Gratitude

  "Do you like it here?"

  Chu repeated again while leaning back on his chair. Years of use had smoothed the surface of the solid, thick, wooden chair. This furniture piece counted as one of the first commissioned by Chu when they renovated the barn.

  "What do you mean, Chu?

  "Well, out here, we have and can do most anything we want to. The farm is a great home for us, but it's a highly dangerous place. How many times have we risked our lives here? A home in the city provides us with safety and the benefits of living among people."

  Chu replied.

  Ming furrowed his brows in thought.

  "I like the city. Even a town like Karst is reasonable. You get to meet lots of travelers, learn about the Empire, and actually see new places. Take, for instance, Limerock City. They have some of the best blacksmiths out there, tens of weapons shops, and like you said, all the books you want."

  Ming looked at him while holding out his hand and counting the positives on his fingers before continuing.

  "But that's just it. I like it because I want to see the Empire. When I want a place to relax like those worn-out mercenaries in the taverns, the farm is the best place for me. I know it's dangerous, but somehow it appeals to me. Do you get what I am saying, Chu? I can't describe it any better."

  He raised his head to the smaller boy, and Miki added her thoughts from the side,

  "I think the same way. I want to visit the Capital one day, and also Frost City. But this here is home. I would go anywhere with you, Chu, but if you ask where I feel comfortable, then it's here. It's not much, but we built it from nothing. The memories where you took me in with Lucy and the others away from hunger are here."

  Miki added to Ming's words.

  Chu agreed to listen to their opinions. Uprooting this foundation might leave him with some regrets later in life. The barn to him, his first companions, Mr. Thomas and family, and everyone on the farm represented more than a building or a home. It occupied the status of a symbol. One of hope and a new beginning.

  Leaning on the firm backrest, Chu folded his arms.

  "I only asked since we have experienced life in a city. Personally, I prefer to stick to my original plan, which is to create a base of operations while we explore the world. The Tower library contained no information on additional disasters besides the goblin raids. As far as natural calamities go, this place is safe, if counting snowstorms."

  Miki shrank her eyes in thought while rubbing her lip with her index finger. She tugged the quilt closer to ward off the invasive cold that escaped the warm fireside. She then replied from her cross-legged pose.

  "If the books in the Tower considered the goblins as the major threat recorded from the forest, then what's the point of moving? Sure, the forest has dangers like the Snowbear and others, but we can always build a stronger wall. Look how we reinforced the barn with thick, round logs. I say we build a stone wall."

  Chu looked at the raven-haired girl while giving her a thumbs-up. Ever since the Bitzer attack, he has spent time at his desk trying to recall the manufacture of modern weapons. The canyon that separated him from advancing from cold to hot weapons lay as a single impediment.

  Gunpowder.

  He dropped the idea of modern-day armaments since he lacked the skill and know-how to manufacture bullets. As for cannons and muskets, he possessed zero understanding of boring steel and its required specification. Creating items simply from having seen them proved harder than he thought.

  Kudos and respect to the scientists and inventors who introduced their discoveries from skill and imagination alone.

  "Good point, Miki. I have been concentrating on improving our weapons while ignoring the defenses. At this time, I think our technology can more than compensate for building a stone wall. In fact, I dare say we can even build a small castle."

  Chu replied. To the south of the farm lay a ruined stone structure from a history before the Empire. Along the grasslands, rocky monoliths could easily be found. Building a wall and a thick stone castle like those found on Earth should not pose a problem.

  Heck, the Great Wall of China was built in ancient times, right?

  "Hate to be a cold blizzard, but that wall winding around Limerock wasn't built by a dozen farmers. I heard an old guard say it required double the number of slaves and people who now live in the city to finish it. Where the heck will you find laborers to construct a wall, much less a mansion?"

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  Ming interrupted while chewing on a piece of jerky. He propped his head up with one hand from lying sideways on the floor. For some reason, Chu pictured him as a lazy copy of the redhead when she sprawled out to relax.

  Labor.

  Large-scale construction required labor.

  And laborers needed money.

  Wait... Where was he living again? On earth?

  This world had slaves waiting for a savior, villagers who owed him their lives, and a race within the forest willing to scour the lands for gems. Bartering was alive and well in this world.

  Freedom.

  Life.

  Food.

  An idea swirled within his mind as it was born.

  Visit the goblins, secure a chest full of gems. Visit the slave merchants and Chief Drey. Pay in kind for construction by bartering and supplying food.

  A cheap overall cost for him, especially when considering the cost of gems.

  Endless gratitude from freed slaves at the culmination of the project. If they settled in the village, he could always use cheap labor. A feudal system with him acting as a hidden lord.

  Win-win.

  "Hey, Ming. Haven't you always wanted the Bards to sing your name and shower you with praises? Well, I think when we journey to Frost City, we can kill two birds..."

