“Zhantsa! Open up! There is much to do!” I hear a familiar voice with entirely too much chipper in it.
Damnable morning Elves. I unlock the door, and open it to find a smiling Melody, who briefly glances down before staring intently at my eyes with a pursed mouth. I look down and ah, yes. No top. I turn around back toward the bed, drag my change of clothes out of my backpack and put a tunic on. I’ve still just got cotton panties on, but she’s going to have to deal with just having woken me up.
“Did you bring tea, or did you just come over to make noise and stare at me?” I grumble and turn around, and yes, she looks up quickly as though she were looking at my butt. She proffers a small back and shoves it at me while she rushes to the stove and puts some water on.
Huh, I’ve never seen her so ruffled. I set the tea on the table and go back to my bag to find some pants. It’s weird, really, that I’m not afraid to be exposed. In my brain it’s not a big deal because I’m not something special, there are millions of better looking people out there and I’m a fairly mundane example of the female form. This feels especially true when a person I’m around is attractive: they see something more impressive every day, so they won’t even notice me.
Then I remember that my Troll self is really stinking cute. Well shit. I can feel the flush roll up my body and I bet my whole face is lavender.
“Uh, sorry about that Melody. I don’t think too well right when I wake up.”
“Yes, well, I may have forgotten that you don’t need to bundle up in this weather.” She doesn’t look at me or in my direction at all.
We stay silent until I’m about halfway through my mild cup of caffeine.
“You’ve really made something special here, Melody. I love it so much. Thank you.”
She finally looks up at me, but there’s something in that smile that I can’t place. “Don’t think too highly of me, I’ve done this for half selfish reasons. You see, if you have fewer normal things to worry about, you can fulfill those resource quests and get me paid.”
I snort at the blatant mis-direction. “Uh huh. You don’t have to tell me why you’re going above and beyond what I asked for but thank you just the same. The root veggies you arranged were a life-saver.”
“Gods, you worked until it was too late to make it back to the farm house for the delivery I sent, because of course you did. Tanner was loading up a cart, so he’s probably on his way. If I wasn’t absolutely counting on you being an absent genius, I’d chastise you for being so negligent with yourself.”
“Genius nothing. Stumbling savant at best. And I should be more careful. Privation is a rage trigger. I know it’s going to sound stupid, but if you suspect I’ve worked all night, have food with you.”
Her smile drops for a moment to consider what I said. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly so. Every time I’ve raged in-situ was due to hunger save the one where I was being bitten and bleeding a lot. Luckily I have a magic inventory with another ten kilograms of wolf jerky in it.”
“I will keep that in mind. Though I am considerably more experienced in adventuring than you, Troll [Rage] is legendary for a reason. I am embarrassed to say, that if you [Rage]d on me in your . . . morning state, I may have been in actual danger.” She looks down at her cup and focuses on it.
I smile and of course I decide to be cheeky. “If you like what you saw, you could take me out and see where it goes.”
She looks up, her eyes go wide, then she scowls and scoffs at me, standing and walking to the stove to pour herself more tea. “If you’re going to be mean, I will keep my news to myself and you’ll have to walk to the Guild to get it.”
I smile and grab her hand that is still on the teapot and help her pour me another cup as well. “I wasn’t being mean, I was deflecting. I’m now awake enough to know that you saw me in a vulnerable state, and I have no idea what you thought about it, so I’m probing in a brutish yet flirtatious way.”
“You should stop, then.”
I, well shit. “Sorry Melody. I didn’t mean to make this any more . . .”
She grabs my shoulder and squeezes. “You mis-understand. I am not offended, it is merely inappropriate. I am you Mentor and though I am comfortable being more free with language and behavior with you, not as free as blatantly flirting with each other.”
Huh? There are a lot of dangling connotations in that statement. Is clandestine flirting okay? Has she been flirting subtly but my radar is two crossed wires wrapped around a brick? Does she appreciate my banter but can’t admit to it? This is maddening!
“Darn, then I guess I’ll just have to complete more quests and make products to meet with you under the auspices of business.”
She turns and captures my eyes with her ‘business’ demeanor, “Make sure that you do.” She pokes me in the hip and walks to the door. She grabs a box that I had no idea that she brought, and starts setting the table with pastries.
“Feeding me might be considered flirting.” I warn.
“Shush you. This is a business breakfast.” Her frown breaks the slightest bit, telling me that she’s not actually mad. Thank Goddess for that. “It’s about the fealty claim you talked about yesterday and what I found in town afterward.”
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I stare at her as she pauses. She spreads jam on her damned croissant and takes her time doing it.
“You have a known citizen of the Empire living on your land, and having sworn a duty to you, initiated some nobility check in the System. The thing is, it should not have held unless you have the right population or you have an existing tie to nobility.”
“Ehh, I suppose it is possible that I am biologically related to some important Troll?” Hard to avoid that possibility when you’re birthed into a world at nineteen and are a whole continent away from your homeland for a reason you can’t remember.
Hold on, I’ve read novels like that. My chances of being an important Troll’s daughter just went up many percent.
“That’s what Gunther and I think. Marcrest is a frontier city at the edge of a March, which belongs only to the Emperor and not a duchy. I checked with the hall of records and they have not seen any new messages regarding joining a duchy or a barony, so, you have definite nobility ties elsewhere.”
“Melody, that gleam in your eyes is freaking me out. Not enough to go live in a cave and keep my riches to myself, but it’s on the same road, lady.”
