No Need for a Core?

Kazue was a mixed bundle of emotions. While it was mostly children who had brought animals so they might ‘retire’ in the dungeon, it was not exclusively so, with more than a few adults having companions whom they wanted to have a longer life. When it was all settled, there were eyes teared up because their friends now had a new home, and others teared up because their friends had chosen to stay with them despite their encroaching age. It wasn’t easy for anyone.

After that came something a bit more cheerful, though getting it organized had felt a touch forced. But eventually, they had everyone who wanted to try out the puzzles grouped up in sets of seven or fewer, with at least one adult in each group; and Kazue altered the setup so that a group could pass through once the previous group was at least two rooms ahead, instead of the normal wait of the floor being cleared.

There was also a group that wanted to try out Mordecai’s battle path, but she let him handle that with warnings and stuff, and Traxalim offered to go along to watch the group and make sure no one got badly hurt. Mordecai specified that anyone he helped had to be considered ‘out’ and just tag along. She didn’t have as good a handle on reading the changes in mana flow, but the weirdness around the old man apparently reflected how strong he was. And she refused to think about how she was technically the ancient elf’s step-grandmother.

There was only a moment of peace before it was time for the traders. She had no idea that dungeons ever got this busy, it had all been rather relaxed until now. Did this mean they were going to start getting visitors more often now? She’d have to ask Mordecai about that later. And with an internal sigh, she realized that this would have to take place after the other discussion, which she’d kind of rather just not think about at all.

She shook her head and refocused her thoughts on the present, moving to Mordecai’s side to meet with the traders. “Good afternoon, we understand you have some goods to offer us?” She asked, to get things moving, though in truth she planned to let Mordecai handle most of this. She didn’t really know a lot about the worth of materials.

“It’s Okay” His voice whispered into her mind. “Market price doesn’t matter as much as how much is it worth to us.” The merchants were breaking out small display tables, and putting a selection of items on them, with some quantities listed next to some. She watched him step up to the first merchant and ask, “What are you looking for?” as he examined the items on the table, which included a wide selection of alchemical vials, one flintlock rifle with bayonet, and a combined dagger-pistol, as well as a sample of regular iron and some cowhide with notes specifying how much of each he had available.

“Cold iron or silver, as I understand ye kin do,” the man replied, in his thick accent.

Mordecai considered a moment. “I can only create so much, and there are other merchants plus those running through the dungeon. If you are willing to wait until tomorrow, I can offer you an ingot of either immediately, and more later, depending on what others want. For today’s exchange, I would take the rifle, these three vials, ten ingots of regular iron, and ten complete hides.”

The trader pondered for a moment, then grinned. “Right ye are sir. I kin do that. I haven’t had the honor of dealing with a Dungeon before, but me old master gave me the gist of it. On the market that deal would be in me favor, but for you it’s a chance to learn some new stuff, and an extra stockpile of materials, so it's worth the balance for ya. I’ll be back in a jiff with yer materials, then we can complete the trade.”

And thus it went down the line. Some even offered a small sample of material first as a gift, so that they could then offer other materials in trade for a greater quantity, such as the weaver who offered up a sample of spun spider silk, then offered a trade-in for more regular silk as a bulk item, and a selection of other materials and some unusual hides in exchange for several skeins of spider silk in return.

Throughout the process, Kazue could feel the capacity for creating more materials decreasing, just as it had when he’d enchanted the mercenary couple’s equipment with some basic runes, but he was also carefully reserving some. They did have rewards to hand out later after all. And while he was doing that, she was also analyzing the stuff he’d accepted, much of it surprising her. For example, while the alchemical items that had been traded weren’t particularly potent, she wasn’t sure she could have even created their effects without analyzing them first, like the tallow bomb or the mutagen that could attune the body to an energy form, making you resistant to it, if weaker to some others.

They didn’t even get halfway through the available traders before Mordecai raised his hand. “Alright, that’s enough for today everyone. Tomorrow we can start with the people whom I haven’t had a chance to trade with yet. It may take a few days to get through everyone’s wares, but if you want to speed up how fast we grow, you can always take a run of the dungeon.” He finished with a smile as everyone groaned.

Kazue was beginning to regret having complained about being bored this morning, she felt so tired now. But there was still so much to do, and her mental fatigue was contrasted by the steady flow of energy filling her dungeon’s mana reserves; she really needed to start on the fourth floor soon. But she didn’t want to throw something together before she had a solid idea either. She was very glad when the traders wrapped up. Many chose to stay with the wagons and the guards that had accompanied this little caravan, but one set did join the queue waiting to go down the puzzle path. This was going to take forever.

“Come on,” she said as she bounded over to Moriko, who was chatting with a group of the caravan's guards, “we can keep an eye on the line remotely, let me show you the new shortcuts!”

