"Hey, Tauriel, I have a question."
Tauriel, who had been swinging her head around like a madwoman, suddenly stopped her erratic movements, finally paying attention to me.
I cleared my throat.
She looked awfully stiff, and I didn't like my workers being that way.
"Don't be so stiff," I said. "I'm basically giving you work, and you'll have permission to go back home and take care of your old man."
Her expression shifted instantly.
The tension in her shoulders loosened, and a faint hint of color returned to her face.
Good. Now that she was somewhat fine, I could get to the main topic.
"By the way," I continued, "how do you guys take care of wounded people?"
This question had been nagging me for a while, especially after I saw the mangled bodies of the miners.
I could regenerate, but that didn't mean everyone else could.
Tauriel thought for a moment, frowning slightly, as if she had never really considered it before.
"Usually," she finally said, "they just die."
…
What!
I blinked.
"We don't have any artifacts to heal wounds," she added. "They're too costly. So, unless the wound is mild, they mostly die."
…
WHAT!
I could feel my soul leaving my body.
The horrifying part?
She said it so casually.
Like it was normal.
Girly, do you not realize how much I'm losing here?! Precious workers are dying, and you're just—just—
I groaned, grabbing my head as I started pacing back and forth.
This town wasn't just moronic—it was primitive.
I mean, sure, that should've been clear from the start, so I guess that's my fault.
But still!
I needed to fix this problem—FAST.
Tauriel was still watching me, her face warily tense.
I exhaled deeply.
Alright. Spending time with her might actually be useful. At least I could understand the conditions of this place.
But damn…
I had a lot of work to do.
Solve the mining problem.
Find a way to use Tauriel's abilities.
Improve the quality of life in this town.
And on top of that—
I still needed to deal with the debt collectors.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath.
Annoyed, I turned to Tauriel.
"Go wait for me at the entrance," I ordered. "I have some work to do here first."
She quickly bowed and skidded away like her life depended on it.
Once she was gone, I focused on the next task—
Dealing with the spider bastard's body.
I pulled out fresh water and some cloth from my ring, along with a pouch meant for storage.
Approaching the corpse, I activated the suction force of the pouch—
And whoosh!
The remains vanished inside.
Next, I glanced at the Aether crystal.
My first one.
I clenched it in my palm, using it to relieve some anger.
Taking a deep breath, I turned towards the deeper parts of the cave.
No doubt there were other monstrosities lurking there.
But right now?
I wasn't in the mood for another three-hour battle session.
I needed to build warriors before I restarted the mining operations.
With that in mind, I made my way back to the entrance.
Returning to Town.
Along the way, I ran into some miners who still hadn't evacuated.
"You guys," I called out, making them stop. "Head back and wait for my orders tomorrow."
Surprisingly, they had no trouble recognizing me.
Most likely because of my scarlet eyes.
Though, not everyone identified me immediately.
As I walked through town, I noticed some townsfolk staring—
Mostly women.
A few were even stealing glances in my direction.
Well, I am a handsome guy.
I didn't mind the attention.
After getting brutally assaulted by the desert creatures, finally being back safe and sound was already a blessing, adding to it my newfound handsomeness was the best.
Soon enough, I reached the cave entrance, where Tauriel was waiting for me.
"Tauriel," I said, "you should go meet your grandfather before coming with me. Is he your only family?"
She hesitated.
It was clear she was conflicted.
But after a moment, she nodded.
"Yes," she admitted. "He's the only family I have."
"Good," I said. "Let's go meet him, then."
I took a step forward—
Only to pause when I noticed Tauriel standing there with her mouth gaping open.
…
I really wanted to throw some pebbles in her mouth.
Intrusive thoughts—hush.
With an annoyed expression, I sighed.
"What?" I asked. "You have a problem?"
She quickly shook her head, stammering, "I—I mean, no! I don't! But, um… Young Master, are you sure you'll be fine in my shack?"
Seriously?
Rookie excuse heroine.
Try harder next time.
I chuckled.
"Don't think too much about it. I'll be fine."
"Tsk."
She clicked her tongue.
…
Damn.
Girly got attitude.
I coughed, regaining her attention.
"Shall we move on?"
She nodded.
"After you."
I smirked.
She scoffed—subtle, but I caught that.
Still, she moved ahead, and I followed.
Arriving at the Town.
As soon as we entered the town, I could feel the stares.
Many eyes fell on us, watching with intensity.
Mostly boys.
Maybe they had a crush on Tauriel.
Not my problem.
Ignoring the lovebirds, we walked deeper into the maze of crumbled houses.
Surprisingly, the town's condition looked slightly better than before.
'That ponytail maid is actually competent. Noice.'
With that thought, my mood brightened.
Though, as we walked, I could feel Tauriel's suitors glaring daggers into my back.
Heh.
I was tempted to irritate them.
Should I?
Intrusive thoughts: Maximum Overdrive!!!
Inside Tauriel's home.
We reached her shack, and Tauriel hesitated before opening the door.
Stepping inside, I noticed how small it was.
The scent of old wood filled the air, and the space was… well, humble.
In the corner of the room, an elderly man lay on a simple bed.
Tauriel's grandfather.
His eyes, once hazy, sharpened as they landed on me.
"You," he rasped, voice weak yet piercing. "Who are you?"
Before Tauriel could speak, I smirked.
"Just a passing employer, old man," I said. "Don't mind me. I just came to steal your granddaughter for a bit."
The room fell dead silent.
Tauriel turned to me with horrified eyes.
Her grandfather's gaze hardened.
…
'Maybe I should've worded that better.'
[ System: No shit sherlock. ]
'Keep your mouth shut, system.'
[ ತ_ತ ]