CH113 A winch is a very useful tool.
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“I think this might be a gross oversimplification.”  Alex looked around for support.  “A doll shows up, gets granted an audience with one of the relevant royals, we make bank on hauling wood downriver and get the ship that they paid for in return?  I think there is a lot that could go wrong there.”  

 

Aqua threw in her opinion. “There is a lot that could go wrong.  But it wouldn’t be as hard as it would have been in the past.  All of the guards have been replaced with demons.  Many of those classes give skills like detect intentions and have passives that point out criminal activity.”  The blue-haired nereid chuckled.  “They are as corrupt as one would expect.  It is the same for officials.  They routinely overlook things or rule in such a way that benefits them.”

 

“It is not that bad in the better parts of town.”  Seriphina looked surprised that such a thing could happen in the heart of the kingdom’s power.

 

The conversation went on and on.  It turns out that the outcome where they ended up with the ship for free and the full price of the lumber was the best case scenario.  A lot of things could go wrong.  The biggest problem was assuming that the succubi and other 3rd tier demons wouldn’t have any ability that would work on a possessed doll that could be avoided by ditching the doll.  There were a number of 3rd tier demons in the capitol and one 4th tier demon that hadn’t moved in years.  It was the size of a small mountain and just sat there cultivating.

 

“Did anyone give professor Copperpot an invite?”  Alex noticed that the food had gotten cold.

 

“Usually someone would bring him food back in the cave.”  Aqua answered.

 

Alex frowned.  “I don’t want to exclude him.  I know he doesn’t like leaving his room or being around crowds but still, it feels like bullying.”

 

“You’d just make him uncomfortable by inviting him.”  Aqua shrugged.  “Let's go give him some of the leftovers though.  I bet he’s hungry.”

 

After assigning cleaning duties to the Yvne family, Alex, Merumeru and Aqua prepared to leave.

 

“Did you ever get Professor Copperpot a blood sample?”  Alex looked to the sea elf.

 

Ariel grumbled. “I suppose I should.  When Aqua pointed out what those tiny flying things look like in larva form I noticed them floating around in calm water all over the place.  This island has way too many places for them to hide.”

 

“I don’t actually have any needles to do a blood draw.”  Alex got a first aid kit from a cupboard along with an empty glass spice jar.  “But maybe prick a finger and put a bit of blood in here?  I don’t know how much is needed for the test.”

 

Using a small, sharp knife, they filled up a vial of blood, grabbed some food and headed to the gnome professor’s tent. Alex made sure to clean it before and after use.

 

Ariel stayed behind, preferring to avoid the possibility of getting infected with the swine flu carrying pigs.  So Alex, Fufi, Aqua and Merumeru headed to the tent on the water-filled crater.

 

“Good evening Professor.”  Aqua tapped on the tent for the reclusive gnome.  “We brought you food and a sample of Ariel’s blood.”

 

The gnome peeked out, inspecting the trio with unsure eyes. “Who is Ariel?  I don’t know her.”

 

“Ariel you’ve not met. She’s my sea elf friend.”  The Nereid calmly handed Professor Copper pot the blood vial and the cover dish of food.

 

The gnome took both without a word and headed back inside, letting the flap fall closed behind him.

 

“Meru?”  The slime girl frowned.

 

“Yeah, I know he’s being rude.”  Aqua looked down to Merumeru.  “But that is just how he is.  People deal with trauma in their own way.  Just be patient.”

 

Five minutes later, Professor Copperpot came back out and handed the vial back to Aqua.  “I tested it with my latest sample.  The virus didn’t take.  They should not be susceptible to the pathogen.”

 

“That’s good.”  Aqua flashed the gnome a smile.

 

“Do you need anything else?”  Professor Copperpot peeked out a bit more.

 

“You wouldn’t happen to have any experience in ship building?” Alex took a long shot.

 

“Not really.  You really should find a master shipwright.”  The gnome looked thoughtful, gazing upwards.  “One time back when the kingdom wasn’t what it is now I got commissioned to find an easier way to make pitch.  I ended up experimenting on the gut biome of livestock.  Eventually, the only animal that could withstand the unfamiliar digestive tracts were goats.  However, the constant constipation made them extra mean.  They stopped the program when there was a big fire at one of the ranches.”

