I Built This City Chapter 65: Chapter 65

Read chapter 65 of I Built This City by ThePudding on NovelPedia.

Edmund Briar Spring brought with it the twittering of birds, the bloom of flowers, and… mud. Lots and lots of mud. As someone who had been adventuring for years, Edmund was used to this, and he knew his companions were as well. None of them complained, despite the filth that collected on their boots as they trudged the rest of the way into the village. They’d been passing small homes for a couple hours, each one showing signs of waking up to the warmer weather. It was times like these he almost— almost —wished they had horses. The group as a whole had the money, even without Miriam’s family connections, but taking care of them was such a time sink that they’d agreed to never bother with it. At least, not unless they wanted to travel further afield… but now that the dungeon was nearby, why bother? “I wonder if we’re early enough to get a bed at the inn?” Miriam mused as the main road opened up into a larger plaza. This village wasn’t large, so the open area wasn’t particularly remarkable. Edmund wasn’t sure what would happen once the foot traffic increased… and he knew that increase would happen very soon. “I don’t know, but maybe one of the locals does,” Edmund replied. He raised a hand to wave to one of said locals, who was cleaning off the shutters of the nearby building. The man who turned around squinted as if recognizing Edmund. The memory must not have been bad, because the villager smiled and waved back. “Y’all looking for Ellen? I think she’s down at the inn today if you want to talk.” Edmund laughed. “You read my mind! Thanks for letting us know. Things started to pick up here yet?” A laugh in return told Edmund the answer even before the villager spoke. “Starting to, yes. Even had a bit of trouble over the winter, but Bea sorts them right out! That girl’s going to be a terror when Lauren and Tobias retire, let me tell you!” He gestured down the road. “You’ve beaten the real rush, but aren’t the first here.” Edmund thanked the man before the three adventurers continued toward the inn. “Looks like they’ve expanded it a little… probably a good idea. Fast work to get it done by spring,” he muttered. Vincent frowned, the silent man slowing as he looked over the freshly-enlarged building. Whatever thoughts passed through his head were not enough to give him pause in continuing forward, to where Edmund and Miriam were scraping off their boots before entering. “Edmund! Miriam! Vincent! Welcome back!” Bea was already there, looking if anything more lively than before. About a half-dozen patrons were already in the common room, and only two of them looked to be local. Ellen was off to one side scratching on a slate, while a small party of adventurers that Edmund sometimes saw in passing were at another table. Bea set their drinks down and hurried over to greet the new arrivals. SANCTUARY You have entered a designated [SANCTUARY]. Unfriendly or unknown creatures are barred entry. You have gained resistance to fear and panic. Stamina Regeneration, Mana Regeneration, and healing are all increased. Edmund took a step back in surprise at the message that popped up, then quickly glanced back to Vincent. The big man’s frown barely flickered onto his face before he shrugged, and he forced a smile onto it to greet Bea. Edmund turned back just in time to meet the smiling waitress. “Don’t worry about the message,” she said with a wink. “I added you to the list because I know you’re all right. It’ll be our little secret, right? Have a seat and I’ll tell my sister to stop by. I assume you want to schedule a time in the dungeon?” “Right,” Edmund muttered, caught off-guard for once. “And uh, three ales. Thanks.” He’d told himself he would try to act normal, but the flirtatiousness didn’t come this time. Knowing that something was strange with these girls made their attractiveness feel like a trap, not something he should focus on. He knew Miriam would prefer he never focus on it anyway, but he couldn’t help himself with that… usually. “The m