Book 3, Chapter 19

1. 19. A Wager
   

“You have seventeen favors with Eclipse?” Zimmer asked as we walked through the streets of Zhesa city, heading back towards the portal facility.  “Oh man, do you know what you can do with that?”

I paused for a second, because one possibility for what I could use a Favor for occurred to me just then.  Drawing my blade, I said “Eclipse, I wish for this blade to be remade to suit me, and that it never again bare the Mooncrest name or sigil.”

“Are you asking for a favor?” the goddess inquired, sounding excited.

“As long as it counts as only one, yes I am,” I answered.

Both darkness and light erupted from the mark on my right hand, and the forces enveloped the blade.  It felt suddenly hot and cold at once in my hand, and I could not see the transformation taking place due to the magic auras involved.  Once it resolved, it was still a rapier, with a long black metal shaft, the blade of which was bright white.  Its hilt bore the sigil of Eclipse on the guard, just beneath the balde, and my personal crest was built in wires that formed the knuckleguard.  I quickly [Analyzed it to see its stats.

Blade of Eclipse

Growth Item: Current Level

40

Dexterity

12

Charisma

12

Spell Damage

12

Damage

B-

“That’s a smart Favor to ask for,” Eclipse commented.  “Eventually you’ll find something better, but you’ll be able to use that sword without looking foolish almost forever.  It helps that I had a really good item to start with, because garbage in, garbage out, you know?  Turning that sword into a growth item is the best use of one of the favors I owe you, I think.  Aside from keeping your family safe and removing the curse that will reset you to level one, I guess, but you won’t actually spend those favors until it happens, and you have plenty banked to get ready for them.”

I nodded.  “Thank you, Eclipse.  It’s perfect.”

“I’m just happy that you didn’t ask that old foggy instead,” Eclipse admitted.  “But it’s smart that you asked me.  He would have just renamed it [Sword of Holy Light] and not made it a growth item at all, I’ll bet.”

I coughed.  For some reason, that thought hadn’t occurred to me, and I didn’t want to bother Thedum to find out if her words were true.

<<She’s Right,>> Thedum answered anyway, using that strange method of communication I was still adapting to.  <<You can’t respond this way.  Not yet.  Someday, maybe.  When you’re truly ready to lift all of the barriers the Administrators put on you, then you’ll be able to send and receive.  For now, it’s better this way.>>

“Thedum seems to agree with you,” I informed Eclipse.

“Of course he does.  He’s a foggy, but he’s not stupid,” Eclipse said.  “Now go kill things with that sword in my name!”

I was a little curious why the blade had Charisma on it, but not enough to question it.  Compared to the sword it had been before, it had moved from a C+ damage rating to a B-, and it had gained three points in both dexterity and spell damage.  It was a direct upgrade, even if it did have a useless stat on it now.

When we arrived at the portal structure, there was a small group waiting for us.  These were most of the Travelers who had been active in the city at the same time that we had been.  Daemon was not among them, having hurried ahead to North Shire.  Instead, a goblin in a tuxedo was in charge, with the others clearly deferring to him.  When my approach was brought to his notice, he bowed, then rushed over to me once I’d acknowledged his show of respect.

“My name is Grapple,” he informed me in a very excitable voice,  “and I live to grapple with the worst of your problems as your butler, Lord Hail.  Steward Daemon put me in charge of collecting and sorting the reports of those servants who have been active on missions on your behalf while you were busy with your own tasks.  I have the list right here.”

He pulled out a sheet of paper from his inventory.  It was written in English, not the system language, and the system language was no longer translating English for me, but letting me listen to it natively to improve my understanding of it.  For that reason, and Grapple’s terrible handwriting, the list was perfectly indecypherable to me.

“Why don’t you give me a verbal report, Grapple?” I suggested.

“Well, okay then.  I’d say that, based on the time table, about sixty percent of everyone in the city has either completed their tasks ahead of schedule or is currently on schedule to do so.  Of those, thirty percent have failed at least one objective.  Forty-five percent have had mixed results, with the majority of those leaning more towards being a partial success than a near failure.  Of the remaining, twenty five percent of respondees have reported a full success.  Of those who are not on schedule, about ten percent of them admit that they are just behind.  The rest say something along the lines of ‘get this bullshit survey out of my face, I’m busy here you stupid goblin.’  End quote.”

I blinked in surprise.  “Very good, actually.  What of the magistrate’s office?  Do we have one lined up, in case any of the bandits surrender and demand a trial?”

Grapple hesitated.  “We do, but you won’t like it.  He’s your Uncle Storm’s man.  I was instructed to give you this letter from him.”

He handed me the letter in question, and I broke the seal immediately.  I read the contents, and my frown grew increasingly concerned.  I sighed, and turned to Corinth.

“I don’t suppose you would mind acting as my second once again?  It seems that I have been challenged to another duel.  One which I must win, this time, as this letter makes it clear that, should Inquisitor Voss survive this duel, he will pardon every bandit who comes to him for trial.”

As soon as I spoke the words, the enchanted paper burst into flames in my hand, the security magic performing its job.  The contents had only been intended to be read once, by me, and now it would forever be my word against an Inquisitor’s.

