Chapter 2 Guild

It took me a little over two hours to walk to the Quester’s Guild, and as I entered, I saw several lines of people in front of receptionists, while one had nobody in it. Big surprise, it was the only one with a Man at the desk. “Excuse me, I’d like to register please.” After taking my money, and providing the information form for me to fill out, the Receptionist basically ignored me until I was finished. Then he led me to a testing court, where a mid ranked Quester was on duty to test new recruits. “Well kid, you’re old enough, let’s see if you can handle yourself. Just come at me, and if you knock me down, I’ll approve you for a higher entry rank.” He laughed at his joke, but the humor left his face as he found himself already on his back. “Huh?” I smirked at him. “I know that one doesn’t count, since you were grossly underestimating me based upon my appearance, a bad habit for any Quester. Shall we go for real now?” I offered my hand to help him up. “Yeah, sorry for not taking you serious, ok let’s do this for real. Pearson, will you call the start?” Pearson, the receptionist while still looking shocked, nodded, and momentarily called “Begin.”

The test administrator moved, but it didn’t help, he found himself on his back in under two seconds, without landing a blow. I then noticed a boulder that was clearly just too big for them to have moved, and they gave up trying to break it. While both people looked on, I proceeded to kick the boulder, and to all our surprise, it shattered under my single blow. “You understand why I’d rather not hit you yeah?” Both nodded frantically. “I’d love to get you started at A rank, but best you can test into is the same as me, as I’m a C rank, you can’t test higher, unless I can get someone higher to test you, and there’s no B, or A ranked people here currently. Only the Guild master could test you to A rank, and that won’t happen till you’ve earned enough quest points.” I nodded in understanding. “Let’s keep this from being spread out if possible. I’m sure I’ll get noticed soon enough, just don’t go telling everyone and their Dog about me please.”

I went to the Quest board after getting my Guild Card. I found several herb gathering posts, and some small game posts, and took all the ones I thought would be in the same location. It was surprisingly not too far from the Farm, so I simply went towards home. Passing by the Farm, I entered the woods to begin harvesting. My Analysis skill was super helpful, in finding all the medical herbs, as well as some Alchemist materials, and particular poisons. Then also food herbs, and mushrooms. As I continued, by hunting the small game, I was attacked by some Goblins, not too unusual, and the blood should have attracted them, but the Hob Goblin, and Shaman, were a great surprise. Then an Ogre showed itself, and if I hadn’t been strong enough, there’d have been no way for me to beat it. Ogres don’t belong here, but perhaps I could have called it a One Off, but having killed over ten of them, I began to be concerned. At this point I needed to go back, and report this.

I decided speed was absolutely required for this situation, so I ran at full speed, putting my Stamina to full effect. It had only been four hours since I had left the Guild, and I returned straight back to my Receptionist from the morning. “I need a Private Room, and the Guild Master should attend. This is important, and it’s my ass, not yours if I’m wrong.” Knowing my abilities, he simply accepted my words, leading me to a room, and leaving to get the Guild Master. Soon after he returned with a tall, muscular woman, with a Stern Face. “What’s this about?” I bowed respectfully, automatically understanding that the Woman was in fact the Guild Master, or Mistress as it were. “First I want to explain that I have a unique skill, it’s one I don’t want to advertise, but this is important. I went to this area, in order to do some minor fetch quests, which I have completed, though not turned in, because of what happened while I was out there. The Skill allows me to carry anything I want, in a sort of invisible pocket, and not suffer from the weight. Nobody can steal from me either. With that being said, I’m going to drop all the things that attacked me.” I dumped all the goblins, forty of them, three hob goblins, and the Shaman, then the ten Ogres.

The Guild Master held out a crystal ball. “Put your hand on this, and swear to me you’ve told the truth about where all of these were located, and that it was you, and nobody else who killed them all.” I did exactly as I was instructed, and a green glow came from the crystal. “Thanks for telling us this. That’s definitely unusual for any hobs or shamans to be there, and unheard of for even a single ogre, let alone ten of the buggers. You seem new, but there’s no way fresh meat can handle any of this alone, even in a group of five, and ogre would make short work of new questers. What did you test out as?” I smiled at her. “I tested into C rank, because that’s the highest I can test into without your direct testing, or so I was told.” She smiled back at me. “If that’s the case, I’m making an exception for you, let’s go to the testing court now, and I’ll administer a rank up test, if you can impress me, you’ll be at A rank, and if you manage to knock me down even once, I can even authorize S rank, at least locally, you’d need to get tested at the capitol in order to have full guild recognition as S rank.” We went to the Testing Court, where my earlier tester had just finished with a new recruit. “Clear away, this guy’s getting tested for rank up.”

