Broken Tusk was bustling by the time Theo made it to the center of town. It had been long enough since Theo made his way to the general housing area, and he was eager to see what kind of town planning skills Alise had. The population tracker on his mayor screen increased at a steady rate, signaling the reality of migration. His leather gloves were still dirty from digging in his garden and the strange loam-soil of the mushroom cave. While the truffles showed promise for rapid growth, they had a long way to go to become fully cultivated.

The road heading north, toward the farms, split at a point. To the east, there was the sprawl of houses, where to the west there was a single two story building looming among the trees. That would be the new school, which Theo noted was placed in the perfect location. First, he headed down to walk the many streets of a place Tresk had named “Town Time”. According to his map, it has since been renamed to “The Iron Residences”, which didn’t sit as well as the silly name.

The houses were arranged in a grid, blocks extending out toward the eastern wall. By the time Theo made his way to the end of the housing area, he counted 75 houses, 12 more than the last time he counted. Small vendors had popped up along the streets, the merchants selling whatever at fair prices. It was the first time Theo saw someone producing food at scale that wasn’t prepared by Xam. They offered meals for less than a copper, even providing meal plans. If he spotted anything else, he would have banished them from the town for good.

Theo had a single mind for food. Baseline food should have been free, or as close to free as possible. There was no shortage of it, and it seemed foolish to charge citizens for something they needed to survive. It wasn’t an entirely altruistic thought, though. Anyone who came to live in town swore loyalty to Broken Tusk through a magical contract. They could only act in the best interest of everyone, and while that struck him as Dystopian, they could always leave.

Several townsfolk greeted him as he passed, looking from windows or cracked doorways. From their perspective, he was doing a good job, although he could only judge by their words of encouragement. Theo’s reason for visiting this part of town wasn’t to inflate his own ego, but to make sure that everyone was doing their job as he wanted them to do it. He had no reason to doubt Alise’s ability, but it was still good to check. His next stop was the school, a straight path from the bustling neighborhood. Perhaps it was more accurate to call the housing distract a town in its own right.

The school was a friendly looking building, hosting a yard out back that allowed the children to play. The facade of the building was done in the tasteful tradition of plain wooden planks, only showing color on the trim with red. A large bell hung from a wooden tower at the top, no doubt to signal to children and parents alike when they started and ended. Theo ascended the steps leading to the front door, inspecting the building before entering.

[School]

[Mudball Fundamental]

Owners: Alise Plumm

Operator: Graplaptappin Tublubbin Grappin

Faction: [Broken Tusk]

Level: 15 (92%)

Rent Due: 2 days

Expansions:

[Dormitories]

[Play Yard]

[Speedy Education]

Whoever named the school had a good sense of humor, but Theo was more surprised about how far it had advanced. Level 15 was a good starting point for a building in the town, and the upgrades seemed interesting. He wasn’t sure why they would pick [Dormitories], but he’d inquire with Bob.

The interior of the school was split into individual classrooms on the left, a large area with a board for drawing in the center and rows of chairs and desks, and what must have been the dorms on the left. The interior was painted with a nauseating array of colors, a clear mark of the children. 10 children watched as Bob instructed from the front of the room, currently going over a map. Every head in the room turned to spot the alchemist.

“Mayor!” Bob shouted, trundling his little Brogling body over to greet Theo. He waved the children away, sending them out the back door for some free time. “I was hoping you’d stop by. What do you think?”

“It looks great,” Theo said, nodding. “How are the kids treating you?”

“Broglings have a natural affinity for teaching, and another natural affinity for taking care of children,” Bob said, gesturing to the dorms on the left. “We even have a few orphans.”

“Orphans?” Theo asked, blurting the thought out. He wasn’t aware of any children without parents.

“Refugees from other towns. No place to go,” Bob said, looking down at the ground. His mood brightened a moment later. “But, nevermind that! The children are keen to learn. I have some of the older ones studying by themselves in the private classrooms. They teach themselves while they wait for their cores.”

