Chapter 26 - The Guildmaster

Nate woke with the sun's gentle light peeking through a gap in the curtains. He would say it was the best sleep he’d had since arriving on this world, but he would’ve been lying. It was the best sleep he’d had in months, maybe even years. The bed was soft and the furs warm. The fire had burned throughout the night in the fireplace and kept the room a pleasant warmth without being too hot. Best of all, he hadn’t woken fearing for his life, like he had in the Dungeon. Nor had he woken to the sound of his Aunt yelling at him to ‘get his lazy ass up and out’.

Climbing out of his bed he marvelled at the suite he was in before taking stock. He hadn’t bothered to check how much ‘change’ Jorge had given him and with a few moments spent reviewing his spatial storage ring he found that he was, in fact, rich. He still had at least another fifty gold coins. That was ignoring the gold bars still waiting in there. Not something he intended to go waving around Helmfirth. But it certainly meant he was staying in this suite till there was good reason to move on from the town. He knew it would likely happen. He’d outgrow the knowledge they had on runes, or at least the sigils they had available. But that was months away. Until then, he’d live in the lap of luxury.

Moving to the door he rang the silver bell that sat on a table nearby with his left hand. His right hand was feeling better but it had only been a day. That made it number one on his list of priorities today. At the very least a splint if he couldn’t find some form of healing. I mean, this world had magic. Surely it had healing potions or spells? As he mulled over that possibility he heard footsteps ascending the stairs and a moment later someone knocked on the door.

“Come,” he called, straightening his back. Best to keep up the charade for now.

The door opened and the young man from the night before stood there, eyes downcast. Seeing him like that bothered Nate on a visceral level. Cowed by life. But he also knew that if he acted differently than expected it wouldn’t make the kids' life any easier. It would just make him uncomfortable, while making others question who Nate really was, and why he had enough gold to stay in the suite of the Oaken Ring.

So instead of telling the boy to lift his eyes, Nate simply said, “I’ll take my breakfast in the suite.”

“Very good, sir,” was the clipped reply from the boy, before he closed the doors and Nate heard him running down the stairs.

Moving to the window he sat down to wait, feeling Frick get closer and closer until the little lizard his Familiar was pretending to be peeked over the other chair.

“Morning, boss man. I got the goods. All sneaky goblin like. In and out!” Frick punctuated that by flicking his forked tongue in and out.

“Anything you think I will find interesting?” he asked.

“Mayor’s wondering who you are. Think he might invite you to dinner if he gets the chance. The innkeeper is curious but she ain’t gonna do much more than try and take a little peek. And just be careful, ‘cause I heard some other noble might be visiting in a few weeks. So unless you want to do it goblin style, you know - knife fight, best noble is the one left standing - you might have a few problems if they want the suite.”

“Thanks Frick. If that’s all, mind slipping back inside? I can feel my reserve is less than half full. That’s what I get for you pulling an all-nighter,” Nate said with a small smirk.

Frick vanished in a stream of mana and Nate felt him settle back into the contract.

“I’m taking a nap, boss man. Wake me if anything good goes down.”

Nate just rolled his eyes, a small smile on his lips. He didn’t have to wait long till he heard footsteps on the stairs again, the knock on the door a moment later. He called for whoever was bringing him breakfast to come in. Saying it over and over every time they knocked on the door was already growing tiresome and he’d barely been a ‘noble’ for a day. With a small smile he wondered if actual nobles grew tired of the pomp and ordering people about? Probably not. He’d ask someone, one day. The attendant placed his breakfast by the window and after glancing at Nate to see if he had any comments, quickly made his exit.

Left alone with his thoughts Nate sat by the window and indulged in the rich breakfast. The drink was a pale green and tasted like some sweet juice which was, thankfully, cut through by the saltiness of the eggs and whatever meat it was they had fried for him. He finished with some chewy bread that he thought might’ve been some kind of sourdough. Seemed no matter the world, certain aspects of food were consistent, like bread and juice. All said the food was excellent and Nate was certain he had never eaten so well on Earth. Eating left handed however, was difficult, and some of the egg had fallen onto his robe. He was about to tut when he watched as the stain faded over the course of a minute. His smile stretched from ear to ear and he whispered to himself, “Wanderer, I love magic.”

With a full stomach he tightened his robe, being careful of his hand, before exiting his room. The main room of the inn was busier than he had expected with maybe twenty people present. Double what there had been the night before. Valeria caught him looking from behind the bar where she was managing her workers quietly and efficiently. With a smile she stopped what she was doing and approached him.

“You look even more dashing in the morning than you did last night, sir,” she flattered, her honeyed voice making him feel relaxed when normally such flattery would have made him uncomfortable. He wondered if it was a Skill or some feature of her Class. Maybe just the effect of high Charisma. So many questions unanswered. He’d have to harass Frick with some questions later.

“The Oaken Ring does good business in the morning,” he commented, eyes roving over the room. A few of the patrons had noted him, and of those, a couple who looked dressed in more expensive clothes seemed to be assessing him. Probably wondering how they could utilise him or his presence to make more money.

