The gifts I'd been preparing were finally ready to be distributed.
It felt good to give something back. The people here had helped me so much since I'd arrived. Now that I had resources, crafting stations, and an ever-expanding inventory, it was time I returned the favor.
The first person on my list was Claire, the blonde priestess who had practically adopted me upon arrival. She had spent days patiently answering my questions and letting me use the chapel's space as my workshop. I remembered her mentioning one night how cold it could get inside her modest room once the sun set, especially during the seasonal transitions.
To fix that, I crafted her a plush down blanket and a matching pillow set. The cloth required to make it really only needed plant fibre as a raw material, so making them was pretty cheap.
To go with them, I made a pair of pajamas inspired by the comfortable styles from Earth, loose, warm, and with cute ribbon ties around the wrists and ankles.
When I presented them to her inside the workshop, her blue eyes sparkled like gemstones.
"Abel… this is incredible! And they fit perfectly!"
"The skill system lets me tailor clothing to the person I'm making it for," I explained with a grin. "It's all part of my production perk set."
She pressed the blanket against her cheek, smiling like a child on her birthday. "You really are something special."
It was a simple gesture, but her happiness was infectious.
After leaving the chapel, I headed outside to find my escort, Cecile, the village guard who had been my shadow for days on end. Her job required her to stand or walk for hours, often in heavy armor, and she'd mentioned once that her feet ached terribly by the time her shift ended.
For her, I crafted a pair of custom-fit leather boots lined with soft hide.
"Are these for me?!"
"Try them on," I said with a smile. "They should make long patrols a bit easier."
The moment she slipped them on, she practically melted. "They're perfect!" Then, before I could react, she threw her arms around me, and pulled my face straight into her chest.
"Thank you so much, Abel!!!"
I laughed awkwardly, prying myself free. "You're welcome… Just don't trip while hugging people on duty."
With Cecile's enthusiastic blessing, I turned my focus to my next destination: the mayor's residence. The woman who ran this village, Mayor Chrone, had been incredibly accommodating since my arrival, granting me freedom to use resources and operate as a craftsman without tax for the first month. I wanted to express my gratitude personally.
Cecile escorted me through the village square, and as we approached the modest two-story home that served as both the mayor's living space and her office, I noticed a familiar face stepping out of the front door: Ria, the fiery red-haired mage from the adventuring team.
"Oh! Abel!" she called out, her red eyes gleaming with delight. "Perfect timing, I was just about to come find you!"
Before I could say a word, she rushed over, grabbed my hand, and tugged me toward the door. Her enthusiasm left me no time to protest, and honestly, her soft chest pressing against my arm wasn't something I was eager to escape.
"Wait, what's going on?" I asked as she pulled me through the hall.
"You'll see," she replied with a wink.
We stepped through two doors in quick succession and entered the mayor's meeting room. Josey stood beside the desk with her usual confident stance, while Daisy, the quiet assassin, leaned casually against the wall.
Ria lifted my arm like a prize catch.
"Found him already! He was right outside!"
Mayor Chrone smiled warmly. "I suppose that's fate, then. Abel, please, take a seat. We have something important to discuss, something the village may need your help with."
Her tone immediately turned serious.
"The village has done a lot for me," I said, pulling up a chair. "If there's something I can do to help, I'll gladly hear you out."
"In short," she said gravely, "goblins."
I sighed, recalling the two encounters in the forest. "I'm not much of a fighter, Mayor. The girls did most of the work last time, I didn't kill a single one."
Chrone shook her head. "I'm not asking you to fight. I'm asking for your help with defenses. You must have noticed when you arrived, the perimeter fence around the village is half-rotted and barely standing."
She wasn't wrong. The village's defenses were little more than patched planks and worn stakes, hardly enough to keep out a determined pack of wild animals, let alone a goblin raiding party.
The mayor continued, laying out the situation in careful detail. After returning from our resource-collecting trip, Ria, Josey, and Daisy had immediately reported the goblin patrols to her. Concerned, she had hired them again to scout the forest for potential nests. It didn't take them long to find one, a small abandoned mining shaft carved into a nearby rock face.
The mine had once been used for resource prospecting but was left empty when it produced too little yield. Unfortunately, the empty space had since become a perfect den for goblins, who had settled there and begun multiplying.
"From what we observed," Josey said, folding her arms, "they're not just squatting. They're preparing. We saw them sharpening sticks and carving clubs. They're gearing up for an attack."
Ria nodded grimly. "We counted at least two dozen of them, maybe more, deeper inside. If they attack before reinforcements arrive, the village won't stand a chance."
I frowned. "Can't we just call for help?"
"We can," the mayor said, "but the nearest town is nearly three days away. Between sending the message, hiring fighters, and marching back here, it'll take at least ten days. We won't last that long if the goblins strike sooner."
I sat back in thought. My skills were geared toward production, not battle.
"So you want me to fortify the village," I said slowly.
"Exactly," the mayor replied. "Claire has been updating me on your progress and the kinds of structures you can create. If you could strengthen our walls, even temporarily, it might save us."
She offered a purse of coins across the desk. "We can pay. I won't ask for charity."
"I'll help, but I'll need materials, and a lot of them."
The mayor leaned forward. "Tell me what you need."
"Stone," I said. "But I might have an idea to make gathering faster."
My gaze drifted to the three adventurers standing nearby.
"Mayor Chrone," I said at last, "can I borrow these three for one more trip? Is there another one of those abandoned mines near the village?"