Chapter 91: Gold Coins

Mara was an excellent tracker, but following an intelligent creature was no simple matter.

They followed the trail out of the village. Once they entered the woods, however, the ground became dry and hard. They could still just make out footprints, but working out which way to go took more and more time.

After studying the ground for a while, Mara scooped up some soil and sniffed it a few times. “Boss, is a chicken thief really worth all this trouble?”

“Well... Are you sure there's only one?” Raymond asked doubtfully.

“I'm sure. Just one, no companions. It's obvious,” Mara said firmly. “And it clearly doesn't have much experience. It hasn't even tried to hide its tracks. I'd say it just happened to wander into the village. It wasn't planned.”

Raymond considered their situation. They were already deep in Blackpine Forest, and there was little point spending more time searching for a petty chicken thief. At least, from the tracks they had found, only one creature seemed to have entered the village.

Whether it knew how to hide its tracks was another matter. He could not even be sure the thief was a goblin.

“All right. Let's leave it at that.” He nodded. “We'll head back.”

Mara stood and looked at him, her voice full of irritation. “That's it? Nothing else? After all that work, we're just going back?”

“What else do you want?” Raymond spread his hands helplessly. “I gave you that sword, didn't I? Isn't that enough?”

“This sword isn't worth much. If you want it back, I'll give it back.” She reached for her waist to unfasten it.

“It's not exactly cheap. It's worth six silver coins.”

“Six silver?” Mara paused. It was hard to tell whether she was surprised that the sword was worth so much or that Raymond had actually said it. “It's only six silver. I'll pay you.” She reached for her coin pouch instead.

Raymond hastily waved his hands. “That's not what I meant. Don't get upset. What do you want?”

“Nothing! I just want a little thanks for all that work. Is that too much to ask?” Mara demanded angrily.

At last, Raymond understood. He hurried over to her. “You've worked hard. You really have. When we get back, I'll get you something good to eat as a thank-you. How's that?”

“Hmph. That's more like it.”

Mara turned and headed straight for the village. Raymond shrugged helplessly and followed a short distance behind.

The little incident caused quite a stir in Silverleaf. Only one chicken had gone missing, but the villagers believed a goblin was responsible. To them, goblins embodied everything vile and depraved. News that a village had been plundered and destroyed by goblins only made them more uneasy.

They even organized a night watch, taking turns on duty in the village. Their enthusiasm lasted only a few days, however. When no goblins appeared, the whole affair gradually faded from people's minds.

Time passed quickly. Before they knew it, another week had gone by.

With frequent sparring against Henk and Mara, Raymond's Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency had reached 56. Most of the gains had come early on, while he was still getting used to the new weapon. As he continued sparring, his progress slowed noticeably.

That day, it was Raymond's turn to patrol the village outskirts. He made his usual circuit, found everything in order, and returned. When he arrived, he noticed several horses tethered outside their lodging.

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Puzzled, he went inside and found that Dario had come to Silverleaf. Two soldiers from the town guard had accompanied him. The three sat in silence opposite Henk and Mara. When Raymond entered, all five were staring at one another without a word. The room was unusually quiet.

“Raymond! You're finally back!” Dario stood, visibly relieved.

Raymond nodded to him. “Sheriff Dario, what brings you here today? Something urgent?”

Dario dispensed with further pleasantries. “Yes. There's something I need to discuss with you. Come, sit down.”

Once Raymond was seated, Dario drew a deep breath. “The day after tomorrow is the first of the month, when we're due to trade with the gnolls. The goods are ready. To be honest, the council has made sure we're well stocked this time. If the gnolls are still willing to trade, I'm certain they'll be pleased when they see what we're bringing. It should be more than enough to make them forget their resentment over the missed exchange.”

Weapons were what the gnolls needed most. Judging by Dario's expression as he assured them the gnolls would be pleased, Raymond suspected the quantity of weapons might exceed anything he had imagined. The council might even have included bows and crossbows, items Marcus had strictly forbidden them to trade.

But that was a matter for the council and the town guard. Raymond had his own thoughts, but he knew there was little he could change. He saw no reason to voice them.

“Understood. I'm ready,” he said seriously.

Dario looked embarrassed. “I'm glad you are. Unfortunately, we aren't.”

“What do you mean, you aren't ready?” Raymond asked, puzzled.

Dario sighed. “We offered a generous reward, but we still haven't found the right people. You know the Blackstone Mountains have always been forbidden territory. Even thirty silver coins wasn't enough to persuade anyone. Some people from out of town were willing to take the job, but once I explained the dangers, they all backed out.”

Raymond remembered Marcus's pointed mention of the outsiders. Had he intended to take advantage of their ignorance of the mountains to get them to accept the job? Raymond suspected, at least, that Marcus might not have explained the risks as clearly as Dario had.

If that had been Marcus's intention, it would have been for Blackstone's safety. Yet Dario had told the truth and now could not find suitable recruits. Raymond did not know how to resolve that dilemma.

“Thirty silver is a lot of money, but it's nowhere near enough for the risks involved.” He had a fair idea of what Dario wanted and chose his words carefully.

Dario seemed to understand. He glanced at Raymond, then signaled to the two soldiers behind him. They immediately left, leaving only the four of them in the room.

“So the council has added a lot more money to the budget. A lot more,” Dario said quietly. “They're determined to make this exchange happen and find out what's really going on deep in the Blackstone Mountains.”

Henk glanced at Raymond. When Raymond remained silent, he finally asked, “How much?”

“Two gold coins in total. Whoever agrees will get the money before setting out,” Dario said. “The Mayor told me himself. This operation matters a great deal to him, so he's willing to pay well. You're the only ones who know about this. I believe you're the best people for it.”

“I'm afraid I must decline, Sheriff,” Raymond said at once.

He was unwilling to take that risk. Two gold coins were tempting, but not worth risking his life.

While he was trying to think of a more tactful way to turn Dario down, Henk suddenly spoke.

“I think we can take this job!”

“Henk!” Raymond raised his voice.

“Ray!” Henk's tone sharpened too. “I need the money. More than you know.”

Raymond sighed, his voice heavy. “I know, Henk. But there will be other chances to earn money. We can't take this job.”

“No, Ray. You have no idea.” Henk shook his head, his voice firm.

“It's dangerous. You don't know what going into the Blackstone Mountains means,” Dario said gravely.

He knew the high pay had attracted the half-orc. But he also knew his conscience would not let him send Henk in without explaining the danger.

“Listen, Henk.” Raymond's voice took on a rare firmness. “Those mountains have been there for ages, and not one person who's set foot in them has ever come back alive. The danger is beyond anything you can imagine. We need to discuss this further.”

“Then why can the gnolls come and go as they please?” Mara suddenly asked. She had been silent until now.

“I'd very much like to know that myself,” Dario said helplessly.

Raymond suddenly asked, “Sheriff, do you know when someone last went missing in the Blackstone Mountains?”

Dario nodded. “The last confirmed case of someone entering the mountains and disappearing was over thirty years ago. But we still haven't found the tracker from last time. We can't rule out the possibility that he went in.”

Raymond said nothing more, frowning in thought.

Beside him, Mara muttered to herself, “What lets those gnolls come and go so easily? Are they supposed to be stronger than us half-orcs?”

Dario frowned too, as though something had occurred to him.

The silence in the room grew oppressive. After a long while, Raymond spoke slowly.

“Sheriff, we'll need to discuss this among ourselves. We can't give you an answer right now.”

“Of course, Raymond.” Dario stood. “It's a difficult decision, and you should think it through. But I hope you'll give me an answer soon. I don't think we have much time left.”