Construction Mage - Chapter 68: Guild & Suppliers

AN: Yeah, I've been dropping the ball. Sorry! Looking to return to the regular schedule next week!

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“Hygiene in the dungeon cannot be neglected, especially for those going on long delves. To keep illness away, there are dozens of ways to keep yourself clean, depending on what’s around. Clean sand, ash, or flour can be used to rub off grease and dirt from your skin and hair. Vinegar, wine, and herbs could be used as well if they are plentiful enough.

Nevertheless, if you ever find a water source in the dungeon or you have a water mage with you, don’t forget to wash your clothes. Nothing feels worse than being in the same damp shirt for weeks.”

-Excerpt from the Delver Guide to Hygiene 

***

“A mobile water heater? Why would you need that with Sylphira in your party? Shouldn’t she be able to do that with her magic?” Clay replied to the veteran Delver known as Roylan.

“Probably, yeah, but that would require our valuable mage to use their mana. Mana is a valuable resource, and deep into the dungeon, the management of resources is everything. If your little invention can address our needs without having to expand mana, it’s a win for your group overall.”

“It’s not anything complicated, though. Can’t you just put it together yourselves? As long as you have the magic crystals, it will work.”

“Hmm? The water heater I saw back at Sylphira’s place was way more than just some makeshift item randomly put together. It made use of the volume to produce a stable flow that isn’t anything like the trickle from just saving the crystals. You had shown Odrik how to build it right? Who better to go to than you?”

Clay scratched his head as several ideas came to mind. The one he had gone over with Odrik at some point was catered to Sylphira’s specific circumstances. If he were to make something for dungeon use, the requirements would be very different. It wouldn’t just be washing your hands, so he could account for many other uses for it. For example, it could provide drinking water, wash their clothes, and even a shower. The only thing he had to look out for was keeping it light enough to carry around into the deeper layers.

Otherwise, he could play around with the shape however he liked. Just changing the nozzle from a reserve tank of water opened up many possibilities.

Just like how there are large tanks of water at the top of the older buildings. Old man John always talked about how in his childhood, families in apartments couldn’t use the water at the same time. They needed to holler at their neighbours above them if they took too long with the water. 

“Enough with all the boring talk!” Dorgan bellowed. “Come, Clay, share a drink with me!”

No one could directly reject the man, so the conversation eased up as the Delvers relaxed and made merry. There were plenty of other tavern goers livening up the atmosphere, so there was no issue with the transition. Food and drinks helped a lot, too.

With so many veteran Delvers at the table with him, Clay didn’t let the chance go by and asked about their various adventures during their lifetimes.

“What’s the deepest layer you guys have reached?”

“For the Greymark’s Bastion? The ninth. Been to about the fifteenth elsewhere as well!” Dorgan straightforwardly replied.  

“Really? Why is that? Is it because you guys just haven’t spent enough time conquering Greymark’s Bastion, or is there something particularly strong standing in the way?”

“No, no. Nothing fancy like that,” Roylan chimed in. “The dungeons are fickle places. Heading down a layer doesn’t always mean everything on that stratum is stronger. Plenty of times, the difficulty and level of the monsters remain about the same. I say terrain matters just as much, including how difficult it is to reach them. You’d be surprised at how difficult it is to reach some of the discovered dungeons, not to mention those we have yet to uncover.”

The impromptu drinking session didn’t stretch for too long as Sylphira had broken up the party early. Like a proper noble, she carried out what she promised. She had Clay retrieve the toilets he had made and brought them all to her estate, where Odrik was waiting.

“These are the same toilets you made before?” the master craftsman said as he blinked blankly at the toilets. “They’re all made of pottery this time! These pipes too!”

“Yes, but they aren’t anything impressive. We can’t even get it to be completely watertight. Best bet is to coat it in a thin layer of ooze membrane still.”

“That’s not a problem. That’s a common enough material around here.”

“Hm, good. Moving on, do you think I can place the order with you this time?”

“Regarding the things you wanted to attach to your staff? No problem. Just tell me what you need.”

“Well, I have two requests this time. A shovelhead and a hammerhead. Made of the sturdiest material you can find that doesn’t cost me my entire fortune.”

“Both of those can be done fairly quickly. Should be able to do it in a day. I’ll likely have to work to finish installing these toilets first, though. Is that right, my lady?”

“Yes. It should be done before night falls, correct?” Sylphira asked.

“Mostly. As long as the request isn’t too complicated,” the older man thoughtfully said as he directed a questioning gaze at Roylan and Faris.

“Whatever you recommend is fine,” the leader of the party replied with a wink.

“Yes, same for me as well,” the pink-haired woman added.

“Understood. In that case, don’t mind if I head over there first. I’ll have a plan hashed out by the time you people arrive.”

With the craftsman gone, Clay didn’t relent and immediately jumped onto his next task at hand.

“So, Roylan and Faris. Our two common friends here seemed to have already agreed to sign on to my guild. Are both of you okay with that? Will you be joining them as well?”

“Sure. If our party member is already using it, it would be crass of me to say otherwise,” Roylan said. “There are a few other people who were interested in your work as well. Our Sylphira worked hard showing off your creation to our acquaintances, so expect even more to be joining this guild of yours soon. Interesting idea, by the way, but I hope you can execute it.”

“I’ll try my best—”

***

The sale of toilets and water heaters went by without a hitch. Clay had his craftsmen working on the orders nonstop, while he attended meetings with new customers. It not only allowed him to make a pretty penny but also promises to join his Adventurers’ guild. Of course, it only entailed those who approached him first—a result of the word-of-mouth advertising from his Delver friends. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

While it was true Clay currently had it easy with clients coming up to his doorstep, it didn’t mean he was slacking. In order to get the framework of the guild up, he spent many hours working on what would be the guild building. At the same time, he went out each day to converse with various merchants and vendors throughout the city.

“The last time we talked, you were saying how it was difficult to connect with enough Delvers to get a stable supply of pelts and other leather raw materials, right? You should help petition your guild to add me to your supplier list. I can handle managing the relationship with the eccentric Delvers for you. In exchange, all I ask is a fair price for the goods.”

“Customer, you overestimate how much sway our lone store has over the guild,” the woman at the counter said. “If the quantities aren’t too high, we can make any decisions we want, but if you want to move the amount you’re talking about, that’s a different matter.”

“That works too, but having the guild members pressure them from within will aid us in establishing a long-term cooperation with the guild. Can you just put in a good word to whoever you can, please?”

Like that, Clay had gone from store to store to discuss a business partnership with them. He stuck only to the mundane shops for now as he didn’t have the connections with those who dealt in high-tier dungeon gear. Those stores were mainly operated by fellow Delvers anyway, though, so it didn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things. The quantity they moved was too low. The chances of conflict arising due to it were too low. The demand far outstripped the supply. 

Strengthening oneself through risking your life in the dungeon was one thing, but when items could offer the same benefit without the risk, the pool of people looking for Delver gear outnumbered anything else.

With the days’ schedule packed full, even Clay’s evenings were filled with work. After he went home and had dinner, he began working on replenishing his stockpile of earthen bricks before bed. 

It was during one such boring night that something happened that drew his attention.

[Ding—Skill: Meditate(I) has leveled up!]

[Ding—Possible upgrade available for the skill, Meditate(I)!]

Finally! I can’t wait to see what options are available, though it would be hard to resist a simple one that would contribute to my goal of being able to sustain an elemental out for the entire day.

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