This is really not how I imagined my day would turn out.

Jack had thought that this day would be filled with them frantically goading their horses to carry them to Helmrest faster. Talking about the adventure they had and what they were planning to do once they got back to the village. Maybe discuss what Classes they received, if any. Jack would have very much liked that since he once again got offered a Class, only this time he didn’t refuse it outright.

Them looking at The Baron, as the man pleasantly smiled at them and waited for a response wasn’t something he thought they might end up doing. Not that any of them ventured forward with a response. How could you respond to that?

“No? Nothing? Well, I imagine it’s not every day that you get to meet a ruler, even if not in person. Take your time, my friends.” The man said, before turning to the commander. “Maleh, a few words if you please.”

“My liege.” He said, bowing.

The commander took the stone back for a quick and quiet discussion with his ruler and the chief mage. Jack couldn’t tell what they were saying, but given how periodically Maleh would turn his head and look at them, he figured it was something that involved his party of adventurers.

Well, if they get to talk amongst themselves…

“Guys, group huddle.” Jack said, calling the others to him. “First things first. Could The Baron simply take the helm from us? I mean, legally?”

Most of them looked confused. Jack turned to look at Brom, hoping his knowledgeable friend might have an answer, but even he looked hesitant.

“I’m not sure.” The dwarf said, stroking his beard. “We claimed the helm from a dungeon that is part of The Barony’s lands. However, it was us who claimed it, not those soldiers. Yet, we are not a licensed team of adventurers, so the law might see us as simple robbers. Though we did offer valuable information to that commander, regarding the dungeon.”

The back and forth made Jack dizzy.

“Right… best guess?”

“Hmm. I’d say that legally we should have a claim on at least a part of the Helm’s value. But practically speaking, The Baron could simply take it. We could not stop him.”

“Mrk says that not good.”

“Moran says that too. We didn’t come all the way here and did what we did for nothing!”

“Brom, that Maleh guys said something about the dwarves.” Ava said. “Could we use that?”

Brom considered the issue for a second, before responding.

“Perhaps. My people truly would not accept such an act. If a dwarf would sell the Helm for mere coin, that would be seen as idiotic, but not as an act of aggression. Only the dwarf would suffer. But for the helm to be taken without agreement… hmm. Yes, I believe my people would retaliate.”

“Well, at least we know that it won’t be easy for them to steal it.” Jack said.

“I am not so sure.” Brom added.

Great.

“Why?”

“I am an Oathbreaker. I am… no longer considered a dwarf, by many of my kin. If one such as me would sell the Helm, my dwarfhold might still see the act as theft from The Barony’s side. As well as treachery from my side.”

“Shit!”

“Guys, guys, we can still make this work.” Ava said. “We just have to make sure no one finds out Brom’s Class. Or last name. Or anything.”

She then turned towards Brom, smiling but intense.

“I almost died there. To make up for that, if anyone asks about your Class or name, you better fucking lie!”

“Understood.” Brom responded, a little shocked.

“Good.” Ava said, returning to her usual smiling demeanor.

“So, they can’t steal it.” Moran said. “But what should we sell it for?”

Jack had been thinking the same thing. He was ready to offer his opinion when a voice cut him off.

“My friends.” The Baron said. “Maleh had informed me of the purpose of your little adventure. How you aim to save Helmrest from the aggression of Amenor. A fate I understand all too well. Then, in the spirit of fairness and friendship, I have to inform you of the information I have learned pertaining to your situation.”

Maleh had stepped forward again and the upper body of The Baron was clearly visible to them. The man was still smiling, but his expression was more… intense.

“The Kingdom of Amenor is a known quantity to The Barony. We are traders, you see, and a trader should always know its customers. We are aware of their current accelerated expansion, both geographically and otherwise. To tell you the truth, I did not know of its squabble with Helmrest. But once my commander learned and informed me of it, I placed scrying spells on your village and the paths from it to Amenor.”

He paused then and grimaced. It was the first display of anything less than perfect poise that the man had shown them.

“I understand you expect Helmrest to be faced with hundreds of soldiers. The truth is, Amenor’s war party is closer to two thousand.”

Two thousand. The prospect of a victory had just been pushed a great deal farther away.

“There is more to it than that. You do not have as much time to prepare as you thought you would. It seems that Amenor considers Helmrest a precious target. They must have sent individuals of high-Level, for the speed at which that army moves could not be accomplished by anything other than movement Skills. As such, my advisors assure me that Amenor will reach Helmrest on the dawn of the day after tomorrow.”

