The mushroom house was far from being completed. Rud had done his best to seal all the walls, but he could see many spots that still needed work. The furniture had been arranged perfectly, providing him with a cozy place to sit before the wood-burning stove. The copper kettle that sat atop the stove had boiled, filling the house with the citrus-sweet blend that Mint had dropped off earlier. He removed it from the direct heat of the stove, setting it to the side after pouring himself a cup of tea. With a great sigh, he fell back and cradled the metal mug.

  The problem with both Mint and Ban was that they weren’t looking at their future problems as problems. They assumed everything would work out in the end. While they might have been right, Rud accepted the burden of a keeper. A custodian. Because it was his burden by design. Accepting those responsibilities had been hard at first, but he fell into the role as though he were back at the office. It was time to put out fires and stop future ones.

  After tea and roasted mushrooms, of course.

  Rud walked through the dappled sunlight outside of the mine, watching the orange splotches of light dance across the grassy ground. Dusk was soon, but he needed to know something. He touched the idol in the mining workshop, accepting the Aspect of Gug before heading inside. The first stretch of tunnel had been stripped of all available fragments. But the piles of ore in the hall might have been worth something. If only he could ask Mira about ore prices compared to fragments without sounding like a rube.

  “Switchback hall,” Rud said, muttering to himself. “Has a few fragments embedded in the wall.”

  The druid ran his hands over the walls, feeling the faint warm pulses from embedded fragments. He could only feel those near the surface, finding anything deeper was beyond his ability. Rud spotted four fragments on his way down that path, marking them in his mind for future excavation. The switchback ramp went down four times before he found himself in an opening. Beyond that threshold was a wide-open cave, filled with the bats he had seen before. Activating the Detect Animal spell revealed the bats were the only creatures around.

  “Don’t mind me,” Rud said, waving up at the bats. He hoped the Animal Communication skill worked both ways. “Just checking your cave out.”

  The bats had no objections to him checking the cave out. They hung from the ceiling, leathery wings wrapped around themselves as they returned to their slumber. The cave was massive compared to the tight corridors above. Rud found a pool of water collecting drops from dripping stalactites. Wind rushed from somewhere deep in the cave, bringing with it a chill breeze. Rud braced himself against the cold, drawing his jacket tightly around himself. The cave was connected to somewhere, he assumed. But the walls near the bats held few fragments. The druid fled from the room when the bats stirred, flying out the way he had come.

  After things calmed down, he checked the other fork on the path. The tunnels there were a winding maze, shooting off and rejoining with one another at random points. There were far more fragments in this section compared to the bat area, but the problem remained. This supply was finite. Rud turned, retracing his steps through the maze and getting lost several times. He exited the mine into the night, breathing in the fresh air and sighing it out. A notification popped up moments later, declaring that his Grove Custodian subclass had finally leveled to Level 2.

  Rud stoked the fire in his stove, adding some branches to get it going again. He sighed into his seat, chewing on a mushroom and considering the best course of action. Mint claimed there was someone on their way to help with the mine, but that was sketchy information. Instead, he planned to focus on the ways a druid could improve the mining process. He didn’t want a few fragments on reserve, just in case Ban needed them. He wanted a gigantic pile, ready to help the tree out whenever it needed. What he couldn’t tell was if that need to stockpile resulted from his old hoarder habits, or his new custodial state of being.

  The druid climbed into his bedroll, feeling as though he had earned his rest for the day.

  Rud finished with the last few sections of the mushroom house that needed attention. It had taken little of the morning, but a deep sense of pride swelled in his chest. After finishing with the house and breakfast, he made his way to the enchanted pond to gather water. Pushing through the brush, the druid appeared near the field of stumps and got to watering the area. Things within his bag didn’t seem to spill, which seemed odd but he wouldn’t question it.

  The trees closest to the edge of the stone markers had grown well. Rud selected two of them for magical intervention beyond that of the special water. He pressed his hands into the first tree—a pine by his guess—and infused it with the Plant Growth spell. He felt woozy from the first cast, but the second almost sent him falling on his butt. Only throwing his arms out and waving them wildly kept him upright, and he got a rank in Growth Magic, bringing the skill to Level 3. The spell cost for Plant Growth went from 45 to 43, but the resulting pines were far more interesting.

  Those two pines were large enough as they were. They stretched high into the sky, appearing like most common pines on Earth. Now they towered above the treeline, stabbing skyward as though they had something to prove. Rud stood there for a long time, appreciating his handiwork.

  “Now that is impressive.”

  Rud turned, finding Mira approaching with her hands on her hips. He noticed how her feet didn’t crack the twigs beneath her feet when she walked. She must have had a class that helped with that, or some corresponding skill. While he could move silently, it was only thanks to his small frame and light weight.

  “I knew you’d like them,” Rud said, locking his eyes back on the trees.

  Mira tutted. “Where are the pants I bought you?”

