I walk a long arch around the eating spider near the staircase. As long as it's eating, it shouldn’t attack me. I can also catch it easier if it has a full belly. What concerns me the most right now, is the spider in front of the entrance because it is guarding both my escape route and my tools.

  “Damn it…I should have moved the corpse to avoid this happening. Maybe I can lure it away…”

  I throw some steaks into the corner of the room, coating them with the gut juices that are all over my armor. It seems to be working. As it walks into the corner I silently approach my tools and pick up a weighted net. I’m not confident in throwing it very far so instead I quietly walk up close to it from behind and the second it notices me approaching I throw it but miss. My failure caused the spider to back up into a corner where I can’t really throw the net around it. Deciding it is better to not risk it for some extra money I instead shield charge at the spider, pinning it at the wall so hard that I hear a loud wet crunching sound as it dies almost instantly from being squashed. Picking up two nets I approach the other spider that is eating near the staircase. It doesn’t seem to notice me so I throw my net at it. Success! It seems to be struggling and trying to move out of it as hard as it can but it’s not working, it’s successfully trapped under it.

  Since there are still two spiders I haven’t seen, I move towards the kitchen area. There is one dead spider on the floor and a living one eating the food inside of a crate. It seems so preoccupied that it doesn’t notice me at all so I easily get my net on top of it.

  Now there are only four left, together with two that are trapped and need to be moved. Just to be safe I use my silk comb again only to find that I once more underestimated the amount of silk on me. Taking the st three weighted nets with me I pce them all on the top of the basement staircase. Carefully I then walk downstairs and confirm that the st four spiders are still in the milking room. Hoping to cause a brawl I throw the rest of the meat in the middle of the room and observe from a distance. Two of the spiders approach the bag of food. They both seem to try to intimidate each other to stay away. The bigger spider then seems to win as the smaller one retreats but then a third spider attacks it from behind leading to another spider ball fight which the third spider wins and successfully kills the bigger spider ending up wounded in the process.

  The spider that retreated from the big spider then seems to take this as a chance to attack, another spider ball occurs and both of them die.

  One spider left.

  Successfully waiting out the fighting, the smallest spider in the room approaches the pile of food and corpses and starts to eat. Carefully I go upstairs, check that the spiders are still caught and carry two weighted nets back down with me. Quietly I approach the st spider and successfully catch it under the net. It squirms around for a bit but eventually calms down. Taking the merchant's advice, I pin it down by its waist while I remove the net. I can feel it squirm and press against me violently.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy about owning leather gloves…”

  Once I get the net off I carry it with both hands towards an open cage. It seems to quickly crawl in it willingly once I position it in front of the cage and I then quickly lock the door behind it.

  “Alright, two more to go.”

  I comb the silk from my body and repeat the same task twice without problem. Final result, 7 saved, 3 dead before I came here and 8 killed.

  Exhausted I then walk up to the front door and knock.

  “I’m done. You can open up now.”

  “Really!? That’s great!”

  The merchant opens the door and Ray, dressed for combat, suddenly approaches me slightly recoiling from the guts all over me.

  “Are you alright Thoma!? Did you get hurt!? Ugh. You’re covered in guts! Is that…Is that a bite mark!? Are you okay!?”

  “Yeah I’m fine! Just exhausted. There was one time that one of them got the drop on me but thanks to your advice I didn’t have much trouble. It only looks disgusting, the armor managed to block the bite though.”

  “Thank the Gods you’re alright…I was so worried! Mr. Kelly told me that you would scream if you needed help so I was just silently waiting here, making sure that if something happens I can save you!”

  “Uhum. Not to cut your reunion short but I need to know…How bad are the damages?”

  “Three of them were already dead when I got there, I managed to save seven and the other eight died through various ways, mostly through each other.”

  “Wait…So you were able to save seven!? That’s amazing! To be honest I assumed when I went to the guild that they’d all be sughtered. I thought maybe you might be able to save one or two but seven!? Thank you so much Sir! What is your name?”

  “Thoma Ahad.”

  “And his adventuring name is Charcoal.” Ray adds.

  “Thank you so much Mr. Ahad! I’ll make sure to recommend your services to my acquaintances and leave a shining review of you at the guild!”

