(58) Investment

Daniel sat as far back against the corner of the couch as the cushions would let him. Jethro and Edna’s sitting room only had a single couch and two chairs, so he was forced to sit next to the adventurer…not that he was against it, but you know…such powerful people had this aura about them. It made him instinctively want to shrink away.

That said, she seemed ‘normal’, for lack of a better descriptor. She was around average height, with a slim build, dark hair, and pale eyes. The contrast between her dark hair and bright eyes that seemed almost to glow was somewhat remarkable, but for a high-level adventurer, it was positively mundane.

The only real strangeness was the way she seemed weightless. He thought he might be hallucinating from the stress and lack of sleep, but he could swear she was constantly on the verge of floating off the couch.

She sat with one leg crossed over the other, her arms folded across her chest. Daniel was unsure what specifically gave him this impression, but he thought crossing her legs was meant to pin her down to the furniture.

He exhaled, chasing the frivolous thoughts away. The real issue at hand was the thing everyone was currently staring at: the bound captives.

“Well, I don’t know how to thank you for capturing these lads, Miss Nef, but I sure don’t know what to do from here,” Jethro said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had lingered since they all sat down.

“No need for either. I captured them for my own needs and will take them to Baron Buchanan myself,” she explained nonchalantly.

“Oh, you know the baron?” Edna asked, perking up at the hint of an authority she recognized.

“Yes, we met a couple of weeks ago. He hired me to track down the individuals responsible for burning the Halfords’ farm. One of those individuals gave us quite a bit of information. I am curious what these two will have to say,” Nef said, glancing at the two prisoners.

They were both awake now, and both seemingly more alert than when Nef had first arrived. They sat back-to-back, their wrists and ankles bound by some force that Daniel still could not see. They had been quiet the entire time, which he thought was either due to their mouths being covered by that same invisible magic or fear.

The looks on their faces when Nef turned her attention to them told Daniel it was probably the latter, or maybe both.

“Regardless, the organization behind these attacks seems to take a while to respond to their agents being captured, so I would not expect another attack for at least a week. By that time, the baron should be able to mobilize some countermeasures to protect the farms in his domain,” Nef said, turning her attention back to the group.

“A week seems awfully short for the baron to mobilize anything. We’re a several-day walk from even the closest farm, let alone the baron’s estate,” Edna muttered, thinking aloud.

“It is not a problem. I will drop the prisoners off at the baron’s estate later today. I will not be walking,” Nef declared.

The room went silent as everyone digested the potential implications of that statement.

“Well, if it’s that simple…” Jethro said, breaking the silence. “Regardless, you said you wished to speak with us? Was it just to inform us of this?”

“No, I have a proposition for all of you,” Nef said, looking at each of the three in turn.

“A proposition? Miss Nef, while I appreciate the thought, you realize we are just humble farmers, right? What could we possibly assist a powerful adventurer with?” Edna asked, her brow furrowed.

“I am the founder of a Guild in the Crater. We have been…hmm…distracted for the past two hundred years-or-so, but we are reemerging, and as such, we need stable supply lines.

“Our guild possesses the resources and abilities to feed ourselves, but we have recently been hosting guests, guests who are at or below level 150. Our supply of foods that can satiate those levels is running low,” Nef explained.

“You want…to buy our crops?” Jethro asked, his confusion written all over his face.

“Yes, but not just yours. We would like to become the prime customer for you and all other farms selling low-level food in the region, and we would like Daniel to transport the goods on a regular schedule,” Nef said, staring at Daniel.

“Well, I could add another stop to my regular—wait, did you say the Crater? Your guild is located in the most dangerous place in the world, and you want me—by myself—to venture there to trade?” Daniel asked, incredulous.

He was not a particularly well-read man, but he had traveled extensively in Radaar. He knew about the dangers of The Crater, whispered in every children’s bedtime story, hinted in every bard’s song. Everyone in Radaar lived in constant fear of the Gloam, yet if the songs and stories were to be believed, the Crater made it seem a children’s playground.

This narrative has been purloined without the author’s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Well, setting up a stable, safe supply route is a long-term goal. So, for now, I would simply like to arrange a place for you to meet one of my guild members to do trade,” Nef said with a shrug.

“For now?” Daniel pushed.

“Eventually, once a safe route has been constructed, I would like for you to be our primary supplier, and for us to be your primary customer,” she said without missing a beat.