NOVEL NEXT Chapter 105: Payment
The main road of Klos was overflowing, not just with people, but with stands and stalls. Leif and the others passed by where the usual restrictions for the town’s market was, and that too was bustling. Shouts trying to capture attention and cries marketing hot deals drowned out the high pitched chatter of the milling crowds.
Soldiers, both imperial and local patrolled or shopped, but they were dwarfed by a third type of person. Adventurers, mercenaries, bounty hunters. If the cordon to hold back the encroaching frontier was an obligation for those within the military, it was a veritable gold rush for independents who worked through the guilds.
“It feels like there are more outsiders than locals.” Samil said, pitching his voice to be heard over a merchant working a nearby weapon repair stall.
Leif nodded, sending a message of affirmation through telepathy. He had to withdraw his aura, the sheer amount of emotions and intentions like a maelstrom of chaos to his perception. In polite society it was seen as rude to project your aura, when powerful people gathered their presences could overwhelm, even potentially injure those with fewer levels.
The main street of Klos, as it turned out, was not polite society. Men and women ranging from level ten to above fifty engaged in an invisible shoving match. The aura of merchants drew attention while the presence of combatants left phantom impressions of blades being drawn.
Leif used his aura like a wedge, parting the presences around him like a ship through waves. Samil, Olav and Liv crowded in behind him, using him like a vessel to navigate turbulent seas. A bell tolled from somewhere within the market district, and like a blanket being used to smother a flame aura’s were retracted and the milling crowds began to disperse. Merchants who had only just been yelling about end of day sales began to pack up their wares, some even cutting off in-process deals to close up shop.
Ah. Leif realised. This was the very end of the day's trading, no wonder people were being so aggressive. He was unimpressed, but at least the street was clearing by the time Liv called out that she saw the guild building. Compared to the buildings of stone that lined the streets of Klos, the guild office was a construction of wood and brick tiles. And it literally was a construction, half of the building still had workers with glowing lights on their helmets scaling scaffolding to expand the building into the unoccupied plot next to it.
Adventurers gathered around two large notice boards outside the building's front facade, posters and fliers displayed sketches of all manner of creatures, written descriptions below detailing numbers, location and any associated reward. Leif overheard a party near the front discuss going after a nest of insects two days' travel from the town, but he didn’t stick around to listen.
He pushed open the front doors, each with an engraving of a lion’s head and a spear, and entered into the building. His heavy steps caused the floorboards beneath his feet to creak, the rowdy conversation and clatter of cutlery taking place across several long common tables quieted down to a whisper.
The scion quickly scanned the room, his amber eyes glowing from beneath his simple mask. He pushed out his [Aura of Recovery], using it to tag several of the closest humans with both of his analysis skills.
Combat experience: Lesser!
Age: Older!
Combat experience: Greater!
Age: Older!
He felt several others in the room do the same to him, most failed to find purchase, that was until Leif sensed something penetrate through. His gaze snapped to a large, well muscled man standing with his arms crossed near a counter on the far side of the room. The man blinked, then slightly inclined his head. Leif didn’t know what information he had gleamed, but considering the lack of any hostile reaction it was unlikely to have been critical.
Leif stepped forward, feeling the attention of the room’s occupants slide off of him and onto his companions. Whispers started up at the sight of Olav and Liv’s horns, a group of several men over on a far table being by far the loudest.
“I’m here to see the guild representative, whoever that may be.” Leif said, glancing at the large man standing off to the side. The clerk on the other side of the desk looked him up and down, then nodded.
“Sure thing, please state your reason for this appointment, it may change your position in the que.”
“Captain Peri sent us. It's about a group of prisoners we handed over to her, bandits. We have potential information as to their goals, and bring proof from the village they were attempting to pillage.”
“Oh, okay then.” The clerk said, leaning back and glancing at something Leif couldn’t see. “I see, that is indeed high priority. You will be second in the queue, I estimate twenty to thirty minutes until the representative is available to see you.”
“We should find a table.” Samil said, looking around for just that.
“And drink. See if this place has booze better than piss water.” Olav muttered. The demikin moved off, leaving Leif alone at the desk.
