.^^ Josef All Prettied Up^^

— Josef —

Willam went through several stages of confusion, aggravation, despondency, more aggravation, some more confusion, some melancholy, and even a dash of acceptance, near the end of his little internal battle as he stared at me and attempted to compose himself.

I grinned and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "I know, I said you'd enjoy the chaos that is me, didn't I? Just accept it. I'm like a force of nature, a great cyclone, crushing all in my path!!! BOOGA WOOGA WOOGA!!!" I made a silly face, and laughed when he flinched backwards. "Anyway, what did you need from me? I was just talking about that wyvern Hunt with the clerk."

He sighed, rubbing his face. "It's relatively simple, actually... as an A+ Rank, you're now entitled to doubled pay... and I wanted to negotiate your pay down from 12 gold a month."

"That is quite a ridiculous salary, isn't it? Tell you what; you pay me Five gold a month, and give me the other Seven gold in the form of materials for making you guys' armor, and properties in the Upper City and UnderTown. Maybe the land under and around my arch of stone, and a pair of shops near the Guild to sell my Armor and Alchemical Supplies at, for starters." I nodded seriously.

His eyes widened a bit, and he darted into what I now considered his office, seeing the paperwork strewn everywhere. He began flipping through a ledger, muttering to himself, and I nodded, leaving him to my request and walking back to the Clerk.

"So! Question: if I brought you a live Matron, how much would that be worth to you?" I asked him when he focused on me.

The old man blinked slowly. "That would be... well... if we would pay you 4 gold for a dead one, I guarantee we'd pay at least double for a live one... right Willam?"

Willam stuck his head out of his office. "At least triple!!! But... uhm... it would be a line of credit, added to your account with the Guild, not tangible money."

"That's acceptable. Speaking of money, I need to make a deposit, so I'll be going to the bank next door, is there anything else you need of me, Willam, or will you have my answers by tomorrow morning, as per usual?" I asked.

"The morning! That sounds right!" He called from his office.

"Good. Saccharine, you have anything you need done?" I glanced at him, as he was perusing a rack of spears, which I recognized to be Brill's work. The prices, I was startled to see, were in the 500-750 silver range. "Eesh... Makanin inflates his prices, doesn't he? Or is that the Guild's work?" I chuckled.

"Oh that's a little of both. We double his prices, but we allow haggling, so we make a profit, and everyone's moderately happy." The clerk grinned mischievously.

Saccharine nodded, gazing at one of the spears, which Identify told me was S-, with a Fire enchantment. "Looks nice... but expensive..."

"I could just make you one of those, you know..." I muttered.

He chuckled. "True, but that would be rude, after all, the economy depends on sales to Rangers and Adventurers to thrive."

"Then sell it to them when you're done with it." I shrugged carelessly.

He chuckled and picked up the spear, nodding to the clerk, who wrote down the price, and handed the note off. "So? The bank, you said, why?"

"Some monies to drop off, taxes to inquire about. It'll be boring, so you don't have to come if you don't want to. I don't know what people do for fun in this little town, but I'm sure it beats the bank." I shrugged.

"Mm, there are a few brothels and taverns with naked bar wenches, those are fun... I'll see you later tonight, then? Where at?" He asked casually.

"The Arcbrand Forge is where I'm headed after the bank, so I'll be there until the Hunt. I promised to help with the next batch of metals." I inspected the spear, and used Master Blacksmith to make it SS+, just by gripping it.

He raised an eyebrow at it, and chuckled. "Alright, then. Until Tonight." He pulled my shoulder down and kissed my cheek once he could reach, then strolled leisurely out of the Guild.

I shook my head to clear it, and made my way to the bank, where there was a bit of business today, unlike the last time. I waited patiently, as people milled about, talking to each other, and slowly I discovered a pattern; no one was really talking about anything. They were wasting time, intentionally.

A heavy sigh made its way out of my throat, and Intimidating Presence SS+ made all the talk in the room halt. I then casually and respectfully made my way through the crowd, and set the money I'd received, all seven Gold Pieces, onto the desk. "A deposit of Seven Gold, for Baron Josef's Account." I spoke calmly into the perfectly silent room.

The clerk nodded and handed the six gold pieces and the bag of silver over to one of the counters, who came back quickly. "Seven Gold Exact."

"Good, Good, Seven Gold Exact... Alright, will that be all?" The clerk signed the invoice and handed it to me.

"A question or two, actually, about my Tax responsibilities? I currently have no income, from being a merchant, but as a Baron, I receive a Stipend from the King, yes?" I asked.

"Ah! Taxes, something we understand very well!!! Yes, you do currently receive a monthly allowance of 20 gold pieces, as a Land Baron, though you currently only own one piece of land, it is rather large, and of the SS Rank, so it counts in your favor. Of that Twenty Gold, you would pay Five, if you had a business, but as you currently do not, it is all for the development of your land into a proper homestead!" He smiled, apparently back in his element.

