The Houndsman 4: A Base-Building LitRPG Adventure by J Pal

Author:J Pal [Pal, J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2023-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

20

Fortunately, the fire damage hadn’t spread too far. They only lost the fruit trees that supplied products to sell in the markets and filled the Black River Bats’ quota. The new orchards in the Fjallheim would temporarily need to do the job.

In the meantime, the Woodson Fort faced lockdown. Traders who made their living during market days could no longer enter the city. The inner guards restricted passage between Lea’s Slumber, the fort, and the city’s two sections. Only essential staff could also move between Fjallheim and the Woodson Fort. Winona wanted to leave no stone unturned or person unquestioned until they caught the perpetrators.

Flint hoped Winona would cease blaming him once she calmed. Unfortunately, nothing changed.

“Do you think we’re the only ones with spies?” Winona asked. “Peace runs on covert information networks. I’ve got changelings monitoring the Wyld and Iron councils. It’s more than likely they’re doing the same to us.”

“You think one of them did this?” Flint asked while the rest of the council remained silent. They sat outside Lefa and her pod’s quarters.

“Of course!” she exclaimed. “You want to find the Champion of Equilibrium? Fine. Just because Lefa found out, you gave up on all attempts at secrecy. Everyone here has assistants. I’ll bet one of them, their family, or friends leaked the information. The disk’s other powers know. We’re powerful enough already. The sword would only make us more formidable. So they want to cripple us. If not Lord Ironheart, one of his other council members wants to destroy our food supply and make us more reliant on them.”

“Hold on a moment.” Ed stepped forward. “Why do you want to jump to blame the Iron Council? They’ve not raised a sword against us in eight years and parleyed with me on more than one occasion. They’re our friends.”

“Either you’re naive or in his pocket,” Winona said, her words dripping with vitriol.

“Woah, there!” Alais hobbled between the pair before the argument could escalate further. “Let’s not turn against each other. That’s precisely what the culprit wants. We still don’t know the perpetrator’s identity. It could be anyone. A Wyld agent is just as likely to do such a thing as a saboteur from the Iron Council. I’m more inclined to believe it was one of the fae than a human.”

“What makes you say that?” Adam asked. More than half the artisans in his workshop were metalworkers, runesmiths, and artificers who once served the Wyld. He had grown close with them and more trusting of the fae than the average Woodson human. Flint heard he had joined a fae pod with two nymphs, a male puck, and another human man.

“Not many humans outside of the council know how to find a grove heart,” Alais answered. “Your lot lack the Aether sense to detect Life Aether and their sources. Meanwhile, we fae naturally gravitate toward them. Legends say it’s where the first of us were born. Our protection wards are weak. I bet all magic users passing through the gardens sensed its location.

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