Chương 55: Chapter 35: Another Contract – Part I

Kaelen's POV The guild gradually returns to its usual rhythm after Darran excuses himself. The guildmaster disappears back toward his office carrying several reports while Liora gathers the remaining papers spread across the counter. Around us, conversations resume. Adventurers study the contract board, merchants argue over deliveries and somewhere near the rear of the hall, somebody loudly insists that his injuries would have been considerably less severe had his companion possessed functioning eyes.

His companion appears to disagree. I remain where I am. The pouch containing five silver coins rests beside me upon the counter. Even now, I occasionally find myself glancing toward it as though expecting the number to change. Several months ago, I possessed little more than a sword that seemed to hum at random, a sword that still carried dried blood from the previous battle and enough supplies to reach the next town. The money feels strangely unreal.

Liora eventually returns carrying several additional sheets of paper. I immediately become suspicious. She notices.

"You look like you are about to kill someone."

"You have more paperwork."

"I always have more paperwork." The answer arrives with the weary certainty of someone who has long since accepted her fate. She places the documents upon the counter.

"Fortunately, this paperwork is actually your fault." I look down. The top page bears the guild crest. A shield enclosed a simple compass rose whose four points stretched toward the cardinal directions. A sword crossed the symbol diagonally while a quill mirrored it from the opposite side. The design felt surprisingly practical. Protection, travel and record keeping reduced to a few lines of engraved metal.

"What did I do this time?" Liora folds her arms.

"You completed a contract."

"I was aware."

"You completed it successfully."

"Mostly." She raises an eyebrow.

"You followed the contract, identified the source of the attacks, solved it without having to slaughter a herd of Briarthorn Tuskers and somehow recovered corrupted beaststones." When she lists it that way, the contract sounds considerably more impressive than I remember.

"You are now faced with a terrible choice. You can either continue accepting work as an independent contractor, which creates additional paperwork every time you accept a contract, or you can join the guild properly and allow me to create all the paperwork at once." I look up. The answer feels obvious.

"How much paperwork?" Her expression becomes unexpectedly serious.

"Enough that I strongly recommend the second option." Her voice remained calm but her expression became similar to someone sharpening a knife. I look around the hall. Adventurers move between tables carrying weapons, packs and equipment. Several wear small metal badges attached to their cloaks or collars. I noticed them earlier but paid little attention at the time.

"What exactly changes?" Liora follows my gaze.

"Several things." She retrieves a small wooden box from beneath the counter.

"The Adventurer's Guild maintains branches in most major cities throughout the kingdom. Some are larger than others, but they all answer to the same organization. Contracts accepted in one city may be completed elsewhere and payments can usually be collected from the nearest branch." That catches my attention.

"You mean an adventurer could travel between cities and continue working?"

"Most of them do." The answer leaves me strangely silent. Years spent traveling return to me unexpectedly, villages; roads; temporary work; bartering for meals and shelter. More than once, I spent weeks searching for work simply because I happened to arrive somewhere unfamiliar. Apparently there had been an easier solution. Liora notices my expression.

"What?"

"I may have made several poor decisions during last few decades." She nods sympathetically.

"Most adventurers do." The wooden box opens. Inside rest several small metal badges. Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold.

"Ranks?" I ask. Liora nods.

"Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond." The remaining two appear only in name as they are almost too valuable to belong inside an ordinary guild hall. My attention settles briefly upon the last name.

"Diamond?"

"Very few adventurers ever reach it." The answer arrives quietly.

"A Copper adventurer is usually inexperienced or new or may have established themselves only to the local district. Iron adventurers are much more experienced and well-known. They are known in the city they are based in. Silver adventurers possess considerable experience and power. One hears their name in quite a few cities in the kingdom. Gold adventurers are famous enough that even people of other kingdom have heard their names."

"And the others?"

"The only people who haven't heard about Platinum adventurers are ones who have been living under a rock their whole life." She pauses briefly, "While Diamond adventurer's become legends." The distinction feels appropriate. I study the badges again. The copper emblem displays the guild crest engraved within a circular border, simple and practical. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"What determines rank?"

"Experience mostly, then comes reliability in completing contracts, the number of completed contracts of course and people recommendations. Other branches also tend to upgrade ranks based on highest threat eliminated but Fallowspire branch usually avoids upgrading because of it." Liora closes the box.

"According to Darran, the adventurer's rank isn't simply a measure of strength." That surprises me and she notices.

"We have Copper adventurers who could defeat some Iron adventurers and Silver adventurers who have survived longer simply because they know when to run." That makes considerably more sense.

"Where would you place me?" Liora's expression becomes thoughtful.

"As a fighter?"

"Yes."

"Probably higher."

"And officially?" She smiles.

"Copper." I blink.

"Copper?"

"You have completed exactly one guild contract." Unfortunately, she has a point.

"Your experience matters. Your reputation matters. Darran's recommendation matters. Guild rank measures trust as much as ability." She removes one of the badges from the box.

"Don't lose heart. Everyone begins here, unless you are nobility of course." The copper badge rests in her palm. For several moments, I simply look at it. It is a small thing, a piece of metal but it is a symbol. Somehow it feels more significant than it should. I spent years wandering from town to town. Years surviving alone. Years answering only to myself. Now, I find myself joining something. Liora places the badge upon the counter.

"Congratulations." I look up.

"For what?" A faint smile appears.

"You're officially an adventurer." I glance toward the badge.

"I've already spent years fighting monsters."

"Yes." She hands me the paperwork.

"But now there's paperwork involved." I stare at the documents. The guild suddenly feels considerably more dangerous than the corruption beneath the river. The conversation pauses as another group approaches the counter. Two adventurers carrying hunting bows begin discussing supplies with one of the clerks while several merchants enter through the front doors. The guild hall feels busier than it did earlier. Afternoon sunlight filters through the high windows while conversations overlap throughout the room.

