256 256 My Loot is Where?
Wolfe smiled and waved at the stable staff, who were clearly staring at him, then turned to the group leader to see what the plan was next.
“Should we drop off the team and the items at home before we go anywhere, or should you report in first?” He asked.
“I should report in first. Procedures say that I need to make the reports as soon as I return to the village, and I should bring you with me since all outsiders are supposed to check in as soon as they arrive so that we can keep up to date with news of monster movements, bandits and anything else that might be happening in the Coven’s territory.” She sighed.
The walk was less than a block from the stables, clearly designed to be as convenient as possible for the groups that were venturing outside of the thick stone walls of the small town, and Wolfe marvelled at the strange round stone and mortar construction that they had used for all the buildings.
It looked like they had grabbed as many of the loose rocks from the river as possible and built all their buildings with them. But they seemed to be sturdy, and stone was easy to put Earth Magic enchantments on, so they would surely be comfortable and reinforced in a village full of witches.
An older witch in very traditional long robes and a pointy hat greeted them at the door of the government building with a smile, then hurried out to pull the team leader into a hug.
“It’s good to see you back safe. I did a divining spell, and it told me that you would have great fortune this trip. How did you do? Did you find out what the forest was all about? It’s not often that things change in the landscape of the Frozen Wastes.” She greeted them.
“The forest is a genuine Fae Forest, created by a Faerie and a group of powerful witches to guard their home village. It’s amazing. You should see it, grandmother. Not only do they have Second Rank Witches, but they also have the most amazing spire, and they have their own Familiar summoning ritual that summoned magical creatures and Fae almost every time.” She replied, then pulled the old woman back inside.
“I don’t think it was that excessive, though some of the forest creatures could be magical creatures as well, and I just didn’t notice. The squirrel and the Familiar Cat are, for sure, and of course, the two wisps. I hope the witches know how to deal with them, or the village is going to become very fun to navigate at night.” Wolfe chuckled.
“And who might you be, young man?” The old witch asked.
It is purifying the Wastes around it and will eventually return them to a more natural state. It will also be calming the monsters that have entered the boundaries of the forest so that they are simply aggressive animals and not nearly as bloodthirsty as they usually are.
We have a large number of Rank Two witches present in the Den, as well as some Fae Familiars and a powerful Demon, which has allowed our people to develop a high quality of life, despite our somewhat dubious location.”
“That sounds like quite the story. How do the Demon and the Faerie get along?” The old woman asked after settling into a comfortable-looking couch.
“Pretty well, actually. The Faerie is a big fan of the fresh avocados from the gardens, and the Demon is a big fan of the witches, so their fields of interest aren’t in direct conflict.” Wolfe joked.
The old witch looked confused for a second, then blushed a little and shook her head.
“And you don’t have a problem living in such a place? Or didn’t anyhow, since it looks like my dear granddaughter has brought you back to the village to meet the family.” The old woman asked.
“It’s been pretty good to me. I am the Demon in question, after all.”
The old woman dropped the teapot that she had been reaching for, and Wolfe grabbed it with [Levitate] to prevent it from spilling or breaking on the floor. Her face went somewhat pale as she realized that he wasn’t joking, but she still turned to her granddaughter for confirmation.
“He made a Mana Gathering Array for the village and came with us to collect his payment. We promised him the Magi Relic from the ruins.” The team leader explained quietly.
She clearly didn’t expect her grandmother to take it well, but the old woman was more interested in Wolfe now that she had recovered from her shock.
“Did you really make a Mana Gathering Array for our village?” The old woman asked him directly.
“I did. I also hid it in the most mundane possible item so that it could be safely stored or displayed without drawing attention to itself. It should be strong enough to triple the mana density of the village, and it will self-sustain once it is active, so the price wasn’t cheap, but I am confident that the price can be safely paid in full.”
The old woman gave him an appraising look, then shook her head. “You’re still young and foolish. Only a truly powerful Demon Noble or Lord could possibly challenge the Ruins. Have you even started on your Second Mana Focus yet?”
The team leader gave Wolfe a questioning look, as she didn’t know the answer for certain, but Wolfe just smiled for a moment before answering.
“You could say that I’ve started on my Second Mana Focus, yes.” He finally agreed.
“Well, if that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you, but I want your word that you won’t hold whatever happens to you against the village. I know how Demons can get when things go wrong.” The old woman demanded.
“You have a deal.”