Dakota Krout - Dungeon Born (The Divine Dungeon Book 1)

Dale joined him in looking at the map, pointing out a good spot. They discussed the pros and cons of the location, but eventually all agreed that the spot was a good one. Some campers would need to shuffle around, but it was easily defensible and at the top of a small hill, which should keep it in a good location no matter the weather.

“Good choice, now we need to talk about how you can make a profit from this.” Frank began seriously.

Dale, thinking of how good the Guild had treated him so far, started by saying, “Well, I was thinking a standard lease would-”

Waving his hands to stop Dale, Frank cried, “No! No, they’d love that far too much! You need to make a percentage profit, else you are making coppers on the gold here. Please, I’ll help you make your argument for the best deal, so when they start making offers, demand a hard ten percent. You won’t get it, but take no less than five percent profit of travel cost or they are robbing you. Remember, this is your land, and they really want to put a portal here. Nothing like a good training place for a prince or noble to make them grease their coin purse and slo-o-owly pry it open.” The evil chuckle at the end made Dale look at Frank a bit oddly.

“I suppose that makes sense.” Dale was again confused as to why Frank was helping him make profit off his own Guild.

“You will need that money in order to stand being around them. You’ll see.” Frank ominously promised at Dale’s blank look.

A caravan of wagons pulled to the outskirts of the still-growing dungeon camp, and officious people stepped out, looking down on the dirty men that were surrounding them with loopy grins on their faces. With a sniff, one man moved forward to greet Frank, they moved into the Guild’s tent to discuss logistics. Dale was waiting for them there, upon seeing him the officious man curled his lip in a sneer.

“What is this fishy doing in here?” the man spat. Strange, but when other people said ‘fishy’, it often seemed affectionate. This man saw him only as his cultivation rank, as such an inferior person that he might as well have been an animal.

“He’s here to negotiate the cost of a portal in the area.” Frank grimaced, making ‘told you so’ glances in Dale’s direction.

“Why?” He scoffed, smoothing away imagined wrinkles from his robes, “How could a newborn like him understand the complexities of associated cost in intra-dimensional travel?”

“Mm. More to the point Dale owns the land around here, so I mean more the monetary cost of you opening a portal here.” Frank managed to get out with a straight face.

“Oh? The landowner, him?” He glanced disparagingly at the poor, sweat-stained quality of Dale’s clothes. “I suppose we could say, what, ten silver a month? A small fortune to the likes of you as I understand it. Not much around here, is there?” He turned back to Frank like the deal was finished, “Where can I get a proper meal around here?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of fifteen percent profit from all usage of the portal.” Dale calmly announced, controlling his anger at this treatment.

“Pah!” The man laughed aloud scathingly, as he turned around, pretending he had forgotten Dale’s presence, “Where do you find these recruits, Frank? He’d make a better jester than businessman.” Coldly turning toward Dale, “I’ll give you fifteen silver a month and you’ll be grateful that I bothered to give you anything, damn it.”

“Fifteen percent and free usage for myself and all goods I care to take with me.” Dale countered just as coldly, upping his offer.

“I could incinerate you with a blink of my eye.”

“Please don’t start a war, James.” Frank begged softly.

Thinking he meant figuratively, James sneered at Frank again. “I think we will just place the portal further away, then.” He turned to leave.

“Best of luck.” Dale voiced in a dry tone while Frank chuckled.

“A few hundred feet will not hamper my business any.” James claimed, suspiciously looking at them.

“Then we’ll say, I don’t know,” Dale started, pretending to be desperate before laughing and looking him directly in the eye, “Fifteen percent and free usage for myself, friends , and all goods I care to take with me.”

“Brat!” James roared furiously, “I just said I would move off the land you own! Surely, the next landowner will be more open to a portal on his land.”

“Oh, well, in that case; best of luck.” Dale repeated. “Also, please do not call me Shirley. The name is Dale.”

James left the tent in a slightly confused, but fully angry, huff, looking to find someone who owned land in the area. Dale and Frank sat down shaking their heads. Frank apologized for the behavior James had shown, then they began eating lunch, talking about training techniques and cultivation. ‘Oh, and how did Dale like his team?’ ‘They were good people!’ ‘Oh, that’s good, any issues?’ In a rage, James stormed back in, eyes flashing.

He shoved a finger at Dale, “You own the entire mountain?! That’s bullshit !”

“It is accurate, though.” Frank mildly stated.

Dale responded around a mouthful of sandwich, equally bland, “True, Guild Master.”

“One gold a month, which is the best offer I will make!” James puffed up, red in the face.

“He was quite rude when he got here, wasn’t he?” Dale ignored James, talking to Frank directly. “He isn’t getting any politer. We are eating , sir.”

“ Fine ! We will set up off the mountain! Make people climb for a day, what does it matter to me?!” James yelled.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Frank grunted.

“I agree, a very bad idea.” Dale agreed that it was indeed a bad idea.

In a high pitched tone, James screeched, “Stop that! I am your better , F-ranked scum, I will not allow you to swindle me!”

Eyes flashing, Dale rose up from his seat. “Just. My. Elder. Good luck getting business you ‘elderly’ asshole , people trying to climb a mountain that is impassable in winter, which is… a month away? Yup, a month. You know what? No! I like it here. I have no issue staying, and everyone else can god-damned walk . I have no need of a portal; I refuse your business! Get off my mountain, I will not rent my land to you.”

Something very odd happened then, James began protesting, but his arms and legs turned and he started walking away, screaming in impotent rage all the while. Dale followed, wide-eyed to see what was happening, a group of people gathered to see the man grab a horse in passing and ride off, still cursing and shrieking in frustration.

“What the infernal hell ?” Dale breathed.

Frank passed Dale a nonchalant chunk of knowledge, “That would be the effect of being the magically enforced landowner of this mountain. Any citizen of this Realm - under the political rank of a Duke - would be forced to leave if you told them to. You cannot force someone to stay , or to do things for you, but you can obviously make them leave. In a brilliant yet uncomprehending move of forethought, you bought this from two Realms; meaning there are two Kingdoms of people that would need to obey the command you just gave him.”