The night of the seventh day at Sturm Mist Hall, a full week after I arrived, I refined my body enough and broke through to the First Rank of body cultivation. Back on my old home world, Spirit Earth, the large realms for body cultivation were called by their spiritual cultivation equivalent, even though this made no sense. To avoid confusion, I decided to call them Ranks. Since wizards called their large realms Circles, why not?
When I broke through, it felt like lightning ran through my veins, perfecting my body and purging it of impurities. As someone who had survived powerful lightning magic, I knew the sensation quite well. A large amount of impurities oozed out of my body from every available orifice. All of them. It was disgusting. The black sludge filled a good quarter of the metal tub. Despite all that, I laughed with joy.
I could now officially call myself a cultivator. While I had cultivated over the past week, I had to reach the First Rank in order to earn the title. It felt good, if I was being honest.
My body felt amazing, much more so than my previous ones. Back on Spirit Earth, I grew up in the slums, a street rat raised in the gutter. My physique hadn’t been that great, and wasn’t that suitable for body cultivation. On Earth, I was a skinny little twerp who liked to spend most of his time alone. Athletic, I was not.
This body? It was perfect for body cultivation, even without the storm dragon blood running through my veins. It suited me just fine, and it would only grow stronger over time. My body felt light and powerful, a feeling I had missed. Wizards weren’t known for their physical prowess, barring some exceptions, and that had included Lord Gabriel. While I had kept myself in shape, my body was by no means the body of a warrior.
Now that I had reached the First Rank of body cultivation, that had changed.
I went to bed that night feeling better than I had in a long time. While repairing my mana veins would take a few more weeks, I had at least made some progress towards my goals. Even better, now that my body was stronger, I could channel more of my divine energy towards repairing my mana veins.
All in all, I was happy with my progress.
After breakfast the next day, I announced that I was going to Icefall City. This in itself wasn’t unusual. It was the largest settlement around, so it made sense that I would visit it at least once during my stay here. What was unusual was my desire to go there in disguise. This earned a raised eyebrow from Leroy, but he refrained from commenting.
An hour later, the two of us walked along the road towards Icefall City. Since the carriage had the symbol of House Sturm on its side, a stylized blue dragon circled around a black storm cloud, taking it would defeat the purpose of going incognito. To hide my distinctive looks, I dyed my hair and eyebrows black, and wore an outfit similar to Leroy’s: leather armor over coarse linen clothing.
For weapons, my sword hung at my hip. I also had several daggers hidden on my person.
It was a beautiful day today. The sky was clear, though we couldn’t see much of it thanks to the tree of Gloom Mist Forest. The weather was nice and warm, not that the cold would have bothered me thanks to my body cultivation. The ever present mist lingered along the forest floor, making the forest seem ethereal and mysterious. The sounds of the forest were muffled and quiet. The smell of water and green growing things filled the air.
The two of us were halfway to Icefall City when Leroy spoke up. We had spent the first half of the journey in silence, enjoying the scenery. Well, I enjoyed it. I don’t know about Leroy. The man just about vibrated with tension. Then again, he was a bodyguard. It was his job to be cautious and paranoid.
“Young master,” Leroy said from my side. “I have concerns.”
To avoid giving my status away, we decided to walk side by side. This earned me some side eye from Leroy, but I ignored it.
“Concerns?” I asked.
Was he concerned about our safety? Well, I didn’t blame him. While we weren’t that deep in the Gloom Mist Forest, there was still the possibility of an animal or magic beast attacking us. Plus, I had overheard some of the servants say there were bandits about. While bandits were a constant concern, especially this far from the heart of the Solarian Empire, they had been particularly active over these past few months. This concerned the locals more than a little.
Just to be safe, I scanned the area around us with my divine sense. I detected nothing but trees, undergrowth, and a few small animals scurrying about.
“Yes,” Leroy said. “I have concerns about your behavior. May I speak freely?”
I stopped and stared at him. He was concerned about my behavior? Why? I hadn’t done anything too out of character for Lord Gabriel.
