Horse? Check. Armor? Check. Sword and shield? Check.

Yes, it was an actual knight. He was sitting on his horse, some twenty paces away from Elia’s shop, but he was still attracting the crowd’s attention. No, he was attracting everyone’s attention, Jack noticed, as he saw that mostly everyone in the street was looking in his direction, overtly or not.

The knight itself was simply sitting there, helmet under one arm, chatting with one of the villagers, though the villager himself didn’t seem to truly believe what was happening, if Jack was judging his expression correctly.

“What’s a knight doing in Helmrest?” Lola whispered, next to Jack.

He hadn’t even noticed her approaching him.

“How should I know? I just realised that he is a knight. I’m guessing that’s not a normal occurence?”

“One of them being here? No, not normal at all. There are kingdoms that I know of and some knights are known to travel, but I’ve never seen one.”

“Yeah, well, judging by how they’re gawking, neither have they.” He said, motioning at the crowd around him.

Though, to be honest, he couldn’t blame them. The knight was the most interesting thing around. And he got even more interesting when a young man approached him, bowing slightly.

“Is that… Louis? He knows him?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know… The Winnows never bragged about being on speaking terms with a knight before. And they would have, if they could.”

They were too far away to listen to what they were saying, but a few seconds later Louis started walking and the knight nudged his horse to follow.

I’ll be damned if I’m missing this.

“Hey, Lola, fancy a bit of stealth and subterfuge?” Jack grinned.

She gave him an equal parts unimpressed and amused look.

“If that’s your way of saying you’re going to follow them, then no. I still need to take everyone’s orders.”

“Right, forgot that. Alright then, I’ll see you later.” He said, hurrying off.

“But let me know what you find out!” she muttered quickly.

He laughed and nodded his head.

Lola might be loyal to her duties, but even she wants to know what’s going on with this knight and Louis. Well, I guess everyone does.

He was right, too. As Louis walked down the street, with the knight in tow, every head they passed turned to look at them. People came out of shops or houses to watch and those that were working simply stopped to stare. Louis chatted with the knight, smiling pleasantly, while the knight looked to be simply responding politely. Though, while the knight seemed to be reserved, Louis himself was grinning at everyone looking at them, even venturing out to wave every now and then.

That asshole’s buttering him up, I can tell. And he’s loving every second of attention.

Jack quickened his pace until he was nearer to the two. He couldn’t get too close, not enough to hear what was being said, for fear of being spotted. But he did manage to get close enough to get a better look at the knight.

His horse looked normal enough, though it was covered in a yellowish cloth, which went over its head and back, down to the sides. It was saddled and bridled, with both items being made of leather. The knight himself looked normal, for a knight. His torso was covered in chainmail armor and his pants looked to made out of a rather tough type of leather. Only his helmet was made of plate metal. There was a sheathed sword at his waist and an emblazoned shield on his back. The coat of arms wasn’t one Jack recognized, because of obvious reasons, but it displayed a gauntleted fist of red on a background of yellow.

So, what’s a knight doing visiting Helmrest for the first time in… ever? And talking to Louis, too?

Judging by their direction, Jack guessed that they were headed for the Winnow’s house. And once they got there, they would be out of reach for Jack to listen in on their conversation. He wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, he wanted to know what was going on. On the other, the knight had a sword.

And even if I had mine it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Well, here goes nothing.

As stealthily as he could, which was not that stealthy, Jack approached the two. He made sure to hide himself as best he could, without making it apparent he was trying to hide. He walked behind villagers, stopped at stalls to pretend to inspect the merchandise and ducked behind houses and carts wherever he could. In the end, he managed to get within hearing distance.

“…was exactly what we are thinking as well. Helmrest could benefit from it.”

“Best not to misjudge my words, lad. It will not happen overnight. If it happens at all.”

“Of course, of course. I did not mean to insinuate. But, sir, you have to admit it is an attractive possibility.”

“I have to?” the man asked, turning his head to face him.

