Chapter 3

As I charged at the last of the Goblins on the third level of the mine I saw the one facing me open his mouth in surprise and then grab at his two companions and push them around to face me. As I entered combat range I kicked out and connected with the Goblin on my right. At the same time, I grabbed the Goblin on my left and arm locked him then rolled and with a surge swung him up and over into the last Goblin who still had a surprised look on his face. Standing up I noted that all three Goblins were done.

I had finished clearing the dungeon. The first level had comprised of single Goblins patrolling around, they had not offered any challenge. The second level was the same with 2 goblins walking around. Again, not too difficult. The third level had proven to be more of a challenge, the patrols had three Goblins and one of them always attempted to run away and get help from another nearby group.

I had a few scary moments until I developed a rhythm to deal with them, a lightning fast light attack on the two closest and then a heavy hitting attack on the third one. This made sure the first two had a lot of aggro on me and would not run away until I could finish them off. It helped that I was now level 7 and they were level 3, another thing that made it possible was the fact that Caspar had helped to get my human body into shape by using a regimen of several different martial arts. Unsurprisingly the muscle memory transferred over and with my greater strength and power, I blazed through the Goblins like an angry Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon.

Shaking my head at that thought I caught a whisper of Caspar laughing, the upgraded AI had come with personality tweaks and I think that Caspar was developing a snarky sense of humor. Turning I walked into the last room, it was empty, we had defeated the rare elite boss, a Goblin Chief outside of the dungeon. I walked over to the throne and saw that the footstool was actually a chest.

After making sure that no one was hidden I waved my hand over the chest and watched as it opened. Looking inside I saw several small bottles, mana and health potions. I popped them into my bag and then picked up two scrolls, one taught Transmorph and the other Teleport. Just my luck they were both Mage spells. The final item was a leather-bound book, scanning it I was surprised to learn that it opening up the profession of Magical Engineering.

Caspar spoke, Lightborne that it another incredible find, an unknown profession. I am calculating the value of selling it or keeping it and using it to make money.

After several seconds passed Caspar said, Lightborne I believe that the long-term benefit of having a unique, at least at this point in time profession is worthwhile, I suggest you read the book. Once we sell the location of this mine we will not have to worry about money, but having the ability to handcraft a one of a kind item will make money and provide you with unique gear.

Deciding Caspar was correct I sat down and began to read the book. Time passed without my being aware of it and I finally closed the book. Once done I noted that at my current level I could make some simple items, once I had the materials needed. I decided that the first thing I would make would be a simple remote bomb. All I needed was lots of copper ore and rock dust along with wiring. All of which mining could provide.

Standing I made my way to the throne and observed a small doorway hidden behind it. Going through it I climbed a long ladder and ended up in a cave west of the mine. Exiting the cave, I noted on my minimap that I was now on a ridge between the hidden valley and the larger starting zone. I crept forward making sure not to highlight myself and observed the area. I could see that there were more hidden valleys along the ridgeline. Looking out past them I could see several of the small farms and one of the other mines located nearby. The area was crawling with noobs and off in the distance was the village of Rosewood.

The village lore stated that a Mage had been in love with a maiden from the village who had loved roses. He had magically produced flowering roses to grow all over the village but it was not enough to win her over from the local boy. The Mage in anger left the village but before he did he cursed the roses and to this day if a rose is touched it will immediately stab the person touching it with 4-inch poison thorns. Beautiful but deadly.

Turning around I made my way back to the hidden valley and found a path which I followed to ground level. Once at the ruined Inn I mailed my entire bag of goodies to myself and then left the valley, and headed towards the city. I jogged and walked, sticking to the king’s roads. I bypassed the village of Rosewood and continued on to the city.

The city, how to describe it. A melting pot of many different cultures and races. No, it was not a melting pot, a mosaic perhaps was a more accurate definition. The city had several populations. It was the starting point for Humans but also the home to many other races. The location itself was nestled in a valley that was formed by 4 hills. The city had grown and spread up out of the valley and over the hills. It had a seaport with a natural harbor on the east side that was the home to a huge fleet of both commercial and war vessels.

The trade district was on the two hills facing west into the country and full of manufactory buildings along with the occasional home of merchant barons who preferred to be close to their warehouses and goods. The closest hill to the sea is where the warehouses are that led down to the docks and where great merchant vessels brought the trade goods into the city that showered wealth onto the Kingdom.

