My poor mules are clearly not appreciating having to lug a cart around, much less one that has probably over 100 kilograms worth of gear on it. Suck it up, I am fully aware that even one of you could drag several hundred kilograms more than this before it became a legitimate hardship for you. You should be grateful that I bought 2 of you and am not even planning to ride on the cart.

Arriving at the front gate of Diamond Lake, where we are to meet, the gaze that Joaqim, Jim, and 2 others who I have not seen before are casting my direction is… I am sorry, but those facial expressions are priceless. Obviously, I am going to look ridiculous leading two mules who are in turn hauling a slipshod cart with numerous crafting tools and materials visible. The portable furnace alone is not something most people would recognize, and the parts that they do recognize, such as the portable anvil which is sufficiently similar to a normal sized anvil that its purpose is clear, probably don’t help make what’s happening right now any more palatable for them.

Well, I guess I’d better seize the initiative and head off the complaints and concerns.

“Ok guys, glad you all made it here in one piece, the name is Braza and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Before we leave the city, please make sure you pick up the materials for any equipment upgrades you are going to want along the way. New armor, weapons, whatever else you need, if you provide the materials I will put in the manpower. If you do not know the materials needed just tell me what you want, and I’ll give you a list of what I’ll need to build it on the road,” I say.

Jim is the first to respond: “Braza, what in the Pits of Despair do you think that you're doing?”

“I told you my class, right? So you already know that I make things, and the more levels I get the more and the better things I’ll be able to make. I’m not strong like that strapping fellow,” I say, gesturing at one of the two new people, a broad-shouldered blond-haired fellow who is probably only about 16 years old, “Nor am I swift and observant the way that this sharp-eyed woman is,” I say with a wave at the slender woman, brown haired and heavily freckled, probably around 25, “What I do is I make things. So, I’m bringing the tools required to make things, that way I can make things as we travel."

“That plan seems ill advised,” Jim says, “you brought an anvil. An ANVIL. Do you really think it is a good idea to be hammering on that thing out in the wild while we’re trying to be stealthy and avoid unnecessary confrontation?”

“I see your point, but I doubt nature will react the way you're suggesting. If it is an animal the sound of hammer ringing on anvil will scare it away, not attract it. If it is a sentient being, the novelty is likely to attract enough curiosity that a robber might even announce themselves and choose to start things off talking rather than directly attacking as part of an ambush. Beyond that, being able to make what we want as we go is invaluable. Think about it. Need a ladder? Give me a couple hours. Your armor is probably as good as it can get without interfering with your spells, but what about Blue eyes over there? He’s wearing leather. He’s brawny enough I’m pretty confident he’s a fighter of some form. Wouldn’t it be better if we can suit him up in some breastplate or full plate or, well, anything at all? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to be able to repair damaged armor on the spot rather than running around in damaged armor for days or weeks or months? I’m not saying that there will continuously be situations where we’ll need something made, that particular pitch would clearly be a fiction, but being able to go back and get the things we need without having to go back at all is a pretty significant benefit on the occasions where it might come up. And besides, having a personal armor and weapon smith who is willing to do work for you at cost? That’s a benefit that even most of your nobility don’t receive.”

I can tell he is not sold on the idea. None of them are. Not even Joaqim. But Joaqim is our leader and while he clearly isn’t a fan of my plan to drag half a city along with me, he decides to do introductions instead.

“Gentlemen,” He says, “these are two of the potential recruits I’d mentioned, the lad here goes by Bucky, and the lady here goes by Regina.” Bucky is almost certainly a fighter or variant thereof, while the girl is almost certainly some sort of a rogue or scout. “Bucky, Regina, let me introduce you to Jim, he’s the red wizard I mentioned would probably be attending, and the lizardfolk there is Braza. I told you he was an odd duck. Give him a shake though, he grows on ya. And he’s probably being serious about upgrading your gear, which it looks to me like we could actually use. If you’ve the money for materials I wouldn’t suggest you pass up the chance to get what’s needed before we depart.“

“It’s a good thing the Wizard showed,” the girl introduced as Regina coldly snorts, “or I would’ve bolted the second I saw…” she trails off, before gesturing in my direction “this. You belong in a caravan, not a dungeon.”

“A caravan doesn’t net much experience, and the more levels I get, the more I can craft. I don’t have the funds to prove it, but I’m probably already the best magical scroll maker you’ve ever met.”

“So you’ve got a bunch of scrolls?”

“Nope. Not even one.”

“… How stupid are you, exactly?”

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate myself a solid 8. On a good day I could probably even eke out a low 9.”

“Look, you seem friendly enough, but I’m not kidding when I say that you shouldn’t be out here. You are going to die. Not might. Will. And when you do, it is pretty much guaranteed to hurt more than you can imagine. You are obviously young and naive. You have a long life ahead of you. Don’t waste it like this.”

Young, I think to myself? I’m older than you by decades, old enough to be your father, and by this worlds standards, possibly even grandfather. But that’s not what I say. What I say is,

“I appreciate your heartfelt and sincere advice. You are probably right that I will die young. But I believe there is good cause for me to be out here. If I stay back maybe I would make for a good merchant or who knows maybe I could make for a superior baker. At least that way I would be greeting each day with a pleasant smell. But believe me when I say that I am confident that me doing so would be a mistake. I do not know what exactly the future holds, but I have absolute confidence that if I sit back and relax in this life, I will come to regret it more keenly than if I die after having been tortured by some goblins. I ask that you leave off when it comes to my reasons, but it is sufficient to know that my opinion and decision will not change. With or without you, I will be running off and doing dangerous things. I believe that my odds of survival are significantly higher if I am not alone when doing those things.”

“Ok. Since I am unable to convince you that endangering yourself recklessly is foolish, can you justify getting an equal share of any loot we receive? I have my own aspirations, what makes you think that you should be getting paid as much as me?”

“I probably won’t be able to contribute as much as you right now if I’m being honest. But you are the one joining Joaqims group, I was a part of it before your arrival. We came to Diamond Lake together. It is not me taking an equal share from you, but us giving you an equal share of our finds.”

“He did say you were clever. You are. Have it your way then. If there are problems I can always leave.” She directs her attention to Joaqim and says “Boss man, where to?”

Joaqim turns to Jim and says “You were able to locate a ruin, were you not?”

“Perhaps a ruin, perhaps a tomb. Information is sparse, inconsistent, and unreliable, but I was able to learn about a promising site which I was able to confirm as being present through multiple sources, so whichever it turns out to be, ruin or tomb, there should be something to find and loot.”

“That’ll have to do then,” Joaqim says, “Whereabouts is it?”

“Should be north west, in the foothills leading up to the range, about 2 weeks journey. I got a picture with the way the mountains should line up when we’re standing at the right place, though its quality is lacking. We'll need to spend some time searching once we’re in the area.”

“Alright no surprise there, let’s get moving!”