Current Quests

Justice For Courbefy: Find justice for the victims of the corrupt mayor of Courbefy. Use…

Chosen Of Knowledge: Escort Hugh on his journey to becoming a fully awakened iron…

Healer’s Materials: Gain Healer’s favour by donating alchemy ingredients to the church…

Wine tour: Vineyard wants you to try the different wines in the Megève area.

Acquire Follower: Dominion wants you to gain another follower.

Chosen Of Hero: Travel north to Lake Auvernier, find the chosen of Hero and recruit…

“Now, yes,” said the Barkeeper, joining them at the table as Dave had insisted with a generous tip. “The Schmidt boy. Johan Schmidt. Shouldn’t say boy, actually. Forgive me, Mister Booker, he’s a young man now. Came of age! Put the sun wreath around his head just this summer festival.”

“Sorry, Mister Studer, you were saying he’s some kind of local hero?”

“Yes, yes, yes. In a way, in a way. At the lake last spring he - oh, mention the monster, Baecker! Come over here!”

Studer waved over another man cast in the same mould as himself; heavy-set, doughy, neat moustache, looked like they belonged either in a pub or fixing something around the house. Real ‘dad’ energy.

“Baecker this is Mister Dave Booker, Booker this is Henry Baecker,” Dave shook hands with Baecker. “We were just talking about Schmidt’s son, Johan. Apparently, Mister Booker here has an essence ability about him!”

“Is that right, young man? Is that right?” inquired Baecker. “Now, what is it you’ll be wanting to know about him?”

“Pull up a chair, sir,” said Dave, gesturing to a chair mentally calling Tome. Dave put an iron coin in Tome’s pages and said, “Tome, drop that in front of Studer’s daughter and tell her to make sure everyone at this table has beer.”

Baecker and his two friends who walked in with him sat up straighter hearing that.

“Yes, gentlemen, you see, I have this quest ability and I’ve been asked to find someone heroic in nature and I got pointed out here. Brave, pure of heart and such? Studer immediately said I must be talking about this Schmidt fellow and something that occurred last spring?”

“Oh, yes. Saved my daughter from drowning, he did,” said Baecker seriously. “Strike me down but he did. My little Nessie, paddled out too far. Nessie’s still learning to swim you see and she uses floaters to play with the other children. Now, you see, the lake serpent moved. The wave knocked her floaters right out of her hands. Johan, strapping young lad he is, saw it right away. Swam out and saved her, he did. Swam back the whole way, holding her in one arm, calming her down the whole way with that voice of his.”

“I have questions,” said Dave.

“Oy, that’s not all he’s done,” said another man who’d walked in with Baecker. “He’s helped with the sheep often enough.”

“Now, yes. Not to compare your daughter to sheep, Lian, but he’s saved them enough in the winters hasn’t he?”

“Oy, yes. Yes, he has.”

Everyone in the pub was joining in now, mostly men with Serious Dad energy, all eager to tell Dave, who was paying for all the drinks plus tips, about local hero Johan Schmidt.

“Three winters back, carried a pregnant ewe through a blizzard..”

“...ran into town, got me a new wheel and even lifted up the cart for me to hammer it on. Didn’t even take my turnips out!”

“...saved a kitten from a tree. Didn’t need saving but there you go…”

“Helped me build my barn when he was nine summers. Carried as much as the men, he did.”

“You know, he wins the melee at the spring festival every year?”

Dave homed in on that one.

“Sorry, what did you say your name was?” said Dave to the fellow at the second table who’d mentioned it.

“Gerstner.”

“Booker.”

They reached over two people to shake hands.

“Yes, you were saying he wins the melee?” said Dave

“Yes, now, it’s not surprising is it -”

“Trains with Greenwood, he does,” interjected another voice.

“- Right, Miss Greenwood’s a retired gladiator -”

“First entered when he was twelve.”

“Big lad.”

“- occasionally takes some students from the big glitz -”

“Never wins the cross country race, though.”

“Places high, though.”

“- but Greenwood’s been teaching Schmit Junior since he was a toddler.”

“Or the rock toss.”

“No, he won that two summers ago.”

“Oy, yes, I forgot.”

Dave used Stop And Think just to have a break.

“Sounds like he’s a bit of a golden child?” asked Dave, returning to the chaos.

