The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 902: Orcish Crafting

Chief Snakebite handed over two coins and shook Karlʼs hand. ”Itʼs a pleasure doing business with you. Though I suspect that going to a village in person and doing upgrades isnʼt how things usually work.”

Karl laughed and took an item from the Guild Bank.

”This ring creates water. Up to five gallons at a time. That is our usual sales pitch for water creation. But as magical wood at Commander Rank, carved and inscribed with Runes, there is a lot of time that goes into its creation, and the price is about the same as me placing the runes on your water barrels.” He explained.

The Chief nodded. ”You could sell a lot of those in Bhakh, the next major city, if you go to the main road. Weʼre all part of the same Clan, but they are more progressive after living among the Demons so long. They buy and sell anything they can get.

The farming communities donʼt really buy much. Well, we donʼt actually have much money anyhow, a true Orc doesnʼt need it. But I think that our people should have some items to trade with yours.”

Karl smiled. ”We can always use items made of quality materials, as our Guild has Runesmiths. Even if we get good wooden musical instruments or tools, we can upgrade them with magical effects and resell them.

Itʼs not a high dollar trade, but what your people will want isnʼt all that expensive either. Trading them for items that help their crafting, or store mana, so they can work longer, should be fine, even by your traditions, right?”

The massive Orc nodded slowly. ”That should be fine. Itʼs not fighting, just household help. Our villagers make musical instruments if your people are interested. Flutes and drums, mostly. Theyʼre the best for Orcish war and working songs.”

That could be an interesting addition to the store. Limited edition Orcish war drums with magical effects would intrigue many of the purchasers, and they wouldnʼt be considered actual combat items by the Drodh Lordʼs rules.

Chief Snakebite passed the word around the village, and soon after they started to come out with their trade goods. Most were wood, some were carved from bones, and the drums had well cured monster leather heads on them.

The craftsmanship was extremely impressive, even if they had no real adornment or carving on them. Instead, they were perfectly fitted, properly tuned, and the various types of pan flutes that they produced were similarly well-fitted.

An old Orc came up beside Karl with a smile on his face and a smouldering tobacco pipe between his teeth.

”You know youʼre not leaving any time soon now that youʼve had them bring the instruments out.” He muttered as he leaned against the wall of a nearby building.

Karl nodded. ”I rather suspected that when the Chief said your village makes instruments. You canʼt just show something like that to a Green Dragon Cleric and then leave. She would never stand for it, even if we were in a hurry.

But there werenʼt any undead close enough to be a threat today, and I still have one team member scouting up above. So, thereʼs no harm if we spend a day listening to stories and songs.”

In fact, there werenʼt many things that he could have suggested that would have made Lotus happier than telling her that they were going to spend a whole day singing and eating before purchasing a bunch of instruments to send back to the shop.

The bards in Drodh City would be happy to see the new additions to the market, Karl presumed, but mostly it was just to help the Orcs relax for a day.

They were constantly under threat here, and large portions of their crops had been repeatedly destroyed. So, a granary full of supplies and a day of leisure would do them a world of good.

Every adult Orc was a combatant when they were threatened. So, the fact that they were hiding behind a sturdy wall was strategic, not cowardly. They all could and would fight against the invaders, so they had surely earned a day of rest.

Or perhaps two, the way that they were going through barrels of a potent wine that the Orcs called Grog. Or perhaps it was a fruit infused Rum? It was hard to tell with the potency level that it had.

But as the day wore on, and more of the villagers finished their work for the day, the party only increased. It even got to the point where the singing and war drums were enough to bring scouts from the nearby military units to see if something had happened.

They sang of battles past. They sang of bumper crops and lean years as nomads after crops failed. Then, as the sun was setting, they sang of the one true dream of the Orc Clans. To recover the lost Dragon Scale and nurture the system back to full activation.

In Hawkʼs space, Karl could see that the fragment of dragon scale that they had was reacting, glowing a bit more brightly golden, but still looking tarnished and depleted.

Perhaps the goal of the Orcs wouldnʼt be possible with the World Dragon Scale fragmented, but the fragment that was with Karlʼs team was beginning to awaken to their devotion, and the magic of the Orcs music.

Well after dark, the party was still in full swing, and the sound of drums carried across the grasslands, telling the world that the Orcs were not afraid of a fight.

A fight that the Undead were glad to give them. The forward scouts of the Bomgon force heard the Orcish War drums and began to move toward the village, drawn by the challenge sent out by the villagers.

So, it was well after midnight when Rae was the first to discover that the Undead were sending troops through portals into Drodh.

She transformed into her humanoid form and went to the town square to get everyoneʼs attention.

”The Undead have heard our challenge, and they are coming!” She shouted, while the entire village filled with cheers.

Orcs loved a good fight. Drunk Orcs really loved a good fight.