The Realm Between: A LitRPG Saga (Books 7 - 10), page 59
“I’m sure they’re fine.” Princess Zadori had sat up with him and immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trying to coax him back to bed.
“I have to make sure. It’s my duty.” He took one of the princess’ hands and kissed the top of her knuckles before rolling out of bed to find his smallclothes.
“Then I’ll go with you.” She moved to join him.
“No!” Jin held up his palm to stop her, his voice rising higher than it should have before he realized he should soften it. “No. You must be tired after…” he struggled to find suitable words. “It’s been a long day,” the elf decided instead. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
“But it is my duty, too,” Princess Zadori said seriously.
“No. You will stay here until I return.” The elf’s tone held more power this time, practically forcing the princess back onto the bed.
“Is it okay for you to wander around without me? We never asked.”
He did not respond. Jin was tired of arguing over it, nor did he care if he needed permission to leave the hut. Above all else, he just wanted to get out of that room. It felt absolutely suffocating.
Not even bothering to turn back, Jin took long strides toward the door. The guard looked confused, but she didn’t try to stop him. Casting one last glance back at Princess Zadori, the guard decided it more prudent to follow the elf than watch over the lesser threat. Jin had expected as much.
“Where is the younger knight being kept?” he paused to ask her, reclaiming part of the authority he had lost from being a prisoner.
“I am not sure I should—” she began to speak, but he cut her off.
“We are no longer prisoners here. I would check on my men to make sure there’s no cause for further concern.” The elf burned into the guard with his intense gaze.
She cowed to his wishes, leading him straight to the hut where Azure was being kept, which was not very far.
The stench about bowled Jin over when he stepped inside. It was the familiar scent of sex, but there were also a few other unpleasant smells cast in with the lot. He didn’t even want to imagine what they were, though he had a decent idea.
Relief flooded him to see his friend alive, though he was less pleased to learn about what Azure had gone through. What was most important at the moment, however, was relaying all the lies that he and Princess Zadori had told Elohrel so that they were all on the same page.
When the elf was done talking to Azure, he left to find Rerdam, who was in the next hut over. Rinse and repeat, though he spoke a bit more slowly this time around. Stalling.
Uden had been moved to a hut as well, though it was not as opulent as the other two. There were no furs on the floor, and only one lamp was given for illumination. However, it wasn’t needed as much because this hut actually had windows. The bed in the room looked well-used, the frame tilting slightly. Jin thought it might have been an illusion brought on by the half-imp’s weight, but when Uden stood to greet him, the bedframe stayed at a slant.
“Congratulations! You did it. I knew you would.” Uden held his arms out to his sides, a smirk playing across his face.
Without hesitation, he walked up to the elf, getting uncomfortably close. Then he grabbed a handful of his hair and inhaled the scent. “Smells like sex and princess. How did it go?”
“Oh Gods,” Jin rolled his eyes, stepping back. He’d practically forgotten that the half-imp was the only one of his party who knew what had happened to secure their freedom. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.” But for as much as he wanted to leave, he didn’t want to go back to his own hut, and there was nowhere else for him to go that would make logical sense.
“Did you rock her world? I bet elf sex is horribly boring,” Uden teased before turning to go back and sit on the bed.
Jin drew his hand up to his forehead, searching for an excuse to be there. “I just came to tell you that Azure and Rerdam are all right. I’m going to get us out of here as soon as I can,” he parroted what he had last told Azure before spinning on his heels to leave.
Jin had to come up with a way to solve the quest tonight so that he would not have to spend another night alone with Princess Zadori.
While they had been intimately entwined together, she had gazed up at him like a woman in love, and she had kissed him with all the passion of someone riding the euphoria of finally getting their heart’s desire. You do not get to have a small sampling of your favorite food without wanting more.
Whether he liked it or not, the elf was going to have to go back and face the princess, and he’d eventually have to tell her the truth.
Jin hesitated outside the door to their hut, taking a deep breath before stepping back inside. Thankfully, Princess Zadori was now fully clothed in a crimson dress with gold embroidery on the shoulders and sleeves. A gold sash was tied around her waist.
She sat at the only table in the room, her expression serious. “How did it go?”
“They’re all fine.” He moved to sit on the opposite side of the table.
“Elohrel has called for us to have dinner with her in a little while. She asked where you were and was unhappy to find I had allowed you to go alone. You are not allowed to walk around outside without me from here on out,” the princess told him.
“Apologies. I thought it would be all right,” he lied. The elf had known better; he just hadn’t been able to control himself.
Awkward silence took over as the two sat at opposite ends of the table, which was only large enough for a small family. The distance created some comfort for Jin, though he suspected it did the opposite for the princess.
“We need to figure out how to solve their problem,” the elf began, needing to fill the silence with something useful, lest they drift into talking about more unpleasant topics. “Clearly, they are motivated by coin despite what Dyasitet told us. Have you asked if they’ve thought about mining the sapphires themselves and selling them?”
“Elohrel has been worried about tearing up the land. They’ve explored the caves in the area. It appears that the largest glut of the sapphires is right below Smallguard. She’s worried that if excavators are allowed in, the village will fall…quite literally,” Princess Zadori explained, dropping her eyes to the tabletop.