  “I’m too skinny for them.” Rud shrugged, finding it easier to state the problem plainly. “Guess they don’t make pants in beanpole sizes here.”

  “I suppose not,” Mira said with a polite giggle. “I see you like the backpack, though.”

  “I love it,” Rud said, swinging the pack around. He pulled out a mushroom and held it up. “Perfect for excessive mushroom storage.”

  “If you don’t mind business… Things are moving slower than I would like. Not because we’re not getting approval, but the distance to Barlgore. Our ships are busy as it is, so getting a message across has been difficult.”

  “But we got pre-approval, right?” Rud asked with a smile. He ate the mushroom in his hand.

  “And with a tree that large?” Mira asked, scoffing. “We can grease the wheels with ease. I have something else for you.”

  Mira dug through the little pouches at her hips, pulling an amount of red ribbon that shouldn’t have fit in the space. More expanded storage, no doubt. She placed them in his backpack and smiled. “Tie these around the trees you want us to cut down. The size of those monsters is about as big as we can handle.”

  “I appreciate it,” Rud said, swinging his pack back around. “I have a question about the value of… things.”

  “Things?” Mira asked, raising a brow. “Anything specific?”

  “Raw metal, actually. Well, processed into bars. Ingots? What are they called?”

  Mira laughed again. Ban hadn’t told Rud what she was working on. The building she was constructing had taken a while to form, and was little more than a cluster of roots for now. But she was creating something that they could smelt the raw ore in, which seemed silly. Trees and fire didn’t get along. But she was a magical tree, so that made it alright.

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  “It depends on the metal. Copper and iron ingots are about as cheap as dirt back on the mainland. Slightly more expensive here, but you’ll have trouble finding buyers.”

  Another thing that Rud suspected bubbled to the surface. “What about special metals? Magically infused ones?”

  “Oh, there are many types of magically infused metals. Little spirit… are you planning something?”

  Rud kicked at a stick near his feet. “Maybe. I don’t care about currency—whatever it is you use. What I need is fragments. If I produce a sample of the metal, could you give me a price? In fragments, of course.”

  “Absolutely. Leave a note in your mailbox—my boys won’t mess with anything you leave there. I’ll give you a price as soon as I can.”

  Because Mira was busy. She couldn’t camp out near the forest’s edge all day, waiting for him to pop out like a creature. Rud didn’t know the exact distance between where they stood and the logging camp, but it wasn’t near. From this point to the Sacred Tree was about three to four hours on foot. The far logging camp wasn’t even the biggest problem. It was the distance to whatever lake port they had built, then the distance across the lake.

  All this was fine, though. It was a backup plan on top of a backup plan. Layers of redundancy so that Ban wouldn’t be caught without fragments.

  “Were you just lurking in the area? Waiting for me to come out?” Rud asked, realizing how silly that would be.

  “I was,” Mira confirmed with a sly smile. “I know you come to tend to the trees daily, so I figured you would do so in the morning.”

  “Smart woman.”

  “But I’ll let you return to the forest.” Mira touched her forehead before bowing her head. Rud copied the expression, although he didn’t know the meaning.

  “So long,” Rud said, turning on the spot. Before Mira could say anything else, he vanished into the underbrush and appeared near the pond. He deposited his buckets before delving once again, appearing near the Sacred Tree. The druid pressed his hand against Ban’s bark, inspecting the tree.

  [Ban’Tanthein]

  Rank 0 Level 5 Sacred Tree

  Upgrade Energy: 43%

  Reserve Energy: 12%

  Upgrade:

  [Thicket Travel]

  Expansions:

  [Mining Workshop]

  [Smelting Workshop]

  Secrets were hard to keep when he could just inspect her to see what she was working on. Rud wished she would have consulted him, but that wasn’t his job. He could turn this move into something that worked, as long as his suspicions were true. Withdrawing the fragment given to him by Mira and one he mined himself, the difference was clear. His version was superior. Which meant that she was shoving her crappy fragments in his hands, or the energy of the grove had empowered the things within the mine. Rud’s thoughts circled back to the aspect system. If he was imbued with some forest aspect of smelting, whatever he produced would be top-quality.

  “Or so I hope,” he said with a sigh. “Who would have expected a druidic smelter?”

  “You’re not just a druid,” Mint said, appearing behind him. “You’re a Grove Custodian.”

  “Which means I can do a bunch of druid stuff and other stuff?” Rud asked.

  “Yep.”

  Since Rud represented the hands and mouth of this operation, that made sense. Mint kept them safe, Ban was their heart, and he did everything else. Seemed kinda unfair at first, until he considered the idea that they could hire some help. Like that dwarf who was gonna be a prospector. And the mortals that would help with the dungeons.

  “Tell me about enchanted metals,” Rud said.

  “I heard you talking about that,” Mint said. She stifled her normal growl, clearing her throat instead. “You’ll need a spell for that. But the Rank 0 infused metals should give you the power to trade with the mortals.”

