Ben had been given one of the officers' guest rooms the previous night. The number of times the hotel staff checked on him made it seem like the medieval equivalent of a five-star experience, and the bed seemed far more comfortable than the average one.

  After waking, he cleaned himself in one of the washrooms as his armor had been taken for quick repairs. The staff had provided him with fresh clothes that were his exact size. Eager to get going, he made his way outside and stopped dead when he saw three carts full of various explosive items. There was no way they would all fit in his van.

  Le’Vieux, ready to get going, patted Ben on the shoulder. “I’m not sure how you will fit all that in there with all your belongings in the back. Too bad, my spatial storage is almost full; otherwise, I would have helped you out. You might have to abandon the thought of that skill point you negotiated.”

  Ben gave Le’Vieux a frown. “I may be in a pickle, but I think I have something in mind that might work.”

  “You’ve made me eager to see what,” Le’Vieux said with a raised brow.

  Ben walked walked over to the van and got inside. Once the engine was on, he opened the upgrade menu and hovered his finger over the spatial. He thought about how it would set him back fifty gold, let out a huff of frustration, and pressed it with a light hand. “Darn, expensive upgrade.”

  [Spatial Storage Mk.1 is now unlocked.] -50GP

  Once the magical fanfare of the changes had dispersed, Ben stepped out of the van and wondered what had happened. Everything looked identical except for a circular button above the side door handle, which he examined closer.

  [Spatial Storage: 10m^3. Press to access Spatial Storage.]

  Ben did what it said when something else appeared.

  [Open the side door to access the portal to your storage.]

  When Ben slid the door, he was met with the unfamiliar view of a magical barrier that resembled a portal. He put his hand through first to ensure it was safe, and when nothing felt wrong, he pulled it out. Next, he was about to stick his head in before turning to Le’Vieux, “If I don't stick it back out in 20 seconds, pull me the hell out.”

  The inside of the space looked pitch black, making Ben think he had gone blind for a moment. He could breathe properly, and when he yelled at the top of his voice, it echoed back to him from multiple points as if he were in an enclosed space. Quickly, he pulled out. “Place is darker than the lowest level of the mine without a light source.” He then grabbed his flashlight in front of his glovebox and went in again, using one of his hands to shine the light.

  In a large ten-by-ten-meter cube, four stone walls stared back at him. He glanced around the portal and noticed it was a wooden doorway, making the space look like the underground dungeon of a medieval castle. Taking his head out, he glanced at Le’Vieux with a wide grin, “There’s plenty of space in there for those supplies.”

  Le’Vieux shook his head while chuckling. “You never cease to amaze me. Let’s get all this in there and set off before we lose the daylight.”

  They had traveled for around an hour, giving Ben more than enough time to give Le’Vieux a full account of everything that had happened and explain the deal with the fairies.

  Le’Vieux gave Ben a deep frown. “You’re the biggest madman I’ve ever met. No one in their right mind would make a deal like that with the fairies.”

  Ben shrugged. “What else would you have liked me to do? I think things will turn out pretty well if the agreement holds. From what I saw of their people, they don’t look like they’ll be waging war on anyone within the next hundred years. The infected have ravaged most of their population, with the remnants just about getting back to rebuilding.”

  Le’Vieux nodded and patted Ben on the shoulder. “At least they agreed to help us with the battle. With Alfred being there during your talks, I have faith the agreements will hold. He has a knack for seeing through dubious plots and would have mentioned any dodginess.” He paused momentarily, then turned back to Ben as if he had remembered something. “Did you say you saw that high-ranked fairy again?”

  Ben nodded. “Oh yeah, once we were done, the elder ordered him to return with us so their people could get accustomed to our customs. Plus, it allowed him to see what items and resources we have to trade with them.”

  Le’Vieux scratched his head. “I hope things are still going well at the mine. That was one of the most powerful fairies I have ever encountered.”

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  “Aldred and Jerry are there, not to mention Hauxwel around the corner at the pasture,” Ben muttered.

  Le’Vieux nodded. “Regardless, you’ve done great work out there. You have the makings of a great grand master, but until then, I’m taking you with me whenever I have important negotiations. Oh, and I won't take no for an answer.”

  Ben gave Le’Vieux the side-eye. “Well, as long as you have some skill points to offer as reimbursements for my services, I’m happy to do that.”

  Le’Vieux burst into a chuckle, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what Ben had just said. “You have come here two decades ago when I was given my first position of high command. We could have done a lot together.”

  Ben started to laugh. “If that were the case, then you’d have a toddler version of me to deal with.”

  They continued to chat about various topics before arriving at Robynhill. Once the guards noticed Le’Vieux, they didn’t even ask questions and immediately raised the gates before standing at attention. They didn't waste time and made their way to the command tent.

