Общий файл / Does Force Bind to Responsibility?: Глава 10

Chapter 10

Camrad_RIP 09.07.21 в 20:36

***Era***

Camrad_RIP 09.07.21 в 20:36

The furnishings in Era's room were always austere and clean. A hard bed, a chest, a lectern, a table, and two benches. A magic teapot (the most expensive thing in the room) was steaming on the table. Era even used candles, as opposed to the other enchantress. In general, she was a bit weird for a spellcaster. She liked to read standing up, avoided using magic without real need, and never bragged about her achievements.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 19:55

At the time of Daimon's arrival, she was rereading an old favorite book, 'The Unseen in the Obvious. Of course, it was not the original, written in ancient times. A retelling of the retelling and so ten times, many times translated. Nevertheless, the ideas contained there were still fresh and relevant.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 19:56

Upon learning of the leader's decision, Era was surprised and annoyed.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 19:57

"Daimon, you can see that this man is hiding something. I don't understand how you can trust him with our lives."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 19:57

"Era, you are exaggerating. I've learned a lot from our quest with Lias, too. Remember what we talked about at the goblin camp? When we find a new healer, we'll work on easier quests. And if there's something wrong with him, we'll just say goodbye on a friendly note."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:03

They'd been talking about it for half an hour. Daimon suggested that weird guy Taler works with them. Era didn't like the idea very much, and she spoke up right away. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for the cure, she just doubted that Thaler was driven by pure nobility. His manner of speech, his demeanor, his appearance - everything about him indicated a man unaccustomed to the roughs of camping. And, just as importantly, Ere had seen the way he looked at her, and she didn't feel the slightest sympathy in return. It didn't take a genius to see what kind of trouble that could cause on a quest.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:07

"Well, let's say he can do it. He's still kind of a shady guy, something's wrong with him. How can I rely on someone I don't trust? How can you rely on someone you don't trust?"

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:16

" I'm not relying on him yet. I want to see him in action. You know, I'm sure after two or three missions everything will fall into place. And if you're right, we have nothing to lose. And if I'm right, we have a lot to gain. Look at how we used to work out with Bryce. You hated him back then," Daimon smiled.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:18

That was the plain truth. Bryce was outright disliked at first, for many reasons. Extremely dubious sexual interests, duplicity, a complete lack of tact, cruelty, and heartlessness. Nevertheless, after a while he turned out to be one of the most reliable friends in the world.

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:19

"It's impossible to argue with you. Just keep in mind that I don't like this idea."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:19

"I'll keep that in mind, and you try to control yourself. Deal?"

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:34

"It's a deal. Have you found a job yet?"

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:34

"Yeah, we're going out in a couple of days. The Plains of Katze, there are a couple of places where problems are looming."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:36

"What kind of problems?"

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:38

"It seems that there is another unrecognized genius of necromancy who has lost his mind. An assignment for a small landlord from the outskirts of Katze."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:40

"Oh, and you said something easier to start with. Why'd you take the job? You know how landlords pay."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:43

"I know. But I think there won't be a problem with payment, believe me."

Camrad_RIP 13.07.21 в 20:44

"Okay. But Bryce will tell you a lot.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:06

"Everything will be fine, don't worry. Just be ready to go out the day after tomorrow."

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:07

Daimon saluted her jokingly and left. Eira tried to go back to the book, but the letters scattered before her, her mind occupied with other thoughts.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:31

She may not like this Taler guy, but he's already on the team, at least for the next assignment. She doesn't want any trouble, which means she has to work at it, too. Don't create the conditions for a fight, don't offend him. And if this guy has a crush on her, she needs to make it clear before he imagines God knows what. Of course, somewhere inside it was nice to know that she had an admirer. And, of course, it didn't mean that she could afford to keep her hopes up.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:32

Working for a landlord was totally uninspiring, and if she hadn't known Daimon, she wouldn't have taken it. Small nobles with tiny estates weren't rich. Two or three villages, sometimes hunting grounds, very rarely some sort of mine or sawmill. And yet they treat non-nobles, commoners, as trash. They don't care how much stronger, smarter, or richer you are. They always consider themselves superior and more important, simply by descent. And that's why they sometimes allow themselves to do stupid things, such as not paying their bills.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:33

The minor nobles saw nothing wrong with paying only partially, or not paying at all. And it takes some time for them to understand why they should not do so. Sometimes it took up to six months before they realized what a guild's blacklist was. Monsters don't care how noble you are, they care whether you can fight back or not. Adventurers, monster-slaying professionals, were cheaper than maintaining a regular army. A lot cheaper. And more reliable. Much, much more reliable.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:54

Monsters are always very good at sensing weakness. Once you don't fight back, you're screwed. And the silly nobleman has to ask the Guild to solve their problems again. And the moment of truth comes - the Guild remembers its debtors very well. Do you want to solve your monster problem? Easy. Pay the debt, the forfeit, and the full prepayment. The Guild bosses have no heart; they don't care about pleas. If they don't get their payment, they will watch indifferently as you are torn apart, or as your town dies out from the plague.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:56

But for an adventurer who had been cheated of payment, there was no joy in retribution. Money is money, and the Guild compensated only part of it until it received full payment. That's not counting the cases where adventurers were killed quietly so they wouldn't have to pay. All in all, working for the minor nobles was an extremely thankless and risky business.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 10:58

