Eventually we escaped the forest and approached the Roscharz Duchy, a vast plain sprawled ahead of us. Filled with carriages and vagabonds. It was a place I've even heard of.
"Roscharz Dungeon." A spire you could see even from miles away. It's recommended for only intermediate to advanced classes. It has never been cleared, even Marcus and his party were only able to climb to the 50th floor out of 100.
A nail-looking, twisting tower grew out of the earth.
"Your brother is here, are you ready?" It was a question that'd require a bit of thinking, killing your own brother.
"Yes."
Right, nothing left to say.
We approached the line, standing between a middle-aged man with the class of 'Samurai' and another with the class, 'Chef.' I started to whistle, as we got closer to the border guard. Wait, a guard. A realization suddenly struck me.
I'm currently traveling with a should-be assassinated princess, where the person who ordered her death is residing currently. Oh, crap, we're getting closer. I looked around.
Finally, I turned back to the samurai behind me.
"Hey, I'm Calvin. A thief." It was sudden, but that was actually perfect. He has no way to know what my class is, and the sudden statement will make him believe it quicker.
Hurry…
[Totally looking for a job]
[Someone faintly believes you are a 'thief']
This wasn't the right time to get this class but it was the only hope I had.
[Rolling Roulette…]
Two more people stood ahead of us. A literal clown handed the guard his I.D in what looked like slow motion.
Hurry…
"Next!"
[Skill obtained, "Like a Blur"]
[Like a Blur]
[To others your features will appear as an unattractive blur, they will not want to get close to you.]
Quickly, I activated it on the princess.
"Next!"
He said, then grimaced as he looked at the princess.
"Ugh… go ahead."
I lightly bowed. Pushing the confused princess forward.
We entered the Roscharz Duchy, without any bloodshed. Leaning into her ear, which allowed me to see a part of her blurred face.
Ugh.
"What were you thinking, if they saw you a fight would've broken out."
She looked back at me, and I removed the skill. Handing her a cloak I had in my demonic backpack. Not a hint of confusion in her eyes. Would she have… killed them all, seriously, I didn't doubt she could do it, that was the scary part.
I felt a touch on my shoulder.
"Excuse me, you said you were a thief right? I actually needed one, if you want, would you like to join my party? I may be old but I actually have a high-grade skill."
It was the samurai who gave me the thief skill.
Well, I'm just here to help the princess, I'll quickly refuse.
"We'll join you."
He looked confusedly at her, a light suspicion.
"Ah, I'm wearing this cloak because I'm quite hideous, trust me, it's better for all of us I keep it on."
Somehow that quelled it.
"What's your class then?"
"Swordsman."
He mulled it over, "A thief and a swordsman, perfect! Also, if you need a good mask I know a guy." He gave us his information, an inn with a room number, and a name. And ran off.
[Gregory Dull]
It was a fittingly dull name for an old swordsman.
"Why'd you accept, we can just find your brother quickly?"
"My brother isn't as weak as you think he is, none of my brothers are in fact. They're just cowards. This one has an especially cowardly skill. [Absolute Barrier] It's a heroic grade skill. belonging to the "Barrier-Master" Class. If we want to beat him, we need to be strong enough to break it."
"Thus, you need to learn dispel."
[Dispel]
A cleric spell, which nullifies magic. I've wanted it for a while but it's the hardest to convince people of. As when a cleric uses a spell they usually glow golden.
Not everyone is as easy to convince as the samurai.
"It just needs to be strong enough to dull it a little, then I'll pierce it."
Just then, I realized something.
"Ah, my class gives me a random skill in the class, I can't actually choose what I get."
It had given me everything I needed, but, who knew how long that would last?
"But, I can get three if they fully believe I'm a cleric. Three times the charm right."
She didn't say anything.
"Having such a class, how have you made it so far?"
I don't know.
Night fell, the Roscharz duchy nightlife began. It was especially bustling I assume. Perhaps because Marcus is here, a few kids playing hero ran past us, chasing each other with wooden swords.
Stopping in front of an inn, we entered.
It was my second time in a tavern. If you count a decrepit information brokers hideout as a tavern. But this one was filled with what you'd expect from a tavern. I'd never seen so many combat-classes in one place.
The man behind the counter spoke directly to us, his voice clear despite the chatter of the guests, and his eyes were weirdly completely closed. "Would you like a meal, or a room?"
The [Inn-Keeper] Class skill, [Intercom] truly horrifying.
"We're looking for a man, Gregory Dull." I shouted across the room, a little scared to walk past all the scary looking people.
But, there were a bunch of people staring at me now. Even the inn-keeper's eyes opened widely. "How do you kn-"
The samurai old-man descended down the stairs, followed by an elvish archer, and a brash looking warrior with red bandages wrapped around his fists.
The stares ceased as soon as he appeared, and suddenly their meals looked so much more appetizing.
"You came, good… This isn't a good place to talk however, shall we head outside."