“Are you in the queue?” He asked the looming presence off to the side.
The man, Leif now noticed, wore a badge on his breast with the same lion and spear symbol that was engraved into the doors. “No. I am here to prevent people from skipping the line.” He said, his voice as deep as Leif would have assumed just by looking at him.
“I assume this line isn’t physical then, will I be called when it's our turn?”
“You will.” He said simply, slowly scanning the room. “On an unrelated note, I’m also in charge of smacking skulls together whenever some overconfident child with more levels than brains starts… trouble.”
“Does that happen often?” Leif asked.
“Ten scales trouble starts in… less than five minutes.”
“Considering my financial situation, and the fact I can already tell who’s going to start the trouble, no deal.”
The man laughed. “Shame, I can usually wring out some coin from the affluent and naive.”
“At the moment I’m neither of those.” The scion said, walking off to where his companions had found a seat.
===
“T-the guild representative of Pridelance will see you now.” Said the same clerk who had accepted Leif’s initial request having just knocked on the door to an office.
Leif, Liv, Samil and an amused looking Olav piled into the small, sparsely decorated office.
“Thank you for repairing the broken stools.” Said a wiry looking man with thinning grey hair. He sat behind the heavyset desk, shuffling through several stacks of paper before looking up. “I am Frederick, representative of the council of guilds and citizen of Ahle-ho. Though I belong to Pridelance, I am a neutral party for all guild matters and will conduct my duty with the dignity and respect it is due.” Federick’s words came quickly and with the ease of someone who had repeated themselves hundreds of times prior.
“Before we begin, I am legally obligated to inform you that this room has truth telling wards, and anything said within it will be recorded, but held in confidence unless I or another representative deem that it is within the council's best interest to share them. The warding is of rank two strength, and if you are capable of blocking its effects I may request you to briefly suppress yourself so that it may work.”
“Bloody hells.” Liv said. “You do that speech every time someone walks in here?”
“I do.” Frederick said, his words punctuated by the scratching of quill on paper, his hand seemingly moving on its own accord as he gave them all an assertive, but not unfriendly gaze.
===
A slip of paper, then the four letters that had been in the bandit leader’s possession slid across the desk with a flick of Frederick’s hand. The [Scribe], for what else could his class be, folded the letter from the village elders and carefully placed it atop a pile of other papers. “The slip has your pay, it is the general rate for bandit bounties. I have recorded the contents of the letters and will see that they’re investigated. I ask that you do not speak of this incident to any other than myself, or captain Peri as it may be a matter of national security.”
“National security.” Samil said, brow furrowed. “Have there been other incidents like what we discovered?”
“I am not at liberty to go into details, but this is but one of a series of things that have been discovered. But as a neutral party I will not say anything further.”
So that's it? Leif thought, somewhat uncomfortable with the lack of information. That there’s something going on, and the guilds know what it is? Do they not care that people are dying?
“I bet it’s the imperials, bunch of slimy pricks. You hear what one of those idiots said to me downstairs?” Liv chimed in.
Fredericks hand never stopped moving, every word still being recorded. “As you are outsiders to the situation within these lands, I will request that you do not go around making baseless accusations.” The man said. “The imperial army, Ahle-ho guard and adventurer parties are all working together to prevent the fall of this region.” He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. “I do not know how invested in this cause you may or may not be, but I can assure you that the men and women working and fighting along the frontier care, they care a lot.”
“Well.” Liv said. “I take back my accusation, but they’re still a bunch of slimy pricks.” The scribe gave her a meaningful look as he continued to write.
“In addition to the bounty paid out for the bandits, I can also offer a reward for any information as to the state of the undead incursion north of the frontier. You may or may not be aware, but the outbreak is in part due to the influence of a death-aspected dungeon.”
The three demikin all turned to look at Leif. Frederick turning a moment later.
“Oh.” Said the disguised plant monster. “I was familiar with the dungeon, yes.”
“Was?”
“Well it's been destroyed… so yes, was.”
Frederick blinked. “I apologise sir, but could you please suppress yourself and repeat that? For the record?”