Shitballs.
The game featured many events, most of which were rather lethal. Evil vampires infesting the kingdom, cultists attempting to sacrifice cities to their eldritch gods, demonic armies pouring into the overworld from the demon realm... bandit hordes, monster infestations, conspiracies...
The list went on and on. And then on some more, because Kingdom Come was a very long game.
In short, I was somewhat fucked.
Mavus Margrave, as one of the story's main villains, was involved in many of the events. The vampire infestation? He caused it. The cultists sacrificing people? He funded them. The invading demons? He was giving them intel. Sure, he wasn't behind *everything*, but maybe a fifth of the Kingdom's major problems were ones he had a hand in causing.
In most of the story's known endings, Mavus would die by being executed for his crimes, or die in battle against the protagonist and her allies, or sometimes he'd just be assassinated. I was probably as good as dead, if I really was Mavus.
...Maybe I should just kill myself now, and get things over with. At least it wouldn't be as painful as some of the potential fates I'm aware of.
...
...
...
No, I'm not brave enough to go through with that. I want to live, even if living is the worse option.
But if I want to live, then I need power.
Personal power is defined as one's ability to influence the world around them, which requires two maing things: resources, and the ability to direct them.
Resources can be anything. Allies, weapons, tools, knowledge... one's own muscles can be considered resources. What can be considered a resource is decided by how much influence you have over them. For instance, if you have friends but they are unreliable and you can't get them to do what you want, then they aren't a very good resource.
This is where the 'ability to direct resources' comes in. It can be defined as 'intelligence' or maybe 'intellect'; the ability to understand and predict the outcomes of your own and other's actions.
Take the 'unreliable friend' example from before. If you friend doesn't want to do what you want them to do, there are other ways of controlling them. Guile, trickery, blackmail... things like that. If you know them well, you can predict them well enough to rely on them to do as you expect. And then, they become a resource.
A long-winded explanation, but necessary to get my mentality across. I want to survive Kingdom Come's storyline, so I need power. To have power, I need resources. To have resources, I need the ability to control my surroundings, which is just another way of saying that I need more knowledge.
That is why I am having a servant show me around the mansion under the guise of an 'Inspection'.
"This is the kitchens, young master." Says the nervous, somewhat confused servant.
I nodded, not wanting to speak. The servant just gave a shaky, false smile and kept taking me through the place.
The Margrave estate is gigantic; practically the size of Buckingham palace. It's just as gaudy too, made of expensive materials and constantly kept tidy by roving swarms of uniformed servants. It's got nearly three-hundred rooms, a massive basement (dungeons included), a titanic library with literal mountains of books, an attic filled with expensive, unused furniture and paintings, and gardens sprawling for miles (an exaggeration, but it really is huge). The halls are lined with paintings, sculptures, and suits of armor.
In short, the Margrave family is fucking stacked with cash. Or in this world, coin.
Makes sense. They are a ducal house after all, second to only the royal family themselves. It would be weird if they weren't rich.
The tour continues for a while. By the time it's finished, I've mapped out most of the place.
I switch my focus to the system.
The system is another resource of mine. One of my better ones, hopefully. Following my desire for knowledge, I should make sure I know how the system works, and how to make use of it.
[
Name: Mavus Margrave
Titles: Second Son Of Duke Margrave, Blue-Blooded Sadist
Job: n/a
Affiliation: Margrave Ducal House
Alignment: -50 (Mildly Immoral)
Racial Levels: 5
-Human: 5
Job Levels: 0
-n/a
Total Level: 5
HP: 5
MP: 5
PHY.ATK: 5
PHY.DEF: 10
AGILITY: 5 MAG.ATK: 0
MAG.DEF: 0
RESIST: 5
SPECIAL: 5
Skills: 0
-n/a
Spells: 0
-n/a
]
I have no Job. A bit insulting, as I did have a job before ending up in this game-world. But the system wasn't actually telling me I was unemployed. It was telling me that I was unspecialized.
Jobs were basically RPG Classes. Things like Archmage, or Swordsman, or Archer. They let you learn Skills and Spells of that class's type.