Everyone moved out of the court, and their wide eyes watched on as we were signaled by Pearson to start the bout. It lasted all of twenty seconds, but the Guild master’s surprised face was staring up at me from the ground, and I hadn’t thrown a punch, only blocks, and the eventual throw. I then pointed to the remains of the boulder. When she saw what I had pointed at, her eyes snapped back at me. “That was you that broke that pesky rock?! You get local S rank, and Guild A rank officially, and well deserved!” I held my hand to help her up. “Thankyou very much Guild Master, I look forward to questing for you for some time. I’m in no rush for the Guild wide S Rank title, so I’ll be building up funds and getting my own land as soon as possible.” She smirked at me. “Kid, you can buy a house, even a farm today, after your rewards are calculated and paid, in fact there’s a farm laying empty out near where you were questing today, do you know it? That farm was confiscated by the guild for a debt incurred, and not paid. It will make things much easier on us, if you’ll accept that as part of your pay. We simply don’t have enough platinum on hand to pay you for everything, but with that farm, we can manage one Platinum, and twenty gold, about fifty silver, and twenty five copper, without getting into dangerous levels for paying out everyone else’s quests.”

I stood shocked for a moment at the fortune I was being offered. “Keep the Platinum, and half the Gold on account for me, maybe I can get some gear later.” She positively beamed at this suggestion. “Absolutely, I’ll give you a credit voucher on your card, the guild armory can provide what you need, and that helps us even more, so you’re taking that land then?” I nodded happily. “As it happens, my Father owns the Farm next to that, so it’s perfect for us too, basically doubling the farm land, and giving me my own house into the bargain. Can’t wait to tell my Parents now.” We returned to the main hall, where my A rank, local S rank card was handed over to me, along with a hefty sack of coins, and the deed to that farm. “Pleasure doing business with you. I need to visit the Alchemist shop, and I have some cooking herbs too, though I don’t know who’s buying those.” The guild master looked at me, and grinned. “The prancing stag would buy the herbs I suspect, and they’re on good terms with the guild too. Put up with a lot of crap if you ask me. Maybe you can do them a favor, and sell at low cost, I’ll add a little extra to your guild card if you will.” I shook my head. “I will, but don’t worry about the money, clearly I had everything I truly need covered already, and it’s only day one.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Leaving the guild, I went to the Alchemist, not far away, nothing was that far away in this Podunk village of ours. Frank was sitting behind his counter, with his drawers labeled behind him, and he was instantly concerned seeing me. “What’s the problem? Tell me the symptoms, I can only hope you can afford whatever remedy is needed.” I held my hands up in a double stop gesture. “WHOA, hold on! Nobody is sick, I have ingredients for you to examine, and possibly take off my hands at reduced price, cause it’s you, and you’ve saved us on more times than I can count.” So saying, I held a sack which I had previously filled with all the alchemical ingredients I had found, separated into individual smaller pouches to keep them from contaminating each other. “These are all excellent quality, perfectly harvested. Your herbalist skill has come a long way! Sadly I can only offer six gold for all, and that’s less than a tenth of its value.” I smiled, “Then split that in half, I’ll take three gold, cause I got a pretty big payday from the Quester’s Guild today, including this.” I held the deed for him to see, and his eyes sparkled with joy. “My boy that’s wonderful! But only three Gold is just too little!”

“Tell you what Frank, just keep the balance as a credit for when my family need remedies. That way you can charge cost only, and not labor yeah?” He stuck his hand out smiling broadly. “DEAL!” I took my three gold, and the now empty sacks, that I secretly filled again with all the cooking ingredients I had found. Walking to the Prancing Stag. Rather than going to the main door, I went around back to the kitchen entrance. “Excuse me! Is the lead cook available?” A woman in her thirties smiles exhaustedly. “That’d be me, just about break time, hope this’ll be quick, whatever you need.” I handed over the bag. “Cooking Herbs, and Edible Mushrooms. What’s your lowest estimate of their value please?” She checked through the sack, eyes twinkling. “I’d love to buy all this, surely, but even at its lowest value, that’d be twelve gold, and I can’t pay more than six with my budget.” “No worries, I’m only asking two Gold for the lot, and I won’t accept a copper more. Who knows, as a Quester, I might need your help with something later.” Her eyes bulged, and she couldn’t move her hands fast enough to get the two Gold, and shake my hand to seal the deal. “That’s a deal, we’ve shaken on it, and you can’t change it now!” I laughed, and pulled her into a hug, which surprised her. “I’m a local boy, we’re like Family right? No way would I offer what I didn’t mean. I gathered all that today, and got paid a good amount for what I was actually doing at the time. By the way, you posted for small game meat, I almost forgot I needed to turn that in here.” I took out the game bag I had been given with the quest paper, without it being noticed by the woman. “I’m Mark by the way.” She took the bag, and found all the small game perfectly butchered, with the pelts on the side. She signed the quest notice as completed, and handed it back to me. “Blanche dear, you just come by anytime. With these herbs my cooking is sure to improve even more. Skills are great, but flavors can’t change without seasoning.”

