The Devil's Foundry

“Put it down over there.”

Dee and Dum did as I said, dumping the last few armfuls of thatching in the corner of the warehouse. I didn’t know where they’d gotten it from, but that was secondary to getting our base of operations up and running.

“You two, finish repairing the eves.” I held out a roll of parchment I’d found on Blue. “I drew the design for you. Don’t damage the parchment.”

I never thought I’d be working with a sharpened stick of charcoal, but the needs must when the devil drives.

Or demons, as it were.

With a sigh, I moved over the chair I’d gotten myself. It wasn’t even upholstered, but after the day I’d had, I’d take anything to rest my feet. I plopped down, the wooden frame creaking slightly. I smirked to myself as I ran a hand over my mechanical spider’s metal carapace.

It beeped once, tilting slightly and sensors flashing, before settling back down on its perch. “Good work, General Tok.” I’d decided to name him after his stellar performance at the warehouse. His diagnostics seemed to be going pretty well, from what I’d seen.

Beneath Tok, my newest demon rumbled, craning its neck. With a huff I gave him a few scratches as well. “Don’t worry, Blue, I haven’t forgotten about you either.”

My lizard let out a low trill, resting its head on the ground as Dee and Dum got to work.

I turned to my final follower. “Run over what you told me again.”

Rel nodded. “Y-yes, milady.” I held back a sigh at the ‘milady,’ next thing he’d be wearing a fedora or something. I waved for him to continue. “The uh, Red Scars were a pretty small street gang. They had—uh—another two or three guys.” He shrugged. “Prolly long gone by now.”

I nodded. “So, no one else is likely to come after us?” Truth be told, I had been expecting to be noticed eventually. I just thought I’d have a bit more time to prepare before people came calling. It wouldn’t be due to be caught unaware twice in a row.

“Uh, not for a few days?” He shrugged. “No one really cares about the ol’ docks.”

“Hence why these louts were here in the first place.” I rubbed my face. “What territory did they control?”

“A bit o’ the docks? Not much, mostly they just shook down anyone caught out after the evenin’ bell.”

I nodded. “Well that will have to change.” For the first part, mugging nobodies was no way to generate revenue. Or at least, not in the quantities I needed if I was ever going to amount to anything. Those people had nothing, taking from them was an exercise in futility. A million times zero was still zero.

Sometimes, you needed to add something first.

“But, uh, the Red Scars paid some tribute to one a’ the other gangs on the north side.”

I nodded again. “You told me, the Rusted Knives. How long until their next payment comes due and they send people sniffing around?”

“The boys uh, don’t know?” Rel wrung his hands. “They said their boss took care of that stuff.”

“I’m sure he did.” All the better to hide how much of the take he was pocketing. He’d had a full enough purse, covered in blood as it was. I wanted to track down the rest of his stashes, but that was a fool’s errand. I had more important matters to attend to.

I rubbed my brow. “We’ll need to start talking to the locals then. I assume people still live around here?”

Rel shrugged. “A few? I dunno. My Da said it was only fishermen and people who couldn’t put a roof over their heads.”

At that, I smiled. “Perfect.”

Rel blinked.

I patted him on the shoulder. “Never underestimate the ability of desperate people.” I smiled a bit wider, thumbing the bulging coin purse tied to my belt. “There’s a lot we can do with a bit of money, and hopefully, we won’t even have to resort to extortion.”

There were other matters to be worried about as well, of course. The guard, tax collectors, the other bigger gangs. But for now, it looked like I had time to get situated, start laying the foundations I’d need for my own little industrial revolution.

Hopefully, without children working in coal mines, this time around. There was enough gilt leafing this world already. Besides, I raised a hand, pooling a bit of mana into my palm, I had plenty of disposable labor to work with. I wondered if there were forge demons, and what they’d take for barter.

“Good work.” I turned back to Rel. “If there wasn’t anything else, go help Dee and Dum with the roof.” I flicked a glance towards the grey sky. “I’d like to get it finished before it starts to rain.”