Leroy stopped as well and studied me with an inscrutable gaze.
“Speak,” I said, more curious than concerned.
“During our stay here-…No, even before that, you haven’t been yourself.”
I frowned at this.
“How do you mean?”
Leroy took a moment before responding.
“You’re quieter, young master. More absentminded. And, if you’ll forgive my blunt words, you’ve been less of an arrogant ass.”
I blinked at Leroy. He…had a point. Ever since I regained the memories of my previous lives, my personality had shifted a bit. Still, none of the changes he mentioned seemed like a bad thing. While he called me absentminded, he was wrong. I had actually spent a lot of time inside my head, devising my cultivation styles.
“A near death experience has a way of changing a person’s outlook,” I said, giving him a small smile before continuing on my way towards Icefall City.
Leroy fell into step beside me.
“Yes, but you’ve changed too much. You may not realize this, but I’ve served your family since you were a child. I’ve watched you grow up. If I compare how you are now, to how you used to be, it’s like you’re a completely different person.”
Huh. I hadn’t changed that much, had I? I thought back on it. Maybe I had. Lord Gabriel had been an arrogant ass, as Leroy put it. A preening peacock so full of himself, that it left me feeling nauseous just thinking back on it. A person like him would have never thanked a servant.
“That’s not all,” Leroy continued. “Ever since we’ve come to Sturm Mist Hall, you’ve been acting strange. You spend half your day training yourself, and spend the other half locked in your rooms. The only time anyone sees you after noon is when you emerge for dinner. After that, you lock yourself in your rooms again until breakfast.”
Again, he had a point. To speed up the progress of my body cultivation, I started exercising in the morning to further condition my body. I also did it to get my body used to my particular combat style. Since Sturm Hill Hall didn’t have a dedicated training room or training yard, I had been using the front yard.
First, I practiced with the sword, using the forms from my previous life. While I hadn’t been a Sword Immortal, the sword had been my weapon of choice, and I saw no reason to change that. The European-style longswords favored in the Solarian Empire were different from the jian I was more familiar with as Immortal Celestial Thunder, but they were similar enough that I quickly adapted.
Second, I also practiced a variety of unarmed combat styles. This meant that if I lost my sword, and couldn’t use spells and techniques for some reason, I wasn’t helpless. Since these styles originated from Spirit Earth, the servants found my exercises novel and amusing. Apparently, they had been a cause for concern for Leroy.
After eating lunch at noon, I spent my afternoons repairing my mana veins. After dinner, I focused on body cultivation in my bathroom. The reason I did this in the privacy of my rooms was to avoid undue attention. I didn’t want anyone reporting what I was doing back to my family, at least not yet. It seemed that my attempts at hiding had the opposite effect on Leroy.
Sharp little fucker, wasn’t he?
“What are you getting at?” I asked, stopping again.
Leroy faced me once more, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Are you Lord Gabriel?” he asked.
What? I thought back on our conversation, and Leroy’s tension, before bursting out into laughter. So that was what the man was getting at. He thought some nefarious spirit had possessed my body. I mean, that wasn’t entirely inaccurate. While Lord Gabriel had been an asshole, Immortal Celestial Thunder hadn’t been a saint either. As the latter, I had killed plenty of people. At least Brandon had been a decent person.
In this world, like on Spirit Earth, different kinds of spirits existed. Some were friendly to humans, while others were hostile. The more powerful of these malevolent spirits could possess people.
It was also possible for a sufficiently powerful wizard to remove their mind and soul from their body, becoming spirits themselves. Since being a disembodied spirit sucked for a human, most wizards who did this looked for a suitable vessel to occupy, aka a new body.
Sometimes these new bodies still had inhabitants, and the disembodied wizards forcibly suppressed the spirits of these inhabitants. Sometimes, these wizards found a body that still lived but was missing its soul. And sometimes these wizards created a new body for themselves.
Given what happened to me, and my behavior ever since the duel, I could understand where Leroy came from. I had been in a coma, after all.
