Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked through the crowded, dimly lit guild hall, his boots thudding softly against the wooden floor. The air smelled faintly of smoke and roasting meat, a mixture of comfort and lingering sorrow. It had been another two days of menial tasks—delivering letters to distant villages, hauling crates of supplies, and making sure the guild''s weapons were polished and well-kept— all to climb the ranks and to earn the right to step up from Bronze I to Bronze II, and eventually, Bronze III.
"It felt like a week has passed," Ethan complains to himself, a little exhausted yet comforted by the thought that he leveled up.
Know Thyself... His status screen pops up before him:
[ Adventurer Profile ]
Name: Ethan Erstellen
Lexical Reservoir: 115 {+5} = 120
Affiliation: Adventurer''s Guild
Rank: Bronze I {+I} = Bronze II
Class: Quillmancer
Level: 3 {+I} = 4
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[ Core Attributes ]
Health: 115 / 115 {+5} = 120/120
STR: 11 {+I} = 12
CON: 28 {+I} = 29
INT: 59 {+I} = 60
DEX: 13 {+I} = 14
WIS: 21 {+I} = 22
CHA: 31 {+I} = 32
----
[ Four Macro Skills ]
Reading: Master
Speaking: Competent
Writing: Wordsmith
Listening: Advanced
-----
[ Abilities ]
{Please Upgrade Your Adventurer Ring to Reveal more information}
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[ Soul Weapon: Lexcalibre (Expandable) ]
Each rank in the guild held its own rewards: access to better contracts, higher pay, better gear, and, of course, the respect that came with being more than just a lowly adventurer. Bronze III was his goal now, the next tier that would bring him closer to the other ranks of Silver, Gold, and eventually, the coveted Adamantite rank.
Alas, the substitute guard contract will end tonight, as promised he would buy Edgar Allan and the crew a round of Amontillado. He goes over to the counter only to be greeted by a face that he has become accustomed to. The feline-kin who has expressed her intent to him a couple of days back.
She had been kind to him ever since he first joined the guild—helping him with paperwork, offering advice, and always finding a way to make his day a little bit easier. Her fluffy ears twitched in excitement when she spotted him, and she leaned over the counter, tail swishing gently behind her.
"You''re back! I hope you''ve had a productive day, Ethan," she purred, her voice light and warm.
"Yes, Mi—"
"It''s Mi Hye."
"Sorry, I''m bad at recalling names. But I''m thankful for all your help so far."
"It''s alright. I''m used to it. You seem a bit down, can I help you with anything?"
"Well, I think the entire guild knows of the scrimmage we had before against Grendel... I wanted to... uhmn. How much is a round of Amontillado? Just enough to pour a glass for each surviving member of the Night Brigade."
Mi Hye pulls out an abaccus and does a few calculations before giving him an answer, "That''ll be 34 gold pieces, I can give you a discount if you want."
"34. Uh... I remember I still have an errand to finish," Ethan feigns a laugh, he didn''t even have the will to check his purse, he knew that his silver is far from enough.
As if she could read his mind, Mi Hye abruptly responses, "Oh, but it''s on the house!"
"Come on, that''s a month''s salary for receptionists, just let him take a tab, oh wait! yer Bronze adventurer, too bad ya can''t take a tab! Take yo'' broke ass somewhere else, yer better off at the commoners'' pub" another receptionist mocked while shooing Ethan away.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
"I SAID, it''s on the house," Mi Hye defiantly replied. The other receptionist, noticing her unusual behaviour, decided to shut her mouth.
"I owe you one. I''ll make it up to you, in return, I could—"
Mi Hye interrupted him, "I don''t want your pity. I''m a woman with feelings, you know. Hmph! Your drinks'' on me. Just... don''t make it a habit."
Ethan finally understood, he wasn''t held responsible to reciprocate her feelings. He can''t help but see Mi Hye in a different light, looking at her unwavering gaze, he learned to respect her resolve.
