Chapter 48: Rule of Three

[Level up!

Will Swindell

Class (True): Level 3 Soldier of Fortune

Class (Public): Level 3 Soldier

Title: [Empty]

Experience: 311/500]

I took a moment to look around, as notifications began to flood in. Harvey was huddled together with the carriage drivers, all of them talking in quiet whispers, beyond my ability to hear. The remaining Archers fell into two camps: three of them looked no worse than wear, and were acting as couriers of sorts, running back and forth from the carriages to bring food to five of their peers, the latter of whom lay on the floor, busy stuffing their faces with anything within reach. They’d been affected with the same condition I had, the Last Stand, but none of them looked dead, just in varying degrees of distress. The final Archer was laid out on the ground, seemingly unconscious, but he was still groaning in pain, so his wounds couldn’t have been too bad. My due diligence done, I felt comfortable leaving them be, and turning my full attention to the System and my rightful reward.

[You have earned one item upgrade, to be applied to an item of your choice. Thematic considerations apply here, so choose carefully.]

I had no idea how to interpret that, so decided to leave it aside for later, as there was no pressing need for it at the moment.

[In addition, you may choose one of the two paths below.

1) Hand Over Fist: Gain Proficiency (Close Combat)

2) Make it Rain: Gain Proficiency (Throwing Weapons)]

“Well that’s annoying,” I muttered.

It seemed that, much like my personal assistant back in the insurance fund, the System simply refused to offer me any easy choices. Harvey had mentioned weapon specialisations, not long ago, and how Level 4 Soldiers were required to take them as part of the national training regimen. That in itself implied a high degree of effectiveness, for it to become part of standard doctrine, and although I’d gotten the offer one level earlier, that calculus hadn’t changed. The problem of course, was that I dearly desired both of them. Close Combat was my bread and butter, up until now, and that was unlikely to ever change. Even taking into account my inventory, and any future diversification of my arsenal, adding in ranged options to the mix, getting up close and personal was always going to remain part of the game; that was true back on Earth, where militaries trained their men in good old fisticuffs, even in the era of planes and drones, and it would be even more true in this land of fantasy.

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But all the same, I also wanted throwing weapons, because they were a one-stop shop to curing my lack of options at range. I’d have been more hesitant if it only offered proficiency in a single ranged weapon: those, particularly the more specialised ones, required expensive materials and expert craftsmen to make, and there was also the problem of ammunition to consider. With throwing weapons, though? Anything sharp or heavy I got my hands on would become a lethal weapon, from my trusty knife, to spare melee weapons lying around, or even rocks on the ground at a pinch, all provided extra optionality, and I wanted it all. But that wasn’t an option, and I had to make a choice, and in that moment, my heart burned with greed.

[Advancement condition met: More, always more!

For your demonstration of unbridled greed, you have gained the option of a hidden deal for this level up. Instead of taking one of the two options above, you may instead select the following.

3) Near and Far

Gain Proficiency (Close Combat) and Proficiency (Throwing Weapons)

Gain another Covenant, Silvertongue: Class will be lost if you knowingly tell a direct lie.]

I'd be lying if I said I even thought it through, because I selected option three the moment I read it fully.

[Proficiency (Close Combat) gained.

Proficiency (Throwing Weapons) gained.

Covenant - Silvertongue gained.]

It was a no-brainer, really. Sure, on the face of it, this particular Covenant was quite dangerous, but it actually had a significant amount of leeway built into it, due to three particular factors in the Covenant’s wording. Firstly, the fact that it only applied when knowingly telling a lie neutralised the biggest threat: that I would accidentally lie and lose my Class. That modifier narrowed it down, requiring me to intentionally deceive, and that was something that could be worked around, particularly in conjunction with the second factor at play.

See, the only requirement was to avoid lies that were direct; or in other words, a blatant untruth that could not be construed as anything else. This was completely fine in my book, because I tended to avoid such measures anyway, as they were not a viable way to operate for any length of time. Sure, such obvious lies might get you out of a sticky situation in the short-term, but relying on them inevitably created problems down the line, as more and more inconsistencies came to people’s attention. Every incident increased the scrutiny a liar was under, until sooner or later, it was too much to hide from, and the truth came out. It was far better, I’d learned decades ago, to rely on more subtle forms of misdirection, for example by telling technical truths, or by playing fast and loose with disclosure, ensuring that only some truths emerged, while other facts were hidden by omission.

Third and lastly, the wording of the Covenant prohibited me from lying, but did not compel me to speak, so silence was always an option, even if that potentially carried a reputational risk. Much like a certain amendment popularised across the Atlantic, I simply had to be strategic about when I spoke, so as to avoid any self-incrimination. Between all of these safeguards, I felt comfortable taking the hidden deal, and leaving the consequences for my future self. My decision was made, one that I was fully satisfied with, so on that note, I finally turned my attention away from the System, and returned it to the wider situation.