Victory!XP Gained: +300XP: 11 100 -> 11 400

  Quest plete: Noble ProblemsXP Gained: +100XP: 11 400 -> 11 700

  The third body dropped while Adam sheathed his axe, pg Wraith at his side. He gowards the Baroing his elbow between his axe and himself, and raised his brows.

  Jurot had defeated Charles with little effort, and sidering the old man was an Expert, it was quite a feat. Kitool fought , fag against a pair of oppos who were quite tough, not quite Experts, but det. With Tigerstaff in hand, she was unstoppable, dropping the pair before they could even cut her clothing.

  Jaygak fought after the unarmoured Iyrmen, fag a merary who was taller and wider than her. He was adorned in thick s, and wielded a giant axe, one which could have sliced a boar as though he were slig an onion. Against his giant axe, her armour had some trouble to deal with his blows, but Jaygak, too, was an Iyrman. Though the axe had forced her back, with Great Moon in hand, Jaygak mao defeat the merary with some effort.

  ‘I should have used my shield,’ the Iyrman had thought, though she also wao show off.

  Adam had fought , fag against three individuals who were all weaker thahers who had fought, but had already long finished with basic training. They had barely a ce to defend themselves wheorm known as Adam had e upon them. He knocked one away with a mighty swing, side stepped another’s blow before beating him unscious, finally spinning and striking the st with the back of his axe.

  The baron cpped his hands, fshing the widest smile towards the four newers. If it was them, then there was no doubt he could finally extend his reach. “Wonderful! How wonderful! With such great warriors in my employ, those wicked fiends stand no ce!” Kegan Rockcastle ughed with glee.

  ‘I guess we passed,’ Adam thought.

  “Wonderful!” The baron o his knights. “I believe all those who have arrived are great enough to form an army. You will all be paid a gold for each day, doubled for those who have shown themselves to be skilled.”

  One gold a day? Two gold for those who were skilled? Some of the eager youth smiled, fold per day was stelr pay. However, those who were not quite so young uood that they were being robbed.

  Baron Kegan raised a finger upwards, catg everyone’s attention. “I will receive oh of all the spoils, but the rest will be split equally among everyone else, with the greatest meraries receiving a double share.”

  Suddenly, the meraries straightened up, fshing greedy smiles. This was pletely different from what they had inally expected. It was more than typical for the lord to cim at least half the loot, but only oh? That meant their share had essentially doubled. No, not quite. Typically some of the better meraries would share more between themselves, but if the difference was only up to double, then that meant there would be more spoils for them, and they wouldn’t be hyenas who would lick across the scraps on the bone.

  ‘Will he give us a letter if we do well?’ Adam thought, not ied in the spoils o.

  “With your assistance, surely the people of my nd will be able to thrive. They will remember you always as great heroes, those who came in times of darkness as their light, to wash away the shadows with hope!” Baron Kegan grinned wide, all the while w how lovely the title of t would be.

  The meraries swiftly gathered within their groups, each discussing loudly how to split everythiween themselves. The eager youths weren’t sure why everyone was so excited, not yet uanding the worth of loot in parison to gold.

  Baron Kegan circled around from group to group, inf of them of their rate of pay, while also praising them for their wisdom in joining him. He approached Adam’s group, eyeing them up as they stretched out their bodies and yawned. One of them, a Vor like them all, though handsome and with pointy ears, was deep in thought.

  ‘Our armour should be fine, right? They wouldn’t try to steal it, would they? If we wore our armour, we’d get into trouble, but without it we should be able to get into less fights? Jurot threatehem, but maybe they thought he was bluffing?’

  “You all seem so powerful,” Kegan Rockcastle stated, still fshing a charming smile. “I hope that two gold to each of you each day, and a double share, is good enough for such fine warriors.”

  “It seems fihough we’re also ied in a letter of reendation,” Adam replied, uo trol his mouth.

  “If you work well, a letter is a small issue,” the baron assured, smiling towards the keys of his success. “I have noticed that your ons are great.”

