Chapter 37: Party

Chapter 37: Party

Theo had never seen the entire town of Broken Tusk assembled in one place. How they assembled everyone on such short notice was beyond him. The town gathered in the square, smiling and greeting their new mayor when he arrived. Fires were built around the monolith, holding massive cooking pots and pans. A torrent of scents washed over him as they approached.

How did you manage this? Theo asked.

Luras just smiled, clapping his hand over the alchemists back.

This is great, Tresk said.

Perg came to stand by Theo, placing her arm around his shoulder. This is the first step for us, she said, taking a deep breath. Youre the mayor now, but once the city upgrades, youll get a new title.The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.

And more authority, Luras said. Thats the important part. Once we get bigger, we can govern ourselves more.

I mean, the capital is leaving us alone, Theo said with a shrug.

For now, Perg said. Give it time. Theyll take an interest in us. Once we have enough influence, they wont touch us.

Good to know, Theo said.

For now, we party! Tresk said, pumping her fist.

Theo went around shaking hands and receiving well-wishes from the citizens of Broken Tusk. They were all excited to let him know how much of a natural fit he was for the position, but he had his doubts. He knew his heart was in the right place, but doubted his ability to lead them to greatness. As a few of them said, though, it was hard to argue with the results. In a few short weeks, the town had grown more than in the past century.

The alchemist sampled a little bit of every dish on offer, making the rounds with Tresk to sample what the townsfolk came up with. Both of them favored the spicy dishes made with the [Fire Salamander Eggs]. There were incredibly inventive pots of spicy noodles with tender wolf meat. Theo couldnt get over how good that dish was, and made a point to get the recipe from the farmer who created it. He vowed to learn the secret of creating [Zee Kernel Noodles] from scratch.

We need a mill, Theo said, returning to Perg and Luras.

Here he goes again, Perg said, feigning annoyance.

Theo shrugged, flashing a sheepish grin. I cant help it. There are too many opportunities.

Theo spotted Aarok, flanked by a pair of adventurers, approaching through the crowd. He wordlessly beckoned the alchemist to follow him, shrugging when Tresk padded closely behind. The guildmaster knew it was pointless to keep her out of the loop because of the Tarahek communication. They ascended the battlements of the wall, looking out over the swamp. The setting sun cast the marsh in a dim, orange light.

I suppose I have to call you mayor, Aarok said, chuckling.

I dont care what you call me, Theo said.

Aarok waved him off, shaking his head. Im nervous, Theo.

About what? Theo asked, knitting his brow. Something in the Half-Ogres eyes sent a chill down his spine.

Aarok patted the crenulations of the wall, nodding his head. Something was running through that mans mind that Theo couldnt figure out, and he just waited for him to speak. The walls are a good measure. Recruiting more adventurers helps, too. But I have a bad feeling about the [Swamp Dungeon].

Whats the issue? Tresk asked. She brought a fat piece of meat with her the whole way and was currently gnawing on it.

I have a theory, but I need to request some resources from the capital, Aarok said.

Which is where I come in, Theo said. Whats the theory?

I think the dungeon is growing in strength because of something else, Aarok said. We havent seen the core in ages, its simply too deep, but its getting power from outside of the swamp.

Is that possible? Tresk asked through a mouthful of meat.

Tresk and Theo returned to the town square, finding the fires burning higher as the sun dropped lower on the horizon. The alchemist looked, but didnt spot Azrug among the townsfolk. Hed need to check on the boy tomorrow to make sure he was alright. He cast those thoughts of worry out of his mind and enjoyed the company, making his rounds once again. Perg led some townsfolk in a dance on the northern end of the square. It seemed a warlike thing, barely dancing, from his point of view.

Looks more like fighting than dancing, Theo said, watching.

Marshlings dont dance, Tresk said, waving a dismissive hand.

Yeah, Im a horrible dancer, Theo said.

This is my best one, Tresk said. She bobbed up and down awkwardly, a stupid grin playing across her face.

Theo joined her, bending at the knees and keeping his arms straight at his side. Other townsfolk joined with them, laughing at how stupid the dance was. Before long, everyone was bobbing up and down, trying to keep a straight face.

Well, that was awkward, Theo said. Everyone suddenly stopped dancing, trying to contain their laughter.

The party went on after dusk. Theo ate more food than hed ever had in his life, finding himself waddling around to talk to people. He even spotted Zankir among the crowd, awkwardly grabbing food and talking to the other members of the town. The alchemist made introductions for him, especially to Aarok who returned sometime later. The Half-Ogre was excited about having a new adventure in town.

Ill be departing tomorrow for my family, Zankir said.

Not a problem, Aarok said. Just remember to check in with me when you get back. Well get your membership sorted.

Yeah, just watch out for the hidden fees, Tresk said, scowling.

Theo and Tresk left when their stamina bars were draining low. The Marshling deposited some materials she got from the dungeon into their dimensional crate, and the pair lingered in the lab section of their home for a while. While the alchemist put on a brave face for Aarok, he wanted to do everything in his power to protect Broken Tusk.

What is a monster wave? Theo asked, jotting down some notes on a piece of parchment.

A whole bunch of monsters, Tresk said with a shrug. I dont know much about them, though. Like Aarok said, they dont happen in the southlands.

Theo considered the idea before responding. It was easy to think about a monster wave as a bunch of monsters, but what did that mean for Broken Tusk? Would the monsters engulf the town, besieging it for a long period? He found it hard to imagine the town surviving for any prolonged battle. The walls were sturdy, but he needed to explore other options.

What are you writing? Tresk asked.

Im trying to keep ahead of the game, Theo said, tilting the parchment to catch enough candlelight. I dont want to respond to problems when they come. I want to be prepared.

Tresk grabbed the parchment, tearing some from a roll and scrawling. She made a crude representation of the town, detailing which sections were the weakest. So, attacks are coming from the west right now. Thats not a surprise, because thats where the [Swamp Dungeon] is. If Aarok is right, and something else is giving these monsters power, theyll come from another direction.

Theo pointed to the north, then south. Not from either of these places. The hills to the north turn into mountains, and the south is worse.

Right, so whatever we do, we need to focus our attention on the east, Tresk said. Do you have anything in mind?

Theo thought for a moment. Something itched in the back of his mind, like a long-gone memory. Something he should have known about, but it just wouldnt surface. Whatever it is, it needs to be automated, Theo said. Maybe a defensive artifice.

Thats Fenians domain, Tresk said.

The alchemist let out a heavy sigh, finally nodding to himself. Right. All this means I need money.

Lots of it, Tresk said.

Theo stood and marched to the bedroom, putting out the candles with Tresk close behind. Its back to the grind tomorrow. Making potions that sell for big coin.

The pair settled into their beds, Tresk snoring almost immediately. Theo was left with his thoughts on the matter. Getting to level 10 would change everything. He knew that from his intuition. He could only imagine the price a higher-tier potion would fetch and was eager to find out. During his strategizing for the next day, sleep overtook him. He drifted off with the sound of Tresks dreams playing through his mind. She was dreaming about steak again.