Mastery Is Earned

Despite completing his investigation and preparations, Raymond did not rush to set out. He first sold the remaining goods from the wagons.

They were nowhere near as valuable as the ore, but still brought in one gold and forty-five silver—a considerable sum.

The following evening, all ten members of the group gathered in Raymond’s room for their final briefing.

“This is Teddy, one of our previous companions and the man I mentioned before.” Raymond drew Teddy forward and introduced him to the half-orcs.

The three reacted differently. Bram and Ned said nothing, while Mara spoke first. “Him? He’s so scrawny. Can he handle this? I don’t want some useless coward taking a share of the reward.”

Teddy’s expression changed, and he immediately opened his mouth to argue. But after taking in Mara’s build and those of the other half-orcs beside her, he hesitated and ultimately kept quiet.

Contempt appeared on Bram’s and Ned’s faces. Even Mara spat.

Raymond glanced at Teddy and sighed inwardly, but his voice remained firm. “He was included in this job from the beginning. I already told you about him. I don’t want any conflict over something this trivial. Understood?”

“Of course. You’re the boss.” Bram chuckled.

Raymond had brought them the information that made the operation possible. He was also its planner and leader. His decision to divide the reward evenly was entirely fair. He had not claimed anything extra for himself and had even paid many of their shared expenses out of his own pocket, so the three half-orcs had little reason to object.

“Look here.” Raymond snapped his fingers, directing everyone’s attention to the detailed map spread across the table.

The map showed the outline of the reed island, the surrounding waters, and the direction of Brightwater. Raymond pointed first to the shallows on one side of the island, then to the reed beds on the other.

“There are plenty of fishfolk in these shallows. I saw them myself yesterday. The other side of the island is covered in reeds. The guide said a small boat can get through, but we don’t know whether there are fishfolk inside.”

Raymond looked around the room. “My plan is to split into two teams. One lands near the shallows and attacks, drawing the attention of the fishfolk on the island. The other uses the opportunity to land through the reeds and search for the cargo. We recover the goods first and deal with the leader only if the opportunity arises.”

Teddy was about to speak when Bram cut in. “The three of us will take the shallows.”

Everyone stared at him, and Raymond frowned. He had not assigned anyone yet, but Bram had already chosen a position for all three half-orcs.

“What?” Bram asked curiously. “Is there a problem?”

“I didn’t say you could choose your own assignment,” Raymond replied sharply.

Bram shrugged. “The three of us aren’t splitting up. We don’t trust any of you. There are fishfolk in the shallows, and we’re best suited for a direct fight. Sneaking through reeds doesn’t suit half-orcs, and who knows what’s hiding in there?”

“Are you afraid?” Henk asked.

Bram scoffed. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. But for the same pay, why should we crawl into a place where we can’t see, search for the cargo, and then carry it back out? I’d rather fight the fishfolk in the shallows.”

His words silenced everyone in the room. They had agreed to divide the bounty equally, but the two teams would face very different duties and dangers.

Raymond patted his head in frustration. This was his first time leading such a large group. In the past, there had been only him and Henk. Neither of them had ever worried about who gained more or faced greater danger, so the issue had never arisen. The presence of everyone else made matters far more complicated.

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Bram’s reasoning was not entirely wrong. The shallows held plenty of fishfolk, but at least the enemy would be in plain sight and there would be room to fight. The reeds could conceal their approach, but they could also conceal an ambush. Once the cargo was found, some of them would have to carry it while the rest protected their retreat.

“What was your original plan?” Derek asked, breaking the silence.

Raymond looked around the room. “My original plan was for Henk, Bram, Ned, and me to search for the cargo. The Commander said two people could carry it out, so the four of us could move the goods and cover one another. The other six would keep the fishfolk occupied in the shallows, with Mara supporting them from range with her bow.”

Bram smiled faintly. “I have to admit, that’s an excellent plan, boss. But I have one question. Why should the half-orcs bear more of the burden? Because we’re half-orcs? We take the greater risk, but receive the same pay as everyone else?”