“So, do I do the thing with the handkerchief again?” Corinth asked.

“No.  This time you walk into a lawyer’s office with your biggest sword equipped and you cut their fanciest table in two,” I said.  “I don’t want this slimy bastard weaseling out of this.  You’re going to wear my crest, and you’re going to insult him in open daylight.”

“Sounds like fun,” Corinth agreed.  “Where do I go.”

“I’ll ping it on your map,” I said, and worked my interface to do exactly that.

~~~~~~~

The insult to Lord Inquisitor Voss worked as intended.  He named his secretary his second, and insisted upon a duel to the death in the same arena where I had fought Keithan just hours before, with the same judge presiding.  There would be no need for a healer, except for the victor, so we were each required to bring our own or go without.

Boss agreed to no restrictions in the terms of combat, with all weapons and magics being permissible.  I found that suspicious, but I hadn’t expected him to rise to the challenge at all, and the fact that he was doing so was suspicious enough.  I knew that he was level 45, but that was it.  I felt confident, given my increase in level and stats from upgrading my gear, that I could overcome any challenge, especially given that Voss was not widely known as a duelist.  I didn’t even know his class.  Which was admittedly an oversight, but I was certain it would be fine.

It took three hours for the formalities of arranging the duel to finish.  Corinth and Voss’s secretary were run ragged hammering out the details and arrangements.  Finally, I presented myself to the arena, where the judge was looking very nonplussed.

“Two duels in a day.  One of them to the death.  I was tolerant of the first, but less than pleased by the second.  I’ve a mind to disallow it, if you cannot show that just offense has been given for you to kill each other,” the judge said, his voice heavy with anger.

“If rumors are true, then I’m the only one at risk here,” Voss said, nodding towards me.  “The bastard has [Blood of the Travelers] in his veins and is as immortal as they are, while if I die, it will be a true death.  If I agree to those terms, who are you to object, functionary?”

“The man who will determine whether this duel is sanctioned or not!” the judge answered, a vein pulsing in his temple.  “Earl Jeoran, what offense has Inquisitor Voss given you?”

“He has stated that he intends to pardon all those who have stood in open insurrection against me,” I said openly.  “But like a coward, he will not stand by those words.  They were issued by proxy in a message which burned itself once I read it.  Because he stands with my enemies, he is my enemy, and I will treat him as I treat my enemies.  Thus, the duel.  If you do not grant me a sanctioned duel, I will resort to other methods.  And yes, that was a statement of intent.”

The judge studied me a moment, then turned to Inquisitor Voss.  “Your response to the accusation?”

“It’s pure fabrication, of course.  Meant as a pretext to provoke this duel,” Voss answered.  “I consider myself the injured party in this matter.  Like the little goblin lord, if I cannot obtain a sanctioned duel, I will settle things in an unsanctioned manner.”

“And you are both willing to stake your lives over this matter?” the judge persisted.

“I am.  Hail is hardly staking his life, just a bit of experience.”

“More than a bit.  I will reset to level one if I lose,” I said in a voice too low to be heard from the stands.

“It is still an uneven wager,” Voss stated.  “I propose that if he loses, that I be granted lordship over North Shire in his stead.  He is clearly unsuitable for governing it, and it has been too long since the Voss family had a sizable parcel of land to go with its good name.  I am of sufficient rank to govern a shire, more educated than Hail, and if his claims of banditry running rampant in the land are true, I am more than capable of rooting them out myself.”

The judge turned to me.  “Lord Hail?  Your response?”

I thought about the gamble for a moment.  It was putting a lot on the table.  But, on the other hand, if I lost, then I lost the major source of my troubles as well.  I could retreat to Thorn march, establish my lands there, and resume adventuring after regaining the levels I had lost.

“You know what?  I’m fine with it,” I said.  “If I lose, it is my will that Lord Inquisitor Nathan Voss be granted lordship over the lands of North Shire.”

“And Thorn March,” Voss appended.

“Not a chance in the seven hells!” I said.

Voss grinned.  “Can’t blame me for trying, can you?”

“Yes.”

The judge looked between us, then sighed.  “Very well.  The duel is to the death.  No restrictions on weapons, magics, or equipment.  If Earl Jeoran succumbs to defeat, then Lord Voss will inherit the lands of North Shire, and North Shire only, from the Earl.  Hail, do you have any demands to balance the wager as it stands?”

“I wish only that a competent magistrate or inquisitor be assigned to my lands to see that justice be done fairly to Native and Traveler alike,” I said evenly.

“Very well.  If Lord Voss succumbs to this duel, then Hail will be granted veto power over the selection the inquisition sends to replace him,” the judge said.  “That is the closest I can come to meeting your demands, Lord Hail.”

“I shall accept those terms, then,” I said solemnly.

“The terms have been set.  I call to Thedum to witness this duel, as also I call all mortal witnesses in the stands to hear the terms and abide by the outcome!  Combatants, take your corners, and prepare for mortal combat!”

There was the sound of thunder from dry lightning from a vast distance away.  This duel would be witnessed.