“Oh yes, many of the locals come and enjoy breakfast in my establishment. The chef I employ is quite well known in town as being the best around these parts. It’ll be even busier on Restday. Many of the local families will come by to treat themselves,” Valeria gushed.

When she had said ‘Restday’ Nate realised something he hadn’t considered in a while. The translation spell he had on him could likely handle most words but it seems there wasn’t an equivalent to ‘weekend’ in their language. He was reminded that Arikanvil had encouraged him not to rely on the translation spell and, with a force of effort, split his attention so he could hear the actual words that were used while the spell handled the translation. That way he could learn the language structure and hopefully not run into any translation issues in the future.

He knew without all the extra points he had in Intellect that doing so would’ve been a time consuming and laborious enterprise. But his memory at this point was incredible. He didn’t want to say perfect, because, well, how would he even know if it was? But it was somewhere in the vicinity of perfect. Coupled with his heightened Creativity stat which seemed to impact the free association of ideas, he hoped he would be able to learn at least the basics of the language over the next month.

Focusing back on Valeria he gave her a small smile, “I look forward to seeing what else your chef can do. I’ve some tasks to see to today.” He paused for a second. He had been about to ask if he could have some things delivered to his room. But a noble, he figured, wouldn’t ask. They’d inform. With that in mind he continued, “There will be some deliveries as I acquire some new clothes and such around town. Have them stored in my room.”

“Of course, sir. My staff will handle any deliveries with the utmost care and discretion. Will locking them in the chest in your suite be sufficient?” Valeria asked, a pleased smile still lingering on her face after his comment about the chef.

“That will be sufficient. Good day, Valeria.”

With those parting words Nate headed for the door. A few eyes followed him as he made his exit but he chose to ignore them. Kiri was waiting outside, leaning against a table for a stall that seemed to be selling some furs. She was talking animatedly with the merchant, her hands moving in a blur. The merchant started rattling something off in response, but noticed Nate and instead stopped talking and nodded in his direction. Kiri turned and grinned at him, walking over.

“Was starting to wonder if you were still asleep,” she teased.

Nate just shrugged, “Enjoying breakfast took longer than expected.”

“Oh yeah? Heard you took the suite. That must’ve cost a bit. Thought you weren’t going to spend all your gold on silks and baths?” She said with a grin. Her blue eyes watched him but he didn’t see any judgement in them.

“That was your idea. Not mine. Speaking of silks, I need some new clothes. And to do something about my hand. What else do we have planned for the day?” he asked.

“Let's swing by the Guild and get your hand sorted out. Then some new clothes, because while going shirtless under that robe might catch on as a new fashion look, I can’t help but think it’ll get cold or people will think you’re wandering around in a bathrobe.”

“You have a bathrobe?” He asked.

“No! But I read. Come on. The Guild first so you’re not a cripple any more. I’ll check the job board while we’re there?” she asked, putting action to words as she started walking across the square towards the Guild building.

Nate didn’t bother responding, instead moving quickly to catch up to her. The square was far more lively this morning and he noted stalls all around the edges. Some selling furs, others fruit or vegetables, at least he assumed that is what they were. The shapes and colours differed slightly to Earth but it looked like food to him. There was a couple that seemed to be dealing in lumber with what looked like wood samples stacked around them. He supposed this was a good place to get business but not exactly the best place to store all your lumber. There were other stalls selling ornaments and the like. There was even one that looked to be selling clothes, and though Nate considered it, he knew the quality probably wasn’t high enough to match the persona he was adopting.

Crossing the square didn’t take long and before Nate knew it they were standing in line at the desk near the Guild entrance. There were another two teams in front of them and Nate couldn’t see who was manning the desk through the press of bodies. The team in front of them seemed to be made up of three men. They were roughly the same height as Nate but sported larger muscles and wider frames. The widest of the three had a large axe strapped to his back and a great big bushy red beard and a bald head. The other two looked similar enough that Nate suspected they were related, maybe brothers. Both had black hair, short black beards and carried a sword and a shield.

Kiri turned to start talking with Nate and was instantly interrupted as the red bearded man spun to face them. Kiri’s eyebrows turned down in a scowl and her blue eyes looked thunderous. Heightened Perception really was useful. That was enough for Nate to know what was coming. He’d been around bullies enough to recognise the signs.

“This must be the new mage they said joined the Guild. How’s it goin’?” The man's tone was friendly, but his eyes and body language weren’t. They spoke of someone used to intimidating others into getting their way. The other two weren’t any better, openly smirking.

While Nate was debating answering the man, Kiri spoke up “Fuck off, Torian. Surprised they even let you back in here after the last stunt you pulled.”

“Kiri, Kiri, Kiri. If it wasn’t for ya da I’d teach you a lesson or two in manners, and how ta properly use that mouth,” Torian retorted, nudging one of the brothers who guffawed.

Kiri, red in the face from anger, looked ready to try and knife the guy then and there, and Nate didn’t feel any desire to restrain her. The moment passed though and instead she just snorted at the guy before turning back to Nate.

