The War Throughout the Dungeon: And Those Who Hate and Love (The City and the Dungeon Book 2) by Matthew Schmidt

Author:Matthew Schmidt [Schmidt, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: litRPG
Publisher: Annona Press
Published: 2020-10-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The Price

The letters from the IRS had stopped being polite. My accountant had tried to explain the situation to them, but so far no dice.

“They’re saying if I don’t send them a payment in the next thirty days, they’re taking action,” I said to my party, gathered around our table.

“So what are you going to do?” Alice asked.

“Establish a payment plan, I guess. That will stall them for a bit, while I figure out how to pay them.”

“But once you do that, you’re agreeing to pay,” Elise said. “It’s changed how you interact, because you’ve made a promise.”

“To be fair,” I said. “I do really owe them the money.”

“Why?” Alice asked. “You don’t live there any more.”

“Listen,” I said. “You know how the City has beggar boxes and feeds its poor through charity? The Kingdom of America has actual welfare programs. It’s not always enough, but my money will help people not starve. Unlike us, they can’t come back if they do.”

“But you don’t live there any more,” Alice repeated. “You aren’t giving money to the Brazilian Confederacy.”

“I’m not from there,” I said, irritated. “Is it really so wrong to be loyal to a country?”

Sampson walked in, almost skipping. “Michal’s reopened!” he said brightly.

We all got up. “Perfect,” I said. “I could use some good news.”

* * *

There were fewer customers than before, but still many of them. Michal took the time to sit by us as we ate.

“And I thought I had trouble with the City’s sales tax,” Michal told me. “Although I’ve heard the City is plotting to tax business income directly, soon.”

“Really?” I asked. I hadn’t heard of it as an Advisor, but then again, we were purely the military arm of the City.

“It’ll be a fight. But . . .” She thought to me. Tell Mansa Musa, if you would, that the scrip is starting to lose its value.

I’ll tell him, I thought back. But Mansa Musa was too well-informed to be caught flat-footed by this.

“Oh, hey,” Judah said, as he walked in the door and saw us all. “Just was coming by to visit.”

“I’ve still been working on those herbs—” Michal began.

“No worries!” Judah said brightly. “I’m just checking in on you.”

Michal gave a slight smile at that.

“You know, Judah, I’ve been wondering: what is your actual class?” I asked.

“55th Knight Commander,” he said. “You?”

“100th Black Hierarch,” I answered.

“Really? What do you worship?” Judah asked me.

“Uh, I don’t really worship anything, to be honest,” I said.

“But you’re a Black Hierarch. A Black Holy Ruler, in other words. What religion are you part of?”

“It’s just a class,” I said. “It doesn’t mean anything. People haven’t thought that was a thing for a long time now.”

“But that doesn’t mean it isn’t,” Judah insisted. “There are some of us who think as you do, or that you can be some kind of minister or priest of the God of Israel by taking the class. Personally, I ain’t risking it. The only God worth worshipping is the Holy One of Israel.

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