180 Homecoming (2/2)

Perhaps the second most important shop in our growing town was the Apothecary run by the undine, Lilipold. In the last six months, his shop was always running out of stock of healing potions.

From the reports, I gathered the cause was almost always due to Berrian needing stock for treating injuries born from either Edo's or Azuma's training.

Only a month ago, I remember Jensen telling me, \”You're building the hardiest bunch in the Fayne, Commander, that's for sure.\”

To which one of his fellow flag carriers asked, \”Shouldn't we be getting hazard pay just for showing up to training?\”

For the exotic luxury goods you couldn't find in the Westmarch, there was Luc's material goods shop, which provided a really big draw among fellow merchants around the region who were in need of Starfall spices or Dominion-exclusive pelts or even Hermitage-forged steel.

Luc, who was a very savvy pixie, also provided me with a secondary service. His dealings outside the Trickster Pavilion territory allowed him to retrieve information passed among merchants that normally wouldn't have reached a military officer's ears. Luc offered me these little tidbits in exchange for removing the import tax and sales tax from his exclusive wares.

It was an easy trade. I could live with the lesser income but the intel was priceless depending on how we used it.

The last notable shop in Hoodwink belonged to the gnome, Fantasimo, who owned an artifacts appraisal shop. His shop was extra special because it drew in crowds one might not normally find in a frontier town like ours, the nobility of Westmarch and even courtiers from central.

The one bad trade-off is how every time a notable person of high rank visited, I was required to greet them and offer them elf-tea or some boring crap I often passed down to Aura. She was really good at social stuff.

\”Welcome home, Kid!\” Zarz Mildew called from just outside the main gate into Hoodwink Tower. \”Hope you brought some good news.\”

\”When have we ever brought good news after a long march?\” Qwipps interjected.

This prompted a chuckle from most of us as there was some truth to his words.

I rode Myth Chaser all the way up to the portcullis gate and said, \”We're going to be busy, Zarz… but first, how about a meal.\”

\”Kitchens are already cooking, boss,\” Zarz said happily.

I grinned appreciatively at the gnome, who, in the last six months had made himself defacto seneschal of Hoodwink Tower, and I didn't mind that at all. He had a knack for managing the day to day business, and he still had time to tinker with new inventions he and I cooked up.

Then I looked over my shoulder to the four hundred soldiers marching behind me. \”A hot meal and free booze for everybody!\”

This proclamation was met with raucous cheers that made other tower visitors waiting to enter through the gate look at us with startled faces.

We didn't get any work done that night either. There was too much revelry going on to the point that I'd be surprised if there was a single sober soldier among the men.

And while the soldiers made a mess of their barracks and the tower itself, my officers and I had escaped to a more relaxing spot inside the newly opened Nowhere Inn by the lakeshore.

Aura, Luca, Edo, Varda, Ashley, Qwipps, Azuma, Xanthor, Thor, Ty, Pike, Thom, Enna, Berrian, Zarz, Shanks, and I were all gathered around a long wooden table enjoying the company while digging in on specially prepared meals courtesy of Zephyra and her siblings.

I glanced around the common room that looked much like the old inn we'd visited in Undercroft, but newer and with nicer looking furniture.

It was around this time when Varda raised her mug and called for a toast.

\”To the commander and his new promotion!\” she yelled.

There was a round of cheers, some catcalls, even some genuine praises from the group. Honestly, it just warmed my heart to have them all around me like this, and it was moments like this one that really drove the point home, the Foolhardies had become my family.

Man, if I only knew what would happen to this family in the coming war, maybe then I would have refused Darah's mission. Maybe things wouldn't have turned to sh*t.