Dimension System - Chapter 97

Iskarii disappeared in the background as I left the imperial capital. I’d be back to place an even larger order from the Spice Shop the next time I visited. For now though, I decided to head back and continue lying low to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. Who knew how many spies had been placed throughout the city?

Returning to the familiar citadel, I greeted Tony at the reception counter, making small talk and describing my purchase of several spices. As we wrapped up the casual conversation, several members of the logistics department hurriedly approached the counter. They moved quickly to post up several emergency notices on the nearby billboard.

Pulling one of the notices off of the stack they handed over to Tony, I carefully inspected the contents, before asking what it would mean for us. The notice detailed some kind of an emergency transportation mission that sound quite urgent. Apparently, the bordering empire of Tellis had declared war against Iskarii. Both sides wanted to gather as many weapons, ammunition, food, and other war supplies as quickly as possible.

“What does this mean for our organization?”

It took a few minutes for the out of breath junior mage to respond.

“Our department handles the movement and transportation of supplies before, during, and after the war. Naturally, the rates go up during wartime, in order to compensate for the danger of possibly being captured. This kind of opportunity isn’t always available and should be taken advantage of. Basically, we stand to make huge profits!”

Seeing my logistics apprentice badge, one of the other junior mages advised that I tag along for the experience and profit.

“Since you’re new here, you should head along to the warehouse. Talk to the Capo in charge and he’ll get you set up with a mission order. Even taking a few boxes of medicine or food to the outskirts of their war camp will pay handsomely. Just make sure that you stick to something easy, don’t be tempted by the rewards for riskier supply drops. A new mage like yourself would likely be captured by the opposing army for ransom.”

I thanked the enthusiastic young mage for his genuine concern. It was heartwarming to think that they’d even warned me about the inherent dangers of the mission, albeit entirely unnecessary. A battlefield sounded like the perfect place to make a lot of money while gathering up a large number of corpses and equipment.

Getting directions from the young mages, I made my way into the logistics warehouse, which was located down the central hall past the testing room. Spatial mages were running in and out of various portals throughout the warehouse. A few of them were standing on raised platforms and doing their best to direct the traffic with brightly lit wands. Overall, it was a chaotic and frenzied scene.

One of the mages in charge directed me to a nearby portal that had been erected inside the warehouse. According to him, all I had to do was head through and speak to the officers on the other side. I’d been assigned to start off with transferring some of the supplies on the Iskarii side of the conflict. After thanking the mage for his instructions, I moved through the portal, emerging on the other side to an equally hectic field.

Soldiers were shouting out commands and directing their troops to drop off various supply crates. Multiple areas had been sectioned off in the fields surrounding the capital city, designating where they would be dropped off according to the contents within. A seemingly endless procession of carts were piling up crates with weapons, armor, and other war supplies into their respective zones. Spatial mages would enter through one portal, absorbing as much as they could hold, then sprint off into the exit portal to deliver the crates where they needed to go.

The commanding officer saw me standing there and observing the organized chaos. He barked out at me and caught my attention.

“You there! What are you just standing around for? Grab as many supplies as you can hold and move, move, MOVE!!”

Blinking, I gave a halfhearted salute before proceeding to the nearest section. A veritable mountain of crates was stacked up, each one filled to the brim with various swords, spears, axes, arrows, and bolts. The soldier in charge of the section was doing his best to direct the incoming wagons and outgoing spatial mages. His attendants were busy issuing the mages with receipts of transfer, which would be signed by the receiving officers and turned in for payment.

When it was my turn to absorb the crates, the military attendant closest to me asked me how many I could handle.

“How many?”

I didn’t understand at first, so I’d asked him to clarify.

“How many what?”

Clicking his tongue, he asked again with a slightly more annoyed tone.

“How many crates can you handle transporting? What’s your limit?”

I answered honestly, that I wasn’t sure what my limit was. After all, I’d never run into any limits with my unique system.

“Limit? I don’t really care for those. Too restricting.”

Thinking that I was joking, the military attendant chuckled, before responding kindly.

