Waking up with the first light of dawn filling his room, Igris stared silently at the ceiling for a while. Then, he slowly sat up in bed, stretched his arms out, and, settling into a seated position, opened the system panel in his mind.
'Hey~ are those new people you mentioned coming?'
The system replied without delay, and lines of text began to appear one after another on the semi-transparent panel.
[System Operator: Yes, they have already set out. Sending you their location.]
Igris let his eyes wander over the system's map, the majority of which was still shrouded in darkness. He carefully examined the small marker that had appeared in one of the explored regions, moving directly toward his own location.
'Hmm… I have a bit of time. Let me spin the wheel first, and then I'll check the shop.'
Without wasting much time, he entered the wheel of fortune tab. After giving the wheel a swift spin, he crossed his arms over his chest and calmly waited for the result to drop onto the screen.
[Congratulations on winning a Vocational Expert - Master Carpenter!]
Igris raised his eyebrows slightly; this was a much better and more useful surprise than he had expected.
'I just talked about construction yesterday, and today I win a master carpenter… an interesting coincidence. Anyway, I'm not complaining. Send him to the temporary army camp; he'll be very useful to the people there.'
[System: Understood.]
Then, he let out a deep sigh. Right before switching to the shop tab, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and silently hoped.
'Please, don't let it be anything absurd! I don't have money, show some mercy!'
He opened his eyes, clicked on the shop panel, and began scanning the prices of the options appearing on the list.
---Shop---
[Flower Seed X 100]
[Price: 3 silver]
[Edible Mushroom X 50]
[Price: 4 silver]
[Tier 6 Aserai Infantry X 16]
[Price: 300 Gold]
[Tier 3 Sarranid Infantry X 1]
[Price: 25 Gold]
[Vocational Expert - Master Mason]
[Price: 1000 gold]
[Tier 1 Imperial Infantry X 65]
[Price: 5 Gold]
[Assassin X 1]
[Price: 600 gold]
Current Budget: 349 G 80 S 23 C
After carefully reviewing the list on the panel, Igris grimaced and let out another troubled sigh.
'…I guess I expected too much, but I have to say, there are some interesting options… An Assassin? That would be very useful. A Master Mason? Exactly what I'm looking for; especially if he's from the Empire, he would really get the job done for me… but 1000 gold is way too much, man! I wonder if I can borrow from the group? Will I ever stumble upon this master again? I don't know... If I understand correctly, these guys are experts in their fields…'
Even though the thought of asking the dwarves or the others in the group for a gold loan crossed his mind for a brief moment, he immediately banished the idea, shaking his head.
'Never mind. Even if I borrow it, the most urgent thing I need right now isn't a master; there's no need to unnecessarily back myself into a corner. Looking at the rest, the only thing truly worth buying is provisions. I'm torn on whether or not to buy the flowers, because they'd be great for beekeeping…'
While weighing the pros and cons of the options in his mind, his eyes caught on the Aserai and Imperial infantry. Military reinforcement looked quite tempting.
'Top-tier Aserai infantry… frankly, considering our lack of elite warriors, they would be very useful… but the money isn't enough, man… As for the recruits, skip them. I don't have enough elite soldiers in this world; even if I bought them, they would just be cannon fodder. Then that leaves only one option.'
[Flower Seed X 100 >>> X 0]
[349 G 80 S 23 C >>> 346 G 80 S 23 C]
[Edible Mushroom X 50 >>> X 0]
[346 G 80 S 23 C >>> 344 G 80 S 23 C]
[Current Balance: 344 G 80 S 23 C]
Having completed his transactions, Igris stretched his shoulders with a hint of satisfaction and closed the shop screen. Getting out of bed, he strode over to the water basin adorned with elegant elven engravings, resting in a corner of the room. After washing his face with the cool water cupped in his hands and waking himself up, he quickly equipped his armor, summoning it from his inventory. As he left the room, he bit into a fresh apple—also pulled from his inventory—with a loud crunch.
