The Quest (Dark Paladin Book #2) LitRPG Series

by Vasily Mahanenko

  “Come on!” Langirs sort of twitched towards me to push me into the portal. At the last moment he checked himself, but it was obvious that his impatience and desire to deserve some praise from his superiors was growing.. It seemed so funny to me that I dared play on my guard’s vanity to extract some information from him.

  “I so appreciate you helping me find the portal.” I started working on implementing my ploy. “Next time I see Gerhard van Brast I will make sure to mention you to him as a conscientious and responsible Paladin.”

  “You… you know the Head?!” Langirs exclaimed in surprise, stuttering, as he was overcome by feelings. I could not lie‒the Paladin could request confirmation from the Game‒ so my response was elaborate:

  “Just a few hours ago I had a meeting with him, so yes, I can certainly say that we know each other. Is that so unusual?”

  “N-no, it’s just not so many brothers-in-arms know the Head of class personally.” Langirs was stuttering from excitement, but still kept pushing me. I needed to build on my success before he decided that a bird in the hand in the form of immediate praise for sending me into the Sanctuary quickly was better than some hypothetical advantage from establishing an acquaintance with me. “Are you serious about mentioning me?”

  “Sure, that’s not hard for me,” I grinned to myself as I heard confirmation of what I was thinking. NPCs, players… manipulation psychology works the same with all of them. So, let’s use the rule of “you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours”... “But I have a question: what will I get in return? Because Gerhard will surely ask why I am telling him about you. I need to know how to respond to him.”

  I deliberately called the head of the Paladins of Earth by first name, causing Langirs to suffer yet another culture shock. Because for him Gerhard van Brast was the Head and there was no other way. I was looking at the Paladin, and did not share his feelings in the least. It felt like Gerhard was everything to him. Father, god, brother and devil only knows what else. Maybe I have just not been in the Citadel long enough, and with time I’ll become the same. By the way! I wonder if there are devils in the Game?

  “In our world they had been exterminated a long time ago; mostly, they live with the demons in their locations,” Langirs responded. Apparently recent events had taken their toll on me: I was talking aloud without noticing it. I had to quickly review the record of the last minute, and only then sigh with relief: the only thing I had actually said to Langirs concerned the devils. I would have to pay more attention. “As for the question – yes, we can be of use to each other. I have access to the Armory and I can help with enhancement. But only after you talk to the Head.”

  “Enhancement… what is it…?” I frowned. “Additional plates for armor?”

  “No, no‒ not at all,” a patronizing smile flickered across the Paladin’s face, and he hastened to demonstrate his knowledge: “Each class has just five sets of armor: the standard (the one you were issued before departure to the Academy), the Zharkee set that you are wearing now, Klifand, Daro and, finally, the Imperial set. It’s possible to buy the first three, while the other two sets, Daro and Imperial, are only granted for special merit. So the majority can access only three types of sets.”

  “In the Academy the teacher spoke about twenty types of armor, and the best of those was Charleston armor. There was no mention of any Imperial set,” I said with surprise.

  “It’s a popular misconception.” The Paladin was practically glowing with self-importance. “You are confusing the kinds and types of armor. There are only five types, as I mentioned. But each type can be enhanced, leveling it up to Charleston armor. As you understand, this is true only for knights; other classes have their own kinds of armor. But in any case, the players must make sure to enhance their existing protection. Not all the classes have armor, but all want to live. You catch my drift?”

  I mumbled something negative, amazed at the paucity of the class armor. In all the games I knew, armor was one of the key components for a successful fight against high level monsters. In reality I was in for a nasty surprise. Five types with twenty kinds each seemed like too few for the infinite Game, even to my inexperienced view.

