After Silas confirmed Madi’s status, the man moved quickly. He sent Jude back out, brought in his secretary, and put together the beginnings of a new business venture in the space of a few hours.

“Why is he on such a war path?” Orrin asked Madi. “He’s got everyone running around like the world is about to end.”

Madi looked around and pulled Orrin around the corner. “Spies.”

“Here?” Orrin turned on his [Map] but saw only the normal household members and his own party, minus Jude and Brandt.

“Everywhere,” Madi confided. “It’s part of being one of the Houses of Dey. On the surface, we all help each other and work for the common good. Behind closed doors, they all try to bankrupt each other and take more power.”

“So your dad thinks the other Houses will catch on and try to get a piece of the [Side Steps] pie?” Orrin caught on quick.

“Yes. So he’ll move to take over as many skill book creators as possible, possibly throw out a few false leads, or even have Sir DeGuis plant them,” Madi kept her voice low.

“So what’s my cut?” Orrin asked jokingly.

“He’ll give you a fair percentage,” Madi answered disinterestedly. “But we should really be worrying about the best way to level our skill.”

“I’m sorry what?” Orrin was sure he had misheard her. He was actually going to get paid for this entire debacle.

“I’m sure Kevin has come up with a fair share to put aside for you as the discoverer of this, to be fair, loophole in the system. It is rare but not unique. There was a skill called [Detect] a few hundred years back that everyone used until [Identify] was discovered. Somebody figured out that people with the skill got a boost for using the skill on something new. Like if they had never used [Detect] on a fork before, the skill would level a bit faster. He created a zoo, but of just hundreds of normal, unique items. He made lots of money and people leveled their skills.”

Skills can be discovered? Orrin learned more everyday. When would he stop being surprised?

“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Orrin muttered.

“Oh, he wouldn’t try to undersell you,” Madi turned her full attention to Orrin. “If he did, one of the other Lords could use it against him. If you are unhappy with the price he offers, just let him know.”

“No,” Orrin waved his hands. “I meant I don’t know how I feel about cornering a market. Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone to just take the skill normally? Why the need to make this about money?”

“But not everybody can take the skill.” Madi hit her head. “I keep forgetting your class is all over the place. Most people can’t just buy the skill. They have to find a skill book.”

Madi saw a maid heading down the hall and pulled Orrin into a side room. It looked like a storage room for extra chairs and a large chandelier that was half-covered by a sheet.

“Orrin, who do you think is going to buy the most skill books once this becomes common knowledge?”

“The guild? Maybe just random adventurers?” Orrin wiped a cobweb off his shoulder.

“The other Lords,” Madi whispered. “They’ll want to outfit all their knights and maybe more with a one in ten chance of dodging an attack. Do you have any idea of how expensive it is to train up a knight? Or the loss to a House when one dies?”

Orrin realized the implications. This would make the Houses more powerful. He was at fault for making the rich and powerful, more rich and powerful.

“So, your dad is going to keep all the power for himself,” Orrin spat. “Or charge a pretty penny and allow just enough to the other Lords to keep them happy.”

“What? No! What kind of person do you think he is?” Madi asked angrily. “He’s going to get as many of those who can make the skill books and get contracts with them. That way they will be protected. He’ll work with them to create a fair market value, so the other Lords can’t force them to work at outfitting their entire House with the newest skill. He’s working so hard right now because it is very likely someone in our House has already reported everything to another Lord. Those few people in Dey who can make this particular skill book? They’re in danger right now. I know my father hasn’t made the best impression for you, but know that he is working hard to protect the people of Dey.”

Orrin felt slightly moved by her speech but still remembered the way Silas had demanded obedience with his skills just a few days before. Madi could stick up for her dad all she wanted, but Orrin would keep his eye on him all the same.

“Let’s head back,” Madi peeked out the door. “Nobody’s around.”

Orrin could tell she was still upset about him insulting her father. “Madi, I’m sorry I didn’t realize what he was doing. I hope he finds them all. Next time I come up with some way to break the system, I’ll be sure to tell him in private.”

