Chapter 333: Admitting to Cheating

“This feels really weird,” Cordellia stated as she motioned at the others in the carriage with her. “I mean… I know there is so much I don’t know about, since I only joined after you reached the tower, but tell me why we are headed to Rumstant?”

“To check in on some old friends as we said before,” Max replied. “There are a few who we need to make sure are doing alright before we do the next part of this adventure.”

“And stopping at this tavern beaver place is important?”

Everyone laughed except Max, who smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I owe some money… I might have—”

“Might have?” Tanila asked, interrupting him. “You did cheat!”

Clearing his throat, Max held up a finger and gave her a side glance.

“Yes… I did cheat, but only because we needed money. Now that we don’t, I feel I should return what I took plus a little interest.”

“Is he for real?” their archer asked.

“Sadly, he is,” Fowl answered this time. “Never doubt his desire to do the right thing most of the time. Even if it means cheating in a drinking contest.”

Chuckling, all Max could do was smile and nod.

Sighing, he squeezed Tanila’s hand as he sat next to her.

“You okay?”

“I am… It was hard… very hard,” he replied, glancing out the magically tinted windows of the carriage they were in. “Never knowing if I could survive the next fight… seeing how powerful everything was… wondering how you four were doing.”

He pulled the heart necklace from under his shirt.

“I’m glad you had this to keep hope alive.”

“Dexic took care of us. More than I could ever believe,” Fowl said. “I know it wasn’t easy on her when you took us through the boss. Still, she appreciated how you promised to take her through when we get back.”

“He’s right,” Batrire added. “She stepped up and was impressed with how well we worked as a team. Even better was how much stronger we were because the tower didn’t feel the need to create floors like it had for when you were around.”

Feeling Tanila’s head against his shoulder, and the way she squeezed his hand as they talked, he could sense the tension in her body as his Sonar had nothing to focus on but his friends inside the small area.

“Still, I owe her more than I can repay. One day I’ll make it right.”

After a minute of silence, Cordellia suddenly burst out in laughter.

“Beaver nuggets! I get it now!”

***

Adharza’s eyes barely blinked as Max hit a third jackpot again.

“I… I don’t want to believe it’s possible, but you have made me a believer… still, why would you come back and admit what you did?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do. I shouldn’t have done it, but I felt we needed the gold, and now that I can repay it plus some interest, I wanted to make sure you knew how I did it. While I can’t promise there is someone else with my talent, I felt it only fair to tell you how, so you can perhaps prevent it somehow.”

She tugged on her braid, her face no longer matching the red color now.

“And these four? They agreed with your plan?”

“Bah, he doesn’t care what we think,” Batrire said with a grin. “He’s too kind. Personally, I would have come back and won again!”

The elven manager shook her head and sighed.

“I feel like I owe you something… my boss will be very appreciative of this knowledge. You do realize that I won’t be able to extend an offer to any of you to gamble here anymore?”

“I never expected you to. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a room rented and want to enjoy a good meal before we head out tomorrow.”

Max and the others turned to leave, and he sensed Adharza’s hand coming up as she leaned forward on one foot.

“Max… one more thing, if I may.”

After everyone had turned, and he motioned for her to continue, the manager of the Buck Tooth Beaver Casino fidgeted, never letting go of the death grip on her hair.

“Is it true?”

“That I’m lucky to have this beautiful woman?”

A groan came from all four of his companions, and Max tried to not laugh as Adharza’s face bunched up, eyes squinting in apparent discomfort at how to answer that question.

“Uh, I mean… the tower. We heard rumors… everywhere has heard. You cleared eight floors in a single day.”

“Does it matter if it’s true?”

She bit her lip, still tugging on that braid, not acting at all how Max had expected after their first meeting. Gone was the elf who had been a pillar of confidence and tact. Now he thought she looked like some doting teenager, prepared to ask for an autograph.

“It does,” she mumbled as she looked at the ground. “If… if you are that strong…”

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Adharza grimaced for a moment as she stared at him.

“It means someone might defeat the tower. And if they are with you, then… two elves would conquer it as well.”

His Sonar detected the small smiles that appeared on Tanila’s and Cordellia’s lips.

“It does. As well as two dwarves.”

A single tear started to form, and Max pulled a cloth from his storage, having procured a few in the last week. Handing it to her, all he could do was smile.

“I know that means different things to each race. Just know, I intend for my friends here to do what hasn’t been done if we can.”

Sniffing as she wiped the leak that had sprung, Adharza nodded.

“Forgive me… It just gives hope to so many. We have seen the number of people passing through go up as more and more adventurers have made their way toward the capital. It would seem that they are wanting to be the next person who accomplishes what you have.”

“Oh gods, he’s going to have a big head,” Batrire muttered.

