Once Falk put a stop to Ben’s wanton acts of deforestation, they both began heading back to town. The shop would be opening later than usual, but given how often it was closed as its owner left to deal with different clients, that wasn’t a big problem.
No, the big problem was the unusually large crowd trying to make it into Stonewall since they’d been in the woods, a long line of carts trying to get in as the few guards on watch were busy alerting their supervisors of everything so that they could prepare for the unexpected influx of people.
“Huh, wonder what’s happening?” Ben muttered as his teacher gave him a funny look.
“Suppose you’ll see in a bit. Well, whenever we get back in.”
Usually it was much easier to get in and out, but the road was congested and they had no choice but to wait as traffic moved along, until they finally made it back into the walls to get back to the shop, finding the streets still packed for the entire way.
It was bothersome but Ben was able to ignore it easily enough, devoting himself to his thoughts on the way back, his language and magic studies, reflecting on the summoning spell that was consuming his life by that point, and also simultaneously making and breaking enchantments across his three mythril bracelets for the skill and job experience.
The only thing that stopped all skills and thoughts in their tracks was getting back to the shop and finding that it had been the final destination of not only them, but the town's unusual level of tourists as well.
“Ugh, about what I expected,” Falk muttered when he saw what was going on. “I guess I should consider ourselves lucky they waited even this long.”
“You expecting guests or something?”
“They’re for you. Don’t forget which of us was outed as being an awakened craftsman. We’re just lucky they waited for us to finish up our main work. Or maybe lucky isn’t the right word for it since with this many showing up at once it seems more like they were told when it would be okay to arrive.”
“Uh, what?”
“They’re all yours so decide how you want to handle this, just keep my name out of it.”
An entirely unsatisfying explanation given, Ben followed as his teacher pushed their way through the crowd, chasing away any angry looks from them with the yeti’s glare as he processed what he was told until they were eventually stopped by a drawn weapon.
“Stop pushing through,” A regal man in heavy armour told them. “It’s first come first serve. Blame yourself for not rushing here sooner.”
Oh joy, I can already tell today is going to be fun. He thought sarcastically as he watched his teacher grab the blade of the sword pointed at him.
“Is it?” The yeti asked. “Well then consider pointing your blade at the shop’s owner a one-way ticket to the back of the line.”
The words weren’t loud, but the sentiment carried as everyone close enough to hear focused in on the two of them. Word of Falk hadn’t been spread as much, but many of those who’d come had at least gotten a description of Ben, finding him to be a match in an instant as shouts sprung up around them.
“You, we can offer-”
“If you work for our country, a mountain of gold-”
“Women or men, our church will provide-”
“Consider yourself lucky to have the chance to-”
“There could be no greater honor than joining us as-”
In the cascade of shouting voices as people pushed toward them, more and more trying to get closer in order to be heard, Ben slipped off one of the circular mythril bracelets on his arm, quickly making the best sound enchantment he could in the span of a few seconds and held it up to his mouth to shout through it, having his words amplified to be heard by all as he struggled to contain his emotions simmering beneath the surface.
“QUIET! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP AND MAKE A PATH SO WE CAN GET TO THE GODDAMN DOOR!”
None of the crowd had been expecting to be taken over in volume to such an extent but in their shock from the turn of events did as they were told, all of them parting to let Ben and Falk continue on as his god spoke up in his head.
Some feelings was putting it mildly. When he understood what was happening, he couldn’t escape the sudden rage filling him. When he’d arrived on the world, not one nation or faith had seen any value in taking him, but after all of his hard work in growing his skills without any of the support others were given, now they had the gall to try and take him for themselves? He didn’t expect to feel such a visceral reaction to it, but all of his minds were burning with anger that he tried to keep from his face.
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Myriad, how many of the people here are from groups that either didn’t take me in when they had the chance or whose gods either voted to toss me into hell or remained neutral?
He could hear the earnestness in his god's voice, Myriad’s intentions solely towards not wanting Ben to end up in any sort of trouble from acting out, so in the end he agreed, trying to meditate with half of his minds to calm down as the rest were focused entirely on dealing with the situation as he finally got to the shop door and turned to the crowd, pointing to a close man while the rest were still quiet and asking him a question for all to hear.
“You, tell me why you think everyone is here.”
