Daniel moved quick, his sword springing to his hand. He moved in front of Orrin and held his weapon pointed at the man in the wheelchair.

“Bursting into my ‘private’ room with guards, trying to separate me from my friend, and lying to me.” Daniel’s skin glowed. “You better explain and fast.”

Madi bent over and whispered to her father. He made a few quick hand gestures and the guards funneled out as quickly as they’d appeared.

“You are a hero,” Silas stated.

Silas and Madi stood in the room waiting for Daniel to respond. Daniel’s body shielded Orrin from seeing his facial expressions but Orrin knew Daniel couldn’t play poker to save his life.

“I-I’m not a... What’s a her- Why would you think that?” Daniel stammered.

Shit, Orrin slapped his face.

Madi stepped around from behind her father. “We’ve known for awhile. You took out those bandits too easily. You even took out Lenard and his gang. You take on low level quests but destroy every quota and record.”

Lenard... they did set us up. Orrin got ready to start casting all his boosts on Daniel.

“You did set us up,” Daniel just blurted it out. “We had to kill those guys.”

Madi gaped for a second and turned back to look her father. Silas sat silently as his daughter stuck her foot in her mouth.

“We had people watching. It was a test. You were in no real dang-“

“Orrin took a sword to the chest,” Daniel’s voice went cold.

“We had healers. And besides, he’s just some local freak with a weird class. You’re the hero. You’re the one we need to help. Don’t you get it? Heroes appear when the world will need them!”

“Enough.”

Silas’ single word cut the tension of the room. Madi stepped back, eyes on her feet. Daniel swayed and let his sword dip.

Orrin activated [Mind Bastion] automatically. He felt the magic hit him and rebound. Silas grunted and turned his eyes directly on him.

“Sit.”

Daniel’s sword dropped to his side as he slumped on a nearby couch. Madi sat on the floor next to her father’s chair.

Orrin put his hand in his pocket and pulled a dagger from his storage. “Stop now.”

“It’s been a long time since someone resisted me.” Silas put his hands together. “Maybe you are not a waste of our time.”

Orrin used [Identify] on Silas.

Silas Catanzano

Allure Sorcerer

Level 48

HP:---

MP:---

For the first time, Orrin’s skill failed to give him much information. Allure Sorcerer and obvious mind magic skills. He must use a high Will.

“I said SIT.”

Orrin felt the magic roll around him. It felt like oil dripping down his back. “I said STOP. Now.” Orrin cast [Inverse] through [Increase Will] five times. At 10 MP per Increase and another 5 MP per Inverse, his mana pool dropped to 55/130 MP.

Silas physically slumped. Orrin had just dropped his overall will by 15 points. Probably not a lot for such a high level but it was likely something Silas had never dealt with before.

“How?” Silas gagged but held it down. “You are just some kid from nowhere. You just have a unique buffing skill. This is not possible.”

While Orrin held Silas’ attention, Daniel sprang across the room and held the sword to Madi’s neck.

“That’s just a small taste,” Orrin bluffed. “Want to feel what negative Will feels like?”

Silas blanched.

“I think I requested an explanation,” Daniel took charge. “I can’t believe I trusted the two of you.”

Madi looked up the sharp edge of Daniel’s sword with fear in her eyes. “You must understand. We were not lying. I told you we scouted you for your martial prowess and that’s the truth. We didn’t tell you we knew you were a Hero, but we planned to. Actually, I had just been telling Father that you were nearing level ten. We were going to tell you tomorrow before we went out.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe this? What about ‘searching’ for Orrin? And trying to buy him off?”

“We found him only two days ago,” Silas interrupted his daughter as she opened her mouth. “That was my choice. I meant for you to have only my daughter and retainers as your friends. It would be easier for you not to make connections outside the household.”

“You mean, easier for you to control him,” Orrin chimed in. Daniel nodded in agreement.