Crossing the corridor and heading for the stairs, he encountered a highly familiar figure on the steps. He didn't care much about the situation; Galadriel had probably already told the old wizard everything that had happened.
"Hey, old man. Why the long face? What's going on? What are you stressing over this time?"
Calmly puffing on his pipe, Gandalf thoughtfully raised his head and replied in a flat, emotionless tone.
"Good morning to you too, Igris. Do you have a moment? We need to talk a bit."
Igris paused on the stairs and took another bite of his apple. After leisurely chewing and swallowing the bite in his mouth, he squared his shoulders.
"I don't have much time. New members are arriving and I need to go get them."
Gandalf's bushy eyebrows instantly furrowed in displeasure.
"Again? Didn't you just take in a large group yesterday?"
Igris shrugged casually, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.
"They were a surprise to me, too."
The wizard thought for a moment while slowly stroking his long gray beard with his rough fingers.
"How many?"
Just as Igris was about to bring the apple to his mouth, he stopped and replied briefly.
"Two."
Hearing this number, Gandalf gave a slight nod of approval.
"Good. Too large a crowd draws attention."
Paying little heed to the man's cautious demeanor, Igris continued to shrug.
"What can I say, old man. You're a bit late for that. We're almost a hundred people now."
As an even more troubled expression settled on Gandalf's wrinkled face, Igris bit off and tore away the last large chunk of his apple. In order to separate the seeds, he carefully placed the remaining core into a small pouch in his inventory. All the while, he continued speaking in a relaxed manner.
"Never mind, old man. This operation has already lost its secrecy anyway; there are bounties on our asses, and bounty hunters and orcs are after us. If we have numbers, it will be easier for us to fight. I'm certain that 4 or 5 of the newcomers joining the team are master warriors who could even go toe-to-toe with Dwalin."
The old wizard let out a weary sigh, revealing the weight of the burden he carried. His voice sounded a bit more tired than usual.
"I'm starting to regret bringing you along with us… you've added new questions to a mind that was already full of them."
Placing his hand on his chest with an exaggerated motion, Igris plastered a mockingly sorrowful expression on his face.
"Oh dear. I'm truly heartbroken..."
Then, his eyes lit up as if a brilliant idea had just struck him.
"Ah! The group leader who hired me was Thorin, and he seems quite pleased with me. So, the problem is solved! Now, if you'll excuse me."
Igris was just about to walk past him and head down the stairs when Gandalf's wooden staff suddenly extended in front of him, blocking his path.
"Where do you think you're going? We're talking here."
Igris looked at the staff blocking his way, and then glared at Gandalf's face. He crossed his arms over his chest with a slightly sullen attitude and muttered without losing his composure.
"Aren't you talking enough about me with Lady Galadriel, old man? Tsk tsk! Haven't you learned by this age that gossiping is a bad thing?"
Faced with this sudden accusation, Gandalf startled slightly, not knowing what to say for a moment. He cleared his throat to gather himself and put on a serious demeanor.
"We are making a situation assessment, not gossiping."
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Igris retorted in a reproachful tone.
"Go fool the hobbits and children, you smelly old man."
The wizard sank into silence for a brief moment. He was trying to gauge whether the man in front of him was truly angry or not. Finally, he took a deep breath, as if wishing to soften the atmosphere.
"We need to talk about your ability."
Igris raised a single eyebrow in mild surprise.
"Oh~ what's that, did you get curious? Or are you looking for material to gossip about me with Lady Galadriel?"
Gandalf felt his shoulders suddenly slump, rubbing the corners of his eyes with exhausted fingers.
"…I suppose you are angry because I discussed what you told me with my Lady."
Igris slipped an extremely indifferent mask onto his face, as if he couldn't care less about this observation, yet the words spilling from his lips said the exact opposite.
"Who? Me, angry? What for? Did you think I was mad because I sent everyone out and warned you out of concern for your life, specifically stating that I didn't want the Elves or the White Council involved in this, only for a figure with the most weight in the White Council to learn everything just 5-6 hours after our talk? Or did I get mad because a private conversation between two men was found out by a woman? I don't know why you'd think that~ you're just imagining things, old man."