All these thoughts prevented her from concentrating on the book. In fact, that was why she avoided all disturbance during the rest period after her assignments. Practicing meditation, searching for new knowledge between the lines of old books, taking personal notes, arranging impressions, required complete peace and quiet. Only close friends could get away with intruding on her personal space. And yet, an entire evening and night were wasted.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:05

Era sighed heavily, wrapped her cloak around her, and went out for a walk to get some tea. Maybe the fresh evening air would bring back some peace of mind.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:05

***Talik***

Camrad_RIP 09.07.21 в 20:40

After the 'aptitude test,' it didn't take long for Talik to formalize his adventurer status. It was a standard questionnaire of several sheets, mostly indicating where to look for him if anything happens, and specifying whether he was wanted, and if so, where and for what reason. The paper was quite interesting, strange to the touch, like velvet. The polite lady at the front desk, Mory, said that this paper changes color if you write down false information. Talik wasn't sure if it did, but just in case (magic, after all) he made all the points honestly, albeit loosely.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:19

After issuing him a copper badge (a fancy plate, the same touch as paper) with his personal information, Daimon invited him in for a word. Talik liked this guy in general - very intelligent, good at sensing moods, had dignity, and showed respect for other people's opinions. But most importantly, he understood very well what he wanted and how to achieve it to mutual advantage. Talik rarely met such people in the game, and never in real life.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:25

Daimon asked him to join the team. Actually, it went a little against Talik's plans. He wanted to meet some really strong guys. However, Daimon had gracefully convinced him that it was worth a try. A Copper healer isn't likely to be called up to strong teams right away. Starting from scratch, working with other copper and iron ranks would be too long, and not everyone would be easy to work with. And in general, it would be useful to see what an adventurer's 'work' looks like beforehand, under optimal conditions.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:51

Not the last thing that convinced Talik was Era. Her image was firmly lodged in his soul, and he longed for at least a normal relationship. There was a kind of sad irony in that. In the Dawn City, he would have had to point a finger, and any pretty girl would have been honored to be with him. And yet he'd fallen for a girl who could barely contain her dislike for him.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:55

Daimon somehow mystically understood what Talik was thinking, and told him honestly that nothing would work with Era. He hinted at Era's personal dislike of men in an intimate way, and Talik knew exactly what he meant. She was the one who had been abused by two dozen of Akuro's soldiers.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:56

But still... Still. He wanted at least a friendship. For now/

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:57

Bryce didn't show up, but Talik wasn't too worried about that yet. He doubted very much that this guy was going to screw him and disappear with the money. And even if something like that did happen, the loss of two bars of gold wasn't a high price to pay for a lousy test. By the standards of the guild's treasury, of course. It only took forty Yggdrassil coins for the bars. And just in case, Talik still had the money taken from Akuro's gang in his stash. Quite a lot of silver and some gold.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 11:59

There was no problem at all in locating lodging - the guild building had rooms for rent. The prices were steep by local standards, but Daimon willingly paid for a room for the night, and Talik went to his apartment in the morning after his tour of the city.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:01

The room was not at all impressive after the palace and the temple, but there was a kind of ineffable comfort here. It was a small room, with a minimum of furniture, smelling of wood, straw, and clean cloth. The window lets in light, but he couldn't see anything through it.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:02

As Talik approached it, he realized what was wrong. Instead of glass in the faceted frame, it was some kind of translucent leather.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:02

It must be what's called a bull bubble. It's cool, there's no smell at all.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:03

He opened the window. The sounds of the city at night entered the room in a soft wave. The sound of the wind, sometimes the flapping of birds' wings, distant scolding, the hubbub of a nearby alleyway, drunken singing, the sound of footsteps, the clatter of hooves. Against the rapidly darkening sky, there was light in the silhouettes of houses in some places, and in the streets, the lights of lanterns were illuminated. The view was mysterious and very beautiful.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:05

"Spy, are you here?"

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:07

"Yes, Your Holiness," the elf appeared in the corner of the room, near the wooden door, and bowed.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:08

"Watch where Daimon went. If to Era, listen to what the conversation is about, then come back, tell me all details."

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:09

"It will be done, Your Holiness."

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:09

Spy was gone, and Talik couldn't tell if he had any remorse. He should have - it was an invasion of privacy, after all. In fact, there was only a very faint feeling that it was better not to do so, simply because it was indecent. Commanding the elf was also somehow easy to get into the habit.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:12

Well, he doesn't see anything unnatural in it himself. Why should I suffer?

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:12

Observing the view from the window, he spoke through [message] to the inhabitants of the Palace. There was no notable news.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:13

Wilhelm, mercilessly exploiting the undead Marius as brute slave labor. He was building a road through crevices in the mountains. Talik had recently suggested that he think of something with permanent roads; after all, they are here for a very long time, and it is stupid to travel by portals alone. The 'King' became enthusiastic, calculated a resource estimate, and squeezed out permission to use the undead. Talik appreciated the idea if there was a landslide or some shit, no regret for the undead. Perfect discipline and no fatigue like real robots. The work went according to plan, and in a couple of weeks, we could expect the first 'highway' to be completed.

Camrad_RIP 14.07.21 в 12:15