However, this time I find myself studying the people around me more carefully. Some wear copper badges similar to my own. Others display iron. A few silver emblems catch the light among the crowd. I do not see any gold.

"How common are the higher ranks?" Liora follows my gaze.

"Copper and Iron make up most of the guild. Silver adventurers are respected. Gold adventurers are comparatively rare."

"And Platinum?" She leans against the counter.

"Most people never meet one." The answer surprises me.

"And Diamond?" For several seconds she remains quiet.

"I've never seen one." That answers the question. My attention drifts toward the contract board standing near the center of the hall. Several adventurers gather around it while others carry completed notices toward the counter. The papers themselves vary considerably in size and color. Liora notices.

"Interested?"

"I was wondering." She steps around the counter.

"Come on." The contract board occupies an entire section of the guild hall. Rows of notices cover the wood beneath several carved headings. The nearest section contains requests for escorts, deliveries and minor work. Another contains hunting contracts while a third appears devoted entirely to gathering herbs and alchemical ingredients.

"Not every adventurer fights monsters," Liora says. I nod.

"I assumed most did."

"Most try." The answer carries enough experience to make me slightly concerned. She points toward the first section.

"This carries normal work like acting as an escort for caravans, rich merchants, messengers and sometimes even nobles." She moves to another section.

"This one contains mostly of gathering contracts. Alchemists pay surprisingly well." She moves towards the next section.

"This one is for the inquisitive minds. Requests here are filled with mostly investigations, missing persons, unusual incidents." Finally, her hand settles upon the largest section.

"This is the most popular one amongst adventurers. Extermination contracts. Carrying the highest risk and also the highest pay." The papers here appear noticeably different. Larger rewards and more detailed descriptions. Several bear additional markings beside the guild seal.

"Monster hunts?"

"Usually." My eyes move across the notices, wolves; forest boars; bandits. Nothing particularly alarming. Then my eyes notices something. A troublesome river drake spotted several days east of the city. Liora folds her arms.

"You cannot have that one. The Guild limits certain contracts to certain tiers, according to risk and threat level. That contract is at least a silver one. Notice the upper right corner of the contract, a small symbol will indicate a minimum tier requirement if any. As for you. Copper adventurers usually begin with escorts or gathering contracts." I glance toward her.

"However, you gave me corrupted beaststones."

"You accepted them."

"Fair." Liora leaves me alone with the contract board shortly afterward. The guild continues moving around me while adventurers come and go carrying notices, reports and equipment. Several conversations drift through the hall. Somewhere behind me, somebody appears to be arguing about the difference between a large wolf and a particularly unpleasant dog. The discussion sounds remarkably serious. My attention remains upon the contracts. I find myself standing before possibilities rather than responsibilities.

Aibell no longer spends every morning worrying about food. Ciara has begun searching for work of her own. Garrick remains perfectly capable of protecting the district while Merrow has somehow become indispensable to everyone within the walls. Once upon a time, leaving a nascent grove for several days would have felt irresponsible. Now it feels necessary. I once again look towards the contracts.

Several alchemists require herbs from the surrounding forests while one request offers payment for various mushrooms that apparently grow near the northern hills. Another seeks flowers that bloom only during autumn. The rewards appear respectable enough, though I suspect most would benefit from considerably more patience than I possess. The next section contains escort work.

One caravan intends to travel south before winter arrives while another seeks guards for a journey toward one of the larger trade cities farther east. I pause briefly at that notice. There was a time when I would have accepted it immediately, several weeks on the road to different cities and new forests. I continue reading. Several contracts concern wolves. Another requests assistance investigating damaged fences near a farming village.

One particularly frustrated merchant offers payment for information regarding thieves stealing chickens from his property. I eventually find myself smiling, amidst monsters, corruption and ancient magical trees somewhere within Fallowspire, somebody is desperately searching for stolen chickens. The world remains reassuringly ordinary.

"You're reading them too seriously." Liora appears beside me carrying several additional notices. I glance toward her.

"I wasn't aware there was another method."

"There is. She attaches one of the papers to the board.

"You look at the reward first."

"That seems irresponsible."

"Maybe." The answer earns the faintest smile. She studies the notices for several moments before removing one from the lower section. The paper appears older than most. Several marks cover the edges while additional notes have been written beneath the original request.

"This one has been sitting for a while." I take it. The request comes from a farming settlement northwest of Fallowspire. Livestock have disappeared over several weeks. Two hunters sent to investigate never returned. Tracks have been reported near the forest bordering the hills, though nobody appears entirely certain what made them. The reward stands at four silver. Additional payment for identifying the source. I read the notice a second time.

"Nobody accepted it?"

"Several people considered it."

"And?" Liora folds her arms.

"They chose easier contracts." That in itself says enough. The paper feels heavier than it should. Something about the contract unsettles me. Perhaps because nobody seems entirely certain what they are hunting.

"When was the last attack?"

"Four days ago."

"And the hunters?"

"A week." I read the report once more. The forest mentioned in the notice lies several days from the city. Far enough that local guards cannot investigate easily. Far enough that farmers have likely begun avoiding the area altogether. The sort of problem adventurers exist to solve. Liora studies me carefully.

"You've already decided." I lower the notice.

"Have I?"

"Your expression changes." I look back toward the contract. The road, forest and several days alone. For reasons I cannot entirely explain, the thought feels familiar, comforting, even. Perhaps some part of me never truly stopped being a wanderer.

"I'll need supplies." Liora nods.

"I thought you might." She reaches for the contract.

"I'll prepare the paperwork before you leave for gathering those." I stare at her.

"There is more paperwork?"

"There is always more paperwork."