While Gandalf stared blankly at Igris's expressionless face, devoid of any mimicry, his right eyebrow had started to twitch violently. He felt a mild ache shoot through his temples. Finally, he defended himself by trying to explain the situation.
"If you haven't noticed, Lady Galadriel is a very special elf, and she can sense and read thoughts. Do you think I could have resisted her?"
Igris looked the wizard up and down with obvious disdain.
"As an entity over twenty thousand years old, you're losing to an 8,000-year-old child?"
Gandalf visibly startled upon hearing these specific numbers; his aged eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"How do you know that?"
Igris shrugged with a perfectly relaxed demeanor, whistling indifferently as he fixed his gaze on the emptiness of the corridor.
"I don't know what you're talking about~"
Gandalf gritted his teeth and glared at Igris's flippant attitude. Though he felt like bringing his staff down hard on the man's head, he held himself back and took a deep breath.
"It seems you are one of the most mysterious beings in this world, Igris. Fine, tell me what you want."
The mocking expression on Igris's face vanished in an instant, and he shot the wizard an extremely serious look. Faced with this sudden sharpening in the man's eyes, Gandalf stroked his beard and did not break his stance. Igris spoke in a calm yet clear voice.
"I have no problem discussing these matters with you, Gandalf, but you must make me a promise."
Gandalf continued to stroke his beard softly, weighing what he might face.
"What is it?"
Without compromising his resolute stance in the slightest, Igris continued.
"There is someone special on my team, a woman, and her abilities are a bit unique. The people around might not sense them, but beings like you do. I want you to keep the White Council away from her, especially Saruman."
The wizard plunged into thought, bringing his hand back to his beard.
"The woman named Ciri, right?"
Igris gave a brief nod of confirmation. Unable to hide the curiosity in his voice, Gandalf asked.
"There are things I'm curious about regarding her, but I suppose you aren't going to tell me anything."
Igris crossed his arms over his chest defensively.
"Ask whatever you want about me; if it's not too private, I'll answer. But the privacy of my people belongs to them. Until they speak, you won't get a single letter out of me. I have respect for Lady Galadriel, but she better not use mind games or mind-reading on Ciri or the humans and dwarves on my team without permission. If they become uncomfortable…"
Igris's eyes narrowed dangerously, his gaze sharpening like a blade.
"Then the White Council will learn exactly why the Dark Knight Igris should not be trifled with in Middle-earth."
Willingly dispelling the heavy atmosphere that had descended upon them, he returned to his relaxed posture.
"Maybe I can't defeat you, but I would inflict a great deal of pain, and my uncle, the Great Alpha, would handle the rest."
Gandalf remained silent for a brief moment, as if struck speechless by this bizarre declaration. Igris was a man far too unpredictable, even for the aged wizard. He had just gathered himself and opened his mouth to give a full reply when a voice coming from the bottom of the stairs interrupted him.
"I wasn't expecting you to be here, Igris."
Both Gandalf and Igris startled slightly and turned toward the source of the voice. They were met with an elegant elven gentleman slowly climbing the steps, nobility radiating from his posture. While Gandalf was surprised, not expecting to see this face here, Igris's astonishment was far more pronounced.
"Well, well, well, I'm the one who didn't expect you here, Galdor. Why are you here? You should have been fishing with old man Cirdan at the Grey Havens."
In response to Igris's casual demeanor, a calm and warm smile settled onto Galdor's face.
"If only times were that peaceful. It's good to see you, my friend."
Igris nodded sincerely, stepped forward a few paces, and greeted Galdor. The two men hugged each other amicably, clearly demonstrating the intimacy between them.
"Likewise, my friend."
As Gandalf silently watched the warm greeting between the duo with a hint of bewilderment, Galdor turned his head and respectfully greeted the old wizard.
"How are you, Mithrandir?"
Staring at the two of them with a bafflement he still couldn't shake off, Gandalf nodded slowly and accepted the elf's greeting.
