Chương 118: Chapter 123: A Good Night’s Sleep

"That's genius!" Chloe was looking at me with a shocked expression.

"You should say that to past me. Apparently it took a week of effort to find that particular quibble," I told her.

"Still, even my skills aren't pointing out that specific series of laws. How you're doing it without help, I have no idea." Her praise was a tad exaggerated. It wasn't even the worst kind of case I had worked on. One time I had to spend nearly two months researching and preparing before managing to win. This wasn't my first rodeo.

"Just experience. Honestly, I think the contract is designed to fool skills. There must be professional lawyer classes that could dissect contracts like these in a heartbeat at higher levels. Maybe not having skills helps more than we think."

"Maybe," she said, resting her head on her arm, nearly lying on the table.

"But the real question remains. Do you think the people will accept it? And the aliens?"

"The people will accept it, or they won't. That's on them at that point. We found the way forward, but if they refuse to walk it, that's not on me. But generally, I think they will. It's better than becoming a slave."

"I would. Actually, I was thinking about doing it. It would influence my future evolutions for sure. I think I know how I want to proceed." That was surprising. I didn't expect Chloe to choose that path, but to each their own. If she chose something compatible with her original class, she could become a real asset for a budding organization. She looked unremarkable at first glance, but she had grit and a surprisingly strong drive.

Something I could appreciate, especially if we had to work together more in the future.

"Just be careful. We don't really know all the potential ramifications. At least wait until we meet that hero guy. He'll know more for sure."

"I was thinking the same. Or maybe buying some books about it, but they're ridiculously expensive, way out of my budget, and just for basic information. Anyway, you didn't answer about the aliens. How do you think they'll take it?" I thought about it, really considered the question. I was still unsure if the chief was playing dumb or was actually that incompetent. It could be either way. At least Vix had a terrible impression of the guy, so maybe we were in for an easier time.

"I'm sure I can convince him if the others sign too. Then the real challenge will be provoking the right reaction. But for now, I'm exhausted. I need to get some sleep." I stood up from the chair. Despite my stats, I had the feeling my backside had permanently flattened from how long I had been sitting. Still, despite all the work, I felt good. More than good, actually. It felt right to use the skills I had spent a lifetime developing, even in this tutorial. I hadn't expected that.

"Good night then. I'll clean up here, then I think I'll follow your example. I could use some sleep too."

"Good night, Chloe. And thank you for helping me. It wouldn't have gone this smoothly without you." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. A bit of praise could go a long way, especially when it was deserved. The young woman blushed slightly, then waved me off. I turned and moved to another section of the common room. Bunk beds were plentiful here. The wide room looked like a shelter, something I was quite familiar with after helping in places like this many times.

Everything was made of wood, of course, but with such exquisite craftsmanship that I suspected even an elephant could lie on it without breaking anything. The wonders of magic. Many were already asleep, even though it wasn't that late. I had a lot to do, but I wouldn't help anyone by collapsing from exhaustion. Apparently, even with enhanced stats, sleep was still unavoidable. Maybe there was a trait for that. I undressed and slipped under the covers in just my underwear. The sheets were divine.

They looked like simple linen or cotton, but felt like silk, and quickly adjusted to keep me warm and comfortable. Damn, I really wanted something like this for myself after the tutorial. I could only imagine what a high-level crafter could create with specialized skills and traits. But before sleeping, I did one last thing, something I had been doing gradually to avoid detection. I cast Marionette of Regret on anyone not already affected by my skill.

By now, nearly everyone was either primed or in the process of developing the subtle curse within their shadow. After my trait evolved, controlling the skill had become even easier, and I increased its concealment further. No one at my level should be able to sense it now. It would be useful in the near future. With that done, I relaxed, turned onto my side, and within moments, I fell asleep. ──────────────────────── I woke up the next morning.

I had slept less than I expected, barely eight hours, but I felt completely refreshed. The day ahead promised to be both exciting and rewarding. After getting up and taking a shower, I went around speaking with my group, explaining the plan and making sure everyone was on the same page. There was a lot of resistance, especially from the crafters, but in the end more than a dozen agreed. That would be enough for my opening move. A move I needed to make immediately. For this, I went alone.

I followed the dirt path to the largest building in town. The sky was clear, the sun, if it really was a sun, warm against my skin, while a pleasant breeze made my cape flutter. I realized I had stopped noticing these things. The constant need to survive, my senses always on alert, searching for threats. It wasn't healthy to remain like that all the time. Now I was starting to relax, just a little. Not completely, but enough to enjoy the walk.

On my way, I noticed Iljud, the first guard we met upon arriving in town. He was strolling lazily, looking thoroughly bored.

"Greetings, guard Iljud," I said. I wasn't even sure if "guard" was the correct term. Alien, maybe. I had no idea if his species even had genders.

"Greetings, human Elias. Do you have business with me?"

"Actually, I was hoping to bring business to Chief Bikrmorr. Is he available?" He looked at me as if I had said something amusing. His deep, guttural voice carried a hint of laughter.

"The Chief should be available, but allow me to accompany you. It is better this way. Less chance of things ending badly." What was that supposed to mean? I just wanted to talk.

"Then please, lead the way."

"Ha! That was good," he said with a rumbling chuckle, then started toward the building. I was beginning to get annoyed with how he treated me. Anyone with a bit of sense would understand that different people had different cultures. That applied even more to entirely different species. So why laugh instead of explaining or correcting me? The town wasn't large, and I was already close to the building, so I chose not to continue the conversation and simply followed him.

We waited outside the door for a few seconds before entering. Inside, everything looked the same as before. We went up the stairs and stopped again in front of the large double doors. There had to be some form of telepathic or unseen communication, because after a short wait, Iljud opened one of the doors.

"Go. The Chief will receive you now." Without another word, he turned and left. Strange. I stepped inside. There was no reason to keep the Chief waiting. My heart began to beat faster, but I forced myself to stay calm. This would make or break the entire plan. It was time to put on a good show.