Jack wore a simple robe made of coarse wool.
In front of him were two carts that were filled with goods from the palace. There was a roll of silk, wood, charcoal, flour, silver utensils, potions and low tier magic scrolls.
Everything one needed for a good trade and gifts
“My lord, is this really necessary,” asked Isoldea as she stared at him up and down.
“I have to look the part if I’m going to sell my role.”
Isoldea shook her head. “May you at least be accompanied by a [Guard]?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Of the many potions found in his [Inventory], there was a potion that could turn him into a human. Jack could couple this potion with a spell so that the potion can last for over a day.
Jack took out the teleportation bracelet from his [Inventory]. He placed it on his wrist and was ready to go.
“I still do not approve of this. But I hope your plan will be achieved somehow.”
“You worry too much, Isoldea.”
With everything completed, it was time to go. He used the teleportation bracelet to get into the territory of the Black Grass tribe.
The wonderful thing about the bracelet is that you can teleport to places you’ve never visited before so long as you have a general direction of where it is located.
Jack found himself in the middle of a dirt road. From afar, he could see the capital of the Black Grass.
There was no one around and so he drank the potion. His horns and red skin disappeared and his tan skin returned.
When Jack pulled out a mirror, he was shocked at what he saw.
“What the hell?” he almost dropped the mirror on the ground.
Jack saw his real face. That should be impossible. Whenever he used this potion in game, it was always a random boring NPC face he had.
Jack touched his curly hair. He stared at his dark eyes.
He didn’t know how to feel. He felt as though he was home again.
“Put your hands up, boy!”
Huh? Jack put the mirror away.
He saw three dodgy looking guys come out of the ground right next to the road. Were they hiding in a hole?
One had a sword and the second had an axe. The third one had a crossbow.
[Appraise].
Level 25
Level 21
Level 22
How weak, Jack thought.
“I won’t repeat myself, kid! Put your hands up. And show us where all your valuables are,” shouted the man with a crossbow. He aimed it at Jack.
The two guys who had a sword and axe ran up to Jack’s two carts. They looked at the things in it.
“Wood. Stone. Silk. Oh, there’s jewellery here. That’s going to fetch a good price. Finally we’ll afford some meat,” the sword guy grinned at what he saw in the carts. “There’s even silver objects here. We’re going to be rich, boys.”
“Yes!” the other two shouted with joy.
“Could you stop touching my merchandise,” Jack asked, annoyed.
The three highway robbers glared at Jack.
“Boy, do you want to die? Go away before we kill you,” the crossbow guy said to Jack.
“How about no? If you guys leave me alone, I’ll spare your lives.”
The three laughed out loud. They couldn’t believe what Jack was saying to them.
“You must be tired of living, boy!”
Jack raised his hand, “[Earthly Trappings].”
Vines erupted from the ground and wrapped around the legs, arms and torso of the three highway robbers.
“What is this?”
“You’re a magic user?”
They didn’t know this spell was a tier 2. It was nothing special. Jack used this spell mostly to tie up monsters so that he could trap them fully and bind them to his command.
Being a [Beast Summoner], one had to find ways to subdue monsters without killing them. But these highway robbers were nothing compared to the monsters he had to deal with. They were as annoying as flies.
And one can’t get angry at flies as flies are just flies. They’re dirty useless insects. Just like these three men who were wrapped by vines.
“Get us out here,” they demanded.
“None of you are in any position to make any demands,” Jack said to them. “I’ll spare only one of you. I’m travelling to the capital of the Black Grass. I need a guide. So who among you is most useful to me?”
The three stared at each other in silence. Then stared at Jack.
“I’m most useful. I’m more intelligent than these idiots here,” said the crossbow guy.
“Don’t listen to him,” the sword guy retorted, “he’s a known [Highway Robber]. He’ll get you in trouble when you enter the capital. I’m the best fit for you. I’m new to the job.”
“Liar!” the crossbow guy shouted. “Liar! I’m far more trustworthy. I have connections in the capital. That’s how I can sell stolen goods there. Besides, [Guards] can be bribed to look the other way.”
Jack noticed that the guy who used an axe was silent.
“Why aren’t you making a case to me?” Jack asked him. “Have you already accepted your death?”