The man, looking like what Ben would describe as a rhino person if he had to, brightened at being pointed out like that and given the first chance to talk.
“Why, I’m here to offer you the wonderful chance to work for-”
“I didn’t ask why you were here, I asked why everyone was here,” Ben told him as he cut him off. “What’s a group like this doing in a town so far from a gate?”
“What? Uh, I would assume we’re all here to try and hire you for our nations,” The man said, confused on where this was going but not giving up the chance to try and keep selling himself. “With the one I represent being-”
“Don’t care. Listen up, all of you. Sorry you wasted your time, but I have no interest in working for any of you or your nations or faiths or whatever sort of group you represent. If that was your only intent then you should start going back to wherever you came from. For those of you who want to make any orders from us, we can discuss it, however there’s going to be some rules. First and foremost, form a proper line, we’ll take one group into the shop at a time to discuss things so stop blocking the entire street like this. Second, if any of you try to talk me into working with you instead of making an order you will be kicked out. Third, if anyone tries to convince me to work for you after putting in your order, your order will be canceled and you will be kicked out. Finally and most importantly, if any of you has the nerve to bother me at home as well as here, I’ll be blacklisting both your home nations as well as whatever gods you serve. And if you all can’t get yourselves in a proper line in the next ten minutes you can all get lost, I won’t be talking to a single one of you. I hope that was clear.”
Without waiting for a response he turned and went into the shop, dragging his teacher with him as he locked it behind him and slumped over.
“Sorry Falk, hope that was okay?”
“Aye, it’s fine. ‘Course, given the size of the crowd and the fact that there’s likely more to come, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes days to go through them all, and who knows how much for the orders you’ll be taking.”
“I’ll worry about that later.”
“Alright, in that case, don’t actually start bringing them in at ten minutes, we probably need to contact the guards and Ceselee to make sure things run smoothly so it might be an hour. Keep the shop locked up and I’ll be back in a bit after talking to them.”
“Sounds good, thanks.”
As his teacher left, Ben slumped over on a desk, still dealing with his simmering emotions and the disbelief he’d have to put up with with something like this.
Did I handle that okay for you?
Ha, well let’s just see what the future holds.
----------------------------------------
“I demand a crown. Something fit for my liege, it has to at least be ultra-rare in quality to be worthy of them.”
Ben felt his eyes flared from the sheer gall of the man. After kicking out the first six groups that had come in for breaking the rules he’d set, it seemed that the rest had understood he as being serious, and with both Falk and Ceselee around to get rid of anyone that wanted to argue, the next ten had actually managed to talk long enough for most of them to put in orders, with the majority being similar requests to what he’d made Amy, only for two or three different items instead of the nine that she got. The current potential client though may not have broken any of his rules, but he was immediately getting on his nerves.
“You’ll demand nothing. If you have an item you want I’ll do my best to make it if you pay the price, but I’m not going to make something over and over again until it reaches the arbitrary rank you want it to have. Especially not for a shiny hat. If you can deal with the fact that I can guarantee you something within rare and will be making it to the best of my abilities like I do anything, then we can start discussing prices.”
“Price?” He scoffed. “You’re receiving the honour of making this for Zula the eighth, do you know how many would kill to be in your position?”
“Then go to one of them,” He said dryly. “It seems like negotiations have broken down so get out already, I’m not making something for someone who doesn’t even have the intention of paying.”
“Now you wait here-” He started, but before he could finish both Falk and Ceselee had the man by the arms and tossed him out, closing the door behind them.
“I can see you two are going to be having fun for a while,” The guildmaster told them, looking as annoyed as Ben felt. “I think I’ll have to report some of what I’m seeing to the guards later. Want to make sure our more unruly guests are actually leaving town.”
“Please do.”
He was trying to be polite for Myriad, but some of them seemed like they were trying to make it especially hard on him in the end.
Still, the sooner this is done the sooner I’m free.
Heaving a breath, he went to the door and invited the next group of five in, not caring anything about them but making sure to get a handshake from each, just like each other group he’d met.
Well, at least one of them has a new skill for me to copy. Not sure what a seventh level of mapping will do but time to get it on a ring.
If there was only a single thing truly good about what he was dealing with, it was the sheer amount of bodies he could enchant skills from guilt-free. Even if he still had yet to awaken connect, every bit of experience counted and he was going to make sure he’d get all he could from putting up with this.