by Charles Dean
“That puts me at a disadvantage. Perhaps, if you have some spare time, you could tell me all about your hometown,” Lee answered, signaling to Ethan to follow her.
She’d be leaving eventually, and he wanted to keep tabs on her at all times. He hadn’t had much use for the little golem in the past few days, and generally just kept one or two near him at all times to act as sensory beacons during skirmishes. He was far too reliant on their eyes and ears whether it was in the middle of a fight or when scouting out skirmishes, but he didn’t need all three with him at all times. That meant that he could use the third golem to scout farther away or keep tabs and act as a surveillance drone, especially since the little black rat’s flying speed was even faster than a Krunklerump. He had even used it to pick up or deliver letters.
When Amber died, he had forgotten to give them meaningful orders, and they were now lazing about, purposeless, which translated into time that they could spend playing games with each other. That in itself was an interesting concept to Lee since all three golems were of a collective mind, but he hadn’t bothered to parse out exactly how it worked.
The leader of the Faelgusa faction cleared his throat and asked, “Why don’t you just ask her for tea--we have wonderful rooms at an inn nearby--or you could invite her back to your manor.”
Brigid shot him a curious glance and then grinned as she looked back over at Lee. “I think I’d like that, but I’m afraid I’m going to need more than tea with him.”
“Oh?” Lee had to stop himself from taking a step back. His Charisma score had led him in the verbal advances earlier, but he had assumed that it was just to break the mood, distract her, or even curry a little favor with her. He hadn’t actually expected it to ripen into something real, especially since he still had Masha back at home waiting for him. But there was no mistaking that look in her eyes, and her coy smile said she was interested in more than tea.
“Yeah.” She flashed him a seductive look. “I think I just want to take your Herald. You’re what, Lee? Leader of the Human religion in this region?”
“My religion is for any and all races,” Lee clarified. “We take all who like to drink good drinks or to make things that interest them or to eat delicious foods. We’re the religion for a better life.”
“Better life?” Brigid looked like she was about to bite her lip, but as her lips parted to reveal her teeth, Lee could see that she was gnashing them together. “Well, how about you gentlemen”--she looked over at the different council leaders--“let me take your Herald off your hands. We have discovered another Herald in the mountains to the northeast of Kirshtein, one that has been preying upon our people, and we, the people of Birnefeld, would find the services of him and his paladin order invaluable in handling the threat.”
“And why should he help you?” Faelgusa asked. “Your people attacked our city, and now you come demanding our help? On what grounds and on what authority do you dare be so bold? If you hadn’t wasted the lives of so many good troops trying to kill us, then perhaps--”
“I think . . .” Connacht interrupted. “I think what she means to say is tha--”
“I’ll do it.” Lee didn’t bother letting them argue back and forth. This Herald was a problem he would have to deal with eventually, so it was just a matter of ‘the sooner the better’ to him. “We can leave at first light in the morning. I’ll need to prepare my men, and then we can be off.”
“You’ll do it?” Brigid looked at him confusedly. “You don’t need to volunteer so quickly. I’m not going to . . .” She paused, stopping herself from saying what Lee could only imagine amounted to ‘I’m not going to rat you out if you don’t volunteer.’
“Don’t worry about it. This is an important mission, so I’ll be happy to help,” Lee added with a grin. Then, against his better wishes, he felt his Charisma stat practically force him to add, “Anything to see you smile.”
Dear God . . . Blue text box lady, why are you doing this to me? Lee complained at the seemingly-omniscient gaming system that had made him behave or act in a certain way thanks to his stats on more than one occasion. Even as early as his first adventure into this world, he had been forced to accept a quest he didn’t want to due to his Courage stat while drunk. Now, it was his Charisma stat at work, and he was being forced to spew amorous cheese that would never work in the real world. As soon as the councilmen stepped in and pulled Brigid’s attention away from Lee for a moment, he took the opportunity to ask about the sway his stats apparently had over his actions.
All positive stats are there to influence your progression in the world in a positive manner. Negative stats also have the potential to influence your progression in a negative manner. Example: positive courage will unlock quests and force you into accepting ones that would otherwise be unavailable but will have massive benefits to your character growth and development. It may even propel you into dangerous situations that others would shy away from. Negative courage would not only prevent you from accepting more difficult quests but also cause you to be disabled by fear or flee from battles, even when you wished to participate. You would also be unaware of some basic quests as non-players might not trust you with them.
So, my negative honor might be hurting me in ways that I don’t even know of yet. Lee winced at the thought. It was his only negative stat, and it seemed to be getting lower by the day. Then, after a moment of thought, he asked, Well, how come Intelligence never pops up and forces me to do something smart?
Intelligence and Wisdom are two separate things. As your Intelligence increases, you merely learn skills faster and have a higher chance of learning skills without a tutor. Currently, for your level and the amount of time you have spent training your skills, your skills are at a significantly-higher level than any other player. Intelligence, however, will not have any impact on your decision-making skills.
Understood. So, have I overcome the penalty I received at first and surpassed any Heralds in skill. If so, how much higher are my skill levels?
