Chapter Sixteen: Forming a Party

I waited for my potential party to meet me outside of the town gates in the morning. After the briefest of introductions and a tentative agreement, I bid them good night. It had been a long day, and I needed time to clear my head. I had learned a lot from Threigar. I had been investing a lot into luck, hoping it could manifest fortune. Like, finding a bag of gold on the street or something, but now I was concerned the system would just use it to lead me in the direction it had planned for me. I spent most of the night working my thoughts in endless circles as I tried to differentiate between my own will, and that of the system before letting it go. Thinking like that would only drive me mad, and ultimately it was pointless.

It was as Threigar had said. My best option now was to get stronger. That would really be my best bet for taking control of my destiny. For that, I needed to have a party. I didn’t know enough about this world. Threigar and Dirriga had allowed me to use my grimoire to scan their collection of books and scrolls, but reading through information still took time. It would be faster if I even knew what questions to ask, but I didn’t. I realized that I hadn’t been nearly as prepared as I had planned for when setting out.

I felt my anger rise at my generals for not giving me all the information I would have needed, but then let it go. It wasn’t their fault if they didn’t give me the right information. It wasn’t as if I had bothered asking the right questions. So much of my first days in this world had been focused specifically on Shangrior, and being caught up in this fantasy world that I hadn’t even thought that there might be dungeons or adventurers. I thought about contacting Veipos or Hythriem when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

“So, you asked if we liked animals? Where are they?”

“Not here,” I replied as I looked at Grenthar. Standing behind him was the group from the night before. All except for the mysterious one with the cloak. What was her name? Velixen? “Where’s your friend?”

“She is here, but you won’t see her. She doesn’t like being seen.”

“Not sure how comfortable that makes me feel,” I muttered grumpily, before shrugging. “Why even reveal her at all last night then?”

“So you would know she is there. If I had meant you harm I wouldn’t have needed to reveal her.” Grenthar said shrugging. I thought that over for a moment. On Earth revealing her and then keeping her hidden could be an attempt at threatening me, A whole ‘We have our eyes on you’ situation. This isn’t your old world, remember. I stared hard into the demon’s eyes before nodding.

“Fair enough. My friends are waiting for me in the forest. Just out of sight of the town. They aren’t exactly used to enclosed spaces.” I replied as I began walking away, not bothering to look back. Not that I had to. Talon was perched in a tree watching my back for me. The group looked at each other before following me.

“So, I know we did a quick rundown last night, but let me introduce you properly to the team,” Grenthar spoke up, once again trying to sound friendly. “If we are to be party members you should know who we are and what we do.”

“Alright, makes sense.” I agreed gruffly. These people are way too friendly. Something’s up. I knew it wasn’t my Charisma. That was at least one thing Threigar had clarified for me. The natural magnetic effect worked more on those with lower charisma levels and had less effect when it was more evenly matched. Anyone over level 15 should have at least enough to not be immediately taken in by another person’s charms.

“My name is Shialkalethivos Hrxmenalistirien. You can call me Shialk. I am an Alchemical Archer. I brew potions, and poisons, and can use my magic to infuse their effects into arrows.” The imp stated.

“You can call me whatever you want, love. But my name is Faerwyn. I specialize in good times- Ouch! No need to punch me, Jeloqa, I was only teasing. I am a chivalric aerialist. I fly through the air and stab things.” The succubus purred behind me in a way that made my skin tingle. I ignored the sensation as the other woman began speaking.

“I am Jeloqa, and I am an Elementalist Monk. I specialize in controlling the earth, but can also use fire, air, and water. I punch things hard.” She was by far the strangest of the group to me. If it weren’t for her the green sheen that was her skin she could look like a flayed human.

“You know me, already. I hurt things, and make sure they pay attention to me. More accurately, as a Titan Guardian, it’s my job to keep the monsters and beasts focused on me. I can take a good amount of punishment. Velixen is a Trap Assassin. Her specialty is staying by the foe and setting up trapped curse marks. They have various effects and conditions. Because she can move without being seen though she has also become our support personnel, as she has a few skills that can temporarily boost our capabilities. It reduces her efficiency where it’s needed most though.”

“What do you do?” Faerwyn asked as she jaunted up beside me. A wave of something that smelled like lavender came to my nose for a minute before fading away. I cast her a sideways glance for a moment. On Earth Succubi were demons that seduce men before making them their eternal slaves by sucking out their souls during mating. I didn’t know if there was a polite way to ask about how true that was here, but I vowed not to test it either way.

“You have seen my screen. I am a physicker.”

“But what do you do? What’s your specialty? You probably have some ranger-type skills with the frontier part of your class. What kind of life have you led?” Faerwyn insisted. I noticed that none of her allies attempted to stop her from prying. I shrugged just as we managed to enter the trees.

“I have animal friends,” I answered and pointed ahead of me where Wuzzy was waiting with Bandit, and Nuts on his back. Talon swooped down from above and perched on a nearby branch.

“What are they?” Jeloqa asked, in confusion.

