Chapter 6 Plans, and agreements
The next morning, Marie and I want out on our patrol. We spent six hours running through the forest picking up materials, and massacring monsters as quick as we found them. The volume of Goblins was staggering. How five hundred goblins, sixty hobs, twenty shamans, and four generals could possibly be in this small of an area was so far beyond my ability to understand. Then there was a full hundred Ogres, and even an Ogre Chief, and three whole packs of actual Dire Wolves. I just hoped whatever the cause was found soon. Things were much too far out of hand for anyone else but us to handle. The experience was so far out of norm, that Marie had gained sufficient levels that I debated having her tested into A rank along with me. Even I gained a few levels purely off volume.
Current Stats
Name Mark
Race Human
Gender Male
Age 12
Level 12
Strength 151
Stamina 151
Mind 140
Constitution 145
Charisma 135
Bonus for reaching level 10 Free Stat points 20
Verified point allocation 10 Mind 5 constitution 5 Charisma
No skill gains during the trip, but fairly decent progress on stats. Only Charisma was under 150 at this point, and a few levels would most likely sort that out. As things tend to split randomly between the lowest stats on the automatically allocated points. So theoretically ten levels would catch those two up, and thirteen to match everything at 151, but sometimes things go out of the expectations, so no certainty. Upon reaching the Guild, I asked for the Guild Master to be there when I unloaded my catch today. “Well Mark, why did I need to be here this time?” Her slight irritation was wiped out when I unloaded all the corpses. “I figure seeing is believing with these numbers. I can tell you the numbers if you want, but the fact that actual dire wolves, and an Ogre Chief are in the mix is more alarming. PLEASE tell me we’ve got a lead on the trouble!” With a firm slap to her face, and an almost inaudible self instruction to “Get it together” the Guild Master replied. “As a matter of fact, yes. I was going to wait till tomorrow, but you’re already here, and with these numbers displaced, the sooner you can move the better. Did you have your folks moved into town by any chance?” I shook my head. “No, I got them weapons, and Mom’s spear already saved her life, though not from a Goblin.” Looking curious at me, she continued. “As to the problem, the scouting team has spotted a damned wyvern and all the lesser threats are fleeing their normal haunts. I’ve marked a map for you already.”
The guild master handed me the scroll with a newly drawn map on it. “That’s not far at all. Is there any relatively common weakness I should try and exploit? Also, I think Marie is ready for her rank up. Even as a Slave, she should have her actual rank reflected on my card I imagine.” She chuckled. “Sure, I’ll test her, but as to a weakness, best I can suggest is the eyes.” Marie brightened up. “With the Bow Brother Mark had made for me, I should be able to deal with eye shots, if the opportunity presents itself. Strongest bow I’ve ever seen in my life.” I chuckled, “Accurate too, and thanks to some special circumstances, it doesn’t even make noise when fired. Might be able to get the first eye without alerting it first. Second eye will be the pain. Ok, let’s not waste any time. Get her ranked up real quick, then we’ll literally run for the location.”
The Guild master was pinned to the wall before she could move a step. Four more arrows locked her in place by her other arm, and both legs. She didn’t even see it coming. Marie was acknowledged as A rank, and local S rank status in her own right. “Ranger is such a great class Brother Mark! I’m so glad you forced the evolution to happen.” Upon hearing that, the guild master laughed hysterically. Only after she got herself under control did she manage to speak again. “Should have known you’d pull of something that was thought impossible. I happen to know a VERY old text that described Ranger as a class, but nobody in over a century prior to that book being written had it, and it was barely holding together at the time. Nearly five hundred years old it was, and now at least seven hundred and twenty years later, you make it appear for your Slave! Enough of that, off you run, we can talk about her class later, and we WILL talk about it. Wyvern first, we want our forest life back.”
We gave a one sideways wave as we had already turned, and started off. Pearson had already updated my card to show Marie’s new rank, and the massive amount of credit was added too. Three hours of quick travel brought us to within range of the target area. Another fifteen minutes of slower travel to get Marie into mid range for her Bow, and in line with the target. It was sleeping, so getting aimed was easy. I snuck closer behind a boulder, and shortly after Marie’s first arrow hit its mark. It shattered through the lids of the eye, and buried itself all the way to the fletching. The Wyvern woke with a scream of rage and pain. Head thrashing as it tried in vein to dislodge the arrow that had blinded its one eye. I used my gauntleted hand to make a noise against the boulder, and it snapped its remaining eye onto the spot. A torrent of flames boiled past the boulder, but that was all the chance Marie needed to slam a second arrow into the other eye.
