Общий файл / Does Force Bind to Responsibility?: Глава 22

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Camrad_RIP 05.12.22 в 15:40

Dawn City
*Talik*

Camrad_RIP 05.12.22 в 15:40

Talik was sitting in his "office," sorting through a pile of documentation and his notes. Unlike his last attempt, he didn't want to sweep them all off the table and fall asleep on the heavy polished desk. On the contrary, he wants to dig in, to get to the bottom of it, to consider, predict, and plan. Even though Marius's debuffs were still very noticeable, no details fell out of his head; on the contrary, the logical chains were sharper than ever. And this helped a lot because a lot of what he was doing now was alien to him in "real" life. For example, questions about logistics. It would seem that what could be easier than just delivering goods from point A to point B? But the tasks presented here had little to do with the "spherical horse in a vacuum". The cargo itself will not appear at point A, it must somehow be delivered there and have a transportable condition, format, and so on.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:48

For example, a wood from the Tob forest - in order to be transformed from piled wood into building material, this wood had to be processed - branches, limbs, roots, and crowns had to be cut down. Already in this form, it had to be delivered to the very point A, which could be reached by a hauling transport, which would send the resource to point B. There was more than one point B.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:48

The ravine, the road from which was already paved almost to the middle of the forest - there was a need for storage infrastructure, and, given the manners of the natives - even a fortress, and not only there. Swamps, in which it was necessary to build many dams, dikes, fortifications for crumbling banks, and other things. To an orcish camp in the valley, where serious upgrading of livestock plots was needed. To the quarries and mines founded by William. Just because it worked mostly undead didn't mean the tunnels and adits didn't need to be fortified. Wood was needed almost everywhere except, thank God, in the Dawn City itself. And then, there was no telling how long it would remain immaculate. Repair for those same carts had almost become a problem. They were beginning to break down.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:50

And the delivery of wood from numerous points A to numerous points B had to be organized so that nobody tripped over anyone so that the work did not stall because the material was not delivered on time, and so that the material did not lie idle for weeks. And the wood is only a part and not the biggest.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:52

Not that Talik really needed to do that. The whole thing was already very well organized, but now, looking at the reports of what was happening, he was horrified to think that if the NPCs didn't have real intelligence and experience, there would be chaos here already. Complex systems theory at its most vivid. Now, he could feel the meticulousness returning to him, the meticulousness with which he had always approached anything in the real world. And in the game for the last couple of years, too.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:53

*****It was a great idea to sleep, after all,

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:53

This thought did not immediately occur to him yesterday, and not even on its own. During another of Talik's attempts to get his overworked brain to work and his frayed nerves, Draga began massaging his shoulders. And that massage mysteriously ended in debauchery on the big, comfortable bed. Beautiful, flexible, compliant, and resolutely ready for anything woman left nothing but the desire to possess her in his mind. And then there was sleep. And in the morning, waking up to light, freshness, and the very woman in his arms, Talik felt like a completely different person. A little later (an hour or two later), while dressing, he came to the conclusion that even though his body did not need sleep, his psyche was not adapted to its absence. In real life, he would not have lasted so long (more than two weeks) without normal sleep; he would have passed out on the third day at most. But here, his body was doing its job while his mind was giving up on him.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:55

And now, taking advantage of the clarity of his mind, he sought to make up for lost time.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:55

******And the lack of pressure from the outside must also be taken into account. When working with paper, everything is much easier than when you come into contact with people.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:56

Rummaging through his notes was a separate hassle. "Got to do" "got to go" "got to see" "got to know," and so on - and there were plenty of them. Not that they were meaningless, on the contrary, they did a very good job of reminding him of critically important things. But when and what exactly to do, so as not to get lost and not to jump from one thing to another, was a big question. One of the most uncomfortable thorns in his heel was the promise he had made to Marius to teach him. What could he teach an archlich who, with his awesome personal power, knew nothing about the world order? Especially considering the fact that the laws of the universe can be very different from what we are used to. He had to make a program, preferably in such a way that the obscenely intuitive undead would not realize that Talik was not the omniscient idol they imagined him to be.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:58

