The next morning Cless woke up to a knock on her door. "Who is it?" She asked.

"It is me, Karen. Cornelius brought your coin. Open up."

Cless opened her door still yawning and found a beaming Karen behind. "Look, here are your coins!" Exclaimed Karen with two yellow disks between her fingers. Cless took the coins.

Cless has accepted the payment from Cornelius the Merchant. Cornelius mustn't speak of what happened in the bathing room or pay Cless another ten gold crowns.

Another message. Would the contract last forever? Cless could only wonder and gaze at the gold coins on her hand. Real gold! For the first time in her rough fifteen years of life, Cless had gold to her name.

"Take good care of those coins. I suggest depositing them in the bank. I could go with you after lunch to open an account."

"Sounds like a date!" Cless cheered.

"Good. Now get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast. I won't give you any special service. Go out and eat with the other tenants. Nobody will give you a hard time in my inn."

Karen gently tapped Cless' cheek and left. Cless closed and locked the door and sat by the desk to gaze at the coins. Gold! Gold! She should hide it. Behind the bed? On the roof beam? Swallow it? Cless giggled at her silliness. She dressed up in her best clothes out of the three sets she had, tied a pouch with the gold coins to the inner rim of her brassiere and went to the tap room for breakfast.

She immediately regretted it. The inn patrons all stared at her, pretending to be looking elsewhere. But Cless could feel the burning gazes on her skin. The feeling of not belonging. She took a seat on the far corner of the tap room, away from most eyes. The barmaid, Josefine, soon brought her breakfast. Some wheat porridge with berries, fresh bread with jam and a piece of sausage. To Cless that grew up with the meager and bland church food, it was a banquet.

Cless ate and decided to take a stroll through town. The sour faces staring at her deformities bothered her less today. Was it the sense of worth for having two gold coins on her? During her walk, she bought some painted wooden hair ornaments and a new set of clothes. The clothes were nice and cost her a little over a silver coin. She returned to the inn and took a pint of mead to pass the time.

The world was not going to let her sip her drink in peace.

"What are you doing here, monster?" A huge muscular man in chainmail armor and a scar across his left cheek got close to Cless and asked in a very threatening tone.

"I'm sorry, sir. I am human," That was all she could say.

"No! You are some half-monster hybrid. I know your evil kind when I see it. Now, get —"

The brute did not finish his sentence. Karen appeared from behind the counter and was already yelling at the man.

"You! Stop harassing my tenants. Miss Cless is human and you are a bother."

A thrum of power washed the room and Karen next words scared Cless.

"Get out of my inn quietly and don't bother returning."

The huge man tried to say something but his body jerked and he went outside. Some other adventurers sitting on a table laughed the whole time.

"Damn outsiders, they don't know not to mess with an innkeeper with 'Inn Domain' Skill." One of the regulars quipped.

Cless heard the rumors but never saw it in action. But after seeing what happened to the adventurer and Cornelius, she had to believe. Inside her inn, Karen was as powerful as an Empress. Maybe it could even explain the utter absence of bed bugs in the inn. Or why the mead tasted so good even though it cost only two copper solidus. She returned to her room with a leather messenger bag containing her newest acquisitions. She used most of the coin the nuns gave her, but she had two gold coins. Cless took a nap until Karen knocked at her door again. Cless straightened her skirt and shirt and went out to meet the woman.

They went to the bank, ignoring the gazes from the townspeople. After an awkward moment where she had to hide behind a screen to take the coins from her brassiere, Cless successfully opened an account in the bank. She withdrew five silver coins as pocket money.

"Karen, what do you think I should do?" She asked out of the blue.

"Humm. I don't know. What do you want to do, Cless? I could give you a suggestion if you told me what your Skill was." Karen glanced at the girl to see a troubled face. "But don't feel pressured. What do you want to do? Is there something you want to obtain, something you want to achieve?"

"Yes." She answered in the most ambiguous way.

"Yes, what? C'mon, tell me. Don't tease me like that, Cless." Karen nudged her shoulder.

Cless fidgeted but gathered the courage to speak, "I wanted to live in a place where nobody would despise me." She whispered, afraid.

Karen made a big effort to not laugh. "Well, good luck. Because all of us are despised by somebody. Do you think the big guy I kicked out of my inn this morning loves me? No, he doesn't. He despises me, probably."

