Lydia lands us a little more than a hundred yards away from the gate, explaining that it's illegal to fly over the walls. If we were to fly within a hundred yards of it, we'd likely get a scolding from the guards.

The flight itself was… exhilarating, to say the least. I paid attention to everything as the world passed by below, and I think I can use the flight spell now. It's just an application of wind magic to carry myself the way a breeze might carry a leaf, only with a more focused direction. That shouldn't be too difficult, I'll just need to remember to use the barrier as well.

"Max!" A voice calls out as we begin walking toward the city, and I turn around to find Colt running over.

Thomas and Colt's friends are walking over as well, though slightly-hastily to keep up with Colt's rush. Peter and his party stop walking as well.

"You flew back with people?" He asks. "What happened to your clothes and your pack? That loot is amazing, especially that staff."

"Hello, Peter," Nicholas says.

"Hello, Nicholas," Peter ruffles his brother's hair.

"My clothes got damaged badly by a goblin," I say. "Peter and his crew healed me and offered to bring me back. I didn't want to, but me ain't got boots anymore and this was the fastest way to be able to get more. Me need new clothes, too."

"By a goblin?" Colt asks. "There are goblins that can actually hurt you?"

"Probably," I say. "But this one had a deathbomb crystal. This one he-fuck!"

I dropped the rest of my loot while trying to show it to Colt. After picking it all back up, I show Colt the crystal. Hopefully, they aren't too angry with me for swearing like that.

"That staff was Ak'Narul's," Thomas says. "Congratulations on that, Max."

"You've both called him Max," Peter looks away from his discussing with his brother. "And you seem quite familiar with him. Are you referring to that Max?"

"Yes," Colt answers.

"Oh!" Peter exclaims. "It's a pleasure to have met you, Max! Elise and Uncle Dan both told me about you taking on that goblin outpost by yourself! I wish I was there to see the fight, it must have been quite incredible."

Is he flattering me because he wants me to be his ally? He probably is, why else would he suddenly compliment me after finding out that he's heard about me.

Wait. Elise and Uncle Dan? Is he referring to Daniel from the guild and Lady Elise? Daniel and Lady Elise told me that Daniel's nephew was courting her, and I think Daniel mentioned his nephew's name was Peter.

Now I'm even more suspicious. It's too coincidental that I met him today when I know his uncle and his girlfriend. Could they have actually been waiting near me for an opportunity to approach?

"Why do you have a bunch of rocks?" Aaron asks me.

Peter had collected the things from my bag, and they were all given to me when my loot was given to me. At least, the stuff that survived. A few pieces of loot from other goblin kills, as well as a handful of small, colorful rocks that I've found over the last few weeks.

I'm aware that people will think it's stupid and childish for me to like pretty rocks, but I'm twelve. Thirteen. I just turned thirteen. I'm allowed to like pretty rocks, even if I'm more serious than commoner kids because of my life so far. At least let me have this child thing.

"Max," Colt says before I can figure out how to answer that. "I was telling Aaron, Cyrus, and Nicholas about the camping trip the next few days so they'd know why I am unable to hang out with them, and they were wondering if they could come with us. Before you worry, this is just them wondering, and I told them that you had to agree to it or they couldn't come. I know you're already going to be uncomfortable enough as it is with just me and my protective detail, three more people might be too much."

Is he trying to tell me that I have to agree to this? If I refuse, they'll probably be upset with me and try to mess with me if I try to buy anything or claim rewards. Or they may come along with us anyway, either ignoring it entirely or Colt overriding it. I doubt Colt didn't wait until today to tell them about the camping trip.

They're planning something, and I can't get out of it.

"Okay," I nod.

"Awesome!" Colt says. "It's going to be fun! It's starting to get late and I need to return home. I'll see you at the gate first thing after sunrise! Enjoy your night, Max!"

"Okay," I say.

I don't think Colt thought his goodbye through all the way. We still have to walk to the gate, and since we're all going there right now, that means we walk there together. Colt quietly talks with his friends as we walk, Thomas looking amused the entire time.

After passing through the gate, I bid them goodbye and walk to the guild. I'd rather buy new stuff first, but I don't want to do that with my things in my arms. Peter and his group walk with me, but only because they have loot of their own to sell and a job request to turn in, apparently. I'm not surprised they're members of this guild, Peter's uncle is the son of Guild Master Trenton.

Is Peter his grandson, too, or is their relation through marriage rather than blood? Would he still be a grandson if it's through marriage? I don't know how that stuff works, it's never mattered to me in the slums.

"You're in the wrong line, kid," a man says when I step into Nina's line. "Selling loot goes in this line."

I ignore him. Nina said I can use her line for everything rather than having to deal with the more rude clerk. The man tries a few times to correct me, but I ignore him.

"Reginald," Nina's voice rings out crisp and clear, and I look over at her, startled. A lot of people do. "If Max is in the wrong line, then I will tell him when he reaches me. That is not your job. Mind your own business."

No one bothers me again until I'm only a few spots away from the counter. This time, it's Daniel.

"Is that Ak'Narul's staff, Max?" He asks after greeting his nephew. "And a broken deabthbomb crystal, too?"

"Was Ak'Narul that famous?" I ask.

Peter didn't mention the fight to him, but Daniel knew the name of the goblin. I guess that means Daniel didn't make it up. Well, they could have also planned the name previously or communicated it in some way I didn't notice. Thomas knew the name, too, now that I think about it. They could have told him while visiting Lady Elise.