“Leroy, I’m not possessed,” I said after I stopped laughing.
He didn’t share in my amusement, and just glared at me.
“Let me reassure you.” I smirked at him. “I swear on my soul that I am Lord Gabriel Sturm, First Son and young master of House Sturm. This body is mine. I was born into it. It is my own.”
A soundless click resonated in my soul. Oaths were serious business, and only fools swore an oath lightly. Swearing on one’s soul was one of the most serious oaths one could take. Breaking the oath, or swearing a false oath, resulted in the destruction of one’s soul. Even an Immortal wasn’t exempt from this.
There were ways to circumvent a soul oath, but it was usually better not to swear a soul oath in the first place. After all, oaths only worked when sworn freely. Forcing or coercing someone to swear an oath never worked.
After my oath, Leroy and I waited for a few seconds. When nothing happened to me, the tension drained from the man’s shoulders. He let go of his sword and bowed to me.
“I apologize for my earlier impertinence, young master,” Leroy said. “Lord Sturm told me to watch you for signs of possession. After everything that had happened, he was concerned about your behavior. He told me to keep an eye on you, and take action should it prove necessary. Since you have proven that you are indeed Lord Gabriel, I will submit to any punishment you see fit.”
Oh. My own father suspected me of being possessed? To the point where he appointed a watchdog to guard over me? That resulted in some complicated feelings for me. On the one hand, I could appreciate his caution. Apparently, my current behavior differed a lot from my behavior as Lord Gabriel. In his shoes, I might have done the same.
On the other hand, he was my father. I was hurt by his lack of trust. Why hadn’t he just talked to me about this? Hell, I would have submitted to an inspection to ease his worries. This was my body after all. While it wouldn’t have been ideal, I would have found a way to hide my recovered memories and any other incongruities.
“Take action should it prove necessary”. That meant my father gave Leroy orders to either subdue me, if it turned out that I was actually possessed, or kill me if he couldn’t
I sighed. Fuck, that put a damper on things.
“Rise,” I said. “There is nothing to be sorry for. You were just following my father’s order. I won’t punish you for that.”
Leroy rose and gave me a wary look.
“Now let’s continue on,” I said. “We still have a ways to go, and we’re burning daylight.”
As we marched towards Icefall City, I readjusted my plans. While I had allayed Leroy’s suspicions about my identity, I knew that he was still curious and concerned about my behavior. Not only him, but my father suspected me as well. That meant that I needed to move up my timeline.
I would have to reveal the truth to Leroy sooner than I anticipated. The sooner I drew him to my side, the better. Hopefully I would be able to convince him to keep things secret for now.
----------------------------------------
The smith, named Andrew Quick, stared at the diagram I had given to him with a frown on his face. When I heard the name Andrew Quick, the first thing that came to mind was a fox-like man; lean and skinny with red hair and vulpine features.
The blacksmith was none of those things. He was short and squat, with serious muscle on his frame. His skin was tanned from hours spent outdoors. He also had short dark hair, and a bushy beard.
Together with Leroy, the three of us stood within the courtyard that contained Andrew Quick’s outdoor smithy. Four wooden poles held up a wooden roof that shielded the forge, but it was otherwise left open to the elements. Next door stood Andrew Quick’s workshop, where he performed the more delicate parts of magical crafting.
“I can make this,” Andrew Quick said, speaking as if he measured each word before releasing it into the world. “It’s a little unusual, but I can make a sword shaped like this.” He frowned. “The magical enchantments are going to be more difficult. While most of the materials needed can be bought here in the city, you’ll need to hunt magic beasts in order to get the most important ones.”
I frowned at this.
Stolen story; please report.
“Can’t I just buy them? Surely adventurers sell their kills here. How expensive are they? I can afford it.”
The smith shook his head.
“It’s not a matter of price, it’s a matter of availability. The materials needed to make magic items aren’t often for sale on the market. They’re usually shipped down south. When they are for sale, they’re bought before most people know about it. You’re better off hunting down magic beasts yourself, or hiring adventurers to do it for you, which is what most people do..”
