DMS Chapter 183
DMS Chapter 183
Flinx watched as Hart and his men prepared to leave for Ilioven.
At first, he considered replacing their clothes with new ones from the System Shopping Site. Although he had already cleaned their belongings with Prestidigitation, their clothes were still so worn that they looked like something only beggars would wear.
The problem was that giving them brand-new clothing would draw unnecessary attention. If they suddenly appeared dressed like wealthy travelers, there was a good chance someone would try to rob them, even if Hart insisted that his men could defend themselves.
Flinx wasn't worried about them being attacked before reaching Ilioven. The border remained closed, and once they entered the territory patrolled by Ilioven's soldiers, they should be relatively safe.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.
He decided to conduct a small experiment.
"Kerry," Flinx called.
The young man immediately hurried over.
"Do you have a second set of clothes?"
Flinx wasn't surprised when Kerry shook his head.
Apparently, none of the former serfs owned more than a single set of clothing. Aside from that, each man possessed only a blanket and a simple bedroll.
Flinx handed Kerry a large towel and asked him to remove all of his clothes, including his undergarments and the battered leather shoes that looked as though they had been trampled by countless wagons.
Without hesitation, Kerry wrapped the towel around himself and handed everything over.
Flinx began with the shirt.
After cleaning it once more with Prestidigitation, he repeatedly cast the Wizard cantrip Mending until every visible tear and worn seam had been repaired.
When he finished, the shirt still looked old, but it was now completely serviceable. It resembled the sort of clothing a hardworking farmer might wear when visiting the marketplace.
Satisfied with the results, Flinx repaired the rest of Kerry's belongings.
Since the young man owned so little, the entire process took only a few minutes.
When Flinx handed everything back, Kerry's eyes lit up.
"They look new!" he exclaimed.
Flinx laughed.
The clothes hardly looked new.
However, to someone who had never owned anything in good condition, they probably did.
Kerry's expression reminded Flinx of a child on Christmas morning receiving the greatest gift imaginable.
Flinx asked him to send everyone into the hut one at a time so he could repair each man's belongings.
Kerry enthusiastically ran off to share the news.
Flinx entered the hut that had once housed the sick.
Since each man would be wearing nothing but a towel while his clothes were being repaired, the hut offered at least a little privacy.
Not that Flinx believed they particularly cared.
For former serfs, privacy had always been a luxury reserved for free people.
Hart was the first to enter.
When the former camp leader saw the results of Flinx's magic, he looked as though he were about to kneel in gratitude once again.
It took Flinx roughly two hours to mend everyone's belongings.
Providing them with entirely new clothes from the System Shopping Site would have been much faster, but he had to consider their circumstances.
Looking poor but respectable was far safer than looking wealthy.
Once everyone was ready, the twelve men left the camp without looking back.
Flinx accompanied them all the way to the border to ensure they reached Ilioven safely.
Only after they entered the territory patrolled by Ilioven's soldiers did he finally stop.
Hart and the others repeatedly thanked him for everything he had done before they parted ways.
Flinx wished them well before continuing his own journey.
As he traveled, Flinx decided to write about everything that had happened with the former serfs on the private forum he shared with his fellow Earthlings.
The story was far too long to fit into their web-based chat system.
After posting it on the forum, he sent a brief message in the group chat letting everyone know it was available.
Within minutes, every remaining former dungeon slave had finished reading it.
One by one, they sent him their thoughts.
Flinx had included everything in his post, even his internal debate about founding a settlement for escaped serfs and slaves.
Several of his friends told him they believed he had made the best decision possible under the circumstances.
Others jokingly accused him of simply being lazy, pointing out that someone as overpowered as he was could have done much more.
Just as many argued the opposite.
They believed he had been right not to begin a project that would demand decades of commitment and tie him down permanently.
After reading everyone's opinions, Flinx quietly accepted that he had done what he genuinely believed was right.
That realization gave him peace of mind.
He closed the chat system and continued his journey.
Flinx remained on the main road, occasionally passing other travelers who mostly ignored him.
In truth, he was somewhat reluctant to continue eastward.
Hart had told him that the road eventually led into the Kingdom of Nemronor.
Based on everything the former serf had described, Flinx doubted he would like what he found there.
He decided that as soon as he reached a fork leading somewhere else, he would take it instead.
He didn't want anything to ruin his good mood.
Since he had already decided against entering Nemronor, he pushed all thoughts of the kingdom to the back of his mind.
He knew he couldn't avoid witnessing the darker side of the world forever.
Still, he wanted to enjoy his current peace for as long as he could.
The weather was pleasant, and the distant mountains looked like something out of a painting.
The surrounding forest had begun changing into brilliant shades of red and gold, creating a breathtaking autumn landscape.
When unpleasant things eventually happened, he would deal with them then.
For now, he simply enjoyed the scenery.
Meanwhile, Flinx had ordered his Wind Elemental to continue following Hart and the others.
He genuinely wanted to make sure they reached Ilioven safely.
Pip continued scouting ahead as usual.
Since his familiar hadn't reported anything, Flinx assumed the owl hadn't encountered any threats worth mentioning.
He instructed the Wind Elemental to remain with the former serfs until they reached the first farmhouses inside Ilioven.
Once they arrived there, they would truly be within territory protected by the kingdom's regular patrols.
Flinx continued walking until the sun began to set.
He didn't even stop for lunch.
Since he wasn't hungry, he decided to eat a hearty dinner instead.
His leisurely pace never left him feeling tired.
More than anything else, he simply enjoyed the beauty of the wilderness and the peaceful solitude.
Feeling unusually relaxed, Flinx even instructed Pip to deal with minor threats on his own.
If the owl encountered a few weak monsters, he could eliminate them without bothering Flinx.
As for ordinary wild animals, Pip was instructed merely to drive them away if they approached the road.
Flinx also ordered his familiar to ignore other travelers unless they appeared to be hostile bandits.
The fact that Pip never reported anything only reinforced Flinx's feeling that the day had been nearly perfect.
As twilight settled over the forest, Flinx decided not to wait until full darkness fell.
He cast Galder's Log Cabin beside a large tree near the road and settled in for the evening.
After taking a long, hot bath, he purchased a hearty dinner from one of the many restaurants available through the System Shopping Site.
While eating, he continued reading the fantasy novel series he was currently enjoying.
Before going to bed, Flinx contacted Olivia to see whether there had been any important developments.
There were none.
He also checked the group chat to make sure nothing required his immediate attention.
Finding no urgent messages, Flinx went to sleep that night with a peaceful heart.