Unexpected Healer Book 2 -- Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Huh?

Before Thaden even turned around, he could tell that this wasn’t some other Contender speaking to him, but a Charee.  When he finally did look behind him, he saw that it wasn’t just any Coalition worker like the ones behind the counters, but someone a bit more important based on their attire.  In fact, the woman was dressed up even more fancily than Boydlen, the Ashcleft Adventurer Coalition Leader. 

Veronia – Forgestone Adventurer Coalition Vice-Leader

Charee

Level 100

Thaden’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Veronia’s Level of 100, but when he glanced down at the shiny Diamond Badge she was wearing proudly on her chest.  Boydlen only had a Gold Badge if I remember correctly. 

“Uh, huh?  What?” he blurted out, confused at why she was even talking to him.

“I was asking if there was anything I could help you with,” she said with a slight chuckle behind her words.

He stared at her for a second for a moment before he asked, “Not to sound rude, but why me?  Is it because I’m new to Forgestone?”  He wasn’t sure if that was the case, but he sure hoped it was.  Because if it was what he suddenly suspected, then this could suddenly go poorly.

She chuckled again and shook her head.  “No, but for the first Contender at Rank Bronze—”

He immediately held up his hands and made a shushing gesture.  So far, he didn’t see anyone listening in, but more than a few bored people waiting in lines were looking in his direction. 

“Uh, oh, that’s very kind of you,” he said quickly.  “I’d actually appreciate it if we kept that on the down low, if you don’t mind.”

Veronia tilted her head to the side as she looked at him with what appeared to be confusion.  “But why would you want to hide your Ranking—”

“Look, is there any place we can speak privately?” he said, cutting her off before she could say anything else.  More and more Contenders were looking in their direction and were whispering to each other, and things were starting to get out of hand.  He had wanted to fly under the radar here and blend in, but that plan was already starting to fail. 

“Absolutely,” she answered with a smile, and then she waved her hand.

There was an odd zapping sensation that flowed through his body so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to react, and by the time he realized what was happening, he looked around to find himself in a completely different room.  He stumbled slightly at the abrupt change even as he realized that the hubbub of the Adventurer crowd was completely gone, as if it didn’t even exist, and he saw Veronia standing with the same smile on her face behind a desk that wouldn’t look out of place in a CEO’s office.  In fact, as he looked closer at where he apparently now was, that was exactly what it appeared to be.

A very expensively decorated office that was just shy of being modern Earth-based in design.

“Wh-what did you do?” he spluttered, words failing him as he tried to figure out what was going on.

“Simple Short-range Teleportation, Christopher.  You said you wanted somewhere to speak privately, so I brought you to my office.”

He was silent as he processed what she said.  At first he wanted to dismiss that something like teleportation wasn’t possible, but then he remembered where he was.  I can bring people back from the dead, so why not something like this?

“Uh, alright.  Thank you, I guess.”

“So, is there anything I can do for the first Bronze-Ranked Contender to visit us?” she asked again, her tone polite but insistent.

He thought about it for a moment, before taking his Badge out of his Inventory.  “First, how did you know?”

“Know about your Badge Rank?  You showed the Guard at the gates, did you not?”

He nodded.  “And… what?  You somehow were able to recognize me?”

Veronia chuckled again, a little more genuinely this time.  “You obviously haven’t been around that much, have you?”  She didn’t wait for him to answer before explaining what she meant.  “All Adventurer Coalition Badges are connected in our systems, and I was given an alert as soon as you arrived at the gate.  It was easy enough to track down who you were as soon as you stepped through the entrance to my building.”

“I see.”  It was like his Badge was his ID and it had been scanned into a computer somewhere, which he figured was as close an analogy as he could get.  It was all done magically somehow, or so he assumed, but all that really mattered to him was that they knew who he was. 

“And do you know who I really am?”

She tilted her head to the side again as she stared at him.  “Of course.  Your Achievements are all recorded by the Assimilation System, which is something that we have access to here.  Of course, not just anyone can access that kind of information, but as the Vice-Leader of the Adventurer Coalition here in Forgestone, it is something that I have the privilege of accessing.  As a result, I’m well aware of how you visually changed your name and Level from #32599—”

He cut her off again before she could continue.  “Yes, then can you understand why I might want to keep my Badge Ranking a bit secret?”

There was the head-tilt once again.  “No?”

“Well, I don’t exactly need the notoriety, especially since any of those Contenders out there could theoretically kill me because I’m over Level 21,” he said with exasperation.

“Ah.  I guess that could be problematic.”

“Exactly.  So, is there any way you can put me back out there and not mention that I’m a Bronze Rank—wait.  Before you do that, is there any way you can upgrade my Badge Rank?”

