Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (99/?) WiP 1

Hey everyone! Here is the Work in Progress for Chapter 99 I hope you guys enjoy! :D

Nexus. The Crown Herald Town of Elaseer. Ambassadorial District. The Adventurer’s Guild Hall… name pending. Local Time: 0700 Hours.

Emma

It shouldn’t have surprised me that our first major interaction in town had resulted in a standoff.

Though what did pleasantly surprise me was that unlike most of my confrontations up to this point, the point of contention between us didn’t involve a ticking time bomb nor an existential threat.

Instead… it was bread.

Exactly ten trays of it to be precise.

Each of which was somehow even comically longer than I’d expected from the gentrified part of town. 

Though I should’ve guessed as such given how much currency was exchanged for that long list of purchases.

“Havenbrockian hospitality, was it, my lord?” The hooded figure spoke, his tone practically oozing a renewed sense of frustration and skepticism, clearly forming as a result of Ilunor’s premature bread stunt.

“Indeed it is.” Thalmin replied sternly, without once shifting his posture as he stood there with one arm still on the door. “Do you wish to reject the offer?” He quickly followed up, doubling down on the bread-ultimatum.

A small pause dominated the air after that point, as I held my breath, my eyes gazing up to check my rear-view cameras for any potential crowds that had formed following this sudden buildup in bread-related traffic.

Thankfully, there was none.

Once again, waking up early really did have its benefits.

“No, my lord. This was just… unexpected is all. Though you must forgive me, as practicality and tradition now stand in the way of the logistics of your kind and generous act of courtesy.” The man spoke cryptically, though it was clear that Thalmin’s refusal to back down, was enough to assuage his skepticisms somewhat. “You may wish to cover your ears for this.” He warned, turning around for a moment, before letting out an ear-splitting whistle.

No sooner did that whistle end, did a flurry of footsteps emerge from deep within the building, as a veritable platoon’s worth of haphazardly dressed elves, satyrs, serpent-people, and kobolds all came barreling out the door, standing at attention on the wide steps of the guild hall. 

One of them, a particularly scrawny looking elf, took a few tentative steps up in front of the rank and file group; his head dipping mechanically before speaking. “What is your command, guild-commander, sir?”

“You lot finished training yet?” The hooded figure replied sternly, his tone of voice, and indeed his accent shifting drastically to something resembling a tired and nonplussed drill sergeant; a stark contrast to the more ‘proper’ voice he was using with us before. 

“Yes sir!” The elf responded, gesturing to the rest of his group, all of whom were attempting to shuffle around what seemed to pass for uniforms; panting up a storm all the while. “Morning cleanup and maintenance work, along with preliminary training, complete sir!” 

“Very good.” The guild commander replied with a single nod, before gesturing towards the line of baker-turned-deliverymen. “Bring those gifts inside, and set them on the reception tables.” He commanded.

“Yes, sir!” Came the scrawny elf’s response, as a concerted, albeit somewhat chaotic effort, soon went underway.

Tray after tray were soon handed over to the ragtag group of… what I was starting to assume were trainee adventurers. Though their ages seemed to range wildly, with the oldest vaguely our age, and the youngest of which seemed way too young for a life of adventuring.

With his attention finally shifting away from the would-be adventurers, the hooded man turned to address us once more. “It is forbidden for any outsiders to enter the adventuring guild without permission. Especially those belonging to another guild or establishment within town.” The man explained.

“A good of a time as any to make use of squires and apprentices, then.” Thalmin surmised with a gravely huff. 

“Indeed it is, your highness.” The man responded with a small dip of his head. “Once again, you must excuse our lack of formality. We certainly were not expecting a visitor this early, let alone royalty and nobility.” 

“Formality is simply another form of discipline, guild-commander.” Thalmin responded in kind, stepping up to the plate with a demeanor I hadn’t seen from him before, his presence, his voice, even his gaze, shifting to a more commanding one. “To be frank, formality — especially of the variety you speak of — is much less impressive when compared to the discipline of a warrior. The latter of which, you seem to have no shortage of.” 

This seemed to spark some change in the man, as he let out a gruff chuckle, before placing an arm across his chest and bowing deeply in the process. “You flatter me, Prince Havenbrock.” He began, but just as quickly gestured to the chaotic movements of the struggling group. “However, I truly cannot accept such a compliment, not with any ounce of earnestness at least. Because as you can see with your own two eyes, this lot of would-be apprentices have yet to have proven themselves in any meaningful capacity.”

“We all must start somewhere, guild-commander. Formality and decorum, swordsmanship and martial skills, all the hallmarks of a warrior or adventurer are learned traits. What cannot be learned or imparted however, is a willing steely spirit — one that seeks discipline and hierarchy. Your lot seems to have that going for them, and for me, that’s enough for one round of flattery.” 

The hooded man could only nod along as Thalmin spoke, but whilst his features were concealed, his body language more or less gave away much of his opinions on this whole back and forth. 

“Spoken like a true mercenary prince, your highness.” He bowed deeper this time around, a sense of genuine appreciation coming through, just in time for the last of the bread trays to enter through the double-doors. With a cock of his head, momentarily halting the conversation to check up on the gaggle of trainees, he quickly turned to grab his side of the door, preparing to fully open it. “You, and your compatriots, are all welcome here.” The man extended his arm as far as it could go, granting us a full view of the world within. “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild Hall of Elaseer.”