“Uh, my apologies, sir! I overstepped. I simply wanted to say that-“

“I know what you meant to say, lad. But it is better that I have this conversation with your father, rather than with you.”

“Of course, sir, I understand.”

So he’s here for Mr. Winnow! Well… that’s actually pretty obvious.

Something big was going on. Jack had never seen Louis this polite before. He was being sugary enough to make Jack sick. Still, if he was acting like that, it meant that the Winnows were trying to make a good impression. The reason why still eluded Jack, but going by the general behavior of said family, it couldn’t have been a good one.

Poor knight. He’s getting swindled.

“Hey, you! Boy! What are doing skulking around there?”

It took Jack a precious second to understand that the voice had been addressing him. He had gotten too engrossed into his own thoughts and forgot to stop acting conspicuously. Well, forgot to stop doing it for more than a few seconds at a time. That was why a woman yelled at him, noticing him hiding behind a cart.

Jack cursed under his breath. The woman wasn’t to blame, but she still caused an unwanted effect. By the time Jack stood up and tried very hard to seem like he was just walking, Louis had turned to look at the disturbance and, spotting him, sneered.

That’s right, you shit. Can’t say anything bad about me while you’re trying to act like a good little boy, can’t you?

“Who is that young man?” the knight asked Louis, noticing his expression.

“Oh, that’s a… vagrant, sir. We believed him to be a Jack. He just came out of the forest one day.”

The knight hesitated for a second, before looking at Jack. He had short cropped, dark hair and a trimmed beard. His expression didn’t say much, other than the fact that he was studying Jack intently.

“I see.” He said.

“My father will tell you more about-“

“I know, lad. I understood as much. Let’s not make your father wait. And best we stop discussing things where others may hear.” He said, urging his horse forward.

“Oh, of course, sir. My apologies.” Louis said, abashed, before following.

They trotted off, leaving Jack to wonder just what that was about. He hadn’t gathered many details. He knew that the knight was in Helmrest to talk to Mr. Winnow. He also knew that what the Winnow’s wanted from the knight must have been important. Or the knight wasn’t someone to tread lightly around. Or both. Because otherwise, Jack couldn’t see how Louis was behaving so politely.

Ass-kisser.

“Boy! Are you deaf? I asked what are you doing, sneaking around like that?”

“Sorry, ma’am. I just got distracted.” He lied.

“Then get distracted somewhere else!”

Alright, so maybe the woman was a little to blame. Jack walked away, knowing he wouldn’t be getting any more information. Even if somebody else didn’t notice him snooping, the knight and Louis would be on their guard for the rest of their way.

Jack debated what to do for the remainder of his day. He wanted to get lunch, that was for sure. He also wanted to help Mrk with chores around the clearing. And he also wanted to let Lola and Elia know what he found out.

Damn it. Lola and Elia first, lunch after.

He jogged his way back to Elia’s shop, noticing when he arrived that the crowd was mostly dispersed. He entered and managed to interrupt Elia’s haggling, before convincing her to let Lola take the order. Dragging her to a corner, he told her what he found out.

“I heard from Lola there was a knight outside. Well, her and everyone else. And I heard he was seen with Louis, but…” Elia said.

“Yeah.”

“I figured Mr. Winnow was looking for a business opportunity. He’s always doing that.”

“Maybe he is?” Jack asked, unsure. “All I heard was that the knight was going to talk to Mr. Winnow and that Louis was kissing his butt the entire time. Did that ever happen before?”

“…no. Not a knight visiting Helmrest or Louis… ‘kissing butt’.” Elia replied, amusedly.

“I don’t know, Elia. I just figured that since, well, you have that plan of yours, I should tell you what I know.”

“Thanks Jack. You’re right, it’s good to know. It’s just… odd. Makes me think.”

She only seemed to be focusing half her attention on Jack, the rest on a matter only she knew.

“About what?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it, Jack. And thanks for telling me.”

“No problem, Elia. I’ll be going, but I’ll hear from you soon.”