  “Thank you for the praise Sir but I was just doing my job.”

  “Pfft, no need to be humble Thoma. You did an amazing job today! I’m so proud of you!”

  “Haha, thank you.”

  “If you ever need to buy some silk Mr. Ahad, come to my store. I’ll make sure you get a discount!”

  “Thank you, Sir. I’ll make sure to come to you.”

  “Perfect.”

  He then hands me one Big Copper “Now why don’t you go to a nice bathhouse for the day while I check the premises and write my report? It’s on me as a thanks for a great job.”

  “But I…”

  “He’ll gdly accept. Thank you Mr. Kelly.”

  “Alright then. I’ll leave you two love bugs alone then, have a good day.”

  Ray rolls her eyes as the merchant enters his workshop.

  “Anyways… Never say no to a tip. If people want to thank you, let them.”

  “But I don’t like bathhouses.”

  “Why?”

  “I just don’t like being naked around a bunch of other men I’ve never met before.”

  “Pfft, I didn’t know you were all shy like that. But it’s fine, for a big copper you should be able to get a private bath for two hours or so.”

  “Hmm…I guess. But I don’t have any clean clothes with me.”

  “Then I’ll get some! What’s your address?”

  “Cmway 13. It’s in the north eastern workers district.”

  “Gotcha. There is a nice bathhouse on the way there, let’s walk there together and then split. I’ll get your clothes while you're in the bath rexing.”

  “Are you sure? It’s a pretty long walk.”

  “Pfft, don’t worry. Unlike you I was just twiddling my thumbs all day. I’m full of energy.”

  “Alright then, thank you Ray.”

  We walk together up to the bathhouse, with me telling her about the quest throughout. Afterwards I book a nice private bath for two hours and start rexing.

  —-------------------------------------------------------------

  “Kekeke, finally I get to see how Thoma lives. He always just said ‘I live at the docks’ but I have no idea what his house is like.”

  Ray with pep in her step keeps moving to Thoma’s house. Growing less and less giddy the further she gets as the neighborhoods become poorer and poorer.

  “Am I going the right way? I mean I knew Thoma wasn’t that well off but these are basically the slums. Nope…Apparently I’m right, it says Cmway here.”

  Ray then moves up to a decrepit looking house the size of a rge shed with the number 13 written on a sign in front and knocks on the door.

  “Uhm…Hello?”

  An eye slit opens up as Rhaast asks, “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Uhm, I’m Ray. I work with Thoma Ahad. Is this where he lives?”

  “It is, what do you want?”

  “I just want to pick up a change of clothes for him.”

  “Hmm…Fine, come in.”

  The door then unlocks and Ray goes inside while Rhaast goes back to preparing fish on the back porch.

  Seeing only a kitchen, a small bathroom and a closed door Ray asks, “So…Is this his room?”

  “He doesn’t have a room.”

  “What? Then where is his stuff? Also where does he sleep?”

  “His stuff is in that closet. He sleeps in the kitchen.”

  “In the kitchen!? But there is no bed.”

  “There is a bag of hay in the closet and some bnkets. That’s his bed.”

  “Does he just save up all his money? I mean, with the quest money he could have at least bought some better bedding.”

  “The kid doesn’t have any money. He needs to pay me back first for housing and feeding him for two years.”

  “But didn’t he help you with work during that time? Surely rent can’t be that expensive here. How much does he owe you?”

  “He owes me as much as he earns. But I’m not cruel, he can keep pocket change, he needs it for work after all.”

  “Wait, so you’ve been taking everything he’s been earning!?”

  “Most of it, yes. That Elf, Uli or something, is sponsoring him right? So why would he need money?”

  “I can’t believe this…So what if he comes back here with silver coins today?”

  “Then firewood for the next few years is paid for.”

  “You…You’re really taking all of this!?”

  “Yeah, what’s a kid like him gonna do with money anyways? He’ll just waste it.”

  “You…You’re exploiting Thoma!”

  “I’ve been housing him for free for two years. If that’s exploitation go sue the orphanage as well.”

  “If this is how he lives he’d probably have been better off in one! I’m taking his stuff. He’s not going to come back here anymore.”

  “Alright, I wish him good luck for his future.”