“They are adorable!” Faerwyn cooed as she ran forward. For a moment I was worried my minions would attack her out of hand, but before I could mentally tell them to relax they were being rubbed affectionately by the succubus, and seemed content with her attention. Traitors! I thought to them jokingly.

“They are animals found in the bright lands. Where the humans live.” Shialk explained. “They are also undead.” I looked at him and saw him staring at me intently. Of course! Archer. He probably has a relatively high perception rating. Quickly I came up with the cover story Dirriga had given to me the night before. I was grateful he had anticipated this kind of situation.

“My parents were members of a circus in the bright lands, but when they had a fel-human son, they chose to leave instead of abandoning me. I was raised in an abandoned town called Seavine but my parents died leaving me alone with the animals they had brought. My class became tied to them. When they too died, I wanted to bring them back, and I gained the skill to return them in this fashion. I can heal people, but it isn’t exactly friendly. Threigar found me on his travels and said if I can make my way to Mrekkit he could offer me a future. Here I am. It’s why I have to get to level 15 though. I need enough skill points to be able to hide my animals from other people’s perceptions.”

Dirriga had told me that this would be the most accepted story. Fel-Humans were notorious for having dark magic, and very rarely would they get support classes. So having a support class that relied on a bit of necromancy wasn’t outside of the norm for my species. His words bore fruit as the group all nodded in understanding.

“So this is what you meant,” Grenthar whispered.

“I don’t care if they are dead. Can we keep them!” Faerywn exclaimed as she rubbed against Wuzzy.

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“Not yet. There is one other matter of business we have to attend to.” Grenthar replied before looking at me sheepishly. “So, uh. Is there any way you can introduce us to Threigar?” I couldn’t help but chuckle. So this is it. This is the real reason they sought me out. A little bit of hero worship? I had been suspicious of their motivations when all they really wanted was a chance to meet the local legend.

“Sure, let’s head to his shop. He’s supposed to be leaving again at noon today, but we should have time.”

***

“Hey Dirriga, is your mom in?” I asked, entering the shop. The demon looked up from the book he was reading with a slight frown.

“Ah, Master Leo. You’re back. As a matter of fact, my mother is indeed still here. One of their pack servants was stabbed brutally in a tavern fight last night, delaying the departure.”

“I’m sorry?” I apologized. I honestly didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Don’t be. My mother took it as a good omen.”

“Your mom’s servant getting stabbed is a good omen?”

“Everything is a good omen to my mother. ‘Darling, I am the world's luckiest merchant.’” Dirriga quipped, impersonating the larger demon, and causing me to chuckle. “So what brings you back so soon? The way you stormed out of here last night I figured you would need at least a few days to calm down.”

“Yeah, about that. I bumped into a few people last night. They said they wanted to form a party with me and then asked to meet Threigar. I didn’t really see the harm.”

“Of course they did, and of course, you didn’t. I assume that’s them hiding outside the door then. Come on in you lot! Better get this over with!” Dirriga called out, his posture and tone of voice changing dramatically.

“I take it that this isn’t a case of someone just wanting to meet the town hero or something?” I asked Dirriga sheepishly. The demon shot me a soft frown and shook his head.

“No, but I don’t blame you for not knowing. Growing up in Seavine, alone after your parents died, there was no way you could have become familiar with the customs of the world. I blame my mother for not properly instructing you, especially after inviting you to meet her here.” Dirriga answered with a meaningful look. I gave him a brief nod. He was trying to confirm the backstory we had agreed upon. His gaze turned to the group as they walked into the building.

“Ah, Yeah. Sorry about that.” Grenthar apologized, his bulky frame withering slightly under Dirriga’s gaze.

Before anyone could react the merchant summoned a small glowing orb the size of a coin into his hand and threw it at Grenthar’s chest. The orb collided and with a loud pop released a concussive force that knocked the Grenthar’s back. I looked at the floored adventurer and then back at Dirriga in awe.

“I didn’t give you permission to speak, oath-breaker. You can’t get a sponsor of your own through proper means and your solution is to find the first person you saw who looked ignorant, no offense meant Master Leo and decided to poach his sponsorship. You are despicable.” Dirriga spat.

“Excuse me? What do you mean poach my sponsorship?” I asked, looking between the shopkeep and the adventurers.

“Remind me to yell at Mother later, will you? The merchant contract you made. That’s a sponsorship. It’s when a merchant agrees to the financial responsibility and well-being of an individual or a group. It’s usually mutually beneficial. Threigar and Sons prides itself on its honesty and fairness. However, the larger the business the more discriminating it has to be with its sponsorships. We can’t be handing out discounts to every passing fancy, otherwise, we wouldn’t maintain a profit.

For example, besides my mother’s eccentricities, we typically only sponsor Rank A adventurers. Even then it’s only after those wishing for sponsorship have filled out the proper paperwork and been vetted. Merchants work closely with the adventurer's guilds after all.

Occasionally, some adventurers are either not high enough rank to find good sponsorship or have violated an oath. These individuals often relocate to border towns where the merchants are more lenient about what ranks they are or are willing to overlook oath violations in favor of business opportunities. There is another method. Poaching. People unable to get sponsorships on their own might become allied to those with sponsorships. This group particularly is the latter. They are oath-breakers, and no doubt saw you as an easy mark to make use of your contract.”

