“Well, one last thing for me. I wanna keep leveling this job before swapping to another. I might take it to even twenty five or thirty if it only takes a day or two, but when I swap this job out, I’ll lose my language abilities.”
“Ah! You are right. You… probably do not wish to stay with this job.”
“Definitely no,” Joe smiled despite the emphatic exclamation. “I’ll need to keep growing other jobs. But don’t worry, I have a plan. I’ll swap to hunter and level up my bow skill so I can use its character skill on my language skill. It’ll waste a character skill, but it will let me keep the language skill. When I come back to level up polyglot some more, it’ll level then.”
Garnedell was looking at Joe with some confusion as they walked through the streets, “I do not understand. There is a way to allow you to use skills not of your job?”
It was Joe’s turn to be a bit surprised, “You do not know of ‘char’ skills. I think it is short for ‘character’ skill?”
Garnedell shook his head, “No.”
“A skill that allows you to level other skills up and when it reaches level one, you can use it in any job.”
This time, Garnedell’s eyes shot upward, “Growth skills! You speak of growth skills!”
“Is that what you call them? The status system calls them ‘char:’ skills. If you use a char skill on another skill, that skill can grow and become stronger. When it is level one, you can use it with any job.”
“So the skill itself is not a growth skill?” Garnedell asked as they finally made it to the inner gate and came upon a line outside the gate. The two of them stepped into line.
“What, the ‘char’ skill?”
“No, the original skill,” Garnedell replied, their feet shuffling further up the line.
“Yes. Every skill can grow. But only the char skill allows other skills to grow. At least, that’s what the system says.”
“You have a growth skill then?”
“Yes. Two.”
Garnedell’s eyes boggled a bit, “You have two!”
“Commoner has one and hunter has one. The hunter’s bow is a growth skill and the commoner’s cudgel is a growth skill.”
“Commoner!” Garnedell actually shouted in shock, rousing the surprise of those around them in the line before he quickly stifled himself with embarrassment.
Joe laughed a bit at Garnedell’s surprise as they took a couple steps forward, close to the end of the line, “Yes. Commoner and hunter.”
Garnedell shook his head in surprise.
Joe continued with a whispered explanation as he ducked his head down near Garnedell’s ear, “I think your people got it all wrong. The secret to growth isn’t one high level job. It is best to have as many low level jobs as possible!”
“Every great power of my people would mock you to hear it, but your actions seem proof of it!”
Joe laughed but quieted as they came to the front of the gate line, meeting with the elite guard.
The guard looked at Joe and Garnedell, a sneer not even hidden, “What would two ruffians have need of the inner city.”
Joe ignored the guard’s arrogance, trying to piece together meaning through the guard’s accent, and replied politely, “We wish to go to the library.”
“Bah! What could you afford at the library! Turn and leave. Your kind do not belong here.”
Joe’s eyes actually rose at the comment, surprised at the obvious favoritism, “We are not allowed to enter?”
The guard’s look shifted from belittlement to anger, “Who are you to argue with me! Leave, lest you find yourself in the dungeon.”
Joe was fairly certain he could push the issue and easily deal with the guard, if Garnedell’s description of the average person was any indication of their capabilities. But Joe really didn’t want to get on any of the local nobility’s … no… clanner’s… radar. It was best to simply leave. Joe ducked his head and exited the line, beckoning Garnedell after him. The two walked away a couple of meters before Joe turned to Garnedell with a smile on his face.
“Well! I guess we really have to go to that tailor,” Joe exclaimed with a cheerful laugh!
Garnedell looked to him, anger scrawling across his face and Joe flinched in surprise, “Why are you so angry, Garnedell?”
“The guard has no right to treat you in such a manner!”
“How did he treat me?”
“As a peasant, mas… Joe.”
“To him, I appear a peasant, and I wish to remain as a peasant. I have no desire to become known. How should he treat others?”
“He should treat you as a man of greatness!”
“And if I were simply a beggar, as they are,” Joe questioned, pointing out several destitute people lining the main fairway leading into the inner city?
“They are beggars, master. They have none to blame but their own fate!”
“Then should I have treated you who lived under a bridge the same as you claim these beggars should be treated.”
