Interlude – Halfseekers (Pt. 6)

Interlude – Halfseekers (Pt. 6)
Interlude – Halfseekers (Pt. 5)	Interlude – Halfseekers (Pt. 7)
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Interlude – Halfseekers (Pt. 6) is the 100th chapter of Volume 10.

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Jelaqua is reminded that she forgot to ask Pelt about Maughin's forge problem with her making her way to Esthelm, the Dwarf is busy at the moment so to kill some time Jelaqua enter the city's Adventurer's Guild.
Jelaqua gives advice to the lower ranked Adventurers there until she sees Kevin arguing with the [Guildmaster] about a mission he cleared, she takes Kevin to Solar Cycles for a change in clothing.
They go to Pelt learning the reason why Maughin is having trouble forging Adamantium, Rinli persuades Pelt to join them and a few other experts to discuss and design Maughin's new forge.
Not being able to enter Pallass, Kevin instead meets with Rhaldon to explain to the [Alchemist] what transpired in the [Palace of Fates] and to ask the man for help in developing modern weaponry.
Rhaldon refuses multiple times professing never wanting to be a part of that, Kevin after talking with Jelaqua understands that he doesn't have to be the warrior he thought he would need to be.
Kevin and Rhaldon show each other their prototype engine designs with them joining hands to make it a reality.
Pelt refuses to be a part this new venture as he has better things to forge, Jelaqua is reminded of a promise she made to Melika which she is late to grabbing Kevin as she speeds her way to the event.

Kevin sits up with a dislocated shoulder and a ringing in his ears and across from him he can see a beast writhing on the ground, he makes his way to the beast and ends its suffering knowing that he's not up for the adventuring life. Jelaqua wakes up wondering if she was dreaming recent events but is quickly reminded by her husband that she forgot to ask Pelt for help on the Adamantium forge which Maughin needs since Dwarfhalls Rest has begun to produce Mithril for the market. Making her way to Esthelm through The Wandering Inn, Jelaqua waits in line for the portal encountering Chaldion and his [Healer] Ulla and while waiting an official for the city of Pallass announces that there's been an appearance of a Vorpal Rat which makes the Selphid laugh as to her knowledge the beast doesn't exist meaning that the announcement is code for something else.

Jelaqua enter the inn asking Nanette for any recent information and in turn being requested by the girl to go find Kevin as the guy hasn't come back yesterday, she can see the revival effects Mireden had on the city with the actions he pulled earlier with charms making her way to Pelt. Getting told that she has to wait for some time before the Dwarf can meet her Jelaqua decides to head towards the [Florist] statue seeing Ediya ward off copycats to their new way of craft making and speaking with Esthelm's [Mayor] about the importance of what they're doing. She moves on entering the Adventurer's Guild with a Bronze-Rank team of a trio approaching Jelaqua asking for advice, taking in their measure she informs them how she would handle a Beaker at their rank and for the two male Gnolls to share their feelings soon and deal with the fallout now rather than it happen during a mission causing someone to die. Jelaqua with time remaining continues to give out advice to the Adventurers there until a certain [Engineer] appears and listens in on Kevin telling the [Guildmaster] that he took care of Beaker contract, approaching the two Jelaqua fixes his dislocated arm tasking the Bronze-Rank crew from earlier with the cleanup of Kevin's work with both of them heading to Solar Cycles.

Solar Cycles at the start was just Kevin, Rinli and Merckle (plus Pelt, Hedault and Selys) but as their bicycle was shown on the scrying orbs did the place become incredibly famous with orders made by Royalty. It was fun for Rinli and the team until the Solstice happened with Roshal and the death of Kevin, many vultures soon came by looking to grab the dying business with Rinli nearly breaking a few times from the constant harassment and pressure but stayed vigilant in remaining independent. Inside the office she sees Kevin and a Selphid barge into Solar Cycles tripping the alarms with Kevin requesting for a change of clothing and enters his office, Kevin explains his reasoning for the stunt with the Beaker in that he wanted to do something real needing to level up as fast as he can and is done with being a coward any longer. Jelaqua accepts to help train and watch over him with the two shaking hands on it, Kevin does not want to bring those of Solar Cycles into his mess but if they want to help, he has a plan for them.