From there, I’d need more stone, more wood… more everything, really. But none of that would matter if I didn’t have a place to keep it all. I’d need more people as well, for things that I couldn’t just turn over to convenient demons.

Summoning was… frowned upon in this kingdom, apparently—not that anyone in my little band of misfits had ever been beyond the city of Silverwall.

“Um…”

I raised an eyebrow at Rel. “Hmm?”

“There was somethin’ else too.”

“Well?” I waved a hand. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

“You said to tell you when I got a new class.”

I nodded. “I did. So? Was it a rare class?”

“Uh, yes, Lady Via.” He frowned. “Least, I think it is, I don’t really understand it.”

“What’s it called,” I asked.

“Fillet Minion.”

I groaned into my palm.

Rel shuffled, voice squeaking. “Uh, Lady Via.”

“Just… read the unlock description.”

“Fer, ah… defending your mistress with blades.”

I nodded, face still resting in my hand. “It would be something like that, wouldn’t it?” If I ever met the gods of this world, I’d kill them. “I’m just surprised they counted that rusted old sword of yours as a blade.” It seemed that you unlocked classes based on some esoteric sense of 'achievement.' Apparently, it happened rather easily as well.

Though hopefully there weren't any more 'Fillet Minions' running around. I'd hate to have to cut down the competition.

“What should I do?”

I let out a deep breath. “I don’t suppose cobblers have much in the way of interesting skills?”

“No, ma’am.” Rel tugged down on his cap. “I can repair shoes…? Nothin’ like what you have. Least thugs like the boys get blunt weapon mastery.”

Yes, another interesting distinction I’d discovered in this world. The rarer the class, the more active abilities it had, while common classes had more simple passives. Given time, rare skills like mine were supposed to unlock passive abilities of their own. Of course, all of this information was based on hearsay.

Forget a portal, I’d kill for access to a Wiki about this world.

“Take the class.” I said. “We don’t have much need for new shoes here, at the moment.” My own suit had inbuilt boots I’d trust over anything this world could provide. And the boys, all three of them, looked like they’d recently stolen a pair or three.

“Yes ma’am.”

I saw him go slightly cross eyed as he manipulated his menu. I really needed to work on that tell, for myself if no one else.

“Done… Lady Via.”

I tilted my head. His posture had straightened slightly, hands going back down to his sides. “Well, what does that class of yours do?”

“I… assist my Mistress in a-achieving her ends wherever possible?” His eyes glanced to me. “And… predicting her desires.”

I hummed at that. “Well, I suppose you’ve been better than the usual minion I’ve had to work with in the past. And your skill?”

He quirked his lip, as if holding back a laugh. “Cutting Words.”

I sighed. “And there we go again.” I waved him off. “Get some practice with that. Outside.”

Rel looked at me sheepishly, closing his mouth. “Yes, Lady Via.”

“Good.” Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out two silver coins. A new class required some testing after all. “After you’re reasonably sure you can control whatever it does, preferably without cutting anyone important, go to the market district; we’re going to need some additional supplies.” I glanced over towards Dee and Dum, who by now seemed to have gotten the hang of things and no longer needed my diagram. “I’ll make you a list.”

I opened my mouth to add some more instructions, such as what to prioritize, and what to do when he ran out of money, but then I paused. His class was supposed to make him better at serving me, just like my class was supposed to make me better at summoning demons.

And maybe actual demagoguery as well, but I’d have to test that at a later time.

In any case, it stood to reason that he’d gain experience by doing what his class was meant to do.

With a small smirk, I wrote up a list, containing both the essentials, food, basic building materials, and the like, along with a short wishlist of things, capping it off with a lodestone.

If I could get my hands on that and some copper wire, the possibilities would be truly limitless.

I handed it to Rel, who swallowed, before tucking it up his sleeve. “I… I won’t let you down, Lady Via!”

I raised an eyebrow at that. The boy was really coming into his own, wasn’t he? Still, it wouldn’t do to make him overconfident, so I just gave him a wan smile.

“You haven’t yet.”