For the first time, Veronia appeared surprised.  I guess she isn’t privy to that detailed of information.  “You have enough Rank Progress to reach Silver Rank?” she asked skeptically.  She sounded just like Boydlen when she did that, though it was missing the dismissiveness that the Ashcleft Coalition Leader possessed.

“I do.  I haven’t been able to upgrade it yet, but since you’re here…” he answered with a shrug at the end.

“Alright.  I have authority to do that.”  She beckoned him forward and sat down in her chain, gesturing for him to do the same.  He did so and held out the Badge in his hand while she covered it with her own hand, and the process began.  Thaden felt it changing shape slightly in his hand and it started to feel cool to his touch, and he watched the skepticism disappear in Veronia’s face to be replaced by shock and then go completely flat.  By the time it finished upgrading to Silver, her impassive face looked back at him, before she ducked her head slightly in his direction.

“Congratulations, Christopher.  Normally, we would have a celebration marking the rise of a new Silver-Ranked Contender to the Coalition, but I’m assuming that you would rather avoid that kind of attention?” she asked.

“Definitely.  I have no desire for anyone to know about this yet.”

The Forgestone Coalition Vice-Leader sighed and slumped in her chair.  “My bosses won’t like that, but they’d like it even less if I were to go against your wishes.”

“Your… bosses?”

She waved away the question as she sat up, all business-like again.  “Now, how may I help the first Silver-Ranked Contender to this fair city?”

The abrupt change in demeanor gave him a little whiplash, but Thaden adjusted quickly.  He was going to ask to be put back in the lobby where she had snatched him away, but thought better of it when he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his new Rank.  “First, I need somewhere to stay while I’m here—”

“Done; Bronze Rank and above are guaranteed a room here at the Coalition,” she answered immediately.  “The rate is relative to your Ranking, of course, which just increased to three gold per week.  I apologize for the surprise increase, but I can’t bend the rules even for esteemed guests.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” he responded, pulling out the three gold from his Inventory and placing them on the desk in front of her.  “Secondly, do you have any maps of Tarth and the surrounding areas?  I would love any information on dungeon locations, any knowledge about what kinds of monsters inhabit them, and what Levels they are appropriate for.  Lastly, I would love to be able to peruse the Bronze and Silver-Ranked Quests that are available without calling attention to myself in front of all of the other Adventurers – do you have a more, I guess, private way of seeing them.”  It was probably too much to ask, but he wouldn’t know unless he tried.

“Absolutely to both of those requests.  It’s our job to provide that kind of information, so it’s no trouble at all.  I can both sent to your room if you’d like?”

“That would be perfect.  Thank you.”

“Again, it’s no trouble.  Would you like to see your room now?”

He couldn’t think of anything else that he might need at the moment, so he said, “Sure.”  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he felt the jolt go through his body again and he felt himself standing up in a wide hallway that was nowhere near the office he had just been in. 

“Here we are!  This is the Silver wing, which holds a dozen rooms specifically designated as accommodations for Silver-Ranked members of the Coalition.  As you’re the first to achieve that Rank, you technically have the entire wing to yourself, though if you can confine yourself to just room S-1, our cleaning staff would appreciate it.”  Veronia held out a key toward him, which seemed to come out of nowhere.

It took him a few seconds to adjust to the abrupt teleportation, but he accepted the key as he looked at the large stone door they were standing next to.  It was intricately carved with various geometric designs that were tastefully done, and it had a depth to it that allowed the few shadows cast by the magical lights in the hallway to accentuate the carvings.

“There’s a stairway leading to a rear exit down the hallway,” she continued, indicating with her outstretched hand exactly where it was, “which you can use to both enter and exit as long as you have your key with you.  You also theoretically can have your meals brought up to your room as a Silver-Ranked member, but you’ll have to give us some time to set that up.  We weren’t exactly expecting anyone to reach Silver Rank for at least the next year, so if you’ll forgive the delay—”

“Don’t worry about it.  I will likely be out most of the time anyway, and I’ll figure out my food situation.  I honestly just needed someplace where I can sleep safely.  Speaking of that, how, uh, safe is it here?”

“You’re concerned that someone will try and assassinate you in your room?”  At his nod, she quickly relieved his fears.  “No one can enter your room once you lock it, not even myself.  The only one with access to any room within the city is the Forgestone Adventurer Coalition Leader, though this is rarely, if ever, needed.  I can check our extensive records for the last time this occurred, if you’d like—"

“No, that’s not necessary.  It’s better than I could’ve hoped for, actually.  Thank you.”

