The Heroic Villain 2

by Charles Dean

  You have killed Lavelle. You have been awarded 1800 EXP. A fine magic staff and a leg of mutton have dropped upon death.

  Nick maneuvered around Lucas and took advantage of the Wind Wall by charging Jackson. He used the Wind as a free method of acceleration and then used his extra speed to slam into the larger knight shield-first.

  Jackson roared in anger at seeing his friend killed and cursed, “BY LEE’S LIGHT, I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” He fought to stay upright for one brief moment, but the combined pressure of Lucas’s Wind Wall and Nick’s weight was too much for him. The two tanks both toppled off the bridge and into the moat with a loud splash.

  “Katie, can you get our tank?” Lucas asked, rushing over to the edge of the drawbridge and peering into the water.

  “Nnn,” Katie responded, slithering toward the water’s edge and diving straight in with a small plop.

  It took him a minute to realize that the guard who fell off was already climbing up the wall on the side--or, rather, struggling to get a foothold so that he could climb out--with Nick next to him. Neither Katie nor Jackson was anywhere to be seen. Lucas peered into the depths for a long moment, and then the two missing people burst from the water all at once. Katie’s snake-like lower half was tightly wrapped around Jackson, making it nearly impossible for him to swim. Seconds later, his shields bobbed to the surface as well. Katie’s tightly-coiled tail constricted yet again, and the two disappeared underwater once more as she dragged him down in a literal death hug. Lucas watched for a long minute, waiting to see what would happen, and then Katie appeared, slithering up the steep incline of the moat’s wall and back onto shore with ease. Once she was on land, she turned and looked at Lucas expectantly.

  You have killed Jackson. You have been awarded 1500 EXP. A battered steel shield and 4 gold have dropped upon death.

  “You . . . uhh . . .”--Lucas’s eyes wandered back to the moat, where Jackson had at last disappeared underneath the surface--“you did very well there.”

  Katie’s cheeks turned red, and she looked down abashedly at his praise--but not before Lucas noticed her glow.

  Lucas turned to the rest of his party and shared the same sentiments. “You guys all did well. That was a tough fight, and we couldn’t have done it without working as a team. Good job.”

  “No problem, boss,” Bonnie said. “That was a fun one.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Nick groaned as he climbed up on shore. “I felt like a kite without a string while in Lucas’s Wind Wall.”

  “I don’t know . . .” Bonnie shrugged. “Aren’t you always talking about wanting to get bl--”

  “Language!” Lucas warned, interrupting before she could continue. He didn’t know why, but he felt like certain topics shouldn't be mentioned so openly in front of Katie. Even though the princess was always talked about by others as the pure one, Lucas was certain that it was actually Katie.

  “I’m also going to thank you all,” the guard who climbed out of the moat said.

  “Indeed,” one of the other gate guards said.

  “I must extend my thanks as well, on behalf of me, my wife at home, and my two daughters,” another guard added.

  The last guard shook his head ruefully. He positioned himself so that he was only talking to Lucas and said, “Being saved by subs . . . This is a first, and one I definitely won’t forget. You have my deepest thanks, sir.”

  “Well, thanks are nice,” Lucas began, “but uhh . . . Can we go through?”

  The guard paused as if he had been struck by a difficult question. This bridge was probably a checkpoint so that the guards could determine if Lucas was part of the Imperium, and Lucas’s question had undeniably reminded them that they had a job to do. The first guard stepped forward as if he were going to get down to business, but as soon as he saw the ring that conferred Lucas with the title of Baron, he stopped short. The other guards spied the ring as well, and they all bowed their heads respectfully.

  “Of course, Baron. Your and your party’s entry is guaranteed,” the guard said without lifting his head.

  Ah! To be nobility in an ancient fantasy world. Lucas squirmed a little but did his best not to look uncomfortable at the gestures. Although he wasn’t entirely used to the deference they were showing him, it was something that he had to accommodate in order to play the role that was necessary of him. It was becoming easier as the days went by, but he was still a modern man, and people bowing like that, serving him, swearing obedience, and obeying his every word just felt unnatural. Even though he had been a CEO whom people kissed up to in the past, they had been subtle with their sycophantic praise. Now that he was a noble, everyone in the game besides his party or other higher-ranking Imperium nobles treated him like royalty.