I left Blanch with a wave, and headed to the trapper’s hut. Knowing the man often had to brew poisons to kill more dangerous beasts, I took all the poisonous items I had gathered to him. “Herbert, you in? Got some stuff for you.” Herbert came out from behind the shack with a cursous gaze on me. “Mark lad, not too common for you to darken my work space, usually only see you in the market, or out in the woods if we get lucky.” I laughed. “Well, I found some poisonous stuff, and figured you could use it for trapping. I won’t take a copper from you either, I consider you an essential person of this town, and you’re to only person I trust with Poison.” He took the bag from me, and seeing its contents grinned that particularly evil grin of someone who intends to cause great pain to his foe. “This will help a lot in my next brew, and I got a nasty bugger I’m after too. Really needed these, and had no idea any were around.” “Send that Nasty Bugger to the underworld, but make sure it hurts for a while yeah!” We both chuckled as I waved, and walked away.

Crossing through town, back towards home once again, I went through the central market area, and noticed a slave dealer arguing with the town bully. Jarreth was trying to under value a particular slave girl. Looking at the girl, I got chills, because she reminded me heavily of my Sister from my past life. I knew it wasn’t her, I looked nothing like my old self, but still I couldn’t help myself, as I slammed one Gold onto the wagon. “I’ll take her for one Gold” Jarreth looked daggers at me. “I’m buying this Slave!” I sneered. “Not with your puny allowance your not. I can keep going, but you, probably only trying to lower her price cause you can’t afford her. Not that you deserve her anyway.” The idiot tried to punch me then, and unsurprisingly he ended up on his back, with my foot on his neck before he could blink. “I’m a local S rank Quester, and you only pick on weaklings. Guess what, I’m going to hound you till you confess to your Father about every time you bulled ANYONE in town, and you’re GOING to be locked in your room for the next half year.” My gaze pierced his very soul with the sheer level of contempt I had for him. He ran away quicker than anyone but I could follow. Straight home as it turned out. I chuckled as I turned back to the slave dealer. “Sorry for that, he’s the town bully, I plan to put him properly in his place from now on. One Gold is that acceptable?” He had the biggest grin ever. “For you certainly, she’s actually worth a tad more, but after that idiot getting a gold, and seeing the punk chased of I’ll take the minor loss.” Within moments she was signed over to me, contract magic and all. She followed meekly after me.

“Well this is going to be fun!” I commented with extreme sarcasm. “Master?” Looking back at her I smiled. “I left home today with barely a silver to my name, and am coming home with my own deed for property, a hefty coin purse, AND a slave girl. I couldn’t let that Pig lay a finger on you, but My Parents are going to instantly jump to the conclusion that I intend lewd things to happen. I don’t. Even though I know you aren’t her, you remind me of someone who was precious to me, an Elder Sister as it happens. So despite that damned collar, from now on, I want you to think of me like your Brother. Name’s Mark by the way.” “Master Mark, do you mean that? I’m prepared to share my Master’s bed, it’s almost expected.”

“I know what’s typical, but in my book, legal or otherwise, that’s Rape. If a woman doesn’t want it, even if she goes through the motions, he’s still a Rapist, and I won’t go there. If my partner isn’t fully on board, then I can’t enjoy myself either. It’s bad enough if I can’t perform to her needs, it’s totally different if she doesn’t even want me to. So yeah, you can call me by name, or even Brother if you want. Feel free to call me an idiot if you think I deserve it. Your collar won’t let you smack me upside the head, but I’d let you if I could. You’re as safe with me as possible, and free to be yourself. I own your time, and effort, not your heart, or body.” “Brother Mark then, my name is Maria. If you’re being honest with me, then I look forward to a happy life with you.”