  ***

  Frost City.

  Lin trudged down the icy, slush-filled lane leading out of the edge of the city slums. The junction opened into the corner of a wide boulevard. Stepping out from the treacherous cobblestones, burdened with the scent of the slums, he inhaled deeply.

  Compared to the lane where the deeper you entered, the greater the dereliction, he crossed the threshold into heaven. In the early evening, a snow-swept cobbled street, along with an alluring fragrance, greeted him.

  The red light district.

  A place of contentment, gifted by the heavens to warring men, according to soldiers and mercenaries. An avenue of wanton debauchery raised by the devils, concurred by the Church's Union. The street where wealthy men and naive minds strutted in but crawled away with empty pouches and broken hearts.

  A collection and collaboration of inns, taverns, gambling dens, slave sellers, and fighting rings, to name a few.

  All filled with men and women who satisfied the carnal desires of humans by any means necessary. Even in the corner closest to the slums, this well-trodden promenade never lost its grandeur. It opened a whole new world to the novices and reeled in the weak-willed ones into its clutches.

  Lin had been cast aside to the slums of a small, rural village as a teen. The old Village Chief back then had him tossed out for thieving. He considered the judgment lenient since if the complaints had reached the ears of the garrison, he would have had a stump for a hand.

  Through a lucky break, he joined the farm on its recruitment drive, earning him food and shelter in exchange for hard work. A visit to Karst, one which he never thought to achieve during ten lifetimes, opened his eyes to the world. The stories under the guard tower, while roasting meat and mushrooms by Doug and Chong, sparked a fire.

  'Why should I toil in the fields in this forsaken place when such life exists?'

  'Comfort? There is no comfort on a farm. The only ending there is a hunched back and a pain-ridden body.'

  'These men had the opportunity to journey to the Capital. The Capital! Yet they wasted their chance while choosing to return to a simple farm.'

  So when the opportunity came to journey to Frost City, Lin jumped at the chance. Thinking back, he never regretted it. The city offered so much, every day brought new adventures, and best of all, he didn't have to toil from dusk to dawn in a humid field.

  If he reminisced about anything, it might be his time spent hunting in the rolling grasslands. In a diversion from the daily toils, a little girl introduced him to the world of adventure. With a temper matching her flaming hair, she enlightened him.

  Anything he wanted, he only needed to grasp it with his own hands.

  "Oho, greetings, Master Lin. I see you're also here again early. When will you pay my business a visit? I recently pulled out two barrels of ale from the cellar. They're supposed to be of impeccable taste from a famous orchard. I have them sitting in the quad, chilling in the snow. Of course, my girls will find a way to keep you warmed up while drinking."

  "Not tonight at least, Paddy. The Iron Arms up in the noble quarters are hosting a dancing troupe from the desert kingdom. Krick and I are hoping to be among the few to 'inspect' the girls after their performance."

  Lin replied to the manager of the nearby tavern, who stood sweeping the snow away from the shop entrance. His lips curled up in an unconscious smile on voicing the reply. Being able to associate with a young master from a noble house, no matter if small, ballooned his head.

  "The Iron Arms, eh? That's a mighty fine establishment. One of the best on the street, I hear only gold coins are useful there. I say, young Lin, why don't you and Master Krick come over tomorrow? I'll treat you to some quality vintage, consider it my gift."

  Ling laughed in reply as he chatted some more before leaving. The managers and madames on the street possessed a keen eye for enticing future potential customers. Paddy, no doubt, wanted to lure in the young master.

  The old salts residing in the city stubbornly glued themselves to familiar watering holes. Once they settled for an establishment, they dragged their apprentices and rookies with them. This created a heated competition among the businesses to seduce the unattached, fresh blood.

  Even with all this rivalry, however, the city never failed to offer a constant stream of potential customers.

  "By the way, Lin, has your business suffered from the recent demon beasts raid?"

  The middle-aged man asked.

  "Our rooms went empty within a day, but when the mercenaries and adventurers heard the name Bitzer, they returned as usual. Something about those demon beasts being useless."

  Lin responded. Most of his knowledge stemmed from listening to the reports of Chong and Singh in the evenings. Considering that they lived inside the city, which boasted the largest number of Sersens in the Empire, he scoffed at the news. With the Military and half of the population in Frost City aiming to become Sersen, the demon beast assumed the role of prey.

  Unlike Doug and the others who spent more time with those on the farm, his feelings of attachment slowly ebbed. His future no longer revolved around a simple farm.

  The pattering of a hundred busy feet by day, the stumbling of drunken ones at night.

  A place filled with women, exotic food, and bright lights during the nights.

  Countless candles, oil lamps, and torches issued warmth from welcoming and enticing inns while offering idle gossip.

  The city had claimed him...