“Golden head of hair, yes.” said Gerstner.

“Didn’t you say you’ve never seen him?” asked Studer.

“...average with the bow isn’t he?”

“No, I meant golden as in a bit of a favourite?” clarified Dave.

“...not so bad with a sling do you remember -”

“Oy, now, he’s a good lad,” said Gerstner.

“Give you the shirt off his back, he would,” said Baecker.

“...knocked on my door and just admitted he broke it..”

“I suppose he listens to tales of heroic deeds?” said Dave, not believing his ears.

“Oh, he can’t get enough of them!” chuckled Studer

“He’d listen to a bard ‘til his ears fall off,” said Baecker.

This continued for some time with Dave being on the receiving end of tales about this young man that were overwhelmingly positive. He couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Clark Kent; wholesome country boy destined for great power and a world-saving fate or two.

Then Dave remembered that Hero is famous for being the god of last stands. Oh, shit. Thought Dave. Superman without his powers or plot armour backed up by the god of last stands and I’m going to make this poor Schmidt bastard into that! He looked at Sam, who was sitting in the corner with her hands over her mouth and her eyes twinkling. She can’t carry us in combat. Dave looked at Hugh, who was sitting back with a beer in his hand and still recovering from mana sickness. He still did more damage than me in our last encounter. Fuck. We need this.

“You’ve all rather convinced me,” said Dave loudly over the hubbub. “I’ve got to meet this wunderkind. Where can I find him?”

The locals gave instructions to Dave which amounted to taking the northeast road until a sign that said ‘Schmidt farm’ which Dave thought was rather sensible. Hugh was still pretty out of it but when Dave looked at Studer and tipped his head towards Hugh, Studer nodded. Hugh would be fine where he was.

Dave and Sam left the Forel Inn and rode to the farm. Sitting on their origami heidels they looked at the long path from the main road to the farmhouse. Even from the road, just looking at the neat pathway of packed earth and gravel lined with various riverstones that went all the way to a house, the entire scene looked like the embodiment of the hard work of humble people. Dave felt a wrench in his guts as he took a deep breath and began walking his mount along the path to the house.

A little girl was the first to notice them. Gap toothed smile and golden hair streaming behind her, she ran out of the barn leading a dog.

“Mummy, mummy! There’s people here on funny heidels!” she yelled at the house. The dog, belatedly realising that someone was arriving, ran up to Dave and Sam and pretended to have been barking at them all along.

“Are you adventurers?” asked the little girl, running right up to them, wonder in her eyes. The dog interposed itself between the little girl and the mounts, barking loudly.

A woman with honey-blonde hair and a welcoming smile came out of the front doors.

“Easy Rover! Down boy!” called the woman, presumably Missus Schmidt. “I’m sorry, he’s just being protective of my daughter. Heather, you know Rover will try to protect you from strangers, how have I told you to introduce yourself?”

Dave felt another two gut punches. Johan had a dog and it was even called Rover. He had a little sister. And, Dave was about to do his best to recruit this toast of the town young man out of his perfect, little life into high mortality adventuring. He grit his teeth.

“I’m sorry, mum,” said Heather, who put her hand on the dog to calm it down. She walked straight up to Sam, the dog coming with her, and gave a curtsy. “Hello! I’m Heather. What’s your name?”

Sam dismounted, giving Heather her brightest smile.

“Hello, Heather,” said Sam, giving the child a small wei in return. “I am Samorn Khanthong. You can call me Sam.”

Dave had dismounted as well when he saw Sam do it and bowed to the girl.

“And, I am Dave Booker,” said Dave with a bow. “Lovely to meet you, Heather.” The girl grinned triumphantly at her mother. “The lady of the house, I presume?” asked Dave, extending a hand towards the mother.

“Lena Schmidt, Mister Booker. Why don’t you come inside and have some tea? People only come out here for a talk or a delivery and you’re not carrying any packages.”

Lena Schmidt was motherliness incarnate. She gave approving glances when Dave and Sam rushed to take off their shoes and doff their cloaks at the threshold, she put the kettle on, she called out the back door for her husband, she brought over biscuits and smiled warmly. Dave was devastated.

