Book 2: Chapter 60 (Patreon)

Orrin thought over the offer. He’d tried to discuss his Administrator powers with Daniel and Madi over the past few weeks but they’d both told him individually to wait.

“We can research more when we have the time, O,” Daniel had said, covered in sweat. Orrin had only been able to talk with him between melee practice bouts. “Everyone is a bit focused on getting ready for the Demon Lord, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Silas had told him getting in Arandir’s good graces was the paramount of importance in his position as a delegate. The lords of Dey needed elven archers for training. Raining arrows from the Wall was the easiest and safest way to thin a Horde and nobody was better at archery than the elves. He confided in Orrin that they’d scoured the slave pits for elves but found none. Silas’s greatest hope was that Arandir would relinquish ten or so archers to train the humans.

The reason was simple once Orrin thought about it for the first time. The normal way of getting a skill like [Archery] or [Bow Proficiency] was using the weapon over and over until you were rewarded by the System. The more you practiced, the higher you could level your skill. Humans could spend a decade shooting arrows and reach the third or fourth level. Elven adventurers didn’t leave the forest until they’d reached the fourth level of [Archery], with most being significantly higher. To be trained by someone with such a mastery of the weapon could jumpstart the advancement of your own skill.

Arandir was offering a thousand elves. That many bows would save more lives than Orrin could imagine.

“If I said yes, you aren’t going to send your sick and elderly, right?” Orrin tried to think of what Madi would ask. “You have to send one thousand elves who can use [Archery] and are willing to train humans. Plus, they have to help defend against any Horde that attacks, including the Demon Lord.”

Arandir nodded. “No tricks. We cannot send our best, but nobody under two hundred or over eight hundred will be sent. Every elf will swear to defend Dey until given the order to retreat. I will be upfront and tell you that we plan on sending reinforcements no matter your answer, but the number will not be as high. I cannot risk elven lives for nothing.”

“If Dey falls, the Demon Lord and his Horde will come after you in time.”

Arandir looked past Orrin at the forest behind them. “Our lands have not fallen since we settled here. We may be better protected inside our forest than you would be behind the Walls of Dey.”

Orrin tried to act cool and collected. “Who would be in charge? Would your people take orders from Silas… I mean Lord Catanzano?”

Arandir brushed the rock next to Orrin and sat. “I am considering Leanthun as our captain. He would need to be given an equal say amongst the lords of Dey in the distribution of troops against attacks. From what we have been told, the lords of Dey do not believe the Demon Lord will attack immediately. Therefore, he would have training sessions for all interested in learning. I do not plan on sending just [Archers] though. I will send those skilled in different weapon paths and magic as well.”

He paused, “You may not believe me, but I want to use this as an opportunity to create closer ties with the people of Dey. Perhaps if we can bring our people together, Odrana will be less likely to attack again in the future.”

Madi’s lessons on diplomacy popped into his mind, letting Orrin read between the lines. If the elves cozied up enough with the people of Dey, they might defend the elves when Odrana came knocking.

Orrin dug the toe of his shoe into the sand, dislodging a shell. Legs spilled out and an angry crab skittered away, hiding behind another dune. A flurry of movement as it worked its arms and the shell was half-buried again.

“I have to run it by Lord Catanzano,” he finally answered. “I’m not sure what I’ll tell him but I’ll ask.”

“He does not know? But his daughter?”

Orrin almost laughed at Arandir’s surprised face. “Madi is my friend. I have a history with her dad. He doesn’t know about the Administrator stuff.”

Arandir didn’t respond, content to let Orrin tell him more if he wanted.

He didn’t want to get into it.

“I’ll try and get back tomorrow with an answer. Do you have those supplies we ordered?”

Arandir let the issue rest and directed Orrin back to his treehouse. At the foot was a cart filled with an array of different goods. Rolls of cloth, rare foodstuffs, and ingots of metal. A few boxes marked with numbers sat to the side.

“Lord Catanzano has the list of what goes to who.” Arandir pointed. “The rest should arrive by next week.”

He paused and watched Orrin push the items into his [Dimension Hole]. “I hope he is paying you well for the shipping. A cart this full would cost multiple gold pieces to transport to Dey and would take over a week’s time.”

Orrin pushed a box into his pocket, still enjoying the way the large wood cube shrank to fit. “If it saves a few lives or makes somebody’s life a little easier, I’m happy to do it. See you tomorrow.”

Arandir waved as Orrin teleported back to Dey.

Silas stared at Orrin.

“Explain it again and this time don’t lie to me.”

Orrin sighed. “I’m not lying. Arandir wants to send a thousand elves to help with the Demon Lord invasion and wanted me to ask about accommodations and command structure.”

Silas sat behind his desk in his office. Whereas before it had been a chaotic but orderly mess, in the past several days piles of unopened letters had begun to pile up. Orrin could smell Silas from where he sat… not that he was much better.

The lord of Dey wheeled himself out from behind his desk and approached Orrin. He grabbed a paperweight as he moved closer.

“Hold on a minute… its just… right… there.” Silas rolled the stone weight around in his hand before pressing a hidden depression in the rock. “We have five minutes before the [Sound Seal] wears off. What does he really want?”

“What’s a [Sound Seal]?”

Silas threw the rock at Orrin, who barely caught it. “Answer me. What. Does. He. Want?”