“Yes and no. Daniel, when Heroes come to this world, most are found immediately. They have no limit to their power, like all of us.” he gestured around the room. “Most are actually summoned; although, that practice has been mostly outlawed. Asmea, itself, actually brews up enough magic to pierce time and space when some great catastrophe is close.”

He pushed his chair closer to Daniel, who immediately grabbed Madi’s hair to steady his blade against her throat.

“That you are here means something is coming or someone is making a move,” Silas continued. “While I won’t deny the benefits to my family from being connected to a Hero, I swear that we do not want to control you. Far from it. Heroes who are put on a leash always end in disaster.”

Orrin’s mind absorbed the nuggets of information Silas dropped and turned them over. They thought he was a local, befriended by Daniel before getting to Dey. Silas either truly wanted the best for Daniel or was an amazing liar.

“I thought a bribe the easiest way to get rid of a potential problem,” Silas explained. “I never dreamed a true friendship had been created so suddenly. Or with such a powerful mage.”

Silas eyes glittered with excitement as he looked at Orrin. “Truly, I apologize. I can’t wait to explore your skills in detail. My library is open to you both.”

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t leave right now,” Daniel growled.

Silas smiled like a man with the winning cards. “You never left my daughter’s party, did you Daniel?”

Daniel glowered.

Come to think of it, Daniel could have dropped the party and joined Orrin’s when he first sent the request. Why didn’t he?

“I still could,” Daniel spat.

Silas shook his head. “But you won’t. You know that I have the resources to help you. You are a smart boy, if a bit headstrong. That’s not an insult. You’ll learn to turn it to your advantage. But few else have the connections, money, and power you’ll need to reach your goals.”

“I don’t need your help.” Daniel’s grip on Madi weakened as he talked though.

“What goals do you have then?” Orrin interjected. “What do you get out of it?”

Silas gave Orrin that smile again. The smile of a cat interested in the slow-moving wounded bird within reach.

“Besides the prestige of being known to help raise a Hero? Tell me Orrin, did your village have many stories of what Heroes do?”

Just play along, better he think I’m some local than another summoned ‘hero,’ Orrin thought.

“Just a few. Mostly those who defeated Demon Lords and destroyed the world.”

“Heroes bring change. There have been a few that were actually here to save the world from a Demon Lord, but Darius stopped that about a thousand years ago when he created the Sea of Fire right on top of the Demon’s homeland. Heroes now are sent to uproot despots, create new magics, or end wars. So if my family helps, we gain political power. I would have been upfront with you about all of this Daniel. I just did not think it time yet.”

Orrin shared a look with Daniel. Fuck, they think Demon Lords are not even an option.

We should tell them right?

No way, they’ll freak out and kill the messenger.

“It was apparent to me as soon as I knew you had multiple quests. My guess is Asmea brought you here to stop the war in Odrana. They are our closest neighbor, and coupled with the placement of your arrival here, it makes the most sense.”

Orrin didn’t actually think quicker with [Mind Bastion] on but it definitely increased his analytical side. Robot brain makes it easier to be logical. Maybe I should call it Spock brain.

If they lied and said Daniel was here to stop the war, Silas would want the quest shared. He probably wanted the boost for his daughter, as well as the prestige and benefits of bringing up a Hero.

If only he could create quests. It would help protect us until we could figure out the whole Demon Lord thing...and who to trust.

As soon as Orrin had the thought, a new blue box filled his vision.

New Quest:

Stop the war in Odrana

Reward: 200,000 XP and Variable.

Failure: Loss of 10 levels.

What the fuck?

Orrin stood mute staring at the box. He had thought it and a quest appeared. Exactly what he needed.

Daniel was waiting for Orrin to take the lead again. Silas was watching them both, searching for any minute detail or look they shared for a deeper meaning.

“I think we need a minute to discuss. But it goes without saying, Orrin is part of my party.” Daniel pushed Madi against her father’s legs. Orrin saw a bead of blood pearling on her neck.

