What we’ve talked about before, when I asked Madriel to explain the procedures of the lodge, he mentioned that special individuals gain a personal supporter in the form of a guilder figure. These figures are in-charge of everything that is to do with the adventurer, such as paperwork, records, requests and confirmations.
In the event that the adventurer leaves for another branch, the in-charge guilder is still designated to handle any and all information that pertains to their charge. In a way, the guilder is promoted to a pretty ‘lazy’ position that just means they are required to compile information every so often, but they are also in charge of making sure that they always have some form of communication with the adventurer.
Honestly, it seems like a troublesome position, but according to Madriel, it paid pretty well for basically being just the manager of one person.
I didn’t really care enough to ask for more of the specifics, but the idea was interesting. Not only the idea, but the very fact that exists. Just like other facets of the Wanderer’s Lodge that wasn’t in the lore, it seemed like some things just happen. This is among those slivers of information that didn’t belong in the game nor in the lore.
It really makes me wonder if this world is just a hodgepodge of everything that is and isn’t related to the game and lore. Or, I guess the better way to rationalize it is that the world feels ‘lived-in’ than ‘manufactured’.
In that case, it meant the world existed before I want sent here. That means my information isn’t rock-solid, maybe useless, and may even be more harmful. I suppose, before anything bad happens, I should rely less on my meta knowledge.
Locking that in my heart and resolving myself, I asked Madriel to simply register Nis as an adventurer.
Now that Madriel’s status was elevated, and probably because it was my request, it was done easily without having to do the entry exam. Normally, to make sure no adventurer would be useless, they issue an exam to test a person’s ability. If they pass, they become adventurers.
However, even If I use my position as an adamantium, we can’t just arbitrarily increase her rank to mine. According to Madriel, there were procedures to be followed.
For now, until she can prove her strength and experience, Nis is designated as a stone adventurer. The lowest of the bunch. For stone adventurers, they were usually just freemen working for extra pocket money, it wasn’t something people could live off of. Besides, most of their work consist of utility jobs along the city, such as fixing houses, patrolling the city, oddjobs here and there.
Obviously, I don’t plan on letting her stay there. No, I’m boosting her up to until Silver or Gold.
Clearing the Crypt of Bastroll should be the perfect method to do so.
After that little task, we started on preparing for our raid. We started with essentials, such as food, camping supplies, and several more combat items such as purifying salts, bomb rocks, noise makers, paper familiars, all those items.
I did have the option to just use my stock, but I wanted to teach Nis that each raid was something you had to risk your life on to succeed. I gave her a set of pocket money and a list of items to buy and told her to make sure she got everything on the list. I didn’t specify how much she should buy of one item though.
It’s all a learning experience for her, and I intend to keep it that way. It may be reckless to do so in a place unfamiliar to me, and in situation as precarious as this, but if not now, when?
Besides, I have several items that I can use in an emergency. I’d at least be able to protect her, push comes to shove, even if we are under prepared.
“Master Chris! Tell me how much I should buy!” She spoke irritably and started gripping on my coat.
For the most part, I ignored her and let her decide.
This happened a few more times along the course of the day, and eventually, we finished our preparations at twilight. Even at this hour, the city was still lively, and so we walked back to our inn, enjoying the chilly evening breeze.
She must have been tired as she crashed the moment we entered our room. In a few moments later, I could her hear snoring away. She didn’t even remove her armor, but whatever, it’s a learning experience. She’ll be sore for the whole day tomorrow, haha.
Anyway, I looked at our share of the loot today. I spread them out on the table and took count.
Hmmmmm, I guess she passes. She brought more of something I wouldn’t buy personally, but I guess she bought it for a sense of security. Paper familiars were good, but in a normal raid, people usually just buy 1 or 2. She bought 4.
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It was an item that gave arcane casters the ability to see combat in a bird’s eye view.
I can’t really blame her. It is a pretty good item, if a bit pricey. Still, she could’ve used the money to buy more noise makers or more potions. It’s only really useful against the boss.
Still, our preparations are complete. All we need to do now is to wait for Slavos’ recovery. Shouldn’t take long though for a Dragonkin. At the earliest? Probably the day after tomorrow.
After confirming the count one more time, I placed them back in the bag and took to the bed. Tomorrow would be a pretty busy day for me, so I slept much earlier than normal.
~ - ~
The next day, we left for the wanderer’s lodge early. My business? The yard. I needed to test all of my abilities if all of them worked, and that was the best place to do so.
Nis came along with me, but just like yesterday, she was out of it. She really wasn’t a morning person. Funny how that works, an AI slow in the head in the mornings. Didn’t think I’d see that in my life, or in the afterlife. Actually, would this be considered the afterlife? Whatever.
