The Grand Duelist

Chapter 23: A Hidden Reward

Joseph returned to the Beginner Village and went to meet the Village Chief Fausto.

"Village Chief, I have finally returned and I bring good news."

Joseph wore a smile on his face as he said.

"Oh! You are the hero that vanquished the darkness that surrounds the Wolf's Den! As expected, heroes really come from the youth! If not for the fact that my daughter is still too young then I would've arranged a marriage between the two of you!" Village Chief Fausto replied in glee.

"Heroes that come from the youth, I shall obey my promise and bestow upon you the rewards you deserve!"

[Village Chief Fausto is giving you rewards for your successful completion of his quest: Raid the Wolf's Den(D)]

[Do you want to accept his rewards?]

Joseph frowned when he saw the series of system notifications that appeared before his eyes.

He felt suspicious about why the system wanted to ask him first about accepting the rewards instead of directly giving it to him.

But then, Joseph suddenly remembered a particular system notification that he saw back at the Arena of the Gods...

"Before I accept the rewards, sir I must ask. Just what would be my rewards?" Joseph probed and Village Chief Fausto's figure stiffened for a moment before he coughed and said.

"Young hero, you really achieved a great feat. But the Village is still at its recovery phase. Because of this, I cannot give you a lot of rewards on behalf of the Beginner Village..."

"But on behalf of my Merchant Company. I, myself will bestow upon you rewards out of my own pocket." Fausto said in a teary-eyed manner. He looked quite pitiful which made Joseph look like the villain as a strange smile emerged on his lips.

[Village Chief Fausto's affinity to you has decreased by 10 points.]

[Your average affinity with the residents of the 69th Village of Baguhan has decreased and you have fallen out of your 'Respected' status. You downgraded to 'Favored'.]

[Residents will not completely trust you, but they understand that you are reliable.]

"What the hell? Instead of giving me rewards, he's lowering my probability of acquiring quests in the Village?" Joseph's good impression with the Village Chief disappeared and his gaze hardened as he looked at the latter.

If looks could kill...

The Village Chief would've probably died for about a dozen times already from Joseph's gaze alone.

"Wait a minute, sir. There is something that you must know before you give me my rewards." Joseph intercepted the Village Chief who was about to return back to his house and fetch Joseph's rewards.

"What is it, young hero?" Village Chief Fausto looked incomparably sincere. His eyes radiated gentleness that one could see from the old and weak

"Senior must know that the difficulty of the quest that Senior gave me exceeded my expectations. I almost died from that extermination quest so I think, I deserve rewards far better than what Senior is about to give me." Joseph asked in a sincere voice.

The Village Chief froze and turned his back to Joseph for a moment before facing him once again.

"I understand that the difficulty of the mission greatly exceeded than what I asked from you. But please, young hero. You must understand. We are still on a recovery phase. Giving you rewards greater than what I could afford will hurt the Village financially."

Joseph stared at the NPC and couldn't help but feel that he's taking a loss. Although it was true that the Village was in its recovery phase. Joseph believed that the game developers of Victory wouldn't cheap on rewards to players whenever they completed an extremely difficult task.

Joseph believed in this, and so...

He thought that there was something fishy behind the scenes.

But of course, since he didn't have any proof about his suspicions.

He could only probe even further.

"I don't think that what you are saying is right, senior. I accomplished something deemed to be impossible and because of that, shouldn't I get the rewards that I deserved?" Joseph shook his head and looked quite pitiful.

But the Village Chief also assumed a pitiful expression so, the two of them duked it out on who's the best actor.

"I understand that, but we'll be bankrupt if I don't hold back on rewarding you. So please, for the sake of the Village, can you compromise? If you did then me, and the residents of this Village will definitely remember this favor." Village Chief Fausto handed over a pouch to Joseph.

[Village Chief Fausto is giving you rewards for your successful completion of his quest: Raid the Wolf's Den(D)]

[Do you want to accept his rewards?]

Seeing the size of the pouch and the way it hung from the air. Joseph deduced that what's inside the pouch should be only about a few dozen of copper coins.

His anger surged...

A few dozen of copper coins for that kind of a quest? Are you kidding me right now?!

His eyes that stared at the Village Chief no longer looked as amicable as before. He lost respect for the stingy Village Chief that obviously has some kind of capability to give out rewards that Joseph deserved.