Madi let out a chuckle. “Yeah Orrin, if you come up with another system-breaking loophole, please do it only behind closed doors.”

They made their way back to the entryway, where Silas was signing papers. Jude and Brandt had returned and already given their reports, as they were both chatting away excitedly with Daniel.

“Orrin!” Daniel waved. “I had a great idea. Come over here.”

As Orrin and Madi got closer, Orrin felt a sense of dread. Daniel was holding a ball. It looked a little bigger than a soccer ball and was a little beaten up.

“What’s that?” Orrin pointed. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea, Daniel.”

Daniel tossed the ball up in the air and caught it. “While everybody was running around thinking about the skill, I was about to start gathering up more pillows. One of the maids yelled at me for trying to dirty them up. I guess the Catanzanos have good taste and these are filled with some monster feathers that cost their weight in gold.”

Madi ducked her head but didn’t rebut what Daniel said.

“So naturally…” Daniel paused for effect. “I thought of dodgeball.”

Hours later and more bruises then Orrin could count, he crawled into bed.

Despite all his best efforts, the two knights and Daniel had decided that waving pillows around was not manly enough. They had to pelt each other with hard leather balls.

At least my skill leveled, he thought.

[Side Steps] Level 2 – 2% chance to evade any attack (43/200)

Orrin would admit to himself that playing dodgeball was still better than playing sword dummy for Daniel. He’d never admit it to Daniel though.

That asshole knows how much I hate dodgeball.

After Silas had worked out his contracts with the four known skill book writers in Dey, he’d allowed Jude and Brandt to also get the skill. He’d also gotten the skill for the [Hero] as a gift. A few hours of play had resulted in the same results of a few months of dangerous, live-threatening adventuring.

Silas had also confirmed Madi’s story. The four writers were under his protection and had agreed to exclusively write [Side Steps] skill books at a reduced price. Each book would sell for between seventy to seventy-five gold, depending on other contracts with various bookstores around town.

Orrin would get two gold pieces for every book sold. The information had already hit the streets and every skill book had already been sold. It took an entire week for a writer to create a book, so Orrin wasn’t going to be rolling in immediate gold. But Silas said Kevin could invest the steady income and keep him well off.

Orrin had a question though.

“With the price being so high, won’t that just mean all the Houses are buying the skills?”

Silas, who had just finished explaining the great deal he’d cut, looked a bit miffed. “I believe that for the foreseeable future, yes. The Houses of Dey will likely purchase the books for their own use.”

“What about the adventurers and normal people who this could help?”

“If an adventurer truly desires the skill, there are other ways to get it,” Silas said. “Or they could try to cut a deal with a House. I cannot control the third-party market.”

Orrin thought and asked, “Instead of me getting, what would it be, eight gold a week, could we earmark one book every other month to go to the guild? They could sell it to an adventurer only. It would make Dey stronger too right? Because we’d have stronger people to defend the Wall?”

“You want to give up sixty-four gold every two months so a random person the guild picks is able to get a skill book?”

Orrin had never really played poker, but Silas’ face was unreadable.

“I know I wouldn’t be paying full price for one of the books, but I think it would help spread the skill a bit more right?” Orrin asked hopefully. If Silas turned him down, he could always save the money and do it on his own anyways. If he could find someone to sell him the book.

“You continue to surprise me,” Silas smiled at Orrin for the first time with warmth. “I’m beginning to see what the [Hero] likes about you. I’ll work it out with the guild. I can’t promise they won’t do something untoward with the skill, but giving the adventurers of Dey a chance will be enough.”

Silas turned his chair around but stopped and turned back. He’d put his hand out to shake Orrin’s hand.

Orrin sighed in his bed. He considered casting [Heal Small Wounds] but as it was sitting on the maximum and waiting to be leveled, it wasn’t worth the extra mana. Instead he used his last mana pool of the night trying to get [Camouflage] higher.

