just some stupid dark elves! The idiots must have run away with what they could get!” I shouted as I threw a wine bottle at the ground.
“It must be Gilbert the one who’ve took all those unaccounted for slave collars.” He continued his report.
“Do you even know how expensive those are? And the fucker stole them!”
“We are barely 2 days away from the village. Moving all these people and carriages from the forest undetected has been slow, but it will be worth it if we can catch them unprepared. Good thinking boss.”
My name is Roderick Muri. Nicknamed “the Red One” at the academy. Not that I’ve ever been particularly notable there.
The Muri house is a small Baron house leeching off of Wallace Hawken’s territory. I could at least pretend to be important if it weren’t for the fact that I won’t even inherit the damn house.
I could do it if I had any money, as it is primarily a business-oriented family. But I could never do it with the number of debts I accrued. Long I’ve heard from my idiotic father how I’m a wastrel, and how he paid to teach magic to an idiot. But he will see who will be laughing after this.
Thankfully, my drinking partner. The very own Godfrey Hawken, son of the mighty lord. Came to me with this easy money preposition. All I need to do is gather some slackers and capture some profitable dark elves. This will be an easy job and I’ll be rich. All those fuckers will see.
With the money invested in me by him. It will go a long way to help these plans. He too, like me is at risk of not inheriting. So, I guess he intends to use me as a way to quickly raise money to overthrow his brother. Even a child could deduce that one.
As long as he doesn’t cross me over. I think this could be very profitable for both of us. More so for me, of course.
And if I get to play with one of the famous dark elves, even better.
The very next day. More bad news makes their way to me though.
“Sir. The other scout groups also disappeared with no trace. I believe they’ve all been taken out.”
This is impossible. Have those elves grown a spine? How could they have discovered us?
“No matter. Our reports say it’s only a small unprotected village. We’ll easily grab everyone and burn the place to the ground.” I said, trying to sound confident.
And the next day, another surprise.
Looking from a distance, they’ve seemed to be prepared to us. The fields are laid bare, and in the distance, a large, imposing wall greets us in the distance.
“Are we in the right place?” I ask my second.
“Yes sir. All the reports indicate this is the place.”
“How the hell these fucking bitches built a fucking wall?!” I shouted.
If this scheme fails, Its not only money. My head will literally roll!
I must make this work somehow. I think as I try to calm down. Besides, I’m a certified mage raised in the royal academy. I’ll eat my hat if these backwards bitches have anything resembling a mage as well.