SB: Chapter 231 – Conscription

“Are you Justin Burnstock?” the Captain asked.

“Yes, I am. Who is asking,” I replied with my hand resting on the hilt of my sword.

“Legend Farsight Moss invites you to speak with him,” the Captain said.

“Is that an actual invitation or a demand?” I asked slowly.

“A demand. My orders are to invite anyone of note to speak with the legend. Anyone resisting is to be considered an enemy,” the Captain said while also resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. I counted ten other soldiers, all professionals.

“Even an adventurer just traveling?” I asked.

“Yes. If you wanted to maintain neutrality, then you should stay in the Adventurer’s Guild or the dungeon. Not wander about on the surface,” he replied.

“It was a misunderstanding. I hope out of respect for my name, you would be willing to let me go,” I replied. I didn’t like to use my name like this, especially since the Captain already knew it. But fighting didn’t look like an option.

“I am afraid that I cannot,” the Captain said and pulled his blade slightly out of his sheathe. Ulmer had already run off, not that he would be much help. But if a fight did break out, being nearby would be a death sentence for him.

“I don’t plan on being some errand boy. I am an adventurer, not a soldier,” I declared.

“You could be a pig dressed up in a skirt for all I care. Orders are orders. You will be allowed to keep your weapons,” the Captain said. My odds weren’t good.

The soldiers had divided into pairs, one with a tower shield, another with a spear. The odds were heavily stacked against me. They would surround me and hem me in. While I had a chance at wounding the Captain and killing a couple, I couldn’t win against all of them.

I let my sword slide fully back into its sheath. Ozy climbed up on my shoulders and rest there. The tension left the air. “Fine, take me to see this legend,” I replied heavily. I was escorted to a military camp outside of town, not far from Meldon.

I was brought to a fancy looking tent after about half an hour of walking. I noted more soldiers around moving in and out of the camp.

“Legend Farsight Moss, Justin Burnstock has been retrieved,” the Captain said after bringing inside the tent.

“Thank you, Captain. Please continue your patrol,” the legend said and the Captain left. The man looked older and weathered. But he was definitely a legend. I noted the powerful sword on the table he was sitting at reviewing documents and a map.

“Justin, son of Supreme Legend Elena Burnstock and Legend Darren Burnstock, former Emperor. Why are you traveling through here?”

“Trying to get back to the College of Advancement,” I replied honestly. He tapped his fingers on the table and then suddenly leaned forward.

“It’s a mess and you are an important piece in helping deal with it,” the legend said.

“I am not joining a side. Once I get to the College, I plan to descend and stay in the dungeon for a long time. The only reason I am traveling on the surface now is that I got moved to another exit,” I replied.

“Your name and presence would help quite a bit. Five,” the legend said.

“Five what?” I asked.

“Platinum coins.”

“Not even if you offered double would I consider fighting on the surface. I am not my mother or my father. I am a pure adventurer.”

“Twenty,” the legend said. I was tempted for a moment there, but I knew that once I got dragged into such events, there would be no escaping.

“No,” I replied.

“I am not going higher,” he replied.

“It isn’t the money. I am an adventurer. I am not a mercenary,” I declared.

“You think you have the right to refuse?” the legend asked while putting a hand on his sword hilt and my Danger Sense spiked.

“You don’t want someone who will try to run. And kidnapping me, alive? It won’t be easy,” I replied and put a hand on the hilt of my sword. The pressure on me grew, but I wouldn’t give in. If I got swept up into surface conflicts, I would never escape. I would become nothing more than a pawn to someone else.

I had absolutely no chance in fighting or escaping, but we both knew that. My attitude right now was meant to convince Legend Farsight that I wasn’t going to capitulate to his request.

“Stubborn. If you won’t contribute and join my side, then I am going to tax you for passing through my territory,” he said.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I replied.

“Or I could just kill you instead.” The silence and tension grew.

“Fine,” I replied and tossed over my spatial pouch, I had on my hip. It had spare weapons, food, coinage, and the pack I kept for daily goods. My other spatial pouch had everything really valuable and was tucked inside my armor at the base of my spine.

“Now, can I go?” I demanded.

“Leave. And you better be quick before my soldiers bring you back and I take your equipment as well,” the legend said.

I was stewing in pure rage. I had been robbed and there was nothing I could do, no revenge I could take either. I could have submitted and tried to run away later, but the risk of skills being used on me was too great.

People weren’t playing by the same rules anymore. The neutrality of adventurers was being eroded quite rapidly. If I fought, then it would have made things messy for the legend, but I would be dead or heavily injured.

Once that happened, I would have almost no options to recover from such a loss. As much as I hated it, paying the impromptu tax was the only way to be let go with any kind of freedom.

