The city of Hasal was much different from how the two village boys imagined. It was loud, crowded, and chaotic. The noise assaulted their ears like an avalanche. People constantly bumped into them. And everyone was going about their own way, with little regard for the others. And yet, they could not help but wonder at it.
Mike pondered what knowledge there was to gleam. How many books? How many Libraries? But Mike understood that only a fraction of the world’s knowledge could be learned from books. He wondered just what sort of stories the people had. Each person could tell dozens, and yet, there were hundreds of such people just in this market square.
Tom did not care much for books or the stories. He instead studied the people themselves, as well as the buildings, the roads, and the walls. Any potential threat, he paid attention to. Which person had weapons, the way they stood, the way they moved. He focused on the guards, their patrols, and their posts. But it was not just the people. He watched the area, which places were most defendable, where potential threats could come from.
Despite their wonder and amazement, neither of them enjoyed the city. Mike, because it was so loud, it was hard to hear his own thoughts. Tom, because so many things assaulted his senses, he felt he was blind.
Mike was typically the one who made the plans, but Tom was by no means simple. His senses had always been more acute than others, but after fighting and hunting for so long, he had honed it. He had grown accustomed to sensing more than many, but now in the city, he felt numb.
He wanted to be gone from the walls as soon as they could. However, they were not there to sightsee.
When Alaster’s family had been torn asunder, the only people who had known were those of the Village, and the City Lord of Hasal. The Village Alderman had sent a message to the Overlord of their Village, the City Lord. Such was the law. A law believed to be so that those with special body constitutions could be fully nurtured by the kingdom.
But when Alaster’s parents were butchered and his sister stolen, the knights of the City Lord arrived mere days later with lies of the family being heretics. Few of the Villagers believed the lie, nor the coincidence. But, even fewer were able or willing to act against the lie. They had their own families to look after, and the people telling the lie had already shown enough resolve to make a family disappear.
The two young men refused to lie down and take it, however. They refused to believe their brother was dead. Alaster had not been the kind of person to just accept what was. Perhaps, if his entire family was dead. But they had made the mistake of taking his sister.
Both boys could still vividly remember how a traveling merchant had insulted his sister and the young boy, not even ten winters old, had set fire to the merchant’s wagon and all his goods. Alaster had been a happy child, but he had always been protective of his family. He would never give up, nor would he forgive.
“What level do you think he is?” Mike asked over the din.
“We are both level Eighteen. I doubt he is less than we are.”
Tom was proud of their progress. Only a few months before they turned seventeen and they were nearly Adepts themselves. Very few reached the twentieth level before they themselves turned eighteen. It was an accomplishment worthy enough to be proud of. However, he refused to believe that Alaster was any weaker. They had grown up together. And while he knew that could affect his belief, he had met many people on his travels, and not one was as worthy as Alaster.
Tom looked over to the Adventurer’s Guild. Each city had one, and even some forts and settlements. They were all in contact with each other, and while they never dabble in politics, it allows their Adventurers to travel and still have access to their records.
The Adventurer’s Guild was formed by a collection of Experts who cared little for the boundaries of nations. The Guild was for Adventurer’s to gather, where they could socialize, form bonds, compete, and get work. In doing so, the Adventurers are mercenaries. However, they are mercenaries that follow a code, however loose that is.
Each Adventurer must register with the guild in order to get work, as they complete their contracts, they can rank up, giving them access to harder jobs and better pay. In doing so, they also get fame and influence. However, their rank, and their access to the Guild itself, was fragile. All Adventurers were required to follow two simple rules. To disobey even one of these, would result in their Guild access being terminated.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
First, they are bound to protect the settlements of man against the tides of monsters. Against other nations, such as war, they have no obligation. However, against bandits or raiders, they are. This helps to prevent soldiers from hiding their colors, and instead announce themselves. Else, they have Adventurers joining the defense. Of course, they can still fight, but they are not bound.
Second, to forsake nationality. Simply put, they are forbidden from aligning themselves with any particular nation. They are forbidden from holding any position or title from any nation. If they wish to do so, they must first renounce their Guild Membership. Many great leaders and generals have been Adventurers, but they left the Guild before doing so.
