Chapter 3.23: Mudball Fundamental

Chapter 3.23: Mudball Fundamental

Broken Tusk was bustling by the time Theo made it to the center of town. It had been long enough since Theo made his way to the general housing area, and he was eager to see what kind of town planning skills Alise had. The population tracker on his mayor screen increased at a steady rate, signaling the reality of migration. His leather gloves were still dirty from digging in his garden and the strange loam-soil of the mushroom cave. While the truffles showed promise for rapid growth, they had a long way to go to become fully cultivated.

The road heading north, toward the farms, split at a point. To the east, there was the sprawl of houses, where to the west there was a single two story building looming among the trees. That would be the new school, which Theo noted was placed in the perfect location. First, he headed down to walk the many streets of a place Tresk had named Town Time. According to his map, it has since been renamed to The Iron Residences, which didnt sit as well as the silly name.

The houses were arranged in a grid, blocks extending out toward the eastern wall. By the time Theo made his way to the end of the housing area, he counted 75 houses, 12 more than the last time he counted. Small vendors had popped up along the streets, the merchants selling whatever at fair prices. It was the first time Theo saw someone producing food at scale that wasnt prepared by Xam. They offered meals for less than a copper, even providing meal plans. If he spotted anything else, he would have banished them from the town for good.

Theo had a single mind for food. Baseline food should have been free, or as close to free as possible. There was no shortage of it, and it seemed foolish to charge citizens for something they needed to survive. It wasnt an entirely altruistic thought, though. Anyone who came to live in town swore loyalty to Broken Tusk through a magical contract. They could only act in the best interest of everyone, and while that struck him as Dystopian, they could always leave.

Several townsfolk greeted him as he passed, looking from windows or cracked doorways. From their perspective, he was doing a good job, although he could only judge by their words of encouragement. Theos reason for visiting this part of town wasnt to inflate his own ego, but to make sure that everyone was doing their job as he wanted them to do it. He had no reason to doubt Alises ability, but it was still good to check. His next stop was the school, a straight path from the bustling neighborhood. Perhaps it was more accurate to call the housing distract a town in its own right.

The school was a friendly looking building, hosting a yard out back that allowed the children to play. The facade of the building was done in the tasteful tradition of plain wooden planks, only showing color on the trim with red. A large bell hung from a wooden tower at the top, no doubt to signal to children and parents alike when they started and ended. Theo ascended the steps leading to the front door, inspecting the building before entering.

[School]

[Mudball Fundamental]

Owners: Alise Plumm

Operator: Graplaptappin Tublubbin Grappin

Faction: [Broken Tusk]

Level: 15 (92%)

Rent Due: 2 days

Expansions:

[Dormitories]

[Play Yard]L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

[Speedy Education]

Whoever named the school had a good sense of humor, but Theo was more surprised about how far it had advanced. Level 15 was a good starting point for a building in the town, and the upgrades seemed interesting. He wasnt sure why they would pick [Dormitories], but hed inquire with Bob.

The interior of the school was split into individual classrooms on the left, a large area with a board for drawing in the center and rows of chairs and desks, and what must have been the dorms on the left. The interior was painted with a nauseating array of colors, a clear mark of the children. 10 children watched as Bob instructed from the front of the room, currently going over a map. Every head in the room turned to spot the alchemist.

Mayor! Bob shouted, trundling his little Brogling body over to greet Theo. He waved the children away, sending them out the back door for some free time. I was hoping youd stop by. What do you think?

It looks great, Theo said, nodding. How are the kids treating you?

Broglings have a natural affinity for teaching, and another natural affinity for taking care of children, Bob said, gesturing to the dorms on the left. We even have a few orphans.

Orphans? Theo asked, blurting the thought out. He wasnt aware of any children without parents.

Refugees from other towns. No place to go, Bob said, looking down at the ground. His mood brightened a moment later. But, nevermind that! The children are keen to learn. I have some of the older ones studying by themselves in the private classrooms. They teach themselves while they wait for their cores.

Where do they go once theyve earned their cores? Theo asked.

Good question. Im working with your assistant on that, Bob said.

Lady Administrator, Theo corrected. He didnt want people getting confused about who was in charge.

Right. Sorry, Bob said, scratching his furry head. Lady Administrator Alise has been instrumental to Mudball Fundamental.

Theo chuckled at the name. But Bob was doing good work here. It was nice that a child could spend all day with their parents, but those orphans stuck out to him. They didnt have that luxury and this would be a safe place for them to develop into productive members of the town. The alchemist asked Bob about the specifics of how the children were fed, and was happy to hear that Xam catered for them daily. She had increased her staff to a point where she could focus on creating dishes, rather than running the tavern, attached inn, and her bathhouse.

Must be weird having a kid be your boss, Bal said, sniggering.