Saying goodbye to her and Lola, Jack hurried to his clearing. He wasn’t jogging this time, but he set a brisk pace. He was hungry. He made good time through the forest. While walking, Jack noticed that the signs of animals were becoming more and more pronounced. He still couldn’t hear or see them clearly, not even if he focused, but every now and then he heard a flutter of wings or caught sight of movement in the bushes. It would have honestly been quite disconcerting if he hadn’t known what was happening.

As Jack neared his clearing, he could hear his friend talking, thought the words couldn’t be discerned easily.

Mk talks to himself when he’s alone?

Jack stepped more carefully after that, cautious of not stepping on any twigs or making too much noise. If Mrk was talking to himself, then that would come in handy as joke material. If not…

Peeking out from behind a tree, Jack noticed Mrk talking and gesturing at someone. The figure itself was short, standing at around 5 feet tall. It’s back was turned to Jack, so he couldn’t really make out what gender it was or what it looked like, but he did notice that the figure was positively decked in armor. He saw a breastplate of scale mail, covering a rough shirt. Only the shoulders were unarmored, since the forearms bore a couple of leather vambraces. Jack saw the same type of leather on the legs, in the form of a pair of greaves. The helmet, however, was made of plate metal. Next to the figure, lying on the ground, was a round wooden shield and a war axe.

This might be bad. Mrk doesn’t look afraid, though.

The figure looked almost as armed and armored as the knight he had previously seen. A lot shorter, though Jack didn’t feel height would matter that much if he’d be on the receiving end of that axe. He used his |Eye for Flaw| Skill on the armor and, surprisingly, didn’t find a single fault. That was odd in and of itself. His Skill normally outlined flaws in objects, even if they were minute enough that he could never take advantage of them. But, if what his Skill was telling him was true, than this figure had perfect armor.

Great. Well, if this goes south, I’ll use my vines to pin it in place, before roasting it.

Strategy done, he walked out from behind the tree and into the forest. Mrk noticed him immediately and pointed at him, while still talking to the individual. Said individual turned to look at Jack and as Jack looked back, he noticed it was a him. He also noticed the beard.

I… kind of feel ashamed of myself right now.

Jack didn’t have a beard to speak of. Though normal beards didn’t cause him any inferiority issues, this beard, however, did. It was, as far as beards go, magnificent. The ruby red color of it was a little strange, but it was long, reaching the man’s chest and full. The man must have known what he owned, since it was kept in an immaculate shape. Strands of it were braided, forming out a pattern across its surface. Not to mention that there were little polished metal rings, separating certain individual strands.

As entranced as he was, Jack didn’t notice that he walked far enough to stand in front of the figure. Realizing that he had only stared at his beard, he looked him in the eye. Now that he was close, he noticed a few other things. The man’s face was rather rough. He didn’t have any weird features, it just looked like those features had been carved from rock. He had blue eyes and a fair complexion. He was quite, quite short, but made up for it by a rather stocky constitution. He was also frowning at Jack.

Damn it, I ogled his beard too much.

“Hi.” Jack said.

“Jack, this is Brom. He say he want to speak with you.” Mrk helpfully added.

“You are Jack?” the man asked.

He had a surprisingly deep voice. Gruff, too.

“Yeah.”

“I am Brom.”

“…uhuh. Pleased to meet you.”

“I came here seeking the Refuge. Your friend has said that this is it.”

Jack noticed Brom had a habit of forming questions to sound like statements. Well, it was either that or he was just a fan of awkward pauses.

“Uh, yeah, this is it. The entire forest, not just this clearing, but this is where me and Mrk live.”

“And you are the keeper of the Refuge.”

“I am. The owner I’ve been called, but I guess ‘keeper’ works too.”

Brom looked at Jack dubiously.

“And you are not… a nymph?”

Huh, he actually managed a question there.

“Uh, no. The former keeper of this forest and the Refuge was a Nymph. But she… left. She passed it on to me.”

“I understand.” He said simply.

I’m glad you do, because I don’t. Wait, what the-

Jack was pushed out of his thoughts by Brom, who quietly nodded and kneeled on the grass.