 

Alex imagined goats pooping out black lumps of tar.  “Yuck.”

 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend it.”  The gnome snickered.  “It was one of my early bacteria and I am not proud of it.”

 

“I could fire up the jeep and use the winch to get some of those steel shipping containers over here.” Alex offered.  “I don’t know if it is going to get really snowy but I don’t think your tent will last in a blizzard.”

 

“That is an awful lot of steel.”  Professor Copperpot peeked out a bit more.  “Wouldn’t it be better used for something else?”

 

“We don’t really have a forge set up for blacksmiths to do much.” Alex shrugged.  “I’d like to bring some more people up here but I’m not sure who all can be trusted.”

 

“The three nobles are the least trustworthy people.”  Professor Copperput nodded his head towards the cabin.  “My understanding is that the magical girl Cosmos brought them here against their will.  Even if they are disgraced, what is to prevent them from trying to spin things to their gain if given a chance?  People that have charisma based classes tend to be two faced.”

 

“They seem okay.”  The magical girl didn’t dislike the nobility.  “Maybe a little sheltered?”

 

“What was your first impression?”  The gnome looked serious. 

 

“My first impression was that Cassius was arrogant and in denial.”  Alex continued. “Seraphina seemed bewildered and Yvne came across as devastated by poor choices that put her in this state.”

 

“That is their charisma stat.”  The gnome pointed out.  “Spending enough time around people with higher charisma always makes someone’s opinion of them improve.”

 

“I don’t have a charisma stat.”  Alex puzzled.

 

“Magical girls have a cuteness stat.  Cuteness is better than charisma .”  Fufi cheered.

 

“You should explain it better than that.”  The professor tsked at the flamingo.

 

“What she means is that in a contest of cuteness, magicals girls will always win.”  Professor Copperpot turned on his teacher's tone.  “Charisma users don’t generally have attacks that pack a lot of punch.  They do subtler things like providing a boost to a group or feats that affect a large area.”

 

“Like I said, Cuteness is power.”  Fufi flapped her wings.  “It is the most important stat for a magical girl.”

 

“Fufi, you should do a good job of explaining the vulnerability that goes the other way around.”  Professor Copperpot gave the flamingo a disapproving look.  “Charisma based skills are very effective on those without a charisma stat.  In the past, magical girl naysayers would bring up that they can punch above their weight class because of cuteness-based skills.  What people don’t often say is that the drawback is being more vulnerable to charisma based skills.”

 

Fufi agreed. “That is obviously right.  It is why magical girls stay away from nobility and have things like secret identities.”

 

“But I don’t have a secret identity.” Alex felt cheated.  Having a secret identity would be nice.

 

“You went by Alice while infiltrating the barony.”  Fufi tried to helpfully add.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think I fooled anyone for long.”  The black-haired magical girl pouted.  “The maids kept calling me Alice out of politeness more than me fooling them.”

 

“All the more reason to be more cautious.”  Ariel finally spoke up.  “For example, I never go farther inland than where there is a body of water that goes to the ocean.”

 

“But are you not breaking that rule right now?” Alex questioned the sea elf.  “If this island is near where the temple is, then we are hundreds of miles from the river, let alone the coast.  I don’t even know how far down the river we have to go to reach the sea.”

 

“If you count the portal pipes, then it's not far to get to the river.”  Ariel crossed her arms.

 

Alex huffed.  “This conversation is starting to go all over the place.  I get that Yvne’s family are prisoners and we shouldn’t trust them.  But I think there has to be some way for them to be useful.  For example, Ki said that she didn’t like us trying to smelt ore in town.  Maybe we could find a mine for them to manage?”

 

“Humans are not well known for their mining traditions.”  Professor Copperpot unhelpfully stated.

“Where did they get their metals from then?”  Alex asked the older gnome.