Stand outside, Theo said, casting him a glare. The brothers left, grumbling their objections. He turned his attention back to the new hire. Azrug outlined everything, I hope. This is more of a place for citizens to buy potions at an absurd discount. We mostly export with a reliable traveling merchant.

Everyone has heard about Fenian Feintleaf, Salire said, nodding. You dont topple Mercantile Chairs without getting a few songs to your name.

Right, Theo said, his mind wandering. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Theo retrieved his guards and led them into the lab, directing them to sit by the window. They seemed bored to tears, but happy enough to get paid to do nothing. The alchemist was surprised with how interested they were in his process. The [Tarahek Core] had enough lead for him to work on a few minor potions, but he didnt want to push it for now. The alchemist spent some time organizing his crates before setting up his fermentation barrels. With a tap, the [Power Siphon] turned on and he ground [Mages Bane] into the barrels. Thats when the brothers paid attention.

Theo explained every step of the process, from grinding the reagents down into a fine paste, to the introduction of Drogramathi mana to the mix. They were in awe when he transferred it to a still hours later. He explained the difference in tiers of processing, from the basics of distilling reagents down to the enhanced process of refining that essence. The alchemist forgot himself as they observed, missing the chance to brew a large amount of potions. It was better that way, though. He wanted to hold his [Drogramath Alchemy Core] back for a while, and this was a good excuse to take it slow.

After setting his modifier essence up for refinement, he led his gaggle of adventurers off to the mine. They were excited to meet with monsters, but Theo assured them it would be uneventful. Even if monsters spawned, they would be low level Goblins. That dampened their mood slightly. Nira was teaching her new hires how to work the double-smelter, and offered a meek wave before turning her attention back to her work. Gridgen was outside of the mine with his wife, Sarna. Both offered hearty greetings and made fun of the alchemists guests.

Tresk hired them, Theo said.

She worries too much, Gridgen said. I bet you could take all three of them alone.

Theo didnt know where the miner got that idea, even if he was half-right. He had enough escape plans to make it out of a few sticky situations, even if he didnt know what the brothers had to offer on the battlefield. They didnt seem to take the insult personally, collectively shrugging it off.

Nira looked busy, Theo said, patting Gridgen on the shoulder. Has she smelted any demon metal?

None that I know of, Gridgen said.

She has her hands full, Sarna put in.

Theo, joined by Gridgen, Sarna, and the trio of adventurers, went and explored the lower level of the mines. A few of the tentacled dogs lined the walls, dead at the hands of the miners, but it was uneventful.

Gonna hit a cavern soon, Bal said. All eyes turned to him.

Are you sure? Theo asked.

Very sure, Bal said, placing his hand on the stone at the end of one tunnel. Feel how cold the rock is?

Theo placed his hand near where Bal had. The rock was wet and cold, even if he didnt know what that meant. He searched the adventurers face for clues, but it just held a stupid smile. Care to explain?

Caves are cold, Bal said, shrugging the question off. The colder the rock, the closer to a cave. Makes sense, right? But you got a real problem here.

Please, explain, Theo said.

When you hit the cavern, youre going to hit it at a weird angle, Bal said. Likely from the top, which means youre in trouble. How do you get down?

Well, thats a good thing, Gridgen said, shoving himself into the already claustrophobic press of bodies to feel the rock. We dont want anything living down there to come up.

Oh, yeah, Bal said, removing himself from the press. Thats a good thing. Is this going to be open to adventurers?

Theo had considered the idea before. It was his main motivation for hitting a cavern, but he didnt know what would be down there. It could open the gates of hell under his mine, even if hed prepared for the event. Sending adventurers down to retrieve whatever valuable items were down there was a good thing, but sending them to their deaths wasnt.

Once its cleared through the guild, Theo said. Well, this is good information, thank you Bal.

No worries.

Gridgen and Sarna had some smalltalk they wanted to get off their chests. They were excited about the new school, claiming it gave them more free time to pursue their own interests. Sarna was, according to her husband, an accomplished miner by now. Even when she was stuck watching their child, shed outpaced Gridgen in a short span of time. Once Theo was sure that none of the miners were worried about mining Demonic ore, he departed from Dead Dog Mine. It was the 58th day of the Season of Blooms, and hed be expected to host the gathering tomorrow.

When Theo left the mine with his bodyguards, he broke the news that the rest of the day would be spent inspecting festival wreaths. They groaned, but came along anyway. There were a few select wreaths still alive, and he didnt know how to judge them. One thing stuck out in his mind above all the other thoughts. He wouldnt allow himself to take the prize, even if the next most viable wreath was wilting away on Pergs door. It felt like cheating to give an alchemist such a task. Still, it was the spirit of the festival that mattered. He made his way back to the lab, intent on finishing out the day performing alchemy and cracking the shell of the strange adventurers that had become his bodyguards.