Chapter 94

The trio rode through the gates to Elbing, having been swept along the main road by the press of people for the last mile across the thin peninsula leading to the city

News of the liberation and destruction of Aachen had reached here with astonishing speed, the dust had barely settled on the conflict before the entire western province was celebrating.

The knowledge that the city was completely destroyed came as a blow to populace, but assurances from the Mercantile Association that they would rebuild the western gem to be even greater than before, had led to a weeklong celebration.

The joy at the Lich’s defeat had shifted to determination to rebuild, as thousands of craftspeople traveled to Elbing to sign on to the reconstruction efforts. It was in this frenzied hub of activity that Wil, Garman and Martin found themselves in.

Gunther and Erinn had left the same day as Markus, traveling to Innesvale to spend the next few nights. The events of Aachen, and Whitewater before that, had left them exhausted and in need of rest.

With assurances from Wil that he would make his way to join them shortly, the party had split, with the couple heading east while Wil and the rest checked in with Quentin at Elbing.

Wil had been surprised that Martin had followed, until the cleric mentioned needing to return to report to the bishop. He had also wanted to speak with Quentin as well, although the young man was dodgy on the reason why.

Garman, on the other hand, was an open book. He made his disgust at coming with Wil known to everyone. ‘Babysitting’ is what he named his new duty.

Kellerman had made good on his word, although he hadn’t had the chance to travel to Aachen before the battle, he had sent word that they would meet soon. Until then, Garman would be provisionally hired to the house guard, with one single obligation, to keep Wil safe.

Apparently, Kellerman didn’t share Tiberius’ ‘sink or swim’ attitude when it came to Wil.

Elbing was packed to the brim with people, forcing Wil and the others to leave their horses at a stable just inside the gates. It was just too busy in the city for them to travel on horseback.

Making their slow way through the streets, and ignoring Garman’s complaints, they arrived at a large warehouse, with an attached office building displaying a sign that proudly stated it belonged to the ‘Quentin Trading Company.’

“I thought you needed to report into the bishop?” Wil asked, as they walked up the steps to the busy office building. Made of wood, the building appeared to have been recently painted white.

The fresh coat of paint and the steady flow of people entering and exiting the building practically screamed success. Knowing Annabelle, the trading company was bringing in a steady flow of profits.

“I…ugh…I will, just after I pay my respects.” Marin stammered, flushing red and looking nervous.

“Respects? The stories Junior told us about her, only respects I’d give her is a swift boot in the-.” Garman grumbled, the ending of his sentence cut off by him stomping his way up the stairs. Martin turned even redder, furious at the insult.

“She’s a friend, Garman. A bit bossy and greedy as all hell, but I regard her better than my own family. God’s bones, I like her leagues more than I do you.” Wil joked, slapping the older man on the shoulder.

Stepping into the office, he could see that it was filled with employees, all wearing similar uniforms with the trading company’s logo on the front. Rich looking merchants and even nobles were speaking with the workers, making arrangements for goods, or seeking to purchase items.

Wil barely had time to look around before a short, brown-haired woman barreled into him, throwing her arms around him tightly. Laughing loudly at seeing his friend again, he returned the hug briefly, before prying Mara loose and taking a step back.

In the months they had been apart, not only had she had grown to Rank 3, but was outfitted in new leather armor, lightly enchanted. Nothing extravagant, but it spoke volumes on how well they were doing during his absence.

“Wil, it’s great to see you!” Mara said, looking him up and down with a smile on her face.

“You too! Looks like you’ve been doing alright? Congratulations by the way, Rank 3 is quite the achievement for someone as young as you.” Wil said, meaning every word. Mara was only seventeen and hadn’t been formally trained.

“Thanks, and you as well! Rank 5, gods, you must have been through a lot to get there so fast.” Mara exclaimed, feeling the strong mana coming off her friend.

“Bah! He’s been sitting on his arse for months, reading musty books and whining. I thought I would have to put him out of his misery, if the undead didn’t do it first.” Garman said, scoffing at the friendly exchange.