Lena’s husband came in the back door, all flannel and fatherliness. He’d removed his boots and coat like everyone else and come in the back door. Dave’s first impression was that he was as solid as an oak. He was above average in height but appeared a formidable man with a barrel chest, dirty blond hair that thatched his head and his face had smile lines, like his wife.

“Welcome to our home!” announced Mister Schmidt, striding to Dave and Sam, exuding goodwill while extending his hand. “Noah Schmidt.”

“Dave Booker,” said Dave, shaking the most comfortable handshake he’d ever been part of and noticing that Mister Schmidt smelled of sweat and woodchips. “You have a lovely home Mister and Missus Schmidt.”

“It’s Lena and Noah, Mister Booker,” said Lena, bringing over biscuits. “If you keep saying ‘Schmidt’ around here we get a bit dizzy.”

“Then we’re Dave and Sam to you,” said Dave. Sam nodded and squeezed her hands together with happiness atop her brightest smile. Right on que, Heather ran into the house and sat down in front of the biscuits.

“Now, Dave and Sam, what brings you here in the light of the gods?” said Noah. His voice was deep and Dave was immediately sure he’d make a wonderful radio announcer.

“I have a business proposition for your boy, Johan,” inquired Dave “I’d like to meet with him, is he around?”

“I sent him out to bring in the hay,” said Noah.

“He’ll be back any minute,” smiled Lena.

“What sort of business are you talking?” said Noah, seriously. “I have to say, he’s a big help here around the farm but for a fair price he’ll put in an honest day’s work, Dave.”

“To be perfectly honest, I’ve heard such good things about your boy, I’m here to give him essences, awakening stones and recruit him into my adventuring team.”

Silence reigned. Brows furrowed. Mouths worked silently. The kettle started awkwardly whistling in the background.

“Our, Johan?”

“Lena, the kettle?”

“Oh, yes.”

The flustered Lena lurched into the kitchen to take the kettle off the heat while Noah leaned back into his chair, took a deep breath and let it all out.

“Now, you know - always considered this a possibility. Didn’t we Lena? But -”

“Our Johan?” repeated Lena. “But he’s just a - well we put the summer wreath on his head but he’s our boy!”

Noah hopped to his feet and was at his wife’s side in three long strides, steadying her hold on the kettle and wrapping the other arm around her.

“He’s a man now, Lena. Our son is a man and he’s handy with that ‘playing with swords’, as you like to call it.” Noah gestured at a series of trophies on the mantelpiece. “So, don’t you play mother hen so much. It’ll embarrass him when he hears about it,” said Noah with a grin and gave his wife a one armed squeeze.

Dave and Sam had also raised to their feet. Ignored, Heather took another biscuit and ran off to play with Rover.

“Perhaps we should wait for Johan to get home?” said Dave diplomatically, joining the Schmidts in the kitchen. “We could prepare lunch? I brought a ham and a fruit cake.” Dave took both items from his inventory and placed them on the counter. “It would also give us time to think about what we have to say to each other.”

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“Now,” said Noah with deliberate calm. “I think that would be swell.”

With the leg of ham present, Lena decided a ploughman’s lunch would be the best idea. Despite Lena trying to insist on doing it all herself, Sam clasped her hands and twisted so hard that Dave had to intervene. He summoned a scrap of paper to his hand, telekinetically speared it, wrote on it and floated the note to Noah where Sam couldn’t see.

“Noah, Sam misses her family and preparing lunch with your wife would bring a homely feeling to her. Please think of an excuse to get us all involved. I have a cleaning ability that I’m sure your wife will find charming. Dave.”

Noah read the note, gave Dave a little nod and slapped both his knees.

“You know what, Dave?” said Noah loudly. “I’ll take you up on that challenge. Tarnish off the silverware?” He suddenly strode to the kitchen.

“And clean all the other kitchenware at the same time,” said Dave, slapping his own knees and following. “Isn’t that right, Sam?”

“Oh? Oh, yes! Dave can clean anything, I think,” said Sam brightly, who hadn’t been following their conversation.

Noah dived into a drawer and pulled out a case. Like everything in this house, the silver spoons inside were worn but cared for. Lena began making noises of protest but Noah put Dave’s note down in front of her while picking up dirty kitchenware and piling it in front of Dave before gesturing at the plate pile as well as the silver spoons.

“Let’s see your magic, wizard,” said Noah with a grin.