“I am Brom Oathbreaker. I have been exiled by my people and I now ask for the sanctuary of your Refuge. In return, I shall pledge myself to your service and will fight in defense of the Refuge and those you deem of worth.” He said, head bowed low.

Oathbreaker? Really? And he’s been exiled?

“Uh, Brom? Can I ask why you’ve been exiled?” Jack asked, uncertainly.

“I do not wish to discuss it.”

“…alright, I understand that. But you’re not really selling yourself high here, you know? I don’t have a problem sharing this forest with anyone who needs it, but I do need to know if I can trust you.”

The man kept silent. Jack spared a questioning look at Mrk, but the ratling simply shrugged his shoulders, as bewildered as Jack was. He was about to ask his question again, maybe more politely, when Brom answered.

“I have been exiled for breaking my oath. That is why I now carry this name. I have not broken it out of ill-intent, but because I had failed in my reasoning. I have harmed no one and accepted my exile, though I cannot restore my honor. I… have nowhere else to go.”

It was the first time Jack heard an inflection in the man’s voice and it sounded like sorrow.

Still, he didn’t know what to do with him. Mrk didn’t either, but Jack was the one who had to make the call. He didn’t read any malicious intent coming from the man, but that didn’t mean he was safe to keep around. Yet, Jack had noticed the note of sorrow in his voice from before.

Man, I hope this doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass.

“Alright. As long as you cause no trouble, you’re welcome to my clearing and this forest.”

The man rose up slowly.

“I have your sanctuary?” he asked, a note of doubt clearly heard.

“Yeah, you do. We don’t have any more shelters right now, but you can take mine and we’ll build you one tomorrow.”

“I thank you. Your shelter is not needed. I shall sleep on the grass. You may count on me, for as long as you keep me.”

Saying that, Brom turned and walked away until he reached an apparently ‘good’ place to sleep on the grass. Once there, he lay down and stopped moving.

Even I can’t fall asleep that fast. Just… just what the fuck happened right now?

He motioned to Mrk and they both went to sit by the fire. Mrk told him what happened before he arrived, as they ate.

“Brom comes here, scares me. Has armor and weapons. Mrk thought attack. Mrk ready to run, when Brom asks this sanctuary? I say yes. He knew about Nymph. Didn’t know she left. Asks if I is new keeper. I say no, Jack is. He asks who Jack is. You come in from forest. I point at you. Then you talk to him.”

“That… was one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a few.”

“Yes. Very weird.”

“And he’s an exile? I mean… he doesn’t seem like a bad guy, but I’ve only known him for a few minutes.”

“Seems good to Mrk too.” He shrugged.

“But what ‘oath’ did he break?”

“Me not know. Mrk knows some about dwarves. We share-“

“Wait, what? Dwarves? …fuck! Of course, he’s a dwarf.”

Mrk looked at him like he’d grown a second head, before nodding in understanding.

“Jack memory is problem again?”

“Yeah, big problem. But, anyway, he’s a dwarf. I remember something about their race now. But… I still don’t get the whole oathbreaking thing.”

“Mrk not understand either. I knows something about dwarves. Ratlings meet dwarves from time to time. Warrens underground and dwarves underground too, sometimes. But Mrk not know about dwarven oaths.”

“Damn. I guess we’ll just have to keep an eye on him.”

Looking down at his bowl of soup, he remembered that he hadn’t asked Brom if he was hungry. Still, he didn’t want to wake him up. He looked tired. He also looked kind of scary.

“Mrk, I just remembered. We’re eating, but maybe we should have asked him if he wanted to eat too.”

“Mrk agrees.”

…

“Not-“

“Not it!” Mrk beat him to the punch.

“Damn it.” Jack complained, while his friend grinned.

Grumpily, Jack filled a bowl of soup and headed towards the sleeping dwarf. When he got close, he noticed he was snoring heavily.

“Ah, Brom?”

Brom stopped snoring and sat up, staring at Jack silently.

Not scary at all.

“I brought you a bowl of soup. Figure you were hungry.”

