Chapter 17, Silvers and membership

I only manage to fit half of my dinner before Ari says we’ve eaten all we can at the moment. It’s sad but at the same time good motivation for getting this to work. Manifesting the flames in our stomach we watch as the flames cover the meat, reaching everywhere and coating every surface. The celestial flames don't need air to burn as there isn’t anything natural about it, a purely arcane phenomena.

The meat becomes ash quite fast, probably faster than I could eat which is quite fast indeed. I even have the [Gorge] general skill after all but I don’t remember how I got it. Soon a thin layer of ash covers the bottom of our stomach sack and we put out the flames before starting our experiments.

It didn't go that well in the beginning. We can’t modify the structure of the ash at all as our [Arcane Manipulation] has a huge penalty for dealing with anything other than arcane. It takes a few hours and the sun is starting to rise before Ari finally figures it out.

We can’t manipulate the natural mana structure directly but we can create an arcane mana structure specifically designed to pick apart a single natural one. As the ash is one single type of natural mana structure we only have to design a new one geared towards picking that specific one apart and break the energies up into unaligned ambient mana.

It’s quite difficult as the natural mana structure contains traces of anima holding it together but we know the conversion is possible. Our own soul does it all the time as a matter of fact. All our physical attributes dealing with anima have to be converted by our mana body so we refuse to give up and eventually manage to create something that works.

Feeling daring we chose to incorporate the new ash dissolving mana structure as a third layer of our celestial flame variant structure. We could have had it as a secondary function of our digestion, first burning and then dissolving, but this felt better even if the cost of operating the flames increased by a large margin.

We were pleasantly surprised therefore when we tested our new flame and it started eating away at the ash, turning the tips of the flame emerald before seemingly dissolving into azure blue unaligned unstructured mana. [Passive Power] gobbled it all up like it did with the ambient mana around us and then the flames died down of their own without us needing to cut the connection feeding it.

“Have our digestive flame been incorporated into [Passive Power]?!”

Ari sounds as amazed as I am because there’s no doubt that it had. Getting all excited once more I put the last piece of meat on the skewer before cooking it and digging in. We watch as the meat makes its way down our throat towards the stomach and just as it hits the bottom gets lighted up with our digestive flame. The meat slowly disappears, seeming to shrink as no ash is left behind.

“Holy shit, Zel. This is amazing!”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! We can finally eat as much as we want!”

Ari can’t let my entirely reasonable comment go and bursts out into a mental fit of laughter.

“Sure silly, we can eat as much as we want. What I was referring to was what this could do for us. Don’t you realize? The digestive flames use less mana than what the burned fuel releases. We could keep [Passive Power] going by eating even if the ambient mana around us went down to nothing.”

“Ooh, yeah that’s also great but I’m more interested in what this means for our diet honestly.”

The sun will soon be rising above the mountain tops as it approaches noon and we let our campfire die down as we make our way south once more. We increase our speed while sprinting between the trees as we plan on making it out of the forest today. I’m on the constant lookout for more prey for our next dinner but I can’t find anything large enough to be worth the time of dressing down or butchering.

We burst through the treeline in the mid afternoon sun, coming upon a flat plane. The mountains are now mostly to our northeast and the sight towards the south east brings into view smoothly curving hills and valleys, a few boulders strewn across the grass at ever increasing frequency and size towards the horizon. Towards the south lies another forest of seemingly huge trees. Probably hundreds of meters tall with wide canopies and thick branches generously sprouting from their trunks. Might be home to a few wood elves since they usually like living in those kinds of forests.

To the west the plains continue stretching out as far as I can see and there are a few houses strewn towards the northeastern horizon, farms I guess since that’s where the farmhand said he lived.

A few dozen meters in front of me there’s a sorry looking dirt road coming from the supposed farms and leading south west towards the less flat region. This must be the way towards White Rock town and not having any other options I skip down before starting my walk towards my first town as the new me.

Ari makes me aware of the new me being both dirty and having small sticks sprouting from my hair. Dispersing everything on me except my daggers in the middle of the road I let Ari scrub me down, this time with the usual teasing. I manifest everything back, hanging my daggers on my pants and tie my hair up in what might as well be my signature style, a swirling bun and loose white locks on my right, tickling my cheek.

