Leon sat in a dingy jail cell. It was dark with windows, designed to make one mad. The past two days had been hell for him, the guards would ask him over and over who had killed the Witch Princess and her Knight.
Leon was adamant and kept his mouth shut, he didn't want anyone to know that Jahn had killed the Witch Princess and left her Knight in critical condition. They lashed him again and again, his body was a maze of bloody marks.
Leon gritted his teeth and endured it as much as he could, when will it end? Leon thought to himself as his eyes grew blurry.
He lost consciousness.
The guards didn't leave him because he lost consciousness, instead they used it to their advantage. They placed Leon's body on top of a board and positioned the board at an angle, which tilted Leon's head backwards.
After, the guards covered Leon's face with a cloth, leaving only his nose and mouth exposed.
They then poured water over the cloth, the water entered Leon's breathing passages, Leon awoke in a panic and coughed as he choked on the water; struggling to breath.
This went on for hours and Leon felt himself breaking, he couldn't handle it. He felt his mind drifting as he replayed the times that Jahn embarrassed him, humiliated him.
NO!
His inner thoughts took over and he felt a surge of energy, he would never let Jahn take the credit.
He was the hero.
No one else. Leon was the hero. The 'interrogation' went on for hours and hours, the guards found themselves getting tired.
Soon Leon was unresponsive, the guards checked his pulse but it was too late, Leon died without giving up, Leon the hero.
He praised all over the Kingdom for killing the Witch Princess and her Knight, in his mind he was a hero.
Even if he died, there was no way he would let Jahn Frier have the fame he had wished for!
***
"HAIL! YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS. KING CALVIN!!"
The guards kneeled as they gave hail. They told the King what had happened to Leon and how he was tight-lipped until the very end.
"Stingy Rat!"
The King grumbled as he pounded the armrest of his throne. He waved his hand and dismissed the guards.
He sat there thinking for a while, and drummed on the armrest with two fingers.
***
Quest:
Find and kill the King Thistlefur
Difficulty: ★ ★
Reward: 10 copper!
Jahn looked at the poster, he rubbed his stubbly chin with one hand as he thought about taking the Quest, he was in need of money and he hadn't touched a sword or trained since he was in the army.
He took down the notice and handed it to the woman behind the till. She looked at Jahn nervously,
"Jahn, I know you are big and all but are you sure you want to do this??"
Jahn smiled and just nodded his head, the clerk smiled back and granted him the Quest.
The currency of the De-Klein Kingdom was simple, all the other Kingdoms had basically the same currency, just different symbols and inscriptions. The one for the De-Klein Kingdom is:
Kingdom of De-Klein Currency System:
1. Copper Coins: "Penny" (Cp)
Symbol: ♆
Value: The lowest denomination, used for everyday small transactions, like buying bread or simple tools.
Material: Copper
Design: A simple image of a Wolf (symbolizing Alpha State) on one side, with the Kingdom of De-Klein's crest on the other. The inscription reads "Penny of De-Klein ."
2. Silver Coins: "Crown" (Sc)
Symbol: ⚒️Value: 100 Pennies (Cp)
Material: Silver
Design: A detailed image of a crown (representing royalty) on one side, with a series of crossed swords on the other, signifying strength and unity. The inscription reads "Crown of De-Klein."
3. Gold Coins: "Sovereign" (Gv)
Symbol: ✵
Value: 1000 Pennies (Cp) or 100 Crowns (Sc)
Material: Gold
Design: The image of the royal ruler of De-Klein (King Calvin De-Klein), crowned, holding a scepter. On the reverse side, there is a depiction of the Kingdom's famous castle.
The inscription reads "Sovereign of De-Klein."
Currency Conversion:
1 Sovereign (Gv) = 100 Pennies (Cp)
1 Sovereign (Gv) = 10 Crowns (Sc)
Value in Modern Terms:
1 Copper Penny (Cp) = small everyday purchase (like a loaf of bread or a pint of ale)
1 Crown (Sc) = a good quality garment or a day's wages for a skilled worker
1 Sovereign (Gv) = a piece of fine land, a week's worth of a noble's feast, or a large transaction between cities
Usage in the Kingdom:
The Penny would be the most commonly circulated coin, often found in everyday transactions
.