“That’s why they should excavate themselves and sell only what they want or think that they can. To be honest, moving the village is the best solution, but I can see why she wouldn’t want to. They have built this place up quite a lot.” Jin looked around.
“Yes. Relocating would leave them temporarily vulnerable, and this place is steeped in history.” She followed his gaze.
“Still, there has to be some amicable solution. Perhaps there’s something The Sapphire Eye Warriors want that would make it worth the effort. It would help for me to know how this place is run and what they might be lacking.”
“You will have to speak to Elohrel about that. She guards the secrets of Smallguard closely.”
Silence fell over them again, and the elf was never happier than when a guard came to retrieve them for dinner.
While he had hoped to be given more suitable garments beforehand, Jin was made to attend the dinner in his smallclothes. He found it very disrespectful, and he grumbled about it as they were led through the village to an area he hadn’t been to before.
At night, Smallguard was well-lit. Lamps were set up on stands at every corner, casting a soft glow throughout the village. Toward the back of the village, the huts and longhouses gave way to a large outdoor dining area. Rows of wooden tables had been set up with empty bowls lined atop them. Most of the village had already gathered there, filling the benches to nearly max capacity.
Princess Zadori and Jin were offered spots on the opposite side of a table from Elohrel and Sesna, who were already seated. Once everyone had settled, two younger girls came around with cauldrons full of slop, dishing out a meager ladleful into each bowl. The scent was thick and earthy.
“Where are my men?” Jin twisted around to look for Azure and the others.
“They will be fed in their rooms,” Sesna told him.
Elohrel had already dug into her meal, less interested in conversation.
Despite having not eaten since breakfast, the elf wasn’t particularly hungry. His stomach was still in knots from impending conversations and fear of the night. Besides, he had more important things to do than eat.
“I would like a tour of this place tomorrow, if you don’t mind,” he spoke directly to the tribe leader.
She took a large gulp of the soup in her mouth before shaking her head. “That will not be possible. We do not give tours to men.”
“Except of the burning pits,” a woman spoke up a few spots away.
Jin didn’t need to ask what the burning pits were. History told him it was where they dumped the bodies of the people and creatures they had slain—a refuse pile of fire.
“Then will you at least humor me with how this place works?” The elf sat back.
“Is our food not good enough for you?” Elohrel gestured to his full bowl.
“It is not that, I assure you. I am just not hungry.”
“He is just being polite.” Sesna gave a wry smile. “I bet he only eats elven food.”
“There are no elves around to cook it for me, and I’m afraid I don’t have time to cook it myself, so no. I mostly eat bland, dried meat like the rest of my party,” Jin confessed, wanting to silence the criticism.
Elohrel changed the subject, addressing Princess Zadori this time. “Does he always talk this much during dinner? You should train him to have better manners.”
The elf scowled, wanting to make a comment about civilized people but ended up biting his tongue instead. Insulting the tribe leader would do him no good.
“Then I would request an audience with you after dinner,” he said before the princess had a chance to respond.
“Request denied,” Elohrel replied dryly. “You have nothing to say that I want to hear.”
“It might be fascinating to hear the stories of the elves,” Sesna disagreed with her.
“Then speak to him on your own time. Not mine.” The tribe leader frowned at her advisor.
“We still need to resolve this issue between you and Hidden Gem Mining Company,” Princess Zadori said what Jin had been trying to get at.
“There has to be something you want,” the elf added.
“As I already told the princess, I would be willing to give them some of the sapphires they want…at double the market price.” Despite her hesitation, Jin could tell that Elohrel was dead serious.
“That does not make economical sense,” he argued. No one in their right mind would agree to such a deal.
“That is not our problem.” The tribe leader shrugged.
“No. But the war that is coming is,” Jin reminded her.
“What war? There are more of us than them. My scouts have counted thirty-four sellswords. That’s almost half as many as our numbers. I see no cause for concern.”
“That number will continue to grow as long as Pin Virgursk has posters up saying that he’s still hiring. Eventually, those numbers will usurp your own. He’s building an army. From what I’ve seen here, your recruitment is stagnant.” The elf’s eyes swept over the tables.
“One of my women is worth two of his men,” Elohrel insisted with a hint of anger.
“Are all of these women trained?” Jin nodded down the table.
“Those that aren’t are in training. And those that are trained practice regularly,” Sesna answered for her leader, who was still trying to eat despite the fact that the elf had managed to engage her in conversation.
“Still. Pin will eventually have the numbers to overwhelm you. It is better to compromise than to launch into a battle that you can’t win. If you keep being stubborn, you will eventually have to surrender Smallguard,” he said.
“Perhaps we should cut out his tongue.” Elohrel looked to Sesna. “I tire of hearing it waggle about while I’m trying to eat.”
“He’s only speaking the truth,” Princess Zadori stepped in to bolster Jin’s argument. “No matter how strong you are, you cannot hold this place forever when Pin’s army is growing and yours is not.”
“The solution is easy,” the tribe leader asserted. “Pin will give us double the worth of the sapphires. If he wants them so badly, he should be able to pay.”
