Leaving the hubbub of the crowd behind, the old man led Jonathan down the main street, ignoring the many businesses and houses on each side. He walked at a slow pace, barely more than that of a normal human, and Jonathan had to resist the urge to tell the man to hurry up.
Eventually, they reached the city center, finding themselves outside of a large building, built out of a different type of stone than the rest of the city. It was a lighter shade of black, almost a gray color, and it was quite a bit more inviting than the rest of the city. The mayor walked up to the doors, and placed his palm against a small pad on the side. The pad beeped and went green, and the doors opened in front of him, revealing a large hallway. He waved at Jonathan, beckoning for him to enter, and he followed.
Setting foot on the smooth floor of the city hall, Jonathan was amazed by how silent it was in comparison to the rest of the city. He followed the other man down the hallway, wondering why there was nobody else in the building. It seemed a little bit suspicious to him, but he was still confident in his power to deal with anything untoward. At the end of the hall was an ornate door, which the mayor opened using a key hanging from a chain around his neck. Behind the door was a well furnished study, with sofas, and even a wooden table. Jonathan had no idea where all of the finery had come from, seeing as they were literally in Hell, but he did not ask questions. The other man entered the room, sitting down behind the desk. Jonathan entered after him a moment later, surveying the room.
“Do you like the desk? I found it a nice touch. I had it imported from the Ashen Citadel a few years back. It was quite expensive, but worth it, I feel. It gives me bonuses to my writing speed, which is getting worse in my old age.” Noting that Jonathan was still standing, he waved his hands. “Sit, please! This isn't a job interview. You are a hero to us now.”
Jonathan nodded and sat on one of the sofas, watching the other man closely.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but what exactly did you summon me here for?”
“Ah, don’t be so formal. I didn’t summon you anywhere. This is merely a friendly chat. Nothing more, nothing less.” Then the other shoe dropped. “I have a proposition for you, you see, and I wished to make it in private.”
“Go on…”
“I saw your performance out there, on the battlefield, and I wished to make use of your power in the future. How would you feel about becoming a permanent citizen of this town, with a full salary and the best of comfort?”
“Not interested,” Jonathan replied instantly. “I have a task to complete, and I cannot linger long here, no matter what you might offer to me. However, is there anything else you might want from me?”
“Look,” the other man began, sighing, “I wish I didn't have to explain this to you. I am quite popular among the general populace, but some of the crafters wish to oust me. You see, I installed a tax a few years ago on the wealthiest members of this town, and they wish to remove me, and place a puppet in my place. I would be grateful if you helped me out with this.”
“Why would you enact such a tax? Was it to line your own pockets?” Jonathan asked, expecting nothing less. For this man to be actually a good person was quite unlikely.
“Believe it or not, I love the people of this town like my own family. I built this place out of my own blood sweat and tears, back when I was a young man, and I enjoy watching what it became. With those taxes, I make sure that everyone is able to eke out a passable existence here, no matter how destitute they are. I cannot provide much, but it is better than nothing.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The man’s tone indicated that he was telling the truth, but was hiding something. Jonathan leaned back in his chair, regarding the man with a lidded gaze. During his years back on Earth, he had dealt with many people like this, generally when he was trying to negotiate a good deal for supplies. He worked for a small company that had been in the business of transporting goods across the country, working for their parent company, which was a large retailer. For some reason, they had put Jonathan on the job of negotiating with the suppliers to get a better deal than simply buying from a quota. He had been quite good at it too, and one of the best ways to crack someone’s facade was to stay silent. Most people would be unable to stand the uncomfortable break in the conversation, and would eventually fill it with something else. Apply this enough, and it was a great boon to any negotiation. It only took him a few minutes to crack the mayor, and the man gulped nervously.
“Fine. I do take a small cut myself, but only because of the service that I render to the town. That money paid for this desk, which is an inarguable boon to the entire town, as it meshes with my class to allow me to administer the daily tasks of my job more quickly.”
“That wasn't so hard, was it now?” Jonathan asked. “Seeing as you have so much spare money, I assume that you can reward me for my services, if I decide to help you out?” Now that Jonathan knew how much things cost, he was hungry for more coinage, with which to buy supplies. He was already well equipped, but seeing as enchanted items were able to provide small stat bonuses, he wanted to find more. The other man grimaced slightly at the demand, but he nodded.
“I’ll draw up a proper System quest for you. One of the perks of my class,” the other man said.He pulled out a piece of paper, and began scribbling on it. True to his word, it did indeed seem like he was writing at a furious pace. A few minutes later, he took the piece of paper, and handed it to Jonathan. As he read it, he was met with a notification.
You have been offered a quest!
Municipal Discontent:C
The town mayor is in quite a predicament, and he wished for you to help him out. The town’s elite are angry at him for enacting taxes on them, with which to benefit the town, and occasionally his own pocket. Despite this, he has remained in power for long enough to hire you. Quite lucky of him. You have been tasked with quelling this discontent, whether through negotiation or through force.
Rewards: 100 Leviathan Coins
Accept?
Y/N
It was a simple quest, with a simple reward, and Jonathan quickly accepted it, causing the other man to smile. Like with the Babykiller quest, it was a one stage quest, meaning that there was no objectives section like there had been with the Hellbreaker quest.
“Good. You should get to work as soon as possible then, as the next monster wave should be coming within the day.”
Jonathan nodded at the mayor, and walked out the door, not noticing the devious smile on the other man’s face. Perhaps he had been using the taxes to benefit the people, but they were really an excuse for his greatest vice. The mayor, like quite a few people in the Ash Heaps, was addicted to a certain type of drug that was sourced directly from the Ashen Citadel.
It was formed out of the byproduct of the soul consuming process that Granath used on the damned souls entering his city, and it would allow the user to experience the memories of the person who had produced it. Seeing as their minds had been broken before even reaching the Hells, all that was left were their memories of the outside world.
This was the only form of escape that anyone in this world could find, and the drug had an highly addictive quality too. The mayor wasn't actually even that old, just wizened from overexposure to the drug. It was expensive too, necessitating a steady stream of money to buy. Sure, the merchants were angry at the man for this vice of his, but they were mostly annoyed that the taxes were cutting into their bottom line. Like Jonathan had found, a good soul was rare indeed in the Infinite Hells.