The last and highest hill was home to the nobles and the top of the hill was where the King resided. In the valley nestled the homes of the ordinary people, but the city itself had continued to grow and now the outskirts of the city were full of homes and markets and courtyards.

All of this was policed by the Magistrates, men who were the judge, jury and the final word of the Kings law. Any citizen could call upon a Magistrate at any time, but Gods help you if you wasted their time. They were Battle Mages who were well versed in the law. Each held a commission in the Kings service and the city watch would answer to a Magistrate in any situation. The city was peaceful with very low crime and the home to many of the guilds in AEO. Once a guild developed enough reputation with the King they could apply for a permit to build a Keep on the King's land.

Dotted throughout the kingdom were these Keeps, castles which were built on land purchased by the King. Everything depended on a reputation earned, and many guilds would have the lower level members running endless minor quests within the kingdom to earn a small but steady stream of rep for the guild. The King was the ultimate authority in the city a level 250 NPC who literally had the power of life and death over all in his realm. He presided over his city of Anchar and ruled with a velvet fist.

As I entered the city I thought of these things and hoped that one day I might have the privilege of meeting the King. It was said that with his favor epic quests could be given to the fortunate few and the rewards were so great that only whispered rumors were told.

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I made my way to the mailbox at my Inn and grabbed my bag, then turned and made my way to the office of EVRAZ corporation. Taking a breath, I entered the office and walked up to the clerk. He looked at me and then said, “I will open a window, you transfer your daily ore to my window.”

I shook my head and said, “No I am here to pay off my remaining ore debt to EVRAZ, please call forth a witness.”

The clerk a human with greasy hair looked at me in amazement and then sneered as he said, “It is impossible for you to have earned the ore, therefore you must have stolen it, at any rate, it is EVRAZ property as are you now turn it in and get out. You will be paying off your debt for the next 25 years noob.”

I stared at this man and then suddenly was aware of Caspar saying, Call a magistrate now, this man is trying to rob you and make sure you will never get out of debt if you don’t stop it now you are going to be a slave for the next 25 years.

“I call out for a Magistrate, I need Justice.” I listened to the words and was not surprised when suddenly a Gnome appeared in the middle of the room. He looked at me and then at the clerk and then said, “I have come to render judgment, what is the accusation?”

The clerk immediately began speaking and said, “This noob has attempted to pay off his debt to EVRAZ, clearly he has stolen the ore, at any right, all ore he has belongs to EVRAZ and he must hand it over, then continue to work out his contract. We will accept nothing less.”

The magistrate looked at the clerk and then looked at me and asked, “Do you have anything to say?”

I took a breath and then spoke, “I have the ore needed to pay out my contract, as there is no clause in my contract that stops early payout or penalizes me. As for how I gathered the ore that is my business, has there been any report of theft? No, because it was not stolen by me. The fact is that EVRAZ is trying to steal from me and continue to keep me in servitude. Please note I have worked hard to make my payments daily and now that I have come into possession of extra ore I simply wish to pay off my debt and be a free man.”

I stopped talking and looked at the Magistrate as he mulled over my words, then watched as he turned to the clerk. “My judgment is as follows, you will accept payment of the ore and immediately end the Lightborne contract. In addition, you will return to him 10 percent of the payment to EVRAZ for your actions in illegally trying to steal from Lightborne.”

The clerk stood up stunned and then said, “You damn NPC, you think you can dictate terms to EVRAZ, I will have your code erased. I will make you disappear I will…”

At this point, the Magistrate waved his hand and the clerk simply burst into flame and was incinerated in about 2 seconds. A new clerk quickly spawned and the Magistrate repeated what he had told the first clerk. Only this time I was to be given back 50 percent of the ore. The clerk looked at me and swallowed then transferred the ore and handed me a contract that showed my debt paid off in full. Then he transferred over 115000 pieces of ore back to me all the while giving me the evil eye, finally once done he told me to get out.

I nodded and left with the Magistrate stopping in the square to thank him.

“Think nothing of it lad, they were clearly trying to steal from you and that is something that the King frowns on, so now that you are free and relatively well off, what are your plans?”