“Of course.” Silas knocked on the wood of his armrest and two guards reappeared. One handed a small cloth to Madi, who dabbed her neck as they left.

Madi turned back at the door. “Orrin. Daniel. I do hope you can forgive us. We really were only doing what we thought best.” She ducked out.

Orrin stood still reading the quest over and over.

I’m not the hero. How did I get a quest?

It wasn’t the first time, he remembered. He’d gotten the Save the Hero quest right after they’d first arrived. It was how he’d gotten his oft-forgotten [Identify] skill. But he’d figured that a fluke because he was near the Hero.

“Orrin?”

Daniel was standing close to him, both hands on his shoulders as he slowly shook him.

“Dude, are you there? What happened?”

“I- I got a quest,” Orrin got out.

“That’s great.” Daniel smiled softly, like he thought Orrin would bolt at any minute. “Is it to get the fuck out of here? Because I don’t know if I can trust someone who-“

“I got a quest...” Orrin lowered his voice and leaned in close. “...to stop the war in Odrana.”

Orrin almost shared it with Daniel, but he paused. He didn’t know how parties worked. “Drop out of their party and make one for us.”

Create a Party with Daniel?

Yes or No

Yes.

After mashing the accept button, Orrin shared his new quest with Daniel.

“Maybe you really are a-“

“Don’t even say it,” Orrin interrupted. “This is your quest. Silas is right about one thing. They have much better resources. That group I was talking to complained about how hard it is to get in a dungeon. Madi and Silas can get us in. Plus he mentioned something about hitting level ten for you. They already know you’re a hero. You didn’t even try to deny it. What we should do is-“

Daniel slapped Orrin’s cheek. No soft but not enough to knock him over.

“What the hell?”

“You’re using that skill again. I can tell. I want to talk with Orrin, not this logical and unfeeling thing.”

Orrin hesitated. If he dropped [Mind Bastion] then Silas could... NO. Orrin pushed against the skill. He was in charge and could make his own decisions.

He deactivated [Mind Bastion].

“Hey, there you are.” Daniel smiled as Orrin’s eyes filled with the anxiety he had been holding back.

“I just attacked a leader of the community...” Orrin put his hands in his hair. “Silas is going to have me killed. He already has tried once. Damn it Daniel. How do we keep getting into shit like this?”

Daniel chuckled and patted Orrin’s back. “Listen, as long as we stick together, I’m fine using them a bit. Maybe they can help you find a way to use your skills without becoming an asshole.”

Orrin shrugged Daniel’s hand off his shoulder. “Too bad that’s just a permanent fixture of your personality.”

Daniel laughed out loud. “There he is.”

“You really think we should go along with this? What if they...” Orrin whispered the rest. “...find out about the other quests.”

“We already shared the wall quests with her.” Daniel shrugged. “She’s level twelve, so the level ten quest is out of her reach. They’ll probably want us to share this one, too.”

“We could tell them that’s all of them?”

“What if the variable reward for the Defeat the Dungeon quest is like a full suit of armor. How do we explain that we didn’t share that?”

Orrin pulled up his quests:

Defeat the Demon Lord- In the southern lands, the Demon Lord has risen. The dark armies have been assembled. Seek out and defeat the Demon Lord before the Dark Horde attacks.

Reward: 1,000,000 XP and Dark Essence Unlocked

Defend The Wall- Help push back a Horde

Reward: Variable on participation percentage/Horde Type

Defeat a Dungeon.

Reward: Variable

Obtain Level 10

Reward: [Hero Kit Level 2] Unavailable reward

Stop the war in Odrana

Reward: 200,000 XP and Variable.

Failure: Loss of 10 levels.

“Yeah, I agree with you. That’s too risky. These vague rewards suck. I still don’t know if I’ll even get anything for hitting level ten. Maybe we just show them the war quest but make them earn our trust before we share it? Defeat a Dungeon we can give to Madi, as I’m guessing Silas is killing two birds by using the ‘hero’ to power level his little girl.”