When Daniel came to bed a little later, he didn’t even see Orrin there, hiding in plain sight.

There had been no additional sightings of cloudsabers or other high experience, low star monsters in the area for several days. The party played dodgeball whenever Jude and Brandt weren’t on duty. Madi worked on controlling her spells better and Orrin tried to max out all of his spells. He was still waffling on what to level to the next level.

Daniel’s growth after hitting level ten was enormous. He’d stopped worrying about saving his skill points and gone a little overboard with his skills and spells. He’d shared them with Orrin the morning after their first dodgeball game.

Control Motion- Individual is able to control his body with minute control. (25 AP)

The spell was the similar to his own [Mind Bastion] but in the physical sense. It also didn’t give the additional text of controlling his mind, so Orrin wasn’t too worried about him turning in a bigger ass than he already was.

Daniel had also bought [Gravity Strike], which looked like an upgraded version of [Power Strike].

Gravity Strike- 4x damage on your next hit (20 AP) Error. Similar skill. Replace [Power Strike] for 10 AP.

“I got an error when I bought that,” Daniel had explained. “I only had to pay ten points for it but I had to give up [Power Strike]. I had one hundred points left and might have wasted it, but this looks upgradeable and it doesn’t cost any mana, which I definitely need to focus on at level twenty. I told you that my ten stat points could go in any stat block right? I just chose strength because-“

“You’re rambling Daniel,” Orrin interrupted. “What did you do?”

Daniel blushed and threw another box.

[Homebase] teleport yourself and your party to a destination of your choice. Once set, the destination cannot be changed for one week. Uses per month: 1. -100 AP (Upgradeable: 200AP) (Space Hero Specific)

For the first time since landing on this world, Orrin couldn’t find the skill in his store.

“I tried to set the destination to Earth and I felt resistance,” Daniel reported. “But Orrin, I think this is our ticket home.”

The days began to run together and before Orrin knew it, he maxed out [Camouflage], all his increase spells, and got [Side Steps] to level three.

[Side Steps] Level 3 – 3% chance to evade any attack (4/300)

Orrin felt more comfortable with a short sword now. Daniel showed him how to stand and swing, using the knowledge that [Sword Proficiency] gave him. Not for the first time, Orrin considered getting a level in a weapon skill. First, he would need more levels.

They hadn’t gone on any more leveling excursions. Not because they didn’t want to, but because the monsters were unusually quiet.

“I believe a Horde might be attacking the Walls soon,” Silas mentioned over dinner. “I was hoping that a new dungeon would be found, but it seems our luck might run out. I don’t believe your party is ready to defeat a dungeon. Neither are you ready to defend the wall to the extent a variable reward warrants.”

“No offense,” Daniel started. “But I am not sitting on my ass when monsters attack the wall.”

Silas smirked. “I know, Daniel. That’s why I’m going to be sending you all to the Aqua Chambers. I’ve arranged with the Tarris House to allow you all access.”

The two dungeons in the area were the Silver Vaults and the Aqua Chambers. The Silver Vaults had been active for over a hundred and fifty years but the Aqua Chambers were only a decade old.

Orrin asked, “What about me? I’m not level ten.”

Silas waved a hand. “It will be fine. I took care of it. But I do suggest you try to get to ten before going further than the first or second floor. Sir Bennett and DeGuis have taken turns going through the Chambers, so they will be useful. Maybe you can take a few monsters down on your own before the harder monsters attack.”

Orrin did not feel at ease but Daniel and Madi were ecstatic to be getting a chance to go dungeon delving.

“Please do not get the wrong idea,” Silas cut across their chatter. “You will be only going to perhaps the first nine levels. This dungeon has turned back parties at levels in the thirties and forties. Sir Bennett and DeGuis will be under strict orders to return you safely and not go past the ninth level.”

Daniel nodded along like a good soldier, but Orrin saw that glint in his eye. The one that always spoke of one thing: trouble.