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Chapter 21 The Sentinel

"Ok, let me see if I got this right... Your in charge of a guild?"

"Yes"

"And you need a blacksmith to stay and work there?"

"Correct"

"And why did you decide to ask me?"

"Because I know your the best"

Since I had given Ryan rights to the mine he become extremely popular. His shop expanded and was now in a much larger building in a city to the north called City of the rising sun and had customers in a line stretching through the city. He also sold weapons in his old shop in the starting village, but that shop was ran by a NPC and sold the lesser of his equipment. Ryan was able to mass produce great items with the metals from the mine I gave him, as well as use the profits to buy more valuable metals until he was getting customers from all level ranges. Everyone from low level players who bought iron and steel equipment to the elites who wanted the best of the best were buying from him.

"I have a good business, I don't think I should I leave it"

Satsujin who came with me decided to try and persuade him, "well you could still run your shop in our stronghold. You'd only be forging weapons or armor for our troops on the side which wouldn't cost you anything because we will provide the materials. Also our stronghold would protect your main shop from attacks by bandit raids or from darkness troops, and this as well as the village shop could be ran by NPCs meaning you'd have more locations."

Ryan seemed to be thinking it over but seemed still unsure.
"Well seeing as how you basically gave me all this success, I think I'll do it"

We all went back to the guild headquarters and to the abandoned blacksmith building. The building was larger than both of the other shops Ryan had. Inside the building there was a large variety of equipment used for forging things, and while I didn't know what most of them were for Ryan seemed excited to have so much to work with.

"Ok this will work well, what do you need me to make?"

Satsujin handed Ryan a list of things that our members could really use as well as a few other miscellaneous items we needed forged.
"I'll get started right away"

Satsujin turned to me and started to speak, "with Ryan here two of our problems are solved. He can make items and equipment we need and travelers who come to here to visit his main shop will likely buy from our other shops or the inn which solves our gold problem."

"Ok, what other problems do we have?"

"Mainly defense issues, come I'll show you"

Satsujin led me to the front where the giant walls and gate ran from mountain to mountain. He pointed out cracks and faults in the wall, "they've been through a lot, much more and they'll crumble. We could rebuild them with what we have but the rock we have isn't very good. We need something strong because if our enemies break through they'll flood us and as of now we have no other defenses."

"Where could I find better materials?"

"Well I've had others find out our choices, There are several types of rock we could buy which would be stronger which would cost a lot of money or we could search for some and set up a mining operation but that would take a long time, time to mine it and even longer to find it. The last option is more dangerous. The strongest type of rock is in a quarry not far from here, the only problem is its guarded by an abomination."

"I've killed an abomination before"

"I know, that's the only reason I mentioned it."

I gave the options some though, and while the abomination is the most dangerous would definitely be the most fun and likely the quickest.