  Xun Guan walked up beside him as they entered the town. “Lucas, you need to be careful in this city,” she warned. “While almost everyone in here is part of the Imperium and won’t attack you, there will be other players here to farm Reputation. A stealth-type class might appear at any second to stab you in the back, or a party might come in that we can’t handle. Keep your head down and don’t make a noise unless you have to.”

  “That seems fair,” Lucas agreed. He paused for a moment and looked around at the buildings. He had absolutely no idea what to expect from the city. The first thing he noticed was that all the shops and houses were several stories tall. Although the ground levels were all made almost entirely from stone, the second, third, and fourth floors had been constructed from hewn wood. They were all painted in different colors varying from red and white to blue and purple. They all had lots of windows, and many had extensions on the upper levels that jutted out over the streets and sidewalks. It was as if their builders had been searching for a way to increase the size of the buildings without continuing upward anymore.

  The road itself was packed with canopied stalls set up on the sides of the road, from which merchants vociferously harassed everyone that passed by.

  “You can’t be serious,” Lucas said sardonically when he saw that all the merchants were eyeing him like fresh meat. “How could someone come in here and kill these people for Reputation?”

  “They usually don’t. These merchants aren’t worth anything,” Liu explained. “They’re only here, for the most part, so that players have somewhere to sell their loot from killing the soldiers and guards in the barracks without having to go all the way back to the main town. The others won’t buy your stuff if you killed one of them, so this area is actually pretty safe--but that doesn’t mean you won’t find a stray player with a penchant for murder hanging around either. There is always going to be at least one person who doesn’t care where he is forced to hawk his wares and who is willing to go on a rampage.”

  “What about stealing?” Bonnie asked. “What happens if I get caught adding a few pounds to the purse?”

  “Same punishment,” Liu warned. “So, don’t get caught. Since you’re with us, you might get us all in trouble too. Be careful.”

  “What’s this stealing? I thought you were a mercenary?” Lucas asked.

  “Hey, I’m your mercenary at the moment,” Bonnie protested, “but if something happened to you, boss, I don’t know if I could work for another man again. You’ve ruined me. I might have to resort to a life of crime and thievery.”

  Lucas noticed that, while the merchants were excited to see him and Xun Guan and were indifferent to Nick, they gave the rest of his party uncomfortable glances. Their eyes would flicker past Bonnie, Katie, and Viola as if they weren’t even there, and more than a few seemed to be openly disgusted by their presence.

  “You should put that dog on a leash,” a passerby said as Lucas made his way through the marketplace.

  “I’m not against it, boss,” Bonnie piped up quickly. “I’ve got my collar with me. Just give me a second to put it on. It’ll look great! Wait, do you want me to wear the leather one or the chain one?”

  Lucas rolled his eyes. “Just . . . be quiet, Bonnie.” Dealing wit
h her was somewhat frustrating, especially since just the image of her with nothing but a leash on popped up in his head. It has been way too long. Lucas sighed, making sure not to make eye contact with the more-than-happy Were-Fox. Bonnie looked way too satisfied, happily wagging her tail as if she were completely unfazed by the insulting looks she was getting from different members in the Imperium.

  “It’s a little worse here than on Hesse due to the fact that the other racial factions are constantly fighting with the Imperium here,” Liu said, answering Lucas’s question before he could finish it.

  “Ah. I see.” Lucas understood. The Imperium’s rivalry with non-Human races here was like that of the English’s rivalry with the French during the 100 Years War. They had to demonize the enemy. At least it makes more sense than just regular old racism, Lucas thought as he continued through the market. Several of the merchants called out, trying to sell him gear, but Lucas didn’t pay them any mind and instead just pressed forward until he saw the one merchant that he couldn’t help but greet.