I am not at liberty to reveal information on other Heralds--except for the fact you are the most handsome Herald.
I am? Lee found that bit surprising, especially since he never expected an AI to track such a metric.
No.
Ouch. I figured the AI had more personality that she let on, but I didn’t expect her to be so harsh. Lee frowned at the system’s message, which elicited a response from Brigid, who had escaped the councilmen and turned to further pursue her banter with Lee.
“So, doing anything to see me smile causes you to frown?”
“Oh, uhhh . . .” Lee’s brain went into overdrive as he tried to remember what nonsense he had spouted last in his previous conversation. “I just read somewhere that brooding and grumpy men were more attractive. You know, a man should frown, but a woman should smile. I have to keep that standard alive.”
“Enough of this. You are not as charming as you believe”--Brigid scowled--“and since you’ve already agreed to my terms, then I will meet you in the morning at an hour past the first light at the northern gate of this town. Have your people ready by then. I don’t want to waste any time.”
“That’s not a problem,” Lee said as he gave her his best smile.
“But what if you die? Our town needs a religious order!” Connacht protested as soon as Brigid left the room. “Without you, our city might be destabilized. We need you to help us bring balance back to the country.”
“It’s not my country. I’m just a resident of Satterfield, nothing more,” Lee replied with a shrug. “I will protect my people, but only in the way I see fit, so I’m going to leave and go take care of this issue now.”
“Just a resident? You’re not only a religious leader; you’re practically the Lord of Satterfield. Those people listen to everything you say,” Ungus, the Firbolg leader of House Bec, said. “In fact, let’s make it official. I vote right now to give you the official title of Lord of Satterfield and incorporate the protectorate once and for all i
nto the state of Kirshtein.”
Lee was surprised. He knew that Satterfield was likely heavily influenced by Kirshtein, but he wasn’t aware it was actually a Kirshtein territory. That fact hadn’t been spelled out for him at any point but had grave implications. Kirshtein likely had influence over many more territories and small cities than he knew about. With the way the territories were set up, it was hard to tell exactly where any government fell in terms of the greater scheme of things, but he did remember that Kirshtein and Satterfield were both part of the larger kingdom, Spicy Chicken Noodle Surprise. He wondered how city-states like Kirshtein and Birnefeld, which apparently extended their realms to include nearby villages, fit under the larger umbrella of that kingdom.
“I’m in favor of the incorporation and such a title being granted,” Connacht immediately voted.
“I concur,” Bronagh said. “Lordship over Satterfield is the least of the titles he deserves.”
“Well, we’ll have none of that!” The people of Tigernach put their foot down only to receive laughter from Ungus. “What do you find funny about our vote?”
“You have no vote,” Ungus Bec responded. “There is no representative of the Tigernach family alive and present, so your vote against it doesn’t matter.”
“It . . .!!” The man who had spoken earlier on behalf of Tigernach looked furious.
“Doesn’t matter,” Bec thundered, cutting off the Tigernauch representative. “In fact, I think it would be best for everyone if you leave and only return to this council chamber when you can find a confirmed blood relative who meets the requirements and possesses the appropriate paperwork to reclaim the seat.”
“Yes, that would be for the best,” Faelgusa agreed.
“Well, we have three votes in favor. How many of you all are voting against it?” Bec said. “If none, then let’s make it official.”
“Four votes in favor,” the leader of House Calbrainn said. “I don’t trust leaving a valuable member of our sphere of influence in the hands of a foreign power without a string attached.”
“Then there is a majority, and we can save ourselves the nay vote. Great Herald Lee, congratulations. You are now the Lord of Satterfield. This means, of course, that you are not only in charge of the good of the people of Satterfield but that we must also place the burden of collecting annual taxes onto you, along with the burden of keeping an accurate count of the census,” Bec explained. “That said, enjoy your new land, have fun taxing the peasants and feel free to put a law or two into the books as you see fit. Just don’t do anything crazy like demanding the right to sleep with all the women on their wedding night. We had a lord do that once, and he got killed by the second couple he tried to force the policy on.”
“Good to know,” Lee replied, nodding. “So, I can . . . establish any law I want?”
“Within reason. And your territory is still subject to all the national laws of Kirshtein,” Connacht answered the question this time. “Now that you’re a lord, why don’t you give up this silly adventure of yours and tend to your lands and people.”
“Hmm . . . I might reconsider before tomorrow, but now, I have even more work to do and a shorter time to do it . . . So, Ling, are you ready? We’ve spent enough time here.” Lee shrugged and then closed the distance to the door, opening it up and waiting for Ling to walk around the table and exit the room as he held it for her.
He also made sure to leave one of the little golems in the council room as he left. He knew that his presence had been divisive and that they were all only trying to use him, so he expected them to talk much more candidly the moment they thought he was out of earshot, which they did.
“I don’t like it,” Calbrainn grumbled, no less than ten seconds after the door had shut behind Lee. “Can someone tell me again why we must tolerate this murderous human?”