If I wanted to make use of the resource that was my system, I'd need to obtain Jobs to level in. The question was, what Jobs should I pursue? There were mages, warriors, production types... the options were myriad.
As a duke's son, it would be dumb not to take advantage of my wealth. If I became a mage or an alchemist, I'd be able to spend my money on materials and spellbooks. A production-mage build, perhaps... Yes, that sounds good.
But to acquire those Jobs, I need to fulfill certain criteria.
I clear my throat a little, instantly grabbing the attention of my finicky guide.
"Yes, my lord?" He asks.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A few seconds pass in silence before I speak.
"I want... to go to the library." I said.
He looks confused, but gets moving regardless.
Away we walk.
Books are stacked to the ceiling. I find it strange. After all, how would you find the book you wanted if it was too high to reach?
Weird.
I peruse the shelves before remembering that I'm a noble, and have people to do that stuff for me.
I turn to the servant.
"Find me books about magic." I say.
The servant rushes off. I go over to a chair and sit in it.
The air is warm and the chair is comfy. I lean back and stare at the tops of the bookshelves around me. My eyelids close as I sink into the cushions. The world is filled with syrup...
A few minutes later, I reacquire consciousness. My eyes shoot open and I suddenly jerk forward.
"Gah!" Someone shouts in surprise.
I realize that I had jerked forward so far that my nose was practically touching the servant's.
Slowly, I resume my previous relaxed position, taking my face away from his.
"The book?" I ask, remembering why I was here.
He fumbles with the pile of books in his hands.
"Yes sir, I brought - gah!"
He loses his grip and the pile of books he had barely been retaining his grip on cascade to the floor with a crash.
The library is quieter than normal as I sit there, silently judging him.
He looks like he wants to cry.
A few seconds pass that way before I take pity on him and stand up. I reach down and pick up a random book off the floor, and sit back down.
The title says: MAGICK FOR COMPLEAT IDEOTS
Looks legit. I open it and start reading.
'Tou youse macigk reqayares utmoste comfidence ande kontrol. Seckerets ofe fhe moste arkane-'
I stopped reading there. The spelling errors were just too much. And also, my screen-thingie had just given me a notification.
[
Criteria fulfilled. Would you like to become a Mage?
Y/N
]
That was quick. All I did was open the book and read the first sentence.
Whatever. Choose yes. Acquire magical powers.
The book flashes with magical light and another screen appears.
[
Job acquired. Points assigned. Skills assigned. Spells assigned.
]
I feel slightly more magical now. To make sure, I pull up the stat screen.
[
Name: Mavus Margrave
Titles: Second Son Of Duke Margrave, Blue-Blooded Sadist
Job: Highborn Mage
Affiliation: Margrave Ducal House
Alignment: -50 (Mildly Immoral)
Racial Levels: 5
-Human: 5
Job Levels: 1
-Mage: 1
Total Level: 6
HP: 5
MP: 10
PHY.ATK: 5
PHY.DEF: 10
AGILITY: 5 MAG.ATK: 5
MAG.DEF: 5
RESIST: 5
SPECIAL: 5
Skills: 0
-n/a
Spells: 2
-Lesser Magic Shield: 1
-Lesser Magic Projectile: 1
]
Oh, goody. I have magical powers now. And my stats increased a little. Great.
Only two tier one spells though. Too bad. But spells can be learned from reading books and practicing magic, so I'll have the opportunity to obtain more. And once I get to level two, I'll be able to learn tier two spells too.
I dismiss the screens. When I do, I realize that someone is standing right beside me and jump a little.
...Right, I forgot that I had a servant with me. He's staring at me, slack-jawed. Kind of rude, to be honest.
"Get me a spell book." I said.
He didn't move, as if he didn't hear me.
I frown a little.
"Please?" I try.
He snaps out of it and hurries away, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
Minutes pass. So do hours. During that time, I keep ordering the servant to bring me books and occasionally, a meal. He looks harried, sweaty, and gaunt now, probably because of all the running around I've been forcing him to do.
"Go eat something." I say. "Come back when you're done."