“Mara, this is Garman. He’s like…all the grumpiness of Bell but without any of the charm. You’ll both get along great.” Wil said, smirking at his companion before turning to look at Martin.

“And this is Martin, he’s…”

“We’ve met! He used to stop by and see Miss Quentin all the time. I was wondering where you went! So, you were in Aachen with Wil?” Mara said, shaking hands with the cleric.

“Whitewater… I was in whitewater for a few months, before we transferred to Aachen. It’s good to see you again, Mara. Where’s Annabelle? I wanted to say hello” Martin enquired, peering around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the merchant boss.

“She’s upstairs, finalizing a contract with one of the nobles. It must be important, ponce traveled all the way from the capital just to meet with her. She’ll be awhile. Come on, Bell’s out ‘training’ at the tavern, let’s go for a drink.” Mara explained, dragging Wil by the arm out the door, Garman following eagerly.

“I should go meet with the Bishop, I’ll be back later for the meeting.” Martin begged off traveling to the tavern, rushing down the street where, Wil assumed, the Elbing cathedral was located.

“Fine by me, won’t need a preachy healer at a tavern.” Garman quipped, following the pair down the road.

“I half expected you not to come back here, Wil.” Mara stated, still gripping his arm as they walked.

“Why is that?”

“Well, Bell’s been telling everyone that you were probably back in the capital, drunk and knee deep in marriage proposals. The Hero of Aachen! He figured they wouldn’t let you run around anymore, said you’d be married off quick. Willy Brookmoor, all husbandly and such.” She continued, laughing.

“Yes, well, Bell’s an asshole and I’m not interested in going back, not anytime soon… can’t marry what they can’t catch!” He joked, pulling free of her arm and jogging ahead, grinning as she tried to keep up.

In short order, Wil was seated at a wooden table, a frothy mug of ale in front of him as he had a joyous reunion with Bell. Of course, the first thing that Bell brought up was the lack of a ring on his finger.

“Goddess above Wil, you couldn’t even get a woman after helping to liberate Aachen? I’m sorry to tell you my friend, you might be too ugly for them. Have you tried wearing a helm? Closed face might do wonders.” Bell joked, slapping his young friend on the back as they greeted each other.

“Ha Ha Ha…very funny. How’s things? You and Mara both look like you’re doing well.” Wil observed. Bell was wearing new, plate armor as well, and from the vintage bottles of wine resting on the table, he was flush with coin.

“Can’t complain. The young miss is cooking something big, she got coin rolling in from investors, and all I have to do is wait here, sit on my arse and drink the days away. Life’s pretty good!” Bell said, taking a large swallow from his glass.

“I’m going to enjoy this bloody job, Junior.” Garman said, picking up a bottle from the table and pouring himself a generous portion. “Good pay, no undead and no risking my neck protecting runts. Good choice.” He said, draining the entire glass before pouring another.

“Don’t get used to it Garman. I’m here to meet Annabelle and see whatever ‘surprise’ she has for me, then we’re off.” Wil said, drinking from his mug of ale, before waving to one of the serving girls. Ordering a meal for himself and Garman, he turned back to the conversation.

“About that, lad. I don’t think you’ll be wanting to rush off after seeing the young miss. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I think it’s right up your alley.” Bell commented, evading any details about her surprise.

“Even Bell is looking forward to it. He hasn’t shut up about it all month.” Mara joined in, nudging Bell in the ribs.

“Well, now I can’t wait. Knowing Quentin, it’s equal parts profitable and dangerous. At least we’ll be well paid while people try to poke holes in us.”

The four of them drank and ate for hours. Wil and Garman regaled the duo with their exploits in Aachen. The daily fighting, the long nights, the Lich. By the end, even Bell was impressed with what they had been through.

Mara and Bell described what they had been working on in Elbing. Without going into too much detail, Wil got the impression it was something much bigger than a caravan east. They had hired dozens of more guards, along with craftspeople and other tradespeople.

Even Bell was tight lipped about the surprise, despite Wil plying him with enough wine to drown him in it.

