Dungeon Core Academy: Books 1-7 (A LitRPG Series) by Alex Oakchest (book suggestions txt) 📕

“It’s the scribe,” said Reginal. “Knowing how much his mere words can have an impact upon our populace…”

“We do not feel it wise that he spends so much time in Yondersun,” said Galatee.

“You want to ban Gulliver? No. I won’t even contemplate it.”

“Not ban, Beno. Just limit his time here.”

“What happened to everyone being able to come and go in Yondersun as long as they contribute? What happened to freedom of movement into your town?”

“The actions of Boothe Stramper have alerted us to the fact that such a policy, though idealistic, might not be in our best interests.”

Reginal, still rubbing his temples, leaned forward. “We’re not saying he can’t come to visit you and your critters. We know you are pals. But we feel his time in Yondersun is best limited.”

“As it happens,” I said. “Gulliver has taken a job in Hogsfeate.”

“Oh?”

“Governer Dullbright sought him out personally. Gulliver is to be the head of public communications.”

“Ah. That governor is a crafty sod. Head of public communications? Head of lies and spin, more like.”

“At least you are more perceptive than most of us,” I said.

Galatee smiled. “Yes. At least we are that. Now, onto the matter of the…”

When the meeting was over, Galatee rushed out to attend to a problem of some kind over at the memorial site, leaving Chief Reginal and me alone.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

“Battle makes a man feel young. Whereas leadership? It piles on the decades in a blink of an eye.”

“Maybe you could consider…not cutting back on your responsibilities, but perhaps honing them.”

“I don’t catch your meaning.”

“There are many areas you have to attend to in town,” I said. “Construction. Commerce. Relations with other towns, making sure people have shelter and food. It seems to me that one area that you would particularly thrive in if you could devote more time to it, is the leadership of Hogsfeate’s offensive and defensive forces.”

“And what of everything else? Cede it over to Galatee?”

“She’d do a great job, but she’s already spread thin. Look at how she had to rush out of here the moment our meeting ended. If only there were someone else who could take some of the burdens from you. Someone else with experience in leadership.”

“Are you suggesting…”

“I’m not suggesting anything, it was just a thought. I have to go, chief. Stay well.”

“Beno. One second.”

I paused by the doorway, floating level with Reginal’s face.

“Yes?”

“Cynthia says that the oscil supplies arrived yesterday, and she now has enough to make two dozen orbs for Devry. That should keep his illness in check for the foreseeable future. Thank you, Beno.”

“Devry is a good lad. I’m glad he’s better.”

“The thing is, Beno, that I recently found out something very interesting.”

“Oh?”

“A rumor that I found distasteful, at first.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense.”

“Well, my sources tell me that you made a deal with the Silkers to secure the supply of oscil.”

I didn’t know how Reginal knew that. Either the Silkers had told him, or someone was spying on me. Either way, I saw no point in lying.

“I did make a deal with them.”

“Games of power and the rules of trading might make me want to tear what little hair I have out of my scalp, but I know one thing; a deal always has two sides to it. What did the Silkers want in return?”

“Nothing I couldn’t give them,” I said.

“And what was that nothing?”

“You’re sure that you want to know?”

“Beno…”

“The Silkers had been tracking a notorious conman named Leach Peters. It seems that he had crossed them three times with bad trades, and the Silkers have a reputation for being very unforgiving. They looked for him all over Xynnar, before tracking him here, to Yondersun.”

“What? I’ve never seen a bloody conman around here.”

“Well, it turns out that he was living in town, and had assumed the name of Gilleasberg Torp.”

“The leader of the No-Cores? The bugger who ran away?”

“He didn’t run anywhere, Reginal,” I said. “I had a few of my creatures sneak into his lodge while he slept. My bard played a song that kept him in a deeper sleep, while my kobolds tied his arms. They delivered him to a Silker representative outside of town, and that was that. The deal was repaid.”

Reginal stopped rubbing his temple and stared at the wall.

“You don’t seem as angry as I expected, considering your hate for the Silkers,” I said.

“You know, Beno, I thought about how much I loathe the Silkers. Then I thought about how much I love my son. This isn’t about being a leader, but a father. Sometimes a person has to do something distasteful.”

Later, in my dungeon, I was busy drawing up plans for dungeon defenses when Wylie approached me.

“Need orders, Dark Lord. What we do with Cael’s body?”

“Cael? Cael who? Oh, the hero chump. Well, do with him as we do with all the other dead heroes, Wylie. He was nothing special.”

“Take body to alchemy chamber?”

“Exactly. We’ll dissolve it and take his wartificer essence. I’ll have to think about which one of you would benefit most from absorbing his essence and becoming a wartificer. Put his stupid phoenix feather and his armor and blades to one side, too. Whoever I choose will need them.”

“Yes, Dark Lord. And after?”

“After that? Well, Wylie, we’ll do what we always do. Dig more tunnels. Excavate more chambers. Fill them with monsters, traps, and puzzles. Tougher heroes will be arriving, my friend, and the dungeon can never stop growing. We will never, ever cease. The time is soon coming when our dungeon will be the most feared in the land. I know it, I can feel it, and I will