The second biggest sticking point was the inventory. It promised to be a separate task of epic proportions. Though he immediately corrected himself, it was the third biggest. The second, quite competing with the first, was the relationship with the outside world. And the second was only because Marius was much, much closer and more dangerous than everything else.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 18:59

A mysterious enemy who almost killed Talik without even appearing on the scene in person. Who he was, and how dangerous he could really be, was still not clear. The "expedition" sent by Marius was only supposed to reach the edge of the Plains in three days at best. The visions of the possible future faded a little, but they were not less depressing. And Talik certainly didn't want the part about his Guild to come true.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:00

The massacre in the local town, not so far away, might well have served as one of the stages by which this web of events could have been spun that might have led to disaster. Apart from the fact that he didn't want to sit idly by, knowing that outright genocide was going on somewhere nearby. Yesterday he'd considered that as a possibility, too, and now he wasn't prepared for such a weight on his conscience. And of course, clearing up a possible relationship with the local Adventurer's Guild was still very important.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:01

The aggression on the part of the natives, which had enraged him to the core, also demanded more thoughtful attention than simply "go and smash" in retaliation. It would have been the same genocide, only this time through his own fault. Also, he needed to be more sensitive to his own orders. The elves, who had been sent to the scene, had quarreled with the orcs over who was in charge. It almost came to a stabbing, the end of which would have been very predictable. As opposed to the possible consequences.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:02

Warboss, upon learning of the welcome Talik had received upon his return "home," was enraged, and he was not immediately pacified. And some of his entourage were caught in the crossfire, and now the orcs had one less Nob to deal with. And the lore, which Talik had personally prescribed for the orcish horde, said in black and green that fallen leaders could not be raised unless it was absolutely necessary. Whoever proved himself most worthy of the position would become the new Nob. That's minus one level 80 fighter. There was no certainty that the new Nob would suddenly get level 80 and not stay in his 30-40 range. And what would have started if the elves had slaughtered the band of orcs after that, with the Warboss clearly not having warm feelings for Illadria and the elves in general from the start, Talik didn't even want to think about it. Though it might have been worth pondering.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:05

It's a good thing the stalkers were smart enough to contact their superiors and report the "green savages who think too much of themselves" before they entered the active phase of the dispute. Talik, bracing himself, told them to smooth out the conflict and get the hell out of there on recon, and sent the other two instead. With appropriate instructions. The general picture of events was already clear, orcs were flocking to the affected village, but the picture had to be restored as fully as possible. To start military action without a clear understanding of who and what they wanted to achieve, was seen as a bad idea.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:08

He sighed, looking out the high window. The lush colors of greenery, flowers, and ornamental fauna beckoned him to drop everything and go enjoy life. Talik shoved that nasty feeling away, sucking him into a very doubtful comfort zone. He had nothing against comfort, really, and he was going to plunge into the joys of his new life a little later. Just as he had no illusions that he would be able to absorb everything that was going on in one morning. But there were things he absolutely wanted to do before he relaxed. And what he would do afterward.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:09

There was a knock at the door. Draga, still careful not to leave Talik's side, went to the door and opened it. The temple attendant bent almost to the floor, reported:

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:09

"Your Holiness, the person you want is here."

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:10

"Let her come in."

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:10

The attendant disappeared, and a tall, unrealistically thin figure in a pale cassock appeared in the doorway. Talik did not go into detail, just subconsciously assuming that the Abbess was human or elf. And now he was slightly surprised to see a draconian woman. In these creatures, sexual dimorphism was much more pronounced than in most other intelligent races. In contrast to the massive, shoulder-length male lizards, the draconids were of a much more delicate build. The woman who entered could only be mistaken for a human from a distance. Her slender frame seemed to be hugged with just her fingers, and the only exposed parts of her body were her long scaly fingers with neat claws, and her snake head, dark gray in color with golden patterns of scales. The guest moved with the grace expected of a snake. She also bent in a bow and stood still on the threshold.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:12

"Come in," Talik gestured for her to come in.

