Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 182 182 - Finishing touches

As much as I'd like to, I can't return to my camp just yet. I have to make one more trip to the ruined island fortification. There I go through the room where that demented lich stored the bones of her victims, or at least her more recent victims, as well as their gear.

Most of those things aren't of any use to me. But there are exceptions. It's not like I want to plunder the few and sorry testimonies of their adventurous life, but I pick up the few coins I find. It's not pilfering the dead! In town they would have had to pay for funerals too! And besides they are getting a generous group discount the way I see it. Two shillings and six pennies? Could it be that I'm not the only adventurer who is notoriously broke? In a weird way, it's kind of reassuring.

The only other tings I take are their guild tags and that one large wooden shield that is in reasonable good shape. The shield will become their grave marker after I carve it with their names. The latter I'll try to glean from their tags. And later, back in town I'll hand those in at the guildhall.

On the way back out I stop besides the throne once more, to pat its backrest.

"You I'll come and get tomorrow. I think I have figured out a decent hiding spot for you until it's time."

I'm already about to get going again when I stop to glance at it once more, with one eyebrow raised.

"I hope you don't mind if I get myself a nice pillow for that occasion, whenever it'll be. No offense, but you aren't exactly comfortable and I ain't no lich who couldn't care less either."

With those words and one last pat to the fancy stone chair, which honestly doesn't look fancy at all, I'm off. In fact the thought about getting a pillow occurred to me exactly because it's so simple and bare bones. I have to fight down the urge to laugh. Is the latter why that lich was drawn to it? Goodness gracious, I better keep that thought to myself. I'm not sure it would be well received even at a tavern catering to adventurers after plenty of beer.

A little later I drop the shield and the tags off at my camp to head out once more. I still have to secure my next meal after all. Well, at least if I want it to be more than bread and cheese anyway.

Thankfully I don't have to look long to find both some more chanterelles as well as a few common trunk huggers. My [Foraging] skill benefits immediately. Both kinds of mushroom are quite tasty on their own and today's meal they will go well with each other and some cheese on top. Oh dear, am I ever glad to have invested some coin into that pan. Along the way I gather up some more wood too. Some to feed the cooking fire and another decent looking piece to carve myself a fresh spoon.

By the time I get back it's getting a little late. Thus the first order of business for me is to light not the fire but a magical light that will make working here much easier in the hours to come. I focus on a spot above and slightly to the side of the fireplace and a moment later a little of my Mana feeds a shiny magical sphere just as my [Light] skill improves ever so slightly.

Once that is taken care of, I start a nice little cooking fire under the makeshift drying rack in place over it. I place my pan on that rack and cut the mushrooms into before I cover them in cheese shavings. I splurge a little today, but I don't want to carry that cheese all the way back home anyway. And while I stir the mixture a little every once in a while with the utility knife I carve myself that spoon too. By the time my meal is done both my [Woodworking] skill and my [Cooking] skill improve a little.

It makes the meal taste all the better. I just wish I had some actual tea to go with it instead of just warm water. I'll either need to learn which local plants can be used or I'll have to spend some coin. I think I'll ask Rysia or Brygida when I return to town. One way or the other, they should be able to help me out.

I wipe the last of the juices and the cheese from the pan with a slice of bread and once I'm done I sink back on my blanket for a moment. I still have more work to do, but I want to rest for just a moment first. After this day the temptation to curl up on the blanket and just close my eyes is non negligible, thus I sit back up again soon to get started on carving the shield.

First I get the guild tags out to inspect them more closely. Two are relatively new, the names on them easy enough to read. The others are older though and slightly rusty. Deciphering them takes a little more effort. Thankfully all are written using the letters of the [Syld] language which in turn improves a little thanks to my efforts.

Nodding to myself and repeating the names in my mind over and over I grab the old shield. It's not a fancy shield and has clearly seen some use, but the front is still serviceable. The wood is pretty hard though, as I soon find out. Carving it will take serious effort. Instead of backing down to search for another serviceable piece of wood I decide to take this as a sign. If I use this for the grave marker it should be good for quite some time. Everything as intended then, isn't it?

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First I mentally place the names, leaving enough room for some decorative carvings as well. It won't do if it's too plain. No, it has to show some love and care too. And of course I have to leave enough room at the bottom. I have to partially bury it and support the base with stones after all to make sure it stays standing. It wouldn't be a good grave marker either, if the first storm knocks it over.

A few thin lines, barely visible at all, made by dragging the tip over the wood, nothing more, will help me write the names without them looking crooked. Then, after reaffirming my resolve and recalling the names and their proper spelling one more time, I get to work in earnest.