“Alright hotshot, let’s just start with the crates we have here. Go ahead and start absorbing them, I’ll keep track on this receipt form. Once you’re full, proceed directly to the other portal and turn them in. You can collect your payment after that.”

So I did what the man asked and started to absorb all of the weapon crates. The attendant was scrambling to tally them and keep track. At some point he’d called his supervisor over and they both watched as I absorbed the entire section of supplies. Sending them directly into the spatial warehouse allowed me to keep them separate from our own supplies. I was even able to confirm they’d counted correctly.

With that section taken care of for now, they moved me over to the others, which I made short work of with my ghost dragon hand. Armor, food, stone, wood, bedrolls, cooking utensils, pots, pans, and more were all absorbed into a separate warehouse section in my spatial world. Finally, the majority of the crates were taken care.

Due to the sheer volume of goods being transported, the commanding officer ordered the military attendant to accompany me directly to the war camp. By this point, the formerly busy military personnel finally had some breathing room and were directing things much more calmly. I entered the portal, following right behind the attendant and saw a huge war camp when we emerged.

Several hundred thousand soldiers were encamped in the area. A thick and foreboding pressure hung in the air, as ditches were being dug and temporary ramparts were being fortified into a massive defensive line. On the other side of the (soon to be) battlefield, similar defenses were being erected by the Tellis solders.

———————-

The shopkeeper at the Tea House apologized, saying that he would have to get the owner for such an order. He ducked into the recesses of the store, before returning with a well-dressed man who had a portly figure. Carrying himself with the grace of an aristocrat, the owner introduced himself and offered to discuss terms in a private room.

“Greetings young chap, my name is Winston. Shall we sit down for a cup, while we negotiate?”

Moving into the store itself revealed several sizable private rooms that were carved into the lower parts of the giant tree. According to the owner, guests would rent them out for private parties and gatherings. After making our way past several locked doors, we finally reached an open room that was available.

Winston graciously held the door for me and I entered into the private room. The decoration and theme of the room looked like something that was designed by Elves. A central table had been carved directly out of the tree itself and polished with lacquer to a mirror-like sheen. Torches on the wall were set directly into sconces that looked like beautiful flowers. Even the curtains blocking out the windows were patterned to look like a sheet of leaves.

As we sat down at the table, the shopkeeper from earlier brought in an elegant looking ceramic tea set. Steaming cups of fresh tea were poured for us, along with a small tray filled with things that could further enhance the flavor. The unique fragrance of tea filled the room and both of us took a moment to savor the aroma after the shopkeeper left the room. The owner was the first to break the silence.

“It’s been ages since I’ve met someone who truly appreciates good tea! Normally, we maintain a strict policy not to sell the plants themselves, in order to maintain control of the market. However, something tells me that you might be able to help me with a dilemma that I’m having. Will you listen to my request, from one eccentric to another?”

Sipping my cup of tea casually, I responded to the strange man.

“I’ll listen to your request but my answer will, of course, depend on what it is that you need.”

Over the next few minutes, he explained the issue he was having and what was going on.

“As you can see, the business brings in plenty of coin, so money hasn’t been an issue for quite some time. I’ve been able to sell plenty of tea and flavorings, without letting go of any of the plants themselves, all thanks to an exclusive contract with a reputable farmer in the neighboring empire of Tellis. Thanks to a constant supply of high quality soil, I can satisfy the requirements of the very demanding tea plants.”

Pausing for moment, he sipped his tea cup, before continuing on to his request.

“Recently, there’s been a declaration of war between the empires, resulting in the borders being closed off and fortified. Without a constant infusion of sufficiently high quality soil, my tea plants will fall short of production and my business will be ruined. That’s why I wanted to ask you for a favor! The holy capital is only a few days journey and they have a garden filled with magic soil. If you could get me a small amount of that, I would be able to spread it throughout my field and my plants would grow for generations.”

Finishing my cup of tea, I stood up and served myself another. This time I placed a slice of citrus and a vanilla pod inside, which steeped the tea with extra flavor.

“Your request is a bit much for me. I’ve barely signed up for the church and I have no idea if they’d give me such rare soil from their personal gardens.”