Deciding to be fully honest I said, “I don’t know sir, I recently came into some information about an unknown mine that I want to sell, if I could make some gold happen than I would be glad to simply work at leveling up and getting stronger.”

The magistrate looked at me and then said, “Come with me for a drink, and tell me more, I might have a bit of a solution to your problem.” With that, the mage grasped my arm and we teleported into a tavern, looking around I could see I was in a place that I had never been to.

“Welcome to the Hammer and Gavel, it is a pub that caters to Magistrates and others who work for the King. Here we relax and discuss issues of importance to the Kingdom as well as recent cases of Judgement. Occasionally the Kings Ministers join us, we are all equals in this place.”

I listened to the Magistrate and looked around, clearly the rich and powerful gathered here. “Sir,” I began when he interrupted me, “Call me Cornelius, Magistrate and Chief Justice of his Majesty Edwin the third, King of Anchar and ruler over the western realms.”

Gesturing for me to sit down he called several people over and when we had all been served he spoke to a tall dignified looking man, “Lord Stephen, if I may, this man here is in possession of an unclaimed mine, one which I believe the Kingdom would love to claim, what can we do to help both or kingdom and this good man?”

Lord Stephen looked at me and then said, “Speak lad and tell your tale, you have my word as the first minister to his Majesty your words will remain in confidence among us, but tell us of this mine and how you came to discover it. I know the area outside the city is overrun with low-level people desperate to make their daily payments to the foreign business that has taken up root here. How did you find an untapped mine, it seems impossible?”

I looked around at the people gathered at the table clearly, I had managed to involve myself with the rich and powerful, if I was not careful things would not go well with me. Still, things could be worse and I had no doubt that these people would quickly see through any lie, besides I did not like liars and was not one myself.

“Sir,” I began “I was one of those people struggling to make my payments to EVRAZ not that long ago when by the grace of the Gods I happened to find myself at the entrance to a hidden valley…”

I spoke for a long time and when I was done I realized that I had revealed that I had taken the Rats bag and that was the source of my ability to pay off EVRAZ.

Cornelius looked at me and said, “No worries lad, I have no doubt that the RAT had stolen all that ore, but what is past is past but now we must deal with the future, would you be willing to accept a payout of one million gold for all the information you have shared with us?”

I sat back stunned, that was a lot of gold when suddenly Lord Stephen spoke up, “Lad I have a better offer for you, this valley it could contain several farms and a mining crew, I would like to offer you’re the Lordship of this valley in the Kings name. We well send miners, farmers, and workers as well as a detachment of the Kings guards, you will be granted the noble title of Baron of Hidden Vale and will be subject to all the privileges and responsibilities that entails. The reality is you will be called upon to support the King in any manner. You will be taxed fairly and well earn an appropriate income for your station. Also, we will pay you 250000 gold up front and the Kingdom will pay for the first year of settlement. What say you Lightborne, this is a far better offer than a simple gold payout?”

I smiled and nodded, then said, “Yes my Lord I would very much like this.”

Suddenly I was facing a man who had sat quietly and listened to all of us talking, he looked at me and pulled a rapier out and then called for me to kneel. As I went to my knees I felt the blade of the sword touch me on both shoulders and then I was told to stand, as I stood I heard the man say, “By my right under the Gods and my power as lawful King I declare that Lightborne a freeman under my reign now be given the title Baron and accorded the lands of Hidden Vale.” I stood in amazement, this was the King of the Western Realms. He had just made me a Baron. I noticed him looking at me and smiling, then he said, “I trust in my ministers, and my judgment, I am sure that you will make a fine Baron, your lands are given directly from me and you will answer to me in all matters of importance.”

I watched as he turned and gave orders to Lord Stephen, then I was hustled away by Cornelius the Magistrate. He teleported us to a fine Inn where I was told to submit to the services of the Inn and then he left. What this meant was I was washed and dressed in good leather clothing, with my hair cut and braided and made to look presentable.

Once I was ready I was led outside to where a narrow wagon awaited, boarding the wagon I noted that 5 more wagons were following along with a squad of 20 guardsmen and about 50 other people. We left the city after a couple of hours of navigating, with the commander of the guards riding alongside me. I told him the directions and while we attracted a lot of attention once the guards told the players and NPC to back off we slowly made our way through the countryside on our way to the hidden entrance of the valley.