“Sam, honey, why don’t you come over here and help cut the cheese?” asked Lena.

Dave waved his hand over the note he’d written, erasing the writing, while Sam bounced up, radiant with happiness and began washing her hands.

“You know what, my love,” said Noah to Lena, “I can boil the eggs in the other pot. Dave here will have that pot from breakfast clean and dry in no time, won’t you Dave?”

“I sure will,” said Dave.

“Now,” said Noah, suddenly serious, “you realise that if your magic doesn’t work out, then you’re going to have to wash it by hand?”

“Dear me,” said Dave, in mock concern, looking at the line of cleanliness moving across the pile of dishes, “the pressure is on.”

The mood was warm as they put lunch together in the kitchen. Lena engaged a delighted Sam in chatter and Dave asked Noah about his farm. Dave almost immediately regretted it. The Schmidts were grass farmers. They sold hay. Although there was a wide market for unranked hay, which he sold, that market was also unranked and so, paid in lesser spirit coins. Dave asked about the viability of a cash crop and Noah started talking about the needs of the local community. People relied on him and, in times of drought, only kept their farm because of him. Dave’s didn’t even bother asking if Noah raised his prices during the droughts. He knew what the answer would be.

Lena interjected that they sold dairy in town for a bit of extra coin and Noah pointed out that grass only needs so much watching so he and his boy spent a lot of time as hands at other farms, helping out, getting to know everyone in the area and often bringing home a sack full of vegetables for their efforts. Which Noah obviously considered generous recompense for his efforts. The Schmidts were Good PeopleTM.

The shells were coming off the eggs, the last part of the lunch platter, when Johan crested the hill and it could only be him. Dave and Sam were both looking out the kitchen window when it happened. It was a scene that a painter from the Romantic era would have given a limb to see. Even from this distance, it was plain to see that Johan had inherited his father’s build and then some. The sun glinted off his blond hair as he walked towards the house with an easy gait in the yellow, late autumn day towards the farmhouse while he carried a square bail of hay in front of him.

“Oh, there he is,” said Lena, smiling up at the window.

Noah also gave a small look of pride out the window.

Heather and Rover dashed towards Johan, each offering loud greetings of their own kind. Johan shifted the bail of hay to one hand without even a twinge of effort to first pat the dog and pick up his sister with the other hand and carry her on his arm. He laughed while he did so, looking at Tzu. It was impossible to hear from the house but Heather was clearly telling her brother about showing Tzu around the yard. He went out of view of the window.

Heather came running inside first having no shoes to doff at the threshold.

“The big hero is home!” she cried, running in the house.

Johan followed, carefully taking off his working boots and coat. Like his father, he wore sensible farmer’s clothes but, in Johan’s case, large enough to be mistaken for a tablecloth. Up close, Johan was even bigger. Dave hadn’t noticed so much from the distance but Johan was an enormous man. His height was easily somewhere around the two metre mark and the deep-barrel chest he’d inherited from his father only served to make him appear well proportioned.

And, he was gorgeous. He was as objectively attractive as it was possible to get. His golden, blond hair parted perfectly across his head crowning light blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and a square jaw you could design a bridge with. His smile lit up the house as he greeted his mother in the dining room with a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hi, mum,” he said in a voice that Dave instantly knew would make a choir master weep for joy. “I thought I’d bring in a fresh bale for Mister Stockar. You remember he said one of his grazers likes it fresh?”

He straightened up and surveyed the set table as well as the two strangers. He patiently radiated a sense of ease, somehow, through just his broad shoulders. Sam blushed and bit her lip.

“Now, I’m not surprised you’d remember for Mister Stockar,” said Lena. “Johan, I’d like you to meet our guests. Dave Booker and Sam… They can introduce themselves.”

Dave set a plate of sliced fruit down and introduced himself to the enormous farm boy, hand out.

“Dave Booker,” said Dave. “Call me Dave”

“Johan Schmidt,” said Johan. His handshake felt as comfortable as his dad’s.

Dave had to gesture to Sam to take space available for introducing herself and, with her widest, most nervous smile in place, she managed to squeak her introduction to Johan.

“Samorn Khanthong,” she said, blushing harder at the handshake and giving a small wei afterwards. “Just Sam!”