A wave of shock passed through their group. Three days. Three! Days! Maybe they could make it back in that amount of time if they left the carriage and rode the horses to death. But… there was no way Elia would have the time to arrange a sale of the Helm anymore. Not to mention buying any more troops or guards. They would have to use the Helm… there was no other way.

But even with the Helm, could any of us take on two thousand enemy soldiers?

Jack’s mind was spinning, so it was Brom who spoke first.

“Baron of The Barony.” He graveled. “I thank you for this information, but we have just met you. You desire the Helm. You can understand that we cannot be sure of this information.

“How dare you?!” the Mage Sergeant shouted. “The Baron would never-“

He was stopped from further speaking by Maleh, who gave him a severe look.

“It is quite alright.” The Baron said. “You do not know me and as such, do not trust me. That is normal. I am afraid that without any of you knowing a Truth Spell or possessing a Truth Potion, there is no method of verifying what I said. Not that those two methods couldn’t be thwarted by a man of means. But I will tell you this. Tricking you into such a deal would cause the ire of your people, master dwarf. I do not wish for The Barony to become a second Amenor.”

Brom looked like he wanted to say something more, but eventually nodded. It seemed to Jack that nobody really wanted to piss off the dwarves.

“In this case, my friends, you must understand that a barter really is the best way to protect your village, don’t you?”

“Uhm… The Baron?” Jack asked and the man nodded. “No offense, but a barter really would be the worst option for us right now. It doesn’t matter how much coin we would receive in exchange for the Helm. We wouldn’t be able to use them. Even if we do make it back in time, there’s no way we could use the coins to buy more protection for Helmrest. Using the Helm is our best choice right now.”

The man laughed, not unkindly.

“Using the Helm of Vatrir against the army of Amenor? I admit, the story would have a ring of glory about it. But… no, it isn’t glory you seek. |Know Your Customer|. Ah, not glory. You truly believe that is your only choice. Allow me to dissuade you of that notion. Even if your dwarf friends were to use it and he knows many more magical and mundane materials than you do, he would still lose. Oh, he would carve a bloody path in their army, but those aren’t common soldiers. At least, not all of them. Some of them have Classes. And it is a safe bet to presume their commanders surely do. Helm of Vatrir or not, a single artifact cannot win against an army, powerful or not.”

“Then… what can we do? Why should we barter anyway? There’s nothing you could give us that we could use.”

Jack had been thinking of exchanging the Helm for more artifacts, but now even this idea seemed too little.

“Nothing I could give you? Me?” the man laughed. “My dear boy, I am Joviel Larue, |Baron of Trade|. If the deal is right, there is virtually nothing I could not give you. Out of respect for you, I will start with my best offer. Helmrest becomes part of The Barony, in exchange for the Helm. Amenor wouldn't go to war with us.”

“…why?” Jack asked.

“Because I believe it to be a mutually beneficial offer.”

“No, I mean why wouldn’t Amenor go to war with you?”

It lasted for only a fraction of a second, but Jack thought he could see The Baron’s eyes flicker towards Brom before returning to him.

“They need us. No one else would trade with them as we do. And without trade, their kingdom would crumple and their ambitions with it.”

Jack thought about this. He didn’t have nearly enough information about this entity, but just from what he had heard today, Helmrest becoming part of The Barony looked a lot better than it becoming part of Amenor. Even so, he couldn’t agree to the offer.

“The Baron-“

“Just Baron will be fine I think.” The man laughed. “Adding ‘The’ before it got quite old, quite fast, I must confess.”

“Baron. I thank you for your offer. But I’m afraid it cannot come to pass.”

Silence descended over their gathering. The chief mage looked furious, while Maleh almost flinched. Joviel kept on smiling, but even he was silent for a while.

“I did not deceive you, Jack. This truly is my best offer.”

“Even so. It’s still not something I can accept.”

“May I ask why?”

“I’m don’t have the authority. I might be the… leader of our group.” He said, trying not to go red in the face. “But I’m not the leader of Helmrest. That’s Elia. She’s the Village Head.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

This time The Baron simply looked slack-jawed for a second before busting out in laughter.

“You defer authority to another? Here and now, after besting a dungeon? That is so… chivalrous of you, Jack. Though I must say, you would have made a poor trader.”

“Uhm… thanks.”

“Even so. Elia is not here. I have scrying spells at my disposal, but it is not her who I wish to speak. That person is you. And your friends. The one who actually recovered the Helm. I make this offer to you and I will not make it again. What is your answer?”

“With respect, sir, my answer is still no.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

The man was no longer smiling. His soldiers could only see the back of his head, but they acted as if they knew what he thought. They were no longer lazing about. Now, they were intent, all their eyes pointed at them.