It was late in the evening, all four of their group were well on their way to getting thoroughly drunk, when the topic turned back to Wil.

“So, lad, why didn’t you go home? You said Markus wanted you to go back. You could be sitting in your manor house, drinking vintage wine, chasing skirts and studying your old books. I thought that was what you wanted? You wouldn’t stop talking about it when we were in the north.” Bell asked.

“It was, I guess. It’s just…when Markus told me to go home, I…thought about all that was waiting for me there. All the…baggage, you know? I didn’t want to go back, not right now. Honestly, I don’t know if I can ever go back.” Wil confessed, looking down into his nearly empty mug of ale.

“What do you have to worry about, Junior? No ones looking to murder you in the capital, no undead in the academy. Sounds like a pretty good life. People would kill for what you had.” Garman said, disgust on his face at Wil’s squeamishness at going home.

“You’re right, Garman. No one’s looking to stick something sharp in my ribs or cut my head off. I just don’t like who I was there. I don’t really expect you to understand, since you love yourself so much. Must be foreign to you, self-reflection and regret.” Wil teased, as Mara and Bell chuckled next to him.

“I feel plenty of regret, Junior. Like this babysitting gig.” Garman grumbled, causing the pair to laugh harder.

“Well, I’m proud of you Wil.” Mara said, raising her glass in a salute, before taking a drink. “And I’m happy you’re here. What the young miss has planned? It’s going to be great.”

“Speaking of which, I should probably go see her before I can’t even walk. I’ll be back after.” Wil rose unsteadily to his feet, before waving at the group and making his way slowly out the door.

The fresh, ocean air cleared his head a little, and the short walk back to the office was almost enough to sober him up again. Gripping the rail, he climbed the wooden steps again, the office still busy despite the sun setting low in the west.

Walking into the building, he looked around. He hadn’t had a good look when he was here last, but the building cried ‘barely controlled chaos’. The lower floor was lined with desks, each covered with stacks of documents and ledgers. Dozens of workers were still pored over the files, despite the late hour.

An empty reception desk was placed near the entry, the person attending it had either been called away or was finished for the evening. Wandering around slowly, Wil could overhear conversations regarding prices and asset turnover, among other mundane topics. To him, it was nearly incomprehensible.

Not seeing anyone to guide him, or even stop him from entering. Wil took a quick look around before determining that Annabelle’s office must be on the higher level.

With a slight shrug, Wil walked through the office space, making his way to the stairwell. He thought the presence of a Rank 5, wearing armor and a sword strapped to his back would elicit a comment, maybe an inquiry on where he was going, but no one batted an eye.

‘Maybe Quentin told them to let me through?’ Wil wondered, before slowly walking the steps upwards, gripping the railing securely.

The second floor was as busy as the first. Ignoring it, he continued to climb, reaching the third and final level of the building. This floor was completely open, a single office with a large, wooden desk in the middle. Stacks of ledgers and piles of paperwork littered the floor, and full bookshelves lined the walls.

What drew his attention were the two people in the office, carrying on a conversation without noticing his arrival.

Annabelle Quentin was wearing plain clothing, white shirt and grey trousers. Her hair was pinned upwards into a messy bun. She looked tired, with bags under her eyes, but she was still energetic, gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke.

The man she was speaking with was Martin. Still dressed in his yellow priest robes, he had removed his armored chest piece, looking somewhat relaxed now that he was back in Elbing.

What surprised Wil was the look on the scholarly cleric’s face. He was practically beaming, hanging on to Annabelle’s every word. That was when he pieced it together, everything sort of ‘clicked’ into place. Martin was in love with Quentin.

‘Huh’ Wil thought, shocked that he hadn’t put it together sooner.

Not wanting to interrupt them, he slowly made his way to a table near the entrance. On it was a map, incredibly detailed.

Illyria was in the center, and to the west, someone had marked Elbing in red, with a dotted line drawn across the Azure Sea, to a large land mass marked as ‘Lund’. If the scale was accurate, then Lund was much bigger than Illyria, only a small portion was visible on the map, only a bit of the nearest coastline.

