The moment Lan heard the words, he let out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. In fact, he was so relieved he almost reached into the Other World Chest for his sword when he heard a thump from Dell’s box as he jumped with surprise.

Looking over, Lan found Ganin with a mix of shock and humour as Dell pounded his fist into the ancient wood.

As the large man grabbed his employer’s hand, Lan understood the sudden outburst.

Knowing that something was coming and having to face it was not one and the same.

By declaring that his family had no responsibility in repaying Lan’s debt, the Magistrate had killed any chance of Dell bringing them to court related to any of the charges that he had brought forward against Lan, and it was all because of the Law of Stone the same Law Dell had thought to use against them.

Although he had counted on it, Lan hadn’t thought he would be able to get Dell to request it so quickly, and he had needed to fight to hide his excitement.

As he turned a smile dripping with smug satisfaction on Dell, he wondered if he should thank him now or after the trial.

With his hand starting to bruise, Dell looked at the Magistrate with a look that said, “Enough of this”.

‘Now we shall determine how the debt will be repaid.’ The Magistrate said, looking at Dell.

‘I demand the debt be paid through indentured servitude.’ Dell seethed, not taking his eyes off Lan. No, if he could not have what he wanted, then he would pour all this rage into making Lan’s life an unending hell.

Lan almost smiled. No doubt the thousand gold would never be paid off no matter how long he worked if he didn’t die from the work first.

Too bad Lan was just about to rub salt into Dell’s wounds.

‘Do you have any objections, Master Cross?’ the Magistrate asked, happy to be nearing the end.

For a moment, Lan didn’t answer. Without a counter to Dell’s proposal, Lan would have to accept it. And as he waited, he could see Dell grow past his braking point with every second.

‘Master Cross?’ the Magistrate sighed.

‘I do have an objection.’ Lan said, going on before Dell could say anything. ‘I serve the Hunt and none else.’ Lan reached under his shirt and retrieved his guild tag.

As the dull grey metal swung through the air, the Magistrate sighed, and Dell just stared blankly at Lan as if his mind had finally snapped.

‘I take it that you wish to make payment then?’ the Magistrate asked as if each word carried a needle that cut on its way out.

‘That’s right,’ Lan said with a smile.

Adventurers didn’t have many benefits, but one of them was legal considerations. One they did get was the exemption from anything that could keep them from doing their true calling. That also meant how much could be taken from them by law.

‘Very well…’ the Magistrate said, looking to Dell. ‘bring your tag, and we will determine...’ Before the Magistrate finished, he seemed to see what metal Lan’s tag was made from and frowned.

‘Drill…’ the Magistrate sighed as if disappointed before looking bored. ‘What is the weekly take of a Drill adventurer.’ He asked the custodian, seemingly finding a Drill rank adventurer not worth calling for a Keystone to check how much he made.

‘Uh! The average for a promising Drill is a…’ the girl paused and looked at Lan as if betraying him. ‘Five to ten silver.’ she finished, which Lan guessed was about right.

‘Fine, then shall we put this matter to rest with a payment of two silver pieces a week?’ the Magistrate asked before turning to Dell for his input first,

‘One more thing… My lord magistrate.’ Lan added as if it was an afterthought. ‘I am sure you know that an all guilds’ campaign will be called soon. Now, I know that I am only a Drill Rank, but I am sure that there will be talk about the Magistrate who adversely compromised the strength of an adventurer days before a campaign is called.’

‘It has not been called yet!’ the magistrate half cried as panic replaced boredom.

Although adventurers didn’t get much love usually. Attitudes toward them flipped even before all guilds' campaigns. The adventurer's tax was waved, and others would even go out of their way to give freely to adventurers. And magistrates were meant to be more lenient.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

For a moment, the Magistrate looked panicked, although little in the great scheme of things if this got out, then it was something that his enemies could use against him, and Lan Knew the man had enemies. He had talked about them enough with Dell. One of which was Magistrate Ockheart, who seemed to be actively going after the man’s job. The look in the man’s eyes told Lan that he knew that Lan would ensure it got to him along with everything else.

‘Well, perhaps we can lower it for now and then return to it when the all guilds' campaign is over.’ the Magistrate tried.

‘That sounds fair, but I think this falls under the Law of Stone, does it not.’ Lan said with a grin, watching as the Magistrate's face went pale, realising he had known all along.

The Law of Stone was a law that made all rulings set in stone, no matter how fair or unfair it was. It was usually only used between bitter rivals or in cases of blood feuds.

Defeated, the Magistrate looked to Dell and sighed. ‘Taking into account the situation and the spirit of generosity that these troubled times call for from our… heroes. I could say that a weekly payment of… fifty coppers a week is fair. Sorry, Obern,’ the Magistrate said, looking at Dell as the façade of impartiality fell away. ‘At least this way, you will get some money back.’