“This is quite a good deal you are refusing. Are you attempting to extort me, Jack? Because that would be very dangerous.” He said, eyes flashing.

“No sir. I’m not asking for anything else from you. I just… can’t agree to those terms. I’m not the one who can agree to them.”

“Really. |Name Your Price|.”

It hit Jack like a sledgehammer, but it hit him in his mind. He could feel the Skill, poking around the insides of his head, looking for an answer. It didn’t feel malicious, like Mr. Winnow’s Skills felt. If anything, it felt more like a petulant child, desperately looking for something that wasn’t there.

“I’m afraid I don’t have one, Baron.” Jack said, straining.

Joviel’s Skill didn’t hurt him, but it still felt like having a host of angry bees inside him.

“Hmm. You are not resisting or fighting my Skill. And even if you were a |Liar|, you couldn’t be high Level enough to hide your answer. You truly believe that this choice is not yours to make.”

“Yes.”

The soldiers were not reaching for their bows. Spells started glowing at the fingertips of The Barony’s mages. Maleh looked uneasy, but even he had reached for his short sword at his side.

Jack’s friends felt the tension as well. They had grouped up, interposing themselves between him and The Baron. But what could they do? They were five. The others were over 50. And Brom would have been transformed into a pincushion way before he got even halfway to donning the Helm.

The Baron held them under his gaze and the pressure pressing down on Jack was almost physical. But then, he burst out in laughter and any pressure vaporized like morning dew.

“Ha-ha! Have to hand it to you, Jack, you drive a hard bargain. Well then. It seems we have ourselves a conundrum. I wish to have a deal made for that Helm and you wish to save your village. But you also cannot make a deal in this Elia’s name and my Skills tell me you do not like the deal even so. Can you guess what the solution to this problem is?”

Jack’s brain had melted down for the second time that day, so the answer could be only one thing.

“…no.”

“I’ll take this deal and give it to the one in charge. Your Elia. And to make sure you and my deal get to her on time, my soldiers will escort you back to Helmrest. Maleh, I believe you have a speed-enhancing Skill that can work on groups?”

“Two, my liege.”

“Splendid! Well, there you have it. You all get to arrive in Helmrest on time. I get to offer my deal to the one truly in charge. And Amenor gets to witness my soldiers as proof of our collaboration. Now, this has been wonderful, but being a Baron really is quite time-consuming. I might see you again, but if not, this has been fun, Jack. Ta-da everyone!” the man grinningly waved, before the image of him vanished.

Jack felt the need to sit down on the grass. Besides him, he could see Mrk doing the exact same thing. Followed soon by Ava and Moran. Only Brom and he were left standing, but the dwarf looked as bewildered as Jack felt.

It… actually was a nice solution. They got to get home on time. They still kept the helm, for the time being. Elia could be the one agreeing on the final deal. And they had an armed escort.

So why did Jack feel that meeting The Baron was like passing his mind through a meat-grinder?

Looking up, he saw Maleh smiling at him.

“Is he like that all the time?”

In response, the commander simply laughed out loudly.

***

The rest of the day went on in a blur. The soldiers helped Jack and his friends recover their horses and carriage. And by helped, what they did is return them to the group, since it had been the soldiers who had originally found the horses and conspicuous carriage and decided to hide them for ‘safe-keeping’.

It seems Maleh’s Skills worked on them as well, even though they were not part of his command. |On The March| was the Skill he used to help them all move faster and it both made them move faster in a way that had nothing to do with how fast they were swinging their legs and decreased the rate and which tired. Or at least, the rate at which the horses tired.

It was comical, in a way, their basic carriage and two simple horses being in the same group as the riding archers and mages and their armor and robes.

Maleh had been kind enough to supply Jack with one of his mages, in order for the man to help Jack send a |Message| Spell to Elia. It was a cumbersome method of communication since with Elia not being a mage, the communication had to be fully supported by the mage. Hence, the replies were slow.

Still, after an hour or so, Elia received the important bits of information. The dungeon raid was a success. They got a valuable artifact. The Barony wants it. We’re bringing a small army with us. You’ll negotiate with The Baron once we arrive. We’ll arrive the next day, around noon. Oh, but Amenor will arrive the very next day after us.

Once Elia managed to send back a message that was not full of cursing, she said that she’ll kick the defense management into overdrive. Not that it would help much, Jack privately thought.

It was only after this entire ordeal was over that Jack learned they were not heading straight for Helmrest. Nor were they going to ride through the night. No, they were heading for a little town, to rest for the night. Jack was about to launch into an argument about wasting time, when the commander firmly stated that even he had to rest, for his Skill to keep functioning.