Now looking as good as new I once more up my pace and use my capacitor to boost myself into a sustainable running speed. I’m probably faster than the fastest horse while at this comfortable pace. I move like the wind over hills and into valleys as the sun starts setting and I keep going even after the stars and new moon come out, using my glowing eyes to see the path ahead.

Crossing the top of the largest hill yet with a lot of gray boulders littering its face I finally see my goal. White Rock lies in front of me on a large and lonely green hill that tapers off into a dozen meters of white granite before the white town walls block it from view.

It gives it a charming look while also announcing its good defenses with the thick white stone walls. The white granite of the hill must continue rising for a few dozen meters in elevation after the town walls as the stone and wooden buildings sit on an ever increasing height before reaching a lone house standing at the top and overlooking the surrounding territory.

The lone house, no mansion is more like it, is clearly where the ruler of this town lives and the houses closest to it look quite grand themselves if not as grand as the mansion. This town’s wealthy district surrounding the mansion is followed by what must be a market and workshop district with the outer ring of houses being for the middle and lower class.

There is a risk that the gates won’t open for anyone at night and if they do they will surely try to collect a higher entry fee. I decide to take a seat on a large boulder flecked with a tiny spot of white granite and gaze at the stars while waiting for the morning to arrive. If the guards are unreasonable it might be a challenge to get in at all even in the morning as I’m as broke as can be.

Fighting the endless waves of [Razormouth Scavenger Rat] while holding on to their cores didn’t pan out in the end. My pants kept being torn and the cores dropped so I just stopped picking them up after a while. I could have sold them but I’d rather make the needed coin now. Future Zelaria’s problem and all that.

“Any ideas on how we’re going to make the needed coin to sign up as members of the Adventurers' Guild?”

“2 silvers, right? I have thought about it a little and our deer explosion yesterday gave me an idea. Why not find a butcher in this town and ask what they’d give for anything we can hunt? It will likely be the fastest way to get what we need.”

“That might work as long as we get in. We’d need to use something other than our missiles though as I don’t think they’d buy the gutted deer from yesterday. Maybe they have a bank here? Then we could just skip that whole step.”

Pondering our conundrum while waiting for the sun to rise the night was spent in companionable silence.

When the sun rises over the rolling hills to the east, casting its golden morning glow over the town, we start making our way at a slow pace towards the town.

The gates are now open and a few wagons trundle their way out and towards the east and west, heading towards the Riverflow kingdom and towards me. Both the drivers and I curiously inspect each other as we pass by in different directions. I’m curious about what they’re carrying covered under thick hides while they’re no doubt ogling my figure and firm, loosely supported bust bouncing in time with my steps.

It takes a few minutes of walking at my slow pace before I make it towards the gate and with no one else coming through this early I have no idea if I’ll have to pay a fee as is customary. To my chagrin my fears become reality as a guard calls out to me from his table that is stacked with pitchers of water.

“Oi! You think you can just swagger in like that without paying the entry fee?”

A second and younger guard comes out of the guard house while yawning before doing a double take at me with leery eyes and a creepy smile.

“She can pay me in the guard house if she’s willing.”

“Cut it out, James. You’ll give us a worse reputation than we already have.”

“What’s your reputation?”

I was not really bothered by this so-called James’ comment but I was honestly curious about this supposedly bad reputation. I could always go to the next town if this seemed like a bad place to start my adventuring days. I walk towards the middle aged guard at the table and ignore James' unmasked stare.

“First time here girl? Yeah, the Olkas family, the town's rulers, decided to increase the entry fee a few months ago out of the blue. It has given us a horrible reputation to the merchants coming here but no matter how much we explain they always shoot the messenger. It’s just how it is with those money-grubbers.”

I probably could have gotten in without paying the entry fee a few months ago as long as I promised to pay it on my way out instead, but now? If even the merchants are helpless I won’t get in without paying no matter what.

“Well, fuck.”

“Don't you have any silver on you? Is that it? Even with that body and daggers like those at your hip you’re broke?”

It’s James who speaks up this time and the middle aged guard exhales a heavy sigh as if to expel all the bullshit he’s accumulated being next to this fool.