  “Intaglios!” Langirs said the unfamiliar word with great reverence and stood still, apparently expecting an excited reaction. But all he got was my stare without a spark of understanding. The Paladin was forced to launch into more explanations, making the best of what he was offering:

  “The most popular method of improving armor is using enhancers: intaglios‒ otherwise called gems. These are gemstones with various properties. For example, they enhance defense, attack, or whatever else. Just a couple of well-selected gems and your chances to face a respawn pleasantly drop. I am sure that you have encountered them previously, before you became a player. Most symbols of power used by the NPC have them. You think crowns are purely decorative? Not so! They provide strong protection and suppression of will! An NPC with such a crown suppresses the will of people and drives them like a herd. Just gems, nothing complicated. Or charisma… But that is quite rare.”

  “Are you offering me some gems?” I asked immediately after the Paladin fell silent.

  “No, no, I am just an ordinary Paladin of modest means, whereas gems don’t come cheap at all.” The Paladin pulled back. “I can help with installing them on the armor. It’s not easy to install the gems just so‒ it requires skill. If we strike an agreement and you put a word in for me, I’ll take you to the armor shop to the master of installation. But the gems themselves you will have to buy at an auction. Or find somewhere.”

  I felt as if I had been deceived, or at least disappointed. In my mind I already had a couple of gems settling in my pocket. So much effort just for some piddling middleman.

  “Thank you for information. I will think about it,” I said briefly, and noticed how Langirs pursed his lips. The Paladin had obviously expected a different answer. Well, it would be fair if we parted mutually disappointed. Since we could not be of use to each other, I did not waste time, and bravely stepped into the portal. A bout of dizziness was followed by the system message:

  You have arrived at the Sanctuary of Game world: Earth

  Quest available: Registration. Access the Registrar to receive the Dungeon token and initial tasks for class and specialty

  Have a nice game!

  The space around me solidified; right in front of me two creatures materialized, covering my entire field of view with their fat bodies; their sex was indeterminable, but they were baring their teeth in friendly grins. From the noise around I surmised that we were in some city, but I was unable to see any details. Directing all my attention to the greeters, I was trying to figure out their sex. Short hair, loose checkered unisex coats and army boots could confuse anyone, but seeing the makeup on their faces I decided to give this world a chance, and decided to consider them female. Of course, even in my time of being an NPC I had met men who quite confidently discussed recent trends in makeup. However, I hoped that here all normal guys would sock you one in the kisser for trying to use anything other than a shaving kit on their face. There was a time once when I contemplated why normal guys would decorate their faces. But then I looked at the girls drawing surrealistic eyebrows and pumping silicone into their duckface lips, and figured it out. The guys decided to save the world using their own beauty, before the victims of female logic do it in completely. Or they could be… different. What can I say? Tolerance is everything to us these days!

  “Guten Tag! Möchten Sie Grossmünster besuchen?” the creature on the right asked, and I was glad as I realized two things. First, I was not wrong about the sex. Second, she was speaking German. That was the end of my rejoicing, since all the German I had was barely enough to identify the language.

  As I was thinking what to do, other faces appeared among us. A small well-groomed man pushed himself in between the ladies somehow; he was wearing an elaborate green Renaissance period jacket.

  “Ja, ja,” the ma
n was pushing with his elbows with great diligence, fighting for more space. From the effort his little face turned bright red, making an excellent contrast with his snow-white lace shirt-frill. Not in the least embarrassed by his ludicrous appearance, the man clicked his fingers right under my nose, puzzling me even further. Was there anyone at all here who was not completely bonkers?

  “Sorry, mademoiselles, but this specimen of tourist fauna is mine. Sorry to disappoint you!”

  “We have a quota!” The madam on the right barked. “We need to bring three more tourists to the church! Else Herr Schulz will be angry! He needs to visit Grossmunster!”

  “He’ll certainly visit it and have a chance to look at everything there in detail. Herr Schulz will be pleased with you,” the shorty kept going, while I enjoyed the dialogue, now understanding why he had clicked his fingers. It’s a pity the rest of my problems could not be resolved this way. “We’ll be on our way then. All the best to you!”

