Chapter 211

— Don't interrupt, I'll explain everything in order! So, Sergey and I sneaked into the village easily. We even drank the blood of several prospectors and, by the way, learned why the forest is so dangerous, — seeing the irritation on his companion's face, he continued, — But more on the forest later. So we broke into a tavern and first visited its owner; actually, Sergey did the visiting, and then he brought me along. It turns out that most of the black cedar nuts are extracted by prospectors in Rostki, but they're very crafty about it; there's an entire mafia there, operating on a system of mutual protection. They don't trade nuts in this kingdom. Dozens of kilograms a year are transported directly to Ur via back roads, and from there straight to the Empire. So everyone believes that the source of nut extraction is in Zalona!

— Good. And why did you bring this crap to us?

The members of the expedition lowered their eyes.

— Well, we robbed their warehouse and took everything from there. At first, we wanted to destroy it, but then we decided to take it with us. Who knows when it might come in handy.

— You want to trade with it?! — the knight's anger was not feigned.

— No! By the cross! — Gennady spoke quickly, — But let it stay in the warehouse. Anything can happen; it might be useful to us too. A reserve never hurts.

Hearing that no one intended to trade in the local drug, Alexander calmed down a bit. It was foolish to be angry over things that were just lying around, but the things themselves were not so harmless.

— And the fact that the possession of these nuts carries the death penalty or life imprisonment doesn't concern you?

— It's nonsense; who's going to find them in our underground hideouts! And Sergey might need them sometime, to bribe some addict or pay for information if nothing else will be accepted as payment. It's better to have such things than not have them. Especially since they came right into our hands.

— Fine, but if I find out you're trading them, I'll tear your hands off! — the triumvir promised.

Everyone at the table nodded.

— And what about the inhabitants of the forest?

— Magically altered animals. More aggressive, stronger, and other traits that make them much more dangerous. Werewolves, bear-men, lynxes, and so on. Several species, all extremely dangerous.

— And who magically altered them?

— The forest. That's why it's "cursed". The plants are also magically altered. The closer to the center of the forest, the more of that kind of stuff; the farther from it, the less. We are not far from the edge, so we have nothing but a few types of plants.

— And that's good news. Now can we hear about the results of your expedition, the ones you were sent for?

Konstantin smiled, looking at Alexander's satisfied face. Well, yes, they reported and brought everything that they weren't actually sent for. There was a reason to smile.

— I'll do even better. I'll let you experience the result of our trip to the sea.

With these words, the man took out a flask and placed it on the table. Maria quickly grabbed the container.

— Open it very carefully, don't spill it, — warned the triumvir.

The girl looked at him suspiciously but followed the advice, unscrewing the cap very carefully, then put her curious nose to it.

— Ugh, — the scientific advisor immediately vomited bile onto the floor.

A foul smell spread through the hall. Many of the vampires present made faces. Konstantin quickly took the flask and closed it.

— This is our result. The flask contains seawater. Its smell is contraindicated for us, if you can put it that way.

— You could have warned us, — the girl said with hurt in her voice, wiping her mouth with her hand.

— I could have, but then the demonstration wouldn't have been so convincing, — the vampire had no intention of apologizing.

— So living by the sea and swimming in it is not for us, — concluded Alexander.

— Absolutely right. But it seems we weren't planning to.

— Who knows where fate will throw us, — philosophically declared the knight.

After such a brief but intense meeting, they dispersed slowly. Gennady, who was tasked with storing the dangerous cargo and selling the valuable items, left the fastest. Konstantin exchanged blood with Alexander and learned the latest news about church affairs in the neighboring Peski, which was important for him as the nominal head of Lesnoi.

I've got more interesting stuff on patreon

patreon.com/Chill76