“James, boy. Take a look at her hands. Do you see a storage ring there? If I’m not mistaken it got stolen or she lost it. How could she not have had a storage ring while carrying that equipment?”

Mentally praising the older guard for his quick wit I explain myself.

“That’s the crux of it. With no storage ring and no money and with entry fees at almost every town and city I’ll be stuck in the wilds or turn to roadside banditry to get my hands on the few coppers or silvers. I’d planned on signing up at the Adventurers' Guild if there is one in this town but I don’t even have the capital to do that.”

I conveniently leave out that I’d be perfectly fine in the middle of nowhere. I’d like to get in if possible.

“You’re not an adventurer? What the hell did you do to get those levels and daggers at your age?”

I inspect the guard as I honestly didn’t think my level was that impressive but I rarely compare myself to others anyway. My view on it might be skewed.

[Warrior - Level ??]

“I was a mercenary until recently. Quit the trade to start my career as an adventurer as I got tired of killing humans for silver. And well, I lost all my savings and starting capital with my storage ring soon after I quit.”

It was a straight up lie but I had to improvise and this seemed like something the guard wouldn’t question further. I didn’t want to be under the scrutiny of someone who had a hundred levels on me, even if he was middle aged.

“I see. That’s unfortunate. I can’t let you in without paying the entry fee though.”

“Do you have a bank branch here? I could take out a loan of a few silvers while one of you keeps an eye on me. I can pay it back right outside the bank before taking on an adventurer posting to repay the small loan.”

The middle aged guard seems to consider it and after looking at his still leering fellow guardsman gives another heavy sigh.

“Alright. We do have a branch of the West Norman Bank here. James, you go with her and try not do anything stupid will ya? Entry fee is one silver, miss.”

I thank the middle aged and surprisingly reasonable gate guard with genuine gratitude before making my way through the gates. Only a few moments later when we’re out of earshot the young guardsman beside me starts his second attempt at what he probably thinks would count as courting, not caring of the looks of the few pedestrians walking the road with us.

“Are you sure you want to take a loan, beautiful? I could show you a good time, you know, while getting you the silvers as a bonus.”

Craning my neck to the right to give him a withering look I don’t even get to meet his gaze as he’s too focused on the nipples barely visible through the thin white fabric covering my bouncing chest. I sigh almost as wearily as the middle aged guardsman before giving him a response.

“I’m flattered but I’m not a prostitute. I’m sure you have a district for those women somewhere in this town. Now show me the way to the bank since we don’t want to give the guard at the gate the impression I slit your throat for your tiresome remarks before dumping your corpse down a well ‘cause you didn’t return on time.”

That finally got him to look up from the frankly mesmerizing view he had been indulging in and he paled slightly when meeting my gaze. I’d turned up the glow of my irises just high enough to be obvious and unnatural.

“You’re such a drama queen, Zel.”

Ari sounds amused though and I have to fight to keep my face stone cold and not break out laughing at the pale guard who suddenly seems very interested in everything else on the street besides my body. He doesn’t let out another sound until we make it to the bank.

“Here’s the bank. Get your silver and pay up.”

The bank is a three story white granite building with luxurious decorations of polished steel and bronze. It has large and heavy looking stone double doors opened inwards to signal their business being open. There’s a small crowd of people and workers going about the morning's tasks but most of the population of this town seemed like late risers.

A big placard of polished dark wood with golden lettering announces it as the ‘West Norman Bank’ and it does indeed look like a reputable bank if this is only one of their branches. Ignoring James I go inside and quickly get called over by a clerk who sits behind gilded bars of bronze on the back end of the open entrance room.

She looks to be about 20 years of age and has a refined air about her. Like money and power moves at her wims. She gives me an appraising eye as I feel [Identify] being used on me and I return the favor.

[Manager - Level 94]

“What can we do for you, miss?”

“Zelaria.”

“Miss Zelaria.”

“I’d like to take a loan with the West Norman Bank for 5 silver.”

That gets me a look of plain derision. The clerk sizes me up once more before her eyes land on my chest and a look of envy flashes deep in them. It seems like money and power doesn’t give her everything. She quickly hides her thoughts though and gets back to professionalism.