And with one last ray of light from above. That was it. The trial was over.

Ten years of torment had led to this. Getting to see the man who had caused it locked in a catatonic state of failure and pain.

And it wasn’t over just yet. Lan still had to pay his debt,

With a smile that Lan found come easy, he walked over to Dell before retrieving fifty Copper.

‘It looks like the day is yours, Master Dell.’ Lan said, finding anger coming just as easily as the smile.

‘You have gone too far with this.’ Dell whispered before rounding on Lan with an anger that made Ganin look like he would grab the man before Dell attacked Lan.

‘Too far?… I told you that I had learned more from you than you thought. I just did as I was taught.’ Lan shrugged. ‘And… you know, all this has given me perspective on a few things. So, I think I will try to reconcile with my family. You know. Now that you made it so you can’t touch them.’

Dell’s eyes flashed white, hot and burning with a black storm of anger. ‘That is if you still have a family to reconcile with after I am done with them.’ The moment the words left Dell's mouth, his anger was replaced with terror, anger breaking and giving way to self-preservation as he saw killing intent in Lan’s own eyes. ‘No, wait!’ he stepped back.

With a cold anger, Lan leaned in. ‘It’s been a hard day for you, so I will act as if I didn’t hear that. Moving forward, let's keep each other's families out of this.’ Lan said, watching Dell's eyes fill with terror as the urge to kill that had momentarily taken over him faded.

There was only one thing that Dell cared for more than his pride and business, and to his credit, that was his daughter.

And as he looked into his eyes. Lan was sure Dell knew that whatever happened to his family, he would do to her.’

‘Y-yes.’ Dell lowered his head.

‘Th-this isn’t over?’ Dell tried his anger rekindling weakly.

‘Of course not. I still haven’t paid you yet.’ Lan said, offering the fifty Copper. ‘fifty Copper a week, every week from today until your last. You will have fifty small reminders of this day.’ Lan said, placing the coins on the box in fives.

Watching this, Dell made a face that Lan thought was his attempt to hold back tears or choke on something.

‘This isn’t over,’ Dell glared.

‘I know.’ Lan returned, placing the last coin on the box, his own threat louder for not having to say it. With what he knew now, things were far from over. The fact that Dell felt that he was the one who had reason to be mad blinded him to the clear, tranquil rage before him, like standing in the eye of a storm that was Lan.

With that, Lan looked to Ganin, who had one hand under his coat, no doubt having reached for his blackjack, but it looked like he wouldn’t do anything, so Lan turned to leave.

‘Lan! This isn’t over. I will make you pay for this!

As he let the door close behind him, Lan knew it was true. No, there was no doubt that Dell would try to find a way to make him miss a payment or just kill him. Those were the only ways that Dell could go after his family now. But even then, he couldn’t make a move so soon.

Which didn’t matter, for as the door closed, Lan knew that in that courtroom, he was not only leaving behind the shattered remnants of Dell's ego but the person that had been for the last ten years. With the closing of this chapter in his life, Lan headed out into the city, knowing that he would be ready for anything Dell could throw at him, even as he turned his mind to greater threats.

‘Lan!’

Dell

‘Lan!’

As the door closed, Dell wanted to rage. He wanted to bite his skin off and rip out his veins just so he could let out some of the bitter blackness boiling in his chest.

How could this have happened? He had spent ten years turning Lan into the perfect puppet. To the point that he thought no, he knew the boy’s every step. There was no way that the Lan he had made would ever have gone to his family for help.

He should have hidden it from them. He should have hidden it!

Dell rounded on Ganin, the bastard born of a rock and the goliath. Why didn’t he say anything about Lan somehow becoming an adventurer? If Dell had known, then he may not have just walked into the boy’s trap. Then again, he didn’t even believe it now, so how could he before.

As Dell heard footsteps coming toward him, he turned on the biggest fool of them all. Finding Torral with a sympathetic look on his face. A look that fueled Dell’s anger.

‘Sorry Obern…’

‘You're sorry?’ Dell snapped, ‘You should have done what you promised and not be sorry! Or did you forget that you owe me? you better find a way to make this right.’ Dell finished as Torral's face reddened with anger of his own.

‘I didn’t do what I promised? That your joke of a case even saw a courtroom is because of me.’ the large round man hissed so only Dell and Ganin could hear. ‘You told me that that boy- no- man was a fool blinded by grief. From where I sat, it looked like that man played you from the moment he walked into the court. Not to mention that I would never have taken the case if I knew that he was an adventurer. An adventurer, Obren! Which was good you to inform me of.’ Toral said sarcastically.

Which only stung Dell even more for not knowing it.

‘Consider all debts between us to be paid.’ Toral finished before storming off.

For a moment, Dell just stood there, allowing his hate and shame to feed into one another. This would not be allowed to stand. He would make things right. He would make the world right.