“My fate has changed. I’ve been blessed by lady luck and found apprenticeship with a great and powerful adventurer.”
“That makes you better than them?”
“Yes,” Garnedell’s statement was unequivocally final. A statement of fact that he truly believed. Joe actually boggled slightly at Garnedell’s reply, and he was left a bit speechless. Throughout the conversation, Garnedell wound through the crowds ahead of them and lead them towards the crafter’s square, stopping every once in a while to ask directions. Joe quickly got himself in motion again and pulled up behind Garnedell, saying nothing, shocked into silence. Even his thoughts were left in limbo, confused and unable to respond to Garnedell’s foundational beliefs.
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They made the rest of the way to crafters square in silence, Joe too dumbfounded and Garnedell too angry. When they arrived at the square, Joe took over looking for a tailor and led the two into one of the closest ones, but as soon as Joe entered, he turned and left.
“Not this one. We’ll need something a bit more upscale.”
Joe went from shop to shop, but became more and more frustrated as he found shops offering basic clothing but nothing that would be upscale enough to get them through the inner city gates. They’d finally searched all the stores they could find and Joe wasn’t happy with any of them.
“Are there any other tailors, Garnedell?”
“I don’t know, Joe.”
“Well, what do you think was the best tailor?”
“I think the third one was the best, Joe.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s try her one more time.”
The two went back to the third shop they’d tried and entered once again. The young tailor recognized them from before and rose quickly, a smile coming to her face a bit more forced than before. Well, of course. She’s gotta be a bit pissed that we just walked in and out again.
“Miss tailor. I apologize that we did not stay long last time. We were looking for a tailor of fine clothing for peerage. We did not see any when we entered last time. I need fine clothing that will allow me to enter the inner city. Are you capable of such?”
The tailor’s face fell, her smile turning bitter as her shoulders dropped, “I see. You are correct, adventurer. I am incapable of such clothing.”
“Are there any here who are capable?”
“I know of none. The only tailors capable of such great craft live in the inner city.”
“Really? To get in the inner city, I must look the part, but to look the part, I must be in the inner city?”
The tailor said nothing to this and simply shrugged.
“Are you too low a level to tailor such clothing?”
“I apologize, but I am no tailor. I am a simple cloth worker, thus why my clothing is poor. I would need to become a tailor to tailor such clothing for you.”
“How would you become a tailor?”
“You must be a cloth worker of great skill.”
So tailors are advanced jobs of the cloth worker. Hmm… could I help her get there? “If I may ask a personal question, did you invest your years to grow your cloth worker job?”
“Of course! I am a nineteen cloth worker.”
“Ah. And there are no tailors in the outer city.”
“I am sorry, but I do not believe so.”
Joe nodded his head in a simple bow like greeting before thanking her, “Well, I am grateful for the assistance you were able to give me. Thank you. Then, do you happen to have rope I could purchase?”
The tailor thought for a bit before nodding, “Rope is not something I often sell to customers, but I do have some available, left over from my bundles. I would be willing to sell an amount for a pittance.”
“I would truly appreciate it.”
The two spent a bit of time measuring how much Joe wanted and coming to an agreeable payment. But it was soon time to go, and Joe turned to leave.
“Fair you well, sir.”
“Good bye,” Joe offered as he left the tailor. When they arrived outside, Joe stopped and considered, trying to think of his options but finding himself stymied as he couldn’t find any other path to gaining access to the inner city. Several discarded options finally left him frustrated, and he gave up on trying to get a tailor or a way into the city and turned to Garnedell.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to become a tailor myself sometime later. But I don’t have time for that right now. I gotta focus on leveling as many of my jobs as possible. Let’s head to the blacksmith before doing the ID stuff. Then we’ll spend the rest of the day in the dungeon, OK?”
Garnedell nodded and turned to lead them once more, Joe still not quite comfortable at navigating the streets.
“Hey, Garnedell. How do you know the streets so well? You seem to know your way here quite well.”
Garndell smiled and nodded, “My family lived here a short time while they were fleeing before they ended up choosing to live in the village by the lake. We were not here long, but it was long enough for me to know some of the places.”