 

“The kingdom used to trade food for metalworks from the dwarves or gnomes in the mountains.”  Professor Copperpot frowned, as if recalling something unpleasant.  “That is how I came to live on the surface.  I got assigned to a trade caravan and when we picked up a load of food to head back they told me that I wasn’t welcome to return and to find my way amongst the surface dwellers.”

 

“Do they still trade?” Alex wondered if there was some help to be had there.

 

“No.” Aqua shook her head, apparently more knowledgeable of international trade.  “The mountain kings closed themselves up in their subterranean holds when it became obvious that there was very little the kingdoms had that would be worth trading for.  Some of them traded by proxy with the demon occupied human lands for a while but that didn’t last with all the demons ruining their lands.”

 

“What did they use as a proxy?”  Alex wondered.

 

“A little bit of this and that.”  Aqua smirked.  “Golems work, undead also work to avoid demonic powers in some cases.   Some even made deals with fey.”

 

“Fey?” Alex tilted her head.  “Wouldn’t they be susceptible to the demon’s powers as much as the other races?”

 

Aqua nodded.  “Yes they are.”

 

Ariel nudged the Nereid.  “Don’t be obtuse.  Just tell her why they wouldn’t do that.”

 

The blue skinned Nereid pouted.  “Fine.  Spoil my fun.”  She sighed.  “Fey nobility works differently than human nobility.  It is less about dominion and more about balancing accounts.”

 

The human magical girl squinted, not quite understanding.

 

“A demon can mind control a Nereid, for a tier 3 demon that isn’t too difficult a feat.”  Aqua explained.  “The thing is, the courts would know. And the fey lords would see that as a debt against them.”

 

“So a fey lord’s power is like debt collection?”  Alex hmmed, picturing a tax collector with hooves.

 

“It is a little more esoteric than that.”  Aqua waved a hand.  “But suffice to say, the more affronts they commit the more it empowers a fey lord to come and collect.”

 

“How do they collect?” Alex shuddered.

 

“In kind.” Aqua chuckled.  “Mind control a fey in bad faith for a week and expect that sometime, somewhere maybe years from now the same fate will be visited on the offending party.”

 

“That is terrifying.”  Alex took a step away.

 

Professor Copperpot scoffed.  “It is not as bad as she makes it sound.  Don’t make deals with fey unless you know that there is absolutely no way it can go wrong.  Treat them honestly, and never ever violate their hospitality.”

 

“Is that why there are so many human-shaped shrubberies in town?”  Alex worried about those people.

 

“If someone comes into your home and acts like a wild beast…”  Aqua shrugged.  “Honestly, I think the nymphs are holding back.  Someone whose inside is like a rabid dog should have their outside changed to match what is inside and see how things are for them when the outside matches the inside.”

 

The human magical girl, deciding that the fey were absolutely ruthless, figured it was a good time to fire up the jeep and set up some rigging to drag some empty shipping containers to the area that Professor Copperpot had set up.

 

“Hey, there is a nice tree stump there.”  Alex pointed.  “We could use that as an anchor point for the winch on the jeep.”

 

“Um,  okay.”  Professor Copperpot blinked in surprise.  “I’ll go and eat this food, do as you will.”  He headed back into his tent.

 

After a quick trip to the workshop to pick up some extra nylon tow straps, chains and some bearings to set up a block and tackle system, they popped in the jeep and drove the very short distance to park in a good spot to set up a pulling spot.  Luckily, the Jeep functioned fine.  It took them until sundown before they got 4 of the 40 foot long shipping containers drug through the dirt very slowly in a square.  

 

Merumeru was fascinated by everything that had pipes in the jeep.  First she stared at the exhaust pipe after the jeep started up.   Then she tried to get in the exhaust pipe.

 

Aqua chided her in a language that sounded more like water flowing than words, pulling her back and preventing her from doing something that would damage the jeep and get her hurt.  

 

“Can you explain how this carriage works?”  Aqua held Merumeru in her arms. “Merumeru wants to know what all these hoses are for.”

 

The moving was slow so Alex had plenty of time to explain pistons, spark plugs, gas tanks and radiators to the attentive slime girl.

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