"Alright, So if I were to open two stores, in town, selling Armor and Alchemical Supplies, and use the Arch Land to grow the herbs and crystals for the alchemy, I would pay five gold for the land, as it is now a part of my business, as well as five for each of the stores?" I clarified.

"Correct theory, though the numbers are a bit wrong. Each property would increase your allotment by five, therefore you would be receiving thirty, and paying fifteen." He nodded.

"Ah... I see. And if I were to buy the entirety of UnderTown, would I then have the right to sell that land at whatever price I liked, retaining Barony over it?" I asked.

"That is Correct. Would you like to do so? You just deposited enough here to pay for that entire shanty-town." He smiled viciously.

"Yes, I'd like that. That would be Seven gold for the entire town?" I asked.

"Correct." He nodded, and snapped his fingers, causing a young man to carry out a scroll in a silk case. "No one has had the wherewithal to evict the entirety of the UnderTown before, so I salute your gall, Baron Josef!" He chuckled crudely.

After he signed it and handed it to me, I shrugged. "I'm simply buying their land and having them come under my rule, not evicting them. They're a potent labor force, after all, and that would be an incredibly stupid economic mistake... Now, this translates to how many owned properties?" I waved the deed.

"Uhm... 22, by last assessment?" He answered slowly, confused by my complete rejection of his compliments.

I looked at the page, and whistled softly. "Twenty Two, all told? Very nice, so that's 110 gold, with twelve businesses, so... 140-75, that's 65 gold still owed me per month? I will expect that to be reflected in my account, after you make the announcement." I nodded, and waited until he pressed the note to the globe, just like the first time I'd deposited money.

After that, I made my way out before all the hoopla resumed, carrying the deed towards UnderTown.

The center of UnderTown was the Docks, their main source of income, and now my main source of Tax, which I would happily lessen incrementally, as I was currently paying all the taxes for the Town.

I decided to plant the deed next to the ArcBrand Forge, and stepped back as a smaller tree (by comparison to Evagil, though it was still massive,) erupted from the soil. Evagil's voice came from it, to my surprise. 'Ahh, expanding your Domain? Curious... I will plant more trees, in each of the properties... and I will increase the living conditions, because this is rather depressing, even for one as old as I.'

The roots of the tree pulsed briefly, and the ground quaked softly, as I felt a sewer system be excavated instantly, with slotted gutters and manholes, even storm drains, all going out a good ways into the water, and pouring off the sides of a few rocks that were above the water line even at high tide. The waste in the water would attract bait fish and therefore bigger fish, so the fishing community would gain from that decision as well.

Following that, the streets, little more than dirt pathways currently, became more strictly parallel, then hardened into stone, creating actual streets to go with the storm drains and sidewalks. Small fruit bushes popped up beside every house, bearing winter-fruit, such as elder berries and small (thirty foot tall) apple trees.

Lastly, the Docks: they were rickety and worn, broken in places, and that just wouldn't do. Quickly, there were stone docks, replacing the rickety wooden ones, with boat slings, for any dry-dock repairs, as well as massive winches to pull the boats into said Dry-Dock. Though they were still manually powered, the amount of manpower and time necessary would be largely reduced.

An abandoned warehouse was quickly repaired, upgraded, and made usable, before being stamped with a Compass with a Mountaintop in the forefront, which I'd decided on as my House Symbol. None of my children were here, meaning my house was just me, but I also knew from past experience that all the little bells and whistles of being rich or powerful were all that the snobs ever cared about. If I wanted their respect, I would just have to play the part.

'User: Baron Josef, has expanded his domain! You may now go between all of your properties instantly, as well as your Rank has risen! Due to the increased power of your Land, your Buff has gained a few abilities! Your lowest skills have gained rank, meaning Skill: Budding ArchMage has risen to S-! Also, your Land is classified as 'Port Town', and as such offers mercantile benefits! Next up, we have, Skill: ArchLich awakened, and you may absorb it, Temperature Resistance, Identify, and Witch-Doctor, into Budding ArchMage to create Mythical Skill: Phoenix ArchMage!'

'Let's do that, that sounds interesting.'

'Accepted! As the lowest skill, Herculean Legacy has Ranked up to SS! As the possessor of Four Mythical Skills, User: Baron Josef has gained the Rank: High Born, and has gained the Title: Land Baron Patriarch! All land you own has been raised a Rank, where possible!'

I flinched as the roads and buildings all around us slowly repaired themselves, the lean-to's turning into small, quaint log cabins, and the actual houses gaining a more reputable appearance.

'Huh... alrighty, then...'

'While I am Active, would you like anything else?'

I nodded. "That's a wonderful start! Thank you, Messenger, and you, Evagil."

'Of course!!! See you soon, I bet!'

'Hm. You will be a good Baron.' Evagil muttered, and his voice faded, apparently going back to sleep.

Brill came outside, rubbing his hand, which had a large red mark on it, like he'd smacked himself with his hammer in surprise. He saw me and the tree, and grinned. "Ah, and there's the explanation, Mara! It's Josef, being disruptive again, all is well!!!"

