Kingdom Level Four: LitRPG

by Adam Drake

  “Then we could build a tower?”

  “No, then we need to pay the laborers to build it. Hopefully, supervised by a skilled Carpenter. Having one present when a structure is built will potentially add a bonus, depending on the Carpenter's skills and level.”

  Rob rolled his eyes to the sky. Holy crap, this was getting complicated. All that nonsense just for one tower. “So, can we build anything right now?”

  Saif frowned, thinking. Then he said, “Well, there are the blacksmiths who arrived yesterday. You helped them retrieve their anvil back, which made them quite happy. Maybe they have a deed for a Blacksmith's Building or Smithy.”

  “Where are they?” Rob said, perking up.

  Saif led them down the new flagstone road to the north. Rob was surprised to see there were several other smaller flagstone roads which branched off, each lined with little houses and empty plots of flattened land.

  They came upon one such plot with an open air tent at its center. A stump of a tree sat under the tent, with the anvil secured to its flat top by giant nails. Various packs were neatly placed nearby as well as various tools.

  Kortz and Paxx were sitting in the shade of a nearby tree, talking. They stood when Rob and Saif approached.

  “Hello, again,” Rob said, putting on his best smile. “I see you made it here okay.”

  “That we did, thanks to you,” Kortz said. “Quite the place you got here.”

  Rob couldn't tell if the last was a jab. “Well, it's small, but has great potential.” He sounded like a real-estate salesmen.

  “Did you find that goblin hideout?” Paxx said.

  “Yup. And now there is no more goblin hideout,” Rob said with a hint of pride.

  Paxx said, “We were just talking about how cute your village is when all of a sudden it changed into this.” She waved her hands at the new houses. “Very impressive.”

  Rob sensed an opportunity. “You could choose one of these houses as your own, if you'd like.”

  “Really?” Paxx said, eyes widening.

  Kortz was less impressed. “If we agree to place our Blacksmith's Building, right?”

  “Not necessarily,” Rob said. “Once you settle in it would give you time to decide if you wanted to stay.” Hopefully they would make the decision right that moment. He figured having them living in the town would make it easier for them to stay permanently.

  The two blacksmiths looked at each other, then shrugged.

  “Great, thanks!” Paxx said.

  “Okay, why not?” Kortz said although Rob noticed he was still a little doubtful.

  “I see you set up the anvil,” Rob said.

  “Yes, we've been keeping busy repairing some of the gear that Fenton boy brought in. Goblin gear. Still, I've been altering the armor to fit regular people and repairing the weapons.” He brought out a small helmet which Rob vaguely recognized as worn by one of the goblins slain earlier. It had been altered and made bigger to fit a human's head.

  “You did that? That's damn cool!” Rob said, and meant it. He looked around in confusion. “Where's your forge. Don't you need one for stuff like that?”

  Paxx shook her head. “Not for basic repairs or alterations. We can use the anvil for simple tasks. The forge is used for creating complete weapons and armor. Plus a bunch of other things, too.”

  “And where would we get you guys a forge?” Rob said, knowing the answer. He hoped he wasn't pressing his luck, but time was of the essence.

  “Once we place our deed, we can construct a proper Blacksmith's Building which will have a forge among other things,” Kortz said.

  Everyone went quiet for several moments, expectancy in the air. Saif stepped in to save Rob from putting his foot in his mouth.

  “Well, as you are no doubt aware, our town is in need of people of your skills. A Blacksmith would be most welcomed here.” He raised his arms, indicating the new structures around them. “We are expanding, as you can tell, so there would be no shortage of work.”

  “Good to know,” Kortz said, and Paxx frowned.

  Rob knew the guy wasn't ready to bite and he didn't want to force their hand. Let them settle in first, repair some gear, make them feel at home, then get them to place the damn deed. He smiled and said, “Well, get settled into your new house and we'll talk later. There will be more stuff for you to fix if you want.” He still needed to retrieve the gear dropped by the bandits and goblins in the forest.

  Kortz brightened at the prospect of more work. “That would be great.”

  He walked back with Saif to the town center, holding a smile he didn't feel. “They aren't staying,” Rob said.

  “We do you say that, my Lord?”

  “Kortz really wants to go to Casso, but she's on the fence.”

  “Well, I believe if we can keep them busy it would make their decision to stay a whole lot easier.”

  “In this, we think alike,” Rob said. “Make sure anything that needs repairing is brought to them I don't care what it is.”

  “Yes, my Lord,” Saif said. “Might I ask if you are feeling anything at the moment?”

  “Well, I am pretty hungry, now that you mention it.”

  “No, sire, I meant feel anything. You did just advance the village into a town, after all.”

  Rob didn't feel any invisible threads pulling him to the Cornerstone. “No, nothing. What the hell?”

  “Maybe if you touched it, my Lord.”