“Where do they go once they’ve earned their cores?” Theo asked.

“Good question. I’m working with your assistant on that,” Bob said.

“Lady Administrator,” Theo corrected. He didn’t want people getting confused about who was in charge.

“Right. Sorry,” Bob said, scratching his furry head. “Lady Administrator Alise has been instrumental to Mudball Fundamental.”

Theo chuckled at the name. But Bob was doing good work here. It was nice that a child could spend all day with their parents, but those orphans stuck out to him. They didn’t have that luxury and this would be a safe place for them to develop into productive members of the town. The alchemist asked Bob about the specifics of how the children were fed, and was happy to hear that Xam catered for them daily. She had increased her staff to a point where she could focus on creating dishes, rather than running the tavern, attached inn, and her bathhouse.

Bob also seemed ecstatic about his position, claiming that the children were sponges excited to learn. Each pupil stood out as the start student in his words. Further digging revealed that the man hadn’t seen fit to instill them with any principles passed down by Zaul, the god of shadows. While the Brogling claimed him as a patron god, it was mostly for Zaul’s [Scholar of Zaul Core].

At the end of their meeting, Theo flicked the man a single gold coin. It brought his total funds down to 46 gold, but until they found a worker incentive program this would have to do. Bob was grateful for the money, but said it wasn’t necessary. Theo insisted.

With his business at the school sorted, Theo found his way to the eastern gate. He checked in on Miana, who wanted nothing to do with him. The herd of Karatan were thriving, and the Pozwa were doing just as well. The only thing she revealed to him was that she was skimming the profits so she could pay for things like [Monster Cores] and feed for the animals. He established a contract on the spot, giving her express permission to do so. It was left loose enough that she could take all the money if she needed, as he really didn’t care about the profits. The only stipulation he put in was related to who she sold to, underlining the concept that profit on exports should go directly to the town’s coffers.

A trio of adventurers had been trailing him since he left the School, annoyingly named Bal, Dal, and Ral. Theo spotted them keeping a healthy distance, as though they were monitoring him. He invited them up to the battlements of the eastern gate, looking over the deconstruction of the Elven Guardian. Each adventurer, brothers as they were, were almost copies. Shaved heads, trimmed beards, and enough scars to show their true nature as hardened adventurers.

“Sorry, boss,” Bal said. Bal seemed to be the one to talk first, revealing him as the oldest brother. “Just a contract.”

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Theo stared out over the deconstruction of the guardian, watching as Throk directed the work. They’d pulled the main section of the thing’s chest apart, revealing an endless tangle of artifice cogwork. The Marshling was salivating over the find, rubbing his hands together and laughing. He’d go down after confronting the brothers about the contract.

“What contract?” Theo asked.

“Showed up in the guild this morning,” Bal said. “Someone wanted you guarded.”

Theo didn’t need to see the contract to know that Tresk issued it. She might have hid her intentions well, but she wanted to make sure he was safe while she adventured. He turned to look at the brothers, still uneasy about how much alike they looked. It seemed like a waste to have 3 adventurers watching him when 1 would have done the job.

“Do you all need to be here?” Theo asked.

“Dal lost some fingers, so he’s useless,” Bal said, the hint of a sneer on his face. “Ral broke his leg, so we’re waiting for that to heal up. We’re just bored.”

Theo huffed a breath. They should have come to him immediately about both matters, and had to wonder about the wisdom of adventurers who didn’t know when to turn to alchemy. He ordered them to stay at the top of the wall, then went down to check on Throk’s progress. It was a brief conversation. The metal was indeed [Barrowsteel], as Fenian claimed, and it was harder to break down than they expected. The artifice pieces inside the guardian were worth a fortune, according to the Marshling. Naturally, he intended to keep them all for himself.