“Khanthong? Are you from Funan? I met a gentleman at the inn from there once,” said Johan, his face lighting up as Sam nodded. “Cor, that’s amazing. Yes, call me Johan, of course. Both of you.”

“Lunch is ready,” announced Noah, putting the de-shelled eggs on the table. “Let’s eat and discuss what we need to.”

Johan looked between his parents and his guests with the earnestness of a golden retriever.

“What’s going on, Dad?”

“Dave here has got a business proposition for you, son,” said Noah simply. “You may want to give him a listen.”

Johan turned his guileless attention to Dave who felt another pang of guilt.

“Now, I’m happy to hear whatever you have to say, Dave. What kind of business is it that you do?”

“At the moment, Johan, I do questing. I’m thinking about taking you on as an adventurer. What’d you say to that?”

“Cor, well. It’s what I’ve always wanted!” said Johan enthusiastically as everyone sat down. Not a hint of life-changing shock about his person. “But, my mum and dad tell me I’ve got to be careful.” He sent his parents glances and tamped down his energy. “They say adventuring is dangerous and I need to make sure I have good people around me. But, I can fight!” He gestured at the wall where the Schmidts had proudly displayed their son’s trophies. “And, I don’t believe in bad people. I think mum and Dad mean people who’ll get me into bad situations.”

That’s exactly me, thought Dave, thinking of the Geller family. He carefully schooled his face while using tongs to place bread, cheese and ham onto his plate.

“I was actually thinking you’d help me,” said Dave, pretending this wasn’t a done deal and hating himself for switching into corporate speak but recognising its utility here. “See, we need a fighter in our team, which is why I’m here. A team is more about complementary skills than anything else and a fighter is what we need. But, lots of people can fight. Why don’t we eat and you can tell me about the other skills you have besides fighting?”

Johan, as it turned out, had a laundry list of skills that the Schmidt family regaled Dave and Sam with over the course of lunch. With his father’s profession and influence he was a regular outdoorsman. He knew how to track, hunt, fish, navigate by the stars, forage for food and how to set up a comfortable camp and cook a decent meal while away from home. Something his mother was very proud of.

When Dave asked how he performed under pressure, Lena told a story of Johan’s group getting lost in the woods on a school trip when he was little. When the other children started crying, Johan comforted all of his peers and used the sun to orient himself to a local river and followed the river back to town before sundown. Nobody was hurt and Missus Baecker had made him a sponge cake as a reward.

“It was the best cake I've ever eaten,” said Johan, heartily.

“Then, this is a tricky question,” said Dave, all sly cunning. “Possibly unfair. Are you good at giving up at the right time?”

Johan looked at him in confusion. Lena put her fingers over her lips and Noah nibbled on a good bit of cheese giving Dave a shrewd look.

“Uhh, now, I’m not sure about that question?” stammered Johan.

“Sometimes there’s a bad situation and the best thing you can do is get yourself away from it,” explained Dave. “Like, if there’s someone in danger in a place where, if you try to help them, you’ll just put yourself in danger. You do that and then there’s two people in danger. You understand?”

Johan looked at his parents in confusion.

“I understand it,” said Noah kindly. “Like, during the monster surge. There’s people outside the shelter but if normal folk like us go outside to help them, then there’s just more normal folk outside that the Adventure Society has to rescue.”

“But… if I’m an adventurer then I can go outside!” protested Johan, gesturing at Dave.

“Imagine I don’t exist and the monster surge starts tomorrow,” said Dave. “If you’re evacuating and you see someone missing, what do you do if the adventurers tell you that it’s too dangerous for you to do anything about it?”

“Now, I -” Johan sputtered but looked at his parent’s serious faces. Dave figured they were likely thinking of previous adventure surges with situations like this that they’d lived through. “I suppose I’d… as long as my family is safe?” finished Johan without conviction.

Dave now knew exactly why Hero was picking this young man.

“Safe families are certainly the idea, yes,” said Dave. “Retreat is something we’ll have to work on for you. Sam, you’re a farm girl, could you quiz Johan about some skills about that?”

“Actually, I might cut up that fruit cake you brought over,” said Noah. “Help me plate it won’t you Dave?”

Lena squeezed her husband’s hand as he went to the kitchen, Dave followed his host.