But why won't Joseph believe the words of the Village Chief?

It was because he believed that the game developers of the Victory wouldn't make any player suffer a loss regarding rewards whenever they accomplished an incomparably difficult quest or mission.

But still...

'Damn it, why do I feel like I'm coercing a helpless NPC here?' Joseph thought.

But an idea suddenly came to his mind...

"Ah! How about this, Senior. If you cannot give me monetary rewards. How about you give me rewards that will make me stronger?" Joseph suggested, and the Village Chief Fausto froze for a moment before replying with a bitter smile.

"Although my Merchant Company is present at the Capital City of the Kingdom of Nether. Competition there is too fierce to the extent that it's very rare for us to acquire precious herbs or medicines that could help you become stronger..."

"If I did manage to give you something like those then not only would the Village be bankrupt..."

"My Merchant Company would follow too..." Village Chief Fausto shook his head.

Joseph's eyes narrowed. his mind spun quickly as he stared at the Village Chief.

He wanted to find something from Fausto that he could exploit so that he could acquire rewards comparable to what he deserved from defeating the Voliwolf.

[Title Generated Skill: Character Scrutinize has been activated.]

[Name: Fausto

Age: 42 Gender: Male

Class: Hunter/Village Chief

Title: One Banished to a Faraway Land

Level: 50

Health: ???/??? Mana: ???/???

Strength: ???? Dexterity: ???

Intelligence: ??? Stamina: ???

Leadership: ??? Negotiation: ???

Skills: Great Acting(A), Empire's Bowmanship(S), Empire's Military Tactics(A+), Deceitful Tongue(S), Feared Torturer(S+), Negotiator(SS), Take Every Money in All Possible Sources(SS+)

A loyal citizen of the Kingdom of Nether. However, after he tortured a noble that had a higher rank than him. He was wrongfully dismissed from his service and banished to a lesser land known as the villages of Baguhan.

* This person is currently suffering from anxiety and worry about the Village's food security and funds. He is easily agitated and becomes more deceitful than he really is. *

[Great Acting]

His acting easily manipulates the emotions of those that listen to his tales.

[Empire's Bowmanship]

The basic bowmanship of the Empire distributed to every soldier. Although it only contains the basics of an excellent Hunter. This Bowmanship is often the foundation of most Bowmanship techniques nowadays.

[Empire's Military Tactics]

After serving for several decades as a soldier of the Empire. He naturally knew most of the tactics that the empire had, and used in battles.

[Deceitful Tongue]

A merchant's greatest source of income is their tongue. Fausto possessed enough verbosity to confuse those who listen to him and make them do his bidding unbeknownst to them.

[Feared Torturer]

Fausto's infamy came from the fact that he's a famous inquisitor at the Underground Penitentiary.

Those who had the luck of meeting him never managed on keeping their mouths closed. Even now, Fausto is still an exemplary example at the Penitentiary about how an Inquisitor should do their job.

No one had broken Fausto's incredible record so far.

[Negotiator]

Fausto's deceitful tongue combined with the Military Tactics that he learned and his knowledge about the human mind due to his experience at the Penitentiary of the Empire makes him an excellent negotiator.

He can reel anyone with great prospects and plan before suddenly reversing everything and gaining the upper hand.

He may have the ability to negotiate, even with a Dragon.

[Take Every Money in All Possible Sources]

As a merchant, his greed knows no bounds. After experiencing about a decade in deep debt. He now places importance on every penny that he earned. Although such a practice is good. He is now known for his greed as a crooked and shameless merchant.

Players often despise him since he low-balls their rewards. Particularly towards players that accomplished great tasks.]

"There it is!" Joseph's eyes flashed with glee when he found the information that he wanted.

He stared at Fausto and asked: "How about Senior recommends me to a job? I badly need money. I am currently swimming in debt and I must get off those creditors pestering me every day!"

Fausto froze for a moment. His eyes radiated a glimpse of anguish and melancholy. This sudden transformation gave excitement to Joseph who stared at the Village Chief with expectations.

"Well, if you need a job. I do have a job that I can recommend, but it's something that a young hero like you shouldn't attempt. It's a grueling job that may scar you for life." Fausto shook his head, and Joseph was taken aback for a moment before he replied.