I was a bit worried though, so I took Nis by her hand and guided her to our destination. To others, we might have looked like lovers in an early-day date, but to me? I feel like I was taking care of a daughter. My paternal instincts were roaring.
As we neared the lodge, there was a slight commotion at the entrance. There was quite a bit of people by the center, seeming to mob someone, but I have no idea what was happening.
I watched the sight before me, and I decided to ignore it until I saw someone familiar. There, by the edge of the mass of people was Dylan and Kyle. They weren’t fighting with the mob, but they were just there, standing and thinking.
I called out to both of them.
“Oh, Sed? You sure are early.” Kyle said, stretching his arms.
Dylan rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked at the sight behind him. “Yeah, we’re not getting in any time soon.” He sighed and rest his hands by the handle of his sword.
“Dylan, Kyle, good morning. Something happen?” I asked them as I neared, still dragging the sleepy Nis along with me.
“Morning, Sed. Something’s up ahead, can’t tell here though.” Dylan shrugged.
“Uh, aren’t there other entrances?”
“This early in the morning? Not yet, they only open this large door here in the mornings, and open the rest in the afternoon.” Kyle replied while adjusting his pants.
“Well, what can ya do? Let’s just wait.” Dylan yawned and looked behind him with disinterest.
“Oh yeah, heard you fought the big lizard, and won. Didn’t peg ya for an adamantium.” Kyle recalled and smiled. “Congrats.”
“Only barely. That guy is a beast with a sword, and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t even going at it seriously. More like, he was testing me? He wasn’t taking any aggressive moves, and he was reactionary.”
Dylan huffed. “That’s still a considerable achievement. I don’t think Kyle could last a second against him.”
Kyle laughed. “I’d be smacked down hard in a hot second.”
“I never asked, but what’s your rank?” I was curious.
“The Eight Wonders? We’re a Gold-Rank party, but Kyle is the only Platinum-Rank.”
That was surprising. I didn’t see their fight, and considering how Nis wiped the floor with them, I thought they were weak. A Silver-Rank at most, I thought. Although, now that I think about it, she did use her summons instead of fighting on her own, so maybe that’s why.
In order of competence, the lodge assigns a rank to each adventurer. From Stone, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Those above Platinum start from Mithril, Orichalchum, and lastly, Adamantium.
For Kyle to be a Platinum. That was even more of a surprise, but a pleasant one. Makes me wonder why they were strapped for cash, but the life of an adventurer was rife with troubles. Expenses were spread around, after all.
As we were talking among ourselves, the mass of people behind us finally broke up from the middle. There, groups of adventurers started walking out. From what I can tell, these group of adventurers were top-class with their equipment and bearing.
We quickly walked to the side to let them walk, since there weren’t that much space to begin with, and considering the huge line of adventurers following behind them. I may even be understating it a bit, from what I could tell, there was around 100-150 adventurers all walking together in line.
“Aha, so that’s why!” Kyle said, looking at the group with interest. “They’re clearing the crypt.” He explained to me.
“Good luck to them, I guess.” Dylan replied disinterestedly and walked to the entrance. “Kyle, come on!”
“Aye, let’s get a minotaur subjugation this time around.” Kyle followed him after waving at us with a ‘bye’.
I would’ve wanted to chat with them more. There’s a lot that I don’t know now that the world has become something more than my creation, but I’m not so bold-faced to ask them to waste time with me when they could be making cash.
With nothing left to do, and a whole lot to think about, I dragged Nis to the yard.
I rented out the whole yard for my use, with everyone prohibited from entering except us and Madriel, who was kind of like my personal assistant. With the wide area for our own use, we used the entirety of the day testing out our abilities.
One thing I’ve realized when I fought Slavos was experience. Even after cursing him with slowness, he still manages to beat me handily without even exhibiting most of his abilities. It made me realize that I shouldn’t rely too much on my avatar’s skills.
Instead, what I needed to cultivate was cunning and wit. Just like how I used Night Robe to clutch the victory against Slavos, I need to devise more methods for when my might and magic is useless. To this end, we thoroughly familiarized ourselves with our skills and abilities.
By afternoon, we used our time to spar against each other.
Of course, as someone who uses powerful cursing, it was no wonder I would win, so I stopped myself from using it and instead used several other spells from Occultist and all of my skills from Slayer.
By the end of it, at twilight, we finished all of what we wanted to do. All in all, it was a fruitful time, and I now had several methods to bring out for when brute force was useless.
Not to mention, I’ve extensively tested all of my equipment that had enchantments in them. I’ve managed to proc or activate 80% or so, with the rest being far too unique to activate. Even at this point, I had no idea if Spear of Immersed worked, still, it was a good weapon so I wanted to try and keep at it for a longer time.
It was only an hour after we finished our preparations to leave that I was glad to have wasted my entire time training. An event that I did not think would ever happen.