The party ran the dungeon twice before they broke for dinner. The closest tavern to the carillion was the Onion, but they decided to all head to a weapons shop first to buy what equipment they could. With the one hundred and one coins from the two runs and thirty-two coins from selling crafting equipment, and agreeing that they would need coins for food and lodging, they decided to buy a weapon first. That would help future carillion runs go faster. So they upgraded Galoot’s mace to a warhammer and then upgraded both Galoot’s and Spark’s shields from the buckler to the full. This left them with 30 coins left over, which would be more than enough for food but not enough for lodging for the full group.

  “So, I think,” Alastair explained as they walked into the Onion, “if we do one more quick run, we’ll have enough coins to get reasonable lodging for the night. There is also at least one shop that stays open late. So we can swap out spare coins from the run for more crafting tools. Then we’ll each split the loot and craft tonight. Then rinse and repeat tomorrow.”

  Flor approached the bartender Nikolette and ordered five dinners with the non-mop water beer for the table. From where he saw, Alastair thought he saw Nikolette warning Flor about something, but Flor just waved it off.

  Sparks was saying something, then said, “Did any of you hear me?”

  Galoots said, “Yeah, you were complaining that it’s stupid that we have to make so many conversions and clocktower runs to max out equipment. It’s the same argument we’ve all heard and made before. But there isn’t much we can do about it.”

  “It’s stupid that we need another twenty runs to get the level-three equipment. If we stick around after to go to the Tower, we’ll need level-four equipment, so even more runs on that stupid carillon. There has got to be a better way about this.”

  Maelstrom said, “There is a pendent of wealth, but it only increases wealth gain by twenty-five percent and would require five more runs on the clocktower for the blueprints alone, let alone the items for crafting it. To my knowledge, the pendant can’t be bought, only crafted.”

  Galoots said, “How do you know so much about this stuff, Mal?”

  Maelstrom leaned back and crossed her arms. “I read a lot. Why, what’s it worth to you?”

  Galoots leaned forward, “Just that I’ve scoured all the sources and press releases on this game and haven’t heard of that. Did you just come across it naturally in the course of your wandering, or was there some source I missed?”

  Maelstrom scoffed. “Don’t forget, Galoots, that while you were drowning yourself in beer at the Monastery, I was exploring as much of this island as possible.”

  “So you’re in it for the prize money, then? Finish first and with the most bugs so you can take home the fifty-k purse?”

  “Yeah, what of it? I’d be silly not to.”

  Alastair turned to Galoots. “What is the fifty-k purse?”

  “Oh, you don’t know? The first player on each server that meets the exit criteria gets twenty-five thousand US dollarydoos. And the player who records the most glitches and bugs gets the same amount.”

  “For playing an alpha test?”

  “Yeah, it was in all the press releases canvasing for testers.”

  “I don’t read those sorts of things. I’m not big into following gaming news.”

  Sparks jumped in. “Regardless, Mal, what other ways are there to get more cash fast?”

  Maelstrom said, “I haven’t found another way.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Alastair said, “What if we ask for it?”

  They all turned to him and looked at him strangely.

  Flor said, “Who? Who would give us a thousand coins?”

  “The Mayor. Or maybe his brother. Maybe not all of it, but maybe enough that we don’t need to spend two more whole days running up and down the carillon. It’s worth asking, at least, right?”

  The rest of the party all asked questions at the same time. “What if it fails? Should we rob the Mayor’s Manor? Is there a bank we could rob? Should we ask tonight?”

  Alastair held up his hand to get them to slow down. “Our beer is here. Let’s shelf the conversation for a moment.”

  The serving boy put five mugs on the table and departed without looking at anyone. Galoots drank deeply. “I’m going to need another one or two of these.”

  “How about, while you four do another clocktower run, I’ll talk with the Mayor. Maybe he’d be willing, or maybe not, but it’s easy enough to ask. Then we’ll follow through with the plan while considering other alternatives.”