I was proud of myself. I'd been getting more and more used to talking to the servant, and now only took three seconds to get my words out instead of the usual ten or twenty.
Well, 'talking' is a bit of a stretch. It was more like I was just selfishly ordering him around at my whims. But I'm a noble and he's on my family's payroll, so it's okay.
Actually, I'm kind of impressed by the servant. I've been forcing him to climb bookshelves and run around toting heavy piles of leather and paper for hours and he hasn't complained a single time. In fact, beyond answering my questions, he hasn't spoken a word. What a professional man! So useful.
I should keep him around.
But enough about the servant. I'd been studying, experimenting with my game-capabilities. I read through a few books on alchemy and craftsmanship, but didn't get a Job-offer notification from the system. It looked like I was limited to being a Mage until it was of a high-enough level, which fit with my knowledge nicely.
Through my studying, I had learned to cast one more spell.
[
Spells: 3
-Lesser Magic Shield: 1
-Lesser Magic Projectile: 1
-Clean: 1
]
It was another tier one spell called Clean. As the name implied, it let me clean things.
I stand up from my chair and wobble a little. As it turns out, staying in a sitting position for hours on end makes your muscles stiff.
Arch the back and stretch a little. Reach for the ceiling and touch the toes. Twist from side to side.
Exhale. Let all the exhaustion out. Breathe in. Let fresh air invigorate the lungs.
I feel much better now.
The servant comes back after around ten or so minutes. He's still sweaty though, and I see an opportunity.
"Stop there." I command. "Stay still."
He does as I say, looking confused. His confusion turns to fear when I hold my hand out to him and speak words of magic.
"[Clean]." I say, and a glow encases him for a second before disappearing.
He is now a lot less sweaty. His clothes are dry too.
Isn't magic amazing?
I nod to myself and sit back down.
"Bring me more books." I say.
The servant gets moving.
Hours later...
The sky outside the library windows is dark, but I'm still awake and reading (magic is really engrossing, you know?). The servant is slowly but surely developing eyebags, and is swaying on his feet. You look really bad you know. If this keeps up, you might die.
"Go sleep." I say.
He trudges away, leaving me alone in the library.
It's dark, but the darkness doesn't bother me. I have another spell now, one that nicely deals with the darkness.
"[Light]." I say, and the tier one spell consumes an MP point and creates a luminescent orb in the air, allowing me to see the words on the page.
I have a magical flashlight now.
I read.
I wake to the sound of birds chirping and the sensation of my body being gently shaken.
"Y- young master, please wake up..." A worried voice says.
I slowly open my eyes. Two men are in front of me. One is the servant from yesterday. The other is a man in a regal green suit.
"Mavus Margrave. What exactly are you doing?"
I observe the man and notice his muscular frame, pale skin, pitch-black hair (he has a nicely-trimmed goatee), and reddish-brown eyes. He looks kind of like a vampire.
I don't speak for a moment, uncomfortable in the presence of a stranger. His face darkens.
"I am your father and you will do as I say." He thunders. "Now answer my question you insolent child!"
Ah. Looks like he's my father, Duke Marvin Margrave.
"...Reading." I say.
His eyes narrow.
"Reading? About what?"
"Magic."
His expression is inscrutable.
"And why are you reading about magic?"
Should I be (somewhat) truthful and say that I want to become a powerful mage? Or should I just say that I felt interested in magic and decided to pick some up?
"...I wanted to learn about it." I reply.
He looks conflicted now. He stares at me, the muscles of his face staging a little battle amongst themselves. Eventually, he settles on a neutral expression.
"While I am displeased with your choice of study, I am glad that you are finally applying yourself to *something*." He says.
I don't know how to reply to that so I just nod, hoping he'll get the message and leave so that I can get some food. After all, I just woke up and am very hungry.
Duke Margrave isn't leaving though. He's just staring at me, and it's getting kinda awkward.
I give him a curious look and he scoffs.
Finally, he turns on his heel and leaves.
The servant stays behind.
I look at the servant. He looks at me.
I open my mouth to speak and his face falls.
"Bring me food." I say. "And then books."