City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

your current rank, and you’ll always be paid half of what a human is here…” Mal muttered, just loud enough to hear.

“So, you’ve tried to milk me for what?”

“Eight times the going rate… for a human engineer” Mal slipped in, and I snorted.

“You’ve come here, had a night at the arena for free, drank our booze and eaten our food, then decided that rather than dealing honestly, as you could have, you’d fuck me over? What, you think we’ve not already made offers to others in your situation?” I asked, shaking my head and bluffing for all I was worth.

“Aye, well… it’s a startin’ point fer negotiations, isn’t it!” Viktoria said hastily. “I did no expect anythin’ like that, yer understand, I just wanted t’ see whut ye’d say…”

“So how about you show a bit of common sense and ask for what you actually want, and I’ll consider it,” I said. She looked at her friends and back at me, confused.

“But tha’ do no be how it’s done… look, I dinna ken whut it be like where ye come from, but here, we haggle…”

“And we do where I come from as well, but when we have time, and we start at a point that’s reasonable. It’s a demonstration of honorable intent to make a realistic offer, and dishonorable to go the other way…” I countered, making it up as I went along.

“So I be showin’ meself t’ be dishonorable in yer eyes?” Viktoria snarled, puffing herself up and clearly getting ready for a fight, when Finbar cut her off with a sigh, reaching over and patting her hand. They made eye contact for a minute, and some silent communication between friends passed, before she deflated and slumped back, grabbing the bottle and pouring herself another one as she grumbled under her breath.

“What my friend has said is true, for here,” he said, and he smiled gently as he looked at me. “I don’t know where you’re from, but clearly it’s not too far away, if you’re here recruiting as carefully as you have been. You want us to stick our necks out, to leave the city, where we’re under contract and go with you. We would literally be crippling the city’s war effort, if we convince our people, as your companion seems to want. We can accept that asking for the realm and a side of sprinkles is a bit much, but we also need to be convinced that siding with you and abandoning our home is worth it for us.”

“Okay, what are you currently paid, truthfully?” I asked him, and he smiled.

“A very sensible question. I, as a shift manager, earn twelve gold pieces a month, which includes my bonus if we hit the target. Nine, if not.”

“Okay, and what about your family?” I asked and he blinked in surprise.

“I have a son; he earns four gold as an experienced baker.”

“Okay, then here’s what I think is a fair deal. Engineers get eight, shift managers get twelve, and all craftsmen get six. These wages are separate from your cost of living, which I’ll cover for a year, all food, rooms, and basic needs. You work six days a week currently?”

“Seven, actually.”

“Well, unless there’s a good reason, you work six with us. Whatever you produce in your own time, you can sell to any other citizen, but we won’t be allowing outside trade at first, as I also have a little something so sweeten the pot, as the saying goes…” I reached into the bag, pulling out one of the extra books Oracle had brought when I’d asked her to select the Skillbooks for everyone. “This, as you can see, is a Skillbook,” I said, making damn sure I had their attention. “I have more of these, and I give them out to my most skilled and valuable workers. The engineers who recommended that you be recruited have already earned some of these, I swear by my Soul.” I said, injecting enough mana into my words to make it clear that I was making an Oath.

I’d hoped to earn a bit more bargaining power through the display, but what I got stunned me, as all three jumped to their feet, speaking at once.

“I’ll swear!”

“What books?”

“I’ll take it!”

“Whoa, whoa, stop!” I said, waving them back and noting that not one of them let their eyes slip from the book. “I’ll be honest here, people: I’m not promising you’ll get these books, as I only give them to the people who impress me most of all. To get one, you’ll have to earn it…”

“Ye think I can’t earn it?” Viktoria growled at me, still watching the book.

“I think you’ll all need to work your arses off to do it,” I said firmly, then grinning at them. “Although, I will make you a little deal, if you’re willing to swear allegiance first? After all, I don’t want you to spread the word of our plans.”

“Ye swear by yer soul that ye will treat us fair? No favoritism t’ humans, or other species, all treated th’ same? Ye’ll pay us eight gold per skilled engineer, twelve for shift managers or leaders, and six for crafters, and look after us?”

“I do…” I said, drawing in a deep breath as I concentrated. “I swear these things, and more. I swear that as I grow in strength, and the Tower does, I will help you all to rise with me. I swear to never waste a life if I can help it, and to do my best to heal, or have healed, any injuries you suffer in your time as a citizen of the Great Tower, and the Empire.” As I spoke, I could feel Oracle twisting our magic around, making a bond with each of them, and tying them to me. As I finished, they each started to speak, reading from the Oath of the Great Tower, as others had before them.

“I swear to obey Lord Jax and those he places over me; I will serve