“What do you need the 5 silver for if I may ask, Miss Zelaria?”

“To pay the entry fee to the guard, James I think his name was, and to sign up at the Adventurers' Guild. I’ll be able to pay the money back after completing a posting from there.”

“And you honestly don’t have the coin to even pay the entry fee? Or the membership fee at the Guild?”

I just stare at her until she cracks. Why did she think I was here? To chat her up or something?

“Very well. You may take out a loan of 5 silver from us but you will have to pay it back within 2 months with a much higher interest than usual. This paperwork isn’t free, you know. Well, poor business is still business.”

She starts drawing up the contract for the loan. Stating the duration before the interest would start exponentially accruing indefinitely and marking the low sum and higher interest rate. It said I’d have to pay it all back within 2 months at 60% interest. It’s a frankly absurd percentage in interest but in a sum as small as this it only meant that the bank gained 3 silvers from the whole transaction. Minus the cost of the paperwork as the clerk had said herself.

“Alright, now sign here and here and prick your finger on this nail before placing it in this square marking your mana signature. We need the mana signature to track any borrowers not paying their due.”

I signed the paperwork and am a little concerned that my unique blood wouldn’t register or maybe fade into ambient mana and just leave a blank. I decide to just finish this fast before they catch on.

“Alright that’s that done and here’s your 5 silver. Please count it and confirm.”

I just look at the silver she places before me on the counter for a second before confirming it, swiping it up in a hand and leaving.

“Here you go, James. Don’t go spending it on whores. I know you’ve got your own money for that and if the older guard comes after me I’ll sell you out.”

Throwing him a silver I start making my way through the merchant district. I have to ask for directions to the Adventurers' Guild after looking and not finding it and a helpful older woman selling food from a stall gets me on track. The food smells delicious but I don’t want to spend money on food before repaying the loan.

Another 5 minutes of walking in a circular path through the markets I make my way to the other side of the town. I’d seen an interesting store 2 minutes into my stroll and I’d like to look at it after getting my membership.

The Adventurers' Guild of White Rock town isn’t anything special. In the capital of the Riverflow Kingdom the establishments are absolutely massive but this is about the same size as the branch of the West Norman Bank. Standing three stories tall and made of dark wood that looks a little weatherbeaten it bears the universal emblem of the Adventurers' Guild. A pickaxe crossed by a shortsword and engraved in dark wood with shiny steel. It’s simple but memorable.

The windows look clean at least and an inviting warm light and buzz of conversation comes from within when a heavyset and fully plate armored adventurer makes his way out of the wooden door. I walk towards him and I see his adventurer emblem pinned to his chestplate. Some people liked to showcase their profession even though a man in plate armor wielding a steel corded whip of all weapons screams adventurer on its own.

I get a look in return but nothing more. My otherwise unconventional outfit fits right in with the weird getup some adventurers wear and I’ll be another one just like them as I’ve gotten used to what I’m wearing and quite like it.

Pushing the worn wooden door open I walk into the warmth and noise. A few people sit at the bar to my right in different states of wakefulness, drinking their hangover away while a few people eat breakfast at the tables to my left. Straight ahead of me are the counters with only one clerk on duty. He seems to be dusting the wall of all things.

To the right and left of the counter stairs lead up to the second floor where a few different offices, meeting rooms available for renting and the staff's quarters are usually located. The third floor is most likely for the branch manager's own use and storage. This is the standard guildhouse layout in towns I’ve passed through before at least.

I make my way towards the counter while studying the people around me who likewise return the favor. A few instances of [Identify] make it my way but I don’t reciprocate. I’m not really here to gossip with these strangers. I have a goal and a deadline.

“Good morning, what can I do for you?”

He doesn’t stop his vigorous wall dusting while turning towards me even though they seem to be perfectly clean and dust free to me. Might be a strange quirk of this clerk.

“I’d like to sign up with the guild.”

“Oh really? Very well. I’ll get you sorted.”

It’s another exercise in paperwork, signatures and once more a square where my blood and mana signature is supposed to be readable. It will probably fade in a few minutes though. Next he takes out the badge and token which my two silver have bought me. I already know their function but he explains it anyway and I listen.

