Chapter 21 – Reward

I was grateful that the king enjoyed a more informal setting rather than meeting us in a stuffy throne room. This environment was really the best-case scenario for us. The beastkin also seemed to agree with the thoughts as they observed our conversation and sipped on their tea. The tea was made of dried leaves and fruits. To me, it tasted like a pomegranate flavor. It was delicious! Even the younger participants seemed to enjoy the tea and refreshments which had been brought to our table. The king and queen were especially interested in how I had such unique skills. At one point, the king tried using a rare stone which would supposedly allow him to analyze my status screen. Unfortunately for him, my own Analyze Vision skill prevented the scan. They could only see my name on its display. This only further piqued their interest when they realized that they could not cheat to see my stats. I respectfully avoided explaining the name of my skills and how they work. Someday when I had built more trust with some of these people, I assumed that I would share my background and skills. For now, I did not want to make myself more vulnerable before the royalty of this kingdom.

The royals asked what I wanted as a reward. I did not really want to insist on anything, but I did ask for a good source of knowledge and books. I told them that I had not lived with civilization for long, living in the woods for most of my life. Technically, that was true…most of this life, right? Anyway, I bluffed my way through the conversation. The queen still did not seem to have her questions satisfied, but I was not ready to entrust any more of my secrets to her. With my request for knowledge, the king gave special permission for me to have access to the royal library for as long as I wanted. In addition, he awarded me a large pile of coins. Not even having a bag on me, I deposited these coins into my Storage Vision. The royal family marveled when they saw the coins disappear. Apparently, there were only a couple of storage rings left in all Vando. Apparently, it was the result of a brave elven hero over 800 years ago that could make storage rings. I wondered if the hero had been brought to this world in the same way that I was. Regardless, there were reportedly 4 storage rings that the hero's party used to use. Now there were only 2 rings remaining, passed down through the generations. One still existed in the elven continent while the other was kept in a human kingdom.

I decided that my research on this world would include what I could find on previous heroes. The system called me a world traveler, not a hero. Does that make me different? Or were these brave people declared heroes based on their actions? Could it be an occupation assigned by royalty or government? I really didn't know and I did not wish to look foolish by asking these things. That's why I decided that the library was the right place for me.

"I hear that there are many skilled blacksmiths and craftsmen here in the Dwarven Kingdom. Would it be possible to observe them a bit? I would love to see some dwarves at work." My enthusiasm was well received. Apparently, the royal family was not involved in as much politics as much as different trade skills as well. What really surprised me was the fact that Queen Volobelle was one of the nation's best blacksmiths. The crown princess, princess Danika, and princess Danielle (Cedric's youngest sister) were all apprentices to the queen. I was informed that good blacksmithing was a very appealing quality in dwarven women, according to the dwarven king. The king was a decent alchemist, but not as skilled as his brother had been before he died. Cedric Shatterfall, the king's nephew, was following in his father's footsteps in practicing alchemy. At my request, they willingly agreed to have me observe some of their work. I would have to make an appointment with them as there were still some trade secrets they were not permitted to share in my presence. With my Fast Learning (Mastered) skill, I had no doubt that I would be able to learn many new skills.

Ever since I arrived on Vando, it seemed that I was becoming some sort of jack-of-all-trades type of build. I did not hold back when I needed to defend my companions. Mostly, however, I wanted to be a peaceful person. I wanted to learn everything I could about dwarves and their technology before moving on to another land and another kingdom. I would love to explore and adventure more than fighting and defending. I was not given eyesight just so I could witness violence and destruction. My gift of vision was my life's answer and purpose. That is why I assumed that my newfound skills mostly stemmed around my eyes. Not wanting to miss a moment of it, I asked the royal family where I could find an Inn to rent as well as the palace library. They immediately offered accommodation, but I wasn't sure about staying at the palace. Without seeing the people and the community, was I really experiencing the Dwarven Kingdom? There was an entire city outside these walls! I insisted that I should stay outside the palace walls. The crown prince seemed quite pleased with my response. The beastkin that had traveled with us were also adamant that they would stay outside the city. It was obvious that they did not feel comfortable staying with royalty. The King agreed to make a compromise. He agreed to grant us lodging in the city while we stayed in Malduhr. He explained that inns have been booked beyond capacity with all the refugees they are dealing with. I gratefully thanked the king for his consideration. Being given a place to stay was already more than I could have hoped for.

After eating a full-course meal with the group, we were directed to our lodging outside the palace walls. At many points in the meal, I was very embarrassed by not knowing what foods I was supposed to combine. Perhaps I needed to read some books on dwarven meals as well! Nevertheless, the meal was beyond delicious. Dwarven-grown vegetables and fruits were apparently grown in a controlled environment in certain mana-powered greenhouses. It was through this method that the nation would not run out of food production.

Our lodging was just down the street and around the corner from the palace. There was a building with 8 stories there. Apparently, the king owned the entire building and was using most of it to house more refugees. However, the entire 8th story was clear of guests. Pepper, Poppy, Midnight, and Lilly were all excited to be staying on the top floor of the magnificent building. At the center of the building was some kind of mana-powered elevator. Upon entering the elevator, 8 stones representing each floor would light up and Poppy selected floor 8. The propulsion of the device was a bit harsh as we raced to the eighth floor at incredible speeds. Upon reaching the top floor within a few seconds, Pepper then used one of our keys. The stone doors slid open and we were greeted with a wide open space that would serve as our home in Malduhr. There was an open living room, kitchen, and dining room, 3 bedrooms, and a large bathroom. Lilly was nearly jumping off the walls when she saw that our suite included a bath. It was apparently a rare amenity to have in apartments in many nations. The dwarves had used many sophisticated mana channels to allow hot and cold water to run with different activated taps in the kitchen and bathroom. The toilet also had some kind of fire mana channel that would burn up any waste. The kitchen was fully geared with some heating elements, cooking stove, and cold storage – all powered by mana. I opened the cold storage to find it packed full of ingredients and beverages. It would take me a while to analyze each of them, but I was determined to learn how each of the ingredients could be used.