Fenian reclined in his chair, letting the sunshine fall on his face from the window. He basked in that light as though he hadn’t seen the sun for years. Theo watched him with interest. After inspecting the potions, the Elf trader seemed even more satisfied than before. This was a chance to change the face of alchemy in Qavell, and perhaps the world.

“I simply don’t have enough money for the potions,” Fenian said after a time. “I’m tied up in other investments at the moment.”

“We can barter,” Theo said.

“Of course. The people who buy these potions aren’t just buying them for their obvious use. There’s an allure there. Both that they are unseen in the kingdom, and that they give the user a slight edge.”

“Nobles,” Tresk blurted out. “People with tons of money. That’s the buyers.”

“Exactly,” Fenian said, tipping his head to the Marshling. The feather on his hat bobbled as he did so, almost gracing Theo’s face from a distance. “We’ve been friends for too long, so I’ll tell you. These potions will sell for a few hundred gold when I’m done. I’ll get four times my investment for very little work.”

“You have to consider the fact that we can’t go to Qavell,” Theo said. “I appreciate your honesty, but I trust you.”

“Yeah, you’re cool,” Tresk said.

“Then I’ll let you pick 10 gold worth of items from my considerable stock. Well, that’s because I have a secret for you locked away in my carriage,” Fenian said. “Something worth 30 gold. But we’ll get to that later.”

“That works,” Theo said. “I have a few things I need.”

“Anything in particular?”

Theo explained his plan to cut the Ogre Cypress trees and the four people who were supposed to do it. He lacked the appropriate seed cores and skill cores.

“I have the perfect thing,” Fenian said. He withdrew a [Sawmill Seed Core] from his inventory, a [Forester’s Core], and 10 [Logger’s Cores]. “We’ll call that 5 gold.”

“Monster cores for the rest,” Tresk said, nodding.

“Good idea,” Theo said.

Theo had the task of upgrading not only his shop, but the mine and smelter as well. The amount of [Monster Cores] the low-level buildings needed was few, but the Newt and Demon was a hungry seed core building. Fenian gave him a good rate on level 30 [Monster Cores], totalling 100 in all. It was an absurdly low price for the cores, but the alchemist wouldn’t complain. The trader had been buying up every item with the [Defensive Artifice] tag he could find.

“This is the part you’re going to love,” Fenian said, withdrawing 4 different seed-shaped items from his inventory. He placed them on the table for Theo to inspect. “Now, look at this one first.”

Theo inspected the first defensive artifice.

[Firebolt Tower]

[Defensive Artifice]

Uncommon

An artifice that can be attached to a defensive slot on a settlement’s wall. Consumes motes to generate a bolt of fire, targeting a single enemy. Comes with enemy and friendly recognition.

“I sourced the [Chain Lightning Towers] for 10 gold each. These cost me less than a gold, around 70 silver. Now, inspect this next one.”

Theo obliged, already amazed that there were different towers.

[Fireball Tower]

[Defensive Artifice]

Rare

An artifice that can be attached to a defensive slot on a settlement’s wall. Consumes motes to generate a ball of fire that impacts enemies. Comes with enemy and friendly recognition, and will not fire if the radius of the fireball’s explosion will injure members of the connected town.

“Increasing in rarity, but not so much price,” Fenian said. “As you might expect, both towers are going to do less damage than the [Chain Lightning Tower], but these will only cost you 2 gold. On to the next.”

[Frost Cone Tower]

[Defensive Artifice]

Epic

An artifice that can be attached to a defensive slot on a settlement’s wall. Consumes motes to generate a cone of ice magic, freezing enemies in place. Comes with enemy and friendly recognition.

“5 gold each. These don’t do any damage that I know of, but they root monsters in place,” Fenian said.

“This is insane,” Theo said. “We can get more coverage at an affordable price.”

“I have another present, but it’s in the works,” Fenian said, nodding. “Something that will empower your towers.”

Theo counted his money and thought about the best way to spend it. Going with a spread of towers was the best idea, but which would work? Part-way through his process, the door opened. A bare-footed Alsie Plumm came tracking mud with her dirty feet. Theo winced, but welcomed her in. Only as she padded across the lab did he notice she was missing several toes on her foot, something he’d never seen before.

“Sorry to interrupt, mister mayor,” Alise said, shuffling awkwardly on the spot. “The representative of the Adventurer’s Guild wanted me to inform you he intends to purchase towers with the guild’s funds.”

“You have an assistant?” Fenian asked, laughing.

“I do,” Theo said. “One with a few toes missing, apparently. What happened to your shoes?”

Alise blushed at the comment, angling her feet away from him. Theo kicked himself for being insensitive, but there was an alchemical solution for that. “I lost them in the mud.”

He noticed she avoided talking about the missing toes. Theo rose from his seat and crossed the room, retrieving a bottle of [Alchemic Regenerative Salve]. He hadn’t found a use for it until now, but he felt a swell of pride in his chest. It was an easy way to instill more confidence in the young woman, reversing something she saw as a blemish on her body. He inspected the bottle before handing it over.

[Alchemic Regenerative Salve]

[Alchemy Salve]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Applied to wounds to restore lost digits.

