Princess Alora’s entourage finally reached their destination city. Lionell opened the carriage door, and she gracefully stepped out. Broken followed close behind, this time wearing his Obsidian Shroud—a cloak that concealed his armor, making him look as though he were simply dressed in a black robe.
A short, stocky man with blonde hair, standing at about 1.5 meters (4.93 feet) tall, greeted them. His pristine white robe suggested he was likely the lord of the city.
“Welcome to our humble town, Your Highness, Princess Alora,” said the NPC named Tristan.
Princess Alora looked around before turning back to Tristan. “Please, tell me in detail about the problems plaguing this city, Lord Tristan.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Tristan replied, leading the way for Princess Alora to follow. frёeωebɳovel.com
Lionell and Mercy walked behind her, with Broken trailing after them. However, a few guards stepped in front of him.
“You stay here,” they commanded.
“I came with Princess Alora,” Broken asserted.
Princess Alora, noticing the commotion, turned back. “Lord Tristan, allow him to come with us,” she requested.
“But Your Highness, if I may ask, why would you bring a servant of the royal household here?” Tristan inquired. “I’ve arranged a grand feast for you; let him stay here.”
“No, he is Baron Broken, the Lord of Slumdon Town,” Alora clarified.
Tristan paused, then let out a small chuckle. “Ah, hahah! Forgive me. In that case, very well,” he said, then resumed leading the way.
As they followed Tristan, Broken decided to casually check Tristan’s status. After glancing at it, a frown creased his forehead.
[Name: Tristan]
[Level: 225]
[Strength: ??? | Agility: ??? | Intelligence: 980 | Constitution: ??? | Stamina: ???]
“980 Intelligence stat value!” Broken muttered in disbelief as he stared at Tristan’s status. At level 225, Tristan’s Intelligence was extraordinarily high. Although the rest of his stats were hidden from view, there was no doubt in Broken’s mind that this man was a formidable magic
caster.
“With power that great, shouldn’t he be able to handle the problems on his own?” he thought to himself. “His level is even higher than Princess Alora’s, although still lower than the two Knight Grand Crosses.”
Curiosity piqued, Broken began checking the status of other people around the area. Most were regular NPCs with low stats, fitting for their roles as miners. Their levels ranged from the twenties, with the strongest among them peaking at around level fifty-those were the ones with more robust builds.
But then, something peculiar caught his attention. Among a group gathered in the distance, one individual’s stats appeared… unusual. There were no values visible for this person. No level, no stats-nothing.
[Name: Ulrich]
[Level: ???]
[Strength: ??? | Agility: ??? | Intelligence: ??? | Constitution: ??? | Stamina: ???]
“Why?” Broken wondered.
This was a first for him. Even when he had checked King Alorik’s status, despite the high level, he could still glean some information. Yet this NPC, named Ulrich, was a complete enigma.
Ulrich looked unremarkable at a glance-a thin, disheveled man with dirty, dusty clothes that seemed to bear the remnants of a cave. He clutched a pickaxe and stood among the other miners, who were all at about level twenty.
“Is there some condition preventing me from using my Perception skill?” Broken wondered, glancing around him. Usually, as he got closer to someone, he could learn more information about them.
He tried to scan everyone in the vicinity once more. And once again, he found another person with similar unviewable stats. This time, it was a city guard. Just like before, Broken couldn’t see their level or any of their stats.
His curiosity deepened as he continued scanning around. He identified at least six people with the same issue. Stopping to ponder, he questioned whether he should take this seriously or if it was just a coincidence. He lifted his head and glanced at Tristan, who was engrossed in conversation, sharing various random details with Princess Alora.
“Is something troubling you, Baron Broken?” Lionell asked, slowing his pace to match Broken’s stride.
“Uh… Not really, but…” Broken replied hesitantly.
“You look puzzled. Is there something you need?” Lionell prodded.
“Actually, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Does this city have any high-level guards or protectors? Or is it just workers?”
Lionell immediately responded, “There are a few guards with levels up to 150 here. But their numbers are limited. The monsters in the surrounding area are generally low-level, and even though this is a mining town, it’s seldom visited by players due to the previously low monster activity,” Lionell explained.
“What about the City Lord?” Broken asked quietly, casting a cautious glance at Tristan to ensure he wasn’t overheard.
“Lord Tristan’s level isn’t that high, which is why he has a few guards here. However, the kingdom frequently provides additional troops for support, such as now, as we are dealing with the city’s issues,” Lionell elaborated.
Lionell’s explanation made it clear that most city guards had levels not exceeding 150. However, what stood out as peculiar was Tristan’s status. With a level of over 225, he possessed a significantly high level for the current average standards. Even members of the Ass Guild, renowned for their strength, had average levels below 210-already considered high for most players.
Given this, Tristan was certainly not an ordinary NPC. There had to be a special role or purpose he held, beyond merely being the City Lord overseeing the town.
Upon arriving at the residence of the City Lord, Princess Alora was invited to sit, and Tristan took his seat opposite her. It was an outdoor area.
The two Knight Grand Crosses stood watch near Princess Alora while Broken positioned himself close to Lionell and Mercy, the two towering figures even compared to him.
Tristan began to explain the city’s issues. “We have conducted an in-depth investigation, Your Highness, and we’ve concluded that the problem originates from three caves near the city,” he explained. “These caves are heavily used for mining, but lately, monsters have been emerging from them, and we’ve ceased mining operations out of fear.”
“We only need to eradicate all the monsters in each cave. I believe that’s the simplest solution we can undertake right now,” Princess Alora suggested.
“But…” Tristan responded, his face showing worry.
“The city faces nightly attacks from monsters trying to breach the walls. Because of this, no one dares to venture out at night. We have a limited number of city guards, so we can only fend off the monsters from the top of the wall, shooting arrows to keep them from breaking through and entering the city. It’s become more than we can handle,” he said, shaking his
head frantically.
A short while later, two city guards arrived, escorting a miner with a terrified expression. Broken immediately recognized the NPC as Ulrich, the miner whose stats he couldn’t view, alongside two city guards whose stats were similarly hidden.
“Here, Your Highness. This miner has firsthand experience of the monster attacks,” Tristan explained. “Tell us about the source of the monsters, Ulrich.”
Ulrich’s face was a mask of panic, his eyes wide and his body trembling. “The monsters came from within the cave…” he stammered, his hands shaking. “There’s a terrifying presence, like demons! Demons! Demons are going to attack the city!” he cried out, collapsing to his knees,
drenched in sweat.
Princess Alora stood up and knelt before Ulrich, one knee on the ground. “Tell me, where do these monsters come from? Can you show me the place?”
“Yes… Your Highness. I will show you,” Ulrich replied, his voice quivering.
Princess Alora stood up. “I will come and inspect the area at once.”
Tristan quickly rose, a worried look on his face. “Your Highness, since there are multiple
spots that need to be checked, how about we divide our resources? I mean, what if Sir Lionell and Sir Mercy inspect the other caves while I accompany you to where Ulrich found the source
of the problem?”
“Alright, I agree,” Alora said, giving instructions to Lionell and Mercy. She then turned to
Broken.
“Will you come with me?” she asked.
Broken took out his pickaxe and grinned. “Yes, Your Highness, the spirit of a miner burns
within me. I want to try mining in this place,” he said, glancing at Tristan.
Tristan responded with a thin, almost unreadable smile.
“Are you a City Lord or a miner?” Tristan inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m a City Lord, but also a miner,” Broken replied with a smile.
Tristan didn’t respond further; he simply nodded and proceeded to lead the way for Princess
Alora.