The flame stopped as it roared in pain again, fully blinded. I ducked out from the other side of the boulder, and rushed at the left front leg. Hearing my approach, it tried to bite at me, which is exactly what I had wanted. A spinning roundhouse slammed into its head causing it to plow into the soil. It also smashed into a sapling, though that had done little damage on its own. It did put the head in perfect position for me to do a jumping downward fist onto the exact spot I had kicked before. I heard an audible crack as the bones shattered, and two more arrows joined the first ones in rapid succession. The roar was insane at such close proximity, but the head injury kept it from moving its head enough to dodge another powerful kick, and punch again on the same spot. This time, my fist punched through the skull, and deep into the brain. With one final whimper, the beast lay still.
Level up Level up Level up Level up Level up
Five levels with one kill. Must have been insane. “Marie, how’d you do? I got five levels myself.” I didn’t hear an answer right away, so I turned to see Marie somewhat dazed. After analysis told me she had gotten ten levels, I think I understood. To much too quick, and she was processing as quickly as she could.
Bonus free stat points awarded for over leveled kill. 5 Bonus free skill points awarded for over leveled kill 3
Wasn’t complaining about that at all. After seeing that the auto allocated points had indeed gone into Con and Char, I added the other points to make them both 150. “Brother Mark, that was intense. That monster would normally take an entire team to bring down with many injuries, and probably some deaths, and we took it out alone, and didn’t even get hurt. If you couldn’t bring the corpse back, nobody would believe this. Those levels really knocked me out, still a little dizzy. Mind if I lean on you for a while?” I stored the corpse, then swept Marie into my arms. “You get the Princess carry for now. I want to move while my new stamina lasts. At one fifty on everything now, it should last a while. I’ll let you down when you aren’t dizzy anymore.” Blushing mightily, she hugged my neck as I ran full speed back towards town. As it happened, I ran much faster than Marie could, and we were in sight of town in only two hours. I let Marie down, while we were still out of sight of the city guards, and we both ran into town.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As we arrived outside the guild, the town bully and his father were arguing with the Guild Master outside the guild where everyone was watching. “That maniac insulted my Son! I want him brought here at once, I don’t believe for a second he’s an S ranker, or even A rank, he lied! Bring him at once!” I coughed loudly, causing both him, and his son to spin, ready to lay into me, only to freeze in horror at the sight of the Wyvern corpse I had dropped onto the street. As the townsfolk noticed it, screams of fright, and disgust were audible from everyone. “Took care of the little issue in the western forest, hope you don’t mine me dropping it here, rather than trying to cram it into the processing room. Though I could move it outside the gates if that’s more convenient. Mr. Mayor, I do hope you haven’t forgotten the fact that all questionable results are tested with a truth verification stone. Guild Master if you would? “ Smirking, the Guild Master pulled the very same magical device out of her pocket, and had us place our hands onto the crystal. “Did the two of you kill this Wyvern? Was there anyone else helping you? Are you in fact A rank and our local S rank?” Smiling broadly we both replied. “Yes we killed it, No we had no help aside from the Map that was given to us by yourself, and Yes we are official A rank, and Local S Rank” The stone verified our words, then I continued. “The Mayor’s Son was harassing the Slave Merchant, claiming that due to his Father’s Position, he should be allowed to buy a slave for less than four Silver, I paid a gold to buy her, and he had the nerve to attack me, which is a criminal assault, and must be publicly punished by his father, RIGHT NOW!” The stone verified my words, and the crowd gasped.
Everyone knew he was a Bully accept his own Father, who was now publicly confronted with irrefutable proof of his Son’s lies, and cruelty. “Personally Mayor, the best option I can think of, would be to strip him of his inheritance, and banish him from town. As he’s publicly humiliated your entire family, on multiple occasions. He’s proven himself to be a criminal in every sense of the word, and in your position you can’t afford to offer second chances.” My hand had never left the crystal, and once again my words were verified as truth. “My apologies young Mark, I’ve apparently been blind to my Son’s behavior. As you suggest, I’ll do just that, he’s no longer my son. The paperwork will be filed today, along with his banishment from this town. He’ll have only ten silvers to his name when he leaves, and that’s the absolute maximum. He won’t even have his finery to wear, he’ll have to use one of the guards old training outfits instead, and that’s being generous.” The guards now took the Mayor’s former son into custody and lead him away as he screamed vitriol at everyone. “He sadly had a brain defect that made him think he was the only important person in the world, and could do no wrong. He’d have gotten you all killed if any member of the Royal Family had ever interacted with him. Speaking of, you should send them letters explaining his disownment, and the reasons for it. Otherwise you risk him potentially crying injustice and bringing down trouble anyway. I know it’s embarrassing, but I think it’s required in this case.” The crystal still verified my words, then I removed my hand. “Yes, I’ll take your advice, a Brain issue huh? Any idea what caused it?”
