“Might I ask, just what is Lord Tibult’s rank here? His house is one of the larger, so I assumed he’s a noble with some repute. However, I met the man once, and he didn’t seem like he had that much power.”

He was trying to become a hero and a dungeon diver by defeating the Mina Dungeon that popped up near the village of Chalm. He was looking for recognition and power. He also only had two slave fighters and a pack woman. At the time, I hadn’t thought about it much. However, after experiencing a couple dungeons, I considered how dangerous they were and how ill-equipped he was to handle it. It always left me wondering if he was just arrogant or perhaps stupid.

“The mansion belongs to the entire Tibult family.” The steward who had let us in answered. “High Lord Tibult is Lord Tibult’s father, and part of the council. He has three children. The oldest is in line to take over the family. He is currently away at Fort Detrimix, protecting the country from skirmishes caused by the Ost Republic.

“Their daughter is visiting Jespain on a diplomatic peace mission. The youngest, Lord Otto Tibult, would be the one you met. Naturally, his claim to the Tibult estate is exceptionally low. I’ve heard he has made numerous expeditions in an attempt to defeat a dungeon and become a hero. It would give him a great deal of prestige in the city.

“He was put in charge of this competition?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“It’s his first year.” The steward shrugged. “Most higher-ranked officials are too busy to handle something as inconsequential as this.”

The picture that was Lord Tibult, or should I call him Otto, was starting to come into focus. He was a man used to the luxury of a high noble, coming for a noble house, but as his father gets older, he realizes he needs to forge his own destiny, or get cast out as useless. Volunteering to do this might even be another way. After all, whoever won the competition would become a noble as well, and they’d probably never forget the man who gave them that favor.

“What of your lord?” I finally asked. “Who is he that has more say than Lord Tibult in his own home?”

The steward’s back straightened. “Well… of course, there is only one family in all of the city who would have enough power to refute Lord Tibult. I’m sorry, but I must return at once. They’ll want a report of what has happened here.”

He spun and disappeared in the crowd smoothly. We had been led into a somewhat crowded hall with dozens of groups formed of fancily dressed people talking to each other. Not skilled with crowds, I barely could get past one group before the steward was out of sight. I had wanted him to answer more questions. He’d been the most informative guy I had spoken with. For a steward to have this must knowledge, his master must be pretty impressive.

Wait? Only one family in the whole city? Wouldn’t that be the Aberis family? I had been noticed by the King? Before I could finish processing that, a voice shouted from behind me in a loud enough tone that most the people around us quieted down.

“So, they were right, It’s you!” An angry noble bellowed. “I will have your slaves!”