The Crown would be used for buying services, land transactions, or significant goods like livestock.
The Sovereign would mostly be used by the wealthier elite, for large-scale trade, or paying taxes to the king.
Jahn whistled a happy beat as he made his way to Greenholt. This was the outskirts of the Kingdom but it was very important, they were the largest producer of vegetables and fruits.
Jahn wondered how large and fast the rabbit would be. He flagged down a wagon and told the carter his destination.
He sat and watched the scenery of the Kingdom, it was beautiful. The sun shone in the sky and the people all around laughed, smiled and were just overall happy.
Jahn dozed off as he waited to for the wagon to reach Greenholt.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Jahn felt someone tapping him, it was the carter. He told Jahn that they reached Greenholt, it was pitch black and Jahn could barely see the path he was to walk on.
He thanked the carter and gave him a copper penny. He looked around and saw some light in the distance, he walked towards it and found himself in front off an inn.
He opened the door and found some people inside, they all stared in his direction and turned their attention back to what they were doing.
The inn wasn't small, it had three floors, the ground floor was the dining area and thus the most spacious.
The second and third floors were rooms that would be given to those who paid for them.
Jahn walked up to the counter table and asked the tired looking man for a single room bed and dinner,
"2 copper pennies."
The man replied in a monotone voice. Jahn fished in his pocket for the money, he gave it to the man and asked him where the Guild Association was in this place, everyone looked at Jahn and laughed at him,
"HAHAHA!"
The laughter rung all throughout the dining hall, one man shouted,
"You think you can take King Thistlefur on?!"
More people laughed and held their stomachs in pain of laughing. Jahn looked around and scratched the back of his head and turned to the man behind the counter table,
"Why are they laughing?"
The man explained to Jahn that many residents and guild members have struggled to kill the King Thistlefur for months, they had given up hope and just let it do as it pleases.
Jahn nodded his head and asked him again,
"Where is the Guild Association?"
The man told him the directions, Jahn ate his food and went straight to his room to sleep. He woke up the next morning and went to the Guild Association, he said he would kill the King Thistlefur.
The people there laughed and said good luck with a mocking tone. The reward for killing the King Thistlefur was much higher here than in the City. The reward was one crown (silver coin).
Jahn was over the moon, he had never gotten this much in life before. He would have saved for years just to reach one crown.
Jahn got his gear ready, he was only carrying a sword.
He went to the closest plantation and waited for the King Thistlefur to show itself.
Jahn waited and waited. As he waited, night fell and it was pitch black outside. Jahn heard rustling, he strained his ears and listened intently.
He got closer to the source of the sound, fifteen feet away from him was a large rabbit, it had horns and red eyes. Its fur was snowy white and it's sharp teeth poked out it's mouth.
Jahn gulped and wondered how he would take down such a fearsome predator.
He watched it's every step, he saw how it rotated from one plantation to another. Dawn soon broke the night and the King Thistlefur scurried away.
Jahn kept doing the same thing for days, he watched the King Thistlefur and memorised it's patterns. After five painstaking days of watching, Jahn decided it was time he acted.
Jahn waited for nightfall, soon the King Thistlefur showed itself once again. Jahn didn't waste no time and channelled essence to his feet and shot at the King Thistlefur, he pulled his sword back and slashed at an angle, in half.
The King Thistlefur was cut in half, so easily. Jahn was shocked as he looked at his hand in awe.
The King Thistlefur that all those guild members had struggled with was killed so easily? Jahn was confused and wondered if it really was the King Thistlefur but he didn't think for long and smiled.
It was time to claim his money. He went straight to the Guild Association and showed them the carcass of the King Thistlefur.
They all gasped and looked at Jahn in confusion but they soon collected themselves and gave Jahn his money and a stamp of approval so he could claim the money in the city.
Jahn flagged down a wagon and went home, Jahn went straight to the Guild Association of the city and claimed his reward and went home.