A Change of Pace

The golem continued practicing magic long after Krave went to bed; he wanted to stay up all night, but he wasn't young enough to do that anymore, so Omni was in the basement alone. It eventually turned its attention away from the targets and sat down, experimenting with runes on the floor and eventually on its own body. While they didn't work on surfaces that changed shape, as long as it kept perfectly still, the runes would work as intended, which as a golem was relatively easy.

Omni lost track of time and only broke out of its concentration when it heard someone coming down to the basement. Krave claimed to be hungry for breakfast and wanted food from the Quiet Respite. After confirming that it was indeed morning, Omni sent out the signals to the quartet to prepare a large breakfast for delivery while moving upstairs to begin its plan with the other inhabitants of the tower.

A few were convinced purely by Krave's seal of approval, and the rest fell in line after the food arrived, and so the mage's tower became the Quiet Respite's first permanent source of income. Part of the deal also included more golem cores to increase the kitchen's efficiency and the number of delivery golems, now engraved with advertising for good measure. After the agreement was settled, Krave and Omni retreated into the basement for the entirety of the day.

Dawn turned to day and dusk in the blink of an eye, and the night passed just as quickly.

The old demon grumbled about the unfairness of not needing rest and solemnly bid farewell to the golem until next time. With pep in its step, Omni returned to the Quiet Respite, which was abustle with activity. Quite a few people came by for breakfast, mostly older folks. After making it through the treacherous terrain that was the eating area, Omni confirmed with Valentina that it was because most of the breakfast dishes were soft and didn't hurt their teeth.

Omni took a moment to sit down and close off its sense of sight: its ears are flooded with the sounds of gentle chatter, the clatter of utensils against plates, and a few card games. The carved smile upon its face blossoms into a genuine smile.

"This is how it should be, everyone is relaxing, enjoying the time they have been given, and the outside world holds no influence," Omni states. It surveys the kitchen after re-opening its vision. The new golems that Omni sent back yesterday have already fit right in; Harmonize has worked wonders, letting Omni give precise orders despite not being anywhere nearby. The golems can cook and clean without issue as if they were sentient, and even respond to stimuli relevant to their current job, such as receiving orders for food to be made.

It makes Omni curious just how far it can stretch it, which brings it to its next thought, "I find myself unable to sit still, I wish to venture outside the walls of the city to see the world and perhaps get into a bit of trouble," the golem states, sitting perfectly still.

Christoph rubs his chin, "Well, I suppose you don't need to personally be here with all the golems running around. Should we find Elizabeth or someone to go with you?"

Valentina looks hopeful and holds her breath but pouts when Omni shakes its head, "No, I intend to wander around on my own. If it's just me, I don't need to stop to rest."

The elf nods, "Alright, how long will you be gone?"

The golem tilts its head back and forth, "Hmm, a day, two, a week, unsure. It depends on how I feel. I'll send a note to Krave to apprise him of the situation."

"Speaking of Krave, what's with the batches of food the big guy keeps taking in the direction of the tower?" Christoph asks.

"A deal with the entirety of the mage's tower, for daily food that is both healthy and convenient to eat, you get a good deal of regular income. It should keep you afloat even if Krave withdraws his research funds from you," Omni confirms, "I recommend hiring whatever equates to a construction company in this city to expand the pantry further and install iceboxes so you can have a great deal of ingredients in case of more surges. Ah, does this city have something similar to a Foodbank?"

"Foodbank?" Christoph asks.

"A facility designed for the impoverished, they hand out food to people who can't afford their own," it explains.

Valentina nods, "The healer's guild and the church both do something like that."

Omni taps the side of the chair it's sitting in, "Good, with such an influx of funds, some advertising and goodwill will go a long way, I'll write up a few recipes for long-lasting foods that can be donated to both places, to be delivered by our friendly advertising boards. I'll leave once everything is set in place."

The golem set to work with a pile of papers, each pair of arms writing up a single page. As it worked, the kitchen staff golems, now numbering eight, changed their formation according to the orders coming from Harmonize.

Christoph and Valentina stood off to the side, watching the unsettlingly silent scene unfolding, "Didn't Omni just want to relax? Why is it leaving already?" Valentina muttered with a pout.

Christoph sighs in return, "People rarely actually know what they want, I suppose sentient golems are no different. If the violence it showed in the alley incident is not a one-off occasion, then it might be itching for a fight, who knows."

"But it can't be so bad if it wants to donate food," she replies.

"Pretty sure that's just for marketing," Christoph curtly adds.

"I can hear you, you know. Medicinal orders are waiting, get back to work," Omni states aloud, causing Christoph to cough and Valentina to eep before returning to their jobs.