The Adventurer’s Guild in Hasal was large, made of reinforced granite, with a marble trim. The doors were hardened oak, reinforced with steel. Tom could see that the designer had planned for the building to be a fortress in itself. There were even battlements at the top, though he doubted they had seen much use.
‘Maybe they have tables and chairs up there?’ He mused.
Together, the two young men walked up the flight of stairs and past the four columns to the open doors. There was a constant stream of people coming and going from the Guild, but the doors were wide enough for none of them to bump into each other. A welcome change from the chaos of the market.
The Interior was surprisingly homey. A large hearth to the left cast a warm glow that warmed the large room, even with the large gates open.
‘Maybe magic.’
To the right, there was a bar with stools, serving their customers. Tables lined the room with many people sitting at them and talking, planning, or boasting. In the back of the room, five receptionists assisted Adventurers from behind the counter. In the back left corner, a staircase led to a second floor, with an open deck, where the offices, storage, and training rooms of the Guild resided.
However, the most important area, with over a dozen people standing, was the Job Board. Basically, people or organizations would contact the Guild and propose their needs. The Guild would negotiate with the people for a suitable reward for the job, and if they came to an agreement, the Guild would post the job on the Board, where any Adventurer of adequate Rank could accept it, granted the receptionist believed them capable enough to complete it and return alive.
The Guild would pay the Adventurer upon completion, if the only reward was monetary. Then the Guild would pursue payment from the job requester. This system ensured payment for the Adventurers, reduced their hassle, and improved their rate of survival. It also ensured the Adventurers would treat Guild Employees appropriately, as they decided whether they could accept jobs or not.
However, there was also a second board, on the wall to the right of the doors, where anyone could come and post their jobs, without the Guild serving as a middleman. Typically, jobs from people needing help but not able to or unwilling to pay the Guild Fees, or have even been turned down. One could find everything from ‘Find my Pet’ quests to ‘Defeat this Dragon Nest’. The quests, as well as their rewards, were unregulated. And completing them did not contribute to one’s Rank within the Guild.
The Ranks were familiar to everyone, and basic. Starting from F Rank, and ending at A Rank. Regardless of prior strength and ability, all new members started at F Rank. This helped ensure that new members did not take jobs above their capabilities, and that they could familiarize themselves with the way the Guild works before taking more difficult jobs.
The Rankings also did not take the Class or Tier of the Adventurer into account. It was not unheard of for an Expert to be a new member at F Rank, or a Novice to be capable of holding a C Rank. Not all the Jobs were combat related, either. One of the more common Jobs were harvest jobs, requiring a certain amount of a herb. A Blacksmith could become a B Rank Adventurer due to fulfilling enough smithing related Jobs.
It was a fabulous system of doing that's that had been around so long as to become natural. New Settlements were considered civilized until the Guild had a branch there. And a Settlement was considered to be dying if the Guild left. Even people who weren’t registered with the Guild still talked about using the Rankings.
However, despite their requirement to remain neutral in all international disputes, they still kept up to date with the ongoings. Guild Employees weren’t restricted to just reception and office work. The Guild prided itself in having a strong defense force, as well as an information seeker team and market. Even in the middle of a siege, no one dares to attack the Guild Hall as that would invoke not only the wrath of the Adventurers themselves, but also the team of extremely capable fighters in some of the best equipment available.
The two young men were there to register as Adventurers, as many their age did, having had enough time to familiarize themselves with their Abilities enough to not embarrass themselves. But they were not here for fame or fortune, though neither would turn the fortune part down. They were there for the Info Market.
It was said that the Guild’s Information Market had every bit of knowledge available, for a price. Though everyone knew that it was just a saying, it wasn’t far off. But they didn’t sell it to just anyone. Their customers had to be Registered Adventurers, and depending on the information, also had to be a certain Rank.
The two young men hoped to further advance their levels and powers while they searched for answers. They had no doubt that the information they wanted would require high Ranks. But they weren’t going to just give up, not while Alaster was still out there.