“You know he won’t go for that.” The princess cocked her head to the side.
“Businessmen never pay what they can’t make a profit on,” Jin added.
“I tire of this conversation.” Elohrel finished her food and pushed her bowl aside before standing and looking down at Princess Zadori. “I believe I will retire for the night. Pray that you take my offer to Pin in the morning. When you return, do not come back with your men. I will not be so merciful the next time around.” And with that, she left.
The princess immediately turned to the elf with panic in her voice. “What do we do? She will not listen to reason.”
“Elohrel is stubborn,” Sesna answered from across the table, “but she has good intentions.”
“Her good intentions are going to get you all killed.” Jin did not mince words.
A moment later, a guard walked up to them, looking directly at the elf. “Elohrel says that if you are not going to eat, you are to return to your room. She would not have you striking fear into her warriors with your bullshit.”
Jin narrowed his eyes at her. If he were smarter, he would have taken up his soup spoon. But stubbornness won out, and he stood instead, excusing himself from the table and allowing the guard to walk him back to his room.
This was one quest he did not care about completing. If it was up to the elf, he’d let the sellswords burn Smallguard to the ground. As far as he could tell, it was not worth defending. These women were hypocrites, doing the same thing to men as the bandits had done to them so long ago. He was tired of dealing with them. Instead of working to solve their problem, he began to ponder other ways that his party might obtain the Life Stone even if they failed this particular quest.
Sitting alone in his room, Jin had many worries. Soon, Princess Zadori would return, and he’d have yet another obstacle to deal with. This was all becoming too much. The best thing he could hope for was that they’d leave Smallguard in the morning and somehow be able to reason with Pin instead. But what could they possibly offer the man that would make him abandon the rich sapphire deposit beneath Smallguard?
He only had about half an hour to think about it before the princess returned with Sesna by her side. The red-skinned woman offered him a soft smile, seemingly less hateful of men than her leader.
“Walk with me?” she offered.
Jin glanced at Princess Zadori before standing. There was no way he would refuse the invitation. The crowded outdoor mess hall had been no place to have a conversation.
“Should I come?” the princess asked as he passed her.
“Wait here,” he told her, once more relieved to have a chance to be out of her presence.
“Did you fetch me to regale you with tales of elven lore?” Jin questioned once they were outside of earshot of the hut.
“Yes,” Sesna smiled, walking with her hands crossed behind her back, “and no. Elohrel might not be interested in listening to possible solutions to our little sellsword problem, but I am.” She looked forward, leading them around the village square at a leisurely pace. “I am her trusted advisor, but for this, I have no advice. She is insistent on getting the price that she wants for the sapphires, and we all know it’s ludicrous. You are right, though. If she does not budge, Smallguard will fall. I would not like to see that happen. An outsider’s perspective might be exactly what we need, but she will not listen to you because you’re a man.”
“But I am not a man. Not really.” Jin shook his head. “I am not a human. The word man is derived from human. I am an elf. We are not the same.”
“But you have all the same equipment.” Sesna glanced briefly at his crotch.
“Have elves ever raided your village? Have elves ever raped or pillaged Smallguard, or assaulted any woman outside of here? Have you ever heard of elves raping or pillaging at all?” he asked her pointedly.
For a moment, she was silent, but then she shook her head. “No. Perhaps you should have made that argument at dinner.” Sesna paused again before speaking. “You are right. Elves are not the same as humans. So give me an elven solution to this problem.”
Jin was relieved that she understood him. For once, he felt like he was actually getting somewhere.
“To do that, I need to know how this village works. Everything about it. What resources are difficult for you to obtain? What would make your lives easier? I know that Elohrel wants to build a kingdom, which requires coin, but unless you mined enough to fell Smallguard, that’s not going to happen. The village would have to be relocated. Would that be an option if there was enough monetary gain in the deal?” He glanced at the red-skinned woman.
“No,” Sesna quickly replied. “Moving Smallguard is not an option because of its historical significance. This has already been discussed at great lengths. None of us want that, even if it means expanding more slowly.”
“Then there will need to be a compromise. Perhaps I can convince Pin to bring some men in to build under Smallguard so that they can mine all the sapphires they want and reinforce beneath the village at the same time so that it doesn’t collapse.”
“Elohrel will not trust men to mine below Smallguard. Any sapphires that are taken out of here will have to be mined by our workers,” she told him.
The elf sighed. Just when he’d thought he’d figured out the perfect solution, the stubborn tribe leader had to muck it up.
“Then let’s figure out something you guys need that would make her drop her pricing,” he decided, their last viable option. “Tell me what a day around here looks like.”
“That depends on your position within the village. As you saw when you walked through, everyone has their place. We have a blacksmith, several clothiers, a few bakers and cooks, but mostly warriors. The things we need from the outside world, we’re able to get on our own.” She cocked her head to the side, sounding like she was hiding some secret. “Everyone trains in both melee and martial skills several hours a week. Training starts as young as five years of age. At age ten, the girls will get put into the hunting rotation to gain real life experience. Those that are good enough become guards at the age of fifteen.