“I appreciate those words,” Max replied, ignoring his healer. “We’ll do what we can to be a good example, even if it means admitting that I might have cheated and paid it back.”

Bowing, Adharza smiled the entire time.

“I am grateful for both your honesty and what you are doing. Be safe, and may you do what so many have dreamed of.”

***

“Okay… now I see what the big deal was about,” Cordellia muttered. “What bothers me though is how popular it appears we might become.”

“Because of people seeking us out?”

“You already know who I’m talking about.”

Tanila nodded at the response to her question.

“Yes… two elves being part of Max’s group will have no doubt reached my father’s ears. Only time will tell how long we have before an official summons comes.”

“And will you go?” Max asked.

She squeezed his hand and shrugged.

“I can resist it, even if it won’t be easy. Cordellia will be able to resist because I am here. The problem will be after we haven’t returned in a while. More will come, and they might not want to take no for an answer.”

“Bah, we’ll be fine,” Fowl muttered. “Max can always send them packing as he has all the rest.”

Sighing, their superstar shook his head.

“No… if I do that, things may get worse. I already have a mark on my head with the segment of elves who want me dead just for being a human. Causing more problems openly like that will only make things worse for all races as a whole.”

“War?”

Nodding at their healer, Max shrugged.

“On the planet I was on all this time, I learned a few things. One is that changing the status quo isn’t easy and removing a leader will have a major impact on everyone. Those who feel they can perhaps gain power will attempt it. Some do it through deception or trickery. Others attempt to use strength. It is hard to keep them all from succeeding, but one thing works well.”

“Being stronger?”

“No… that helps, but it’s fear,” Max informed their archer. “Everyone knows someone is strong. But if someone is powerful and kind or considered as one who won’t ask, then they will push boundaries and see how far they can go. If, however, someone is known for having no tolerance for any attempts that go against what they said, it makes most consider their actions beforehand. If you know getting caught stealing means you will always lose a hand that can’t be replaced, will you risk it? On the flip side, if you know getting caught stealing might mean nothing, then where is the risk?”

“I guess the latter would make me more likely to steal.”

“Which is why fear has a place in all the kingdoms for the most part.”

“Except the dwarves!” Fowl exclaimed. “I mean… we fear the king, but we don’t fear him like you humans or the elves do!”

“But we do fear the rules,” Batrire said. “We don’t break laws because of the penalties, but we also don’t break them because of how it impacts our families.”

“That is a distinct and rare thing,” Max stated. “Most kingdoms aren’t set up like that. The dwarven culture as a whole is different because the king doesn’t have to punish people independently. Families have an impact on how their children obey. Even still, would you tell me there aren’t those in the noble class or in the higher tiers of dwarf life who do not attempt things because of what the king would do?”

“He’d crush them if they crossed a certain line,” Fowl replied.

“Which means they fear him to a point.”

Everyone sat there mulling over that knowledge for a moment as the cart made its way toward Rumstant.

“One last question,” Cordellia said as she held up her hand. “What kind of kingdom would you have?”

“Me?”

She nodded at Max, smirking as he rolled his eyes.

“One where rangers aren’t allowed in.”

Tanila chuckled as Max shifted beside her.

“Seriously. What kind of kingdom would you have? What kind of leader would you be?”

Seeing that Cordellia wasn’t going to drop it, Max leaned toward her.

“I would be the kindest ruler I could be to my people. Everything I did and had set up would be for their success, but I would also be the ruthless one who didn’t allow for those who wished to do wrong to succeed. The problem comes with monitoring and ensuring that you have the right person. It isn’t easy just to say ‘Fowl’ did something wrong and deserves death. Perhaps he is set up. Now I would be responsible for ensuring all accounts were correct and right.”

“Gods, running a kingdom sounds tiring,” their dwarven healer groaned.

“It is. Just ask Everett how hard it is to run a Faction. Even without all the problems he cannot control outside of the walls, there are enough problems within. Everyone wants what they think they are owed, and if you remember when he was getting grief from the higher-level climbers for our special treatment, that wasn’t easy on him.”

“But we were better than them!”

“While true, it doesn’t mean it was easy during that time, Cordellia. He had to protect us, keep everyone happy, as well as deal with the council that he reports to. Just being the leader isn’t the top seat. There are five who oversee everything. It’s a business in the end.”

“I’m going to chime in one time before I stay out of this conversation,” Tanila stated. “Until you see the problems firsthand at running a kingdom, there is no way to truly understand the scale of it. Having grown up witnessing the constant attempts by people who thought they could overpower my father and the fallout of their actions, I have little desire to be a part of that at all.”

Max smiled as Cordellia flopped against the cushion behind her and frowned.

“Not everyone wants power to rule. Some, like myself, desire it only to keep people safe.”

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