  “Sure, though the st time a-,”

  Jaygak elbowed Adam, trying to get him to stop talking. She gave him a look, the look that had stated he was meant to be quiet, a somehow he kept on talking?

  “Are you the leader of the party?” the baron asked, notig how Jaygak was trying to keep him in line.

  “I was, though my big mouth kept getting us into trouble,” Adam replied, chug lightly as his cheeks filled with heat.

  “May I?” Baron Kegan held out his hand.

  Adam pulled up Wraith, noting how the knights tensed up, before he spun the axe and offered the baron the handle. His eyes fell towards the knights, his lips f the ge of smirks. He had no doubt that they could probably deal with the knights, and the baron, even though they weren’t at their best, and while wearing such little armour.

  The baron csped the axe, almost dropping it as the magic filled through his hand, fshing up his arm, causing him to tingle. His heart thundered within his chest, and his eyes widened slightly. There was no doubt that this axe, like all the other ons they wielded, were artefacts.

  “How did you e across such fine ons?”

  “Fortune,” Jurot swiftly stated.

  The barohe on for a few moments, before he returhe axe back to Adam. He tio hold the ical ons one by one.

  “We will be leaving tomorrow, so prepare yourselves appropriately,” the baron said once he had mao cm himself, though his heart tio pound heavily. “We will clear out the local area of the beasts and monsters which have pgued the nd. If you are able to do so well, we may be able to quer the crypt.”

  “Crypt?” Adam asked, his leaf shaped ears twitg slightly.

  “An aomb to some a hero or horror,” Baron Kegan said. “If it is an a hero, then it is a shame, but the world requires such great treasures to keep it safe. If it is an a horror, then it is all the better.”

  Adam wondered if the loot would be split in the same way for the a crypt too, but he decided against asking. “Is there a tract we have to sign?”

  “A verbal agreement with a noble is enough,” the baron stated, fshing a charming smile. “I am certain you will not break such a deal.”

  ‘It’s not about us…’ Adam looked towards Jaygak, smiling towards her. His eyes were beaming like a boy.

  Jaygak slowly nodded her head, gd that he had held back from getting them killed. Adam had grown cocky sihey hadn’t e across anything which had proved to be a great threat, and he had fotten the Iyr’s warning.

  “We have had some issues with nobles not keeping their promises,” Jurot said.

  Adam gowards Jurot in shock, surprised he was the oo mention it. ‘Jurot, are y to get us killed?’

  Jaygak and Kitool exged looks, before their eyes fell back to the knights beside the noble.

  “Who do you think you are?” one of the knights growled, shifting his staowards the Iyrman.

  “I am Jurot.”

  “And who gave you permission to belittle the baron?” the knight asked, standing straighter, a menag aura emanating from the warrior in full pte.

  Jurot tilted his head slightly, crag his neck. “I am not given permission. I take it, by blood and steel.”

  ‘What is this crazy bastard saying?’ The knight reached for his bde. “Your words against the baron are-,”

  “I’ll warn you the same as I warhe other noble,” Adam said. “Your knight draws his bde, and you’ll o find another knight.”

  The baron raised a hand towards his knight. “Now, now. It would not be good for misuandings to arise while we’re about to rid the nd of great evils. Whatever petty, mortal, issues we have, they are but small before the greater evils, those of the night.”

  Baron Kegan wasn’t sure why his knight was trying to start a bother with those who carried such artefacts. They were the keys to his pn, those whoing to lead the charge into making him a t, and perhaps, a true king. Not just one of those little brats, the petty kings that were barons but preteo be more. No, he would have influence over so many others with their help.

  ‘They must be the children of nobles from another nd. No doubt they’re from a nd which had pushed back the darkness and have formed greater nobility. Are they expl these nds to gain fame and fortune, or are they the undisciplined lot to be punished? Sun Father, help me.’

  He hoped they were the former, so he could ask them for advi rallying the realm together. He wouldn’t mind their assistan helping him to bee a king, even if it meant bending the knee. Once he had established his realm, he could work on rallying the nd against the outside threat for their independence.

  If someorying to fix their sleep, please don't wake them up at 4am to mumble some random nonsense and then just leave. Thank you.