"I am well, Galdor. It's a surprise to see you here. How is Cirdan?"
Galdor replied in the same measured and soft tone.
"He is well, peacefully attending to his duties at the Grey Havens."
Hearing this innocent explanation, Igris couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Right, right. I'm sure he's racking his brain over some of the ship models I drew for him."
Galdor reacted to Igris's comment with a light chuckle.
"You could say something like that. He's constantly sketching drafts because you gave him so much inspiration; he says he's going to build a new masterpiece."
Igris's interest was instantly piqued; he raised his eyebrows and asked with great excitement.
"Seriously? Which one did he get inspired by? The steel ships? Or the HMS Victory? Or The Morrigan? Or maybe the Jackdaw or the Black Pearl? Or the galleon-class great ship?"
However, the moment he finished his sentence, the enthusiasm on his face vanished, replaced by a trace of unhappiness.
"Ah~ man. I'm heading east, though… I really wanted to sail the new ship."
Maintaining the smile on his face, Galdor raised his hand in a calming gesture.
"The last time you took Master Cirdan's ship, it came back half-sunk. He won't give you a ship easily."
Hearing this truth, Igris curled his lip and instantly went on the defensive.
"That wasn't my fault, alright? The ship wasn't sturdy! It couldn't even withstand the storm and the pirates!"
Galdor laughed helplessly at the man's excuses; truth be told, he hardly knew what to say in this situation.
"Hahaha… Igris… There are probably only a handful of people in history who have managed to infuriate Master Cirdan, and you are one of them. The last time he heard those words of yours, he drew his sword and went after someone for the first time in a long while."
Igris dropped his shoulders and defended himself as if he had been wronged.
"Well, he didn't catch me in the end, and I made up for the incident with some of my sketches, okay?"
Galdor nodded in agreement.
"Yes, and Master Cirdan has been drawing draft after draft ever since."
Igris also nodded with satisfaction, then began rubbing his hands together in excitement, as if a new possibility had just sprung to mind.
"What about the flying ship project? Has the old man figured out a way to build a zeppelin? Or make it fly with wings?"
Galdor paused for a moment at this bizarre question and searched his mind.
"I'm not sure, but he looked incredibly excited. Perhaps we will see this miracle in the near future… frankly, I don't know where he got this idea, because I've never heard of a flying ship other than Vingilótë."
After nodding in confirmation, Igris grinned and wrapped his arm around Galdor's neck in a friendly manner.
"That old man will build a ship and gift it to me too, right? After all, I'm the one who drew the rough drafts."
Pondering his friend's expectation for a brief moment, Galdor answered honestly.
"I'm not sure."
Igris was just opening his mouth to object to this answer when Gandalf, standing a little further away, felt the need to remind them of his presence by coughing artificially.
"Ahem, ahem."
The two friends, having been catching up, startled slightly and turned to Gandalf's rather unhappy-looking face. Igris cleared his throat to salvage the situation and spoke.
"Ah, sorry, old man. We forgot about you for a second."
While Galdor also looked a bit embarrassed by the situation due to his polite nature, Gandalf spoke slowly after a brief silence.
"I am aware. I'm glad you remembered. I didn't know you were acquainted with Cirdan, Igris. Your surprises continue to astound me; we definitely need to talk."
With this reminder, Igris gave a small jolt. He turned his gaze first to the sky visible through the window, and then to the system map in his mind. Remembering the actual task he needed to do, he unhurriedly gathered himself.
"Later, I'm already late. Let me go get the newcomers, and we can talk when I get back. You can find me in the kitchen. Think about my offer."
Igris then turned and cast a brief glance at Galdor.
"Great seeing you again. I have work to do now; let's talk later."
Galdor smiled understandingly and nodded.
"Alright. Be careful."
In response to these words, Igris rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Careful is my middle name."
Then, he began to descend the stairs rapidly. Leaving Galdor and Gandalf alone together on the steps, he set off directly toward the stables to meet up with Gilan and Ciri…