An Effortless Attack

Most of the soldiers had already filled their stomachs up by the time Richard returned, washing up downstream before they returned to their tents to sleep slowly. They were already used to sleeping at any time; anyone who wasn’t on patrol or night watch slipped into slumber quickly.

Someone had placed a plate of roasted meat in front of Richard’s tent, alongside a piping hot bowl of meat soup. Just a whiff of the delicious aroma told him this was cooked by the trolls, so he ate to his heart’s content.

Both his mind and body were currently relaxed. Contrary to expectations, he was in great spirits with no hurry to sleep. He thus took out the runes he had retrieved from the bearguard  knights, beginning to repair them. Some ended up unusable, but most of them would work.

By the time the night passed, Richard had five strength and a single defense rune on...