Ker stood in front of big oak door. It had the emblem of the adventurer guild carved in iron on it. It was a winged lion on the right and an armed adventurer on the left, locked in struggle against each other.
Ker breathed in. Ker Breathed out, relieved. It was time.
He opened the guild hall, it looked definitely different from last time. The counter was in disrepair, some of the stone had cuts in it and the wooden columns seemed to have cracked. Ker took a look to the ceiling, what he saw gave him even less courage, there was a large slit going through the roof. Whatever happened here must have been like a storm, a storm that had passed by all other citizens since he didn't hear of any strong night storm.
He approached the half repaired counter, workers were still busy recreating the other half of it. "Good day, I would like to report about my hunt."
The receptionist, a woman somewhere in her twenties with long well kept black hair, answered:"Good day to you too sir." First she spoke like to a young boy, then she looked at the family emblem and her eye twichted. "Mhm, Go day my Lord, we are expecting you. Of course you do not need to wait. Please go right up to the guild master. The left staircase up and the last room in the hall, where he is currently waiting. I hope you good business will conclude." At that she even bowed.
Ker was a bit speechless at the exaggerated behavior. Sure, people reacted differently ever since he wore his full garment, but she overdid it quite a bit.
His parents had insisted that he wore his new fancy clothes. Since he was now in full right to be called a viscount. Even if there had be no ceremony. They just weren't that rich, compered to basically any other noble they could be easily called poor.
Ker followed the described way right to the very normal looking door at the end o the hallway. Ker was imminently greeted as he opened the door. "Good day Sir. Or should I call you Ker of Eldoria, since you have come to full title about now." Ker entered the spacious room. "Sir is fine with me, mister Angar." Naturally Ker had met Angar before, since his father knew him, but only a few times.
"First and foremost I want to express my condolences for the lost adventurers as well as apologies for what transpired on the venture. It is unpleasureable and therefore I ask if the apology is accepted?" The guild master really seemed to wait on his answer. "Yes I accept it." brought Ker out.
"That is good to hear. Then let us continue. Then venturing party claimed to have found, slain and retrieved the beast. Do you want to contest their statement?"
"No" at that Ker was puzzled, why would he contest the obvious. "They did really slay that beast. I would have never been capable of such a thing."
"In that case they offered half of the earnings to you."
That was even more surprising, since he really didn't do much. "Okay, I mean, that is surely a lot of money, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is. We are speaking currently of 244.59 guilder or 6220.42 shilling or 147912 Heller in total. That will be 122.29 guilder just for you, Sir"
"That is very generous, thank you, Mister"
"It is less so generous, if we think of the original price for the beast and the actual danger it posed. It was heavily underestimated and the adventure party did us a great favor dealing with it before causing more harm."
"We will send you the money to your estate via carriage delivery, if it is all right with you."
"Yes that suits me just fine."
"Good that we could take care of business that easily. Now..." Angar put two glasses on the wooden table in the middle of the room and poured in liquid from a hexagonal shaped bottle. "It is time to toast to your successful return, end of your first true hunt, coming of age and fully becoming a noble with title and what not." That was quite a lot, Ker had to agree.
"Also" Angar added with a wink "To your new class upgrade, it is surely something special." That made Ker pause for a moment, he still had neither class and definitely no upgrade.
Ker sat down anyway, on one of the comfortable seats and took a sniff of the liquid. It was certainly highly alcoholic. After one good gulp of the beverage Ker knew it was absolutely high-proof alcohol.
Ker tried to put away the effects of the alcohol. but he just wasn't used to that high degree of beverage.
"How is the old man doing." At that Ker looked a bit confused. "I mean Juno, how is he these days?"
"oh, he is fine, he had a lot to do lately and my parents prepared something for me. Other than those very fine clothes. But they keep being secret about it."
"That's how parents are. No worries I bet whatever they planned this time around, it will be to your liking."
They then bid farewell and Ker was on his way home again. He still felt the beverage and tried to pretend it wouldn't effect him. That was a challenge on it own, since it very obviously effected his gait.
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His parents greeting him with a knowing smile.
"Did the good Angar poor from one of his better beverages again." Juno teased. "It is not like it looks, I can take it" Ker tried to defend and failed.
"It has something good you know, our son is not a sturdy drinker like someone else." his mother teased Juno in turn.
They were already prepared to leave the city with a teleportation formation. They still waited for the delivery of Ker's price. It would add a considerable amount to their purchasing power. After the sum of 122.29 guilders arrived, they stored it in one of the storage rings and departed. Storage rings were used by everyone who had money, to which of of course counted most of nobility and also every merchant who has a right to call himself one.
The teleportation formation was in an eight sided cubic building with flat roof. There was always a crowd in front of the building waiting for processing. Not all but many people travel between this city and the main city. The teleportation would be to another teleportation building where they would then travel on. That was what Ker knew, what Ker did not expect was the exaggerated amount of bureaucracy that would have been done before actually teleporting. Luckily they had their insignia ready and were given fast pass. In other words since they already paid beforehand and could be identified via insignia they waved through.
Ker had his own insignia ring. His parents had commissioned his insignia ring when he was born. He had received it days earlier in a more private family ceremony.
Ker could not remember when he was last time to one of the formations, but as it activated he felt a familiar feeling of displacement and dizziness hit him. But he managed. His mother giggled. "You did better then you were little. You had to throw up imminently, little Ker was soo cute." Ker flushed with shame and tried to distract himself from it.
Even so the distraction didn't work, he had to wonder about the main city. Mundor Leandris was centuries old, many times build on top of each other, all sort of people lived in all sort of stages in the main city. He had heard that the city was constantly created and recreated. Defined by its many stages for people in different status and very different living conditions. He was about to see, experience the real Mundor Leandris.