My frown deepened. Well, that put a damper on my plans. One of the reasons I had come to Icefall City was to commission a magic sword for myself. Specifically, I wanted a jian with Fire enchantments. Even though I was used to longswords, I preferred to go back to what I knew best.
I had affinities for Air, Water, and Lightning, thanks to my ancestry. Getting a jian with Fire enchantments would increase my options and give me versatility in combat.
Every wizard had an affinity with one or more of the Elements. There were eight in total: six Lesser Elements and two Greater Elements. The six Lesser Elements consisted of a mix of classical elements of both Western and Eastern mysticism back on Earth: Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Wood, and Metal. The two Great Elements were Light and Darkness.
For the latter two, Light and Darkness didn’t refer to literal light and darkness. Instead, Light meant everything that was sacred and holy, while Darkness was everything that was profane and unholy. Back on Spirit Earth, Light would be called heavenly while Darkness would be demonic.
These were broad categories rather than rigid stratifications, and there was some overlap between elements. For example, Lightning magic was considered a part of Light because demons were weak to Lightning magic even though it could also be considered a part of Air or Fire. Sun magic was another example of Light magic because undead creatures were weak to Sun magic.
Elemental affinities determined where one’s strengths lay, but they didn’t prevent one from using other kinds of magic. I was better with Air, Water, and Lightning magic, but that didn’t stop me from using Fire magic. I just wasn’t very good at it. I was better off getting a magical item with Fire enchantments.
The diagram I handed to Andrew Quick were schematics for a jian with such enchantments. They were as detailed as I could make them, which wasn’t as much as I preferred.
While I had dabbled in crafting magical items back on Spirit Earth, and could probably make the jian myself after I restored my Circles and formed my dantian, I didn’t know enough about how crafting magical items worked here on Lumina.
While the basics were the same on both worlds, the specifics differed. Which materials worked best for which enchantments, how different materials interacted with each other, and so on. It would take time to learn all of this, time that I would rather spend cultivating. Later on, when I had more time to spare, I would learn more about how crafting magical items worked in this world, but that was a long term project. The same could be said for alchemy.
Once I did learn about how magical crafting worked here on Lumina, I would add a much needed modification to the sword.
Andrew Quick was a Second Circle wizard with Earth, Fire, and Metal affinities. Those affinities, plus his reputation as a skilled crafter, was the reason why I came to him in the first place.
“Very well,” I said with a sigh. “What kinds of magical beasts do I need to hunt down?”
“Two,” Andrew Quick said, holding up two fingers. “To make the Fire enchantments, I need the bones of an Inferno Wolf.” He glanced down at the diagram. “You also want to reinforce this sword, and give it the ability to better channel your mana, yes?” I nodded. “In that case, I’ll also need the teeth of an Irontooth Mole. Give me these two materials, I’ll make your sword for you.”
Andrew Quick handed the diagram back to me. I thanked him for his time and left the courtyard. Andrew Quick’s business was located along Crafter’s Row, where wizards who specialized in magical crafting plied their trade. Most were First Circle wizards, though a few like Andrew Quick were Second Circle wizards. In addition to smiths, there were weavers, potters, and other kinds of artisans. Mana was abundant here, and the smell of magic was thick in the air.
Crafter’s Row was a bustling place, filled with people from all walks of life. There were adventurers of course, but there were also merchants, farmers, minor nobles, and so on. They all browsed the various stores and workshops that called Crafter’s Row home.
Leroy and I made our way through the crowds, heading towards my next destination. More than one woman gave me an appreciative glance.
“Young master,” Leroy said in a low voice, taking care not to be overheard. “Why are you commissioning a magic sword? Is it a gift for someone? Or is it…” He paused. “Or is it for yourself?”
I could understand his hesitation. Only wizards could use magical items. Rather, only wizards could activate the enchantments in magic items. Regular people could use magical items just fine, especially if they had a continuous effect. Magelamps, for example. Regular people could also magical items in a mundane way. You didn’t need to be a wizard to swing a magic sword, though only wizards could use the magical enchantments.
