Chapter 45: Stone and Gem

Chapter 45: Stone and Gem

The sound of chisels chipping rock hit Theos ears before the sight of the quarry. The last time he was here, the dwarf bought Zizs entire stock of stone. It was hard not to wonder how much progress theyd made, even if itd only been three days. If he was in charge, hed schedule the dwarf to arrive every week, but the intentions of the Half-Ogres wasnt clear. They were likely eager to pay out their debt and start making noticeable progress to upgrade their seed core building.

Theo! Ziz shouted. What do you think?

The Half-Ogre was standing, covered in a thick layer of dust and gesturing to a massive pile of stone. Theo didnt have the [Intelligence] to count them all, but his superior intuition told him they slowed down progress. It was a state of mind he understood all too well. The initial burst of energy for a project faded over time, and hed never expect them to grind without a break. Not least of which for three days straight.

Good morning, Theo said, waving. How are the north reaches treating you?The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.

Its cooler up here, Ziz said, wincing slightly. The boys are complaining about it. Theyre accustomed to the dampness of the swamp. Were making substantial progress, though.

Theo grunted a response, moving to inspect the pile of hewn stone. He didnt really know the difference between low and high quality stone, but as he ran his fingers along the blocks, he could feel that perfection. The alchemist would have regretted letting so much of this business slip through his hands, if not for his other responsibilities. Delegating these things, things unrelated to alchemy, had become normal.

Honestly, Im not here to check on the stone, Theo said, smiling. Im here to make sure youre doing well.

Of course, Ziz scoffed. Far better than working the pits at Pergs, thats for certain.

Theo pointed up at the gate to the north. The wall had a strange way of wrapping the incorporated parts of the town, ignoring physics on the slope in the north. It sat at a funny angle, jutting from the hills like a misplaced asset in a video game. Were lucky the quarry is within the wall. I dont imagine many monsters come this far out, though.

Not really, Ziz said. We hear things outside the wall at night, but they havent gotten over the wall, and the guard keeps the north gate closed permanently.

Theo nodded, making a note of that in his mind. Stop by the Newt and Demon if you need anything, friend. Especially if you have money to hand over.

Ziz laughed. Were stockpiling for a bit before we contact Thistum. Hes been giving me advice on how to work the stone, he said, pointing to a particular stone on the pile. Seams of azure ran through the thing, wrapping it in tight bands.

What is it? Theo asked, running his fingers over the seams. It was cold to the touch.

Thistum isnt certain. He needs to inspect it. Well, he knows it's a gem, but not exactly which one, Ziz said. Unfortunately, he told me it doesnt fetch much more coin.

Hold those back unless he gives you more than two silver, Theo said. How many do you have?

Five, or so, Ziz said.

Set a few aside. See if you can figure out how to extract the gems on your own, Theo said. Ill front the cost if it's an issue.

Ziz waved him off. No issue, Theo. I had the same idea, but wanted to run it by you. Some gems are worth good coin, but you need someone with a [Gemcutter Core].

Noted, Theo said, nodding. I want more artisans in Broken Tusk. We need more exports. But, my plate is full at the moment. I wont be able to spend much money until I finish the defenses for the town.

Right, Ziz said, nodding.

Theo thought for a moment, considering the current seats occupied by the mercantile-oriented peoples of Broken Tusk. Perg, Throk, Ziz, and Luras were the only producers, excluding the alchemist. That set the weight of production on his shoulders uncomfortably. He might have raised their status in the town, but he was no closer to relieving that burden. Perg was his hope, if he was being practical about it. He had a feeling that her next run of hides would be massive, netting the town a bit of the action.

There was also the 10 percent tax he had coming up in 11 days. All sales within the town were due to be paid to the capital, which shouldnt be an issue. Theo would take care of their back taxes, which was somewhere in the realm of 5 silver if he remembered correctly, and the tax from his massive sales. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind for the moment, reserving himself to take care of it when it came.

Perhaps you could accept donations, when the time comes, Ziz said, shrugging.

Donations? Theo asked, running his fingers along the length of his horns. For the defensive structures?

Yeah, Id be more than happy to donate, Ziz said. If you consider where we were, and where were going with this business.

How much would they be willing to give? Theo asked.

Thats anyones guess, Aarok said. A few silver, a hundred gold, who knows?

Theo nodded, feeling somber about the entire thing. Well take it as it comes.

Dont stress about it, Aarok said. The adventurers are gaining strength by the day. Itll work out.

Theo bid farewell to Aarok. He agreed with the Half-Ogre, even if he wanted to be grim about the situation. They were well-prepared for this scenario, despite the alchemists worries. Tresk updated him on her dungeon adventure, claiming that she found something amazing for him. After her revelation, he understood how she was clearing the 10th level boss so quickly. It was a sneaky thing to skip floors, but lined up with her personality.

Azrug was dutifully manning the counter downstairs. A smile crept across the boys face. The pair exchanged pleasantries for a while, but Theo only had a mind for potions today. With the mysteries of the advancement system out of the way, for now, he wanted to make a run on Fenians order. He stood in the lab for a while, looking out the window while he considered his approach. The lab would need to generate 3,000 restoration potions to move through his stock, combined with the 1,900 stat-enhancement potions, it was a tall order.

Midday already approached, ruling out his desire to knock it out today. Even with a [Lesser Stamina Potion], that task was impossible. Instead, he decided to run the three stills at full capacity for the rest of the day. Experience told him it would chew through at least 2,000 potions in the [Drogramath Still], and close to 1,000 in the others combined.

The day had a way of blurring past Theo when he set his mind to alchemy. The next thing he knew, Tresk was beaming from across the lab and the sun hung low in the sky. He didnt even notice his [Drogramath Alchemy] core ticking up to level 9, but there it was. The knowledge was unfurling in his mind like an old piece of parchment, cracking along the edges and bleeding into his thoughts.

Youre a sight for sore eyes, Theo said, wiping the sweat from his brow. Hed neglected to open the window.

And I come with gifts, Tresk said, giggling. She held out her hand, revealing a small silver ring, studded with a ruby. Theo took it, inspecting the item.

[Refreshing Ring]

[Ring]

Rare

An enchanted silver ring, inlaid with rubies.

Effect:

The efforts of crafting are less taxing.

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

This is amazing, Theo said, slipping the ring onto his finger. The exhaustion he felt over crafting all those potions didnt vanish, but he was eager to test the effects.

Youve been crafting up a storm, Tresk said, laughing.

The lab was in a state of disarray. Discarded vials sat here and there, splashes of water slick on the ground underfoot. Theo inspected his inventory, finding that he crafted the bulk of the potions he needed for Fenian. He had 2,000 of each restoration potion, and 700 vigor potions. It was a good run by any measure, but it still didnt feel like enough.

Time for a break, Tresk said, taking Theo by the arm and dragging him out the door.

Im not done, Theo said, whimpering.

Too bad! Were gonna go have some fun, Tresk said.

Theo groaned. I dont like fun.