  Rob envisioned the blackened corner where he chipped off the sliver. He couldn't hide what he did forever. May as well get it over with. “Okay, let's check it out.”

  They walked up the hill and then through the huge wooden doors of the gate. Rob took a moment to inspect them and found they didn't look as impressive up close as they did from the road. Not wanting to complain, though, he bit his lip.

  They entered the castle which was fully complete. Their footsteps echoed as they moved through it.

  “We need some furniture in here,” Rob said, his voice booming sharply off the walls.

  “I'm sure we can have some of the locals hammer some together. Although, whatever they make will be nothing like what a skilled Carpenter can do.”

  You have been given a quest. “Saw and Nails”

  Recruit a Carpenter to take up residence in Hope. Doing so will grant bonuses to constructed buildings, as well as other structures and wooden items.

  Reward: Woodshop

  “I'll add it to my list,” Rob said. They climbed down the stairs to the lower level and walked over to where the Kingdom Cornerstone was recessed.

  Rob made a point of keeping his body in between the cornerstone and the Sage. He placed his bare hand on it, but nothing happened.

  “Well, crap,” Rob said. “What the hell else am I expected to do? I created an entire town for crying out loud!”

  “My Lord, I believe creating the town helped meet only one possible requirement, one that helped strengthen the kingdom. But is there anything which would help you become stronger? I see you did level, but apparently that is not enough.”

  “You think the requirements are split between me and the kingdom?”

  “I would think so. There may also be other unknown requirements.”

  Thinking this over he was struck with a thought, and his hand went to one of his pouches. “I think might know what it is. I've been saving it to show you.”

  Saif watched with anticipation as Rob brought out the white sack. The Sage recognized it immediately. “A Basic Alchemy Kit? How did you acquire it?”

  “By slaughtering a lot of bugs,” he said. At Saif's confusion, he added. “I'll tell you later, but first, let's do this.” He looked around for a table, but of course there wasn't one in the entire castle. So he hunkered down on the stone floor, cross-legged.

  He spread out the items of the kit before him, then picked out several ingredients. Having watched Stenn make potions before, he knew the routine. He ground up the Blood Flowers and Life Moss with the mortar and pestle.


  “You got any water on you?” Rob asked.

  “Yes, here,” Saif said, producing a flask of water from one of his robe's many pockets. “Being a Sage is thirsty work.”

  Rob shoved the mashed ingredients into one of the large empty flasks with his fingers, then carefully poured the water in. He stuck a stopper in the top and shook the flask like he was making a bartender's special.

  The water and ingredients merged to become a deep red. Rob gently poured this concoction back into the water flask and stuck a stopper in that, too.

  You have crafted a Large Healing Potion. You have gained 25 experience points toward your next level.

  You have advanced in a skill. Basic Alchemy has increased to 2%

  This was followed by another message.

  Achievement Unlocked! “The Brew That Is True”

  Congratulations, you have crafted your first potion! There are many recipes to find and potions to quaff. Try to collect them all. Good luck!

  Reward: 1,000 Experience Points

  “Well done, my Lord!” Saif said, genuinely pleased.

  Rob grinned at the potion, feeling like he'd just successfully performed brain surgery. “Okay, this is damn cool.” Then he perked up. The invisible threads pulled at him.

  “Oh! Here we go,” Rob said and moved over to the cornerstone. At this point, he didn't care if Saif saw the damaged corner. He placed his hand on its surface and a message appeared.

  Congratulations! Based on your incredible adventures and grand accomplishments, your kingdom is now ready to progress to the next level!

  Raise your kingdom to level five?

  Accept or Decline?

  Rob accepted.

  Congratulations! Your kingdom is now at level five.

  Rob looked around the chamber, but nothing appeared different. Typical.

  “Well done, my Lord,” Saif said. “I think now would be a good time to-.” The Sage's face froze as he caught sight of the Cornerstone and its blackened corner.

  Saif's eyes widened with alarm. “My Lord! What in the Many Hells have you-.”

  A terrified shout from above silenced the Sage, and they both looked up. Then there was another shout, followed by more. Something was happening outside.

  They raced up the stairs and out into the courtyard. On the battlements, further down the wall, Trenton stood. Seeing Rob he pointed out past the wall, his face grave.

  They walked through the gates and stopped, stunned.

  Below, in the town, an army marched along its roads. Soldiers and mounted riders wearing blue cloaks, pulled people from their new homes, coralling them to the town's center. A rider rode past bearing a flag with the insignia of an eagle.

  Rob stared in shock. He knew who this army belonged to.

  King Orbin of Drust.

  At his elbow, Saif spoke, his voice trembling. “My Lord. It appears we have been invaded.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Rob marched down the hill to where his people had been forced to gather. His rage was in full bloom and he tried his best to control it.

  The bastard actually came, he seethed. Son of bitch.