Cless was disappointed, angry even. She thought Karen was mocking her. The older woman read her face and quickly corrected herself.

"I know, you want a place where most of the people don't despise you. Isn't that right?" Cless nodded. "Still hard. These townsfolk are simpletons, Cless. They have nothing to do with their lives and spend all their spare time with gossip. Maybe you should go north to Glauchester, there is a dungeon there. Lots of opportunities."

"Me, a dungeon delver? My Skill has nothing to do with combat. Or magic. Or any kind of larceny or skulduggery."

Karen took Cless head and shook it. "I'm not telling you to go delve in the deathtrap that a dungeon is, silly girl! But Glauchester is a bigger town and has more opportunities. You might find a use for your mysterious Skill."

Cless humphed to show her annoyance. "Maybe. I'll see to it."

They purchased some sundries for Cless. A shawl, traveler boots, a sturdy backpack, and some books. Karen paid half the price of the books with the condition of having them for her inn after Cless left. After the shopping spree, they went to the inn and Cless climbed the stairs to her room. She was preparing to go downstairs for dinner when she received a message from her Skill.

Cornelius broke his agreement with Cless. He has until sundown to pay Cless ten gold crowns or he will suffer the consequences.

Cless was surprised by the unmistakable voice of her Skill whispering in her ear. What did it mean? To whom he spoke? What did he say? She didn't know. Cless stood on the tip of her toes to look outside. The sun was painting the sky orange, announcing the end of the day. She was worried about what was going to happen. Would Cornelius pay? What were 'the consequences'?

She fixed her clothes and rushed down. The tap room was empty, no patrons drinking whatsoever. After sunset, the inn would be overflowing with tired workers trying to drink away their worries. But she had to talk to Karen. Cless ducked under the counter and entered the kitchen.

"Karen, Karen!" She desperately called.

Karen put down the vegetables she was cutting for tonight's stew and wiped her hands on her apron, "What is wrong, Cless? Is someone else troubling you?"

"No. Cornelius broke our agreement. I don't know what is going to happen."

"That knave! Not even a full day passed. Don't worry, Cless. Tomorrow morning after breakfast is over I'll find him and give him a good talking to."

"Thanks, Karen. Sorry for barging."

"Don't worry your pretty brow, girl. Now go back to reading your books."

Cless returned to her room and dove into her new books. She distracted herself reading a romance about kidnapped princesses and didn't notice the arrival of the night. Not until her Skill gave her another message.

Cornelius failed to pay the required ten gold coins before nightfall. All possessions of Cornelius in the town of Tambrill now lawfully belong to Cless. Assessing fair market value... four gold crowns, thirty-seven silver ducats, and eighty-nine copper solidus. The amount is insufficient. Cornelius' life is worth less than half what is still owed. Enacting punishment.

Cless was hyperventilating. She dropped the book on the floor and looked around in panic. She wanted to dismiss the contract, to pardon Cornelius. Saying that his life was worth less than what was owed sounded awfully sinister. Before she could speak to try to amend her contract, another message sounded.

Cornelius the Merchant (level 37 human merchant/caravanner) has died. Cless earned 37,000 Experience Points. Cless advanced to level 9. 6 stat points earned. Cless can select a class. Cless can select a profession. Cless earned 'the Underdog' title for defeating an enemy 30 levels above her own level. Cless earned 'the Striker' title for defeating an enemy 10 levels above her own level in a single blow.

Cless panicked. She screamed and fainted.

... ...

... ..

... .

...

..

.

"Cless. Cless, wake up!"

She opened her eyes to see Karen's troubled face in front of her. Cless was on her bed at the inn. Cless was panting, eyes darting around in panic. She wasn't reasoning well.

"Karen. Where am I?"

"In the inn. What happened, Cless? Why did you scream and faint? Did someone hurt you?"

"No. I don't know. I feel like something terrible happened. I... I can't remember."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I don't think so. I think I had a nightmare."

Karen offered Cless a steaming mug.

"I brought some relaxing tea. Please drink and sleep."

Cless felt like she really should drink the tea. With the first sip, her mind cleared and calmed down. She thought maybe it was Karen's Skill. But she was so sleepy...

She woke up completely rested. Josefine was sleeping on a chair next to Cless. She shook the girl and the barmaid took a good look at her.

"Please stay in your room and rest," Josefine told Cless. "I am going to call boss Karen."

