Dave recalled the change in his life six years before. The struggle to survive and the adaptation to living in the dungeon domain was rather easy for him. The small cabin he got he had made into a store where things could be sold to anyone that came. With the dungeon location known to the world adventurers looking for the usual come by. Dave was annoyed at those thrill-seekers and greedy divers who complained to him when either they are not allowed to kill the monsters, or that you can only mine out ore, or the simple fact that anyone that has gone into the temple section has never come out. Except for the Kobolds, He was exchanging some silver coins he got for more coppers in the boss room when a little one just wandered out. The eldest kobold that worked the forge immediately started teaching the new addition about everything it could. The other Kobolds held a small service for the elder a few months later before they took the deceased into the temple to never be seen again. This was right before the ‘priestess’ kobold asked him to see their boss for a request.
Dave arrived in the capital of Laroot easy enough. With a new B rank status, he was not deeply questioned on many things. His first stop was at a mid-tier inn. The traveling had been long and he wanted to be fully refreshed. At predawn, he left the inn, after a hasty breakfast, and took a deep breath as he approached the castle. His nervousness grew as his thoughts ran into if he was dressed well enough if he presented the banner bearing Loyee’s bust on it correctly, what would happen if he presented the coin to the wrong guard, or if the guard would give it to the wrong noble? It all became moot as he came to one of the guards by the gate.
“ I have an object for the king.”
With those words, Dave pulls out a gold coin that was as big as his hand. This was a dungeon token and the only gold one that Hollow could make. The guard seeing the coin hesitated and did the smart thing and called a senior. They did take the coin and after giving a message of where he was staying, Dave left to go back to the inn.
Dave waited all day in the lobby waiting for a messenger or an assassin. There was an equal chance at both. When neither came he went back the next day to a new guard. This time using a silver coin. It took five days for him to accidentally begin his meeting with the guard when one of the princes was leaving the castle. Dave just handed the coin to the guard and left as he always did when the prince’s carriage stopped.
“ Guard, what did that man give you?”
The guard stiffened as he swallowed hard.
“ A nothing young sire, some random rabble trying to bribe his way into the castle.”
The prince stuck his head out the window of the carriage and saw the wind blowing the banner Dave still carried. He had only ever seen that banner in one place before.
“ Show me the coin he gave you.”
Hesitation and worry appeared on the guard’s face.
“ Pardon young sire?”
The prince gave the guard a cold look.
“ If that coin is what I think it is then you better hope my father shows mercy when I tell him of this treason.”
This caused the guard to pale, but resist no further in presenting the coin he received.
“ Go fetch that man who gave you the coin, uses all the grace a dignitary of an allied nation deserves!”
The guard turned further grim after hearing those words but solutes and complied. The captain of the guard had mentioned the stranger and his attempts at bribing. He wanted to cry for missing out.
It was half an hour before Dave was in the castle’s audience chamber. Not only was the king and queen there, but also their three sons, several high ranking nobles, and even a pair of S rank guards. He could not help but swallow painfully as he brought out a black sphere. As soon as he did a message appeared.
| (Blue)“ I see my messenger finally arrived, young human.” |
Many of the guards put their hands on their swords but the king held up his hand to halt them.
“ I see, so you do this for revealing you to the world.
“ Yes, you broke our agreement and I have yet to present punishment for you. I have many desires and needs now I have to support more than my dungeon’s base numbers. First, is the matter of farmstock. Cattle, crops, herbs, and many other things related to them. I want them. Next is knowledge, tomes, and scrolls relating to everything from magic to smithing to folklore to history. If it is written down, I want a copy of everything that you can give. Then I want to go into law and trade between us. Long gone are the days of the simple exchange, young human. You brought my arch-enemies to my land. IF you ever want your bloodline to train in my dungeon in peace you will accept my terms.”
The king’s face soured at that.
“ Not that I am not willing to barter with you, Hollow, but what you ask for could potentially ruin my kingdom financially. I need something in return.”
There was a small pause before the blue screen appeared once again.
“ My agent presented a managold token and several mana silver tokens already to you, is that not enough?”
This time the king’s face turned red with rage.
“ Who dares try to steal from my coffers in my very own castle?
The black sphere starts to turn blue as subtle light escapes from it in all directions. As a result, the hands of two barons’s started glowing silver, the hands and face of a count started glowing silver, and the hands and groin areas of a duke and duchess couple started glowing gold. That is only among the nobles. The guards all seemed to have touches of silver on them and two had gold.