  Looking at a map of the area, the knight commander shot up and stood to attention. “Grand Marshall, sir. If I’d known you were arriving here, I would have made the welcome much warmer.”

  “Knight Commander, there is no need for that right now. I need you to give me a situation report.” Le’Vieux commanded.

  “Sir, my scouts arrived back this morning with bad news. The enemy has gathered a large force of around two thousand infected, with one in ten being former Meso knights. They also have animals and creatures with them that could pose a challenge, including one that had morphed into a giant monstrosity. Their numbers have stayed the same, forming into units I believe will begin the march towards us within days, " the commander explained while pointing at the map.

  “Understood. And how is work going with the defenses?” Le’Vieux asked.

  “The palisades, watchtowers, and turrets have all been completed. The engineers dig trenches at various intervals in the direction we assume the enemy will attack. The woodworkers are currently making the stakes stuck in the ground.”

  Le’Vieux nodded. “That’s great work; I knew I could count on you. I have ordered another company of reserves to make their way here, but I believe they have been slowed due to the shortage of horse feed. According to the other Grand Marshalls, they don't have any to spare. We must work with what we have.” He motioned to Ben, “He has brought the requested supplies. Please ensure the men are adequately trained in their use before the battle starts and use the crates of Greek fire to fill the trenches.”

  “Understood, sir.” The commander nodded.

  Ben returned to the van with Le’Vieux and the commander. A few soldiers had been ordered to help unload the supplies from the spatial storage, and even Le’Vieux had stepped inside to take a peek.

  Once Le’Vieux stepped out, he faced the van and motioned towards the portal. “If I'll be damned, you’ve got enough space in there now to hold an entire unit of elite knights. You could unsuspectedly drive behind enemy lines and attack them from the rear in a deep battle maneuver.”

  Ben nodded. “Suprise attacks from the rear always seem to work wonders. I could even combine it with the other skills and abilities of the van for added effect.” Ben stroked his chin, “Speaking of skills, I have some available still to be unlocked.”

  “We don't have much time left. You have a day to get yourself prepared for the battle and gather the team of elite warriors. Make sure you leave a spot for me as I will be coming with you. Master Blue has instructed me to go behind the enemy lines and investigate the Chateau, as the source of magic blocking him is there. It could be something to do with that large creature the scouts discovered.” Le’Vieux explained.

  “That thing sounds like the super sporemancer we faced in the fairy valley. If it is, then it’s going to be one hell of a tough battle, and I don't know if we’ll make it through if it’s more powerful than that.” Ben stated before huffing out a breath of frustration.

  Le’Vieux crossed his arms. “I remember what you said about the acidic attacks it used. That could make things a whole lot more complicated. More reason for you to get your unit gathered.” He then motioned to the command tent. “When you are ready, meet me there, and we will create an attack plan. Oh, I’ll instruct the commander to complete your quest so you can allocate the skill point to those skills you were speaking about.”

  Ben gave Le’Vieux a thumbs up. “Thanks for that. Don't worry, you can count on me.”

  “Godspeed, kid.” Le’Vieux finished before heading off towards the tent.

  [Quest Completed: Supply Run: +1 Skill Point has been added.]

  Later, Ben made his way back to mine. His first port of call was to speak with the Corporal, who was instructed to send a couple of his off-duty men around to the various people known for their combat prowess for a meeting by the campfire.

  Ben explained his task once Alfred, Hauxwell, Jerry, and Quicksilver were present.

  “Le’Vieux will also be joining us. So, are you all committing to this, or what?” Ben asked, looking around at everyone.

  Hauxwell was the first to step forward and raise his fist in the air. “How can I miss an opportunity to put Le’Vieux’s abilities to shame? It’s been decades since I fought alongside him, so count me in!”

  Jerry was next and raised one of his arrows. “If Hauxwell’s in, so am I. Let my arrows pierce the skulls of our enemies.”

  Alfred also said his piece. “When I lost my arm, I thought it would be the end of me. But, it turned out to be something that awakened a newfound strength in me. Thanks to Hauxwell, who spent those days teaching me and the battle with the sporemancer, I feel more confident with my capabilities. Count me in.”

  Everyone's heads then turned to the fairy with raised eyebrows as he stayed silent throughout the meeting.

  Quicksilver walked forward. “You all are looking at me like you think I’m going to run back home and keep our end of the deal. I have already telepathically sent word to my elder. A few other tribes have joined ours in the valley. They will send out a war party to provide support in the battle. I will wait in the cave to guide them and ensure peace between our peoples. I would advise you to wait for them so that they can join your elite unit.”

  Ben raised his fist into the air. “Let’s go!”