12. A New Home (2)

Novum had an early breakfast and then headed to city hall so that he could finish up the paperwork on the property. He had a lot of things that he wanted to get done today and this was only the first. First there were things that he needed to buy in order to make this into a real home. Plans for the future needed to be taken into consideration but right now he needed to make sure that he had a place to call home in the event that something went wrong.

He was sitting on the steps when the mayor walked up. "Good morning Novum. Come on in. What can I help you with this morning?"

"I need to get the paperwork finished on the house in the north. I bought it last night."

"That is good. I hope that the old lender did not give you to high a rate since he has had it for so long."

"No rate. I bought it outright. I have an inheritance, well I had one. I thought that I liked this area and I really like the location out there so why not. Since I am not going to have a lot of fees and payments, only the taxes it seemed like a good investment. I am hoping that I can get some stuff from the general store and get a few things in the ground for a late harvest."

"It is getting a little late in the season for that so it is going to be close. But if it starts to grow you can just till it under for the next years crops. So with the ten from me for the wolf you will still owe forty."

"Can I go ahead and pay the taxes for the next year as well. I am going to me out there most of the time and I do not want to forget about it."

"The taxes for this next year have already been paid by the lender. We are most of a year out from next years taxes."

Novum pulled out his paperwork and looked through it. "So this receipt here is the one for the next year?"

"Yes it is and to make sure that there is no doubt I will put a note on here and sign it myself. That should prevent any issues next year when tax time comes around." Novum pulled out four silver bars and handed them to the man. "Okay then Novum here you go. As of today you are an official citizen of the village of Three Mines under the rule of Duke Ikers." Novum heard a notification ping and ignored it so that he could pay attention to the mayor.

"Sir I am glad to be a part of this village. And I will be in and out a lot so if you have need of me please leave word with a guard at the gate and I will come straight here and if it is urgent just send a rider out to me. I am a citizen here now and I will do my part." There was another notification ping in the back of his mind.

"I am glad to hear that Novum. If you need anything else please don't hesitate to stop by." The two men shook hands and Novum headed out to get more things done.

As he was about to walk out of the building when the pervert was coming in. Novum never changed his pace or his stride and walked out of the building looking down his nose at the man. He grabbed Noctis and headed for the general store to get the stuff he needed.

The man walked in and saw the mayor putting silver bars into the city funds. "I can't wait until that idiot leaves town. What did he want hear to early in the morning anyways?"

"He bought the property to the north and came in to get rid of the fines against the land. He is going to live in the area. Honestly I feel better having him live there. It will be great to have advance warning of a raid."

"I hope the lender is robbing him blind with fees."

"Jim you need to calm down. He paid for the property already it is his. Not only that but he also offered to pay next years taxes. He had an inheritance but he talks like most of it is gone to buy this place. So you had better get used to him. I have a feeling that he is not a guy you want to mess with."

"A man like me would never do anything of the sort. Stooping to his level would achieve nothing." The man talked a big game but all he was thinking about was a way to profit from Novum's death as much as possible. He hated the man and once he was gone he would have free reign like he used to.

"Jim, Jim hey wake up."

"My apologies mayor my mind wandered for a moment."

"If you had been listening I would have told you that you need to leave him completely alone, don't even talk to him until you get an apprentice. If you do something stupid and he kills you I have no one to replace you."

"Sir it is not my fault that no one in this village is smart enough to follow what I am teaching."

"I understand that. So this afternoon you are going to start teaching me so that I have a better idea of what you are looking for in an apprentice. I would hate for something bad to happen to you and no one be able to fill your shoes."

"Of course mayor it would be my pleasure." Jim was suddenly very nervous about his future in this village. "But you leave this afternoon for your trip to the capitol to visit with the Duke. It will have to wait until you get back."

"Right you are Jim. Have a book with everything that I need to know ready for me when I come back in a week. I will read it with all of the reports from the week." Jim bowed to the mayor and headed to his own office. He knew, not suspected but knew, that Novum had something to do with this. He would see him dead before the mayor came back.

The mayor watched the man leave and he pulled the forty silver from Novum back out of the funds and left a receipt. He was going to need these funds to try and entice a young scholar to come back and take over the affairs of the city once Jim was dead or fired. He hoped he would still be alive when he go back so he could help the new person but the rage boiling off the man was almost physical and he knew that he would do something stupid.

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Novum headed to the general store and started stacking a lot of stuff on the counter. The old man behind the counter raised an eyebrow. "You moving on?"

"No sir, I just bought the property to the north and I am going to need some stuff to hold me over until a get established. If there is a limit please let me know."

"You are not there yet but you are close on the flour and only four of the big bags of salt. I know you are probably going to salting meat so I will let you go a little over but I have others to think about."

"Of course sir. That is why I asked about the limit. I would not want to hurt any members of the community. Also I am going to need some late season seed. I am hoping that if I get it in the ground soon and we get a late frost I can salvage something."

"Well since I have to limit you on the salt I will give you a deal on the seed since most of it won't last till next season."

"That is very appreciated sir." Novum spent the next little bit getting all of the little things that he thought he might need. Yes he had a lot of stuff in his bag but that did not help the community. And after being here and looking around he thought of a few more things that he might need. He put the last item on the counter and looked at the shelf behind the old man where the more expensive or easily pilferable items were kept. "Sir what is the limit on the special tobacco?"

"I can sell you two bags now but that will be it until my big shipment that will return with the mayor next week after his trip to the capitol." The man grabbed two of the bags and put them on the counter. Novum thought he was talking about the little bags so he was really excited.

