NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: Conscription
Morning light washed over Hiving, painting the cobbled streets gold and pale white as the city went about its day.
Wade moved with the crowd, hands tucked into his coat pockets. Here he was. Another day meant another set of obligations.
The guild building was just up ahead, standing like a giant in the middle of the city. Adventurers moved in and out, some laughing and loud, others quiet and grim.
The air buzzed with an uneasy anticipation. The city could feel the war getting nearer and nearer.
Wade entered, heading to the cafeteria.
When he got there, his eyes immediately found their usual table, with Sebastian and Ingrid already sitting there.
Sebastian was halfway through a plate piled high with bread and meat, while Ingrid nursed a bowl of porridge, her bow case leaned against her seat as always.
Wade went to get his own food.
"Morning," he greeted as he got to the table, setting down his tray as he joined them.
"Morning," Sebastian replied. "You look rested."
"Better than yesterday," Wade said, sitting down. "You two eat early."
"Needed to," Ingrid said quietly, pushing a strand of hair from her face. "We have to report for conscription registration today. Figured I'd rather not do it hungry."
"Government building's going to be packed," Sebastian added. "Half the guilds are sending their adventurers in today."
Wade nodded, beginning to eat. "It'll be chaos."
"Pretty much," Sebastian said with a sigh. "But it's mandatory. Every guild-affiliated adventurer has to register with the kingdom before the campaign starts. The army's drafting us into the chain of command officially."
"Make room, make room!" The loud voice reached their ears.
Rowan appeared, tray in one hand, a rolled piece of parchment in the other. He dropped both onto the table, the parchment landing with a slap.
"Morning to you too," Wade said, smirking.
Rowan groaned, sliding into his seat. "Morning, my ass. I've been at the guild market since dawn trying to sell our loot, and let me tell you, those smug bastards at procurement make highway robbery look charitable."
Sebastian chuckled. "That bad?"
"Oh, it's worse," Rowan said, grabbing his spoon and stabbing at his breakfast.
"They keep trying to undercut me because apparently 'demand fluctuations' make resale uncertain. Hah! As if they won't turn around and double the prices once the army starts requisitioning."
Wade raised an eyebrow. "So how much did you get in the end?"
Rowan sighed heavily but unrolled the parchment. "A combined total of 163,500 coins. Not bad considering they tried to rob me blind."
Ingrid leaned closer, scanning the paper. "That's more than I expected."
"Same," Sebastian agreed. "Good work."
Rowan's mood brightened immediately. "Of course. I'm nothing if not persuasive."
With Exchange, he gave Wade and Ingrid their cut. "Your shares. 54,500 coins each. My math's impeccable as always."
Wade grinned, staring at the addition to his inventory. "Appreciate it."
"Thank you," Ingrid said quietly.
"Don't mention it," Rowan said, finally digging into his food with renewed vigor. "Now, eat fast. We've got a long line ahead of us."
The group fell into a comfortable silence after that, the sound of clinking utensils and distant laughter filling the air around them.
Wade ate slowly, his mind wandering. It wasn't the food that held his attention, it was the thought of what awaited them.
War.
The word echoed in his mind.
There would be battles, yes, and chaos, but there would also be opportunity.
If the payment pool rumors were true, there was going to be more gold moving through Hiving in the next few months than ever before.
Adventurers would die, but those who survived would come out wealthy for their troubles.
When they finished eating, Sebastian stood first, brushing crumbs from his gloves. "Alright. Let's get this over with."
The others followed him out of the cafeteria and through the guild's main doors, stepping into the bright morning light.
The streets were packed now, a current of movement flowing toward the government district.
They moved as a group cutting through the crowd.
The city's architecture grew grander as they approached, with wide stone avenues, banners bearing the kingdom's crest fluttering in the breeze, and the spire of the government building visible from blocks away.
It was enormous. A sprawling marble structure with tall columns and numerous arches. The main courtyard was filled with people. Adventurers, mercenaries, and even soldiers in uniform.
A line stretched from the entrance all the way down the street.
Rowan groaned. "I knew it. The line's ridiculous."
"Better now than later," Sebastian said. "The crowd'll double by noon."
They joined the queue, the murmur of conversation around them creating a constant hum.
Some adventurers boasted about the rewards to come. Others complained about being forced into service. A few looked pale, fear plain on their faces.
For a while, no one in Wade's group spoke. They just waited, inching forward with the line.
Eventually, Rowan broke the silence. "So, have you guys heard the latest update on the payment pool?"
Sebastian looked over. "No. What now?"
"It's confirmed," Rowan said, grinning faintly despite the tension in his voice. "The total war fund is two billion gold coins."
"Straight from the royal coffers and guild treasuries combined. The payout will be divided among every surviving adventurer at the end of the campaign."
Ingrid's head lifted. "Two billion?"
"Two billion," Rowan repeated. "If we survive, we're walking out of this rich."
Sebastian crossed his arms. "Or not at all."
"That too," Rowan admitted with a dry chuckle. "But hey, if I'm going to die, I'd rather do it for a share of that kind of money."
Wade smirked faintly but said nothing.
The line inched forward again. The closer they got to the entrance, the more formal everything became. Clerks recorded names, while soldiers in uniform stamped official seals onto registration forms.
The adventurers ahead of them moved quickly once they reached the front, each one signing their name in glowing ink and receiving a silver token etched with their guild insignia.
The line moved again.
"Next," called a clerk in a crisp uniform.
Sebastian stepped up first. He gave his name, guild, and rank. The clerk scribbled rapidly, handed him a token, and gestured for the next.
Rowan went second, followed by Ingrid.
When it was Wade's turn, the clerk looked up briefly, noting his cloak and the faint glint of his pauldrons. "Name?"
"Wade Barrett," he said.
"Guild?"
"Lion's Guild."
The clerk wrote it down, stamped the page, and slid the parchment forward. "Sign here."
Wade took the pen, signing his name.
The clerk nodded. "You're registered. Report to the guild when the campaign summons are issued. You'll be given your deployment zone then."
Wade accepted the silver token, which was stamped with both the royal crest and the guild insignia.
He turned back towards the others, who were waiting just beyond the registration desk.
Rowan held up his own token with a crooked smile. "Well, that's it. We're official now."
Sebastian exhaled, tucking his token into his pocket. "Yeah. No turning back."
They walked out together, the noise of the crowd washing over them as they stepped into the sunlight again.
Hiving's bells tolled solemnly in the distance.
The war had begun to feel real.