“The badge is purely for aesthetics. A lot of people like to have something that signifies them as adventurers on a quick glance when they’re out and about. The token on the other hand is both your personal Adventurers' Guild identification and your most crucial tool for accepting postings and completing them. It also logs the dungeons you’ve entered but keeping that information is voluntary.

"Should your body be found by another adventurer after an untimely death they are obligated, not enforced mind you, to return the token to the guild so that we can mark your death in our records and notify anyone of your choice of your passing. Do you need an explanation on how to bind and navigate your token?”

“Thank you, but no. I got it.”

I bind the token in the view of the clerk on his instruction. Can’t have an unbound token making its way out of the guild after all. It's a simple procedure of pushing a bit of mana into it and waiting for it to circulate the magical structure before returning back to me. It repeats a few dozen times before the token shudders slightly in my hand and the binding is completed.

Ding! You have bound [Adventurer Token] to your mana signature.

The slight shudder isn’t only in the physical token in my hand but also seems to travel into me along an ethereal connection I can feel between the token and myself. It’s almost like using a storage ring but there’s only information stored in it and no physical objects. I try opening my mind to the token through the ethereal connection and I’m greeted by information that almost presents itself like system notifications.

It only tells my name, rank, delves of active dungeons and information on copied and accepted postings. Since it’s completely new it’s empty of everything except name and rank.

[Adventurer Token]

Name: Zelaria

Rank: Silver

Dungeons:

Postings:

Accepted postings:

The rankings are [Iron 0 - 25], [Steel 25 - 50], [Copper 50 - 75], [Silver 75 - 100], [Gold 100 - 300] and [Diamond - 300+]. I’m currently silver but I plan to reach gold soon and then diamond. A lot of adventurers never reach higher than gold because of the strict level requirement. You either need to max out the evolution of your first class and reach the threshold for evolution on your second one or have both classes at about level 150.

Most people never bother and are simply satisfied with getting to gold and being classified as a competent adventurer. Getting to diamond could take ten times as long as reaching gold if you’re not willing to take big risks and you’ll never reach diamond without taking any risks no matter how long you live.

The creatures you’ll have to kill to level past an overall level of 300 are ridiculously strong compared to those below level 100. I’m looking forward to facing them when I get my second class.

“Are you able to access the token alright, Ari?”

“Sure are, Zel. It’s bound to our mana signature after all. Not your specific mind.”

The clerk gives me an approving nod as he touches the token and reads my name and rank. Checking if everything is accurate with what the records say.

“Don’t forget that you can’t hand your token over to someone else as you must be touching it yourself while it is in contact with another’s mana signature. This is to prevent thieves from taking the token.

"If someone touches it without you doing the same it will teleport into your right palm or close to if that’s occupied. It will do the same if you get too far from it. The distance varies depending on your currently available mana but it will always drain half of it to get back to you. It might drain you dry if you drop it in a fight while moving around, not able to pick it up again. Keep it safe and secure.”

Thanking the clerk for his sound advice I pocket the badge and token before making my way to the unoccupied notice board on the wall next to the left stairway showing all the current postings. There aren’t a lot of postings in a town with a population under 10 000 but a few catch my eye and I start reading.

[Need help wife almost dead] - Steel

There is a goblin tribe outside of my farm in the forest. Killed our chickens and nearly killed my slow wife. 1 silver for proof of 2 dead goblins. Come see me before you go into the forest. I saw 15 goblins, maybe more in their tribe.

(Location)

Extermination] - Gold

A gang of outlaws has set up camp and built fortifications. They waylay merchants along the road and collect tolls for passage. They are known to kill, rape and torture their victims even if paid their toll. Exterminate and bring leaders' heads. Descriptions can be provided. 5 Gold upon completion.

(Location)

(Location)

[URGENT LETTER] - ?

Need to get a letter to Halscorn City in three days. Distance is 6 days by courier. 50 Silver upon delivery.

(Location)

(Location)

[Escort] - Silver

Escort the monthly caravan going to the Delinu trading outpost. 2 weeks escort.

40 Silver.

Escort the monthly caravan going to the Delinu trading outpost and then escort it back to White Rock town. 4 weeks escort.

1 Gold & 20 Silver

(Location)