New Story -- Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Welcome, uh, number 32599—”

“You can just call me Thaden, if you want,” the Assistant Healer said with a sigh, sitting in one of the chairs arranged in front of the desk the Charee was behind. The chair’s design reminded him of wooden chair with padding on it that he would see in banks and offices, though like everything else in the Adventurer Coalition building, it was just slightly off from being accurate.

Thaden looked closer at the individual speaking to him and he was surprised to see that he was actually in charge of this entire branch of the Coalition.

Boydlen – Ashcleft Adventurer Coalition Leader

Charee

Level 30

That being said, the new arrival was curious as to why the Charee man was only Level 30, when the Town Guard Virlo was 15 Levels higher. He was expecting that someone who was in charge of the entire Ashcleft Adventurer Coalition would’ve been more… impressive, maybe? Unfortunately, the Coalition Leader didn’t exactly represent strength to his eye, as he was a bit pudgier than any of the other Charee he’d seen, and while that didn’t necessarily mean anything, the inkstains all over his hands made him look like an office worker than anything else. Not that there was anything wrong with that, as Thaden had technically been an office worker before he worked from home as a Data Analyst, but for the head of an organization that was supposedly designed to kill monsters and perform dangerous tasks?

It just seemed strange, but perhaps he was being too judgmental – just like the people of Ashcleft when they looked at him. The thought that he was being just like them made him pause and reevaluate his opinions, and instead opened himself up to the possibilities that having a Coalition Leader that knew his way around paperwork was actually a good thing.

“Ah, very good, uh, Thaden! It is wonderful to meet you, my friend!” Boydlen continued, his smile and enthusiasm back after stumbling over Thaden’s strange number-filled name. “So, are you looking for a life of adventure? If so, you’ve come to the right place! At the Adventurer Coalition, you’ll be able to travel the world, seeing things that most people have never seen before! In addition, you’ll also be able to earn a hefty amount of rewards from completing Quests,” he said, gesturing like some sort of game show model at the Quest Board behind him, “and who knows, you might even become famous from all the monsters you’ll have a hand in killing! Let me just get the paperwork started for you and we’ll have you signed up in no time at all!”

Thaden thought that the Coalition Leader likely had a lot of points in Personality, because the pitch was actually quite good. A bit too enthusiastic and vague about some points in his speech for Thaden’s liking, but he couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of seeing the world, making money, and becoming famous. A few seconds into thinking that, he shook his head and realized that wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it sure felt like it for a short period of time.

“That all sounds wonderful, but I have a few questions, if you don’t mind?” the Assistant Healer asked.

“Not at all! I’ll do my best to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have so we can get you started as soon as possible!”

There was the pushy tactic again, which set off some red flags. He figured he might as well address that right away. “Why so insistent that I join the Adventurer Coalition?”

“Because I don’t want you to miss this opportunity, of course!”

Thaden shook his head.  “There’s got to be more to it than that.”

Boydlen’s face fell a little before he answered. “Yes, well, it might—and I stress might—be because we’re a little short of members in our branch here in Ashcleft. But don’t worry, in a short few months, the Contenders will be here, and at that point it’ll be almost impossible for anyone other than them to join unless they were already part of the Coalition,” the man assured him with his smile back on his face. “That’s why it is important that you get in now before it’s too late!”

Thaden almost mentioned that he was a Contender, but remembering what Virlo had said about that, he held his tongue. “And how many members does the Coalition in Ashcleft currently have?” he asked instead.

The Coalition Leader paused for a second before clearing his throat and mumbled something.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

Boydlen mumbled something else, but the Assistant Healer still didn’t understand him. When Thaden gave him a look, the Coalition Leader sighed. “We have three members right now. You’ll be number four if—when—you join, which is two-thirds of a full party! Plus, we need any healer we can get for the Coalition, because they usually don’t last too long, uh, well, because they see how dangerous the life it and quit!  Yes, quit; no one said anything about them dying, so why would you even say that?”

