“There’s already gods requesting you make more of those bracelets,” Myriad told him that night. “By the way, thanks for the advertising.”

“Thought you would like that and will do, I’m slowly filling up my spatial rings when I have the spare mana for it and when I’m in the shop I can make a hell of a lot more at once, I’ll be busy for the next couple days but after that, I’ll be making as many as I can in my spare time. Also, I made something completely different that Falk suggested I should probably get spread to the awakened warriors of the world at least, a way to use multiple bodies. It requires my tools and some homunculi which Thera can manage. Do you think you can spread that around up here to get something organized and then we can discuss payment?”

“After how much you’ve just taken for yourself and your girlfriend you’re still concerned about getting more?”

“Yes? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“A general sense of shame perhaps?”

“Never heard of it. Anyway, I was thinking they could reward me with five measly job levels-”

“There’s no conceivable way that’s happening.”

“Lame. On the plus side, I do have one idea. If I take making an achievement in your name I’ll get those levels after completing the quest, right? I’d say creating those bracelets should qualify and even though I’ve given plenty out, with the amount it looks like I’m going to be handing out your fame is only going to spread, so-”

“Ben, I am begging you not to do that to me. How badly do I need to debase myself to convince you not to rip away every drop of faith to my name just so you can finish that job?”

“Oh, come on, it wouldn’t be that bad.”

“It would actually be worse, I’m pretty sure I’d go into debt. Raising a first or second-tier job is one thing but I wouldn’t even want you trying to do that to me with a third-tier one, let alone the horrific thing you’ve currently ended up with.”

“Ugh, lame but fine, back to the drawing board. For now then, it looks like I’ve managed to both increase and decrease my workload but there’s no denying that I’ve made the world safer in just one go so if I’m making and spreading more of my work then what do you think would be an appropriate reward to ask for? I genuinely feel like somebody should be giving me their blessing just out of principle at this point, why the hell was the demon’s god less of a tight-ass about it than the rest of you?”

“The rest of us aren’t gods of souls collecting a galaxy’s worth of faith. Giving you that probably cost him close to nothing.”

“Boo, even if that’s true I deserve some appreciation for all I do here from the gods that actually benefit from it. I’ve put in so much effort and have literally changed the world more than once with my creations and discoveries, if there’s anyone who deserves more blessings then it’s me.”

“Yet complaining about it won’t change things.”

“Ugh, I know, if I want them then I just have to grab them with my own two hands. In that case, what do you think would be an appropriate reward to ask for?”

“Given that money won’t mean anything if we’re all dead, the rest here are pretty willing to be generous with that.”

“I am so, disgustingly, filthy rich already Myriad. Like, if I wanted to I’d never have to work again. I could hire staff to look after all of my needs for a dozen lifetimes and still have wealth left over. What the hell am I going to do with more money?”

“Then what would you want? I’m going to tell you right now, I wouldn’t expect the gods to spend any more power on you after the last time so pick a resource or something.”

“Do I still have no chance of getting to enjoy all of the forbidden books in the library's basement either?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

“God, I hate this world so much. Okay, give me a minute.”

With everything he could desire being shot down, Ben considered his various goals. He still wanted to get through the summoning spell and the mystery one and felt like he was making good progress, even more so since awakening alien thought structure now that he had so many new ways of approaching it, but he didn’t think the gods would be able to help him on that front.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Likewise, he still wanted to fix Inux but wouldn’t be able to expect much help from that either, with the gods already being clear that they didn’t know how he was made to begin with, meaning they’d be useless on that front too.

Other than that what he wanted could be summed up simply as power but he knew they weren’t going to give him any as a reward, whatever he wanted was stuff he’d have to get for himself, but he could ask for something that might help him on that path, with an idea finally coming to mind.

“I want to see the mythic items of the world,” He finally told his god. “Even if raising my crafting isn’t a priority, it’s not like it would hurt and this would cost them all nothing. I refuse to get more reasonable than this.”