Camrad_RIP 09.12.22 в 19:12

Draconid scooted forward without straightening up. Talik sighed.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 13:54

"I don't feel comfortable talking to you when you're in that position." He made an inviting gesture toward one of the chairs nearby.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 13:54

The guest hesitantly sat up and straightened, folding her hands in her lap. It was impossible to read anything on the serpent's face. Generally speaking, the fact that the enterprising Abbess turned out to be draconian was very convenient and allowed him to bring to fruition an idea he hadn't known how to approach before.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 13:55

"As I understand it, you are Abbess Nitia."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 13:56

"Yes, Your Holiness. I dared not hope that you would know my name."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:04

Talik gave an inward chuckle. In fact, he was supposed to know all the church congregation personally. But there was a handicap here, too. Also, the guest, though she had a dry, raspy voice, she didn't hiss as much as Talik had expected.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:04

"As you can see, I know very well about you. I wanted to talk to you about the stranger you took in."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:05

The guest's scales went from dark gray to unhealthily light.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:05

"Was... Was that a mistake?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:05

"No, calm down. On the contrary, it was a very good initiative. You did a very good thing, and I approve of that. Nevertheless, I have a few questions for you. First, tell me, why didn't you chase him away like the others?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:06

I... At first I was curious. When he showed up at my abode, he looked so lost that it didn't seem right for me to kick him out. I talked to him, and after hearing his story, I felt pity for him. He was so afraid that the Gatekeeper would take him back if he couldn't get a job, that I decided to try. There's no such thing as inhibitions, so I decided to give him a chance and explore more closely.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:07

"Explore?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:07

"Yes, Your Holiness. He comes from a new world, from the outside, and he may not be the only one. I wanted to know what kind of world it was, what kind of creatures inhabited it, and what could be expected of them."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:08

"And what is your impression?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:08

"He is a wild ignoramus, Your Holiness. He is shockingly ill-mannered. Perhaps it is because he is very young. And he tries to be helpful, though it sometimes makes him do foolish things."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:58

"And what conclusions did you draw about the outside world by dealing with this man?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:58

"I concluded that this is a cruel, unjust world in which the suffering of the innocent and the triumph of the unrighteous are commonplace. Perhaps I am wrong..."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:58

"No, you got it right. And I think that needs to change. I want you to be the one to help me do that."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:59

"I shall be happy to serve your purpose, Your Holiness!"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 14:59

Talik could hardly keep from wincing.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:03

"One of the ways we will influence this world will be through our faith. And there's a bit of a catch... We have ideals, rules, and orders based on what we understand to be right and wrong. And when you interact with another citizen of the Dawn, whether draconid, orc, human, or elf, you can be sure that you will be understood correctly. It doesn't work that way with locals. They have no common understandings upon which to base what we believe. So, our words will be too vague and incomprehensible for them. So we're going to need a set of rules about why we should do things this way and that way. Simply put, we will need our own rule book so that we can share our culture with those who want it. And, warning your possible question - I don't want to do this personally. It's a big job that can't be done by anyone alone. And I want to entrust this work to those who will directly carry our word to the masses."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:05

What I'm getting at... I plan to call all the rectors of the Dawn to a big meeting. In which to raise this, and some other questions. As well as answering questions from others. I myself have no time to run and warn and coordinate all this among 177 sentient beings, so I'll need someone to do it on my behalf. Someone proactive, curious, and able to do more than just blindly follow the usual rules.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:06

"So..."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:06

"Yes. I want you to do it. Do you think you can do it?"

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:06

"I will certainly live up to your trust, Your Holiness."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:07

"I'm sure you'll do well. Come back tomorrow morning and tell me about your progress. Of course, I don't expect you to do everything in one day, so you don't have to be too hard on yourself trying to get everything done in one day. That's it for now, you're good to go."

Camrad_RIP 10.12.22 в 15:07