Home sweet home

Two hundred and fifteen people have moved for about twenty days to the Mountain Ass settlement. Men, women and some children, all of whom are direct or indirect members of the Force of Fate company. Thanks to the intervention of the new Count Zacharias, the mining settlement has been recognized as a village.

The nobleman and his advisors have decided to allow the Force of Fate company to set up their headquarters in this settlement on the condition that they help in the construction of the new village. It was in fact hypothesized to refurbish the settlement with human trafficking money and make the settlement a new village for displaced people who wanted to take their home there.

The first step is the arrangement of the connecting road between the city of Vanein and the village. The second step is to change the name of the settlement, although not to confuse people will remain very similar, and therefore will be Mountass. Third step is to help open commercial and productive activities in the new village. To do this, the appointment of a village chief was requested.

The vote took place a week after the party for the appointment of the new Count. In the Mountain Ass settlement, the only person appreciated by all is Simon's mother, Doris.

Now, in an impromptu tent on the hill in front of Mountass village, an important meeting is taking place to define the future of the settlement. The council is formed by Doris as the new village chief, Richard, Simon as commander of the mercenary company, Selin, Igor, Drew, Desmond, George, John and Michael.

Simon opens the session "Friends, I am happy to find you all here today. As you know, road construction works have already been completed. Thanks to Drew, the dirt road from here to the city has been cleaned and settled. Now the journey has decreased by a few hours."

Doris "Well, what are we talking about today?"

Perplexed Richard asks "How come I was invited too?"

Simon "With order. I have called you all here because, now that we are many, we must create a sort of hierarchy and balance between the offices. Mom, you're the village chief, I know it's a new job for you, but you do not have to worry, you'll have all our help. That's why I would like John and Michael to become the communications manager and the person responsible for relations with the village, respectively."

John and Michael get up in unison from the chairs like bites from a snake "We, what?"

"Of course you! John, thanks to your skill you can travel long distances in a short time. I have identified in the group two other individuals with the same skill. In wartime you will be busy informing the platoons of the orders but now it will be your duty to take care of coordinating the various groups by exchanging orders and information."

John "If it's about running I can't see the problem!"

"Michael, you were born here and you are the most capable among us to understand the problems of the miners and the population of the village. I want you to help my mother and be the bridge between us and the village. Now that we are many, problems will not be long. It would be great if you could avoid them before they happen but also helping to fix them will not be bad."

Michael "I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'll do my best!"

Doris "So will you give me a hand?"

Simon "Not just eheheh ... Daddy I really think you should help too!"

Richard "But I have to work in the mine!"

Simon continues "Don't worry, you don't need to work full-time in the mine. I prefer you to coordinate the work, the layout of new houses and the permits for new activities with mom and Michael."

Doris "By the way I wanted to tell you that yesterday I redid the counts. Thanks to the Count's help, our village now has two shops, a blacksmith, a dozen carpenters and three weavers. We have also started the cultivation of three new fields and we expect to reach ten in the next weeks."

Selin "Fantastic! In a few days this place has completely changed its face."

Simon "Drew and George, I would like you to take care of the soldiers. Drew will continue to be the operational captain. George, I want you to choose a dozen men, your task in battle will be to protect the captain, like an impassable wall."

The two with military salute "To the orders!"

Simon "I would like something else from you. Explore the area and make it safe. If a war breaks out soon, a metal mine with the headquarters of a mercenary company will certainly become a military target. Find sighting points, place traps, walls and hiding places."

George "I already have some good ideas in mind."

Desmond nicely adds "I'm scared just thinking about it."

Selin "And me? What i have to do?"

Simon "Your experience as a merchant and traveler is the most important. You will take care of the logistics, both in battle and here at home, I want you to manage resources, transport and people. In this regard, I must introduce you to the girl who will help you."

All those present look at each other perplexed. There are only two women in the room.

From the opening of the tent, a girl with curly black hair, dark and deep eyes, a shrewd smile, enters. A girl with a more delicate appearance than Selin. A noble girl, or rather the daughter of a count, Gemma.

George opens his mouth in surprise. Selin blanched in the face, seeing the girl in front of her move sinuously towards Simon and with a caress of the hand on his shoulder whispering in his ear.

Simon "Gemma will give you a hand. You will find out that his unique 'persuasion' skill will be very useful in your work."

Selin offended answers "I can very well do it alone. After all, the daughter of a count cannot get down to doing certain jobs, right?"

Gemma readily says, "I actually proposed myself. I was impressed by your audacity in saving me. A girl among men, with the courage of a lion. I really want to be like you. Besides, my father wants to give a different signal to the people. Making me work with you will help him increase his consent."

Simon, thinking of his new 'minor persuasion' skill, says, "Gemma is able, with the words, to tip the scales of a discussion on her side. So think carefully about what to say before you contradict her."

Selin bites her tongue and with a decisive gesture approaches the chair to Simon, sticking to his shoulder. Gemma on the opposite side, as if imitating her, approaches Simone and begins to arrange the scattered papers in front of him on the table.

Richard whispers in his wife's ear "Poor boy, he did not notice what trouble he got!"

Simon resuming the speech "Returning to the initial speech. Desmond you will have the most ungrateful task. After the lecture you gave me in the city I came to the conclusion that you are right. I'm not the best or the strongest but I'm the glue of this group. I cannot afford to die stupidly. That's why from today I'll call you my personal bodyguard. You will be the invincible wall in front of me."

Desmond "I understand what you mean by 'ungrateful'. Will you listen to me when I tell you not to do something? "

Simon "Maybe."

Selin "Obviously not."

Everyone laughs.

Simon "Last but not least, Igor, I have a somewhat unusual role in mind for you. I don't know what to call it. I want you to help me invent new weapons and appliances for the coming war."

Smiling Igor answers "Only you could think of a role so absurd. Would you pay a person just to think? Absurd, however, as long as you respect your part of the covenant to help my village, I will respect mine."

Simon "In this regard I will tell you the last things. The first is for my father. I have analyzed the structure of the mine. I pinned on a map some areas where you should dig and find more material and other areas that should be left to avoid accidents. Also, I want you, along with Michael, the carpenters and the blacksmith, to make this series of carts. I thought of them as little carriages for the material. With those, much of the hard work could be done by animals."

He scratches his head and with a big sigh he says, "Last thing, I decided to leave in three days."

The others "Why?" "Where?" "We?" "But we just arrived!"

Simon "I promised Igor to help him with his village problem. Igor's house is a week away from here. I will not take the whole company with me. I have therefore decided that, in my absence, Gemma will manage the work, Drew will command the troops for the work, Michael and John will continue their work while Desmond, George, Selin, Igor, two archers and three warriors will come with me. With a small group we will be faster. Prepare your things."

Elza impatiently begins to whistle in Simon's ear that annoyed "I forgot, in honor of our new emblem, I wish that two altars are created, one for the deity of fate and one for the lady of the mountain."

Elza smiles satisfied.