Chương 88: Back to Camp

We slept in the Greencloaks' common room. It wasn't the most comfortable, but at least it was warm. Out of an abundance of caution, I made sure we kept a few watches throughout the night, just in case Askan was lying to me. The next morning, I woke up before the sun rose. Anchor was on watch, and I shuffled closer to him, then asked, "How long will it be until you're able to tell if someone is lying?"

"Perception isn't a mental super power," he replied.

"I will need some investment into Focus as well. Perception will allow me to pick up on a few details. At fifty points, I should be able to sense if someone is sweating. Sixty, maybe pick up on their heartbeat. From there, I could guess if someone is lying using that information." I nodded.

"One day, then." It was difficult to tell what hour it was, but the Greencloaks had carved a few holes in the upper walls of the Labyrinth room, allowing fresh air in, and if you looked closely, allowing a pinprick view of the outside world. It was a miracle the Labyrinth Keepers hadn't sealed that, but like all the other modifications the Greencloaks had made, I figured they'd found some way of pacifying the Keepers. When the sun began rising, I woke everyone else up, then retrieved our horses from the stables.

Their manes had been groomed, and were the glossiest I'd ever seen, and they had more energy than I was expecting. Hoofseed was to blame for some of that, surely. We saddled them up and led them out of the Greencloaks' den. At the entrance, Askan waited for us.

"Best of luck, Levi."

"You're not coming with us?" I asked.

"My men will help you move your trebuchets until you draw within sight of the 294th's camp, and then they will disappear, returning to me." Askan stepped aside, allowing us to pass.

"We all have our own Path to walk. Follow yours."

"How powerful are you?" I asked, almost blurting it out. Askan snorted.

"Powerful enough. The average Greencloak is average. Titanium, maybe Silver if he is lucky. But I'm not the average Greencloak." That was the best answer I was going to get, I figured, and there was no reason to push it. So I kept the questions to myself. I stepped out into the valley, leading Burr, and walked away from the entrance, then stopped.

"Is the Slumberer going to…I dunno, sleep again?" I didn't know exactly how to phrase it, given the creature's name.

"Given time, yes," Askan answered.

"The good news is that, now that it is awake, it will readily defend itself from attackers. If more orcs come, and more will, the tree will kill them or scare them off." I put my foot in one of Burr's stirrups, but I didn't climb up yet. Something tugged on me, pulling from the direction of Aelfwine's Birch. It was like an invisible wind, but softer than any breeze I'd ever felt. I couldn't explain it. A spiritual tug, maybe?

"Is there…some way the tree could tamper with you?" I asked. Askan crossed his arms and sighed. I added, "Sorry, I promise it's the last question."

"Sometimes, a Slumberer will help a Path-walker tune his maegen and refine its aspect in accordance with his Path. It is dangerous, though, and not a method that any master would readily suggest. Now, you have a long road ahead of you, and you would be wise to depart before it's too late." I didn't know how to reply, and I was still processing all the new information I'd gotten.

"Best of luck to you, as well," I settled on, then nodded and climbed up onto Burr's back. We set off. ~ ~ ~ This time, Askan sent druids with us. Although technically sorcerers would be more efficient, he didn't have too many sorcerers with wind-based Arts (or, in general, any helpful transportation arts), and he needed them for his own efforts. So instead, he gave us druids with shifting abilities to help pull the weapons. It wasn't efficient, but it was fast.

We crossed the land as quickly as we could, taking a direct route north and aiming for the 294th's camp. It took us three days. We stopped every few hours to rest, keeping to the pace of the druids. They barely spoke, and when they did, it was always short and clipped.

"Brother, I get the sense they don't like us very much," Brawl told me one time.

"I don't know what could have clued you in," I replied, amused. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"Well, for one thing, they are barely speaking to us…" He rattled off a long list, and I just smiled, regretting phrasing it like that.

"I guess they didn't teach you about sarcasm at Homecamp," I replied with a smile.

"No, brother, they did not."

"Sorry, then," I said.

"We're gonna have to teach you." Somehow, the other Dupes had figured it out, but then again, they weren't Brawl. As we rode, I asked, "So, does anyone know how come you're so much larger than the rest of us?"

"A mutation, a mistake of the Fleshknitters," Brawl replied.

"They are very skilled druids, brother, but the body has many mysteries. I cannot explain it. They spoke something of a gland, or the biles getting mixed up in my veins, but they never explained much of it to me, either. Perhaps I am destined for a short life."