After confirming that there was nothing he could do to help, Theo marched his new bodyguards back to the Newt and Demon. When he arrived, a Half-Ogre woman was standing in the shop section. She made introductions but told her to hold off until he had the time, heading to the lab to grab a tin of [Alchemic Regenerative Salve] and returning to his guards. The salve would restore Dal’s lost fingers, but he had nothing for broken bones. He only assumed they’d tried drinking his potions, so they crossed the street to see Zarali about mending a bone.

“Have they tried drinking a potion?” Zarali asked.

“Didn’t work,” Bal said, still speaking to his brothers.

Zarali let out a breath, standing from her chair and abandoning her enchanting work. She closed her eyes and held out her hands. After a moment, her eyes snapped open. “You have a disease that prevents healing items from working.”

“[Lesser Potions of Purification] are available for free at the adventurer’s guild,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes at the offending adventurer.

“Oh,” Ral said, his eyes narrowing. “Really?”

“Really,” Theo said, producing one such potion from his inventory and handing it over. He followed that with a common [Lesser Healing Potion] and the man drank both. The audible sound of Ral’s leg snapping back into place sent a shiver up Theo’s spine, but a look of relief spread across the Human’s face.

“Hooray,” Ral said. Theo took a deep breath, calming himself.

“You need to apply that cream daily,” Theo said, jabbing a finger at Dal. “If you have a question, please head to the town hall and get it sorted with the administration staff there. Don’t suffer because you’re too dumb to ask for help.”

The three brothers just nodded, looking at each other with shamed expressions.

“Is that all, Theo?” Zarali asked.

“Yes,” Theo said, clapping his hand on her shoulder and casting her a concerned look. “For now.”

Theo left the enchanter’s lab with his entourage, heading back to the Newt and Demon to meet his new shopkeeper. She was lean, for a Half-Ogre, and he didn’t recognize her as a native to Broken Tusk. She was far too shy to be from these parts, and had a mousey appearance despite her massive stature. While most Half-Ogres stood at the same height as Theo, she was a head shorter, likely the shortest of her kind he’d ever met.

“Salire Hogrush,” she said, bowing. A untamed mop of curly black hair fell over her face, obscuring her ochre features for a moment. “Azrug assigned me to the shop.”

“Theo Spencer,” the alchemist said, reaching a hand for her to shake. The 3 brothers watched awkwardly from the door. “Tell me about yourself.”

The Half-Ogre woman blushed at his question, clearly not used to the direct nature of Broken Tuskers. Then she told her story. Salire Hogrush was from a small town in the mountains leading north to Qavell. It was a fortress town, not unlike Broken Tusk, known for their ability to repel the many monster waves of the treacherous cliffs. There was little room for a merchant, and that was her aspirations in life. Once she heard about the exodus to the south, she couldn’t contain herself and left everything behind.

“Azrug has been accommodating,” she said.

“Must be weird having a kid be your boss,” Bal said, sniggering.

“Stand outside,” Theo said, casting him a glare. The brothers left, grumbling their objections. He turned his attention back to the new hire. “Azrug outlined everything, I hope. This is more of a place for citizens to buy potions at an absurd discount. We mostly export with a reliable traveling merchant.”

“Everyone has heard about Fenian Feintleaf,” Salire said, nodding. “You don’t topple Mercantile Chairs without getting a few songs to your name.”

“Right,” Theo said, his mind wandering. “Let me know if you have any questions.”

“Thank you.”

Theo retrieved his guards and led them into the lab, directing them to sit by the window. They seemed bored to tears, but happy enough to get paid to do nothing. The alchemist was surprised with how interested they were in his process. The [Tara’hek Core] had enough lead for him to work on a few minor potions, but he didn’t want to push it for now. The alchemist spent some time organizing his crates before setting up his fermentation barrels. With a tap, the [Power Siphon] turned on and he ground [Mage’s Bane] into the barrels. That’s when the brothers paid attention.

