I really only had one option from the start. Just leave the other 55 [Clone]'s at the camp to pick off any goblins that happened to be out, while also remaining undetected. If someone else find's the village, scatter to the winds! Though, with all these corpses, the smell might get me first. I should clean up first.
While most of me stay's at the camp, I use my main body and only other clothed [Clone] to head back to the village. I was relatively close, so it only took me like a minute to reach them. I saw a few people going about their business, but nobody saw me. Thank you [Stealth].
Once at the village leaders door, I knocked. I figured knocking would be better than suddenly appearing in his house.
"Coming!" I hear a voice shout from inside. Who is that? Right, she was one of the other people who showed up from who knows where to talk with the leader about... Information.
The door opens to reveal a tall, black haired, nice looking lady. Why was she in his house? She looks confused for a second, before glancing down and spotting me.
"Oh, it's you." Do I sense Irritation?
"I took care of your goblin problem."
"Oh really? It only took you half the day. Look, the sun is setting!" I know. I give her a flat stare.
"Click" Lady, did you just click your tongue at me? I'll show you...
I quickly pull out my [Soul Book] and flip to the Quest page, before shoving it in her face.
"Six hundred eight out of twenty plus." The color visibly drained from her face, and she started shaking.
"Si- six hundred?!"
"Yeah, that's why it took so long. I- We had to isolate them before killing them, so as not to alert the rest. It was tedious, but it worked. Now can you give me my 5 Iron pennies?" I am not a patient person. I wanted to go back to the guild, submit the quest, then buy as much food and clothes as possible.
I was starving, like I hadn't eaten in days.
She gave me a shaky nod, then hurried back into the house. I heard it as she grabbed the coins, then ran back to the front door.
"Here." She said, panting slightly.
"Thanks!" I say, taking the coins from her. Then I begin running back to town. I moved so fast, to her I must have blurred.
As I ran out of the village, I had an idea. I switched clothes' with my [Clone]. They were far more comfortable, and I would make a better impression on anyone I meet.
I slowed down as I neared the gate, not wanting to seem like an attacker. The guards glanced at me, but that was it.
Instead of going to a restaurant, or store, or any other place that sells food I headed for a tailor. I needed better clothes than this.
I wandered around, looking for such a shop, before eventually finding a large one near the edge of the middle district. It was a bulk store, putting quantity over quality.
I needed fifty seven plain outfits. I'd settle for four, but I would like the full amount. I used my [Clone] to begin looking at prices and different outfits, while my main body went back to the guild to submit my quest.
When I stepped into the guild, unburdened by most of my nervousness, I took a second to really appreciate the design. The high ceiling, polished wood floor, people drinking merrily at large tables laden with food. My stomach growled at that last one.
Making my way over to the same receptionist's desk, I noticed that there were a few people watching me out of the corner of their eye. Not much I can do about that besides hope that they lose interest.
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"Ah, I see that you have returned, young sapling."
"I'm seventeen."
"Still young compared to me. Now, I reckon you either failed your quest or completed it. Just so you know, if you failed it you have to pay us twice what the reward would've been." Did not know that. Probably should've asked what happens if you fail a quest before going out and attempting one, that could've gone badly.
"I finished the quest, look!" I pulled out my soul book and turned directly to the quest page. Flipping the book around, I hold it up for the old treant to read. Apparently he reads fast because the instant he saw it his face went from one of gentle kindness to one of confusion.
"There were this many goblins?"
"Yeah, that's why it took me almost three days." He's silent for a moment, slowly mulling something over.
"Come with me." He reaches down and picks me up, and suddenly I'm in a room upstairs.
What.
"Hello, I'm Terra, the guild master."
WHAT.
"Please tell me how you were able to kill an entire camp's worth of goblins in only a day, or I will consider you a threat to the kingdom and dispose of you."
"WHAT?!" Not dealing with this. I jump off of the couch and dive behind it, hiding.
"Look, you scared him!" I heard the treant scold her. Then he picked me up and put me right back onto the couch. I was curled tight into a ball, trying to shrink inwards. I heard a sigh from the guild master and a muttered "Fuck, he's a kid. I'm not good with kids."
"Sorry if I scared you, it's something I have to say. Could you tell me what skill allowed you to kill all those goblins?" I stayed curled up. The guild master waited.
"Please?"
"...Three."
"Three what?"
"It was three skills."
"Could you tell me what those skills are?" Her voice was gentler than it had been, likely in an attempt to calm me down. It worked.
Gradually, I uncurled.
"No more threatening to kill me?" She winced.
"I'll try not too." Better than nothing. After all, she could kill me instantly if she wanted.
"The first Skill was [Stealth]. Makes me more stealthy. It let me sneak around the camp. The second Skill was [Multimind], and it mainly helped with my third Skill. The third Skill was [Cloning], which allows me to make more of myself."
Both were silent for a moment. Then they began talking to each other, though I couldn't hear a word they said. Must be a Skill, like [Stealth].
"I'm not gonna pry into you any more than I already have, but we think we might be able to help." Help?
"How many of you are there right now?"
"Fifty seven." Both of them looked surprised at that.
"And where are these 'clones'?"
"Killing goblins." I pull out my [Soul Book], open it to the quest page, and point to the number of goblins killed, which had gone from six hundred eight to six hundred twelve.
608/20+ → 612/20+
"Okay. Would you like to establish your own mercenary company independent of the adventurers guild?"
"Why would I do that?"
"It would allow you to rent out your clones, and when they come back, you could acquire the Skills and knowledge they have." Oh, yeah, I can see how that would be useful. One problem.
"I need clothes."
"Why would you need clothes?"
"I need fifty seven of the exact same outfits." I reiterate. Ah, there's the realization.
"We can help you with that. We'll give you a loan, 0% interest, to be repaid within a decade." She tapped the paper on the table with a few terms written on it. I have no idea when they put it there, but okay. I read through the terms, and caught some sneaky wording that would've forced me to pay hundreds of times whatever she loaned me.
The treant, for some reason, grew smug when I pointed this out. She fixed it, begrudgingly. At some point I stopped being able to hear her mutters, they were so quiet. I signed the contract once she fixed it.
"Now, the amount we will be loaning you should be enough to purchase several hundred outfits, two to three books on skills, and a base of operations. You're thinking 'why would I need a base of operations?'. Simple. It makes it easier for you and your customers to connect. Now, the amount to be loaned is 10 silver pennies."
My soul nearly left my body. 10 SILVER PENNIES!? That was... a lot of money! A single piece of bread cost 5 bronze pennies. 100 bronze made one iron. 100 iron made one silver. 10 silver is 1,000,000 bronze pennies!
"Don't worry, it's the skill books that'll cost you the most. We can help you with finding the right location. There's a skill book store right beside here, go take a look."
Before I could protest or express any sort of opinion of the matter, she handed me ten silver pennies and I was suddenly standing outside the guild, beside the entrance.
My brain short-circuited for a good couple minutes before I untangled what just happened. The guild master had just forced me into making a business, made me sign a contract, gave me money, gave me orders, then kicked me from wherever she had teleported me. I don't like this.
But what else was I supposed to do? Never bring my main body back to the guild for one. Two, go check out them Skill books! I turned, knowing the building she had been talking about. I had walked past it a few time's already, but never payed it much mind because I knew everything in it was too expensive for me.
I was absolutely right if 10 silver is only enough for two or three books. I deem my current attire sufficient to traverse the interior of this construct. Heh, words.