“Again, I’m just doing my job.  But you shouldn’t be too concerned with being attacked here in Forgestone, as attacking other Contenders is forbidden within city limits.  The same goes with any town out there, as the Guards will put a stop to it – with violence, if necessary.”

Really?  Then how come I was attacked back in Ashcleft?  Well, I guess Virlo did eventually help me… was that what he meant by the other Contenders breaking the rules?  It was good to know that he would likely get some help if he was attacked in the city, but it also wasn’t immediate help; just like being attacked back on Earth, it would take a while for the Guards to respond.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?  No?  Then I’ll make sure you have the information you requested here within an hour.  In the meantime…”  Veronia hesitated for a second before she continued.  “I would suggest partaking of the bathing facilities in your room,” she said as politely as she could.  “You can also leave any laundry outside your door that you would like washed and I’ll make sure someone comes by to pick it up.”

Thaden lifted his arm and smelled his armpit, immediately recoiling at the stench.  “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.  I apologize for the smell; I’ve been traveling without access to anything more than a stream here and there for weeks.”

“Don’t worry about it, Christopher.  I’ve seen much worse, believe me.”

With a final head bob that substituted as a bow, she disappeared before his eyes with a pop as air filled the displaced void she left behind.  Thaden could only groan as he realized the same thing would’ve happened in the lobby in front of all the Contenders. 

That’s just great.  Hopefully no one remembers who it was that disappeared with an important member of the Coalition.  He was tempted to change his name and Level once again, but ultimately decided against it; if it turned out that people remembered the appearance and name of who it was that disappeared like that, then changing his name would only complicate matters.

He would be really annoyed if he had to flee again, but he had to hope that this whole thing would blow over. 

Inserting the key he was given into room S-1, he opened the door to find that the room he was renting was definitely worth the 3 gold a week it cost him.  It wasn’t the most luxurious space he’d ever seen, especially compared to some of those TV shows based around showing off celebrity homes, but it was certainly the nicest room he’d ever been in.  The bed alone appeared large enough to fit six people comfortably, and there were plush rugs that he didn’t even want to walk over considering his dirty state of dress.  There were also not just one but two wardrobes and three chest of drawers, which was enough storage to fit all of the loot that was filling his Inventory.  He wasn’t quite willing to transfer it all right now, but if he ended up staying there for a while, then it would be a good way to free up room if he needed it for more loot in the future.

The bathroom was equally as luxurious, as it had not only a spacious bathtub but a shower that he thought at least 20 people could fit into comfortably – all powered by magic, of course.  He didn’t hesitate to jump into the shower and clean himself fully for the first time in weeks, which was a delectable experience that felt better than just about anything he could think of – other than sleeping in an actual bed later that night. 

He changed into his cleanest outfit and was opening the door to leave the clothing outside for laundry service when he was momentarily startled by a Charee woman who seemed poised to knock.  She began to drop some of the maps she was ponderously carrying along with a few books at the abrupt door-opening, but Thaden swiftly moved to intercept them before they could hit the ground when he saw that she was a Coalition Receptionist named Marti. 

“Ah, thank you, sir.  You startled me,” she said, juggling the rest of her load until nothing else seemed liable to fall.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t realize you were there.  Are these…?”

“Yes, this is the information you requested.  Where would you like it?”

There was a large desk located along the wall, and he directed her to place them down there, doing the same with those he had rescued.  She turned to leave, but instead looked at Thaden with confusion.  “If I may, sir, aren’t you a little bit too low-Leveled to be a Silver Badge member?” she blurted out.

“I’m just that special, I guess.  If you want more information, you can always ask Veronia.”

Marti immediately blanched as if he had slapped her.  “Ah, no, that’s fine.  None of my business, anyway.  Have a great day, sir.”  As she was walking out the door, she spotted his laundry in a pile.  “May I take this for you?”

“You do laundry, too?”

“I do a little of everything here.”

“Then, yes, I would be much appreciative.  Thank you.”  He pulled out a gold coin and flipped it toward her, and she caught it on reflex.

“This isn’t necessary—”

“Nonsense.  You brought me the information I needed, and I wanted to show my appreciation.”

She swallowed and bowed deeply, before grabbing the soiled clothes on the floor and departing.  Thaden closed the door after her and locked it, and there was a very low hum that seemed to encapsulate the entire room.  Must be the protection against anyone coming in.  He hadn’t even noticed it earlier when he’d locked up, as he had been too astonished by the room itself to pay attention, but now that he was clean and his head felt clearer, it was obvious. 

After listening to the hum for about a minute, it started to fade into the background and he turned his attention to the desk that held quite a few sources of knowledge that he was lacking.  There was still more that he needed to learn, but for most of those he thought he’d have to talk to actual Contenders; that could wait, however, because he had some planning to do.