  “Willmarth!” Lucas shouted, spotting the blacksmith. The man’s face was covered with black ash and soot, and grey hairs shot out in all directions, giving him a wild and desperate visage. “I thought you had a nice shop set up already?” Willmarth was basically the best blacksmith in all of the starter zone. If players wanted gear that would carry them through to the mainland, his shop had been the place to procure it. Lucas had met him just before his first meeting with Dray von Maidbanger, when the system had prompted him to acquire formal wear prior to meeting the noble.

  The giant, six-foot-five-inch man loomed over Lucas as he approached, and they clasped hands in greeting. The bear-sized man then planted his hands on his hips and leaned back, audibly cracking his back. “Welp,” Willmarth began, “after you took over and didn’t even so much as come to the shop to give me a promotion to Imperium Soldier, I thought I’d try my hand at applying elsewhere. If’n you weren’t going to make me a soldier, then I’d probably die before anyone else did. That’s when I remembered that I got a cousin here, and, well, they’re always looking for soldiers up here, so I got on the first boat and rushed over.”

  Lucas nodded, feeling a little guilty. “Sorry about that. I was really busy and didn’t get a chance to make it to your shop before you left,” he lied. He had totally forgotten about Willmarth. “By the time I did, you were already gone.” He continued his lie, hoping that his Charisma would help him sell it.

  “Seriously? Ugh. I should have just stayed. These bastards here don’t know talent when it slaps them in the face. I applied to be a soldier for the Imperium as soon as I arrived, and they rejected it faster than that lass I asked out last night. It was a stamped-out ‘No, go home and don’t apply again’ situation--not that I blame them.”

  “You don’t?” Lucas asked.

  “‘Course I don’t. Back on Hesse, I coulda put any one of those soldiers in his place. But here? Not so much.” Willmarth let out a deep chuckle. “I couldn’t even land a single blow on that recruiter. He popped me twice on my butt and kicked me out before I could even wipe myself after he kicked the crap out of me.”

  “That’s rough. So, you gonna go back to Hesse? I can put in a word, make you a guard or a soldier there. I’m told the new guy managing the place is a bit of a jerk, but I’m sure I can work something out.” Now that the tension had lessened, Lucas didn’t mind making a joke. He had gotten away with his little fib, and his eyes began straying over the merchandise Willmarth was selling. Based on what he saw, Willmarth’s abilities as a blacksmith had improved in a very short time. The assortment of gear laid on the table was even better than what he had been selling on Hesse, and it looked like Willmarth had learned to use the same metals in gear crafting that Lucas had used to upgrade his dungeon.

  His craftsmanship is remarkable! Lucas thought, admiring one sword after the other. Then he caught sight of some small metal balls.

  “Are those . . .?” Nick saw them at the same time and reached forward to grab them off the table only to have his hand swatted away by Willmarth.

  “Ah-ah! Don’t touch a man’s balls without asking. Those are liable to blow up in your face if you don't handle them just right,” Willmarth explained, grabbing one very carefully. The balls were almost entirely a polished black with the exception of two wood-covered spots on opposite sides that Willmarth used to hold one by. “These babies right here are my wall clearers. You throw one of these at a wall, a person, you name it--as long as the side that hits it ain’t wood and you’ve thrown it hard enough, the thing will explode like it’s Imperium Day at the port.”

  “That deadly?” Lucas asked. “How did you make them?”

  “Can’t be giving off trade secrets; you need to earn those. Anyway, it’s nice seeing a friendly face, but it ain’t so nice seeing the gear you got on that mutt, that snake, and tall ears over there. Hell, you didn’t even put a proper plate on the over-eager ball grabber here,” Willmarth said as he motioned with his head toward Nick. “And where is that armor I made you? It was top-notch. You’re embarrassing me and yourself by wearing that fancy-pants comfort suit. You’re gonna get yourself killed at this rate.”

  “You’re trying to sell me something, aren’t you?” Lucas sighed. He knew Willmarth, and he knew that Willmarth’s interest now was entirely commercial. “Are you that hard up for money?”

  “‘Course I am,” Willmarth said. “It’s a damn marketplace, boy. Come on, let me hook you up. I can tell you need my good gear here.”