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First was another teleportation formation and Ker needed a short breather to align himself again. But then he exited the teleportation building and saw Mundor Leandris for the first time. A wide plastered rode led in a downhill curve away from them. There were two bridges, that actually were normal roads, above their pathway. Ker noticed rundown buildings used as living quarters and to offer mundane services as well as shops. They had in common to be in dire need of repair.
Ker's gaze following their road, meeting a wirrwarr of inter- and over-crossing roads, soon lost oversight. In the distance he discovered a new version of buildings, like someone would have stacked castles on top of each other and to round it out cathedrals were also flanged together in the mix.
He wondered how one lived in this disorganized chaos of city. He also noticed how literally true the descriptions were. Also another thing he noticed was how poor and destitute some were. A lot of people surely would live in worse conditions than they would on the country side. Which made Ker question why they live in the city in the first place. He voiced his concern to their butler Nellson. "I do not know the answer to your questions, young Lord. I can only think of possibilities, like a steady income, a family that also stays in this city, maybe they do not see other options" At the replay of the butler, Ker let it rest.
Not finding any satisfactory answers he moved on and followed his parents. They were happy for whatever reason. He couldn't think of a single thing that was missing or stood out in regards for their travel. So he rather enjoyed the puzzling environment and nonsensical seeming city.
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Their accommodation was in the outer part of the inner city. To get to that they had to cross the wirrwarr that were the roads making a ring around the inner city. Inside that wirrwarr of roads and intersections, Ker mused that no one inside could know how it looked like from the outside or where they were. They even had to get a designated guide and predetermine their aimed location. After reaching their hotel, the guide thanked them for choosing his services and excused himself to further guide people through the indecipherable mess of roads.
The hotel was explicitly created for lower nobility to fulfill their needs and expectations. Those were a lot higher than that of normal people. Ker knew that because of the living conditions of his friends and because his parents wanted him to understand the difference between stations. That said, the hotel included a room for him , one for his parents and a much smaller room for their stuff. This time only their butler accompanied them. There was also one main room and a private bath separated from the toilets.
All in all it was still pretty luxurious for Ker's taste. Sure they had that and more at home, but it was still expensive to have that available just for a visit far away from home.
After they arrived they unloaded their storage rings to sort and order their luggage. In that the butler shined with his unique skill-set for taking care of all sort of mundane tasks. However they did not linger and shortly afterwards they departed again. This time they were headed to their mysterious reason for their travel in the first place. Of course his parents wanting him to discover the city a bit more, chose a runabout path to wherever their were going. This way Ker could see more of the actual inner city.
To say it was lavish would have been an understatement. Colorful signs and embellishments on every shop and corner to draw attention and costumers in their vicinity. From green interlocked plants creating unique natural chains to reddish, yellow and even blueish stripes marking their respective business. Some offered clothing for the daily life, some offered services from barbering to leather work to customizing ones armor. It wasn't like Ker had never seen a sales street it just was that Ker had never seen a sales street so self-destined to make the next sale.
The street was not only packed full with shops but also with people. Everyone had to be somewhere in the early hours. That delayed them quite some time. The temptation to window shop was strong. There just was so many wares praised every step they took, it was an ongoing effort to resist.
They arrived at the forging and blacksmith quarter of the city. Understandably it was situated somewhat more outside of the inner city. Clouds of black smoke rose from the chimneys of the workshops. The smell was very different to the lavishly used perfumes in the sale streets. It smelled like iron, smoke and sweat. The crass change of odor nearly overwhelmed Ker.
Finally Ker stood in front of a half-opened iron gate. The letters were emblazoned in iron above the forge: Welcome to Nori's iron forge.
The butler opened the gate for them. And Ker's expression showed his unrestrained anticipation.
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Two weeks ago
The butler opened the door:"Good day my Lord. What unexpected joy to be allowed to welcome such esteemed guest."
"Thank you Nellson. Are my nephew and her husband there?"
"Lady Hellena is currently at home, while Lord Juno, I am terrible sorry my Lord, is taking care of business."
"Good, then inform my nephew that her good old uncle had the idea to visit. Further on you should prepare the personal house vault for some refilling."
"I will see to that immediately, my Lord" The butler carrying on his tasks disappeared into the estate.
Only a moment later a voice called out. "Uncle Timboury, it is good to see you, what brings you here?"
"I decided to pay a flying visit to deposit some gifts. After all can't have a talent unsupported in this backwater of a town, when every noble brat gets stuffed full of resources."
"Uncle! Watch your tongue, even if your right."
They got situated around the living room table, where Timboury laid a storage ring in front of Hellena.
"This is my gift to my grand nephew. Look into it, it is enough for specialized gear"
After Hellena used a magical weighting scale her eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. "Over 80.000 shilling!" Her Breath was caught for a long moment. "That is equivalent to more than 3.200 guilders if I'm correct. We can't accept this. This is too much."
"Just take it. It is a gift, it is meant to be used so that the sprouting talent in our family can grow and thrive. To be honest I want to see nothing more than that."
" But why, how, that is such a large sum, what is with the taxes?" The last part was spoken with a hint of fear. Everybody knew hoe ruthless the royal tax collectors were.
"No worries, all taxes are withdrawn, it is a noble gift and therefore exempt from further taxes. Also don't worry about my finances. We had a few good years and I saved a little fortune over the years."
Tears emerged up and streamed from Hellena's eyes. They could make good on their promise to themselves to present their only child with something very special.
"I can not express how thankful we are."
"Oh let it go. It's fine, we have to stay together as family. We all that is left after... now I'm getting sentimental. Really it is what I wish for from all my heart."
They continued to talk about the very unique present Hellena and Juno had planned for Ker.