Filling a second cup of tea for himself, the owner was about to sigh but stopped midway when he noticed my grin.

“However… perhaps I could trade you some of my soil instead? I’ve no idea if it will meet your criteria but I vouch for it’s undeniably high quality.”

Conjuring up my holy dragon hand, I had the small glowing dragon head ‘cough’ up a small pile of soil onto the floor. By now, the system had collected several different samples of soil and compiled them into an amalgamation of the best facets. The result was a rich, dark, soil that was soft and full of nutrients.

Having worked with many different soils over many years, the owner was instantly capable of recognizing the unusually high quality of what I had to offer. He dove to the ground and rolled the small clump of soil around in his hand. In his excitement, he revealed to me that he was actually a half-elf and that he could sense rich earth energy in the soil. That did explain some of his eccentric behavior.

After shaking on a deal, I produced a few pots of the soil for him. Winston personally took me around his nearby fields where the various plants were stored. I absorbed a few of each into the spatial system.

[Material analyzed:

Name: Camellia sinensis

Type: Plant, evergreen shrub

Rating: Level 2

Description: Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. Camellia sinensis is usually trimmed to below 2 meters (6.6 feet) when cultivated for its leaves. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which includes pu-erh tea) and black tea are all harvested from the leaves, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation.]

[Material analyzed:

Name: Spearmint

Type: Plant, herbaceous perennial

Rating: Level 1

Description: Spearmint is an herbaceous, rhizomatous, perennial plant. Spearmint grows well in nearly all temperate climates. Spearmint leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. Spearmint is used for its aromatic oil, referred to as oil of spearmint. It can be used to flavor tea and is even used as an ingredient in several mixed drinks such as the mojito and mint julep.]

[Material analyzed:

Name: Bergamot orange

Type: Fruit, citrus

Rating: Level 3

Description: A fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime, depending on ripeness. The bergamot orange is thought to be a hybrid of lemon and bitter orange. The fruit of the bergamot orange is edible, with the juice tasting less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit. Oil of bergamot is used to help give Earl Grey tea it’s unique flavor.]

[Material analyzed:

Name: Vanilla

Type: Plant, orchid

Rating: Level 2

Description: Vanilla is a vine-like plant that is grown for it’s fruit, which is often referred to as a ‘Vanilla Bean’, despite the fact that they aren’t true beans. Rather, the vanilla fruit is technically an elongate, fleshy and later dehiscent capsule around 1020 cm long. It ripens gradually for 8 to 9 months after flowering, eventually turning black in color and giving off a strong aroma. The highly valued fruit is sought after due to it’s flavor and must usually be hand-harvested.]

With the acquisition of a few tea plants and several supplementary flavorings, I’d soon be able to serve a wide variety of my own premium teas. Having concluded our deal, I thanked the owner and returned to the nearby inn where we were staying for the night. Everyone had become spoiled by my cooking and was eagerly looking forward to dinner.

I opted to go for something easy. Hamburgers, potato salad, and corn on the cob were all well received by the hungry crowd. Tomorrow we’d be hitting the open road once again and finishing up the last part of our journey towards the holy capital city.

———————-

A gentle knocking roused me from my slumber.

‘Captain, we’re almost there.’

I exited the captain’s quarters, stretching my arms in a languid manner and yawning. Emerging onto the deck of the galleon, I felt the cool breeze of the early morning sea. The fleet had almost reached the hideout of the Black Dagger pirates, which was nestled away in a secluded cove. Several smaller ships had followed us from behind, however, they stayed quite a distance behind.

According to my crew, they’d started following us almost as soon as we entered the surrounding waters. Each of them bore the familiar Black Dagger pirate flag on their masts. With a prediction that things would get pretty violent, I informed the villagers on the ocean liner that I would be sending them away until the battle was resolved. Using my dark dragon hand, I was able to slowly absorb them into the spatial world.

Without any civilians to protect, we were now free to charge in directly to their main base. With a shout, I gave the order to move forward.

“Full speed ahead men! We’re gonna wipe out the lot o’ them!”