“This has nothing to do with race.” Raymond frowned. “I simply believe that greater ability comes with greater responsibility. I’m assigning myself to the same team, aren’t I?”

“Perhaps. But we aren’t that noble. After so long in human society, we’ve learned that money is the only thing worth trusting. Unfortunately, this reward isn’t enough to make me take that risk, boss.” Bram paused, then added, “No, that’s not quite right. The reward is enough for us to take the risk. I simply don’t want everyone else receiving the same amount for doing less.”

Ned spoke up in support. “The three of us can search for the cargo and carry it out, but we take the largest share. Otherwise, no deal.”

Mara said nothing. Her gaze kept shifting between Raymond, Henk, and her two companions.

“It seems we’ve reached an impasse, Raymond.” Derek sighed and gave Bram a pointed look. “The four of us will search for the cargo with you. We’re every bit as capable as the half-orcs, and we don’t need extra pay. Equal shares are fine.”

“Good. You’ve got guts.” Bram applauded.

“I’m going with you too!” Teddy gritted his teeth and spoke with determination. “Raymond, I’ll go with you. I’ll stay right behind you the whole way!”

Their words moved Raymond, but he did not immediately agree. Derek and his men sounded determined, yet they were plainly at a disadvantage compared with Bram’s group in both build and equipment.

More importantly, Raymond suspected they did not want to remain with the three half-orcs either. The argument had already driven a wedge between the two sides, and neither side trusted the other to watch their backs.

Raymond thought for a long time before speaking. “Then I’ll go to the shallows with the three of them. The rest of you will search for the cargo.” No matter what, the half-orcs could not be allowed to operate alone. Someone had to watch them. If they failed to keep the fishfolk occupied as planned, the team searching for the cargo could be surrounded.

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

“Don’t, Ray!”

Objections came from all sides. The three half-orcs refused, and Derek’s group voiced their opposition as well. Even Teddy joined in. “No, Raymond. Wherever you go, I’m going too!”

Raymond stared at them in surprise. He had not expected everyone to reject the idea. He turned first to the three half-orcs. “Bram, why do you three object?”

“Heh. You’re the man leading this operation, boss. If you go off alone with the three of us and something happens to you, what will everyone else think? We’d never be able to explain it,” Bram replied.

At that, Henk suddenly spoke. “I’ll go with them.”

“You?” Raymond was surprised, but after a moment’s thought, he realized it might be the best arrangement.

Henk was also a half-orc and should find it easier to work with them than Teddy or the others would. He was strong enough that, together with the other three half-orcs, they should be able to handle the fishfolk in the shallows. Raymond could take Derek’s group and Teddy to search for the cargo, leaving enough people both to carry it and cover the retreat. It seemed like a division all of them could accept.

For some reason, Raymond still felt that something was not quite right, though he could not say what. After hesitating for a moment, he finally agreed.

Raymond then took out two animal-horn signal horns. He handed one to Bram and kept the other. “We’ll be far apart, so we’ll use these to communicate.”

Bram gave his horn a light test blow. Finding nothing wrong with it, he nodded.

The group agreed on separate horn signals for the start of the attack, the recovery of the cargo, and the call to retreat. Raymond repeatedly stressed that the shallows team only needed to keep the fishfolk occupied. They were not to chase any that fled. Once the cargo team found the goods, they would first load them onto the boat, then return to support the other team as agreed.

With the arrangements confirmed, everyone returned to their lodgings to prepare for an early departure the next morning.

Henk lingered behind. Once everyone else had left, he spoke to Raymond with some uncertainty. “Ray, I think you should be careful.”

“Don’t worry. If I can’t win, I can still run.” Raymond made a joke of it.

“You can’t outrun fishfolk in the water.” Henk managed a strained smile, then hesitated. “Something feels strange. Be careful, and look after yourself.”

Seeing his expression, Raymond’s smile faded. He nodded solemnly. “I understand. You be careful too. We’ve earned quite a bit of money this time. Why don’t you buy yourself a set of armor like Bram’s?”

Henk shook his head. “This arming coat is enough. I don’t want to waste money.”