“I thank you.” He said, accepting it and laying it down on the ground.

Before resuming to stare at Jack.

Would it kill this guy to have any facial expressions? Any at all?

“Right, well, good night!”

“Good night.”

Jack heard the sound of someone eating quickly, after he departed. At least he correctly figured out that Brom really was hungry. Making his way back to the fire, Jack elected to tell Mrk about what he learned in the village today. The ratling was as uninterested in the Winnows as he usually was, but he did seem to approve of Elia trying to become Village Head.

It wasn’t long after their discussion when sleep caught them both.

***

When Jack woke up, the following day, he didn’t remember any of the prior day’s events at first. That was why he got to enjoy a few seconds of pleasant drowsiness. When he remembered Brom, he sat up straight, before quickly exiting his shelter. He looked around, but Brom was nowhere in sight. His shield was laying on the grass, in the spot where he had previously slept, but Jack didn’t see his axe around.

“Hey, Mrk! Got any idea where Brom is?”

“Brom went in forest. Said he wanted to learn.” The ratling shrugged.

“Oh… did he, uh, cause any issues or… was he nice?”

“Brom was Brom. I give food, he eat food, then go in forest.”

The ratling seemed more interested in tending to his garden than speaking about the Dwarf, so Jack presumed nothing bad had happened. As Mrk put it, ‘Brom was Brom’. The guy seemed to have the personality of a particularly stoic piece of stone, but he wasn’t looking to cause problems.

So far.

Deciding that he was overdue with a delivery of mushroom dust and slime to Elia, he picked up what baskets were full and headed towards Helmrest. Besides, Elia was smart. He was going to pick her brains out about dwarfs.

Jack didn’t notice anything wrong when entering the village. He didn’t notice it when he passed by the first row of houses. He did notice something peculiar after passing by a few streets.

Why is Helmrest so empty?

He got his answer after a few more paces. Down one of the streets he mostly never walked was a type of square. Though, square might be a little too much for what it actually was. It was just an intersection of streets, but since the streets weren’t straight and they didn’t always have the same width, this particular intersection was quite a bit larger than others. Enough that a few vendor stalls could usually be found there. Usually.

Now, however, the ‘square’ was full of villagers and at the center of them all, standing on a table, was Elia. The people were muttering and talking, but Elia just stood there, talking with Lola. When Jack made his way to them, she spotted him and winked

“Jack! Your timing is perfect. You got here right on time.”

“Thanks. But, right on time for what?” he asked.

“Right on time for my announcement.” She grinned.

Oh. So that’s why there’re all these people here. She must have called them.

“Wish me luck, Jack!” she told him.

He didn’t get the chance to actually wish her luck, since in a second her voice passed from normal speaking levels to booming.

“People of Helmrest! I have called you here for a reason. I want to talk to you of Helmrest. Of Helmrest and the state of our village.”

Jack saw that people had mostly quieted down, listening attentively to Elia.

“We have all suffered a monster attack just days ago. We are still grieving and hurting. And on top of it all, the one who was supposed to protect us is now gone. The Nymph has left us.”

Grim expressions entered people’s faces, but they nodded along.

“Make no mistake. We can no longer count on the forest. Its protections will linger for a while, but we will not be able to make use of it for long. And we need protection. You saw what happened when the monsters attacked and Jack will not be able to protect us every time.”

He got suddenly put on the spot, as heads turned towards him, but he wasn’t receiving angry looks. Some smiled at him, but most seemed contemplative.

“Helmrest needs guards. Protectors. We need a city watch, even though we are not yet a city. We need it because Helmrest is big and plentiful and a ripe target for enemies, monster or human. Yet no offer has been made for this. No coin has been offered.”

Sounds of approval were heard from the crowd.

“We all know who should have done this. Yet the leader of this village is more interested in his own pockets and the safety of his family alone. He has not taken one step towards safeguarding Helmrest and its people. His only action, after we have dealt with the monsters, was to try and steal their corpses from their rightful owner.”

