I Have a Task Log

Colin and the others nodded silently.

At this, Asvir turned to Edwin. "By the way, I remember telling you to order a formal suit. Why are you still wearing those old clothes?"

"I took the funds to buy clothes for the refugees outside the city," Edwin said. "Now is not the time for indulgence."

"I wasn’t telling you to indulge yourself. This is about improving work efficiency."

"I don’t see it that way," Edwin immediately replied.

His expression remained unchanged, making it clear he was paying no mind to the other man’s words.

"Fine clothes serve a purpose. They let people in a crowd identify who’s in charge at a single glance. If you dress like this, you’ll have to waste time showing your ring or something just to command a member of the City Guard who doesn’t recognize you. Don’t you see how that’s a waste of time?"

"It wouldn’t waste that much time," Edwin retorted, unyielding.

Seeing this, Morel quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "As you know, Paladins are a stubborn lot. Edwin is no exception."

"Someone who isn’t stubborn can’t become a Paladin," Edwin chimed in.

’Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever seen that kind of ’I do what I want’ look on his face.’

Asvir sighed. "Alright, let’s leave it at that for today. It does you no good to waste time."

Now that their business was finished, there was no reason to linger in someone else’s office.

Edwin and Morel led the group out of the office and into a hallway within the Black Tower.

Kase, who had swiped a pork chop on the way out, walked ahead of the group, gnawing on it with loud crunches.

Walking beside them, Ale carried a box of cake that belonged to Orelia. The young Tiefling girl couldn’t hold it due to her injuries, so she simply hummed the tune of a hymn as she walked.

As they continued on, Morel asked for the details of everyone’s moving plans.

With the exception of Dorn, everyone else agreed to move to the dormitory in the Southern District.

Even if the accommodations weren’t great, everyone was happy to move. After all, they still had to pay rent at their old places. This way, they could save a few Gold Coins each month.

After leaving the Black Tower, Edwin and Morel parted ways with the group. Colin and the others planned to head their separate ways home and prepare for their evening training and loot-sorting at the Dwarf’s place.

They had not been walking along the main road for long when Ale came up to Colin’s side.

She gently nudged his elbow and asked, "I get the feeling those two groups don’t get along very well."

"That’s a bit complicated," Colin said, swirling the coffee in his cup. "The more conservatively dressed group up front are the old-guard nobles of Thousand Masts City. The group behind them, with the Halflings and Dwarves, are the new-money nobles."

"What’s the difference between them?"

’Haven’t those centuries-old old guys your parents associate with ever mentioned this?’ Colin grumbled to himself. Aloud, he said, "Oh, there are plenty of differences.

The old-guard nobles of Thousand Masts City were mostly the first to arrive—illegitimate children and minor nobles. They developed the land around the city, so they all possess fiefs and titles. They also hold high status within the Masked Lord Council.

During the last City Lord’s reign, a decree was passed that allowed noble titles to be purchased with vast amounts of Gold. That’s when most of the wealthy merchants became the new nobility. They don’t have fiefs, just profitable businesses and connections.

One group sees the other as a bunch of country bumpkins, while the other sees them as parasites who showed up late to the party. Of course they can’t get along."

"But why don’t they get along?" Ale asked, tilting her head.

"Because there are only so many council seats in the city. More new nobles means fewer seats for the old nobles.

If one faction gains control of the Lord Council, they’ll pass decrees that favor their own interests. For example, the new nobles want to lower taxes on merchant guilds, which is bad for the old-guard nobles who collect taxes on trade routes."

Colin summarized, "In short, it’s all about money and power."

After a moment, he added, "Look, even the two Noble Districts in Thousand Masts City are separate, aren’t they? You have the Marine District, which the new nobles prefer, and the Castle District, which the old-guard nobles like."

"Mr. Colin is so amazing... Ouch!"

Orelia, who was beside them, had tried to clap, only to smack her two injured hands together and yelp in pain.

Colin said, a little exasperated, "You have to be more careful."

The young girl just lowered her head and smiled, not offering a response.

The group chatted and laughed on their way. It was nearly evening by the time Colin arrived home. He gathered the equipment and Gold he’d acquired in the Undercity, intending to take care of it at the Dwarf’s place in the sewers.

The moment he stepped out the door, Ale and Orelia followed, saying they wanted to come along.

Even though the Tiefling couldn’t train right now, she had nothing else to do. Going with Colin and the others would at least let her watch the excitement and pass the time.

When they arrived at the sewers, they happened to run into Kase at the entrance, who was also there for training.

After greeting him, Colin went straight to Donkexes’s herb shack.

"I heard from Dorn. Your haul this time was decent, right? At least the Grells are worth something," Donkexes said without lifting his head from behind the counter.

"Specifically, it’s all this stuff," Colin said as he dumped the items onto the ground. "Can you melt down Gold here?"

"Nope. That’s a sensitive business. If that Gold hits the market, people will come looking for trouble with us over it. You’re better off going to the Divine Hall of the Goddess of Wealth or a legal, large-scale guild. Their cut isn’t cheap, though."

Donkexes ambled over and started picking through the pile. "Most of this is useless, eh? I’d recommend you keep a few of these giant Spider Silk Glands, though. With a little processing, you can throw them like Bombs. The silk sprays out everywhere, making it the equivalent of the Tier Two spell ’Web’."

"We can keep two, then," Colin said.

He remembered that this type of silk was highly flammable. After being thrown, it could be ignited for secondary Damage, which sounded quite useful.

"We can buy this Hobgoblin equipment off you. I can give you a price slightly higher than the second-hand market... let’s say three hundred and ninety Gold Coins. How about it?"

After picking out the useful materials, Donkexes said, "As for the rest, I don’t want it."

"Alright. I’ll get rid of the rest myself. Can you sort this out for me first?"

Colin nodded. His own estimate had been around the same amount.

"I’m a centuries-old Old Guy, and you sure don’t hesitate to order me around, do you, Colin, my boy."

"Come on, Donkexes. You still look plenty sturdy to me," Colin replied.

With that, he took the Gold he had found in the Undercity and headed toward the Divine Hall of the Goddess of Wealth inside the city.