The next morning Kiel got up as usual, freshened up and ordered breakfast. But the servant who came told him that the Lord was expecting him to join for breakfast.
Noticing that the servant was now much more reverent as compared to the rude looks previously, he chuckled inwardly and nodded, agreeing to join.
Arriving at the dining room, Kiel saw Damien was already seated at the main seat, on his right was his son, his left was chief of guard, followed by his minister.
Kiel ignored them and walked to the other end of the table. Pulling a chair, he sat down and started to scoop food for himself and then started to eat.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Damien's face twitching and the rest of the participants of the breakfast table were also having ugly expressions.
As Kiel continued to stuff himself with food, the rest finally couldn't hold it any longer and also joined in to eat
In the middle of the meal, Damien looked up at Kiel and said:
"Boy, look me in the eye and tell me honestly, do we have a chance to survive?"
As if looking at an idiot, Kiel replied nonchalantly:
"Do you think I'll be sitting here if I don't see hope?"
Darrian the brash son of Damien, eyed him with disgust and snided:
"Knowing your kind, you might just be after a free meal and free loot. Just look at the way you're gorging yourself on our food! You think they drop down from the sky everyday?"
Kiel smiled and answered with a voice dripping with sarcasm:
"Ah… of course, you got me. I am just here for the free food! This food is so awesome that I am sacrificing my head start running further away towards the forest than just staying here! This food is more valuable than my life!"
It was interesting to see the young fool got himself embarrassed. He looked like a strangled chicken with his face turning red and mouth pouting, unable to retort a word.
Kiel was enjoying himself too much, smiling, he continued with his meal.
Before long, they were done. Damien asked Kiel if he would help with the war preparation efforts but Kiel was evasive.
Exasperated, Damien stood up to leave but before he managed to leave the dining hall, he heard Kiel spoke:
"You know I need a big favor and in this whole city, I think only you can help me."
Damien merely turned and looked at him and waited.
Kiel was waiting for Damien to say OK before he continued. Pity, Damien did not humor him.
Feeling uncomfortable at the silence and being stared at, Kiel went on:
"I need to strengthen myself to be more efficient in the main fight. I'll need skill pages, permanent power up consumables and it would really help a lot if I was equipped with a decent set of equipment no?
Especially seeing how I was already the best fighter in town. I think you should invest in me a bit, don't you think, old man?"
Damien was quiet, while Darrian was visibly upset.
Kiel was nonchalant, he could steal them if he had too but he preferred more above board methods.
"Why don't you ask your God?"
Darrian snarked
"He is a heartless and stingy God. Why do you think I was sent to this hell hole?"
Kiel easily replied.
The Minister at the side was upset, "God should not be blasphemed.
We need them too."
He chimed. Wanting to help reject Kiel both party a way out
Not giving in to the challenge, Kiel looked at Damien straight in his eyes and said while calmly counting his fingers:
"Let's see here:
I warned the city of future Orc Invasion you would otherwise be oblivious to.
At least worth 20 pages
I helped to devise a strategy that might help you defend yourself and repel them.
Another 10 pages
I helped to persuade your subjects to stay behind and defend.
Another 10 pages
I'm climbing over the mountain deep into the territory delaying the inevitable risking my ass don't you think I should be paid?
Easy 20 pages
Those skill pages are just going to rot in your treasury anyway.
If I wanted, I could have broken in and stolen it all but I thought asking nicely would be better.
Honesty is very important, 5 pages.
Total Sixty Five pages.
So what do you think?"
Kiel could see Damien's veins were about to burst on his temples and decided to keep a poker face and stop his taunting.
In his mind, he was thinking that even if he got 5 off Damien, it would be a pretty good thing.
Yes, he should at least get 5!
"Impossible. 2 pages, maximum."
Damien replied curtly.
Gotcha! Kiel thought smugly. But he kept a poker face. He was good at poker and now its' paying off.
Looking at Damien in disdain.
"So cheap, you haggle worse than those old wrinkly women in the market. Do not demean my efforts and contribution that way! At least Fifty."
Kiel countered, putting 5 fingers up.
"3"
"Scourge! I am sacrificing my life here for you! I will accept nothing less than 30!"
"5, take it or leave it."
"You know, I made such a big contribution and the reward was so pitiful, do you really expect everyone to dedicate their everything and life to defend you and your city?"
Kiel tossed a lowball. He then looked at the rest of the ministers and the guards with exaggerated pity.
The hall broke into murmurs and Damien was pissed. He could see the change in expression of the people around him.
Damien turned to glower at them to silence them.
"10, no more bargaining!" Damien was losing his patience.
Reading Damien's mood, Kiel knew he had reached his limit.
"Deal" Kiel had gotten more than his target anyway.
"Deal!" Damien instinctively replied.
Damien felt something was wrong, but couldn't put his finger to it until he saw the smile on Kiel's hateful mug.
He got carried away and replied too quickly. He came to a realization he had been led on by Kiel right from the beginning.
Still he had no way out. There was no way for him to take back his words.
A Lord's Promise was worth its weight in Gold.
"What about the rest, the consumables, the equipment and the like?"
Kiel was unrelenting
As if Damien had a light bulb moment, he collected himself and said
"Those will not be free, you have to work for it."
Unfazed, Kiel replied:
"OK, so do you mean I have to trade for it? At a discounted value of course, seeing I'm contributing to war efforts"
"Fine, We'll sell you at cost price."
Damien answered, thinking he had gotten an advantage.
Kiel calmly took out the only Medium Mana Core he had
"I'll trade you now"
!@#$%
Damien almost fainted in anger. This bastard was so rich all along. That Medium Mana Core was easily thirty thousand gold!!!
That was enough to buy everything he asked for and more.
Greedy bastard he had been swindled. But he had given his words and could not swallow his pride.
In his anger he stormed off. Leaving the room.
When Damien had left the hall, he smiled, feeling happy and satisfied.
He finally got one crucial ingredient he needed.
Meanwhile, Kiel was smiling like an idiot and he approached the minister:
"Let us go to the treasury and pick my treasures."
Shoren, the coin master, had almost fainted from a stroke…. The pain of having his, NO, the City's Treasury plundered.
However, that Medium Mana Core was a rare commodity, even in their city, they had only handled a treasure of such level a few times.
These items rarely appear on the market.
Feeling excited at the prospect of having such a treasure in his, NO, the city's treasury, Shoren led Kiel to the treasury.
Kiel swore he saw the fat old man was skipping along the way and if he strained his ear enough, he could hear the guy whistling a happy tune. What a weirdo.