“I’m not afraid of death. I wouldn’t be in this line of work if I was. I’ve accepted that my luck has finally run out.”
“Interesting. Then who would you choose if you were me?”
The axe man smiled, “None. There’s no honour among thieves and robbers. I’ll kill us all if I were you. But I’m not you so the decision remains yours.”
Jack chuckled. “Very well then…”
Jack used [Fireball] to kill off the highway robbers. Except for the axe man. He spared him.
The other two screamed in pain as the flames roasted them.
The smell was horrid.
Jack threw up his breakfast on the ground. Bits of cheese were still undigested.
The axe man laughed at Jack.
“You’re still green to this?” he asked Jack with a smile.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Jack wiped his mouth, “Maybe.”
The vines withered and died around the axe man by Jack’s command.
The axe man was able to free himself, “I told you not to trust me.”
“I don’t. [Binding Seal].”
A seal was cast on the chest of the axe man. The seal etched itself in his skin.
“You’re my slave now. If you behave, I might free you,” Jack said to him.
[Binding Seal] is used to bind monsters to their tamer. There was no reason not to use the spell against an NPC human. And it worked as expected in this world.
The axe man stared at the seal on his chest. “Huh, I didn’t expect that.”
“Tell me your name,” Jack demanded.
“Olduf. And yours?”
“Master.”
“Master? Your name is Master?”
Jack shook his head, “I have a name. It doesn’t concern you however. So Olduf, let’s go to this capital.”
“I need to take a piss, Master,” Olduf grinned.
Jack stared at him annoyed. The seal on his chest glowed. Olduf fell to the ground and his body shook uncontrollably.
Streaks of lightning sparked around his body. A damp spot appeared between Olduf’s legs.
Huh, he actually needed to pee and wasn’t messing with him. Well, you live and learn.
Jack stopped the seal.
“Get up,” he told Olduf.
Olduf groaned. His eyes wandered about.
Maybe it was overkilled to use that seal for that long. Olduf wasn’t a large monster that he needed to tame.
Jack placed his hand over Olduf and cast [Heal].
After a couple seconds, Olduf’s senses returned.
“What happened?” he asked Jack.
“Nothing. Get up, we need to leave.”
…
…
The journey to the capital was not eventful. Olduf was a quiet type of person. He didn’t have much to say to Jack other than pointing out the names of the small villages they passed.
They had to walk alongside the two oxen who were pulling their respective carts filled with merchandise.
The walk was pleasant, Jack admitted to himself. The air was fresh. Cars and factories have yet to be created in this world. So no real pollution was present.
But from afar, he could tell that the capital was built on a hill. A sensible decision by the founder of that capital.
Hills add to a settlement's defensiveness.
As they got closer, Jack encountered more and more people. Many of them merchants who also had goods to sell in the market.
“I’m sure you’ll get a good price on that wood and stone,” Olduf said to Jack, breaking their silence.
“Why do you say that?”
“Do you see any trees or quarries around here? Much of the trees of the north have been cut down. So the firewood we get is mostly from the elves.”
“It must be expensive then. And what happens to those who don’t have firewood?”
“Dung.”
“Dung?”
“Yeah. dung. Don’t you know that dung is good for a fire too?”
“Never used dung to cook so I didn’t know that,” Jack admitted.
“You must be rich,” Olduf chuckled.
Jack shrugged. Maybe he was rich in this world but his realm certainly didn’t feel rich just yet. Jack informed Olduf of why he was going to the capital of the Black Grass and what he expected from him.
Olduf listened in silence and understood the task before him.
The two arrived at the capital. It was larger than Jack expected. From Olduf’s estimation, there had to be around 20 000 people living in this city.
The capital did have a name. It was called Skullgrave. It is said that the hill is made of a pile of skulls. At least that is the legend and why the capital is called Skullgrave.
The capital was not entirely built on the hill.
Only the Great Temple, the High King’s castle, a Gathering Hut and mud houses of important allies and friends of the High King lived on that hill. The rest of the folk who lived in the capital stayed around the foot of the hill.
The capital had two high walls made of mud. The first wall was on top of the hill surrounding the temple and the residence of the high king. The second surrounded the town on the ground.
There was only one gate that was open. So there was a long line leading up to the gate entrance.