  The weirdo bowed and scraped for those broads so much it seemed they were just one step away from royalty. In turn, they transformed right in front of us: their cheeks blushed, their eyes started shining, and their coquettish smiles turned them into some cozy and homely gals into whose laps children would settle to listen to a fairy tale. They smiled, dropped their eyes and retreated, stepping slowly like respectable matrons, minding their own business, removing their coats as they walked – apparently to demonstrate to the short guy that they were not devoid of some beauty: it turned out that both were wearing boho dresses. What I didn’t understand though, is why those women always look the same? Well, at least I was not wrong about their sex.

  “Oh, those cute NPCs.” My liberator looked after the retreating women, then turned back to me. “One never knows what riddles the Game hides when it brings us close to these creatures. Allow me to introduce myself: Count Lefer de la Gant, a nobleman by birth, a bard and, if you would allow it, your guide and companion during your first visit to the Sanctuary, Paladin Yaropolk.”

  With a smooth move of a professional dancer Lefer stepped to the side, and, with a funny old-fashioned gesture, invited me to follow him. Seeing my confusion, the count added:

  “Please forgive my forgetfulness. I should have explained everything to you from the start. We are now within the Sanctuary, otherwise called Zurich; it’s one of the most splendid cities of this game world. You can consider this city an oasis in the desert of darkness and strife. Here you will not be threatened: neither by other players, nor by NPCs, who periodically try to inflict damage on each other that is incompatible with normal life. Nor is there a threat of cataclysms, floods or other natural disasters. The Game itself monitors compliance with the rules. You can safely rely on my talent as a guide. It would be unforgivable to leave Zurich without taking a look at all of its landmarks. Believe me, there are plenty of them here. I can confidently tell you that you are lucky to have me as a guide. I know this city like no one else. And we… is something bothering you?”

  Lefer seemed to have stepped out of a fascinating historical adventure novel. With his manners, speech and gallantry he could have been the main hero and lover or a breakneck adventurist. All he lacked to complete the image was a wide brimmed hat and the inevitable peacock feather. I could easily assume that right now Lefer was in fact wearing one, but had simply rendered it invisible. However, whatever he looked like – it was not that which bothered me. There are plenty of those who like cosplay, after all.

  “I apologize for my inadvertent discourteousness; however, I have to admit that I have some insurmountable doubts with respect to our joint promenade in this wonderful place,” I said suddenly, without expecting this kind of thing from myself. Damn‒ apparently this is contagious. But Lefer was impressed. I guess reading all those Dumas novels as kid had not been for nothing. His moustache twitched a couple of times, and then he spoke in a normal tone, without extra flourishness:

  “Let’s proceed to specifics. It will save us time. What are you unhappy about?”

  “I will be glad to. I have a couple of questions for you. I am not going anywhere till I receive the answers. Why is the Sanctuary in Zurich? Should it not be in some hidden place, surrounded by force fields and high fences so that ordinary NPCs cannot access it? Something like Shambala or Eldorado? But Zurich? Then, I don’t quite understand your role as a companion. Please clarify: who assigned you this role? And if so, why there were first two ladies who greeted me, and not you? Why should I believe you that it’s safe here? And in particular, why should I go anywhere with you?”

  “The monks of Shambala would not be particularly happy if members of other classes were to appear at the doorstep of their Citadel,” Lefer smiled, not fazed in the least by my speech. “Neither would the vampires of Eldorado. By the top-level decision of Heads of classes several hundred years ago Zurich was chosen as the Sanctuary, being the only city which is equidistant from all of the Citadels on Earth. The Game confirmed that, and now we have this incredible opportunity to enjoy peace and quiet in Zurich. I hope my answer to the first question is satisfactory to you?”

  “More than satisfactory,” I nodded.