"I will take any job, Senior! As long as I can earn money then I will do anything! I will even crawl through the sewers of the Kingdom as long as it pays good money!" Joseph declared and Fausto whose eyes shone with hesitation earlier now looked convinced.

But Fausto still shook his head and replied: "Recommending you to that place is too risky and expensive. It's really not worth it. What will happen if you didn't manage to pass the examinations required to be someone from that place? Won't my recommendation be useless and wasted then?"

"I will definitely pass, sir! I just need a job that will give me a stable income in the future. Please recommend me to that job sir, I badly, badly, badly, need it!" Joseph stared hard into Fausto, and he almost couldn't control his excitement.

Fausto raised his head. The gazes of the two met in mid-air before Fausto laughed out loud.

"Seeing that look of determination in your eyes. How could I possibly deny your request? Not only that, but I can also see my past in you..."

"Back then, I was also swimming in debt. Thankfully, the heavens didn't turn a blind eye to me and I was finally able to bring myself out of debt..." Fausto deeply sighed and Joseph's smile never disappeared from his lips.

"Wait for me here, young man. I'll go and make the recommendation letter that you need."

Fausto went inside his house and Joseph patiently waited for a few minutes before Fausto returned outside and handed him a letter.

[Fausto's Recommendation Letter]

Only by opening the letter could one read its details.]

Joseph's smile deepened when he received the recommendation letter. From the details that Joseph saw about Fausto, he understood that Fausto was a former inquisitor of the so-called Underground Penitentiary.

It also looked like his job was an official one, bestowed upon him by the kingdom. Joseph felt excited about his future if nothing went wrong with his plans.

"Young man, good luck. I wish you the best, amping." Fausto waved his farewells and blessed Joseph in his next journey.

Joseph clasped his hands together and bowed, returning Fausto's blessing: "Ikaw sad, amping."

Joseph researched the culture of Victory last month.

Although he still didn't know how the class-tiers of Victory worked, and most of its lore about Gods or Demons...

At least he learned their culture for the sake of interacting better with NPCs.

As far as he knew...

The words that Fausto said was his blessing to Joseph's journey and what Joseph replied in return was a polite gesture of thanks along with his blessings for Fausto's success.

His smile continued as he stared at the letter enclosed in a white envelope sealed with a red stamp that was in his hands.

'Surely this recommendation letter has a value comparable to the rewards that I deserve to get from that difficult quest, right?' Joseph thought to himself. He found that something was strange, but since he couldn't thoroughly grasp it.

He just ignored that strange feeling.

He stared at Fausto's back as Fausto returned inside his house, and when the door of Fausto's house closed. Two system notifications appeared in front of his eyes that awakened him from his trance and excitement.

[Your title, "The Sun That Overlooks Everything" couldn't resist against the effects of Deceitful Tongue and Negotiator for both are not considered as abnormal statuses, nor debuffs. But a product of a natural phenomenon, in relation to Confusion.]

[The effects of [Deceitful Tongue], and [Negotiator] has ended.]

"Deceitful Tongue and Negotiator?! Shit, that old bastard deceived me?!" Joseph hurriedly tore the letter open and the information that he found inside, thoroughly angered him.

[Fausto's Recommendation Letter(Opened)]

This serves as my official recommendation letter.

The one that holds this letter is recommended by me, Fausto. Once known as a great inquisitor but banished to a lesser land...

I, Fausto acknowledges the skills of the one that holds this letter when it comes to scrubbing all sorts of floors and cleaning waste-riddled toilets.

May he serve the Empire faithfully, forevermore.]

"FOREVERMORE MY ASS! GIVE ME MY REWAAARDSSS!" Joseph screamed in agony. He looked like he was about to go crazy as he stood there whilst pulling his hair in anger.

He thought that he would be recommended as an Inquisitor...

But the job recommendation that he received was a Jail Janitor instead.

That night, Joseph never left the front yard of the Village Chief. A rumor also appeared at that night that a bold stalker lurked within the 69th Village of Baguhan.

It was said that the stalker particularly liked the Village Chief and he screamed words like he was wronged and violated by the Village Chief.

His voice that contained great anger disturbed the residents of the Village, lasting until dawn arrived.

1. The residents of the world of Victory can speak (Bisaya). It is considered as their vernacular language, but they only use it for greetings or farewells. :)
2. "You too, take care." Joseph replied to Fausto using Fausto's vernacular to show great respect.