"Then give me a few rolls of the paper and can you show me that little pipe right there." The man put the papers on the counter and grabbed the little pipe as well. When it touched his hand he could feel the magic on it. "Any particular story with the pipe?"

"Funny you should ask. A few years ago a young man from out of town came in with this pipe and swore up and down that it was magic. He looked like he was about to starve to death. He asked me for a gold piece and a meal for it and I didn't have the heart to tell him no. And no one here is willing to waste a gold on it."

"I really like something about this pipe so to repay your kindness I will give you two gold for it." There was yet another ping. When he glanced up he saw several notifications in the corner of his vision. He would have to look at them when he left here.

"Well my wife would kill me if she ever heard I turned that offer down so you have a deal young man. Anything else?"

"What is in that long box?"

"Oh that is an ore testing kit. I got several of them in a great deal a few years ago and this is the last one. They are very expensive. I check this one every once in a while and the one for the local ore still works."

"I know it will be expensive but go ahead and add that on."

"Well if you are sure." He added that to the list and then added up all the numbers. "That is going to end up being seventy five gold. That kit is expensive."

"That will be be just fine." 'System please convert a hundred gold to a bar and a hundred gold into silver bars.' He heard a ping and pulled out the gold bar and gave it to the man. He had to raid almost every smaller coin that he had to make the change. "I have some silver bars if it would be easier." Without a word the man handed him the gold bar back and Novum handed him the silver bars.

"Sorry about that. I was not taking someone like you into account."

"No worries sir. Oh by the way since I am going to be living here are their any herbs or animal that I should be on the look out for you to buy. It seems that most people don't like to leave the city and if I can help out and make a coin or two why not."

The man pulled out a piece of paper and made a list for him. "Most of this stuff is everywhere outside of the city. But no one wants to go pick it. It is not worth a lot but it is worth something. But if you want to make a lot of friends and coin in the area, honey is the way to go. The bees here are nasty and mean and no one is willing to risk it."

"Thank you very much sir I will keep that in mind." Novum stuffed all his stuff into the bag and the man's eyes widened. He had heard of bags like that but he had never seen one in this little village. Novum tucked the list into his pouch and headed out the door. His next stop was the tanner in his leather shop. The man was stubborn but finally sold him the tanning salt that he needed. It was not for eating so it was in big chunks. He only gave in when Novum offered to cancel his debt of ten frees hide preparations. Novum left with enough to do two big hides at one time. With that done he only had one more stop that he needed to make.

When he walked into the blacksmith's shop he could hear the heavy hammer blows out the back and see a form through the open door. "Almost at a good point be with you in a second."

"No rush." Novum took the time to walk around the shop and look at almost everything. He also grabbed two bags of nails. He heard the hammer stop and moved to the counter. He put the nails down and waited.

"Sorry about that. What can I do for you?"

"On top of the nails I was hoping that you might have an old anvil and bellows that your would be willing to part with. I bought the land to the north and I am going to have to rebuild the place and need something that I can use to rework busted nails and repair tools." He could see the suspicion in the man's eyes.

"My old bellows is not a problem and I only have a small anvil but it is in good enough shape for what you are talking about. So I can part with them. So just that stuff then?"

"I am not much around the forge's heat do you have any sets of gear you might be willing to part with. I would go to talk to the leather guy but he is in the middle of something and well..." He heard another ping and was kicking himself for not checking them earlier again.

"Yeah he is expensive for the city let alone here. Tell you what I have a set that I let my last apprentice use before he left for the east. I will sell it to you as well. Everything but the nails are used but in good shape so I will say thirty for everything.

Novum already asked the system to use his appraise and it was right in line with what he thought. "Okay sir you have a deal." He put everything but the anvil in his bag. The anvil he picked up with one hand and headed out to his new place. The man behind the counter was impressed with his strength. He knew it was a small anvil but it was still an anvil.

Novum strapped the anvil to the back of the horse and headed out for the property. As soon as he was out of sight of the guards he concentrated on the notifications that he received.

<Hidden Quest achieved - buy/build a home in a city>

<Reward - 1 level and opening reputation statistics>

<Mayor pleased with your attitude +100 REP>

<Store owner flattered - +25 REP>

<Blacksmith likes attitude towards leather - +25 REP>

'System how is reputation used in this system?'

<Reputation is used check that the persons feelings towards you can alter the outcome. Stores when an owner likes you will offer lower prices. Individuals that like you are more willing to do as you ask and also be tricked.>

'Thank you system. I will level up when I am back at the house.'

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Jim was sitting at the table with four other men. His babysitter was sitting back out of earshot. There was no prey here so he did not have to be right on top of him. He did not like the man or the job but he did not want to tell the mayor no. He sat back with his tankard and just waited for the man to finish.

Jim leaned forward. "Smith listen to me. This will be a cake walk. You guys go out to his land beat him until he signs the title to the land over to you for a gold. Then you sell it to me for a hundred and then I sell it so some people from the capitol who were not interested in it at the old price from the lender. Then you kill him and take everything he has to include his inheritance. Push comes to shove you take that huge warhorse to the capitol and sell it for a few hundred gold on top of what you have already made."

"How do you know it will be this easy? Or even worth it?"

"It is one man with an inheritance and a horse. He paid for that land in straight coin no debt. Seriously how much more does he have stashed away. And honestly it would be worth it for just the horse, have you seen that animal. And as long as the mayor is gone the paperwork will come through me and no questions asked." He held up his tankard and after just a few seconds Smith picked his up and they toasted to the scheme and death of Novum.