  “I wouldn’t be so quick to do that,” Liu said, stepping in and picking up one of his items. “For the material and level of this gear, it is practically flawless. But both of those are low. This gear isn’t even going to last you to Level 40 here on the mainland. Even though this region isn’t a particularly high-level, there are plenty of merchants that sell better stuff.”

  “Ugh, Xun Guan,” Willmarth grumbled. “Don’t you dare go trying to get in the way of me and a loyal customer. Me and Lucas here go way back, so why don’t you walk that Lady arse of yours away and let me do my job?”

  “I think you better watch how you talk to her,” Lucas said, fiddling with his Baron Ring to let Willmarth know he was pulling rank.

  “Fine. Sorry. But I gotta eat, woman. No one is buying my stuff here, and I can’t even afford a ticket on the ship home, so could you not go throwing me under the first cart down the street?” Willmarth pleaded.

  “Well . . .” Lucas looked over at his crew. “His items really aren’t good?”

  “Terrible,” Liu confirmed once more. “We can find much better just down the street.”

  “I see,” Lucas said, looking at Willmarth’s depressed expression. The big man’s droopy face was saddening. Spent his whole life trying to be a soldier, couldn’t make it, and now he can’t even make ends meet since he went from being the big fish in a small pond to the small fish in a big lake. Lucas pulled out his pocketbook and tossed Willmarth 10 gold pieces. “It seems I won’t be needing your gear,” Lucas said, “but here is some money. Try to buy some good materials and then make the best item you can with it. Just consider this as a custom order, so I’ll come back to see what you got.” Lucas added that last part so that Willmarth wouldn’t think that he was trying to hand out charity and feel insulted. For some reason, he had a feeling that the blacksmith would have refused him otherwise.

  “Won’t be disappointed,” Willmarth said as he took the coins from Lucas.

  With that, Lucas and his group once more headed down the street and made their way to the keep in the middle of town. Walking past all of the street food without grabbing any was difficult. Almost two years of doing nothing but eating fine foods and sampling the game’s delicacies had turned Lucas into something of a gluttonous connoisseur, and the sight of what looked like crepes covered in strawberries and blueberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar looked incredibly tempting. He had almost given in to temptation when he realized he was already clos
e to his destination: the royal court.

  Xun Guan had been unclear about what he was going to have to do in order to establish himself as a dungeon master in this new world, but Lucas was eager to set up shop as soon as possible. What he did know, however, was that this was the place to start. It wasn’t a court in the same sense as he thought of it in the real world, with judges, juries, prosecutors, and defendants, but rather the large, cathedral-sized building where social gatherings would take place. As Liu had explained on the way, it was a giant meet-and-greet area right in the lobby of the same building that was home to the throne room. So, in essence, it was where nobility came to converse with one another, negotiate politics and trade, and do business; and, as such, there were limitations on who could enter. Only the nobility or someone in the direct employment of nobility was allowed in.

  “This looks promising,” Bonnie said as she walked ahead of the group. “With a building like this, you know there have to be a ton of loose wallets just waiting to buy a good mercenary. I bet I could make a killing in here.”

  Lucas shook his head.

  “Didn’t you just complain about how you’d have to turn to a life of crime if your precious boss wouldn't hire you since you couldn't work for anyone else?” Nick asked.

  Bonnie shrugged. “Gotta say what the client likes hearing. Also gotta pay rent.”

  “You pay rent with the in-game currency?” Nick asked incredulously.

  “What? Like you couldn’t? We’ve made a fortune working for Lucas. I’ve already been able to buy a full month of game time at a cafe.”

  “I got my own machine,” Nick shot back. “It’s uhh . . . It was a hand-me-down gift.”

  “A hand-me-down gift?” Bonnie asked. “Who the hell gives someone a hand-me-down gift?”

  Nick sighed. “Yeah, you know. Like, look . . . it’s just . . . fine. I got a part-time job and saved up half the money, and then my parents gave me the other half for getting straight A’s in college, okay? Just stop busting my chops about it.”