The barmaid left and soon came Karen with a man in official clothes. The constable.

"Miss Cless. My name is George and I am a constable of the town. I am here to ask you a few questions, is that fine with you?"

Cless was scared, but Karen was there with the constable. She nodded.

"Good. Do you know an old merchant by the name of Cornelius?" Cless nodded. "Did you receive two gold coins from Cornelius?"

"Yes, but it was compensation for a discourtesy. He offended me grievously."

From the expression Karen was making, she thought she gave the wrong answer.

"Miss Cless, what offense was that?"

"He intruded upon my bath and masturbated on me. He squirted his seed over me. Karen here is my witness."

The constable made a face of disgust. He glanced at Karen and she confirmed the story.

"So you had reason to hate Cornelius the Merchant, right?"

"What? No! I don't hate him. I just feel disgusted. But I've never seen him after that."

Cless felt something was amiss. She had just the hunch that the constable wanted to hurt her. And at the same time didn't. What was it? She felt afraid and threatened. Cless decided to dump two of her eleven stat points into her Intellect stat to a total of fifteen. The hunch became clearer. George wouldn't be there in her room asking about that guy if he wasn't investigating a crime. Probably something bad happened to Cornelius and they wanted to pin the blame on her. But there was more to it. She placed five more points and raised her Intellect stat to a flat twenty.

Wait, how did she have that many points, to begin with? Her level was nine. Nine! How did she raise her level that much if she only slept? Wait, when did she earn Experience Points? 'By the love of God, Cornelius died and I got his Exp. I remember the message now.'

"Miss Cless, did you hear my last question?" The constable asked, irritated.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't. Could you repeat?"

"Did you attack Cornelius the Merchant?"

"No, sir. I didn't leave my room ever since I arrived here with Karen. I didn't see that man after the incident at the bathing room, and I have no magic to strike him from afar. I didn't attack him and I had no ill will against him after he settled our agreement."

Karen seemed surprised after hearing Cless speak. Cless was also surprised at how clear her thoughts became.

"Cornelius' nephew Hector acquired the Thief criminal occupation after he took his uncle's belongings. It seems they all belong to you after he died. Do you know why?"

She did. Cless could remember the messages she heard from her Skill. How Cornelius' belongings became hers in an attempt to settle the debt. Would he be alive if he had more money? If she didn't ask for ten gold coins on a whim? It was useless to think about that. Cless offered a fair deal and he accepted it. Cornelius killed himself by breaking the contract. She didn't even know he would die.

"Maybe he included me in his will? I don't know, constable George. I can say with absolute certainty that I did not kill him. I did not wish for his death. In fact, I am going to dedicate my prayers to him tonight."

"It seems you are speaking the truth."

"I have no reason to lie," She spoke with a very innocent face. "It is in my best interest to collaborate with the constable."

"Then I'll take my leave. Thank you for your cooperation, miss."

The constable was about to turn around and leave when Cless called him back.

"Constable George, wait. You said that Cornelius' possessions are now mine? And that his nephew got the Thief criminal occupation?"

"Yes on both counts, miss. How may I help you?"

"Can I help him? He stole from me after all."

"If you declare you don't want him prosecuted, miss, I can remove his criminal occupation."

"Yes, please do that. I am sure it was just an act of a grieving nephew. And regarding the possessions that supposedly became mine, where are they?"

"Under custody, miss. They will be returned once the investigation ends."

"Constable, I don't want anything from that man. I think accepting these inherited possessions would reflect badly on me. Could you please donate them to the church in Cornelius' name? I am sure God will be pleased and have mercy on the poor merchant soul."

The constable was wide-eyed at Cless' request. "Miss, those goods are worth at least three gold crowns. There are two draft horses and a covered wagon and a bag of silver ducats."

'No. Four crowns and thirty-seven ducats,' Thought Cless. "I am sure, constable. Please donate them to the church. The priest and the nuns there took care of me since a tender age. It is only natural for me to feel the need to repay God's generosity."

"Cless," Karen intervened. "I think you should donate the goods and keep the coins. That would be a good middle ground. Isn't it right, constable?"

"Indeed. I will see to it. Miss Cless, I am sorry for suspecting you. Have a good afternoon."

George went away but Karen stayed behind. "You stay right there miss. I got some soup for you."

"Thanks a lot, Karen. I'm starving."