With my broken Circles, I couldn’t control and direct mana. Therefore, I couldn’t activate magic items. Not yet at least.
“You’re right, Leroy,” I said with a smirk. “This magic sword is indeed for me.”
“Young master,” he said again, with even more hesitation in his voice. “With your broken Circles…”
He trailed off.
“Don’t worry, Leroy. Everything will become clear soon enough.”
I wondered how he would report this to my father, and I had no doubt that he would report this to my father. While I had suspected he would when we first set out, his confession earlier confirmed my suspicions. My parents had saddled me with a watchdog. They might have even given him a communication crystal, so they could get those reports faster.
Communication crystals worked like cell phones from Earth, but with far more limitations. They were created in batches, and only crystals from the same batch could communicate with each other. On the plus side, distance wasn’t a factor. Two crystals from the same batch to communicate with each other, even from opposite ends of the world.
For now, I put the matter of the Fire jian out of my mind. While I could hire adventurers to hunt down the magic beasts for me, I preferred to do it myself. It was good practice, and a chance to test out my current limits. However, I would wait until after I restored my First Circle and formed a dantian.
I was a body cultivator, yes, but one at the lowest level. I had confidence in my skills, but there was no need to rush things and take unnecessary risks. Impatience would only set me back in the long run. Short term setbacks meant nothing against long term gains.
The two of us soon left Crafter’s Row. Despite its name, Icefall City was just an oversized town with aspirations. Still, it had a charm that I liked. While it was a bit rough, the place was neat and orderly. Buildings and streets were laid out in an organized pattern. Guards patrolled the city with vigilance. A small army kept the cobblestone streets clean and free of trash.
All in all, Icefall City defied my expectations of how things worked this far from the Imperial capital of Sunheart. I had expected a dirty place, rife with crime and corruption. Instead, I found this little bastion of civilization. It was a pleasant surprise.
In the center was the city square, which was a simple stone plaza with a tiered fountain in the middle. Most of the important buildings in the city were located here. There was a cathedral for the Church of the Sun, City Hall, and the local branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, which was my destination.
Not every wizard belonged to a House. In fact, most of them didn’t. These wizards were often referred to as minor nobles, denoting their lesser status compared to the Houses. While wizards were nobles, they still needed food and shelter like everyone else. Many were landowners, and these were the ones I referred to as minor nobles, but the rest worked some kind of trade to earn their bread. Some worked for the Houses as retainers, some became magical crafters, some worked as tutors and teachers, and so on.
Others, however, became adventurers.
Adventurer was a catchall terms for wizards, and the few mundane people willing to take the risks, who worked as freelance mercenaries that did all kinds of jobs. The most common gigs included bounty hunting, hunting magical beasts, escort missions, exploring dungeons, and so on. They had a reputation for being a rough and coarse bunch.
When I first regained the memories of my previous life, I briefly wondered if I had ended up in the world of a tabletop RPG. I mean, there were dungeons and there were dragons in this world. It wasn’t that far-fetched of a thought.
The Adventurer’s Guild was founded centuries ago to help organize adventurers, provide them with services, ensure they were actually paid for their efforts, and give them some protection against the Houses. While the guild didn’t have that many powerful members, what it lacked in quality it made up for in quantity. In terms of power, the Adventurer’s Guild was the equivalent of an upper end mid-rate House. I’d even say it was more powerful than House Sturm.
The guild house here in Ice Fall city was small, as these things went. It was a single two-story wooden building that took up half a city block. Like the rest of Icefall City, it was neat and in good repair.
To be honest, I expected something more, given how many magic beasts there were in the area. The demand for adventurers must have been high. Then again, none of the magic beasts nearby were all that powerful. Most were the equivalent of First or Second Circle wizards in terms of power. A rare few were even in the Third Circle.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Leroy give the Adventurer’s Guild a faint sneer. His disdain wasn’t unusual. Most of the Houses and their retainers viewed adventurers with disdain. Oddly enough, as Lord Gabriel, I wasn’t one of them. Lord Gabriel thought it was better to have the trash tier wizards be productive members of society than leave them to their own devices. I wasn’t entirely wrong. It was still a shitty attitude to have, but I had a point.
