Author’s Note: This will be last chapter with explanations for now.  Point out any mistakes, and enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next day, at dawn, I asked Lomar to convey a message from me to mayor of Lumber. I decided it would be best to stay in Plenty until I learned my profession, and earned money to pay Mayor back. The group I came with was now at its original size, Lomar must have been successful in convincing new people to settle in Lumber. I said my goodbyes and went to the shop, as work was going to start soon.

Time passed peacefully. It was now 2 months later, I paid my debts and accomplished quite a lot. I was earning 3 silvers from each product I made, which was hefty amount of money, considering that a price of one night in inn was 50 coppers. Money was based on hundreds, so 1 silver made 100 coppers, and 1 gold made 100 silvers.

 I managed to save almost one gold, I also made chain armor for myself, which took me VERY long time, but was definitely worth it. It was made of steel, as I couldn’t get my hands on anything better, but I looked badass in it, so I didn’t mind. I had hauberk, coif, as well as chain boots. Of course I wasn’t using it, but you never knew what might happen, right? After Lars guaranteed my credibility with guards, I received my sword back, so I was prepared for anything.

I made friends with Cordby, as he had a lot of stuff to share, and I had lot of questions to ask. Avalon was big world, no one knew exactly how big because no one managed to map it so far. Generally all known civilization was inhabiting Central Continent. It was said that there were other land masses across the ocean surrounding the continent, but few who returned from them discouraged other explorers from folly voyages into unknown.

We, Plenty, Rasgar Hold Lumber and few other villages, were situated on the Northern Frontier. The Harsh North was land of Giants, who didn’t associate with other races much. If you saw a mountain anywhere, it was probably home to monsters, dwarves or gnomes. There were 3 human kingdoms, and a small elven communities in some forests. And that was it. Perhaps other continents also had their countries, but it was unknown.

Each race, although originally human before being brought to Avalon, had become closed communities with sparse contacts between different peoples. Everyone had their own problems, and didn’t want to help others in solving theirs. It seemed strange to me, wouldn’t getting together as one big community solve monster and bandit issues?

But no, race changes didn’t change human hearts. One ruler couldn’t be chosen, and in human dominated world democracy would be idiotic. So each race stuck to their own, rarely exchanging trade and knowledge with others.

The only thing common for all races were mercenary guilds. Each bigger village, like Plenty, or town had at least one mercenary guild. It was simply adventure guild in game language, but people in Avalon hate all game related terms and tried to avoid them at all possible cost.

I went to the guild once, and it was just like in games, but it really was good system so why not implement it? When signing as mercenary, you were first tested by local guild master in combat prowess. If you were much better than him, you had to go to bigger city to repeat testing with higher ranked guild master. After test, you were given rank ranging from F to A. There was theoretically possibility of getting X class, but for that you needed to defeat guild’s Champion, who was guild master in capital of one of the human kingdoms. All his stats were above 300, exact numbers not known.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

I wasn’t tempted to join the guild. I liked my safe life with satisfying job and good people around. I made friends with Lomar, who came by weekly from Lumber, as well as started to develop interest in female mercenary, who was one of the newcomers in Lumber. She was really nice! Blonde hair going to the end of scapula, emerald eyes, and she was human on the short side so only slightly taller than me!

We hit it off when she came a couple of times to order maintenance of hers, and her companions gear. She had one of the custom made weapons, which was short sword with jagged edges. Sharpening it was really problematic, so at first I was grumpily and asked her what dwarf couldn’t fix her own weapon. She wasn’t mad, she first looked at me surprised, and then started laughing so hard I thought she would choke. I was confused, until she explained during laughing that she wasn’t dwarf but human. Her name was Cynthia, after couple of meetings we started going out. It was simply drinking together in inn for now, talking about previous lives, but I was looking towards the future. I REALLY liked her.

One day, there was commotion at the gates, and because I was passing by with nothing to do at the moment, I went to look what was it about. When I managed to hear from onlookers that something happened to Land Sharks, which was how Cynthia’s group called themselves, I was frantic. I started to push my way forward, not minding that I almost flung other people flying. Finally I saw Cynthia, who looked alright, only with minor wounds and tired expression. I heaved sigh with relief and went to ask her what was going on.

We first went to an inn, she said she needed a drink. One of her companions had major wounds, and they barely brought him to town. Apparently their quest was harder than described. It was supposed to be material hunt for some alchemist. He needed slime’s core, as well as a bit of slime body. Unfortunately, the cave where slimes were supposed to be, was infested with them, among other hostile creatures, like kobolds and fire serpents. Their party had to isolate one slime to extract what they needed, and it was hard doing so to unwilling creature when other enemies were upon them.

Those hostiles were average leveled, so it shouldn’t be hard to discouraged them from continuous attacks. But they seemed to be afflicted with rage of some kind, and they didn’t mind their kind dying all around.

As I listened to her story, a strange warm feeling grew in my heart. I interrupted her at one point and hugged her on an impulse. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed and patted me on my back, saying she was alright, and apologized for making me worry. I would have asked her to quit adventuring, but I knew she loved this job.

We went to her home afterwards, and spent night together. We didn’t do anything, just cuddled and talked till late into the night. She asked me if I didn’t want to join her group but I declined. I had no combat or magic training, so why brave dangers, when you have satisfying life? These were my thoughts, until I lost her.