C’mon Elia, don’t drag me into this.

Though Jack was agreeing with her. Mr. Winnow acted like a dick when he tried to take what was his. And judging by the reactions of some villagers, he wasn’t the only one to think like this.

“Our |Village Head| is not enough. He is not the right man for Helmrest and he is not the right leader for us. He cannot and will not assure the protection that we so desperately need right now. However. With help from Jack, my trade has increased. His help has not only resulted in me making more coin, but has also resulted in me gaining a second Class. |Potioner|.”

Gasps were heard at that and noises of approval.

“He has also agreed to donate his earnings from the harvesting of monster parts. With his donation and the coin I had saved up, I have been able to pledge five hundred gold coins to the protection of Helmrest. I have hired five guards to look over Helmrest, for a period of five months.”

Loud cheering erupted all around Jack, as people laughed and applauded.

“Thank you! And I believe if he could shout as loudly as I am now, Jack would be thanking you too. But, people of Helmrest, that is not all. The problem is not solved. It is delayed. Five months will pass quickly enough and five guards may not be enough. I am happy to help, but I am just one woman. To better protect our village and, indeed, to make it grow, I need to be more than a simple |Herbalist|. I see the potential in Helmrest. I know that, right now, it is not correctly served by the man at its helm. I know I could make it better.”

Jack knew what was coming and was still blown away by Elia’s speech.

“And so, I am telling you now that I wish to become the new Village Head! And I ask you all to support me!”

If the crowd was cheering before, it was not wild. Not everyone was happy, Jack noticed. Some were staying quiet, while others were frowning, but Elia played her cards well. If she would have started with that, the people might not have been as enthusiastic. But after her little speech, her last line hit perfectly. It looked to be a complete win.

Well, almost complete. Because a new voice was heard speaking loudly.

“What a fascinating idea.”

Jack turned to see Mr. Winnow, striding towards the center of the crowd. Towards Elia. The crowd parted around him like a wave hitting a cliff.

“For you to become the Village Head, from a simple |Herbalist|. I admire your daring, Mrs. Elia. You would need courage for such a… brazen leap.”

“I seem to recall you were a |Merchant| before becoming Village Head, Mr. Winnow.” She said coolly.

“I was. I still have the Class. But I believe I’ve always had the… knack for ruling, if I could say so myself. You, on the other hand… perhaps not. For example, you have hired these guards on behalf of Helmrest without even consulting the active |Village Head|? That is against the law, isn’t it?”

He was using Skills again. Jack now knew what to look for and felt them. But some of the other villagers didn’t, as they were nodding along to what he was saying, even as they had cheered for Elia mere moments ago.

“I hired them on behalf of myself. I am only lending their help to Helmrest. But if I were to have hired them to protect Helmrest illegally, would you have stopped me?” she asked, challengingly.

“Why, of course not. I am all for the protection and betterment of Helmrest. Which is why I came here, actually. You see, I also have an announcement to make.” He smiled at her.

“What?” Elia asked, faltering.

“People of Helmrest!” he intoned.

Elia had been almost screaming to be heard by the entirety of the crowd, yet Mr. Winnow was simply speaking, not even loudly. He could still be heard perfectly though, as if he was standing right next to each and every villager gathered there.

Damn his Skills.

“Helmrest needs protection. Helmrest needs betterment! But that will not come by choosing this woman over me. Mrs. Elia’s… achievements are notable. As a |Herbalist|. And she has played a role in our fight against the monsters. As have we all! But do not believe that she will save us by wasting her coin on five measly guards.”

His expression grew serious.

“Five guards are nothing. Without specialized Classes or high Levels, five guards would be eaten by monsters or killed by bandits as easily as any of us. She accuses me of doing nothing for you. She lies! Since the monster attack, I have toiled endlessly, looking for solutions that would both save and elevate our village and our people. And I have found one! She asks of you to choose her as Village Head. I ask of you a better thing.”

He gave Elia the nastiest grin he had even seen, before speaking again.

“I ask of you to choose me as Mayor!”