The first name is Mariusz, it's from the oldest of the tags, only barely still legible. He must have fallen victim to Bianka quite some time ago. Next up is Oliwia, her tag isn't quite as old or corroded. The last two are Brunon and Knapik. Their tags are newer. They must have stumbled upon the lich and thus their doom more recently.

Once I'm done with the names I hold the shield at arm's length, turning it this way and that in the magic light by which I work. I'm satisfied so far. I really managed to carve the letters of each name in a straight line. They are all the same size too. Yes, my work is not half bad so far, but I'm not yet done.

Above the utilitarian and on its own rather bland list of names I add some decorative carvings. It's a stylized depiction of the grave itself, with a few hinted at trees in the background and more importantly two foxes playing around. Those are and important touch for me and I take extra great care to carve them nicely. After all I plan to ask Fox to consecrate the last resting place of these adventurers. It's got to be to their liking as well.

Finally, as I put my utility knife away to look at my work some more, my [Woodworking] skill improves some. With the skill a little closer to the next level up, I decide to take that as a good sign. It would look even better if I had some paint, both for the names and the decorations, but beggars can't be choosers. It's good so far, better than these poor souls have had for much too long a time anyway.

With great satisfaction I set the shield aside and clean my utility knife. All the while I'm fighting to hold in a mighty yawn. I'm really quite tired. And to be honest, why wouldn't I be after a day that included both a brush with death and hard, back breaking work afterwards? I deserve some rest now. The rest of the world can wait until sunrise as far as I'm concerned.

Thus I grab my cloak and stretch out on my blanket, with enough soft leaves for padding under it this time around, only to realize one problem. My magical light still is active and it might still be for a while longer. I won't easily sleep like this. With a groan I close my eyes and try anyway. I have to face this way, as this way is the only not covered by thick underbrush and hidden spike traps.

Well, I had no idea I would do late night woodcarving when setting up the camp, thus I didn't account for the possibility. While I still mentally grumble sleep claims me anyway. And when I wake up as the first rays of the morning sun tickle me I'm actually pretty well rested. I get the usual wake up notification too.

[*Ding!* You slept. Not bad, but not terribly well either! Health increased by 2! Mana increased by 3!]

Well, that isn't a whole lot of progress towards full health, but I'll take whatever I can get. Everything is better than nothing. I listen, very closely in fact, to the usual noises of the woods for a moment with giving away that I'm awake already, but there is nothing out of place. At least my [Bluff] skill and [Perception] skill makes some progress towards the next level up.

Especially the former seems important, more so than in the past at least, as it's now a class skill instead of a general skill. Maybe I should work it a little harder now? Maybe I can get a skill upgrade out of it too? Another uncommon skill instead of the plain common one wouldn't be bad. They boost my attributes way harder.

I get up, drink the rest of my water, and readjust my clothes to get ready for the day. Then I'm off to the lake first thing to refill my water bottle. I set it besides the fire which I get started again right after to boil it again, which makes my [Survival] skill progress a little. Only once steam is rising from the open lid of the bottle and I can stopper it again and extinguish the fire, I'm off to finish my work at the adventurers' grave.

I pick up some stones along the way, carrying them with the carved shield I bring. The low hill of the grave is undisturbed. Good. I immediately set to work, setting the shield with its lower third in the soft dirt. It's base I surround with the stones I gathered. They are big enough to provide support. Once I'm done I take a step back and nod in satisfaction. It's doesn't look too shabby. The shield is slightly angled and catching the morning light just right too.

I quickly return to the lake to wash my hands before I return to the mostly finished grave to perform the most important part of my work here. I take up position in front of the grave, take a deep breath and raise my hands while I bow my head at the same time.

"Fox, divine guardian of many masks. God of making mischief and Goddess of having fun. I beg you, watch over this grave and guide the poor souls of those resting within on the next steps of their grand journey."

There is no actual, tangible, response, but a considerable amount of my Karma evaporates and it feels like Fox is pleased by my request. My [Prayer] skill improves a little too, thus I suspect that my efforts have not been in vain. I take a deep breath and lower my arms again just as I raise my head.

"Well, there is that. Don't worry, I'll return your tags to the guild too, to let them know. If anything else needs doing I'm sure they will take care of it. Godspeed, you four."

With that taken care of, I return to the ruin at the lake shore, to gaze at the ruin sitting there on the island. I'm not quite done here yet. I still need those mushrooms for the quest. And of course I need to disassemble and move the throne too. That will be the hardest part by far. More back breaking hard labor! Yay! The things I do, just so not anyone who happens by gets silly ideas when seeing the thing. It's not like I care if anyone else sits on it, but some who would might take exception when using an identification skill on it only to realize that it's bound to me.