  Saif followed at his side. “My Lord, I would advise tact and prudence above all else in this situation. If you are careful, he may only demand your fealty instead of-.”

  “What?” Rob snapped. “Instead of what?”

  “All of our lives,” Saif finished.

  Rob could see how serious the Sage was.

  As they reached the bottom, a contingent of soldiers met them weapons at the ready. Their armor was pristine and shiny, their weapons glinting.

  “Disarm yourselves!” barked a blond soldier. Rob recognized him as the man who'd delivered King Orbin's message, then spat at Rob's feet.

  “What's going on?” Rob roared. He gripped his mace and buckler tightly.

  “Disarm yourselves, now!” the blond soldier roared back.

  “My Lord, please,” Saif said. The Sage removed his medallions and necklaces and handed them to a soldier. A soldier searched his pockets, removing an assortment of small items.

  “No weapons here,” the solder said.

  Blondie looked at Rob. “Resist. Please. Give me a reason to smash that mark off your face!”

  Hearing the man mention his mark pulled Rob out of his red rage. He glanced at all the soldiers surrounding them. There were hundreds.

  Cursing, he threw his mace and buckler to the ground, then raised his hands.

  A soldier quickly removed the dagger from his belt and then his pouches. After a quick body pat, he said, “No weapons here.”

  “Good,” said Blondie. “Now collar 'em.”

  Rob stiffened, but did nothing as they placed a draining collar tightly around his neck. His mana bar instantly dropped to zero, and his Damage Shield vanished.

  “Can't have you lot casting spells while the king's around, now can we?” Blondie said, a smug smile on his face. “Bind their arms. Hurry it up. He's coming.”

  As his arms were tied behind his back with thick bindings, a procession of soldiers moved through the assembled mass.

  Rob was surprised to see a goblin riding a horse into the center circle, then dismount. It handed the reigns to an attending soldier. The goblin wore black robes which dragged on ground as it walked. A ridiculous amount of necklaces and medallions hung from around its neck. So much, Rob was surprised it didn't fall over from all the weight.

  I pity the fool, he thought. But this couldn't be King Orbin, could it? A goblin leading humans?

  The goblin waved. “Bring them.”

  Rob and Saif were shoved forward to stand before the goblin. From the soldier, it took Saif's medallions and necklaces and looked them over. Satisfied, it grinned up at Saif.

  “Nice collection,” it said in perfect English. “I'll add it to mine, like all the others.” It patted the hoard on its neck, toothy grin widening.

  Rob couldn't hold back any longer. “What the hell is going on here-.”

  “Shut up, usurper!” the goblin suddenly screamed. “We follow the King's law here. And the King's law states prisoners shall not speak unless commanded to. Failure to do so will result in the prisoner's tongue being yanked from his treasonous mouth!”

  The goblin leaned closer. “Do you understand what I just said?”

  Guessing his was being baited, Rob said nothing, but nodded. Thankfully, Saif did the same.

  Looking surprised, the goblin laughed. “Ha! Maybe you're not so stupid after all. Sure, you're stupid enough to occupy the King's lands, but that is something he will address with you directly.”

  As if on cue, a rider approached the circle. The horse he rode was gigantic, reminding Rob of pictures he'd seen of plow horses, titanic beasts. This one was an exaggerated version of those. Pure white in color, with red hoofs. Rob blinked at the hoofs. They weren't red, they were on fire.

  Atop this magnificent farce of an animal sat a man wearing blinding white armor, full plate from his neck to the bottom of his stirrup boots. A blue cloak draped his wide shoulders by gold fastens, and hung done his back. His flowing long hair was snow white, as was his trimmed mustache and short beard. At his hip hung a bare rapier sword, so thin it was barely noticeable.

  It was quite obvious who this peacock was – King Orbin.

  But none of this matter a jot to Rob. All this grandeur was all eclipsed by one detail.

  The man was wearing sunglasses. The reflective kind that mirrored what he looked at. It was a stylish make, one Rob recognized. He could even make out the brand name on its side.

  What the hell is going on? Rob thought, mind reeling.

  “Well, well, well,” Orbin said, looking down at Rob. “Look what we have here. The great usurper, himself.”

  Rob barely registered what the man said. Where did he get sunglasses? And, more importantly, what did it mean?

  Orbin gracefully dismounted and handed the reigns to an attending soldier who handed him a flask of clear water.


  “Oh, thank you kindly,” Orbin said and guzzled it down, water dribbling over his beard. “Mmmm,” he said, finishing and wiping his mouth with a cloth embroidered with an eagle.

  As Orbin approached Rob, the goblin stepped forward waving a hand, dramatically.

  “I present to your Lordship, the prisoners!” it said, like it was working the crowd at a carnival.

  Orbin tipped his head in disgust and, Rob assumed, rolled his eyes. “Must you always interrupt me, you little shit? I know who they are, I've already seen them.”