"Oh! By the Dragon God! Be gentle! The fletching on those arrows is fragile! Don't just stick them upright into the ground! Soldiers, lay them down horizontally, will you?"
"Damn it! What are you doing? Why are there water stains on this armor? How many times have I told you—cool and dry! You got the 'cool' part right, but as for 'dry'? I could take a bath in this!"
As soon as Rynar arrived at the warehouse, he was greeted by the endless complaints of a certain wise man.
"Hey! Dylan, I need your help allocating supplies for the expedition to Moria. The soldiers' armor and arrows need refurbishing or replenishment!" Rynar called out from afar.
"Oh! Gods! You blind fool, the Dragon God will never acknowledge a subject like you! Can't you see I'm coordinating supplies? That damned king dumped all this on me while he went off to indulge himself with women! Hah! So he finally remembers he needs to march on Moria?" Dylan grumbled, his quill scratching furiously across the ledger as he recorded every item in storage.
"Soldiers! Stop gawking and get to work! Time is tight! That bastard is setting out in a week, and we have to ensure they have sufficient supplies. The Orcs of the Misty Mountains certainly won't be giving them any handouts!" Dylan snapped at a few dazed soldiers.
"Uh… Lord Dylan, I think you should look behind you…" one of the soldiers stammered.
"Behind me? What is it? A royal messenger? Oh, Dragon God, those pests only ever come to demand more! I am the most wretched soul in the kingdom! Even Zaltarion's plow oxen work less than I do!" Dylan continued to grumble.
"Hey! Messenger, tell the king I'm preparing his supplies! Tell him to stop—stop—Oh! By the Dragon God! Your Highness! Your presence graces this humble place!" Dylan turned his head mid-rant, only to see the very 'bastard' he had been cursing standing there, staring at him with a face as dark as ink.
"You… didn't hear anything just now, did you?" Dylan clapped his hands together and smiled ingratiatingly.
"No, in fact, I heard everything! I didn't realize you thought so little of me," Rynar sighed, feeling somewhat defeated.
"Oh! Then Your Highness must have misheard! I was just now singing praises of your wisdom and valor, extolling your great deeds! The soldiers here can testify! Right, my loyal men of the kingdom?" Dylan emphasized the word "loyal" with particular force.
"Ah, yes! Lord Dylan was definitely singing your praises…"
"That's right! He was praising you all along!"
Under the wise man's sharp gaze, the soldiers all nodded furiously, each one lying through their teeth with wide-eyed sincerity.
"Enough. I'm not here to watch a play! Dylan, this battle is crucial, and I need you to take it seriously. Our army cannot afford heavy casualties. The kingdom has only just stabilized—I don't want any upheaval. That means all supplies must be the best we can provide. Once I leave, you will be the highest-ranking warrior left in this city. I need you to bear this responsibility." Rynar patted Dylan's shoulder, his tone grave.
"…Can I refuse? You know fighting isn't exactly an alchemist's specialty," Dylan said through gritted teeth.
"But you're the only Sixth Tier warrior staying behind! I have no one else!" Rynar's words conveyed both his trust in Dylan and his dire lack of options.
"Reynard will be stationed at Lulong Fortress to guard the southern gate. As for the east… that's on you!" Rynar pointed at him.
"I'll grant you full authority over troop deployments in Riverguard. I just want it to be the same when I return as when I leave." Rynar's voice was firm.
"Sigh~ As you wish, Your Highness!" Dylan gave a slight bow before reluctantly resigning himself to being exploited further.
"I'll see to the supply logistics as quickly as possible… The rest is up to you. Bring more soldiers. The tunnels there are winding and treacherous—be careful!" Dylan advised with a sigh.
"That won't help. In the cramped underground, large numbers are a liability. A huge force is useless there!" Rynar shook his head. The battle in Moria would depend more on individual combat prowess; large armies would be ineffective in the mines.
"Fine, then. Take these invincible shield scrolls—you'll need them!" Dylan, looking pained, retrieved three small golden scrolls from his space ring and handed them to Rynar.
"Whoa! You've been holding out on me?" Rynar exclaimed as he examined the scrolls in his hand.
"Don't waste them! They're expensive! You know how to use them—tear one open, and it grants an invincible shield for 30 seconds. Not even a grand curse can break through during that time… And there are only three! These are my alchemist lineage's most prized possessions." Dylan looked heartbroken.
"Understood." Rynar carefully put away the precious scrolls. They weren't just scrolls—they were lifelines. Once used, they were gone forever.
"Let's hope you never need them…" Dylan muttered, eyeing Rynar.
"I hope so too…" Rynar couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of situation where he would have to use one.
"By the way, is there anything else we need to prepare for this battle?" Rynar asked, hoping Dylan could help identify any missing essentials.
"Well, does the battle plan include the Balrog?" Dylan asked solemnly. The intensity of a fight changed drastically depending on whether or not they had to face such a foe.
"Of course. Do you think our dragons would let a killer of silver dragons go unpunished? Even if it wasn't actually the culprit." Rynar shrugged. The vengeance of dragonkind was relentless.
"Then we'll need to prepare fire resistance items for the soldiers." Dylan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"The Balrog's domain is sweltering. Dwarves have high fire resistance, but humans and half-elves don't! If you don't want your precious soldiers turned to cinders, I suggest you give each of them a few Ice Blue Potions. They effectively insulate against high temperatures and mitigate some fire damage." Dylan smugly shook a tiny vial, inside which a deep blue liquid swirled.
"A good suggestion… But do we have enough potions?" Rynar asked, worried. With only Dylan as an alchemist, Riverguard's potion production was pitifully low.
"Ah, you finally care about that? Praise be to the Dragon God! The moment you mentioned this expedition, I started stockpiling. Right now, we have nearly a thousand vials… But that used up most of my budget. In short, I'm broke. Also, our material reserves are nearly exhausted!" Dylan spread his hands in mock despair, throwing a pointed look at Rynar, as if blaming him for leaving him to deal with everything.
"My apologies, I didn't consider that. I'll draft an order for you to take any necessary supplies from the castle's warehouse." Rynar said sincerely.
"I already did. Unfortunately, our materials are nearly depleted, and with trade routes blocked, my alchemy work is about to grind to a halt." Dylan said seriously.
"I'll find a way!" Rynar acknowledged the severity of the problem.
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