Chapter 21 – Adventurer
----------------------------------------
It was still early morning when the king contacted Raziel and told us to meet him in Lady Raphael’s laboratory. When we arrived I saw that the two were already there, talking over the four transparent communication crystals that were sitting on the table. A few meters away from them stood Gabriel and two other knights in full armor.
(Wait, why four crystals?)
“Good morning Your Majesty, Lady Raphael, Lord Gabriel.” I said, setting the matter of the extra crystals aside and giving a light nod to each of them as Raziel closed the door behind me.
Both Lady Raphael and Gabriel gave me a simple greeting before the king said “Good Morning, Hero Fortuna. Lady Raphael already prepared the crystals; we only need to bind them now.”
“Might I ask what this binding consists of?” I said as I moved to the table.
“We just need to imprint the two crystals with the mana of the users, as they only work when they detect the mana they were imprinted with. The whole process won’t take more than a minute. We were thinking of binding them to you, His Majesty and me, if you agree.” Raphael said to me as I reached the table.
“Actually…”—I glanced at the two knights—“if it isn’t a problem, I’d like to bind my maid to the crystals too. I’ve grown quite fond of our conversations over the last few months.”
“I thought you were going to ask that so I asked Lady Raphael to prepare another set of crystals.”
(Oh, so that’s why. Good job Augy.)
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”
“Well then, shall we proceed?”
“Of course, Lady Raphael.”
We placed our hands over the first set of crystals and in a matter of seconds they started to glow with the same intensity before quieting down and turning in a weird mix of colors.
“You can stop now, Hero Fortuna. The binding succeeded.” Said Lady Raphael as she lifted her hand from over the crystals.
“Now, for the second set.” –She continued –“Please come here… Lucilla, right?”
“Yes Milady.” Raziel said before bowing a bit and walking in front of the table.
“Please, place your hands over the crystals. I modified his set so that it will automatically absorb mana, you just have to think of accepting it when you feel some tingling on the palm of your hand, understood?”
“Yes Milady.” Raziel said again as she placed her hands over the crystals.
I put my hands next to her and started pouring mana in the crystals, which had obviously not been modified at all.
(Why are those two knights even here?)
Soon after the same process repeated itself, signifying the success of the binding, only this time the two crystals were definitely much darker in color.
“That should be all, right?” I asked.
“Yes, in case you already want to go and register at the adventurer’s guild the Royal Knights Roland and Richard here will escort you there. Naturally you’re free to return for the night and keep staying here at the palace once you’re done with the process. Also, I’ve prepared a small sum of money to help you the first few weeks of your travels.” He said, placing a small pouch on the table.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll go to the adventurer’s guild as soon as I finish collecting a few necessities from my room.” I said, taking the pouch and the two different colored crystals and putting them inside the storage.
“Of course. Sir Roland, Sir Richard, please follow Hero Fortuna and accompany her to the adventurer’s guild once she has finished her matters.”
“Yes Your Majesty.” Said the two knights at the same time.
“Well then, have a nice day Your Majesty, Lady Raphael, Lord Gabriel,” I said with a small bow before leaving the room with the two knights and Raziel, who faked a bit of nervousness in taking the crystal from the table, behind me.
Once we arrived at my room I asked the two knights to wait for me outside and entered with Raziel.
“You won’t be returning tonight, right?” Raziel asked me as I started putting some easy to move in clothes inside my storage.
“I think not, I’ll probably sleep in an inn either near the guild or the city walls. It’s more efficient that way and I don’t know if I could resist another night of …convincing.” I said, glancing at the still messy bed.
Raziel sighed before saying “you have to promise you’ll contact me often though.”
“Of course.” I said while closing the storage and turned towards her, smiling, before kissing her.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She kissed me.
“Well, I guess it’s time for me to go.”
“Goodbye Fortuna.”
“Goodbye Raziel.”
I kissed her again before exiting the room, leaving her behind.
Once out of the room I materialized my armor on me and said to the two knights “Shall we go, guys?”
We first went to the stables to get three horses to ride to the guild. Along the way Roland, who apparently was an adventurer before becoming a knight, started eagerly talking about his youth, probably looking forward to setting foot again in the adventurer’s guild while ignoring the many retorts Richard had for the various obviously exaggerated adventures.
The adventurer’s guild building completely occupied the side of a fifty meters wide square in the outer circle of the city. The large stone building had three floors, with the third one being about half as large as the first two and centered over the large doors leading inside. Like many important buildings of the capital it too had glass windows in its walls. Over the third floor, just under the tiled roof, a large clock, like the one in the training grounds, was telling the time. On the right side there was a small wooden stable with a yard for carriages in front of it.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
We moved through the small crowd buzzing in front of the guild and went to tie the horses in the stables. Richard gave a few copper coins to a young boy who was tending at the horses and we entered the building.
We entered the building and we saw dozens of people, some lining up to the four counters at the left of the stairs in front of the doors while others sitting at some tables eating at their right while other still were just standing around chatting. A few people gave us some puzzled looks but most kept doing what they were doing, not even noticing us.
We walked towards the stairs that were guarded by two men in armor.
“We are here to meet with the guildmaster on order of the king.” Roland said.
“Yes, we were waiting for you, please.” One of the guard said, stepping to the side to let us pass.