“Lena doesn’t like it,” said Noah to Dave in a low voice, “but Johan’s been training for this his whole life. At this point I can see you’re just making steam, trying to see what he will and won’t admit to and you really got the measure of my boy in there. He’s a good kid, if I do say so myself, but he thinks about himself last and you asking him about giving up, well that’s it. You have my approval, Dave Booker but we don’t yet have a deal. As a parent, I need to know my boy’s getting a good life now, let’s talk spirit coins. What would be Johan’s share in your team?”

“Team policy so far has been an equal share of all coin loot. I have a looting ability and a quest ability so there tends to be a lot of that,” said Dave. Noah’s hands froze halfway through slicing a piece of cake. “Come to think of it, there isn’t a rule yet about non-coin loot. I guess it’s mine since Sam doesn’t care and Hugh has a vow of poverty?”

“Johan would have an equal share in all that?” asked Noah carefully.

“Absolutely,” said Dave with a shrug.

“No, no. That’s… Now that’s more than fair,” said Noah, nodding in shock. “He’ll be able to pay you back for those essences, then?

“And the awakening stones. I’d like to start him off with a whole bunch,” said Dave. Noah started to object but Dave talked him down. “It’s not a gift, Noah. If anything, it’s greed. With a looting and quest ability, the amount of money the team earns and thus I earn, is limited by how fast we can kill monsters and do quests. If your son speeds that process up, I make more money. See?”

“I’d not thought of it like that,” said Noah, stroking his chin. “So, you’re just going to give my boy a lifetime’s worth of essences and just trust that he’ll work for you and you’ll make your money back?”

“Am I wrong?” said Dave, with a cheeky grin.

Noah smiled and gestured helplessly in the affirmative.

“Now, Dave,” said Noah, clasping Dave on the shoulder. “I believe we have a deal.”

“You tell him,” said Dave, tilting his head towards the dining room.

“Johan,” said Noah, coming out of the kitchen with slices of cake on a cutting board. “Dave has decided to give you essences. If you accept his offer.”

Johan’s face lit up.

“Oh, yes please, Dave!” exclaimed Johan, trying to contain himself and failing dismally.

“Wait until you hear the deal,” said Dave raising his hands. “But, I think you’ll like it.”

They went to the dining room and Dave laid out the deal before Johan but it was quite clear that all he heard was ‘you’ll get to be an adventurer’ and was mentally clicking ‘I accept’. Noah shared with Dave a look of parental resignation.

“Okay, time to start talking essences then,” said Dave. “Any thoughts?”

“Sword, shield and farm,” said Johan without hesitation.

“Hurrah!” cheered Heather from where she was lying on the floor reading.

“Really, son?” asked Noah.

“This isn’t the time for childhood stories, Johan,” scolded his mother gently.

“Sorry, what’ve we missed here?” asked Dave on behalf of himself and Sam.

“It’s the essences of Herman The Hero,” called Heather from the floor near the unlit fireplace. She held a book cover up for Dave to read the title: The Adventures Of Herman The Hero: Herman VS Troll.

Dave used Stop And Think and Epistemology several times in a row as well as asked Tome to become a few select books. In only a few moments of real time he’d caught up. Herman The Hero was a popular folklore hero. There were the children’s books that Heather was reading but also several different variations of bards tales ranging from epic, where he would die saving everyone and be risen by the gods in gratitude, to the tragic, where he’d just get betrayed and killed by his own adventuring party. The latter seemed to be a very popular opera in the large cities. However, consistent in every telling was his essences; farm, sword and shield combined to get…

“The hero confluence essence is for the clergy, Johan,” said Lena, confused. “If you wanted to join up you could just…”

Her words faded as she saw the rest of her family shaking their heads.

“Hero says the hero essence is for everybody because anybody can be a hero,” said Heather seriously.

“Yes, it’s explained in the books,” said Noah into his wife’s ear.

“Yes, it is mum,” confirmed Johan.

“Oh,” said Lena, embarrassed, “I never really got that into them. Still,” she rallied, “a once in a lifetime chance to select essences shouldn’t be guided by heroes of your childhood stories.”

None of the family noticed Sam and Dave stopping dead mid conversation and just looking at each other. A quest from Hero to make an essence user adventurer and the man himself wants to take a combination that results in the hero confluence. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

“We’re all getting ahead of ourselves,” said Noah, turning to Dave. “Dave can you even supply those essences?”