Theo explained every step of the process, from grinding the reagents down into a fine paste, to the introduction of Drogramathi mana to the mix. They were in awe when he transferred it to a still hours later. He explained the difference in tiers of processing, from the basics of distilling reagents down to the enhanced process of refining that essence. The alchemist forgot himself as they observed, missing the chance to brew a large amount of potions. It was better that way, though. He wanted to hold his [Drogramath Alchemy Core] back for a while, and this was a good excuse to take it slow.

After setting his modifier essence up for refinement, he led his gaggle of adventurers off to the mine. They were excited to meet with monsters, but Theo assured them it would be uneventful. Even if monsters spawned, they would be low level Goblins. That dampened their mood slightly. Nira was teaching her new hires how to work the double-smelter, and offered a meek wave before turning her attention back to her work. Gridgen was outside of the mine with his wife, Sarna. Both offered hearty greetings and made fun of the alchemist’s guests.

“Tresk hired them,” Theo said.

“She worries too much,” Gridgen said. “I bet you could take all three of them alone.”

Theo didn’t know where the miner got that idea, even if he was half-right. He had enough escape plans to make it out of a few sticky situations, even if he didn’t know what the brothers had to offer on the battlefield. They didn’t seem to take the insult personally, collectively shrugging it off.

“Nira looked busy,” Theo said, patting Gridgen on the shoulder. “Has she smelted any demon metal?”

“None that I know of,” Gridgen said.

“She has her hands full,” Sarna put in.

Theo, joined by Gridgen, Sarna, and the trio of adventurers, went and explored the lower level of the mines. A few of the tentacled dogs lined the walls, dead at the hands of the miners, but it was uneventful.

“Gonna hit a cavern soon,” Bal said. All eyes turned to him.

“Are you sure?” Theo asked.

“Very sure,” Bal said, placing his hand on the stone at the end of one tunnel. “Feel how cold the rock is?”

Theo placed his hand near where Bal had. The rock was wet and cold, even if he didn’t know what that meant. He searched the adventurer’s face for clues, but it just held a stupid smile. “Care to explain?”

“Caves are cold,” Bal said, shrugging the question off. “The colder the rock, the closer to a cave. Makes sense, right? But you got a real problem here.”

“Please, explain,” Theo said.

“When you hit the cavern, you’re going to hit it at a weird angle,” Bal said. “Likely from the top, which means you’re in trouble. How do you get down?”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Gridgen said, shoving himself into the already claustrophobic press of bodies to feel the rock. “We don’t want anything living down there to come up.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bal said, removing himself from the press. “That’s a good thing. Is this going to be open to adventurers?”

Theo had considered the idea before. It was his main motivation for hitting a cavern, but he didn’t know what would be down there. It could open the gates of hell under his mine, even if he’d prepared for the event. Sending adventurers down to retrieve whatever valuable items were down there was a good thing, but sending them to their deaths wasn’t.

“Once it’s cleared through the guild,” Theo said. “Well, this is good information, thank you Bal.”

“No worries.”

Gridgen and Sarna had some smalltalk they wanted to get off their chests. They were excited about the new school, claiming it gave them more free time to pursue their own interests. Sarna was, according to her husband, an accomplished miner by now. Even when she was stuck watching their child, she’d outpaced Gridgen in a short span of time. Once Theo was sure that none of the miners were worried about mining Demonic ore, he departed from Dead Dog Mine. It was the 58th day of the Season of Blooms, and he’d be expected to host the gathering tomorrow.

When Theo left the mine with his bodyguards, he broke the news that the rest of the day would be spent inspecting festival wreaths. They groaned, but came along anyway. There were a few select wreaths still alive, and he didn’t know how to judge them. One thing stuck out in his mind above all the other thoughts. He wouldn’t allow himself to take the prize, even if the next most viable wreath was wilting away on Perg’s door. It felt like cheating to give an alchemist such a task. Still, it was the spirit of the festival that mattered. He made his way back to the lab, intent on finishing out the day performing alchemy and cracking the shell of the strange adventurers that had become his bodyguards.