I nod, his explanation answering some of my lingering questions. “So that’s why the merchants are treated so poorly in this city.”

  “Yeah. It was just words and a few scuffles at first. But Karina started holding rallies, riling them up with speeches. Before long, she was leading them around the shopping streets, terrorizing the merchants. We started hiring guards to deter them, but that only made things worse.

  “Geld,” he continues, “would kill any guards who resisted their rebellion. Soon, merchants began to leave the town, taking their money with them. They didn’t like that. One day, we woke up and she declared herself the new mayor, leading her mob around and forcing the wealthy to pay a heavy tax. Anyone who resisted had their store or house destroyed by the mob.”

  “What was the previous mayor doing?” I ask.

  “He requested help from his lord, Marquis Lars, but nobody showed up. In the end, he was killed. After that, the townsfolk took our homes for themselves, forcing us to live in their old, rundown houses. Yet, we were still forced to work, making products for them to sell, while they lived like kings with their stolen money.

  “It didn’t last forever, though,” Edwin continues. “With the city’s reputation destroyed and nobody left to buy, the good times eventually came to an end. Now they scrape by with watered down soup and hard bread. In the end, they ended up worse than they started.”

  “So, they rallied around Karina and used Geld to force compliance. Sounds like a simple case of the haves vs the have-nots. That’ll make this much easier to fix.”

  “You think this whole situation is simple and easy to fix? Lad, you may be strong, but I doubt someone your age can understand just how messy these things can get.”

  “No, I understand. I used to be stuck between a group of haves and a group of have-nots. Nearly every day, I’d have to mediate between the two, trying to solve problems in a way so that both groups would be happy.”

  Life as a low-level manager wasn’t easy. The employees and upper management were always at odds, each wanting what’s best for themselves at the expense of the other.

  “Huh? What kind of situation were you in?”

  “It’s complicated. Just know that since they’ve gone so far in their revolt, they’ll never be able to admit that they were wrong. It would mean everything they’ve fought for was wasted.”

  History is ripe with examples of these types of revolts. When a population is pushed into desperation, the result is often a bloody conflict.

  As someone who enjoys well-told history, I often found myself watching documentaries or reading summaries of major historical conflicts. There’s no shortage of rebellions in Earth’s history, and I have no doubt that the same applies to this world.

  During the French revolution on Earth, the lower class was pushed to the brink of starvation by the aristocracy thanks to high taxes, poor harvests, and a wave of disease affecting their cattle. The crown was broke due to their involvement in the American Revolution and the excessive spending of their king, Louis XVI.

  Eventually, the people revolted. They began to loot and burn the estates of the nobility. The riots became known as the Great Fear to the upper class, forcing many to flee the country as the people slowly took control by force.

  However, after gaining control, the very people who supposedly fought to put an end to the monarchy’s abuse of power wound up being no better than the king they executed.

  They unleashed the Reign of Terror, a nearly year-long period of time where suspected enemies of the revolutionaries were guillotined by the thousands.

  In a twist of irony, the lower class revolted against their own revolution, killing their leader, and finally ushering in an age of relative peace as they rebuilt their shattered country.

  It’s not much different in this city. Now that they’ve taken control, there’s no way they’ll relinquish it—not until they’re pushed to the brink again.

  “They won’t listen, no matter what we say.” Edwin’s face hardens as he speaks. “That’s why we’re fighting. We don’t have a choice.”

  “Yes, but like you said, they’re even more desperate and starving now than they were before. I have a plan; after all, simply killing Karina and Geld won’t solve your problem.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I think back to the fanaticism the townspeople displayed at the execution. “I’ve seen just how dedicated the mayor’s followers are. What do you think they’ll do to the people who kill their ‘savior’?”

  “Those fools were more than happy to take everything from us, thinking it would make their lives better. We’ll have no problem defending ourselves from them if they attack us.”

  Murmurs of agreement spread through the other members nearby.

  The hatred between the mayor’s mob and these resistance fighters won’t fade easily.

  “It’s not the fighting that’s the problem—it’s what comes after. Martyrs are a dangerous thing, you see. It creates fanatics, willing to do anything to avenge them. As things are, there’s no telling how her followers will react to her death. This whole city may be destroyed in the aftermath.”

  “I’ll take that gamble if it means there’s even a small chance of restoring this city. We don’t have the luxury of any other options.”

  “Well,” I say, “what if I told you there’s another way? A way where her followers cheer as she’s put to death?”

  “That’s ridiculous. There’s no way you can do that.”

  “I can, if I use their desperation to my advantage.”

  “How?”

  “They’ve placed their hopes in the mayor, praying she will make their lives better. What do you think would happen if she were to betray them?”

  Edwin ponders for a few seconds. “I see where you’re going with this, lad. But she’d never do that. She knows her head would roll.”

  “True. But we don’t actually need her to betray them. We simply need the people to believe that she did.”

  I explain my plan to them in detail. Edwin is hesitant to accept it, thinking there’s no way I can pull it off. Even Belle and Alisha don’t show much faith in me, but there’s one person who speaks up on my behalf.