“He wants some information about my skills,” Orrin hedged. “I’m pretty sure he also wants to get on Dey’s good side in case Odrana comes back. Has Sanerris responded yet?”

Silas didn’t answer, peering at Orrin.

“We did send a letter to Odrana, right?”

Silas blinked and rubbed his eyes. “Yes, we have sent multiple warnings to them. Lord Sanerris hasn’t responded.”

He pulled his wheels back, retreating from Orrin a bit. “How… what can I offer you to give him what he wants? With a thousand elves…”

“I want to stop being a gopher for you,” Orrin answered quickly.

“A gopher?”

“You tell me to ‘go for’ this and that,” Orrin explained. “I just want to get back to training with my friends.”

Silas waved his hand. “Done. We have others who can [Teleport], even if they can’t move as far as you or as quickly. You will have to go back and give Arandir what he wants. Are you willing to share that kind of information? Your class must be unique if he offers so much for it. Maybe you would like to share more details with me? I can off you much.”

Orrin saw that glint that Madi used to get in Silas’s eyes. “Madi already knows most of what I can do. I think Arandir wants to know how I boost stats. It would make his borders safer if one in five elves could make all five have maxed-out stats.”

Silas nodded. “When you get back, I may have you sit with Lord Tarris. His magic is a bit one track but he has a quick mind. Perhaps we could recruit a few people to take your class as well. [Utility Warder], correct?”

Orrin nodded. He felt both a little honored that Silas thought his class should be replicated and jealous that anyone else might get his skillset.

“I’m going to have to go and meet with Tarris and Timpe. They aren’t going to like giving an elf this kind of power but… a thousand elven troops to help and train. You’ve done well, Orrin. I’m glad you haven’t died. Stay alive and keep my daughter safe, will you?”

Orrin was taken aback at the sincerity in his voice. Silas had always been cold and calculating with him. He tried to remember if he’d ever heard the man compliment his own daughter.

“I’m pretty sure she’s the one keeping us out of trouble most of the time,” Orrin joked but Silas didn’t smile. “I mean, of course. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Neither would Daniel.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

Orrin pumped his fist as he left. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy his visits with Arandir but he was falling behind. He barely had time to spend visiting his friends around Dey. Tony had stopped by for a few words but knew he wasn’t exactly welcome at the Catazano manor.

Orrin had been heading for his room. Instead, he turned toward the front door. There was another friend he hadn’t seen since he was back and with no direct orders right now, it was time to get a coffee.

Picking his way through the streets was easy by now. He tried not to [Teleport] inside the city too much, as it tended to startle people. Startling people with dangerous magic was a bad idea, as Orrin had learned the hard way. Thankfully his [Ward] was always up nowadays. He made sure to stop by and cast it on Madi and Daniel before leaving the city each morning as well.

The line was out the door to Amir’s family coffee shop. That wasn’t saying much, as the small interior had enough room for only a few people to wait but it was nice to see his friend’s family business was doing well. About twenty people waited in line and more joined as Orrin crept closer to the building’s entrance.

“Orrin!”

Orrin had barely made it through the door when a body came flying around the counter to grab him in a hug.

“Hey, Amir. How are you doing?”

“Amir, we have customers. Get back to the coffee. Welcome, Orrin. Black with no cream, correct?” Amir’s father was also behind the counter in the small alcove, twisting knobs and pouring bags of coffee beans into the weird contraption.

“Sorry, Father,” Amir squeezed Orrin’s arm and moved back to his station. “You must stay and tell me how you have been. Where you have been.” His words were not a request but a demand. Orrin smiled.

“Black would be perfect,” Orrin answered his friend’s dad. “How long until Amir can have a break?”

“Ten… twenty minutes. Unless you want to help, then ten minutes and your coffee is on the roof.”

“On the house, Father.”

“That is what I said,” he shook a finger at his son. “Orrin, can you pour the beans into this hopper? It must be kept at this point or the coffee runs watery.”

Orrin rubbed his hands in anticipation. The work was demanding but not outrageously so. Amir moved cups through a progression of different spickets while his father checked gauges and pulled handles. Knobs were twisted and steam whistled. The entire time, Orrin had to run from one side of the shop to the other, pouring dried beans into the small container that ate the poured beans and spat out wet slop underneath.

“I can take over for now. Amir, you have five minutes.”

“Orrin has just returned; I need at least twenty minutes.”

“You may have ten.”

Orrin turned away to hide his smirk at the bickering. He took his mug of coffee and sat against the wall outside. All the tables were full.

“You two are doing well,” he commented when Amir walked out. He accepted one of the cookie sticks Amir offered.

“Business has been good recently,” Amir said with a strange twinge in his voice.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

Amir shrugged. “Father is happy.”

Orrin dunked his cookie in the coffee, waiting for it to get soggy enough to bite. “What are you not telling me?”

Amir sighed. “I’ve officially been relieved of my position at the Hospital and my class.”

Orrin scanned Amir.

Amir Fallah

Brewer Level   4

“Dude, that sucks. Do you want me to put in a word with Sil— Lord Catanzano? Maybe we can get you back in.”

Amir shook his head. “It wouldn’t matter. Even if he threatened them, I would be an outcast still. I will find another way to be a healer.”

Orrin chewed on his cookie and sipped the delicious nectar his friend had made him. “Give me a few days. Maybe I can do something about that.”