“Actually, yes,” admitted Dave and added in a flash of inspiration and guilt. “Seems like destiny that I should have that exact combination on me, doesn’t it?”

“Do you have any other essence combinations,” asked Lena, looking at Dave and ruining his attempt at persuasion.

“No, mum,” interrupted Johan, saving Dave, “the hero confluence is actually really powerful. That’s what Greenwood told me.”

“His sword instructor,” said Noah to Sam in response to her puzzled look.

Dave looked it up in The Abridged Guide To Essences by the Magic Society and quoted from the text.

“Often compared to the avatar confluence, the abilities this confluence essence produces are often supportive or enhancing in nature but, unlike most support-type essences, the abilities produced by the Hero confluence are not subtle. Abilities are often high impact on the battlefield. Self enhancing, ally enhancing, durability, execution and reverse execution abilities are common.” said Dave, eyebrows raising further in pleasant surprise as the quote went on. “Now, that's actually pretty good.”

Noah gestured in agreement with Dave towards his wife who seemed determined to be the devil’s advocate.

“Executions?”

“Adventuring term, mum. Execution abilities are used on hurt monsters to end them. Reverse execution abilities are used when the adventurer is on low health,” explained Johan.

“Yes, now, it’s in the books,” muttered Noah gesturing towards the book that Heather was helpfully holding up while nodding at her mother.

“Good, sweet gods,” said Lena. “I never thought I missed out on so much by reading books about princesses as a girl.”

“Don’t feel bad, Lena,” said Dave. “I didn't read them either. I just have magic knowledge abilities to keep me abreast of where this conversation is.”

Lena nodded.

“Well now,” said Noah, getting them back on track with a serious dad voice, “So we know it’s a powerful essence combination and that Dave has it available. But, can you tell us why you want it, son? Why these essences?”

“It was Heather that got me onto it, really,” said Johan, smiling at his sister. “Yes, I liked it as a child because it was Herman’s confluence but I put that aside as I outgrew the books. One day she heard someone in town call me a hero and so she started calling me a hero at home. I asked her to stop. When she asked why, I told her it was because it made me embarrassed. Then you know what she said?”

“I’m not embarrassed my big brother is a hero!” said Heather in answer, grinning up at Johan.

“That’s right!” he said, scooping her up. “And she’s right. There’s nothing wrong with being your little sister’s hero.” Heather laughed with delight. “Ever since then, I’ve realised that I actually do want the hero confluence essence. No matter the tales.” Johan’s tone was determined now. “Because, it’ll remind me to always be my little sister’s hero.”

Of course the Schmidt family acquiesced to Johan’s desires with a series of wholesome embraces and afterwards, when Johan ever-so-politely asked, Dave handed over the essences from his inventory. Johan passed them around his family, each of them getting a good look at the expensive, magical stones that perhaps they thought they’d never afford in their lifetimes.

Dave, however, breathed a sigh of relief over his knotted stomach of guilt. Johan was doing all the hard work of taking himself out of his wholesome life himself which both added and took from the guilt pile in his stomach. Added because Johan was tearing himself out of his wholesome life for one as the chosen of Hero full of politics, cults, cthulhu monsters and killing. It didn’t seem right. Subtracted because at least Dave would be able to say ‘you did this to yourself’. Just like that time his university housemate had gone on a three day hike without any history of hiking or preparation.

“Okay, let’s do this while we’re all still happy enough to deal with the after effects,” said Dave after the hubbub had died down a bit.

“After effects?” said Noah.

“Oh, yeah,” said Dave. “That’s right, adventurers around here don’t tell normal folk. It’s this dumb in-joke they have. See, when someone goes up a rank their body purges itself of magical impurities which manifests as this awful, snotty, vomity gunk that comes out of everywhere in your body. Mouth, nose, ears, backside. I think I even got some come out from under a fingernail.”

The whole family just looked at Dave. Then they looked at Sam in the hope he was playing some kind of bad joke. Sam just nodded grimly with no smile on her face.

“An adventurers’ in joke?” asked Lena in disgust. “Puss? Vomit?”

“Eww!” exclaimed Heather.

“No, I’m on your side, Lena,” said Dave. “I’m trying to raise awareness of this event as well. That said, is there anywhere to do the ritual and deal with the… nastiness?”