  “If it’s Lutz, then it’s possible,” Laya says.

  “Oh? What makes you so sure?” Edwin’s curiosity is piqued now that he’s heard her voice for the first time.

  “He said he can do it, so he can.”

  “That’s … some strange logic.”

  Reluctantly, he agrees. Not because he actually believes in me, but because even if I fail, it won’t hinder his ability to carry out his original plan, as long as I defeat Geld.

  We continue our discussion until we nail down the finer details of the operation. He’s in a hurry to finish this before Mayor Karina can make her move, so his men are already in position to strike at any time. Because of that, it’s not hard to convince him to begin tomorrow morning.

  With the main topic finished, I ask the question that’s been on my mind since I first stepped into this warehouse.

  “By the way, what’s this smell? Did something burn down nearby?”

  “Slimes,” Laya says with a hint of anger.

  I take a deep, slow breath. “Yeah, it does have a similar smell to that slime-infested forest.”

  “We’re near the northeast of the city,” Edwin says, “where the slimes showed up.”

  “Slimes attacked this city? When did that happen?”

  “A few months ago. They just appeared out of nowhere one night—hundreds of them. Nearly the whole northeast section of the city was destroyed by the time the guards killed the last one.”

  “What…?”

  That doesn’t make any sense. Slimes are slow and stupid. How can hundreds suddenly show up in the middle of town?

  “Ever since then, they show up every couple weeks, always appearing in the northeast of town in the middle of the night. No matter how many guards patrol the area, nobody ever sees where they come from.”

  “When was the last time they attacked?”

  “A few weeks ago. It should be about time for them to appear again. That’s why the mayor has recently increased the patrols in the area. Guess I’ll give her credit for that, if nothing else.”

  Can I use this? There’s one thing I’ve been looking forward to ever since Belle and Alisha joined me, but I haven’t had the opportunity to do it yet.

  With our business finished, Edwin leads us out of their main base and back into the city. We take him up on an offer for a nice, quiet place to stay for the night in one of the unused houses that they keep clean, while he heads off to make his final preparations.

  The two rooms in the house each have a single bed. There are tables and chairs, along with boarded-up shutters on the windows, but the floor and walls are otherwise bare.

  I look at Belle and Alisha. “The beds are large enough for two people, so you two can share one. You can have the other, Laya. I’ll sleep in my bedroll next to you.”

  “Eh?” Belle remarks. “Shouldn’t the slave be the one who sleeps in the bedroll? Actually—um, a-are you going to sleep by yourself?” She grows nervous as she speaks, with her face flushing a soft red.

  “Of course I’m going to sleep by myself,” I say matter-of-factly.

  “Oh … okay.” She looks to Laya, as if she’s trying to figure something out. Laya merely looks back at her calmly.

  What is Belle thinking? No, I don’t want to know…

  The four of us gather in one bedroom, with Alisha and Belle looking exhausted.

  Guess I can’t blame them. They went from being wanted, masterless slaves to resistance fighters in the course of one day. They’re probably still trying to process how they ended up in this situation.

  Meanwhile, Laya is comfortably sitting on the edge of the bed, swinging her feet back and forth.

  “Ok you two,” I say as I look at Alisha and Belle. “I need you to take off your clothes and armor.”

  “Eh!?” they exclaim at the same time.

  “Lutz…” Laya says flatly.

  Ah. I guess I could have worded that better.

  “After I leave the room, of course,” I add.

  Laya decides to stay with them, so I head to the other room alone. While I wait, I consider each piece of their equipment and how to maximize its potential while complementing the strengths of its wearer.

  Because of how [Enchanting] works, I’m limited on where I can place the necessary enchantments. I can put a powerful [Defense Up] on a piece of chest armor, but if I try to put [Speed Up] on it, it’ll end up weak.

  It becomes like a puzzle, trying to fit every piece into its right place, with each piece differing depending on who it belongs to, making each set of enchanted equipment unique in its own way.

  Man, this is honestly really fun. How many times have I done this in games? Picking apart the mechanics, figuring out which stats or buffs are more powerful than the others to give myself an edge over my opponents—or at least to be on an even playing field if they’re competent as well.

  Because of my scarce resources and low level, my options are still far too limited right now. However, with each step up in strength we can take on tougher enemies, gaining more experience and better items. It’s from repeating that process over and over that we’ll eventually become the strongest party this world has ever seen.

  I need to find a dungeon. I can’t stay low level forever—not in the situation I’m in. A lot of people believe I’m strong, but that’s not true. I’ve seen what the other heroes are capable of. Even now, I’m nowhere near them. I need to get stronger. Much stronger.

  I finish the necessary preparations for enchanting, yet they’re still not done changing.

  So even girls in this world take their time getting ready, huh?

  It was a common joke back on Earth, but I rarely saw it myself since I didn’t have much experience with girls. I spent most of my young adulthood focused on college and my career. I figured I’d build a foundation first, then eventually find someone to share it with. In the end, that “eventually” never came.

