NOVEL NEXT 145- A Fridge For The Goblins.
"They're not golems, they're zombies, right?" the veteran asks.
I understand his question. An ice sphere, how do you tell if it's alive or dead?
Actually, now that I think about it, how the hell was Ronan able to raise a golem anyway? He couldn't do it with elementals. Who knows why golems are different.
"Yes. Otherwise, they would not obey me," Ronan answers.
They're ice golems. Maybe Theodore could create them when he levels up. They'd obey him if he's their creator. But these are from a dungeon, so they have no master other than the dungeon's will. Well, and now Ronan.
"And what are you carrying in those bags?"
"Training materials," I answer.
"I don't have the authority to inspect what you're carrying, but does your teacher know what kind of training you're doing?"
"Don't worry about it. I haven't mentioned it to Catrina yet, but there's no problem."
"Yeah, that's what they told all of us when they brought you here for your private lessons. You're not the first student we've seen, but you are the first to bring a friend and head into the forest."
"Tell Catrina if you think it's your duty. No problem." I give him a sincere smile.
Now that she wants to tutor me next year, any reasonable excuse I give her, she'll accept. Especially if I tell her they're materials for making armor for Ronan's minions, or bodies to raise.
Then she might ask if Ronan's building a small horde in the forest. The answer would be simple: Better there than at the academy, right?
Yeah, however I look at it, this can't go wrong.
"Come on, Sorem, don't be such a hardass. Since they've been here, we barely have to patrol the forest anymore. There are no more wolf attacks on the village, and the nearby area has become pretty safe for civilians."
Wow, the young guard's really taking liberties with his partner. Though I guess they have the same rank.
The veteran must catch the look on my face because he glances at me and says, resigned:
"He's my sister's kid."
I burst out laughing. That explains everything.
"As for the bags—if the teacher doesn't ask, we won't say anything. After all, you've got permission to come and go. If she didn't mind the zombie animals, what's a few bags matter?"
I thank him, and we pass through the gate.
The two deer are waiting for us.
"They arrived a few minutes ago," Sorem tells us.
"Yes, I contacted them when I reached the village square."
Good thing the parents already took the children away, or one of them would definitely want to ride the deer. With flames in their eye sockets and yellowed bones, I think they'd be pretty intimidating. But then again, the golems are too, and the kids didn't seem to care.
We mount up. I realize I forgot to grab one for Tom.
"It is fine, my lady," Ronan tells me. "He will walk."
"What about the golems? They're going to crash into trees."
Once the forest gets thicker, they won't fit through most places.
"All taken care of, my lady."
Birds of prey emerge from the treetops nearby, where they'd been hiding.
Looking closer, I can see some are skeletons and others are zombies, I assume. The golems levitate several meters above the ground, well above the tallest trees, and the birds head toward them.
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"When we arrived at the village, I made contact with the largest birds we have and called them here."
For a moment I'm surprised thinking they really are fast. They had time to get here and wait for us. But unlike the deer, whose speed is limited by the uneven terrain with trees and underbrush in the forest, these birds fly without obstacles.
Plus, we got held up by the kids.
Before my eyes, the birds finish their approach, dig their claws into the golems, and start flapping. As always, magic continues to amaze me—the kind that lets a creature whose wings are pure bone, without membranes, without flesh, without anything that could provide lift, still fly.
Since they are several and large, I don't doubt that even if the wind picks up and blows in the opposite direction, they'll be able to carry the golems to their destination. They don't need much strength because with levitation, it's like the golems cancel out their own weight and that of their cargo.
"Let's go then," I suggest to Ronan.
By the way, I add mentally once the deer are galloping and I'm gripping my deer's antlers, we need to do something about the goblins. They have more wooden roofs outside the cave. When the soldiers patrol, if they pass by there they're going to see them.
My lady, we could go deeper into the mountains and build where the orcs have their camp. Or use the ant hill. Or you could find a way to keep them under your protection despite them being monsters.
I sigh. It's not that simple...
I don't really like the ant hill idea because it means keeping the goblins underground when that's not their natural state, I reply. The orc thing could work, especially if we find lands in the mountain pass that are on the border between both kingdoms and no one claims because it's such rugged terrain. And being able to protect them... I'd love that. But they're not undead, they're living monsters. I wouldn't have a way to explain that they've sworn loyalty to me.
The fact that they are not dead has an easy solution. Do you think they would want to be? Though then they could not reproduce and give you an army.
Yeah, right, because I'm just waiting for all those green babies with great anticipation..., I think sarcastically to myself.
No, they wouldn't want that and I have an obligation to protect them, I clarify firmly. I can't just let you convert them.
What if you try saying they wanted to swear loyalty to you because of your sword, the one that gives them a point of vitality and another of damage?
I don't doubt it's a good reason for such weak creatures to swear it, but it wouldn't make sense for me to accept.
Of course it would, my lady. Your light magic. You are incapable of refusing anything if they ask you nicely.
That's not true.
Tell yourself whatever you want to hear, my lady.
This guy can be insufferably honest sometimes...
But no, I don't like that option. Being the lady of some monsters is too much like being a demon queen. I don't think they'd accept it and it would definitely hurt my relationship with the king and queen. Oh, they might even change their minds about betrothing me to their son.
My deer makes a leap that, since I'm distracted and have loosened my grip, nearly throws me off. I scold myself for the lack of attention and do not answer Ronan. He doesn't say anything more either, so we remain in comfortable mental silence until we reach the village. Just over twenty minutes—twenty simple minutes—for what would have been a three-hour walk. And that is because there are trees and uneven terrain; otherwise it would have taken even less time.
Fucking skeleton deer.
Anyway, what can I say.
Like in video games, having mounts is fabulous.
"See what I mean?" I point out the lean-tos to Ronan once we've arrived and dismounted.
"Well, my lady, I asked the goblins to make sure these lean-to roofs did not stick up above the treetops, so they would not be easy to detect. They have complied. Granted, they are cutting down trees and if the village patrol happened to come right here, they would see the roofs. Same as a treeless area. But I also told them to remove the stumps and level the ground so there would not be gaps. I do not think this is as obvious or easy to find as you fear."
"Maybe you're right," I answer, not very convinced. "But I'll feel better if we eliminate the roofs and stop cutting trees."
"My lady, when you have access to the town hall, which will give you the pedestal with the control interface for your village, you will probably use more wood and other construction materials. That reminds me… since you can now shape stone, I would like to ask you to make about six thousand bricks."
"What?" escapes me in a raised voice.
A couple of goblins who are in the area stacking logs and wood branches under one of the roofs move a bit closer while continuing their work. I think it's to hear better.
"Stone bricks, my lady."
"No, I heard you fine the first time. What do you want them for?"
"We will need to build more structures."
"And now I'm the grunt worker?"
With the serious expression he has most of the time, when there isn't something thrilling him, he answers:
"My lady, I am convinced that in a few minutes you can control enormous chunks of stone and mold them into bricks, stacked on top of each other. With practice, maybe even in seconds. And that would also help you level up the spell."
"Don't try to sweet-talk me. Until I level up the other basic spells, I won't be able to level up earth control again... oh, this is stone control, a new spell at minor level," I realize.
I see how he keeps the same expression, and the two goblins have even stopped working, listening with great interest to this talk of their leader providing them with bricks.
"Ronan, you're evil. I'm your lady and you're going to have me making bricks, and worst of all, now that I know I'll level up the spell, I can't say no," I complain, but we both know he's already got me hooked on making the damn bricks.