  “As for companionship, there is only one thing to tell you: it's a community work assignment, and I enjoy it no more than you do.” Lefer was speaking in a calm and serious tone of voice. “Periodically every player receives a task like that; it just needs to be completed, regardless of anything, and then forgotten. Normally the meeting occurs in the central square, but you were delayed, and the arrival point coordinates shifted. Just about anyone could have met you there. Everything I said about the safety I can confirm with an oath. May the Game bear witness that I am speaking the truth.”

  For just an instance white fire flashed around the bard, relieving the enormous tension I had felt in my soul. I really was wondering why this green embroidered coat was following me. If this is his task, he may as well perform it well.

  “What did you mention about a tour?”

  Zurich turned out to be a rather interesting city. One could not say that its beauty compared to Rome, Paris or London, yet it had its own charm. I was particularly impressed with the people – nobody was in a hurry to get anywhere. In my previous life I happened to live in a huge megalopolis, where time was quite valuable. Everyone was in a rush: to work, from work, to eat, to sleep, to die. In Zurich it was different. All the NPCs, local residents and tourists alike, wandered around the city slowly, in a strange melancholy, like someone in love after a successful date. Tired from walking for a long time we decided to have some coffee in a cozy little café. Watching it being made slowly, I realized that only those who know they have an eternity in store for them could be cooking that way. At some point the informational tables appearing above the NPCs heads were flickering in front of me so much, particularly when groups of tourists passed by, that I opened the settings and turned them off. My chest contracted: the world seemed practically the same as it had been before the Game. If I were to think that the players dashing back and forth were simply historical re-enactors or cosplayers, it would be as if nothing had happened to me. As if I were simply traveling and did not have an eternity before me.

  “Let me consider my mission completed.” Five hours after we met, Lefer sighed with relief, and with the familiar old-fashioned gesture pointed at the doors of the three-storey Town Hall. "I dare hope that your tour around Zurich will not fade from your memory for a long time, and during interminable winter evenings, as you enjoy a glass of wine in front of the fireplace, you would recall yours truly, wistfully and gratefully. I wish you a nice Game, monsieur Yaropolk; Count Lefer de la Gant is always at your service."

  Nodding farewell to the count I waited till he turned a corner and opened the doors of the Town Hall.

  “Purpose of your visit?!”

  Two NPC guards blocked the way.

  “Registration,” I said, expecting to be let in right away.

  “What registration? This is the City Council!” The
first guard was not going to give up easily.

  “I need to visit office number twenty-three.” I started with a new approach.

  “Introduce yourself. I need to see if you are on the list.” The second guard brought out his tablet.

  “Paladin Yaropolk!” Fatigue was taking its toll, after all; it had been a very busy morning. I was becoming irritated. That was not at all the kind of welcome I had expected.

  “Right, there you are.” The guard noted something in the tablet. “You were scheduled for twelve thirty; it’s two forty-two now. You can sign up for tomorrow… wait, no‒ we are all booked. The soonest appointment available in office twenty-three is the day after tomorrow, at five thirty. Shall I book it for you?”

  “No! I need it today! Now!” My temper boiled over.

  “Calm down, or else we’ll have to call the police. You are late. Other visitors are being seen now. Are you signing up for the day after tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” I barked, not even trying to calm down. I wondered: did Lefer know that the registration was time-specific? Most likely he had‒ yet he still dragged me on that tour. The door opened, and a hunter dressed in leather armor appeared. Glancing at me briefly, he approached the guard, introduced himself and easily received a pass for that very office number twenty-three. I cursed silently, turned around and took my anger out on the door. What was I supposed to do in Zurich for two days?

  “What an encounter! What a pleasure seeing you again! I take it you had some issue with the registration?” Grinning Lefer was waiting for me at the entrance to the Town Hall. Now I will very likely find out what was all this elaborate setup for. Surely not just for the fun of it. “I could offer my humble services and help to speed up the process. As it happens, the Registrar, Claude, owes me a favor. For a modest fee of half a granis it will be my pleasure to help you complete your registration now, rather than in a couple of days.”