The visit to the farm had ended up doing more than helping Brunner out with his Spell, it had widened the [Guild] members’ horizons in regards to what the future might hold. Especially if their seed made it to a proper state.
They cleaned up from the earlier sparring and shared a hefty lunch consisting of pancakes that tasted like more than half egg. Not every meal of Brunner’s is a hit. Oscar thought the words but unlike his brother he was not absent-minded enough to even mutter them.
As they got dressed up, and turned out to the yard to start heading back, Livia dropped some parting words. “We’re going to build something Brunner, something entirely new. I know we look young, and we do have a lot to learn, but you'll see what I mean in time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you know? We will keep leveling, but you’ve helped the boys out a lot. Just don’t underestimate us. Nobody understands how important your project is better than me.”
What a serious young lady. She’s actually reminding me of Bertrud, despite Harold being the [Druid]. Damn it, now even I am calling her Bertrud. Solomon would kill me. In the end Brunner just gave her a nod, the same open expression on his face as usual.
A man who valued actions over words.
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On the road back they all enjoyed a comradely silence. Livia kept working on what her next recruiting-target should be, together with Oscar. The top option now being a young [Arborist], who had jumped the queue with their acquisition of the kauri seed, and a [Brewer] who was rumored to have the Skill [Brewer’s Eye].
It was a Skill which could help you identify the less evident traits of various ingredients, allowing you to start making magic analysis as opposed to relying on folklore or expert advice. The Skill was not very powerful on its own–if it were to upgrade to [Alchemist’s Eye] however–then they were in business.
But was it worth a [Quest] cooldown to secure their services and if so, when?
They needed to know more about the personality behind the Class before any firm decision, but even if it seemed certain they could pull off enticing their target, it was not necessarily true that using the cooldown on recruitment was their best option.
For sure not if there was another way.
Oscar suddenly recalled the night with the special honey and got an idea. “Hey, Livia, what if we check if that [Brewer] has any interest in brewing with the honey? We might even get away with implying we have a source for more, vaguely north of Dormata, you know. I’m sure he could get some levels out of the attempt if nothing else. And if that doesn’t convince him we might be worth the trip then I doubt anything else will. ”
Livia did have future plans for the strange magic substance they had been gifted. But then again, even large bees hardly needed much. “I’ll bring it and think about whipping it out if it’s looking like they need some further convincing; good thinking, that might actually end up saving us one of our cooldowns before the spring expedition,”
Upon returning to the orchard they all discussed the coming week, but first they planned for the weekend that had now arrived.
First up, another bout of recruitment while they still held all their cards in hand, but then it was decided the time should come to send Harold on the 2nd [Rare Quest]. Provided nothing unexpected happened.
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Sten came back by the house the day after and was met by the enigmatic Dunner sitting in the living room. "So you are the one, the new member looking to join my [Guild], is that right?"
The man wore a dark cloak and the shades were drawn, with the fire crackling despite the day. His sheer size reminded Sten of his father. One of his Skills was trying to tell him something, but the rest of his senses crowded his attention too and it was lost in the noise.
"I believed I was a member already, Sir. I was not informed of a second Guild Master, and if I may be candid it was heavily implied Livia served the role alone."
"I am Dunner," Roldy was sitting in the inner corner beside the door, Sten had not even noticed him at first. Now he gave him a second look, and instantly grew suspicious. "And everyone in my [Guild] has to learn the Salsa, an ancient rite, in which we will determine if your hips can lie, or not."
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Kalle made Harold burst out laughing with that one.
He'd barely been hanging on after Sten was duped so completely that he doubted his membership, and called Kalle ‘Sir’. This was a prank for the ages. I knew that stupid bangle would come in handy.
Sten so very nearly looked horrified for just a second before his poker face was resumed. "No, no I could tell. My nose, remember?"
The two were still nearly doubled over laughing, Kalle just pointed at the crackling fire, filled with herbs, which they had lit specifically to block his nose, so Sten finally gave up. "I am never calling anybody Sir again. You guys ruined that, I hope you're happy."
He cracked a smile himself for once at Harold's surprisingly high-pitched laugh.
Oscar had been waiting and came chuckling around the corner and happily joined in now that he was sure Sten could take the joke. "I hope you don't mind a prank, your reaction was hilarious; so I doubt they'll forget to include you in their shenanigans from now on,"
Sten sighed heavily. "I suppose I'll just have to get my payback in the sparring circle,"
Kalle got rid of his Dunner disguise at this. "I hope you do not expect an easy time of it every round now, just because you’re a bit–clearly superior when we go at it without Skills, cause if we are talking about going at it with the full repertoire; Harold here clearly still reigns supreme."
Sten nearly scoffed at the words, but caught himself with a cough. He did respect Harold; the guy worked his butt off and that crazy regeneration made his own efforts the only limit.
But getting the image of Kalle playing him for a fool out of his mind was not so easy, not to mention Sten remained slightly suspicious of their every word now that it was evident how much they enjoyed pulling his leg. "I would beg to differ," There, that was nice and neutral.
On somebody else the words would have worked fine, but Kalle could read the underlying emotion for once. It seemed Sten was not quite as adept at controlling himself outside of combat.
Kalle went for it. "Hmm, how about a wager then?"
Sten had never been one for betting. He'd been involved too many times when he himself was underestimated and earned his father, eh, Birgir good coin. People only wanted to bet when they knew something you don't.
But then again, when it came to sparring… Sten was a very, very hard one to surprise. And these lads probably still underestimated him, they had certainly embarrassed him earlier.
When Kalle noted the hesitation he threw out his 2nd prepared set of bait. "I'd wager he can have you surrendering with a smile inside a minute, I'd put a 100 silver on it."
Sten barely had that much, but the insulting parameters were just too much. "You're on."
Harold was just shaking his head, a shit-eating grin on his face in the background. Not even hiding it.
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A hundred possibilities of what they could be cooking up crossed Sten's mind.
He had pulled stuff like this on his siblings too, when they’d been gone a while and he had time to learn some new trick, this was far from his first rodeo.
It was different dealing with Casters though, but Birgir had talked about how to fight such a common Class as [Druid] extensively over the years.
Even if Hyde was hiding around the corner, which Sten doubted very much considering the way mosswolves smelled, he was still confident he would be able to survive at least a minute, and punish them severely if they made mistakes.
He was still truly not prepared for the sight, when Kalle gave his signal to start, and a thousand warrior wasps simultaneously left the nearby apple trees to surround them both in mere seconds... How could he be?
Fuckin' magic.