“Wait, wait! I still need to get the rest of my stuff.” The half-elf grinned down at her. “I didn’t travel light this time. After all, this is home now, right?” Kazue was happy at those words, and that helped revive her headspace a bit. It only took a few moments before Moriko returned, two guards in tow, each carrying a large chest. She only had a backpack herself, clearly not wanting to muss her fancy dress.

“Alright, if you two could just put those down.” Moriko directed, then fluttered her eyelashes at Mordecai teasingly. “Oh good sir, would you be kind enough to carry this lady’s luggage to her chambers?”

Mordecai smirked at her, and both chests simply disappeared. Kazue could feel them enter her inventory, then exit again, placed in Moriko’s bedroom. “Done and done, my lady.” He responded with a dramatic bow.

Moriko pouted. “That’s no fun, you’re supposed to play the game! Silly dungeon.” She bopped him on the nose and gave him a smile, though to Kazue the lightheartedness still felt a little forced.

With the little byplay done, Kazue grabbed Moriko’s hand. “This way. You can’t see it yet, but you’ll be able to once you have got the feel for them. Only dungeon people can use them, and sometimes guests if we let them.” The spot that she was aiming for looked like just another corner, but once she was there she stepped in a slightly different direction, angling into a half-there bit of space, and stepping out into the main hall down on the fourth floor.

“Isn’t that fabulous? We’ve got a few of them, so you can get around much easier now. Apparently, we get more as we grow, though never as many as we have floors, so we have to choose where they go carefully. For now, it’s pretty easy though.” She grinned at Moriko as the older woman peered at the entrance to the shortcut.

“That’s weird,” Moriko muttered, trying to get her head wrapped around the sensation. “But yeah, I can tell it’s there now. And I think I sort of know where the others are too. Is that from being a contractor?”

“Um, I think so,” Kazue replied. “The inhabitants all seemed to know about them immediately, but you weren’t here when they were created.” She turned towards one of the doorways leading out from the side of the Hall and called out “Hey guys! We have a lot of guests coming! Start making a lot of food! And be really nice, the first group is Moriko’s family!” A lagomorph with a chef’s hat nearly as big as she was stuck her head out from the kitchen and gave Kazue a thumbs up, then darted back inside.

She couldn’t help but grin as she turned back to Moriko. “They make the cutest cooks! And they do a really great job.” She hadn’t actually needed to call to them, but it still felt more natural to her. Mordecai would probably have just sent instructions to the inhabitants, but Kazue liked to interact through her avatar more. “Come on, the private quarters are now all behind the main hall; we’ve made it a bit cozier.”

Kazue hummed happily to herself as she led the way through a discreet door behind the thrones that still sat up high to overlook the room. “See, this is now more of a living room area, but bigger. Your room is back that way, mine’s still next to it with Mordecai’s office over there. We have some guest rooms down that corridor too. We can have your family there. Oh! That reminds me, Mordecai and I were thinking about eventually having some more contractors, but if we do, their private rooms would be a wing off of the main hall. This area is for family, and maybe very close friends.”

“Okay,” Moriko replied, looking a touch overwhelmed, and Kazue realized she was kind of just chattering away without really giving the other woman a chance to get much of a word in.

“Oh! Sorry, I guess I got carried away. I’m just happy to have you back home! You are staying a while, right? You had those two big chests after all.” She couldn’t keep her tails from swishing at the thought.

“Yes sweetie, I’m staying. Come on, let's get to my room, I have some gifts for you, and I have an idea for the three of us to talk over, so he might as well meet us there.” Moriko said, and Kazue had to keep herself from bouncing as she followed. She knew her excitability was part of why others treated her as though she was a lot younger than her actual age, but she just couldn’t help herself. But while Mordecai and Moriko were clearly amused by her ‘antics’, they both respected her and didn’t do stuff like make decisions for her, which was a large part of what made her feel comfortable and happy to be with them. Even if that meant occasionally making decisions where she’d rather hand off the responsibility and effort.

Once in Moriko’s room, they found Mordecai had indeed listened in and was waiting on the bed for them. Kazue hopped on next to him and sat with her feet swinging as she watched Moriko dig through her chests. “That dress is really pretty, I want one like that.”

Moriko peeked over with a smile. “Better make your own. You’d bust the seams on the front while dragging the hem on the floor with this one. Though that first part sounds like it might be pretty entertaining to see happen.” Then she finished pulling out what she was looking for and handed Kazue a pair of large leather satchels. “I want the bags back since I need them for you guys anyway, but the contents are all yours.”

Kazue eagerly peeked inside, then slowly and carefully pulled out the precious content inside. Books. Oh, there had been some old books in the gifts they’d gotten too, Mordecai said it was a way of preserving older copies after new ones had been made, but those had been boring books. These were books that told stories. “Oh, thank you so much.” She whispered.

“You’re quite welcome,” Moriko replied with a kiss on Kazue’s cheek. “I figured you would like these, especially with your plays too. But, now for a bit of family business, before we get on to the topic of what happened earlier.”