The sun was beating down hard on them. Jack was tempted to use a spell to shield them from the sun’s rays. But he didn’t do that.
It would certainly draw attention to him.
They waited for over four hours until they were next to be called up by the [Guards] of this capital.
“What’s your business here?” a guard asked Jack.
Jack wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was baking in that sun.
“I won’t repeat myself,” the guard growled at him.
“I wish to speak to the High King and trade in this town,” Jack responded.
The guards laughed.
Jack stared at Olduf.
“Ahem,” coughed Olduf as he stepped forward, “My Master wishes to speak to the High King. There are gifts for your High King.”
Olduf revealed the stone and wood. He showed the guards the silver utensils that shined brightly under the sun. There was jewellery such as pearl necklaces and bracelets with gems on them.
To the guards and Olduf, they were dazzled by the shiny stuff. All these items were stuff Jack hoarded from looting monsters and random NPCs.
The real valuable stuff he kept in the palace, locked away. Those items he fought hard for. He had to defeat dungeon bosses and other powerful NPCs.
Some of them he had to buy through microtransactions.
Jack barely got loot from other players as he wasn’t that good with PvP. Unless he was defending his palace, he was always out of his element when fighting against players offensively. As Jack was mostly a roleplayer.
The guards stared at Jack.
“Why do you bring such expensive gifts to our lord?” they asked him.
“I represent my liege who wishes to have good relations with the Black Grass tribe.”
“And who is your liege?’
“Lord Zodark,” Jack answered.
The guards looked confused at him.
“What tribe is that?”
Seemingly his name had yet to spread fully in the north.
“I’m representative of the demons who are situated to the west of the Yellow Moon tribe,” Jack clarified to them.
The guards pulled out their swords.
“You’re a demon?”
“No. Look at me. Do you see horns?”
“But you work for the demons.”
“Yes.”
“Then we should slay you here and now.”
“If you wish to spark a diplomatic incident then you may attack me. But I doubt your High King will appreciate you attacking an envoy who wishes to open trade talks.”
“We have no business with demons!”
“That is for your liege to decide, don’t you think?” Jack asked.
The guards looked at one another. One of them was sent into the capital.
So Jack and Olduf waited. The guards stared at them very closely. Their weapons were brandished and ready to strike at any moment.
If things got sticky, there was always [Gate], Jack assured himself.
The guard eventually returned and whispered at the captain.
The captain nodded. “Leave immediately. We don’t want your kind here.”
“But what about the High King?”
“He doesn’t wish to speak to any demon. Or a representative of said demon. Now leave before we kill you.”
“Are you sure? There are many goods I could trade in your market and even gifts for your liege.”
The captain grinned, “The goods stay. You and that riff-raff bodyguard of yours must leave.”
“Pardon?” Jack stared at the captain. “My merchandise must stay?”
“Yes. Think of it as a tribute. We would’ve killed you if you came here empty handed. But my liege is merciful to let you return to that den of yours.”
Olduf laughed, “You don’t know how power–”
Jack stopped him.
Jack focused on the guard. “I want to leave with my goods. If they stay here then I want to see the High King.”
The captain groaned. Then suddenly punched Jack to the ground.
Jack hit the back of his head when he fell. Everything happened so quickly.
The captain stood above Jack and spat at him.
“You’re a traitor to your kind, working for demons,” said the captain in disgust. “I wish to kill you but I have orders not to. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave.”
Jack chuckled. “You don’t know the can of worms you’ve just opened.”
The captain looked confused.
Jack stood up and dusted himself off. “Fine, since you’re adamant about stealing my goods, then I’ll let you. But we will return the favour tenfold.”
The captain laughed, “Come now. You had to hire a riff-raff to protect you on the roads,” the captain pointed at Olduf. “You’re in no position to make threats.”
“If you say so. Do keep my oxen well fed. I’ll be very angry if they’re hurt when I take them back.”
“Take them back? Hahaha!” they all laughed. “You and what army?”
“Let’s go, Olduf.”
He didn’t answer them.
Olduf nodded and walked away with Jack.
“Why didn’t you attack them? I know you’re stronger than them,” Olduf asked when they were far away from the guards.
“Wait and see, Olduf. Just you wait and see.”