Construction Mage - Chapter 44: Cloudy Day

AN: Extra chapter, should be another one tomorrow.

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“Those stupid merchants may only know how to count coins, but most of them are still tolerable. The really bad ones are really something else. They don’t even bother to learn about the characteristics of our work and then have the audacity to make things up when trying to sway their customers. Guess who has to answer to those disappointed customers? Us! 

Be careful with the merchants you choose to work with.”

-Anonymous craftsman

***

Under the indifferent gaze of the clerk, Clay took his time scrutinizing the materials before him. Now that he had heard the prices, there was no way he would purchase them without a thorough investigation first. The issue was getting the information out of the uncooperative store attendant.

“So, about the properties of the Ironbark and Stillwood?” 

“You can get the details from Garrick, the craftsmen, or the Delvers who retrieved the materials to go over the details. All an apprentice merchant like me knows is that Ironbark is one sturdy as iron, and Stillwood keeps cool no matter what.”

I see. That’s why the prices are so expensive. These are dungeon materials.

Clay carefully ran his hand over the two pieces of wood. The Ironbark was ash-gray and was quite hefty, while Stillwood had a more traditional light brown appearance, but was smooth like laminate. He realized he could only glean surface-level information, and he should just trust in Garrick’s recommendation. However, he couldn’t help but want to become familiar with the materials he would be working with.

If I were to build a house from these materials, I’d need at least a few hundred planks. That would be thousands of silver coins in lumber alone. And if I hired people like Garrick, then I would need to include their wages for several months.

I think I’ll stick with procuring the materials myself if these can all be found in the dungeon—is what I want to say, but how long will it take until I get to that point? Maybe I should buy a few with the extra money I got for some proper flooring.

“So?” the store attendant impatiently asked after seeing Clay quiet for some time. “How many are you buying? There are discounts if you buy in bulk, so just tell me the number and I can give you a good quote.”

“Um, I think I’ll take one plank of Stillwood, ten Ironbark, and the oil and beeswax here, for now.”

“Very well. Your total is twenty-two thousand Lyons. That’s two gold coins and twenty small silvers if you can’t do the math.”

Not wanting to stay within the rude merchant’s presence any longer, Clay swiftly settled the bill and returned with his haul.

***

“Back already?” the burly foreman asked upon seeing his friend return with his hands full.

“Yes. Can I borrow your saw?”

“Get in line. Bradley is doing some errands for the lads working on the interior right now. Oh, and be sure to soak the Ironbark for a bit first before cutting into it or you’ll chip the blade!”

Clay nodded and strode straight into the worksite toward where the sound of the saw was hard at work. He found a familiar teenager, his replacement, completely focused with the saw in hand. Not wanting to distract him, he simply stood to the side, patiently waiting. He didn’t wait long, though, as the young man noticed him when he turned around to fetch another wooden beam.

“Sir Clay! Are you back on the team again?”

“Keep working, kid. I’m just here to borrow the saw for a bit when you’re done. Don’t let an outsider delay you.”

“Oh, umm, okay.”

Despite what Clay said, the young man still quickened his pace, sawing with more effort than before. As soon as his next piece was complete, he immediately got out of the way.

“I’m done for now. I’ve got to bring these inside first, in case it rains. It’s been cloudy all day, after all. Please go ahead.”

With the boy zipping away, Clay just shook his head at the boy’s blatant excuse, but he didn’t bother calling him out. There was work for him to do as well, and he’d prefer to get it done sooner rather than later.

If he were to make a request to a member of royalty, he wanted to make a good impression. That meant exceeding expectations and completing their order as quickly as possible.

Mustering all the skills he had honed over the three months on the construction site, Clay carefully sawed the materials he bought into the toilet seats he envisioned. He cut out a quadrant of it at a time, to be put together later.

Just as he was midway through the second quadrant of the piece of Stillwood, the rain began falling around him. Luckily, there was a canopy over his head, sheltering him and the materials.