"Yes," Daniel answers. "The only reason he hasn't been dealt with is because he's been too far into the goblins' territories for us to handle for the most part. By the time we realize he's left them, he's already returned. Taking on a goblin as powerful as Ak'Narul in the goblins' territory isn't an easy feat. Any fight of such scale in that area would draw the attention of other Titled goblins, and possibly even a Goblin King. The latter have over 1,000 Constitution, making them extremely dangerous when you consider their Agility as well. Most are also skilled mages, and they're typically accompanied by what's called the Goblin Guard, a group of ten Titled goblins."

From what I know, the kingdom has a fair few people who have over 1,000 Strength or Magic. Thomas, for example, has more than that. I think Guild Master Trenton does as well. His Majesty and the queen might also have more than that much.

In order to safely take on a Goblin King, they would need to assemble a decent force of people strong enough to do so, and gathering up that many fighters of that much power wouldn't be easy. Many of the people who have that much can't just go out and hunt something that powerful. They have other duties to perform or are too valuable to risk their lives against that.

His Majesty, for example, runs our kingdom. Thomas could probably be pulled away from his guard duties for a short time, with a group of weaker substitutes added in. Guild Master Trenton would probably assist if there were several others of sufficient power in the party.

This is just to handle the Goblin King and his Goblin Guard. What about other goblins that might show up? Regardless of how powerful someone is, numbers is a serious issue. I've learned that already, considering how low on Mana I went during the battle at the outpost, and I was more powerful than anything there.

A fight against the Goblin King would be in an area filled with powerful goblins. If the party didn't exhaust themselves against the Goblin King, they would just wiping out the hordes of powerful goblins coming after them.

"If destroying the outposts," I say. "Doesn't deter the goblins from attacking the city, will a Goblin King show up?"

Killing a Goblin King during the battle might be easier. We'd have fields rather than a forest to fight in, and probably a lot more people fighting. The downside is that there would probably be damage to the city, especially if boars and trolls are part of the fight as well.

"That's never happened before," Daniel tells me. "The goblins take us destroying their outposts as a sign that we're too much for them and that they'll suffer complete losses in the battle if they attack the city. Over the last few days, we've located and destroyed six total outposts, excluding yours. The goblins have never had more than seven, so we found them all."

"Uncle Dan," Peter says. "Is there that matter?"

There's more?

"That's not a concern," Daniel shakes his head. "It's odd that there were goblins from several kingdoms doing this, but considering that the majority of them came from the same kingdom, the others were likely renegades from their own."

"You can tell which kingdom the goblins are from?" I ask.

"Sort of," he says. "Goblins tend to sort themselves by elemental affinity, and while a couple of kingdoms share the same base affinity, most affinities only have one goblin kingdom each, that we know of. Most of the goblins we've been dealing with have had all air affinities, so we believe them to be from the nearest air goblin kingdom."

"Oh," I say. "I think it's my turn now."

"Talk with you later," Daniel tells me, and I step up to Nina and put my stuff on the counter.

She waits for me to separate my pebbles from the rest. My coin pouch is currently worn around my neck and under my tunic, even though it does create a bulge that lets people know it's there. This tunic is too long on me for me to wear it around my waist and still access it easily.

Nina examines each of the items, tallying up the costs on a sheet of paper as she goes, then she uses the scanning crystal to confirm that I killed a goblin with a bounty on it.

"Peter said that Ak'Narul had a bounty of one platinum circle," I say. "Which is a weird way of saying it's a ring. Can I get the monetary value of that instead?"

"You know how," Nina says. "One hundred of one coin is equal to the next? One hundred platinum coins is equal to a 'greater platinum', also called a 'platinum circle' because the center of it is blue instead, leaving just a circle around it."

"Oh," I say. "So it is money. Can you split it into four parts, plese?"

"I sure can," she answers. "I'll be back in just a minute with your earnings, Max, and congratulations on the bounty."

"Thank you," I say.

Nina leaves to grab my earnings, which amounts to several platinum coins on top of the platinum circle. The staff alone was apparently worth ten platinum, and even the damaged deathbomb crystal sold for two.

"Thanks," I tell Nina.

"Thank you, Max," she says. "For helping keep our kingdom safe. Your work is appreciated."

That makes me feel a little uncomfortable for some reason, and I can feel my cheeks heating up in response. I mumble something I'm not entirely sure of, then scoop up my stones and hurry out of the guild. I'm barely out of the building when I nearly run into someone, and I realize it's Hailey and her group. They must be getting ready to sell their slime core earnings for today.

"I's goin' on a campin' trip," I tell Hailey. "Startin' tomorrow morn' and comin' back Tuesda' som'ime, so I's ain't gonna be around to help ya if you need it. Still, try'n get more info, could ya?"

"Yeah," she answers. "Hooked some'un earlier, could def'ly get more 'fore ya return. Gonna try'n get new clothes fer us, too."

"Good," I say. "Yer getting' be'er wi' yer spells. Try'n get five Levels while I's gone, yeah? Will have a special r'ward fer any o' ya that do."

"Ya hear that?" Hailey asks her charges. "Any o' ya that work yer asses off next coup'la days'll get somethin' special from Max," she looks back to me. "Want to know the stuff I's learn toda?"

"Na' toda'," I tell her. "Tell me when I's back, yeah?"

"Yeah," she nods.

"Night."

"Night."

Her group bids me a goodnight as well, and I set off for the place I bought my boots from last time. Those are first on my list of things to buy today. After I get a new pack and some clothes, I'll find a place to eat, then hide portions of my earnings. Actually, one of those spots is nearby, so I'll do that one first, then go buy boots.

Should I also buy stuff for the camping trip?