Effect:

Repeated application of this salve will restore lost fingers and toes. The effect is not immediate, often taking weeks depending on the level of the user.

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“Take this,” Theo said, handing her the goopy liquid. He’d never used the stuff, but his intuition and the description gave him enough clues. “Apply it to your missing toes once a day. It might take a few weeks, but your toes should regenerate.”

Alise’s eyes went wide and the blush on her face deepened. “Really?” she asked, voice full of hope.

“According to the description,” Theo said. “Fenian, do you mind coming with me to meet with Aarok? The, uh, representative from the adventurer’s guild?”

“I suppose it means more money, so certainly,” Fenian said, laughing.

“Follow me, Alise,” Theo said, gesturing down the stairs.

Theo found Azrug working the shop, haggling with a customer. Fenian looked on with pride, a smile spreading across his face. “He’s really getting good,” the Elf said.

They waited until the shopkeeper was done, finally gaining his attention after a big sale.

“Azrug, give Alise a new wardrobe,” Theo said. “She’s my assistant, so we can’t have her losing her shoes in the mud. What were you doing in the swamp, anyway?”

Alise blushed some more. “Chasing down that grumpy Marshling.”

“Sledge,” Tresk said with a nod.

“Sounds good to me,” Azrug said.

Theo, Fenian, and Tresk left them there to pick out some clothes. Azrug had crates filled with magical items in different styles. His stock was so extensive, there was bound to be something she liked. The trio made their way to the adventurer’s guild, finding Aarok in his office. Luras was nowhere to be seen, no doubt preparing for the monster wave. Theo was also happy that neither Xol’sa nor Zarali were there. Those two had a habit of complicating things.

There was no negotiating with Fenian. His prices were beyond fair. The adventurer’s guild brought 50 gold to the table, almost all of which was made from selling gear from the monster waves. After pooling their resources, and under the guildmaster’s expert tactical advice, they settled on an arrangement of towers.

Aarok bought 1 [Chain Lightning Tower] for each cardinal direction, planning on spacing them some distance from the gate. He spent his last 10 gold on 2 [Frost Cone Towers]. Theo spent Ziz’s money under Aarok’s advice, ending with 1 [Chain Lightning Tower], 1 [Frost Cone Tower], 2 [Fireball Towers] and a [Firebolt Tower]. The alchemist then used his own money to buy 1 [Frost Cone Tower], 5 [Fireball Towers], and 20 [Firebolt Towers].

It was a massive investment in the defense of Broken Tusk, but it would be worth it. Theo had learned his lesson from last time, not willing to leave anything to luck. Fenian’s words about the alchemists in Qavell also pushed him to spend so much money. If anyone wanted to attack his town, they’d receive a torrent of fire from the walls.

“This place is going to be a fortress,” Fenian said, laughing.

The trader produced all the tower cores, which Aarok took. They ended the transaction with 5 [Chain Lightning Towers], 4 [Frost Cone Towers], 7 [Fireball Towers], and 20 [Firebolt Towers] totalling 104 gold between them. It was the largest exchange of money Theo had ever seen in Broken Tusk. Aarok also dipped into his personal funds to buy several [Dimensional Storage Crates] to feed the many turrets. If adventurers had to run too far to get more motes to feed the hungry turrets, they would be significantly less effective.

“A pleasure, as always,” Fenian said. “Now, would you mind following me for the big surprise?”

Theo cast his gaze to Tresk who nodded. “Sure.”

Fenian led his team of demonic Karatan by hand. Up close, they looked less like living creatures and more like shadows of real things. Even as the Elf tugged on their reins, the alchemist had to wonder if his hand would just pass through them. Tresk seemed uneasy around the beasts, but they didn’t bother Theo. The group made their way down the gentle slope of the cobbled road, leading down toward the eastern gate.

“I think I know what’s in that second carriage,” Theo said, snorting a laugh.

Fenian had a sly grin on his face. He was leading them toward the ranch.

Miana spotted them as the crested a hill, excitement visible on her face from a great distance. She was dancing on the spot as they approached the paddock, and with a considerable effort from Galflower, Fenian backed the train of carriages through the gate. Only when the gate was secure did he come around to the back of the featureless container.

“I’m told the lowland Veostian Karatan is the best producer of milk,” Fenian said, patting his hand on the carriage. He slapped his hand on the side of the container and a creature appeared behind it, tilting its head in confusion.

Karatan were hideous creatures. They were significantly longer than Earth’s cows, with height to match. Instead of four legs, they walked on six with no evidence of a tail on their hind-end. Their faces were the worst part of them, bearing a mix between bovine and insectoid with snapping mandibles and flat teeth. This example of the strange species was covered in a thin layer of wooly fur, a hue between pale brown and red. Instead of lowing, or issuing a series of excited nickers, it simply clicked its horrid mandibles, which Theo took to mean excitement.

“This is the male. Or so I’m told,” Fenian said, gesturing.

