Chapter Three Hundred and Seven - Hiring a Professional Cleaner

“Okay,” I said. “But I’m bringing my friends with me.”

My friends and I were spread out a bit more. This part of the dining hall had a good number of comfy chairs to slouch on and we’d moved a few of them around a central coffee table (or was it a tea table? I wasn’t sure if they had coffee in Sylphfree). Mine was right across from the King’s seat, and I had Amaryllis and Awen on either side on their own big, poofy seats.

The King was sitting on a big loveseat, with wooden arms covered in carved animals and little scenes of mountainscapes. Next to him, his wife sat, still in her armour with one leg crossed over the other. She was knitting what looked like a teeny tiny jumper.

Caprica and her sister were sharing another loveseat and neither looked like they were enjoying it.

“You know,” the King said. “I’m not used to people making demands of me.”

I frowned, then tapped my chin. “I guess that makes sense, being a king and all. But still, I want my friends to come with me if they can.”

“The dungeon in question is important to our nation,” the King said. “What if we determine that its location and layout are sensitive information? Sharing that with one person who has earned our trust is well and good, but several people?”

I nodded. “That makes sense,” I said.

“So you’ll go on your own?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that,” I said. “I still want to go with my friends.”

The King didn’t pout, that wouldn’t have been very kingly of him, but I had the impression he really wanted to. “You’re very obstinate.”

“I don’t think I am,” I said.

Caprica sniffed. “If anything, Father, you should take it as a sign of Broccoli’s good nature. She is fiercely loyal to her friends.”

“Well, I mostly want Amaryllis and Awen to be with me because it sounds fun, and fun should be shared.”

“If it helps any,” Amaryllis interjected. “Broccoli can’t keep a secret from her friends. She’d spill the location of the dungeon and everything she learned about it the moment one of us asked.”

“That’s troubling,” the King muttered.

“Secrets aren’t part of a healthy relationship,” I said.

The queen looked up from the jumper she was knitting. “Let the girl bring her friends. The dungeon is hazardous enough, even with trusted comrades.”

“We’re not sending her down there alone,” the King countered. “The Knights of the Long Rest are jealous of their dungeon. They wouldn’t allow strangers in without an escort at the best of times.”

“I’ll see if any paladins are free,” the Queen said.

“Or we could send some of the royal guard,” the King said. “I suspect the Paladins will be a bit much for this. Though... those who will want to see Broccoli’s Cleaning magic in action might want to send their own observers.”

“We can’t send an entire platoon’s worth of people in the dungeon,” the Queen said. “Let them pick one each, perhaps, make sure that they’re aware of the risks, then let the Knights of the Long Rest pick out a pair of guides. At that point, you’ll already be stretching the number of people you can safely send into the dungeon.”

“What kind of Dungeon is it?” I asked. I’d been in my share of them already. It didn’t make me an expert or anything, but I imagined that I knew more about dungeons than maybe the average person.

“The Dungeon of the Lullaby Knight,” the King said. “It’s an hour’s flight from Sylphfree, with a small compound around it where the Knights of the Long Rest are headquartered.”

“A knightly order?” Amaryllis asked.

The King nodded. “We have a few.”

“More than a few,” Caprica said. “They’re a popular way for nobles and some people to grow in martial prowess at their own pace while sidestepping the rigours of the army.”

“Having so many orders fosters a good, competitive market,” Stephania said. “Besides, the orders need to fund their own housing, training, and equipment. They’re less of a burden on the nation’s coffers.”

Caprica and Stephania were glaring at each other again. Was there some animosity between the army and these knightly orders? The Queen might have noticed my look because she filled me in some more.

“The nation’s army is grand and proud, but it is a literal meritocracy. The talented and hard-working rise in the ranks, regardless of their birth. Knightly Orders, on the other hand, are mostly filled with noble scions. They buy their own equipment and rank themselves as they see fit. The orders are still subject to the army command though, and they need to participate to assist the nation just as the army does. Most orders will find a niche, occasionally they will be built around a specific dungeon and will use that as a way to unlock a unique class and evolutionary line that allows them to better serve the nation in a specific and unique way.”

“Huh,” I said. So they were basically small army-like clubs. I wasn’t sure what to think about that.

“The most famous are the Wyvern Knights,” Caprica said. “There’s a dungeon that gives a class that allows one to tame and ride wyverns. The knights serve as an aerial cavalry alongside airships. It’s a prestigious position to be in, and their membership is both exclusive and expensive to obtain.”

“Ah, what do the Knights of the Long Rest specialise in?” Awen asked.

Caprica nodded at the question. “They specialise in a few areas. Mostly they have magic that allows them to make others fall asleep. They’ve been used to suppress riots, and they can boost the recovery of those who are sleeping, as well as themselves when they’re asleep. I think they have a few more skills, but they are somewhat secretive and honestly, they’re not the most popular of the knightly orders.”