Once my fleet started moving with speed towards the base, the small ships that had been trailing from behind decided to cut off our retreat. Following behind us as quickly as they could, they closed off the bay with a blockade. With my galleon taking vanguard, we continued towards the only small beach available for landfall.

A large boom chain was raised in an attempt to stop or delay or fleet. One side was anchored into a massive boulder, while the other was leading to a heavily fortified chain tower. On top of the tower I could see a half-dozen pirates rotating a large capstan to raise the chain across the sheltered bay. Since my ship was already in the lead position, I simply moved to the front of the deck and brought out my dark dragon hand.

Absorbing the slightly rusted chain caused a kickback effect, as the rest of the chain sunk back into the ocean. With one end now dangling freely, the capstan simply pulled it into their tower, as opposed to raising it into a blocking position. It probably caused some internal damage to the mechanism, not to mention causing the pirates working the machine to trip over each other due to sudden change of momentum.

Horns were blared as the Black Dagger pirates were visibly shaken, having immediately lost one of their most effective layers of base defense. Obviously, the scrambling pirates thought they’d have at least a few more minutes to prepare for the attack. When we finally made landfall on the beach, I ordered my men to wait before advancing.

“Hold defensive positions on the galleon. There’s gotta be a reason they aren’t trying ta ambush us on the beach.”

My instinct proved to be correct, as I noticed that most of the beach was covered in wooden punji sticks. Tiny carved wooden spikes were placed everywhere like booby traps, leaving only a thin, narrow path that could be walked upon safely. How cute!

Laughing to myself, I had to give them some credit, as the traps were at least mildly annoying. Instead of taking the obvious path, I just cheated and created my own! After all, they say that all’s fair in love and war.

I moved to the side of the beach, while using the system to stealthily absorb any nearby punji sticks. The enemy had only seen me absorb things while using my dark dragon hand, so they shouldn’t notice my trickery. When I reached the sheer cliff face at the end of the beach, I used my dark dragon hand to absorb a path directly through the rock itself. A set of ascending steps was soon created, looking like it had been carved out by hand into the earth itself.

“Alright men, grab yer weapons and get ready ta storm the base!”

Laughing and shouting with glee, my crazy pirate crew grabbed swords, spears, and axes and charged into the newly created staircase right behind me. The Black Dagger pirates who’d been waiting to ambush us on the spike traps had to retreat back to the main base, or they would risk us taking the base by surprise.

Shouting and cursing could be heard outside the tunnel, as a few of them tried to rush in and stop our ambush. However, due to the size of the tunnel, only four or five men could attack at a time and they were easily cut down. The noise changed as the ill-fated attackers were hacked down. Screams of agony replaced the previous war cries and the metallic scent of blood started to fill the air.

Continuing to absorb directly through solid rock, we collectively made our way into their fortified base. The majority of their defenses were pointed at the entrance to deter attackers. Opening up an entrance directly into the middle of the base rendered them useless.

Spilling out of the corridor like ants, my crew spread out in all directions as they sliced and stabbed anyone who stood in their way. It was a one-sided slaughter that didn’t even require them to maintain a cohesive formation. Many of them were cold-blooded killers who’d been cooped up for way too long.

I kept an eye out on the battle over the next hour, jumping in wherever my men were about to be injured. Dante had also been keeping himself busy. Whenever the enemy tried ganging up on someone, he’d leap in and slice off a few heads. By the time it was over, the entire base was covered in gore and looked like the scene of a horror movie.

Later, after we cleaned up the bodies, I’d learned that the Black Dagger pirate leader had been a cowardly fellow who was cut down while trying to flee. How disappointing! Even the pirates manning the smaller boats in the bay had joined into the combat, although they wisely chose to surrender.

Having defeated my first group of ragtag pirates, I brought out the ocean liner and instructed the villagers to gather up the treasure. I had to allow my men to celebrate their victory but made sure to remind them not to become overconfident.

After all, this crew was nothing more than a third-rate, lowbrow, pirate crew who had inferior weapons and leadership. They picked on weak and helpless villages that were easy to plunder. There was no doubt in my mind that we’d face many larger, tougher, and better armed enemies in near future.

There was, after all, much larger fish to fry.