The merchant and Raven enter the city walls, this is Redstone, the city of adventurers, bandits and mercenaries, the merchant takes Raven to the mercenary hub, the Red Steel building, the first floor, there was a receptionist.
- You can go ahead to the boss, sir.
- Thank you.
Past the receptionist is the mercenaries of Red Steel sitting around drinking booze, the bartended is also the task master, behind him is the task board.
"It's noisy in here." Raven remarks.
The two head up to the second floor, Raven can no longer hear any noise.
- It's gotten quiet.
- The boss is a mage, his specialty is controlling domains, that means he can cast wide range shields with varying effects.
- I get it.
Raven looks around, he sees a lot of garages, he wonders what they are for as he goes up to the third floor.
"The second and third floor are the storage rooms, here the boss stores different things from trophies to weapons to tools, each are rewards for mercenaries who please him, but you try to open any of the rooms without permission, you will be electrocuted, if you're tough enough you wake up in the hospital, if you're not, you will never wake up."
The reach the fourth floor, a big waiting room and a door that leads to the boss's office, on the right are couches surrounding a table from three sides, on the left is a bookshelf that holds different works of literature and different guides that helps mercs become better, unfortunately, barely anyone reads those guides.
The two sit and await their turn to enter the office.
After a while, two archers leave the office, a man and a woman, they go to the staircase and head up.
- What's on the floor above?
- That's the elite mercenaries' hub, they a have a 24/7 bartender and training grounds.
- What if I head up?
- You will find a door with no lock, but it won't open unless you're an elite merc which will be decided by the boss, it's time to meet him.
The enter the room, a man sits behind a desk, he wears a black suit with no tie, he has a magical staff floating behind him, it's made by the finest dark wood and black diamonds are mounted on it, surrounding him are shelves mounted on three walls filled with records.
The merchant whispers to Raven.
"Everything he does is clean, you don't have to worry about getting into legal trouble working for him, he keeps records of anything."
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The boss greets the merchant.
- Welcome, I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been?
- Here and there traveling around the kingdom, the usual business.
- So who do you bring me?
- This is...
- Raven, I am Raven.
- Today, I've seen him take care of two bandits who ambushed him skillfully, though he lacks in the magical department, he made a fine work out of the two without getting a scratch on him, I would like you to take him in.
- You've done me a favor before, yes? Now I will return the favor and hire this boy you brought to me, Raven, you can wait outside.
Raven went to wait outside for a few minutes, then the merchant comes out.
- Thank you, but you didn't have to do this for me.
- I am a merchant, I deal in favors, selling and buying is what I do in between, will you return my favor someday.
- I will.
The two shook hands, the merchant lefr Raven, before he went down the staircase, Raven asked.
- I forgot to ask you, what's your name?
- I am known by many names, but you shall know me as Nomed.
Nomed headed down, Raven found the name weird.
"Nomed? Wait that's demon reversed, did I just make a deal with a demon. No, I am just being superstitious."
Raven entered the boss's office.
- Your is Raven, right?
- Yes, sir.
- Drop the sir, you're a merc not a soldier, my name is Giren, seeing how you were recommended by such a man, I will give you a chance at achieving elite status, I have ran into a quite complicated matter, it's nothing I can't handle, but for you, it will be a test that will put your skills through the wringer, head to Ebony Forge and tell the master smith there that Giren wants his weapons delivered.
- Got it.
- Head south east from here and you'll find it.
Raven headed out, this is the first time he walks through the city but it isn't time to get distracted, he is on important mission, Giren told him to deliver a message, but seeing how he talked about this job, there is more to it.
Raven reaches the forges, half of it is missing, he sees couple of men repairing and a dwarf watching them, the dwarf's skin is as dark as ash, on his waist he carries smithing tools, his eyes glow red like a beast, Raven approches him.
- Are you the master smith?
- Yes, I am Gorr.
- What happened here?
- A bunch of bandits stole explosives from the miners, blew my forge and stole an unfinished sword.
- Why would they steal an unfinished sword?
- It's made using precious metals, it for the local guild master of the Adventurers' Guild.
- Well anyway, Giren said he wants his weapons.
- Yeah, I got them, but I can't spare any man to deliver them and we're short on money to hire more.
- Maybe we can figure something out, I retrieve the unfinished sword and you spare some men to deliver the weapons.
- Sure, completing the sword would help me make enough money to fully restore the forge.
- You have any idea where can I find it?
- In their hideout of course, but where is the hideout, I don't know.
- Then I will beat the location out of some bandit.
Raven heads out searching for anyone that looks shady, while he is at it, Raven hears a fight breaks out, he takes a turn and he's faced by a man who shivers in fear, it's the mage bandit from before.