"Dupes don't have any growth acceleration, do we?"

"What do you mean, brother?"

"Do we age faster than normal?" Brawl shook his head.

"No. We simply awakened at Homecamp, in the bodies of almost-mature Dupes, much like you did. Then we received our training."

"I see…" I didn't have any other questions after that, so I kept riding in silence. We crossed fields and passed abandoned farms. Once, we crossed paths with a group of farmers, guarded by mercenaries in new orange uniforms, who carried farm equipment with them and claimed to be retaking a few of the abandoned farms in preparation for the summer.

Beyond that, the rest of the farms and villages we passed were under the protection of the 294th, and although they weren't prospering (it was winter, after all) there were plenty of jobs around for the average civilians. Wherever you looked, there was a sign of life—smoke floating from the chimneys, people repaired thatched roofs or carried wool inside to spin, and smiths repaired tools.

We had to move the trebuchets single file, and even then, they were a little too wide and ripped up the edges of the road, occasionally knocking over fences and signposts. When the walls of the 294th's camp and the new, fortified Slowbend appeared on the horizon, we stopped. The druids shifted back to their human forms, hidden beneath their green cloaks, and faced me.

"We take our leave," one said. Without waiting for confirmation, he turned away.

"See you around," I replied. I was tempted to give the man a salute, but I decided against it.

"Hopefully not," the Greencloak replied, then walked away faster, with the others close behind him.

"Well, Askan was far more pleasant than these men," Anchor replied once they were out of earshot.

"Are we allowed to speak about them behind their backs?"

"As long as they don't hear you," Sage said.

"Path-walkers can be fickle. The good news is, only thegns and Ealdormen are nobility. They may train with an Order in their youth, but the majority of people in an Order are simply men with magic."" 'Simply.' You make it sound like they're not Steels and Titaniums, sister," Brawl said.

"No, I make it sound like Levi could beat them," Sage countered.

"Perhaps with very few repercussions, given how the mercenaries have been brought to heel." Morph warbled in agreement, though he'd taken the shape of a chair and was perching on the back of Burr, and I had no idea where his mouth was at the moment.

"I wouldn't be too cocky," I replied.

"I'd fight them if I had to. But I'm not sure if winning is a guarantee. Monsters are one thing, but people are unpredictable, and I don't know who is a prodigy or not." Sage didn't reply to that, and I winced. Maybe I should've projected a bit more confidence, but I didn't want to give my squad false confidence.

"What I really need is to start planning my next Skill merge," I said.

"When we get back to Castle Urcia, that's up next. But until then…" I trotted Burr to the head of our group, raised my voice, and called, "Leave the trebuchets and wagons here for now! We'll return to the camp and make our report. I'll send word ahead to Lord Ceonwin that we were successful and are returning, and I'll make note of everyone here's efforts in making it happen.

You might not see any rewards until the passes open and we can import other resources from the rest of Gate, but hopefully, you will all receive acknowledgement." We rode to camp. First, I wrote a letter to Lord Ceonwin. It took longer than I wanted to, because I had to shift my mind to using the language and script of this world—I was still used to writing in English, even if the Dupe whose body I took over knew how to write in this world's languages as well.

I sent the letter off, then met with Commander Galliard outside his tent.

"Everything went alright. We lost three men, but the objective is complete."

"Only three?" Galliard asked. He wiped the surprise off his face quickly, then nodded.

"Very good, sergeant. Did you locate any larger orc forces?"

"They're gone."

"Gone? They ran, or—""We destroyed them, Commander." Galliard cleared his throat.

"How?"

"Permission to explain later? I have one more thing to show you."

"Granted."

"I have some loot for you. We didn't get any resources that me or my sapper squad particularly need, but there's plenty of metal. I'll give it to Maurifus, and see if he can't outfit the battalion with some better gear. What would you say to getting everyone a vest of scale mail to wear over their chainmail? And maybe some pauldrons and cuisses for everyone?"

"How much metal did you get?"

"Enough. Also…" I began.

"Can you follow me?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but I got one last gift for you." I led the commander toward the fort's under-construction wall, running up to the ramparts, then pointed out across the fields.

"Those are for you."

"Trebuchets?"

"Orc made, yeah. You might have to do some upgrades and clean them up a little, but they work. We tested some of them."

"You're a Pillar-blessed miracle, Levi."

"I aim to please," I said.

"We'll only stay one night, though. Then we have to head back to Castle Urcia."