The same situation repeated itself on the second floor. When we reached the third floor we were met with a small desk behind which sat a girl in her twenties. After the same exchange we had with the guards she got up from her chair and led us to a door with a golden plate on it.
The girl knocked on the door before saying “Guildmaster, Hero Fortuna is here.”
“Let her in.” Said a voice from the other side of the door.
The girl opened the door and I entered the room, alone.
When I entered I found an old, bulky, man sitting behind a desk covered in papers and a few books. On a side of the desk there were two halves of a stone that was obviously filled with mana and next to it, on the floor, there was a tall, white crystal that looked like the truth stone in the palace.
I took off my helm as I walked towards the desk and he stood up from his chair.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hero Fortuna. I am Harold Mayes, guildmaster of Olivedias’ adventurer’s guild.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Guildmaster Harold.”
“Please, take a seat.”
I sat on the chair in front of his desk with a “thank you” and he sat back on his.
“I have to admit you really look the same as the depictions of Leliah up close.” He said with a wondering look as he stared at me for a few seconds.
“So I’ve heard.” I said with a faint smile.
He burst into a short but vigorous laugh before saying “they probably tell you continuously. Really, having you here is like sitting in front of an ancient beast from some legend. Don’t worry though, you’re already famous throughout the kingdom, you shouldn’t have any problems.”
“It’s nice to know I won’t be attacked on sight like some kind of monster.”
He froze for a second and his smile disappeared from his face. He looked down for a moment before meeting my eyes again and saying “I’m sorry, that’s probably not what a lady wants to hear first thing in the morning.”
“It isn’t” –His expression gloomed when I said that –“but I won’t take it too personally… if it doesn’t repeat itself.”
“O-of course.” He said, trying to regain his composure.
(Oh man, this will never stop to amuse me.)
“Anyway, I was informed that you want to register as an adventurer.” He said, trying to change subject.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Have you already been informed about how the guild works?”
“Only about the basics, things like adventurers have to complete quests and that they are divided in ranks, nothing specific though.”
“Very well, I’ll explain a few things then. First of all, law-wise you being a noble takes precedence over being an adventurer inside the Holy Olivedias Kingdom but normally adventurers are treated as reserve for their country’s military for the first five years of service and in case they commit a crime the punishment is doubled in most cases. On the upside they have discounts in guild-affiliated shops and inns, free access to all cities of their country and, depending on their rank, freedom to travel between countries without limitations and access to some restricted sections of various libraries, Academy City’s central library included.” –He stopped for a second and I nodded to show I was still following him –“Adventurers, as you said, are divided in ranks, which are, in ascending order: stone, bronze, iron, steel, moonstone, mithril, and orichalcum. Quests are given a rank and it is only possible to take part in quests up to one rank higher than yours. To advance in ranks you’ll have to complete quests of your rank or a rank above yours. I you are inactive for more than a year you’ll be downgraded to the previous rank. If everything is clear we can proceed with your registration.”
“Yes, please.”
“Well then, please, place your hand on the truth stone and I’ll make your card.” He said, gesturing at the crystal next to his desk.
I got up from the chair and went to place my hand on the crystal. Just a moment after I touched it a status window appeared above it.
Name: Fortuna Race: Human Lvl: 13 Job: Hero HP: 12345 MP: 13612 SP: 11932 STR: 289 DEF: 278 AGI: 294 INT: 281 WIS: 275 Skills Sword mastery lvl 6 Dagger mastery lvl 3 Hand to hand combat lvl 4 Polearm mastery lvl 5 Blunted weapon mastery lvl 3 Archery lvl 4 Alchemy lvl 1 Evasion lvl 5 Holy magic lvl 4 Shield mastery lvl 2 Magic manipulation lvl 4 Air magic lvl 4 Water magic lvl 3 Earth magic lvl 4 Fire magic lvl 5 Ice magic lvl 4 Lightning magic lvl 1 Space-time magic lvl 3 Body-strengthening magic lvl 2 Though acceleration lvl 2 Parallel thinking lvl 2 Poison resistance lvl 5 Sense danger lvl 3 Titles Hero of humanity
The guildmaster was dumbfounded at the digits of the status screen.
“Level thirteen are really strong these days, huh.”
“I think it’s because of my title.”
“Oh, right, right. Well then, I’ll make your guild card now.” He said and took a piece of paper and a small bronzed plate from a drawer.
“Since you’re over level ten you’ll start as a bronze rank adventurer, though your stats are higher the rules are the rules. It won’t take you a lot to defeat a couple of goblins anyway.” He said while writing on the piece of paper my name, level, race and job.
“Oh, there is no problem.” I said as he placed the piece of paper and the plate on one of the halves of the stone on his desk.
He put the other half over the first one and after a few seconds removed it. The piece of paper was gone, leaving only a bit of ash and the plate which now had my personal data on it.
“Well then, here’s you guild card, now you’re officially an adventurer.” He said, handing me the card.
“Thank you.” I said and put the card away in my storage.
“Are you going to take a quest today?”
“No, I think I will walk around the capital a bit and find an inn. I haven’t really been outside the palace since I got here after all.”
“Well then, have a nice walk.”
“Thank you and have a nice day.” I said and got up.
When I exited the room I found the two knights still there waiting for me and, when I told them my intentions for the day, they offered to guide me through the streets of the capital for a few hours before returning to the palace.