Where Livia had been going each morning was right at the opposite end of Lena's place by the town square. Salcret had a small office-like building, more newly built and slightly larger than what the [Guild] was using; with an [Organizer] whose job it was to delegate tasks that needed doing around the village.
People came here to report their need for some extra hands. Usually there were some young helpers available, and if you needed one of the proper craftsmen you could just sign a little note with the details and hear back later.
But even when the work was agreed upon and it was time to get to it–you still wanted to meet up with Karl at the town square–and have him provide your team with buffs to boost their overall cooperation.
What his [Organizer] Class primarily did was allow people to [Merge] the Skills of other [Builder] Classes. It could turn out like something in the same vein as Brunner’s [Forester's Spirit], a Skill to provide the intuition of a lifelong craftsman. It was a specialty Class that allowed for a [Hammerer] to work with a [Saw Master] and [Trapper] to build something that neither Classes could manage alone.
It was why Salcret was built grander and was able to deal with a much more aggressive environment, not to mention built with so much more craftsmen’s care and individual character given to each building. It was nothing like the depictions of real medieval towns that Livia had seen growing up, but if you liked fantasy-screensavers… You’d feel right at home.
Alright, I’m playing it up a bit. But Salcret really did look more like the picturesque fantasy village, and obviously part of Livia had been delighted upon first sighting it; even if she’d be all too willing to escape back home given the opportunity, and could really do with a skyscraper- or two right now.
Karl was one of the village Elders, and was presumably quite high level; his buffs lasted for ten hours unless you did something foolhardy to drain the magic–and if so you had better not come crying to Karl about it.
He was not a man to suffer fools lightly.
Unfortunately it seemed him and Livia had gotten off on the wrong foot, despite her polite nature.
Unless he just sensed her real poaching agenda somehow. The man's buffs lasted for so long because he was above level 30. Each capstone was cause for celebration–so it was hardly a secret–but if you asked the man about specifics he was very rude about providing you the non-answer.
That wasn't why he didn't like Livia, however he did take umbrage with her coming by everyday to offer her services–in case someone needed help to make a [Guild] or wanted to apply to one–when it was obvious nobody did.
Livia hadn’t even started trying to pitch to anybody yet, she was just looking for an excuse to hang around and learn about the different talents around Salcret.
No, what he had taken true offense at was Livia trying to walk up casually; to simply ask him if she: “Could maybe get a list of all the most high level people in Salcret?”
Not her brightest move in hindsight.
But luckily, despite Karl catching on to her intentions so soon, he did not have the authority to ban her from the square.
Nobody did, even Headwoman Tyresa. It just didn't work like that in sleepy little towns like Salcret. Nobody collected taxes, and they weren't citizens governed by laws.
Like most such places they just had a set of rules laid down by the founders, who happened to despise authority figures in the case of Salcret, and some Elders who enforced those and discussed everything else on a case by case basis, with Tyresa having the final say.
And everybody else having the final say on her having the final say.
Funding for community projects was likewise on a voluntary basis, and always done for the pride of it and the common good rather than any real expectation of a ROI: Return on investment.
The thing is; it mostly worked out for everybody out here under this system of governance, despite the rudimentary nature.
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But it did open them up to predators like Livia, here to poach their brightest and their best. She just needed to stick around long enough to figure out who the hell those people might be, and she’d finally started to get the hang of it.
The first target was the town [Healer]. No, nott the main one. Livia was not trying to get hung in the town square, thank you very much. But that beloved [Healer] did happen to have an apprentice just a few years older than Livia–and even if her leaving would be a loss–there was time aplenty to teach another.
They probably had more Aspirants already; but the one who caught her eye was Agneta–she was who Livia had seen fussing around Karl, checking to see if anybody could use some help.
Whenever there was a work injury, or the like, a trailblaze of gossip would reach the town square in minutes, and Agneta–or even Agnes if it was serious–would run out to administer aid.
Despite this, the consummate professionals felt it still didn't hurt to check in with Karl every once in a while, more minor things that people treated more as gossip could well be a malignant condition lying dormant, and the [Healers] of Salcret were all about preventative care.
Livia checked sneakily if there seemed to be anything vital going on, but things seemed quiet at the healing house for the moment. She caught Agneta right as she was finishing checking in on an elderly patient who was likely there to stay.
"Hello Agneta, I was wondering if I could maybe feel a few things out with you, if you have a moment?"
The young [Healer] had seen Livia around and of course everybody gossiped about a new girl with strange clothes coming to town; but most people had dismissed her as some Dormatian simply stuck here for the winter when learning about her Class.
Agneta gave her a mousy smile though. "Yes certainly. It was Livia, right? I do not mind, I was about to pause for some food, perhaps you want to join me?"
When they entered the break room there was a young man sitting there, likely one of the aforementioned Aspirants, since he was wearing the same clean white clothes as Agneta.
Livia sat down and got right to business. "I was wondering if you've ever thought about traveling, seeing the capital, or even going further?" This is the key, if they haven't even considered leaving Salcret then I will really have to fight an uphill battle, but if I can get them to come along that far… Then I'm sure I'll get enough opportunities to sell a future with the guild to them along the journey.
Agneta smiled again before blowing on her tea; knowing Livia's Class it would be rather typical if she had seen all this coming and already decided to say no. "I've thought about it before, quite often a few years back, while I was younger and still hoping to learn all the secrets of my Class,” The words really raised Livia’s hopes, despite where they seemed to be headed. “But I am happy in Salcret, I have a husband and we are actually hoping for children soon,"
Knockdown. Damn it. This is looking like a deadend, but no pain no gain. "So, once you do have some, it will be much harder right; and like you said there's probably a ton of things you could learn in a place like Dormata, even if you return to Salcret in a year or two it could be with tremendous gains for you Class. Are you sure you're not open to considering the opportunity?"
The words earned Livia her third smile, this one a lot wider than the prior. And it looked like Agneta was actually considering a different response.
Livia decided on the spot to give it one final push: "I mean it must get tiresome, watching people get hurt and killed, having the Class to help but lacking the levels, especially with things like the same careless family making fatal mistakes with such regularity,"
Agnes' eyes widened at those last words and she opened her mouth to halt Livia in her tracks, but it was too late.
"I mean if people refuse to help themselves you've gotta do what you can to do it for them in your position, am I right?"
The young man burst out of his chair, toppling the small table he had been eating at and dashing the plate against the wall–before striding quickly for the door–tears in his eyes.
And that was when Livia learned the story of Sten.