“Because the other cities have Heralds, and if we don’t, we’re just sitting ducks. One of my men watched the fight between the two Heralds that happened in the park. I’m told that these two weren’t even the most powerful ones, but it was still like watching a battle between gods. If we don’t get a god of our own on a leash, we’re dead,” Bec said.
“I know you’re right, but I hate that he’s a Human,” Faelgusa said.
“With a Firbolg military leader,” Bec quickly argued. “Look, we can replace him when another Herald comes along who is stronger and easier to control, but until then, we need to protect the city’s assets. Did you see that dragon that attacked our walls for the people of Birnefeld? Can you imagine how powerful the Herald behind that is? If he wanted to raze us to the ground, would our city survive without help?”
“Why worry about getting a new Herald?” Connacht interjected. “What we really need to do is figure out how they gain their power and grow this one. We’ve had him serving the people of our lands from the start, and he seems emotionally tied to our territory. It will be much easier to control him than it would be to position one who is more experienced and from a different land.”
“I hate when you’re right, boy,” Faelgusa grumbled, “but the Heralds seem tight-lipped on how they grow.”
“Not necessarily,” Connacht said. “I tested a theory of mine with Lee. We sent him to the colosseum, where I paid a great deal to have Bronagh’s man, Dave, help him with training. They grow stronger the same way we do, with combat, but their abilities are just much more powerful than ours. The more we throw him into the fire, the better a sword he will become.”
“That might be increasing his sword skills and his other factors, but I remember Devin telling us he needed followers. Lots of them. I don’t think everything is as simple as you make it seem,” Bec said. “I think there are plenty of factors we’re missing here, and I don’t like leaving the fate of my people in the hands of strangers, but if we must . . .”
“He won’t be a stranger if we play our cards right. He’ll be a loyal dog to bark at and discourage intruders,” Connacht said.
“I hope you’re right,” Calbrainn said. “This gamble is a great risk.”
“Too steep a gamble for my liking,” Faelgusa added. “But, if you think he can be controlled, then so be it.”
“He can be,” Connacht assured.
“You all underestimate him,” Bronagh warned. “He will bring us to a greatness that you’ve never imagined before. He is amazing.”
Chapter 4
Name: Lee
Race: Human
Class: Herald - Statesman
Level: 26
Health: 360/360
EXP: 4295/37000
Primary Stats:
Power 36 (39)
Toughness 36 (39)
Spirit 36 (39)
Secondary Stats:
Charisma 30
Courage 21
Deceit 31
Personal Faith 234
Intelligence 162 (178)
Honor -2
Faith 32721
Skills:
Unarmed Combat Initiate Level 7
Swordplay Novice Level 8
Sneak Journeyman Level 2
Cooking Initiate Level 7
Trap Detection Initiate Level 6
Knife Combat Initiate Level 8
Mental Fortitude Initiate Level 1
Sleight of Hand Initiate Level 3
Blood Shield Initiate Level 3
True Patriot
Glass Smithing Initiate Level 10
The Statesman:
Territories:
Satterfield (+10: Savior)
Defensive Strength Rating: 1
Economic Strength rating: 3
Population Rating: 1
Territory Rating: 12
Tech / Utility Rating: 2
Influence / Tourism Rating: 2
Public Persona:
Kirshtein (-3: Unkind)
Birnefeld (0: Unknown)
Divine Skills:
Golem Sculpting Journeyman Level 1
Appreciative Drunk Novice Level 8
Nectar of the Gods Initiate Level 4
Spirit Smithing Initiate Level 4
Faith Healing
Divinity Powers:
Life in Death
Titles:
Cheat Code Fighter
The Great Deceiver
Lee couldn’t help but sigh as he watched the meeting through Ethan’s eyes while making his way back to the park to get Miller. Miller was shocked that Lee was going to take on another Herald, but after a moment of blustering in surprise, he puffed his out chest and told Lee that he’d have the troops organized by morning. Lee also promised to have a beer with the Firbolg paladin later. Miller was rather insistent on that, and Lee didn’t have a good reason to put him off. He might still be upset about Amber, but intellectually, he accepted that it wasn’t directly Miller’s fault.
On the way to the Tigernach manor, which he told himself he’d have to immediately rename, he stopped into the Heaven’s Hammer, to find Dave and Sam, the bartender, chatting away while having a drink. “You know, I thought I’d find you here, but it’s still a surprise,” Lee said when he spotted Dave. “I could have sworn that you’d have been sitting next to Bronagh Alastar if you were still in town, making sure she was okay during that ridiculous meeting of people nearly as old as you, not sitting here having a beer.”
“Well, you don't get to be my age before learning a thing or two about attending meetings where nothing is going to get done,” Dave said, standing up as Lee entered and sticking out his hand. “I heard one mention of saving the town and figured that I might as well just go to a bar if I wanted to listen to a bunch of good-for-nothing bastards brag back and forth about how they were going to fix Kirshtein. At least I can enjoy a beer while I’m here, and if I call them good-for-nothing bastards for being such, it’s much less likely to get me sent to jail.”
“So, your house is restored, the bastard is dead . . . Should I take it that you’re once more a part of the House of Alastar?” Lee asked.