Chapter 97 Homesteading in a fantasy world

----

200k words thanks for all your support.

----

Falyr was sitting in his office while Rich was just across the table sitting on his guest chair. They had not spoken to each other after they had left Bert. Falyr didn’t know how to go about this. The man across from him was someone he had never had to deal with.

Normally whenever he needed to make deals with someone, he had a lot more information about that person. It would seem that he had gotten used to his company providing him with information.

It took some time before he finally found the way to begin. He just needed to think of this person in front of him as an unknown monster and start out by probing. “It’s getting colder, and it will get a lot more in the following months. I hope that you are prepared for the winter that’s ahead of us?”

Rich took a few moments before answering the question. “I don’t mind the cold, but yes it will be a long winter. I hope you're not planning on bringing too many people here otherwise you might stretch this food supply you have gotten.”

Interesting, the first probing attack is completed and already I am left quite bloodied. The dismissal of winter and bringing it around on myself to see if we can handle it and then mentioning that he was the one that got us this food. Not to mention the reminder to not waste his generosity.

Perhaps I’m thinking too much into it. “Most of us are already here but we will bring more. We made sure that there is enough for everyone and then we could even send some back if needed.” Rich smiled at that and spoke. “Good to see the food not be wasted then.”

Well, that confirmed it. But he doesn’t seem to be playing the game for victory but just because it was expected. He must have come into contact with politics. This might help him more than he realizes.

Before Falyr could continue contemplating Rich after a short pause continued. “I do have some food that I could sell. We have more than we could use. Perhaps this might help you further. I am certain we can come to some sort of a deal.”

Doesn't even leave me time to think I guess he doesn't want me to learn too quickly. He knows that I want something from him and is probing himself. It is weird having this little information, but I forgot his working with the same limitations as I am.

But if I’m correct and he does not enjoy the game perhaps a more direct solution is required. “Oh, I am certain that we can come to some sort of a deal. Food's worth a lot but it would be worth even more later on and I am not part of the merchant side of this company. So, I suggest you wait. What I want is access to the dungeon to train our young.”

To that Rich smiled and Falyr let out a breath of air. It would seem that I made the correct choice and being direct would be a quite welcomed change of pace. “I would be quite happy to let you use the dungeon but of course, I would want some things in return.”

“My requirements are not big I just want that when you go into the dungeon you take my apprentices with you and train them as well while inside the dungeon and perhaps a few times here in the village as well, as I am guessing you would want to do that before you go inside.” Richard said in quite a happy tone.

To that Falyr needed to think a bit and it seemed that Rich would let him have the time. Training is apprentices. I’m presuming they have a combat class of some sort. Weird for a bunch of farmers but I’m guessing their class is not a normal one.

He is correct about me wanting to train them a bit before going inside the dungeon but it seemed that this was not the only thing he wanted. “How often would you give us access? Having three more people will mean that we will have fewer spots for our members.” The answer came quickly. “Once a week.”

That was a lot better than expected. “We can work with that but that would depend on what else you want.” Rich thought for a moment before speaking. “I also want training for myself, combat and if possible, more information about the adventuring class. More specifically about not following a laid down path but making one yourself.”

This made Falyr pause for a bit. So, he truly doesn’t want to play the game, so refreshing. Is he making his own path interesting? A bit more training in general is not something that is truly valuable here. Our trainers have a lot of downtimes especially when the winter truly sets in and even more in this small village.

“This would work, and I can offer the training to your apprentices and yourself until we run the dungeon. I would want to run it on a Friday would that be good for you.”

Rich had to take a moment he had not used the day names in a long time and was quite used to just doing everything and not paying attention to what day it was. “Yes, that would work. Would you like some information about the dungeon?” The reply came quickly. “Yes, that would be preferable.”

Rich didn’t skimp on the details and provided everything he know. It took quite a while for them to finish talking but when they both stood up now a lot more comfortable around each other and on the succession of Falyr they both headed out and towards the inn so they could talk more but in a less formal environment.

During that time the three outsiders to the village looked around. When there was nothing new to see they headed straight to the only open storefront to buy some pastries from the bakery.

When the people of the village learn that the newcomers were willing to pay and actually had coins with them quite a lot more storefronts opened up hoping they could sell some of their items. Rich gave them a lot of money and said not to be stingy with it, but also to not to just buy junk.

So, keeping that in mind they all bought something, but their biggest purchases were made at the end, in the smithy shop. They all bought a proper combat dagger which they thought might be quite good in the dungeon when things got too close up.

The straightforwardness of their teacher seemed to have rubbed off on them because when they finished paying the smith, they yelled out so all could hear that they were not going to buy anything else.

At first, everyone was quite surprised, but they quickly thanked the trio and closed everything up again. They lingered in the smithy and asked if they could watch as the smith while he continues his work. Used to this happening in the bigger city he let the three people watch while he worked.

What the smith didn’t expect was for them to discuss his techniques and compare them to their own. Usually, they would have been quiet enough so he couldn't hear but one of his traits helped him out and he was quite interested in the three young people.

It seemed that they have done smithing and when he asked them, they told him about how they have made arrowheads and nails. Smith smiled at that and remembered his younger days. Then he quickly took 3 iron rods and put them into the coals so he could heat them up. “Come here show me. I want to see how you make the arrowheads.”

He was happy when they all accepted, and he was quite pleasantly surprised about their ability to make arrowheads. They must have a skill level that was quite high. He wondered why they all had the skill. But before he could ask them one of the boys had messed up but before he could tell him that he needed to restart he was surprised.

The boy used an ability and precise control it to fix his mistake. But it seemed that the surprise didn't end with that. “It's quite a lot harder to work on this anvil. It sort of looks like a big stump our small anvils or teacher’s anvil are a lot better for this type of work.”

The three continued to discuss about their teacher's anvil which seemed to have a few more features that he was quite interested in. So, he asked them more about it and they described something that he had never thought about.

Making the anvil a lot better at certain tasks. He had never thought about that he just used the same anvil his father used but now that he looked at it. It did look like a stump and thanks to his experience he quickly figured out how much more useful different shapes of anvils can be.

He was so in thought that when he looked up there was no one else around but he didn’t mind that and went back to thinking. The apprentices hope that they hadn't made a mistake and quickly made their way to the last place that they hadn't visited, the inn.

There they waited for quite a long time and as Rich instructed them didn't drink too much and just talked with other people they had gotten to know when buying items from them. Eventually, the doors opened up and Rich finally walked in finding them instantly and waving to them and after a few words with Falyr headed towards them.