  The group grudgingly acquiesced.

  Maelstrom said, “I’d like to go with you to the Manor. The Mayor…owes me. And with the new gear, the team should be as strong to take down that silly Hectic Hippo. {The Carillon big boss with nine attack and nine defense. With three supporting characters and Maelstrom in the lead, they had been able to take it down in five rounds with minimal damage. They were probably strong enough to take down a sixth-floor boss. If there was one. There isn’t.}

  Alastair looked at the team. “It’s up to you if you’re comfortable with that?” One by one they shrugged.

  “As long as we get out of this stupid game all the faster,” said Flor.

  “Hey, the party guy is back. Gonna ask the Lord Mayor where to find more cats?”

  Alastair waved at the guards as they passed through the gate.

  “What’s that about?” Maelstrom asked.

  Alastair continued walking as he answered. “When I brought Galoots to complete the city, we snuck into the manor and down to the vault to solve the puzzle. On the way out, we ran into the Mayor as he was walking and we asked if he knew where any cats were as a means of distraction.” He thought for a moment. “How did you beat the city?”

  “Blackmail.”

  “Blackmail? Care to explain?”

  “I blackmailed the Mayor.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Not that I’m willing to share.”

  Silently, they continued down the tree-lined path and across the bridge. They past the barracks and walked into the manor itself.

  “I still think the design for this building is inappropriate,” Maelstrom said.

  “I’ve thought the same thing.”

  “You don’t have to try to flatter me. I’m already past the point where I’ll kill you.”

  “I don’t… That wasn’t… It’s a silly building design that doesn’t fit the theme. The whole disparate building thing in the game confuses me, in general.”

  “Yeah, whatever. How about you let me do the talking in here, okay?”

  “What, so you can blackmail more?”

  “Yes, something like that. I have a certain influence that you likely do not.”

  As they walked up the stairs and into the Manor, Alastair noticed her twirling a coin between her fingers. He said, “What’s that?”

  “One more thing for you to not worry about.”

  “Fine. What’s the best guess to find the Mayor, then?”

  “Do you never shut up? Just follow me,” she said winding around a corridor.

  The lack of people in the manor still confused Alastair. He thought to comment on it but stopped himself. Maelstrom had been a jerk in the past, but she seemed more so tonight, so he would stop trying.

  She led them to a large wooden door, behind which was a well-filled-out library. Through the library was another door. Maelstrom went to kneel at the door and started to pick the lock, which Alastair knew would place her in a sudoku puzzle. The lock popped after a moment, meaning that it either wasn’t challenging or that she was an expert in that sort of puzzle. She opened the door into what must have been a study.

  Lord Mayor Oliver Francesc was leaning back in a chair being serviced by one of the servants. Alastair’s eyes grew wide.

  Maelstrom said, “They’ll let just anyone in here, won’t they, Ollie?”

  The servant looked surprised while the Lord Mayor looked surprised and yelled, “You aren’t allowed in here!” The servant looked at the Mayor, who covered himself up. “Damn you! What now? Another writ? And you, Alastair! What are you doing here?”

  “Didn’t think I’d find out even more of your indiscretions, did you? We have another favor to ask of you.”

  “Well, go on?”

  “I need you to outfit our entire party with top-of-the-line gear. You decide if that’s cash or gear from your lockers.”

  “How much are we talking about?”

  “A little over a thousand. Let’s make it twelve hundred to be sure.”

  “What!? No way. That’s too much!”

  “I’m sure Beatrice here might disagree.”

  The servant looked pleadingly at Oliver. He put his hand to his neck, then sighed. “Fine. You can outfit yourself from the lockers, and I’ll cover the cost with anything you can’t find there.”

  Maelstrom smiled a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “Fantastic. Just have a letter written up for us in the morning by eight”

  “Fine, fine. Just get out of her.”

  Maelstrom leaned down to the Mayor and said, “And we have another favor…”