Chapter 96: The Power Base

The village of Life's Song was not a very big one, Valentius noted, as he walked through the streets and towards the inn. But that was just fine.

The forest would need to be cut down. Not all of the trees, he wasn't stupid. He knew that the forest guarded the town from hunger and floods.

But if the adventurers could live in the forest, they would be better equipped to handle all challenges.

His boot kicked something. He blinked.

What was a stone doing in the middle of a dirt road? Was this the fate of the settlements in Nightshade? He narrowed his eyes.

Sure, he could gather soldiers, but those soldiers would remain idle for quite some time. People needed to eat. There was no place for idle hands in Nightshade.

Valentius opened the door to the inn. The cheering that came from within made him take a step back.

"Don't say anything rash," Albert cautioned him. "They love you now, but that can change."