Torian grinned through his beard, clearly enjoying seeing that his taunt had landed, if only partially. His eyes roved over Kiri’s back for a moment before they moved back to Nate.

“So, new mage. You’ll need a good team then. Fortunately my boys and I can provide that. We’re all Silvers, just like Kiri ‘ere. Only difference is, we don’t take kiddie jobs, like collections. All blood, all the time. So whadda ya say? Want ta join our team?” Torian drawled.

Nate looked at Kiri’s red face and back to Torian, grinning through his beard like he’d won. Was being a Mage that much of a commodity to these people? Either way, it wasn’t a hard decision. Beauty or the beast? Well, he was an artist. The question answered itself.

“I’m in a team with Kiri,” he replied. “But even if I wasn’t, I still wouldn’t join your team.”

Torian rubbed his bearded chin, his beady eyes sizing Nate up, before he growled, “Ya insulting me kid? Because if ya are, I’ll punch ya nose in.”

Kiri spun back to face the brute, “We already told you to fuck off, Torian. Go bother someone else with your drivel.”

Torian grunted and stepped forward, reaching for Kiri’s shoulder as she turned away.

“Don’t turn ya back on me girl.”

His large palm never quite reached Kiri, smacking into the barrier Nate had created between the two. Inwardly, he smiled. He was getting faster. The barrier was only the size of a book but he’d positioned it perfectly right where Torian’s hand would pass through. The impact clearly jarred the big man's hand and he pulled it back, rubbing his fingers, his face growing as red as his beard. Nate knew what came next. All bullies were the same. They either fled, if they felt they couldn’t win, or they would escalate. One look at Torian was enough to know the escalation was coming and Nate altered the barrier’s size and shape, a placid look on his face.

“I’ll teach ya a lesson ya little shit!” Torian roared, moving fast as he cocked a fist back and rocketed it at Nate’s head.

The cracking noise as Torian’s hand broke against the shield echoed through the Guild entry hall, everyone waiting in the hall already having turned to watch the altercation. Torian cradled his fist, broken knuckles showing as the man groaned in pain. The onlookers smirked, a few laughing, and among those loitering someone near the desk whispered ‘Barrier Mage’. Torian’s partners started reaching for their swords when a voice echoed through the hall.

“Torian, creating trouble in my Guildhouse again?” asked a deep, feminine voice.

Down the stairs behind the desk walked a mammoth of a woman. She must’ve been over two metres tall with short blonde hair and more muscles than Torian, with what looked like a spear peeking over her shoulder. Brown eyes angrily glared at Torian, though she spared an unimpressed glance for the brothers with their hands on their swords. Both released the hilts of their blades instantly when she looked at them.

Torian tried to grumble something but instantly stopped when the girl manning the desk, Melinda as it turned out, leaned over to whisper to the giantess. The woman had to lean down, quite a distance, to help Melinda whisper in her ear. The woman's face went quickly from annoyed to angry, and Nate couldn’t help but notice that the air felt charged, like just before a thunderstorm. The woman would make for a good heroic painting, he thought. A storm behind her, spear in hand. Kind of like a Norse Goddess from back on Earth. Those thoughts were blown away as the woman boomed out.

“Torian, you’re banned from the Guild for another week. Next time it happens, it’ll be a month. If it has to happen again, I’ll take your token and you’ll be out on your ass. Now get out of my sight!”

Torian and the brothers veritably fled the entry hall, but not without shooting a glare at Kiri and Nate that promised retribution as they both turned to watch them flee. That was the thing about bullies, everything that happened to them was someone else's fault. He’d deal with that problem later. Turning back towards the desk he watched the other team that was ahead of them file out. Ignoring the evaluating and amused glances from the other team, Nate and Kiri found themselves staring at Melinda and the Giantess. The woman, who had been yelling just a moment ago, favoured them with an amused smile.

“So, this is the newcomer. Welcome to the Helmfirth Adventurers Guild. You look like you’ve got an interesting tale to tell. And a broken hand to go with it. I’m Aisling, Guildmaster for Helmfirth. Why don’t you follow me upstairs and step into my office,” the giantess, apparently named Aisling, said before turning and stomping up the stairs.

He glanced at Kiri who shrugged, gave him a small amused smirk, and quickly followed Aisling up the stairs. Nate sighed and started walking after them. When was he going to get his hand fixed and some new clothes, damn it!

*************

Torian frowned as he stomped through the square, rubbing his knuckles. They didn’t hurt anymore, but the action was keeping his rage under control. Some had said it was a side effect of his Class. But he’d always been angry, his Class just made use of it.

“What should we tell the boss?” Galen asked. Of the two brothers he was the more careful. Torian just thought he was really a coward at heart.

“Don’t ya worry Galen. We’ll get a hold of that mage. Boss always gets what he wants in the end,” Torian said with a smirk on his lips. “We’re kicked out for a week again. Let's head down the road ta Pinewater. See if we can find a few more for the boss.”

Torian knew they would find a few at least. Then he could have a little fun. The boss never minded.