At least the legend didn’t suspect I had a second spatial pouch. If he had, then I would truly have had to make a desperate choice. Losing one, without all the valuable items, including my mother’s legacy was acceptable.

But the other one had priceless knowledge inside of it. I wasn’t about to give it up no matter what. As long as I was free to travel and healthy, then I could turn the situation around. The main thing was to get to a city and back into the dungeon as quickly as possible.

I didn’t reply as I quickly left the legend’s tent. I set off on a quick walk. I wasn’t heading back to the town I had stopped at with Ulmer. The merchant had likely fled long ago if he was smart. I made my way along dirt roads passing through small patches of forest and farms. Once I was away from the camp of soldiers, I set off at a quick jog.

These side roads were often used by farmers, with only the main roads being paved. I saw farmers working in the fields but didn’t bother them. I got some looks since Ozy was on my shoulders, and it wasn’t often that these people saw someone running by in heavy armor.

That night, I stopped by a farmhouse along the dirt road. I went up to the door as the sun was setting and knocked. I heard movement inside, an entire family most likely.

The door opened and a farmer was standing there with his family behind him. The entry room doubled as their dining room. “I require food and lodging for the night. I will pay, two silver,” I said holding up the coins. I had a small pouch of money inside of my armor, not in my main spatial pouch. Since I wouldn’t go into it unless necessary. Otherwise people would think it was a regular pouch.

“There is a town, just up the road another couple of kilometers,” the farmer said nervously.

“I have been traveling all day and want to rest before leaving early in the morning,” I replied. I could tell that he didn’t want me to stay here.

“A meal and you sleep in the barn. That monster stays outside,” he said.

“Ozy, go rest,” I said, and my winged serpent flew off to a nearby tree. He would keep an eye on the farm during the night.

“He isn’t going to eat the animals?” the farmer asked.

“No. He is under my control,” I replied.

“Fine, any trouble and you better leave,” the farmer said and took the silver coins that I was holding up.

“Thank you,” I replied, and he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside. There was a large family and most likely extended family around the table. The floorboards creaked as I entered. My armor was quite heavy.

“Kennth, get the heavy stool for our guest,” the farmer said. One of the older boys, who was a teen rushed off and got a heavy looking stool and set it at the side of the table, where a new place had been set.

“Are you an adventurer?” a boy who had to be around 4 or 5 years old asked.

“Yes. I am an adventurer,” I replied. The younger members of the family looked excited, while the older members appeared weary.

“Why are you here?” the young boy asked.

“I came up at the wrong passage from the dungeon. I am trying to return to the College of Advancement,” I answered.

“Col…College? What is that?” the young boy asked.

“Hush, Gary, don’t bother our guest,” the farmer’s wife said as she set a large bowl of vegetable stew in front of me along with a fresh roll.

“Thank you for the meal,” I said and began eating. Everyone was finishing up their meals and silent as well.

“What is the College of Advancement?” one of the older girls asked.

“A fancy place, where people train to become adventurers,” one of the older boys said. That wasn’t true, but I wasn’t about to correct them.

“You look strong? What level are you?” Gary asked as I mopped up the last of the stew with my bread.

“I could be considered a professional with my combat skills and experience,” I replied.

“Don’t ask someone their level. That is rude,” a girl said.

“But he looks strong. And the armor is cool,” Gary said.

“My apologies, for my children, they don’t meet many adventurers,” the farmer’s wife said.

“That is fine. I know it is done without malice,” I replied.

“What is your name, maybe we will hear it when you become a legend,” one of the boys asked.

“Justin,” I replied.

“Do you want more stew?” the wife asked.

“One more bowl please. I have been running most of the day,” I replied. She took my bowl and went to fill it up with more vegetable stew.

“You better be careful out there. I hear that conscription is occurring,” the farmer said.

“I know. I plan to leave early tomorrow, so your family isn’t involved,” I replied.

“Can I be your Squire?” one of the older boys asked. The rest of his family looked at him. “What, better to be an adventurer, since I won’t inherit anything.”

I shook my head. “You are what, fourteen?” I asked.

“Thirteen,” the boy said.

“While your enthusiasm is appreciated, I plan to go deep into the dungeon. Training you and taking you as my Squire or apprentice, isn’t worthwhile for me. I have my own goals. You would be better off going to a city and working as an adventurer for several years on your own if that is the path you want to go down,” I said.

“Can you take me with you?” the boy asked.

“No. The dungeon is a death trap,” his mother said sternly. The father just shook his head, not saying anything else. If he truly wanted to go, then he should go. While he wasn’t an adult, if he was truly desperate, he would find a way.