“Mr. Mayor, that question is one of life’s mysteries. Though it is more common the closer the blood ties between married couples. It can still happen in literally any family. They love only themselves, and everyone else is just a toll to them, and completely unimportant if they lose their usefulness.” With that the Mayor left, and the crowd focused on the Wyvern instead. The Master and I went inside, and Pearson met us with a stack of papers. “What’s this Pearson?” Asked the master. “Mark wants a new structure built on his new property, and I spoke with the builders that owed the guild, to see if we can settle their debts, at the same time as filling our debt to Mark. These are some ideas of what could be built fitting his needs.” We all gathered around, and after a few moments, I picked the most simplistic version that would suit my needs. Adding that I wanted a smithy, and the Water Mill building that I designed, and then I thought to ask about Pottery, and if there was a local Kiln for Pots in town, hearing that there wasn’t, and knowing that both Bricks, and other clay work was a staple product in any society, I added that as well. Using a spare piece of parchment to quickly draw up the plan. “I think what we’re owed will only just cover the main house, but we can use your pay to cover the rest, and you’ll still be owed a good sum, especially after today. Your irrigation trenches, and sluce gates will be handled too. How are you going to make the pond you want?”
I grinned. “The Alchemist can help with that. Might take a little to figure out the portions, but I know something that will make that pond in a single day. I’ll head there in a bit, need to make another stop first.” Having set things in motion, and knowing that it would be less than a month for the house, with everyone rushing to clear their debts, and only two more weeks for everything else, I knew I needed to establish my contacts for workers quickly. Marie and I left the building, and cheers greeted us. Waiving casually, we made our way through the crowd, and finally got on our way.
When we reached the Miller’s Shop, Penelope, and her Mother were at the counter, everyone else operating the Querns as could clearly be heard. “Just the people I wanted to see. Penolope, how would you like to work with your own mill? Not just asking either, this is a serious offer, and it comes with a Gold advance if you accept. The Job isn’t available yet, the Mill itself needs to be built, and it will be a LOT of work. Not only milling the Grain grown on the Farm, but also teaching the process to several girls, all of which will be either my adopted sisters, or daughters depending on their ages. Under ten will be daughters, over ten sisters. Mom and Dad came up with that part. I doubt any competition in this town is possible, this is just about teaching the trade, so maybe they can marry into milling families elsewhere when they’re older.” Penelope was in shock, and her Mother wasn’t much better.
“Mark dear, did you say a Gold signing bonus if she accepts, and no competition against us?” I nodded. “Oh the Mill might be able to outperform you, but that just would mean the whole family would start working out of my Mill, instead of here, and this would end up being a pick up location, and only grinding small amounts. You’ll understand once it’s done, and Penelope here has been shown the ropes. We’ll do a test run of ten sacks of grain, and she’ll time how long it takes her alone, then when she reports back, you’ll know if you need to come look or not.” An avaricious sparkle shone in the older woman’s eyes. “Oh Ho! So if this Mill is better than what we have, we’ll be allowed to take it over, and that’s why there’s be no competition, very nice touch that. Very well, I think we can agree to that. Very least our Penelope will have a mill to use, and lots of friends to teach. Isn’t that right Penelope?” “Yes, please let me have the Job, I never get a chance to work the Quern here, but I know everything about the process!” I handed the Gold Coin over. Then wrote up a conditional contract of employment, which I signed along with Penelope. Her keeping it as proof so I couldn’t pretend otherwise later.
The Alchemist only needed five attempts to get Gun Powder, and it only took a couple more hours to make all the explosives I’d need. I didn’t fool around either, these were Stick and a Half at least. It was well and truly dark by the time Marie and I made it home. We relayed the days events, including the Mayor’s Son being disowned, and banished, as we ate our Dinner. We washed up, and went to sleep, with Marie once again snuggling tightly to my back with her arm, and this time a leg slung over my body. The awkwardness didn’t stop me from sleeping however, because I was that exhausted.