And that was it for a large part of the day. Nobody really did anything significant. Ava and Mrk napped, while Brom and Moran discussed parts of their dungeon trial. Jack himself tried to learn the |Barrier| Spell again, with not much success.

It was almost evening when Maleh called out to them.

“We’re almost there. Once we arrive, let me do the talking.”

True to his words, not two minutes passed before their party crested a low hill and got a view of the town awaiting them.

“Welcome to Jale, one of The Barony’s border holdings. It’s a small town, but should be enough to offer us all accommodations for the night. You five, myself and the Mage Sergeant will be camping out in that inn.” He said, pointing.

As he said, there was quite a nice-looking inn, on the very edge of the town. But that wasn’t what caught Jack’s eye. What did was the fact that the town was… quite tiny.

“That’s a town?” he asked. “It’s smaller than Helmrest!”

“Perhaps. But it’s quite affluent. Being a border town and sitting on a crossroads made its trade into a significant industry.”

True enough, even at this late hour Jack could see loaded carriages making their way in and out of the town.

I’m starting to think everyone in The Barony is rich.

As he said, Maleh went inside the inn to talk to the innkeeper, while his chief Mage made sure the soldiers all had a place to sleep. It seemed odd to think that people would simply let soldiers sleep in their homes, but then again, these soldiers and mages were part of their ‘army’. If danger came, they were the ones who would protect them.

Soon enough, Maleh walked out of the inn and relayed what had been discussed.

“The innkeeper will house us seven for the night. His wife will prepare baths, and his son and daughter will prepare the food. Myself and Nadun will join you for dinner before we retire for bed.”

“Nadun?” Jack asked.

“Mage Sergeant.” Mrk whispered, before noticing Maleh peer at him. “…Uh… Mrk overhear you twos. Talking.”

“I see. Yes, Nadun is the chief mage. As I said, you will dine with us, before we go on our separate ways for the night.” He said, grinning. “I have convinced the innkeeper to part with his reserves of alcohol. Ale and spirits will await you all, after dinner.”

That sounded… odd. Jack wasn’t the only one in their group to wonder what was going on. They were probably not going to get poisoned. So… maybe this was an attempt to get on their good sides? Hoping it would sweeten the deal with Elia?

“I see you do not understand why. You have all just completed your first dungeon as adventurers. And lived to tell the tale. It is a tradition both in The Barony and in many countries in the world that after such a feat, said adventurers should get as drunk as possible. Since we are your escort, I figured it would be a show of trust for The Barony to pay for this occasion. Besides, I believe you’ve earned it.”

That was a nice thought. And since no answer came from their group.

“Well, take it or leave it. It’s already been paid for.” Maleh said and walked straight back into the inn.

“This is getting weirder and weirder.” Jack said, after a few seconds.

Heads nodded all around him.

It had to be said that after so many days traveling and fighting, a hot bath was really hard to top. Jack didn’t even know he had that much dirt on him. He briefly wondered how any of his friends didn’t complain about his stench, before reaching the conclusion that they stunk as well. He even got to wash his clothes, in a different basin. They dried off on a partitioned stove, while he took his bath.

It was in high spirits that they met in the dining hall after they were all done.

“That was so good!” Ava exclaimed. “I almost forgot how my fur feels when it's clean.”

“I almost forgot how people smell when they’re clean.” Jack laughed.

“Yes. Though the bathtub wasn’t designed for dwarf proportions.”

“Ratling either.”

“If are all quite ready,” a voice sounded “dinner is now served.

They turned and saw a middle-aged man, nicely dressed, smiling at them and pointing towards a table, where Maleh and Nadun were already seated. Though, once they saw what was on the table they quickly forgot about the man, Nadun who was politely ignoring them or Maleh who had been waving at them.

The table was stock full of food. Glorious, rich and diverse food! There were chicken drumsticks, an entire roasted lamb, vegetables of all kinds and quite a few types of cheeses. Bowls of stew and potatoes stood out amongst them and the baskets of steaming bread almost brought tears to their eyes.

It should go without question that they descended upon their delicious prey like the vultures they are. The only pauses they took from eating everything in sight were to drink water, ask for more water and cough, after choking on different morsels.

Time passed fast. At some point, Maleh and Nadun got up and called it a night. The commander wished them a fine evening, but Jack only distantly recalled mumbling something back, since he was too busy trying to split a lamb leg with Moran.

Only after they were fully done eating did they stop. And they were only done because there was no more food remaining on the table.