  “You mean I guessed correctly?”

  “Indeed. You have divined our Sacred Tree’s obvious plan.”

  “Fair enough. Which spirit is going to gift me the metal infusion spell?”

  Mint had to think about that for a second, which made Rud realize how new she was at this job. “The salamander. I think.”

  “Very exciting!”

  Mint growled, the sound issuing low in her throat. “You’re too worried about everything working out in our favor.”

  “Let me worry,” Rud said, waving her away. “Stress and anxiety is the only way I can feel motivated.”

  “You must still relax.”

  Rud held an Arcane Crystal fragment in his hand. He approached the Sacred Tree and pressed the item into her bark. It melted in, bolstering her energy reserves. Twelve percent wasn’t enough for her, and that low number made him worried. He felt much better as it climbed to forty percent.

  “Yes,” Mint said with a sigh. “As you have learned, the Sacred Tree infuses the land around it with magic. That’s why groves are protected so fiercely.”

  Rud smiled to himself, not wanting to hold anything over Mint. He understood where his friends were coming from. Even if his first reaction was to pull away from the guiding hand they provided, it was necessary.

  “Come with me,” Mint said, turning away from the Sacred Tree. She went into the nearest bush and vanished.

  The druid followed, not sure where he should set his intent for the Thicket Travel upgrade. Instead of worrying too much about it, he focused on Mint. His next step was onto burned ground, the sticks beneath his feet still smoldering. The wolf stood nearby, her hackles raised.

  “Where is this?” Rud asked.

  “The northern section of the grove,” she growled. “Near a dungeon.”

  The forest here was ruined. Repairing damage like this with enchanted water and Growth Magic would take quite some time. The area that had been cleared by the fire was considerable, and Rud had his first moment of respect for Mint. She vanished throughout the day. Before seeing the damage himself, the druid thought she was exaggerating about the dungeons. Now that he saw it himself, he realized how soon the mortals needed to make their move.

  “Is this the nearest dungeon?” Rud asked.

  “Indeed. And it is the only dungeon directly in our borders. Which means the elementals within attack the land. Day and night. They are sleepless creatures forged from magic.”

  “Yuck.”

  “There will be a day when you can help me fight creatures like them. If the spirits give you spells that do something other than growing plants or seeing animals.”

  “Until then, we need to rely on our mortal friends, huh?”

  “You’re exactly right,” Mint said. “How far are you from finalizing the deal?”

  Rud was worried about answering that question. If the mortals finished their paperwork within the week, how long would it take them to form a party to brave the dungeon? After that, they still had to cross the river and march to the dungeon itself.

  “The deal isn’t the issue,” Rud grumbled. “They’re going to take forever to get here. They’ll move across an incredible distance. Why? Are you faltering?”

  “No. I’d rather have my attention elsewhere, but… Ah, another wave is emerging. Please leave before you get burned to death.”

  Threats of death by burning were excellent motivators. Rud turned and entered the bush, teleporting to the Sacred Tree once again. He made one trip to the pond, then the stump forest to water his plants. With ribbons secured to the two largest trees, he was happy enough with that project for the day. The druid made his way to the mine, sorting through the piles of raw ore. He ducked outside of the mine after his mana had regenerated, selecting random trees to cast his Plant Growth spell on. The skill didn’t gain a level this time, but it felt close.

  There was no prompt that appeared when Rud tried to inspect the piles of ore. Instead, he sorted them by eye. He added ore to his backpack until it felt almost too heavy to move, then took it outside and dumped it into various piles. The shovel helped with this, making the task almost effortless. Fortunately, there were only two types of ore he could identify as distinct enough to care.

  Feeling restless, Rud went for a walk through the forest after collecting the ore. He stalked around, trying his best to talk to the squirrels in the trees. His Animal Communication skill was only Level 2. It allowed him to understand some of what an animal was thinking, but not enough to form a solid line of communication. The chittering sound the squirrels made were just that. When the skill refused to give him a level, he tried—and failed—to talk to the worms in the ground. They were less communicative than the squirrels.

  By the time evening approached, the building that Ban was working on finally sprouted. Roots had tangled onto themselves near the mine, but had yet to form anything worth note. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mint called for him to come eat dinner, Rud looked at the curved walls of the new building. The wood there seemed sturdier than the other building. He hoped that came with some level of heat resistance, but it would be impossible to tell. The building was currently a circular structure looking more like a gazebo than a smeltery.

  Since Mint couldn’t fit through the door at Rud’s house, although she had tried, they ate dinner outside. She had once again bested some forest creature and was roasting various parts of them on a fire. The chimney on the mushroom house released a steady wisp of smoke that rose into the air in one solid line. The sounds of conversational silence were washed away by singing insects in the distance. He took a bite of a slice of meat delivered by Mint, almost feeling bad for whatever forest dweller had to give up their lives for the meal.