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“The Knights of the Long Rest have always been close to the throne,” the King said. “And their loyalty is beyond reproach. There are two other dungeons afflicted with these Evil Roots within our borders, but I trust the knights and suspect they will welcome the aide more kindly than others might.”

“Neat,” I said. “Well, in that case, I don’t see any harm in helping. When do we head out?”

“Broccoli,” Amaryllis said. “You’re forgetting something.”

“I am?” I asked. I really couldn’t see what I was forgetting. A maid popped by and placed some cups down, then started filling them with tea.

Amaryllis leaned forwards and took her cup between two talons. “Payment, Broccoli. We’re rendering a service to Sylphfree by not only clearing this one dungeon, but by teaching them how to clear their own. Dungeons are practically priceless. If we teach them how to save their dungeons from near-certain destruction, that teaching is similarly priceless.”

“Oh,” I said.

“The kingdom will, of course, cover all of your expenses so far,” the King said. He glanced back and over his loveseat and… and there was a butler there that was absolutely not there the last time I checked. “Could you make note of that, please?”

“Covering our expenses is a nice start,” Amaryllis said. I could almost feel the greed wafting off of her. “Our ship was damaged on the way in, and the costs to repair and dock it will certainly add up as we have to wait longer within Sylphfree.”

The King grinned. “Of course, of course. That’s perfectly understandable.”

“Don’t let the children step all over you just because they’re small and innocent,” the Queen said.

“I’m not so easily swayed, dear,” the King said. “How about this, as compensation for the work, each of you will be awarded fifty Sylphreen Ducats.”

“That’s all?” Amaryllis asked.

“It’s far beyond what even an expert would be paid,” the King said.

“Ah, but experts can be trained and called upon from elsewhere,” Amaryllis said. “Riftwalkers with World-given quests are not nearly so common. Unless you plan on using Rainnewt to do the deed, then I suspect you’re not so much hiring an expert as you are hiring the only person anywhere who can help. That must have some value to it.”

The King chuckled. “Very well then, I have been swayed by your incredible negotiating ability.”

He definitely expected Amaryllis to try and squeeze a bit more out of him. But Amaryllis looked appropriately smug, so I don’t point out that she tripped right into the King’s trap.

“One hundred gold each. Which I suspect is a bounty worthy of such a task. You will also be granted the right to take the class you earn from the dungeon, if you so choose. And I will sign a writ granting you rights of first choice on any items dropped during the excursion.”

“Is that special?” I asked.

Stephania was the one to reply this time. “It’s not impossible for someone outside of a knightly order to take on an order’s dungeon. Usually, the order will ask for a fee, but because the dungeons belong to the kingdom first, they don’t have a legal right to refuse a citizen access as long as the citizen has permission to access the dungeon. What they will do is force those attempting the dungeon to be escorted through it. It prevents untrained people from dying in a dangerous environment. Part of that contract gives the guides rights to anything found within the dungeon.”

“Oh,” I said. That didn’t seem entirely fair. “Okay, well a hundred gold is a whole lot, so that seems fine to me.” I could recall a discussion with Amaryllis a long while ago, where she told me that a small airship cost about a thousand gold. We’d earn enough in one day to purchase a third of a ship! That was pretty huge!

“Wonderful,” the King said. He clapped his hands, and a new butler bowed next to him and extended a piece of paper on a wooden board with a pen fixed to it. The King took the board and wrote something on the page pinned to it with quick, easy grace. He folded it up after signing it at the bottom, then the butler poured warm wax onto the front of the letter which the king touched with a big ring. “And now it’s quite official. We merely need some witnesses and your own signatures.”

Caprica and Stephania both agreed to act as witnesses, which seemed fine. I guessed that three royal signatures on a contract made it pretty official.

The contract was passed to Amaryllis, who signed it, then to me.

By my will as King of Sylphfree, ruler of Goldenalden, and rightful liege of the lords and ladies of sylphkind and those within our rightful lands,

I hereby decree that the following persons have permission, officially obtained, to carry with them the classes and possessions they have rightfully obtained from the Dungeon of the Lullaby Knight; Lady Amaryllis Albatross of the Harpy Mountains, Lady Awen Bristlecone of Mattergrove, and Captain Broccoli Bunch, of lands beyond the Rift.

For the inestimable task of ridding our nation of the Evil Roots which infest its dungeons, they shall be awarded one hundred Sylphreen ducats for their brave work.

By my name,

Reggie IV G. Sylph

As witnessed by

Caprica B. Sylph

Stephania R. Sylph

I stared for a moment, pen in hand and poised to sign. “Wait, your name is Reggie?”

My friends both sighed. “Awa, Broccoli, can you not insult the king, please?”

“I wasn’t!” I said. “It’s just, I didn’t expect his name to be Reggie. I thought he’d have a fancy name.”

Caprica was notably not looking in my direction and had a hand over her mouth while her sister snickered quietly.

The King actually pouted when his wife started to chuckle.

“Well, so much for that,” he said.

***