  After years of dedication trying to climb the corporate ladder, I became disillusioned with the business world because of all the lies, greed, and backstabbing. It seemed like the higher up the ladder someone was, the worse they were. Many of them were good at hiding it, but if you’re around them enough, you begin to catch glimpses of their true selves.

  That’s why I gave up. It’s not that I was satisfied with my position as a low-level manager, it’s just that I was afraid of what I may become if I climbed any further—afraid which parts of me I would have to sacrifice at the altar of promotions.

  I’d always enjoyed video games as a relaxing hobby, so it was an easy retreat from the harsh reality of my life. I could pour all my pent-up energy and dedication into them that used to go toward my work. Before I knew it, I was in a cycle of waking up just in time to get to work, then coming home and playing games until bedtime.

  Thoughts of building a normal life were gone. Maybe I could blame it on being an introvert or just laziness, but I can’t shake the feeling somewhere deep inside that I simply couldn’t bring myself to trust another human being after having my illusions shattered so completely.

  I thought I could start over here in this world. I really did. I wanted to be the hero—the protagonist of my own story. And yet…

  I shake my head to dispel my negative thoughts.

  I’ve got a lot of things to do before tomorrow; I can’t lose focus now.

  It’s not that I have the same naïve hopefulness as I did when I arrived, thinking myself a chosen hero, but I gave these people my word that I’d fix this city. That’s all the reason I need to see it through.

  If my hunch is correct, we’ll be busy well past nightfall. I need to get up before the sun tomorrow, too. It’ll be a miracle if I get more than four hours of sleep tonight.

  Lacking sleep for one night isn’t a problem, though. My high stats don’t just affect my strength and endurance, they also allow me to go well beyond normal human limits in other ways.

  I need to be careful, though. I’m still not sure what some of my limits are.

  I hear the door to the other room open and a few seconds later, the three girls walk in carrying the clothes and armor I asked them to remove.

  “Good. Place it all on the table.”

  The girls do as I instruct, and I take a seat before grabbing the shirt Belle was wearing a short time ago.

  “Um, Sir. Are you going to enchant them?” Belle asks curiously.

  “That’s right. Things are going to get dangerous soon, so I need to power you two up.”

  “How many do you think you can enchant before bedtime?”

  “Hmm? All of them, of course.”

  “All of them…?”

  I hold my arm out to Belle, with her newly enchanted shirt gripped in my hand. “Here. This one’s done.”

  “Huh? Done? But all you did was grab it for a few seconds while looking at it.” Belle’s expression makes it clear that she doesn’t believe me.

  “Try it on, then,” I say as I begin enchanting the next piece of clothing.

  I continue enchanting as Belle goes into the other room to change her shirt. I feel resistance with each enchant I place due to the low quality of the material the clothes are made from, but that can’t be helped since our options are limited.

  Just as I finish the last piece of her clothing, Belle bursts into the room wearing her enchanted shirt.

  “Amazing! It’s really enchanted! A powerful one! How did you put such a strong enchantment on it so quickly!?”

  “Isn’t that normal?” I actually wanted to ask her why she was calling that weak enchantment “powerful.”

  “Normal!? There’s no way that’s the case! Even skilled enchanters would take at least an hour to make something like this!”

  Is that so? I wonder why…

  “Anyway, your clothes are done. Feel free to try them on if you want.”

  As Belle dashes to the other room, I start on Alisha’s armor. The quality of the material is better, so the enchantments come out a little stronger.

  That’s good because we need to make up for her low stats.

  “Master, is it really alright for us to use this equipment?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Enchanted equipment is really valuable. As slaves, we’ll be easy prey for anyone looking to steal it.”

  “Ah, I see what you mean. Then, when Belle gets back, I’ll explain why you don’t have to worry about that.”

  Alisha looks confused by my statement but waits quietly for Belle to return.

  I finish enchanting her equipment, save for one piece. Her lizard scale mail lies on the table in front of me. The overlapping scales attached to the thin leather jerkin are of decent quality, but they’re from a common, low-level monster.

  This armor will be the centerpiece of her equipment set. I need to ensure that it has the most powerful enchantment possible.

  Another quirk of [Enchanting] is that larger pieces of equipment allow for more powerful buffs. Even as it is, Alisha’s armor is capable of holding a stronger enchantment than anything I’ve enchanted so far.

  It’s not enough. She needs every edge I can give her.

  As I consider my options, Belle charges into the room, fully decked out in her enchanted combat clothes.

  “Sir Lutz! It’s amazing! I feel like I can take on the whole world with these clothes!”

  “Don’t get conceited. You’re still far too weak to be talking like that.” I know how she feels. The first time I put on a full set of enchanted equipment, the excitement made my hair stand on end.

  I tune Belle out as she prattles on about her new equipment, contemplating how to further enhance Alisha’s armor.

  Wait…

  I reach my hand out over the table, placing it a couple inches above the surface. Several fiery-red scales appear beneath my hand, reflecting light from the soft lamps that surround us.

  “What are those?” Laya asks.

  “Scales from a young salamander.”

  “You mean the one you defeated when you were training at that old cabin?”

 

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