There were plenty of First and Second Circle wizards who turned to banditry, since there weren’t many mortals who could stand up to their magic. Adventurers, however rough they may be, were better than bandits.
I entered the Adventurer’s Guild with Leroy in tow. A large, rectangular room served as the guild’s front hall. A green rug led from the entrance to a counter situated against the far wall. Two large boards with dozens of papers pinned to them flanked the counter on both sides. The mission boards, if I had to guess.
To the right of the carpet, several wooden tables and benches were set up as some sort of mess area by the looks of it. To the left, several couches and chairs had been arranged into a waiting area. A staircase ran up the left wall, leading to the second floor.
A young woman stood behind the counter, wearing a bright smile on her face.
A motley collection of adventurers sat in the mess area. They ate, drank, and generally had a good time. They were a loud bunch too. Conversation and boisterous laughter filled the air. I smelled beer and body odor, which was not the most pleasant combination.
No one occupied the waiting area.
The conversation dimmed a little when Leroy and I entered, and the adventurers sized us both up. They gave me a quick glance, before focusing on Leroy. I didn’t blame them. Since my Circles were broken, I emitted no aura. To most wizards, I looked like a mortal. On the other hand, Leroy was a Second Circle wizard. That put him above most people in these parts. He seemed like the bigger threat.
I walked over to the young woman behind the counter. She was a short and cute little thing, with pale skin and long brown hair. Freckles dotted her face. Her green eyes shone as she smiled at us, and her cheeks dimpled. It was hard to tell her age, but I think she was a little bit older than me. Despite that, an air of innocence surrounded her.
She was a First Circle wizard with an affinity for Earth and Metal magic.
“Welcome to Icefall City’s Adventurer’s Guild,” the woman said in a cheerful voice. “My name is Lorelei Sinclair. How can I help you?”
I gave her my most charming smile.
“Hello, Lorelei,” I said. “My name is Gabriel. I’m just here for some information. What are the requirements for joining the Adventurer’s Guild?”
Lorelei blinked in surprise at my smile, before her cheeks turned a little red.
“The requirements are simple,” she said in a bashful voice
By the ancestors, she was adorable. There was just something about Lorelei that woke up my protective instincts. I glanced to my right and noticed that several of the adventurers were glaring at me. It seemed I wasn’t the only one affected this way.
“You just have to fill out a form and then take a test to determine your magical strength and elemental affinities. If the guildmaster approves of your registration, you pay the sign up fee and become an official member of the Adventurer’s Guild.” Lorelei hesitated for a moment. “Are you asking for your friend over there?”
I glanced back at Leroy, who observed the interior of the Adventurer’s Guild with poorly disguised contempt.
“No,” I said, turning back towards Lorelei. “I’m asking for myself. I’m thinking about joining.”
At this, Lorelei frowned.
“In that case, you would have to take a series of tests to determine if you’re a fit for the Adventurer’s Guild. Due to the dangers involved, we can’t just let anyone join. Otherwise, it would affect the prestige of the guild.”
That made sense. Adventuring was dangerous work. Death was alway a possibility, even for seemingly easy jobs.
I opened my mouth to ask about the tests involved, but then some loudmouth spoke up.
“Look at this,” a man’s voice said. “Pretty boy over there wants to be an adventurer.”
Coarse laughter followed the man’s statement. Lorelei frowned, though it was clear that it was because of the man’s statement, not me. I decided to ignore the man.
“What do these tests involve?” I asked instead.
“You have to go through an obstacle course and-…” Lorelei started to say, but the loudmouth interrupted her.
“Go home, pretty boy,” the man said. “Otherwise, you’re gonna get yourself hurt.”