“That. Was. Good!” Ava said, leaning back.

“I agree. I didn’t have a feast like this since before I left my home.” Brom said, straining not to belch.

“I not thinks Mrk ever eats this much.”

“You know what I just now finally got?” Moran asked.

“That you are open to women of all races?” Ava asked.

“I finally got that we did it. It only now settled in. We fought a troll and we got away with artifacts. We raided a dungeon and we retrieved an ancient dwarf helm. We faced down a small army and got to bring them back to Helmrest. Lucky or not… we did it!”

They shared a timid look, before bursting out in cheers. Then they broke open the alcohol. They had every right to it. What Moran said was true. Sure, they had a healthy dose of luck on their sides. And sure, their trials were not yet over. But they did it! They’ve proven themselves as adventurers. Tomorrow they would surely wake up with a hangover, but tonight? Tonight, they drank and made merry.

Only Brom was halfway accustomed to alcohol, out of all of them, since dwarves loved their ale. But even he got to swaying in his chair after a few drinks. The effects on the others were even more pronounced. Mrk had been hiccupping and giggling for a few minutes now. Ava had not stopped teasing Moran while the young man actually started teasing her back, after a few mugs. Jack himself only felt oddly content. They drank and cheered for… any and all reasons. For Helmrest. For the dwarfhold. For the warrens. For Satyrs everywhere. For the Refuge!

In hindsight, breaking into the spirits so soon might have been a mistake.

Brom was currently detailing his take on the dungeon raid to an inebriated Jack and Mrk, when Ava broke off from her discussion with Moran and spoke up.

“Alright. We’ve made merry and got drunk. But I’m tired and going to bed. See you all tomorrow.” She said, grinning.

“Wait!” Jack said. “Before any of us start making our way to sleep. I… I want to share something with you all. After the dungeon, I received a new Class. But… this one I haven’t refused.”

“What?” asked Brom. “Why? Jack, you cannot seriously consider accepting it.”

His speech was a little slurred, but his argument made sense. Jack already had five other Classes. He was dangerously close to turning into a Jack. And still.

“Actually, I am. The Class that was offered is called |Leader|. And here’s the thing. Right now, I’m not of much use to you all. I’m not much of a fighter and my spells are weak.”

“Jack is-“ Mrk started.

“No, Mrk. I… I know what you’re about to say trust me, it means a lot to me. But that’s the truth. But. If I take this Class, then I can add my own value to the team. Going by its name, I’m guessing it’s a type of Class that influences others, right?”

“Uhm, my dad said |Village Head| is a type of |Leader| Class. It revolves around other people.” Moran said.

“That is true. A Class like this might afford you Skills that allow us to fight better as a group. But even if it does, the risk is too great.”

“Is it?” Ava asked. “I mean, I think we’re going to have to keep protecting the Refuge. And Helmrest by connection. Even if we fend off Ameron, as long as the village expands, threats are going to continue coming up.”

The Satyr was unusually serious, compared to her usual self.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like adventuring. And… I like you guys. But we almost died. If we’re going to keep doing this, we’ll need every advantage we can get. Besides, what’s life without a little risk?”

There’s the Ava I know.

“Mrk thinks Jack knows best. If take Class or not take Class. Mrk trusts Jack.” The ratling said, swaying.

“So. That’s one vote against, one vote for and one vote declined. Moran, looks like you’re the one to decide this.”

The young man startled at hearing that.

“What? Why me? I mean… it’s a big risk, Jack. Shouldn’t it be your decision?”

“Hmmm… no. We’re a team. We decide things amongst ourselves. Even this. So, what’s it going to be?”

Moran looked at their group, at each of their faces in turn. He stopped when he reached Ava and hesitated for a second, but finally he spoke up.

“I… have to agree with Ava, Jack. We almost died. We need to be better. It’s a lot to be asking of you and normally I wouldn’t dream of it, but if you’re willing…. Yeah. I say you take the Class.”

Brom groaned, while Mrk nodded.

“Well. No moment like the present.” Jack said, as he lifted his gaze up. “I accept!”

|Class Accepted: Leader|

|Class Level: 6|

|New Skills:|

|Sense Allies|

|Rousing Speech|

|Basic Charge|

He held his breath, his heartbeat slowing in anticipation. One beat of his heart, two… three. Nothing happened. The voice stayed silent. He was still Jack, but he wasn’t a Jack.

“YE-ah, shit!”

He had tried to jump to his feet with joy, but his inebriated state only allowed him to trip on his chair and crash to the floor.

“Jack, are you alright?” Brom shouted.

“This has been a really good day.” He laughed.