“Fine. We want to make a town on your land, foster and independent state and ally with the Trolls of Skyreach.”
I blink at her for solid minutes before my brain realizes she’s not just messing with me. “It’ll take me years to make that kind of money. And what about my registering the land in Marcrest? Is it still registered as a private possession? If so, then I don’t see how I could be independent and still need to have a registered plot in the hall of records.”
She beams at me and I’m suddenly terrified.
“That’s the best part! The claim has been changed to: Property of Lady Zhantsa Frost!”
“Wait, it says Frost? Doesn’t that mean that this claim isn’t Troll-based? Trolls don’t have a last name unless they earn it. My status page has ‘Frost’ in parentheses, as though it’s just an alias.”
She taps the small knife against the jam jar. “Are you a love child between Human and Troll?”
“You are in a better place to tell me that, Melody.” I glare at the spit-balling Elf.
She sighs and shakes her head, “You’re right. Your cold resistance is too strong for mixed blood, and there are no records of a half-blood surviving an un-aided [Rage].”
“Great, that’s solved. Now, I would rather not start a town so close to Marcrest.”
“I know I said town.”
“Melody,” I try to stop her.
“But how about an outpost?”
“That’s not different.”
“For crafters, researchers, and delvers.”
“Melody, there’s no dungeon . . . oh no. We are not letting my cavern turn into a dungeon.”
“But what if we did?” At this point, she’s leaning so close in interest that I could kiss her without much effort. I think about it briefly but she just warned me off it not ten minutes prior.
I boop her snoot instead and her brain needs a reboot from the non-sequitur.
“No. If it happens, we’ll adjust, but I’m not going to actively encourage my livelihood to become an independent magical entity!”
She blinks rapidly, shakes out the momentary stun and then continues. “That’s not how dungeons work, Zhantsa. You own the location, you get administrative rights to the dungeon. In every case I’ve seen, that holds true.”
“Yeah? And what kind of names did they have?”
“Location-based names. The original areas just evolve into a dungeon, it’s not that big a deal, especially for a resource area.”
“I renamed my cave network to something I thought would warn off poachers and scammers.”
“Oh. That changes things. Did you name it after an animal?” I nod. “One that actually exists?” I nod again. “What level of . . .”
“Cosmic.”
Minutes pass before she speaks again. “Why can’t you be predictable? You appear to be this cute, productive young woman, but you’re really just a blue-tinted, chaotic loot dervish.”
Heh, you want chaos, how about one extra nugget? Does it break the camel? “Speaking of productive, I discovered a lost recipe apparently, do you think the Guild would like to look at it?”
She slaps her hands to her face, over her eyes, and lets the whole assembly drop to the table.
“Should I have expected you to disrupt the guild two times over in one day? Sure why not. Let’s go see what you discovered.”
“You sound mad. Why do you sound mad?”
“It’s hard to make plans involving you. It’s not your fault, really. I knew this going in.” She sighs heavily stands up and collects our dishes and puts them in the sink. “Let’s go see what you came up with. I have to go back to town to manage some things, and I would appreciate if you came with me?”
I grimace. “I am headed to the cave today. I need more components and I don’t want to wait.”
“Now I should ask if you’re mad.” She turns to face me, blocking the doorway.
I sigh heavily, “Kinda, but not at you. I had a fight with Leeda yesterday before I came here, and something about our conversation about the land and you having plans for my day without talking to me kind of felt like you see me as a tool, or a golden goose instead of a friend.” I pout and lower my head, doubt from Leeda’s dismissal creeping into my mind.
Arms wrap around me and squeeze me tightly. “I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. Would you be surprised that after months of work, I felt the same when it felt like you were toying with me earlier.”
“I wasn’t though.” I jerk my head up and my face is very close to hers. I think about kissing her, then look away quickly. “I wasn’t trying to toy with or dismiss you. I am just not great at mornings without coffee. I am excited to see you, but this morning was pretty embarrassing, so I’m feeling awkward and anxious, and a little bit like I should flee underground for a day or two.”
She steps away at arms and smiles. “Is that what this is? I suppose we don’t know each other that well. How about this, I’ll message a cave diver that contracts with the Guild and you two can talk gear, because I didn’t plan for mining gear. I’ll finish some things at the Guild, and hopefully you will have some mental space for a meeting or three?”
“I guess I do need better stuff for mining, and a thin cart that Freckles can pull through the woods to the cave entrance.”
“Perfect! I’ll walk and chat with Tanner. Freckles will be tied up downstairs when you’re ready.”
When she disappears down the stairs, I look down and wonder what part of me doesn’t look ready. I literally don’t need shoes, is my hair a mess? I double check my fit and see that my hair is a bit wild and I missed a toggle on my tunic that I suppose gave me a mussed look that was a teensie bit provocative. Oopsie, sorry Melody.
I bring my backpack to ferry whatever gear I find and ensure I have my wallet and keys on me. When I get to the shop level, I’m reminded of the bottles I wanted to check out. I open up the cabinet, pull out a bottle and four vials.
Uh, wow. I got a crazy boost in quality and magic. That’s insane. I wonder how that durability compares to a normal item.
Holy. This vial is fifty times more durable than a steel hammer. No wonder I am getting so much experience for these, sheesh. Waaaaait. If this is more durable than steel, I could use mana glass for my grinding plates! My body immediately breaks out into a celebration wiggle.