The princess and I exchanged glances, but followed behind him.
"Phew… those guys are scary." Gregory clutched his knees, "Why did they all glare at me like that?"
The brash looking fighter stuttered as he raised his trembling arm, "I-I'm Baan, pleased to meet you."
Nobody matched their image from before.
At least, you…
The elf leaned against a wall, only for her heel to slip and a failed recovery, resulting in her leaning her back against the wall.
A silence descended upon us. And an invisible pressure pressed down on me, I was in a space full of socially awkward fighters. Then, it's all up to me.
"So, why did you want us to join your party?"
"Ah, right, we want to clear the Roscharz Dungeon." It was a statement even the hero couldn't make so brashly, but he said it as if he was planning a spa trip.
The princess chimed in. "Do you think you can? I've heard tales that the hero is even stuck on the upper floors."
"But, I'm stronger than the hero?" He pointed to himself, and made a confused expression.
The archer and fighter both nodded smugly.
"Really?" The princess crossed her arms.
"Do you… really want to find out?" A thick energy surrounded him suddenly, rising from his legs toward his back. My instincts screamed, to run, fighting him wasn't an option.
It was a mere moment before it fell.
Even his party wasn't unaffected. With the fighter buckling and the archer lying on her knees.
"Impressive, to stand straight against it head-on, and you too thief."
His eyes suddenly shot open, "Oh gosh, I'm sorry. Sometimes I get ahead of myself."
The princess smirked, "It's fine. We'll join you."
Gregory smiled widely. "Great! Since we met up so late, we'll head to the dungeon in the morning. And for doing 'that' to you, I'll pay for your room."
He did just that, we walked into the inn again, and the chatter ceased once more, Gregory paid for our room and ushered his deflated party members to their room.
Jumping onto the bed, I felt an unfamiliar discomfort, all the time in the elf village with my custom made bed, perfect for my height and squishy like a cloud. This is what humans have to live like. But again, we're sleeping together.
At this point, it'd be weird to have feelings for her, especially considering her tendencies but she's pretty, and I'm a young man, she's a young woman. No, I can't, we live in separate worlds.
Peering at the bed to my side, I noticed the princess had fallen asleep with zero hesitation.
Yeah, not gonna happen.
The next morning I was awoken with a slap.
A slap which launched me off my bed.
Clutching the side of it, I pull myself up.
"You weren't waking up, we need to go."
"Didn't want to pour some water on me?"
"No. That was fun."
Why am I helping you?
After getting ready we walked downstairs to the tavern part of the inn, Gregory and his party-members waved at us, they were already sitting at a table which was surrounded by empty tables.
"Morning, you two. How'd you sleep?"
"We slept well, how about you?" The princess said.
"Good." He responded.
"Come, sit."
"We will."
I was witnessing a live caveman conversation.
Anyway, we sat.
The archer slammed a hefty book on the table, the red of the leatherbound cover was eye-catching, reminiscent of a dragon's scales. She brought it to her face. And I could read the title. 'The Knight and his Squire. And underneath (18+) in brackets"
"So, I'll assume you guys know what the dungeon holds?" Gregory spoke, completely ignoring this.
"Of course, we did some research before we came, who do you think we are?" The princess replied, her head didn't even turn in the elves' direction.
The fighter quivered in the corner as the two had a stare-down.
He was the one who broke eye contact first, resulting in an enthusiastic fist-pump from the princess under the table.
"I expected nothing less, well, that's good. We just planned to buy a few potions and food for at least a month. If that's not enough we'll have to just eat monsters in the dungeon I guess."
I broke eye contact with the elf, suddenly interjecting. "Ah, I actually have a skill that could help with that."
Gregory looked away from her, slightly surprised. As a circular rift opened to my side, it was a demonic skill but I didn't have the mana of a demon. Hence, it didn't appear like one.
Pulling out my stick, I got surprised looks from Baan and Gregory. "That's perfect! But why do you have a stick in your inventory?"
"Its a lucky stick." I say, putting it back inside.
Baan looked at me as if he had found his soulmate, "You're superstitious too? I haven't washed these wraps for ten years." He put his fists forward and I noticed a speck of white amidst the red.
"You could say that."
[Indent has taken effect!]
[Baan feels a faint kinship towards you.]
What a useless time to finally pop up. I think, looking at the screen from the corner of my eyes.
After sorting everything out we left the tavern.
Much to the joy of the customers and owner. Who went back to their regular business like nothing had happened.
We went to a potion shop in the middle of town, Gregory noted it didn't really matter which shop you went to in the inner-city as the quality is about equal. After buying a handful of small vials, he thrusted them towards me and I placed them in my skill.
Continuing to walk, we reached a set of stairs. Two large buildings served as a wall as the stairs led to an elevated platform. In the middle of the stairs was a golden cube, it seemed to serve no actual purpose.
The second floor of the 'Duchy.' The Dungeon floor was upon us.