This guy is nuts. I think he’s gone a little stir-crazy sitting here all alone in this big building without anyone to talk to.

“Where are these other members? Can I meet them?”

Boydlen’s good mood returned. “Of course you can meet them! As soon as they get back from their current Quest, of course.”

“Oh. Are you expecting them back soon?”

“Anytime now.” Thaden had been watching the Charee closely and the smile faded almost imperceptibly when he answered. Uh-oh.

“They were already due back, weren’t they?”

The Coalition Leader cleared his throat, which was a tell if he ever saw one. He’d be a poor poker player. “Just two weeks late, that’s all. I’m sure they’ll show up at any point.”

“What was the Quest they were doing?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to divulge that information to non-members of the Adventurer Coalition,” Boydlen said, his tone sounding a little rote. “I can answer any other questions you might have, however.”

Thaden thought for a second before he asked, “What kinds of Quests are there to complete here at the Coalition?”

The roller-coaster of emotions the Coalition Leader went through over the last minute was giving Thaden whiplash as the boisterous enthusiasm from before was back. “What a great question! Quests at the Adventurer Coalition include Item Retrieval, Resource Collection, Monster Extermination, and Dungeon Maintenance. There are different rewards for completing each of the different types of Quests, and each Quest will have one of nine difficulties assigned to it, along with a minimum party size and Level range.”

Thaden thought about what Boydlen said and had a few more questions. “Given that it might be a while until the other members return,” he said, knowing that it was unlikely that they would return, “is the minimum party size a hard rule? Or would I be able to accomplish them solo?”

The Coalition Leader looked at a spot over Thaden’s head for a moment before answering. “There is no hard rule that a Quest be undertaken by the minimum party size, though at your Level and Class, I would suggest that you don’t undertake those types of Quests. As far as accomplishing solo Quests, I would recommend Resource Collection and potentially a few Item Retrievals, as they will have a minimum of fighting. I would also recommend restricting yourself to Low-Minimal or Mid-Minimal difficulty Quests, despite your relatively high Level.”

Thaden nodded. “I see. What are the different difficulties again?”

“Low-Minimal, Mid-Minimal, High-Minimal, Low-Medial, Mid-Medial, High-Medial, Low Maximal, Mid-Maximal, and High-Maximal,” Boydlen recited quickly, as if it was something he practiced frequently.

The Assistant Healer could extrapolate what those meant, even if he didn’t have specifics quite yet.

“Are there any requirements I should be aware of?”

The Charee waved at the board behind him. “Only that at least one Quest be undertaken a month; for Quests that require more than a month to complete, they are counted for each month they are being actively completed. There is no registration fee for anyone signing up to become members of the Coalition right now; that will change once the Contenders arrive in a few months.”

“Excellent. Thank you for answering my questions. I have just one more for you before I make my decision.”

The man smiled brightly, as if knowing that he was close to making a “sale”. “Go ahead!”

“Is there any place in this big building where I can stay? It seems as though the local Inn doesn’t care for Adventurers, and the proprietor has refused to let me stay there from now on.”

The man’s face fell, though it wasn’t because of what Thaden was worried about. “That’s a real shame. I hadn’t realized Varla had become that outspoken already, though considering…. Anyway, yes, there are accommodations here for any member of the Coalition ranked Bronze or higher, though seeing as there aren’t enough members to fill even a portion of our available rooms, I can let you lease one for a small fee of 50 copper a week. Once the Contenders arrive, however, I may need to evict you from your room… you understand, don’t you? Yes? Good. Oh, and that doesn’t include meals, as we will not have a full staff here for a few months, so that will have to be your own responsibility. So, ready to sign up?” he finished hopefully.

“Almost. I guess I have one more question… about the ranks?”