There was a moment of awkwardness, until finally, Mi Hye, mustering a nonchalant expression continued, "Three bottles of Amontillado will be delivered shortly, please give us time to chill the drink a bit first. In the meantime, you may have a conversation with your peers."
Ethan felt a pang of warmth in his chest as Mi Hye''s words settled in. He offered a sheepish grin, giving a slight bow of gratitude.
Mi Hye waved him off with a playful flick of her tail, her ears twitching as she resumed her work behind the counter. Ethan turned, making his way to the corner of the guild hall where the Night Brigade had gathered. Their usual spot was a table near the hearth, where the flickering flames cast long shadows over the worn wooden benches. Edgar Allan, the Platoon Leader, was already there, his dark cloak draped over his broad shoulders and his infamous pipe glowing softly in the dim light.
"Ah, the man of the hour!" Edgar greeted with a grin, his voice rich and gravelly, as if it had been tempered by years of battle, "I trust you''ve come to settle our little wager, yes? The Amontillado?"
"Yes! the Amontillado!" Ethan chuckled and nodded, his eyes scanning the table at the motley crew of adventurers surrounding Edgar. The Night Brigade had a reputation within the guild—not for their high profile quests, but for their chaotic camaraderie.
"A round of drinks on me tonight, Edgar," Ethan said with a grin, pulling up a chair.
"On you, eh?" Edgar raised an eyebrow. "I must say, I didn''t expect you to be such a generous man after that scuffle with Grendel. Was it not a little... spicy for you?"
Ethan snorted. "It was a damn nightmare"
"Not my fault for summoning something uncontrollable. You have bitten off more than you can chew. But I''ll give you credit—you made it out with your limbs still attached. Not everyone can claim that after facing a monster of that level." He momentarily glances at the adventurer tags of his dead teammates lying on the wooden table, "That takes heart, kid."
As he spoke, the rest of the Night Brigade nodded in agreement.
Before the conversation could spiral into further deep talks or into jests, a small team of guild members arrived carrying the three bottles of Amontillado. They carefully placed the bottles on the table, and as the corks were popped, the rich scent of the wine filled the air, mingling with the warmth of the fire. The crew, eager for the reward they had earned, grabbed their goblets.
"To survival," Edgar toasted, lifting his glass high. "To blood spilled, lives saved, and endless adventure ahead!"
Ethan raised his own goblet, a feeling of camaraderie washing over him. "To the Night Brigade!"
Ethan got to know more about the groups'' exploits (though he had a hunch that he''ll probably forget about all these in the morning). Aptly named the Night Brigade, these unit of elite adventurers are regularly assigned to patrol the borders of the town at night– a time when the stronger monsters are usually active. It entails that they are veterans on the job, and yet, Grendel was a monstrosity far more ferocious than anything they have faced before. Actually having only a few casualty is already a feat on its own. Yet none of them bragged about it, not while their precious teammates, ones treated like family, are six feet under.
"You know, our fellow soldier Nola made a bet with me" a female archer mentions as she leans closer to Ethan, "He said, if one of us dies the other has to marry and start a family. You look tame enough, wanna turn a new leaf with me?" Ethan shrugged and denied her politely.
Mi Hye overhears this conversation gently bumps over the archer as she leans over and takes away the empty bottles, "Another round?" she asked.
Before Ethan could decline, Edgar cuts him off and says "Yes, and bring some bread and cheese while you''re at it."
Ethan shots a serious stare at Edgar, to which the platoon leader replies, "What? Calm down, I''m paying for the snacks."
The group downed the rest of their drinks, the smooth warmth of the Amontillado easing away the tension of their recent battles. As they continued to drink and share stories of their past skirmishes, Ethan found himself drawn into the banter, the camaraderie a welcome change from the lonely grind of what used to be his life back on Earth.
Ethan, for a moment glances back at Mi Hye who made all this possible, and when their eyes met Mi Hye gives him a playful wink. A fuzzy feeling welled deep within him, yes, he is past the days of dating and crushes yet the positive feeling of having someone to develop a liking to you is indeed a fulfilling experienced.