Kevin, Jelaqua and Rinli enter Pelt's forge to inquiry about Maughin's problem, Pelt explains that there isn't a forge big enough to generate enough heat to work Adamantium. Pelt becomes irate once learning that it's due to Drake politics that Maughin's forge hasn't been built yet as he was waiting for it to be built to use it himself, he explains what sort of requirements a forge needs to have to work on Adamantium with Kevin and his Earther knowledge taking the fun out of it.

After Rinli enticed Pelt to join them, the group enters Pallass to speak with others about the project with Kevin having to step back into the inn to sequester something away that got caught by the detections of the [Guards] in his Bag of Holding, Jelaqua decides to follow Kevin back leaving the rest to talk about metals and such. Learning that Rhaldon is at the inn they go on to meet with the [Alchemist] explicitly telling him that what was told to him about Kevin's death was real, Rhaldon's day wasn't going to well but seeing Kevin's eyes he knew that the man has gone through some shit. Entering the [Garden of Sanctuary] Kevin hands Rhaldon a modern looking shotgun round with the [Alchemist] becoming appalled that such a thing exists haranguing Kevin for even asking him to take part in developing more. Rhaldon asks where such a thing came from with Kevin sharing light of what transpired within the [Palace of Fates].

Writing down notes, Rhaldon begins to question the veracity of what Kevin is telling him with Kevin pointing to his current existence as proof but since the two didn't know each other before the Solstice he shifts to the broken Green Moon as another point of proof. Having seen witness to 'The Wandering Inn experience' Rhaldon speaks on the number of Undead attacks that had targeted the Earthers moving on to inspecting the future shotgun round still saying multiple times that he will not take part in the creation of something that's meant to kill people. After the both of them calm down Rhaldon going into magnitude of manufacturing required to even produce guns with Kevin explains that he doesn't need that sharing about his testing with primitive bazooka prototype. Seeing the speed that Kevin made his weapon Rhaldon becomes elated about finding someone who can help him with his own project making the [Alchemist] leaves to go grab his things within his carriage.

Jelaqua speaks with Kevin about his misbelief that killing through his problems would cleanly make something better based from her experiences, piqued in her words Jelaqua starts to share of the many times she had shifted careers in her life into becoming the Halfseekers who shielded the outcasts of society so many times that she became tired of doing the right thing, yet she'd still charge if there's someone to protect. Jelaqua points out that Roshal attacked him not because of the weapons he could produce but because of Solar Cycles and people like Rinli that he fostered, Kevin realized that he doesn't have to be the warrior he thought he would need to be.

Rhaldon reappears at the inn with Kevin apologizing for how he's been acting, Rhaldon expresses his distaste for draft animals showing the three others his prototype of a self-perpetual steam engine using the Everburning Candle as the basis for the design. While Kevin goes out to grab his own version of an engine, Rhaldon speaks with Jelaqua about Kevin's demeanor and why Selphids don't just manufacture an artificial body or vessel to inhabit. Jelaqua shares a number of reasons like facing dehydration, lack of greater control like then have with ones containing bodily functions, and most assuredly having sex. Rhaldon rains down on the Selphid's parade by sharing of Earth's interests into making sex robots.

Kevin returns bringing this huge cube of metal as he explains what an engine is and how it works to Jelaqua with Rhaldon stealing the man's thunder by giving an analogy that she can understand more readily. Kevin then goes into the intricacies saying that he needed someone like Rhaldon as all the other Earthers they know are ignorant in the way of cars and mechanics. After telling Rhaldon that this project is top secret stuff and to tell nobody not trusted, the group plans to head to a number of places to get the ball rolling on this project first going to Pelt.

Pelt refuses saying he will not waste his time forging tiny, intricate pieces of steel as he has better things to work on making Kevin crestfallen, Rhaldon understands explaining that what they need is machining and mass processing to spread what they're building to the world. Jelaqua tries to ask Maughin for help, but he interrupts her pointing to the designs for his forge saying that he only needing to lobby a [Senator] thanking Melika for help in this regard, Jelaqua doesn't recognize the name until she is reminded of the nice Garuda lady she's met before. She remembers that she made a promise to Melika to go to event she's hosting—which is happening today at midday—and looking outside she notices that it's been a few hours past that starting to sprint over to the event dragging Kevin alongside her.