"Hey!" I protested.

He raised an eyebrow, and otherwise ignored my reaction. "Anyway, what's all this?" He asked, tapping a boot against a sewer cover.

"Better hygiene, sewer system, storm drains, fishing lures out in the Bay, and year-round fruits for food. I now own UnderTown, and I'm here to offer to sell you your land back, if you'd like to deal with all the hassle of being a Lord." I got back on track, and grinned.

He sighed. "Let's get inside, then... seems a little heavy for casual conversation."

I nodded and followed him to the open-air Forge, sitting on the Forge and waiting as he gathered his thoughts.

"So, let's return to your question... you are correct to say that being a Noble would only cause me problems, and I am happy that you were the one to do that... and I will leave that to you. For now." He nodded.

"Alright, Good to know... now that that's done, let's talk about something slightly different... I want to sell my work in a store in the city, but I don't want to interfere with Makanin's business. How will I do so?" I asked.

He laughed. "Kieran won't mind the competition, child. You must only make sure that your prices aren't too far under his, because that would undercut him unfairly."

"Well, my works would be higher quality, so they'd be higher priced, actually, so it's nice that that issue will not appear... And I will sell armor and Alchemical Supplies as well. The Guild will run the place for me while I do my own thing." I shrugged casually, and began placing metal into the Forge.

He nodded, and began pumping the bellows. "Yes, I imagine you will be able to make a decent mint on that..."

I pulled the white-hot metal out of the Forge with my hands, and placed it onto the Anvil, raising my hammer and flattening it in two heavy swings. "What am I making?" I asked.

"Spearheads." He grunted, and tossed more metal into the fire.

"Mm." I nodded, and began shaping spearheads from the metal. We settled into a companionable silence, and as the day progressed, working on Makanin's Order. We finished all the spearheads, and about half the arrowheads, including their enchantments, which meant that I was no longer needed for the forging process, and I'd completed my duties.

One day of work, and we were mostly done, not to mention the fact that I watched as Brill's face lit up, and he cheered happily, having finally gained SS+ Smithing, with the improved metals and my Smithing techniques.

"And with that, you don't need my help to make your orders on time, though my hammering was definitely useful... Hmm... oh! Who's that boy I keep seeing around, the one who cleans your house when Mara isn't looking?" I chuckled, having an idea.

"Hmm? You mean Jano? What need you of him?" Brill asked, still grinning and celebrating his Skill.

"JANO!!!" I barked once, and waited a few moments for the boy to sprint in, huffing for breath.

"Y-Yes, sir?" He stuttered.

"Stand still." I placed a hand on his head, and he froze stiff. 'Give him as best a copy of Herculean Legacy SS as possible?'

'Understood, command accepted, Gifting User: Jano with Skill: Herculean Legacy D-... done. An automated System Announcer has been assigned to him. Anything else?'

'And Temperature Resistance, Yes.'

'Understood. Gifting User: Jano with Temperature Resistance D-.'

'Next, the Huntsman Skill, with Preserve and Dismantle, and Smithing, Leather-working, all D-, yes?'

'Correct. Gifting User: Jano... done.'

'And that's all, thank you very much!' I smiled. "Now, how do you feel, Boy?" I asked, moving my hand away.

He blinked, and then squeaked when I dropped my hammer into his hands.

Brill leapt forward with surprising swiftness to intercept, but halted when he saw that Jano had caught the hammer, and was grunting in effort to heft it, but he had managed. "Well I'll be damned... how did you-... you didn't Gift those skills to him, did you?" He asked warily.

"Of course I did! Is that bad?" I asked, suddenly concerned that I'd committed a crime.

He sighed as Jano knelt in front of me, holding the hammer up. "Baron Josef, I-"

"Shush, you, give me a moment... and none of that, off your knees, Boy! And always hold a hammer by the grip, never the head!!!" I frowned at him, and stood him up straight, setting the hammer into his hands properly.

Brill shook his head. "Not bad, but he's your vassal, now. That's how it works."

"Ahh... well, he works for you, and that's final." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

He laughed, and patted Jano's shoulder. "Yes, it looks like you're stuck with me, Jano! And now you'll be a real help in the Forge!"

"Weeeeell... I meant him more as a striker, seeing as his Smithing Skill is only D-." I shrugged.

He grinned. "Still, the raw strength will be helpful! Now, off with you, I have an Apprentice to put to work!" He cackled madly, leading Jano over to the anvil, and setting a piece of hot metal in front of him. "Now, What you'll need to do, is picture the form of the metal, think about how much metal you have, what you can accomplish with it,-"

I walked out, smiling, and sat against the tree, whittling a small piece of drift-wood into the shape of a dragon, to pass the time until Saccharine finished his brothel-hopping.

I wondered briefly on what type of company he preferred, but decided to let it go. I wasn't his keeper, after all, and it really wasn't any of my business, until he offered the information to me freely. Until then, I would focus on things like 'I wonder what wyverns look like here?'