“Hmm, I don’t actually see a reason they’d decline other than stubbornness for some of them,” Myriad said after a second's thought. “I’ll bring it up later.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan and a half so don’t let me down here.”

Not the best reward but also far from the worst, it was something he could be satisfied with while they continued on talking for the night before finally awakening to the day ahead.

Letting Thera sleep just a little longer, Ben quickly ran through Stonewall for the only thing he’d need for their outing before coming back to wake her up for the two to go through the gate to Allfaith, finding the exact party he’d wanted to see there and at the ready for them.

“Full house this time, huh?” Ben commented as he nodded at Skoe, with Ralia chuckling from it.

“Someone decided they didn’t want to risk missing out on whatever you might be doing again.”

“If I’d known I would have come last time,” The four-armed man shot back. “Can you blame me for avoiding it? Usually he’s planning something horrifying instead of helpful.”

“That’s the coinflip you get with me but luckily for you all, if things work out today this is landing squarely on helpful. Awkwardly though, I only need Sachel for the rest of you to reap the benefits. I mean, I guess you guys can come along but it’s going to be pretty dull for the most part.”

“It was going to be a few days getting home anyway,” Ralia shrugged. “We’d rather not split the party.”

“And so what do you need me to do?” The oracle asked him. “Myriad said you were being vague.”

“Don’t worry, I just need to take advantage of your specialty. You’ve got a day of casting plant spells ahead of you to look forward to, it’s going to be great, come on.”

Without waiting, Ben was already leading them through another gate and walking down the street until he found exactly what he’d been looking for.

In a city far from any of the invasion points sat a small store he’d only been able to find after pestering his god to help, with a dryad-hybrid running the empty shop by herself.

There was no real helping that though, in times of war, her wares weren’t going to be flying off the shelves which left the woman nothing to do until they’d walked in, perking her up with their presence as her eyes were drawn to Sachel who was already looking around in wonder at what was being sold. Namely, seeds of all kinds.

“Welcome,” The woman said brightly, a picture of professionalism the second it looked like customers had arrived. “How might I help you today?”

“I’ve got a list I’m looking for,” Ben told her, handing over a sheet of paper with the names of over a hundred different plants on it, with the woman reading it all over before flicking her eyes back to him.

“Alchemist?”

“Among other things but admittedly all of this is going towards potions.”

“Some of these are poisonous instead of medicinal.”

“Only if you don’t use them right.”

“Well, I suppose you’d know how you need to use them. And do you need them grown? This might take a couple days but it shouldn’t be hard to get them started for you.”

“Thanks, but I’ve brought my own plant mage along.”

“In that case, just give me a minute. And will there be anything else?”

He was going to say he was good with that but noticed the shop owner’s eyes looking behind him to Sachel who seemed to have forgotten that she’d been dragged there to help as she instead was busy looking around, reading signs and descriptors for various plants as she went while obviously trying to figure out what she wanted for herself.

“...Sachel, just get whatever you want, it’s my treat.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t-”

“I’m going to be working you to the bone after this and we still have one other stop that’s going to be pretty difficult so this is me paying you back. Get whatever and we’ll get going.”

“But-”

“Okay, let’s make this easy on all of us,” He sighed as he cut off the back and forth to instead focus on the shop owner. “On top of my own order, two packs of every other seed you have available please.”

“Ben!”

“I want to get everything I need to done today too so if you’re trying to decide between anything it's easier to just get it all. We’re all going to have a lot of work ahead of us here and if things don’t finish fast enough then you’re not sleeping tonight.”

“...Okay, if you’re going to put it that way then I’ll accept.”

It only took one look at her to tell she was thrilled with the payout, even if her party was beginning to look more concerned about whatever work he had that was going to take so long.

Not that it mattered. After leaving the shop’s owner very happy at just how many rare and expensive seeds she’d just sold, that left their last place to visit before getting to work, with all of them looking at him expectantly as he spoke up.

“Okay, now that that’s done it’s off to Sachel’s home village. I need to somehow talk Heltath into briefly letting me borrow one of her trees.”