Miana approached the animal, reaching out to stroke its fur. There was a look of awe on her face that melted Theo’s heart. It was as though she was touching the thing she’d wanted most in her life. The corners of her eyes were quickly wet as she stroked the thing’s wiry fur. The alchemist joined in, shocked at how pleasant it was to touch the beast. Fenian slapped the Karatan’s rump, sending it trotting off into the distance. He then produced another 5 animals, all with similar fur patterns. These were smaller than the first one, but each had a series of udders that ran the length of their bellies.

“And these are the females, all milk Karatan,” Fenian said. “Milk them daily, or they’ll stop producing. As for the diet—”

“Come,” Miana said, barely able to keep her eyes off the beasts. She led them to the barn. Theo’s mouth dropped at the sight.

On either side of the barn, there were 4 pens. Each had a litter of dried Zee stalks on the bottom and each trough contained a ground mixture of [Zee Kernels]. The place was immaculate, as though the Half-Ogre woman was preparing for their arrival since she took over the ranch.

“I researched their diet and conditions,” Miana said, gesturing to a strange artifice and holding vessels in the barn’s corner. “I commissioned a milking artifice from Throk and storage tanks. The mix in the troughs is actually milled Zee with crushed wolf bones—they need the bones to digest anything. I’m researching how to make sweet butter from the milk. Throk is working on an artifice for that.”

“You’re prepared,” Tresk said, letting out a laugh.

The herd of Karatan noticed the excitement in the barn and approached the open door. They entered, sniffing the air with their strange faces, before finding the food. Each one of them pushed for the best position and ate happily.

“By the Gods, I suppose you know what you’re doing,” Fenian said, chuckling. I couldn’t get them to go anywhere when I bought them. The trader that sold them had to help me corral them.

Theo got to thinking about that. If these were Veostian Karatan, they must have been hard to get. Qavell was at war with Veosta.

“How did you get them?” Theo asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Did you cross enemy lines to get us cattle?”

“I don’t know what cattle are, but yes,” Fenian said. “I have means to avoid detection from a great distance. The Bridge, you know.”

“This is amazing, Fenian,” Theo said.

Miana approached the Elf and pulled him into a tight hug. He let out a surprised sound, but softened, embracing the woman. “Thank you,” she said, pressing her face into his shoulder.

Fenian had the good sense to stand still and pat her on the back. This was Miana’s dream and it had finally come true thanks to him. He didn’t have to go above his station to find the best possible Karatan for milk, but he did. It was a smart move for the long term success of the ranch, allowing them to make a profit from milk and butter.

Theo thought about the Elf as they stood there, waiting for the moment to end. Fenian had a magical means of transportation that seemed strange, even by this world’s standards. He was kind enough to drop hints to the matter, aided ‌by his cores and intuition. The trader’s patron was Uz’Xulven, the Demon Queen of the Path of Shadows. The alchemist didn’t understand the full extent of the Bridge, but it allowed passage over great distances.

The Demonic Karatan were the key to that, Theo figured. But those thoughts fell away as the pair finally broke apart. Miana went off to run her fingers through the curly hair of the beasts as Tresk, Theo and Fenian broke off.

“Better to leave her to it,” Theo said.

As they were leaving the farm, Alise came trotting down the cobbled path. She had a wide smile on her face and new clothes. She wore a simple blue silken shirt and a matching skirt that swept the ground. Her feet were now clad in leather moccasins, the same kind Theo had worn for so long. She approached, out of breath and affecting a deep bow.

“Thank you for the clothes,” Alise said, pausing to catch her breath. “Several people in the town are eager to purchase supplies from Mister Feintleaf.”

“Oh my,” Fenian said. “Mister Feintleaf. I like the sound of that.”

“The adventurer’s guild is preparing for the monster wave, which will happen tomorrow,” Alise said, withdrawing a parchment from a satchel at her side. “The Town’s wizard warns caution against multiple waves, which could happen from any of the other dungeons.”

“Sounds like you have your hands full, my dear alchemist,” Fenian said, clapping a hand on Theo’s back. “But you finally have some good help.”

“She’s really on top of it,” Tresk said, eying the Human woman suspiciously. “She’s better at being the mayor than you, Theo.”

“By a large margin,” Theo said.

Alise ruffled at that. “A mayor is only as good as their support structure.”

“Spoken like an administrator,” Fenian said. “Ah, well. I suppose this isn’t as impressive as the [Governance Core], but…”

Fenian withdrew a core from his inventory. It was an uncommon quality [Administrator’s Core], a mesh of wood-like material surrounding a ball of white energy. He handed it over to Alise with a bow. Theo knew the value of the item was minimal, likely less than a single gold coin, but the woman’s face lit up.

“Oh, no,” Alise said, stammering her next words. “I couldn’t possibly take this.”

“If a mayor’s competency is only as good as their support structure,” Fenian said, thrusting the item into her hands. “Then you’ll need this.”

Alise bowed deeply, taking the item from him. When she rose, a wide smile painted her face. “I have business to attend to. Thank you, Mister Feintleaf,” she said, consulting her scroll. “Please visit Ziz, Sledge, Throk, Perg, Gridgen, and Xam before you leave.”

“Ah, that’s quite the list,” Fenian said. “Very well. Time to make more coin.”