3 towns sprouting out of the valley changed the dynamic of the people that came to the village. With actual rotations of town guards, it was not feasible for bandits to raid and steal from them. The mercenaries that settled there would also defend their new home. This meant other mercenary companies had to think twice before attacking as well. It made things stable on that side of the valley. The adventurers and treasure hunters could not just do as they pleased. They had to contend with some level of bureaucracy. To even get into the towns, they had to ask permission and it was often denied unless they bribed the town. The real boon came when a wandering trader got to the valley. He was able to set himself up in an abandoned house in Village 3. We did not bother him after we asked what he was doing. His name was Clemens. It was not interesting to the Blade Spirits, so they left him alone. Krit and Shank threatened him to stay away from their women. The human just agreed. The location was valuable. He could sell and trade with all the other settlements from there.
Making a fortune on the deals he made, he left the village and went on his way. I asked him if he would return. "Yeah. If this valley has riches under all it's homes, I want to be the one to get it. I'll be back with some friends and a lot more goods next time around. Keep the place nice for me, okay?" Clemens remarked. I waved him off as he left. Looking closer at his house, there were indeed several holes in the ground in the yards of the houses adjacent to the one he was staying in. I could see a glint of something shiny in one. It did not take long for me to uncover some gold and silver. It looked like the whole valley had the riches buried under it. I did not mention it to the others because nothing would come of it. They did not care. Just like the dragon in Village 1 gold and silver did not mean anything to them. Unless it was offered up by someone to them as a tribute or as a bribe for something, there was nothing gold could get them. What did a sentient sword need to buy? As a Player, I could understand the value of wealth. So did all of the human female wives we were given.
Organizing ourselves, we made a clean sweep of the village. Digging under houses that were unoccupied to get the gold and silver took time. When it was over, we spilt it evenly between out households. Then came the most important part of the endeavor. It was putting the dirt back. We had to live in the village. We did not want it looking like a warzone. After that, the cycle would repeat. The urge to build was not something the other Blade Spirits had. What they liked to do was explore and play. It was what they did back in the Spirit Realm, so I really did not fault them for it. They were just doing what came naturally. When they discovered the holes, they asked us what they were all about. I told them we were seeing if there was any gold or silver there. They shrugged it off and went back to playing. The warriors, wives and children helped with excavations. When we went through the whole village, we were extremely wealthy. It was enough to be equivalent to 12,500 lin. That was the currency of the game. I also had 5000 extra lin due to a first week promotion. I was richer.