“Ah, yes, there are nine ranks in the Adventurer Coalition, and almost everyone starts at the lowest rank, which is designated as Wood. To advance in rank, a certain number of Quests depending on their difficulty is required, and your Coalition Badge,” Boydlen said, pointing to a silver-looking pin on his shirt, “will automatically change into your new rank.  The ranks in order are: Wood, Leather, Copper, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum. Oh, and before you ask, there is no way to cheat the Assimilation System by pretending to complete a Quest when you didn’t, because they are automatically monitored for completion. Any rewards are automatically supplied to you upon completion, though if you have Item Retrieval or Resource Collection Quests, they won’t be completed until you turn them in at the nearest Adventurer Coalition location.

“Now, does that cover everything? Shall we get the paperwork started?”

Thaden had a few additional questions, but they were more about specific details that he figured he could ask about later. For now, he had made up his mind – and it wasn’t wholly predicated on the fact that the Coalition had a place for him to stay while in town. It helped a lot in his decision, but it wasn’t everything.

“Yes. Let’s get it started.”

The process was actually quite quick and painless, despite the Coalition Leader sounding as if it was a lengthy and involved series of papers he had to fill out. Instead, Boydlen filled it all out for him by asking him simple questions that he already knew, such as his name, current Level, and Class. He also asked about which spells he had, as they were important for matching him up with parties that could use what he had to offer. Thaden thought it was a bit silly considering that, even if the three Coalition members from Ashcleft came back, there wasn’t really any other options for any parties.

“Your registration is good for all branches of the Coalition all around the world, and this information will automatically be imprinted upon your badge. It will also update when you acquire new spells, increase your Level, and so on, though only other members of the Coalition will be able to see this information when they examine your badge.” There were a few other questions like what his highest stat was, which he figured was important to know when picking out a party because no one wanted a tank or front-line fighter who had a low Physicality – and an Assistant Healer with a low Mentality meant that they would likely be less effective.

When Thaden told him that he had 25 in Mentality, the man looked at him like he wanted to say something, but he only sighed and wrote down the information on the paper he was filling out. Thaden could only assume that most Healers increased their Mentality even further with their free stat points, instead of putting them in Fortuity like he had.

“Alright, that looks like everything—”

“What about Achievements or Competencies?” the newest member of the Adventurer Coalition asked. He was actually wondering if he could ask Boydlen advice on what sort of Advancements he should choose for his Defensive Spellcasting Competency, since he hadn’t chosen them yet.

“Achievements? Competencies? You don’t have to worry about those. Only Contenders can gain Achievements and have Competencies, though you should definitely ask about them from potential Contender party members in the future!”

Only Contenders have Achievements and Competencies? He was learning more and more every day – though he doubted he would know everything he needed to know by the time the rest of the people from Earth arrived on Tarth.

When Thaden didn’t have any other questions or items to add to the paperwork, there was a bright flash and the paper Boydlen had written on seemed to erupt in a burst of flames. Sitting back slightly at the sight, he was amazed when the Coalition Leader leaned forward with a new wooden badge similar in shape and size to his own out to Thaden. “Here you go! Display it wherever you go, and you’ll receive a 10% discount at all shops and restaurants… or at least you’re supposed to. Many of the shopkeepers and restaurant owners are a bit stingy right now, though that will change once the Contenders arrive. Just hold out to make any major purchases until then and you’ll be fine.”

Thaden took the badge from Boydlen and looked for a pin to stick it through his shirt, but it turned out that it wasn’t necessary; as soon as he brought it close to his chest, it seemed to stick to it like it was magnetized. He tried to take it off once it was on, but it wouldn’t budge.

“You have to specifically send your thoughts to it to take it off,” the Coalition Leader said, chuckling at his confusion. “Otherwise, it’s stuck on there permanently and is impervious to damage, which means you shouldn’t ever have to worry about losing it.  If you do lose it, however,” he warned with a stern tone, “it’s a five silver replacement fee – so don’t lose it!”

“I won’t.”

“Wonderful! Welcome to the Adventurer Coalition, Thaden! Now, would you like to make a deposit for your stay here, or would you prefer to peruse the Board?”

And just like that, Thaden was now a member of the Coalition.