“It seems like Bradley had been right,” he muttered.

As if summoned by his name, the young man in question popped out a second later.

“Sir Clay, please take your time. I’ve been told to bring all the materials inside until it stops raining,” Bradley said as he hurriedly gathered some of the wooden beams he left near the saw. 

He picked up as much as he could before running off to the completed sections of the church. He would soon return, making several trips, but with each one, the intensity of rainfall grew.

On his fourth trip, the weather had grown so bad that he couldn’t help but urge Clay to take cover.

“Sir, you should take shelter in the church until the rain stops. Or else you and all your materials will be soaked!”

Stealing a glance at the pieces of Stillwood he had cut so far, he nodded. Ironbark was supposed to be soaked in water so he could cut into it, but Garrick hadn’t said anything about Stillwood. He would rather not risk damaging such an expensive material.

“Hm, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Hugging everything into his arms, the two men dashed through the muddied worksite as thunder struck down not too far away. They flinched and peered over at it, not because of the loud sound, but because it had opened a gaping hole through the dark clouds, allowing some sunlight to shine through the area where it had struck.

What? Is that even a thing? Doesn’t the thunder come from the cloud itself?

As they peered through the hole, the two men’s expressions instantly paled. An ear-piercing roar sounded out from above, and they knew exactly what caused it.

“Wyverns! Get in—” 

Before Clay could finish his sentence, he noticed numerous shadows dropping from the flying monsters. It only lasted for a moment as it rapidly descended. The figures that were each the size of a person landed on the ground with a weird plopping noise. One of them just so happened to land right between Clay and the church.

“An ooze?” Clay muttered. “It’s another wave! Stay behind me, Bradley!”

Contrary to the last time they experienced a wave, Bradley resolutely nodded, without any signs of fear whatsoever. It reassured Clay that the young man had grown so much in such a short time, but then again, he had too.

Unfortunately, it had been his day off, so Clay hadn’t worn his leather armor or brought along any weapons. Thankfully, they were at the worksite, with plenty of tools scattered around. He immediately dashed off to the side and picked up a maul. On his way there, he spotted several other oozes around the construction site, all slowly making their way toward the church.

They inched ever closer, and the rapid rainfall masked any sounds it made.

The people inside will be caught completely off guard! We need to warn them!

Seeing how the ooze couldn’t keep up with their speed, Clay made a split-second decision to ignore it for now, pulling Bradley along with him, as they rushed towards the church. They entered through the side entrance, slamming the wooden doors against the stone walls behind them. It caused several heads to poke out into the hallway.

“What in the world are you doing? Who do you think has to fix that door if it breaks?” an angry man shouted as he pulled up his sleeves.

“Calm down, Nailey. Let me handle it.” A hand reached out from around the corner, pulling the angry craftsman back.

Then, the familiar foreman turned the corner with a stern expression, only to soften upon realizing who it was.

“Clay? Bradley? What’s going on?”

“There are monsters outside! Oozes! They’re headed here. You need to gather everyone together and make sure they don’t wander outside!” Clay shouted.

“What? Is it really that bad? The church’s guards should be coming already, and not to mention the other Delvers guarding the wall. A few oozes will be dealt with in no time.”

“No! There are wyverns, too. The guards will be occupied with the greater threat.”

Hearing the news, Garrick narrowed his eyes and solemnly nodded.

“I’ll gather the men. We should be able to hold the narrow corridor at the side entrance here, but the entire right side of the church is still open. There aren’t any doors or anything that way, so if it’s as bad as you say, we’re going to be surrounded in no time.”

“I’ll hold them off at the main hall, then. You keep everyone in the left wing.”

“Alone? That is s—”

“I’m a Delver now, Garrick. I can deal with a few low-level monsters oozes.”

Without letting the foreman get another word out, Clay quickly dashed away toward the main hall.

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