More coarse laughter followed. Lorelei turned and glared at the loudmouth. While it was cliché to say this, she looked cute when she was angry. I followed her gaze. Loudmouth turned out to be a skeevy looking fuck, with unkempt hair and a patchy beard. He was skinny, with long and lean limbs. Like Leroy and I, he wore leather armor. However, it was clear that he didn’t take good care of his.
When people thought of trash tier wizards who joined the Adventurer’s Guild because they didn’t have better options, they thought of people like this asshole.
Based on his aura, and his pale blonde hair, I guessed Loudmouth was an Air wizard.
“Gyles!” Lorelei said. “Stop harassing Mr. Gabriel!”
“What?” Loudmouth said with a sneer. “I’m just stating the obvious. It’s clear to everyone that this little twerp doesn’t have what it takes to be an adventurer. Go back to your mama’s teat, Mr. Gabriel.”
He said my name in a mocking voice. Leroy gripped the hilt of his sword and took a step forward, emanating killing intent. The moment he did, every adventurer in the room stood up. It was clear they didn’t take kindly to anyone threatening their own, even if it was an asshole like Loudmouth over there.
While all of them were only First Circle wizards, they had the numbers. Leroy was a Second Circle wizard, but he wouldn’t be able to handle all of them at once. If he was a Third Circle wizard, that would be another matter altogether.
After reaching a certain level of power, the number of opponents mattered little if they were all weak. That was something I learned well as Immortal Celestial Thunder.
I motioned for Leroy to stand down. After some hesitation he did, though he continued to glare at Loudmouth. Loudmouth returned the glare with a smirk. The rest of the adventurers sat down again, though they kept a close eye on Leroy.
“I’m sorry about him, Mr. Gabriel,” Lorelei said in an apologetic voice, before throwing another glare at Loudmouth. “Some people don’t know when to mind their manners.”
“It’s all right,” I told her. “I don’t blame you.” I snorted. “Besides, if the Adventurer’s Guild let someone like him in, I won’t have any problem getting in.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Loudmouth asked.
I looked him up and down, before giving him a sneer of my own.
“Looking at you,” I said in my haughtiest tone. “The Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t have the highest of entry standards.”
Loudmouth stood up at that and took a step towards me. Leroy stepped towards him again, but I waved him off once more. I wanted to handle this myself.
“You best be careful, Mr. Gabriel,” Loudmouth said, no longer sneering. “Talking like that is liable to get you in trouble. I’d apologize if I were you.”
As he said this, two other adventurers stood up and flanked him. One was another skinny fuck, though this one was more rat-like that Loudmouth. He was short, with long stringy hair and a long nose sticking out of a clean shaven face. The other was a bald fat ass whose clothing strained to keep his bulk in check. Despite that, I could tell that Fatty had some serious muscle underneath all that fat. Of the three, Fatty seemed like the biggest threat.
Rat had the aura of a Water wizard, while Fatty had the aura of an Earth wizard like Leroy. Both were in the First Circle.
“And what if I don’t?” I said, giving Loudmouth a crooked smile.
Loudmouth smiled as well. It was a nasty little thing that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Then one of these days you might find a knife in your gut,” he said.
“You dare,” Leroy said, gripping his sword.
Heavy footsteps came from the stairway, interrupting whatever Leroy was about to say next. Everyone turned towards the stairs as one of the largest women I have ever seen in my life walked into sight. She was the kind of woman people had made “death by Snu Snu” jokes about back on Earth.
The woman was tall, easily towering over everyone else in the Adventurer’s Guild, with thick muscles to match. Seriously, she looked like she could crush skulls with her bare thighs. The woman had tanned skin, short brown hair, and a smattering of freckles across her face. A jagged scar ran down the left side of her face, originating from her eye and reaching her neck. An eye patch covered her left eye. She wore black trousers, black boots, and what looked like a white tank top.
I wondered when that particular piece of fashion migrated from Earth.
When the woman reached the bottom of the stairs, she surveyed the entire room with a displeased expression on her face.
“What the hell is going on here?” she said in a loud, booming voice.