“That violation wasn’t our fault!” Jaloqa objected. A moment later another explosion knocked her off her feet as well.

“I promise, if one more person speaks out of turn, I won’t be so forgiving. That fault doesn’t matter. The oath was broken, and you are currently under strict no-sponsorship restrictions.” Dirriga replied as a series of thunderous footfalls could be heard coming down the stairs as Threigar entered the room.

“Dirriga, tadpole, what’s with all the racket? Is this how you run a shop? Oh, why hello Leo. It’s a pleasure to see you again. You even brought friends. By the way, miss, please step away from my son. He can be a bit of a boor but if you hurt him then I will have to take offense.” Threigar chimed. I was startled as from behind Dirriga, Velixen suddenly appeared and stepped back from the frog demon, her gloved hands raised.

“Excuse me, can I interject?” I chimed in, as the whole conversation had quickly gone over my head on multiple levels. Dirriga scowled at the group before turning to me, and nodding. “Okay, first. How did they know I didn’t know to target me? Second, are there any penalties against me if I do team up with them?”

“Your level gave you away. You are level 12 in an area where nobody survives for long unless they are at least level 18. You are also a support class. Only the ignorant or the idiotic would even bother making the journey here at your level. My mother was irresponsible in challenging you to make it here when she found you in Seavine. It was remarkable enough you survived there alone. Asking you here was painting a target on your back.” Dirriga answered, once again establishing a false alibi for my lack of understanding in front of the group. “Second, no. As long as you are the primary contract holder and you don’t break the oath yourself. In fact, it would be in their best interests to maintain your safety at all costs. Which is why some people actually seek poachers out. They can be considered free protection.”

“Oh, is that what all of this is about? I was wondering what the fuss was. Well, I see you have things under control son, I will just be heading back upstairs.” Threigar said, turning.

“Not so fast, mother. This is your fault, you get to stay and help clean up this mess.” Dirriga snapped.

“Excuse me, I am your mother and owner of this shop.”

“You are also irresponsible, and your whims and lack of attention to detail have improperly prepared your client. So you get to stay.”

Grenthar and Jeloq had managed to push themselves back to their feet and stared at the two merchants with incredulity, as they argued.

“Oh, fine.” Threigar huffed before walking over to look down at the adventuring party. “Listen, Leo, since I must tell you this.” They began, tossing a glare at Dirriga who nodded, “People who break their oaths are considered a bad investment. Often they allow themselves to get caught up in illegal activity. This means potential profit margins can suffer as greatly as 65%. Resale value decreases because merchandise needs extra layers of verification to make sure that the goods aren’t stolen. Brokerage between trading houses becomes difficult as well. It’s hard to make deals with someone if you can’t trust their reliability and honor.”

“Which is why I am so upset. They were fully aware of this and were trying to take advantage of you. Now that you are affiliated with Threigar and Sons you have become a business investment. It is part of my duty to protect you from poor decisions. I also need to protect our own name and assets as well.” Dirriga finished, and I nodded. It all made sense to me now.

It all came down to economics. The exchange of goods and services. A farmer could prove their worth and reliability by their crops. Town guards could visibly be seen guarding the streets. Adventurers though usually were drifters. They could get paid for completing tasks, but their worth was always suspect. Especially if they had no reputation. Sponsorship alleviated some of the risks the adventurer faced when it came to sustainable income. If you were always on the move with no guarantee of a payday, having a contract could make all the difference if it meant getting paid more, and spending less.

“That being said. Dirriga, go ahead and approve the paperwork. Add these adventurers as an addendum to Leo’s contract.” Threigar chimed, catching everyone but Dirriga off guard. Who simply nodded and walked away.

“Why?” Grenthar asked, his bold voice from the night before now cowed and meek.

“Why, I am the luckiest merchant alive. If my new investment comes in with people wanting to be in a party with him, it must be fate. You may be a risk, but that’s a risk I am willing to take.”

“Let’s get this over with. Line up. I will need your names and a drop of your blood.” Dirriga stated.

“Wait. What about the oath they broke? Isn’t that bad for business?” I asked the larger demon. Threigar shook their head side to side for a moment as they pondered the question.

“If I remember correctly, you were the lot involved with that scandal in Feroth’s Vale last year? I thought so. Leo, honey, let this be a lesson to you to pick your allies with caution. My son’s reaction was in order to protect our trading company, but these individuals got caught up in bad business. They had formed a contract with another merchant as an entire party. While a merchant can’t revoke a contract without the agreement of everyone involved, some details can be changed. One of their party members changed the details of the contract, before paying out their term to get delisted. This left your friends here completely screwed over. The system stripped them each of 5 levels, and the merchant houses put a ban on their sponsorship for 3 years.”

“Correct. I apologize if my behavior was harsh, but my attitude had less to do with them as individuals, but with their current circumstances, and that they had the gall to attempt to take advantage of you.”

“Well, thanks.”

“You’re a client. Now, hurry up. I have a shop to run, we don’t have all day to be standing around.”