Joe nodded but didn’t pursue the topic, not wishing to depress Garnedell regarding his parents. And grasped for another topic, “Um… I’m curious. The guard, the waitress, and this cloth worker; they all had accents. Where are they from?”
“Hmm? I’m not sure, but probably from different planes. They each had a different accent.”
“Different planes? Truly?”
“Well, given the difference in accents, most likely from different cradles even, so…”
Joe fell silent at that, considering carefully. That’s… insane! If accents change not based on planetary locales but based on the moons of an entire gas giant, mobility must be… Joe let the idea drop, but became quite nervous. He didn’t know why he was feeling nervous, but he could piece together what it would mean. The States had accent differences from the East and West coast, and even differences based on North or South. But the distance of a continent was enough to start creating subtle differences in a language creating accents. But out here… an entire planet, by itself, is not enough to create differing accents… What… How? Highly mobile at least within a Cradle system! What kind of culture…
Joe’s mind drifted through the ramifications as they walked in silence for the rest of the way before showing up at the blacksmith. And… Joe’s thoughts crunched to a halt. Accents changes because of different planes… planets! They have a multi planetary society!?”
“Uh… Garnedell? How many planes are there?”
“Many… I don’t know… many more than I can count.”
“And… how many cradles?”
Garnedell huffed softly and shook his head, “Many. Many more than I can count.”
“And… people live at all these cradles?”
“Yes. Many?” Garnedell asked with some uncertain questioning, glancing up at Joe.
Joe said nothing and simply found himself stunned, unable to think. A mulitplanetary… no… multi-solar… how… this… Joe’s mind was unable to continue… his thoughts simply shattered before his conscious shocked to awareness at their arrival at the blacksmith.
Not wishing to bother the blacksmith too much, Joe explained his strange creation to the blacksmith, but his shock was enough to make Joe flounder a bit, obviously annoying the blacksmith some. So Joe focused back on the immediate task and quickly went over the plans for the star weapons once again, taking the time to add in four hoops at the center of mass, two on each side aligned so that two of the wooden spears could slot in on either side and allow Joe or Garnedell to move them without worry of being electrocuted if they had a trapped spark on it. Negotiating a new price, the two then left and headed towards the dungeon and the two guilds: adventurers and dungeoneers.
When they arrived at the adventurer’s guild, Garnedell took care of reporting the bounties, choosing one of the lowest level bounties and one of the higher, but not highest level ones. Garnedell wasn’t quite able to figure it out, but asked Joe for some information on it and he was able to pick out the cards Garnedell wanted. They then headed to a queue that was quite empty, only a single person in front of them. It took only a few moments for the woman in front to finish her business before Joe and Garnedell found themselves in front of the petite man manning the counter. Garnedell quickly handed the cards to the person in the counter.
“My master and I were attacked by some men. We were able to defend ourselves and kill them.”
The man proved to be quite fussy and carefully evaluated the two cards but then quirked an eyebrow, “You killed Eagle Eye Garndun of Dulanad’s bandits and… wait… You killed two members of Dulanad’s bandits, including the Eagle Eye?”
Garnedell smiled and shrugged, “Well, my master is good. And I helped.”
The skinny man stared at Garnedell for several moments, flicked his eyes at Joe for a bit, then turned and went to work processing the bounty. It took several moments, but the man then handed over the bounty. Joe and Garnedell turned, heading out of the area. Joe glanced back to see the man staring at them, so he lead Garnedell down towards the exit around a corner to get out of sight. The guy seems way too curious?
Joe and Garnedell headed out of the adventurer’s guild and back out into the streets where Joe stopped Garnedell for several minutes, “That guy was watching us a bit too much. Let’s wait a bit before we go back in and setup for our ID cards, right?”
Garnedell nodded, understanding quickly enough and they loitered out front of the adventurer’s guild for a while before returning and asking for their ID cards. An appointment was made for several days later and Joe made a note of it to make sure they could get both their cards on the same day from both the guilds without the issue of going by the guilds on two different days.
They were able to slip out of the guild without notice after, and Joe took the time to shoot a quick glance towards the bounty hunter clerk. Joe relaxed with some relief, shoulders drooping as he saw that the clerk was lazily occupying himself behind the desk, eyes staring down at whatever occupied him.