Chapter 106. The Choice to Go First

Carlos spent the rest of the morning thinking about the blue line in the cucumber leaf. He did not touch it, and neither did anybody else.

Tarin and Sela worked around the four rows carefully, making sure every vine stayed on its own frame. Blue kept the other Slimes away from the bed. The Living Scarecrow stood near the path with its head turned toward the marked vine like it understood that one was different too.

Carlos did not know if it actually understood anything. He was not about to ask it.

He had already told Cedric to bring Rowan through the portal when he could. Until then, the crop would stay exactly as it was.

By midday, Carlos stood near the western Gatehouse with Kaia. The two new Shield Militia were drilling in front of them. One held his shield too high and exposed his legs. The other kept moving backward every time the first pushed forward.

Kaia stopped them with one raised hand.

"Again," she said. "You are not trying to win against each other. You are trying to make it harder for someone to get past both of you."

The two Militia nodded and returned to their positions.

Carlos watched them start again. They still looked new. But they listened to Kaia, and the Gatehouse gave them a place they could actually defend.

"How long before they are useful?" he asked.

Kaia looked at the pair. "Useful for what?"

"For a real fight."

"They can hold this gate if they have orders and do not panic. They are not ready to walk into a Hellbound conquest."

Carlos nodded. He had expected that answer.

Kaia turned toward him. "You are thinking about entering it."

"Yes."

She did not look surprised. "Then do not take them."

"I was not going to."

"Okay."

Carlos looked toward the black Conquest Portal. It stood on the open ground inside Ironroot, completely still. The sight of it made his shoulder remember the Iron Fang Captain’s cleaver even though the injury had healed enough for him to move normally now.

He hated that the next conquest would scale with Ironroot again. The Training Yard, Gatehouse, extra troops, cultivation district and everything else he had worked for would become part of the reason it became harder.

But that was not a reason to stop.

If he sat around waiting for every crop to become safe and every troop to become strong, then nothing would ever be ready. Ironroot needed stone, iron, equipment and more than what one good food trade could bring in.

Carlos looked at Kaia. "Who comes with me?"

"Me," she said first.

"That’s a given, Kaia."

"All four Bearkin go as the front line. Nessa and both Woodland Archers give us distance. Two comes in case the terrain has fire or something we need to put out."

"What do you think about taking Blue with us? Its been a while and he has been helpful in the cultivation district too."

Kaia looked toward the northern field. Blue was floating above the Slimes near the spring basin. Tarin was pointing at the vines while Sela listened beside him.

"Blue stays here," Kaia said. "The cucumber bed has a problem we do not understand, and Blue is more valuable near the water."

Carlos hadn’t wanted to bring Blue anyway. Blue was Rare. He was just testing Kaia’s intuition.

"Alright, Blue stays," Carlos said.

Carlos called Brann, Garr, the other two Bearkin, Nessa and both Woodland Archers over. Brann came from the training yard with his hammer resting on one shoulder. The cut along his side was gone, but he still seemed grumpy about Carlos not taking him to the district.

Nessa came from the eastern watch with her bow already in hand.

Garr came from the western side with his square-headed hammer in hand. The other two Bearkin Guardians followed him from the training yard. One carried a heavy shield, while the other had a hammer over his shoulder.

Both Woodland Archers came down from their watch positions with full quivers at their backs. Carlos did not leave a single arrow shooter behind this time.

"We are going in again?" she asked.

"Maybe."

Brann frowned. "Maybe?"

"I have to see what the system gives first. If it looks stupid, we do not enter today."

Kaia gave him a quick look. "You can see that?"

Carlos shrugged. "I can look at a gate without jumping through it. I learned something after nearly getting my head split open."

Brann looked at the black portal. "Still go in."

"That is not learning, Brann."

"Still good."

Nessa hid a smile behind her hand.

Carlos went to Mira next. She was outside the kitchen with both Hearthkeepers, checking the meal stores. The covered pan from her advanced cooking attempt sat on a high shelf behind her.

"I need food for a conquest party," Carlos said.

Mira looked at him. "You are entering today?"

"I am checking it today. We enter if it is something we can handle."

She watched him for a moment, then nodded. "I will make ten packed meals. Not more. We have enough for our own people."

"That is fair."

"And do not use the High-quality meal. I am keeping it until I understand why it did not work."

Carlos had not planned to. Still, he nodded again.

Before he left, he called everyone who needed to hear the orders closer.

Carlos pointed toward the northern field.

"That vine stays untouched until Rowan comes. I cannot say that enough, it’s that important. Do not use any Mana Water and no random ideas, alright?"

Tarin nodded right away. Sela did too.

Carlos looked at Blue next. "Keep the Slimes helping around Ironroot. Nobody leaves the territory alone."

Blue pressed both hands to its chest and nodded.

Carlos looked at the two Shield Militia near the Gatehouse.

"If something comes near the western side, sound the horn and hold the gate. Do not wait for us to come back before making the decision."

The two Militia tightened their hands around their shields.

The words made Carlos feel better than they should have.

He opened his inventory and took out his spear. The familiar weight settled into his hand. His iron shield followed, along with ten packed meals, clean cloth and the Warden Chain.

The chain wrapped around his arm on its own, and it felt cold against his skin.

Carlos walked toward the Conquest Portal with Kaia, Brann, Garr, the other two Bearkin Guardians, Nessa, both Woodland Archers and Two behind him.

He opened the panel.

--

[Conquest Level 5]

[Status: Available]

[Difficulty: Hellbound]

[Warning: Enemy forces will react to the challenger’s recognized development]

[Objective: Claim the Blackstone Supply Road]

[Special condition: The enemy controls the road’s only crossing]

[Recommended challengers: 8]

[Current party: 10]

[Enter conquest?]

--

Carlos read the last two lines twice. Ten against a conquest that wanted eight. Carlos couldn’t help but grin. His party was that strong right now, and he wasn’t even taking the Militia, the other members of Kaia’s force or the Slimes.

Brann stepped up beside him and stared into the black portal.

"Need more?" he asked.

Carlos looked at the Shield Militia near the Gatehouse. Then he looked toward the cucumber bed, where Blue was already keeping the Slimes back from the marked vine.

He could bring more troops.

Or he could leave Ironroot with enough people to keep the place standing if the system decided to punish him while he was gone. It was like that sometimes.

Carlos put one hand on the portal’s dark edge.

"No," he said. "Ten is fucking enough."

"Language."