Daniel nodded. “She’s been with me the whole time. She’s no slouch though. She uses light magic but totally different than you.”

“So, is that our choice? Are we really going to stick around with them?” Orrin hated the idea but Daniel appeared to be warming up to it.

“For now,” Daniel decided. “There’s nothing to say we can’t just leave when we want to. I know someone who’s pretty good at disappearing when he wants to.”

Orrin blushed and stammered out another apology, “I said I was sorry.”

Daniel punched his shoulder as he walked to the door. “So to recap, stick with them, war is my hero reason, and you’ll be my trusty sidekick from Asmea.”

Orrin nodded.

“Come on in,” he yelled through the crack as he opened it.

Silas and Madi reappeared. Madi still held a cloth at her neck.

“First, I’m sorry for that Madi.” Daniel pointed at her throat. “I’ve been here for only a few weeks and really wanted to get my bearings before announcing I was a Hero.”

For all of Silas’ blustering earlier, his eyes went wide, “So it’s true. Daniel my boy, I was mostly sure, but my [Identify] only told me you were a fighter class. You have no idea what-“

“Hold on,” Daniel cut in. “I don’t appreciate being used. By anyone. I’m a team player and will give respect, as long as I receive it in turn. But you are not in charge Silas. I am. Orrin was my first friend on this world and I intend to keep him nearby. You will not interfere with that again.”

Silas nodded eagerly.

“If I find someone else, I’ll replace you. If you try to attack me or control me... well you saw what Orrin can do. However, I have never let loose around Madi yet. So whatever reports she’s been feeding you doesn’t cover the half of it.”

Orrin grinned to himself. Daniel’s ability to show enough respect to the Lord while also vaguely threatening him reminded him of all the times he’d talked the two of them out of trouble. Daniel’s understanding of authority figures was really coming into play.

“I would never-“ Silas began.

“Next, I will allow Lady Madeleine to continue to participate in MY party. If you would like to sponsor us in any way, that would be appreciated of course. I don’t have many other options right now, so the other two members can be retainers of yours. But if I find a better option, I will have final say.”

“Of course, of course, I would ask only that Madeleine remain as a full time member,” Silas quickly agreed.

Daniel nodded and squinted at something.

Madeleine Catanzano has joined your Party.

Interesting, Orrin had never seen that prompt before. Daniel must have sent her an invite.

“In exchange for your discretion, I’ll share another quest with her. I’ll decide if I share it with someone else before we complete it.”

Orrin just watched as Daniel threw another prompt at Madi. She suddenly leapt at Daniel and hugged him.

“Thank you. Thank you,” she was nearly crying. “I won’t let you down, Daniel.”

“May I ask?” Silas began. Madi looked up at Daniel, who nodded. She turned around and handed an invisible blue box to Silas.

“Variable? From the texts I have, that’s rare. To have two quests with variable rewards...” he trailed off.

“Daniel, Orrin, I do apologize for my earlier behavior. I agree to your terms of course.” Silas wheeled himself to a long nightstand and poured some water for himself. “Defeating a dungeon is no easy feat. You must get through every layer of defense, fight floors of monsters, destroy the final guardian, and then figure out how to break the dungeon core.”

He sipped from the cup. “A variable reward also means, if you wait for a simple dungeon to spawn and defeat it, the reward won’t be as good as if you tried to take on one of the more established dungeons. But those have not been defeated for decades or centuries. I’ll begin gathering information on all of it, regardless.”

Silas turned from Daniel to Orrin. “And you, sir. Although I must admit I’m quite peeved that you broke into my home, I hope you become friends enough with my daughter to put yourself at risk for her, as you have for Daniel.”

Orrin didn’t hear an outright threat, but a chill ran down his spine as Silas turned away.