NOVEL NEXT 108. Small Break
"Seth! Fin had returned!" Fin found him and the party on their cart. The fairy sat down on his familiar shoulder and hugged his face.
"Fin! Guys, this is Fin. She´s a great friend, that has often helped me on my journey." he introduced the fairy to the party. One by one he also introduced the party members to Fin and they greeted her friendly and respectfully. It felt awkward seeing someone who viciously beat up a wyvern act cute in front of them
"I´m really glad you are here. But...how come you are here? Didn´t you have something to do back home? I thought you would be gone for longer."
Fin's face blushed a little as she recounted the reason why she had left and what had happened after she returned home. She had just met the party, so it was a little embarrassing for her, to talk about running away from marriage to adventure with Seth. People could misunderstand their relationship.
Then Seth narrated to her his time in Ora and the party member kept jumping in when it was something they had experienced together. When he told them about how he set up a shop, the party member listened just as interested as Fin.
When he mentioned how Much mina had helped him by introducing him to Marn, Seth realized that something was wrong. The catgirl had not talked much since the fairy joined them, despite her outgoing personality. Seth had been sure she would get along great with the fairy. What happened?
Seth was not good at reading people, he knew that. And from a lot of annoying novel plots he knew, that reading too much in someone's behavior would lead to dumb misunderstandings. So, he did what every dense main character should do.
The blacksmith left Fin with the party and sat close to the silent Mina.
"What's wrong? You seem down." he asked her how she felt. The beastman girl looked up to him with big teary eyes, like a puppy.
"My favorite dagger broke!" she said with a shaky voice. Seth could help but burst out laughing. He had thought it was something more serious.
"Meanie! How can you laugh at my suffering!" she started shaking Seth. "I really liked that dagger! I had to save up money for several weeks to buy it. It was my pride and joy! Now I have to use my crappy spare one." tears finally started rolling down her cheeks. She seemed really serious about it, but she just looked way too cute. He could help but hug her tightly.
"You should have asked me; I still have some good daggers on me. I know it´s no replacement for your favorite dagger but it should be better than your spare."
"B-But you said you would not give out free stuff! N-not even to your girlfriend." she stuttered and blushed. He really wanted to tease her, but he refrained from doing so. He took out one of the few serpent daggers he had kept and handed it to her.
"It´s different when it comes to a friend and a lifesaver."
She took the dagger and made big puppy eyes looking at the pure white bone dagger. She could not appraise it, but she had more than enough experience as an assassin to recognize a good dagger. She played around with it a little and then hugged him happily.
"Thank you sooo much!"
With that, he left her to her own devices as she was completely occupied with her new toy. When he sat down, where had sat before as felt a fairy landing on his shoulder.
"Fin is gone for a few weeks and you get a girlfriend? Did you hold back because of Fin?" she asked curiously with a slight blush.
"Girlfriend, huh?" Seth thought for a moment but could not come to a conclusion. "I don´t know. It started with a one-night stand and I like her. However, it´s not really a relationship where I would call her my girlfriend. We didn´t even have a serious date yet." he pondered. It was true, they had not really done anything traditional couples did. She also didn´t act very lovey-dovey towards him.
"And how does Mina think?"
"I think she likes me for my device and stamina. I heard other guys have a hard time surviving a night with her unscathed." If Seth had to describe the relationship it would probably be Friends with benefits. He just didn´t know whether this was a thing in a magical medieval culture.
Fin looked at him perplexed. So, that was it? She had really thought Seth had fallen and love or something. She was relieved that, in the end, he was just used as a sex toy and was having fun. It lifted a tiny weight off her heart she had no idea it was there.
They spend the rest of the time getting friendly with each other. There were no interruptions by the wyverns or drakes on their way to the next checkpoint. Only smaller monsters that the people riding on the horses were easily able to get rid of. On this stretch they did not come across any other travelers they were supposed to save. The only other travelers they had met until now, had been the traders in the first checkpoint. None of them has survived the first night.
The next checkpoint was fortunately not a cave. It was a big pillar of pure white crystal on a great plateau. Magic formations were carved into the stone around the crystal and it created a big forcefield that repelled wyverns specifically. Other monsters could still near the camp, but at least they were safe from the wyverns.
They actually met a group of hunters and peddlers with some adventurers that had camped at the second checkpoint. Hunters were the only people who dared to stay alone in these mountains. Their information was important, as they reported that what they had seen last night had happened all over the wyvern territory.
The hunters had retreated here from the vicinity and gathered here as it was the safest place around. The traders had stayed here since last night, as they did not dare to travel on with the little protection, they had with the few adventurers with them. They greeted the caravan and reinforcement party happily, as they were their way out of this situation.
The caravan convened with these newcomers and decided on guard duties for the coming night. They made big bonfires and started to cook actual meals to increase motivation. Wasn´t making big light in the dark night asking to be attacked? Not really. The monsters that actually hunted in the night, had a good night vision. They would stay away from the bright blinding light.
As Seth had guessed, Fin easily got along with the rest of his party.
During the meal, Seth´s eyes fell on the ten survivors of various parties who were technically naked and unarmed now. Except for the 2 casters they were no better than the merchants who needed protection. Maybe he could use this chance to make some more business.
Seth approached the Venturis tent. Not everyone had big tents prepared for them, only the A-ranks. Everyone else had to stay at the simple campfires. It was to save time in the morning. Voices could be heard from the tent; they were probably talking about their next steps.
"Hello, Vice-master?" he called out. The voices went silent.
"Seth? Is that you?" the old mage came out of his tent.
"Yes, I have a little proposition to make. I saw that we have people who are potential firepower but lack equipment."
Seth´s suggestion was simple. He would get a tent, make some items for those people and the guild would obviously pay for it. " This greedy little..." was written all over Venturi´s noble face. But Seth still got the tent and a written promise that the guild would pay for the provided equipment.
Seth gave the naked people a visit and told them about the deal. He took some rough measurements and asked for their weapon preferences before leaving again. He reached the tent, that was hastily set up for him and summoned his Smithy and Cerberus.
A simple mixed armor of plates and leather became a lot easier with Cerberus at his side. Seth concentrated on making simple weapons from
Despite the rough looks, the adventurers were happy not to be naked anymore. Venturi had an appraisal skill and gave the items a once over. He was actually surprised, that all of them were rated uncommon. He had no reason to complain and Seth had won a tent for him and his party to stay for the night.