Eyeing the map, he could see that the plotted route avoided certain areas of the Azure Sea. Lund lay to the west, but rather than a direct route, the dotted line traveled significantly north, before moving west, than straight south to the port of Ahus.

Wil hadn’t learned much about traveling by sea, aside from the fact that the Azure Aea was notoriously difficult to traverse. Great storms traveled outward from the center of the sea. It was why Aachen was so valuable, the warm water port was sheltered from the worst of them.

This route must avoid some of the more dangerous areas near the middle of the Sea.

Idly looking at the map while waiting for his friends to finish speaking, he traced the route they had taken from the east. Someone, Annabelle he assumed, had marked all the towns and cities they had stopped in along the way, with small notations of what goods were available and what was in demand.

‘Very thorough’ he thought.

“Wil! When did you get here?” A voice spoke behind him. Standing straight from where he was hunched over the map, he turned to look at his friend, with a smile on his face. Martin had left the room, leaving them alone in the office.

“Oh, about 15 minutes or so. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I’m sorry about ignoring you, Martin and I were just discussing Aachen. I’m glad you’re ok!” She said, stepping towards him and giving him a quick hug, before stepping back to make sure he was uninjured.

“I’m fine, Annabelle. I was hardly involved at all.” Wil said, waving away her concern.

“That’s not what Martin said.” As she gave him a pointed look.

“Martin’s a liar. You know how clerics are, always fibbing.” Wil joked.

“They do not!” Quentin chastised him for the comment, shaking her head.

“It’s good to see you, Annabelle. Where’s this surprise you have for me?” Wil said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. Everyone had been praising it since he arrived, it must be something good.

“It’s over here.” She said, a wry grin on her face as she stepped to the large window behind her desk and pointed. Walking next to it, Wil had a nice view of the harbor as he followed her finger.

Directly out the window was a ship.

Beautiful, newly built, with furled white sails. Wil judged it to be over three hundred feet long, and high enough to dwarf the docks around it. From this distance, he could see figures climbing over it, readying the vessel to sail. Others were carrying goods on board or performing maintenance.

For such a massive ship, it looked graceful and fast, with a large, gilded figurehead of some sort of lizard or dragon on the front. It was hard to make out at this distance. Focusing, Wil pulled on his mana slightly, enhancing his eyesight.

“Wait…is that?” Wil whispered to himself, staring at the figurehead. It was a drake, its white and blue scales shining in the sunlight as it roared.

“I thought you would appreciate that. I named it the Mercantile Association Ship, Drake.” Annabelle said, smiling at Wil’s discomfort.

“This was the surprise? That you named a ship after something that almost killed me? Could have named it the ‘Lich’, or the ‘Crown’, or even the ‘Boredom’.” Wil said, turning away from the window and taking a seat next the desk.

“Could have, but the MAS Drake sounded better. And no, that isn’t the surprise…You’re coming with me.” She said, still smiling from ear to ear.

“With you, where?” Wil asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Lund! We’re going to Lund. Think about it, we’ll make a fortune!” She said, smiling at the thought of all the profits they would make, as she sat down at her desk.

“I’m not going to Lund, Annabelle. I don’t know anything about Lund, or sailing, or even being a merchant, for the love of the gods!” Wil said, snorting at the thought.

“You don’t need to sail, that’s why we have a crew. And you don’t need to be a Merchant, because that’s my job! And there’s only one thing you need to know about Lund.”

“Just one? Pretty big place for just ‘one thing’, to learn.” Wil quipped.

“Just one thing that concerns you, fool!” She replied, walking over to the map in the corner of the room. After a moment, Wil followed, his curiosity compelling him forward.

“Look, Lund is massive, think of the business we could do there!” She said, circling the visible landmass with a finger.

“So, why do you need me for that? You got a ship, and a crew, even guards! Why do you want me to go?”

“Because Lund is different than Illyria. Most of their rare materials and resources come from the Adventurer’s Guild there. They send parties out into the wilderness, or deep underground, and when they come back, they sell directly to the guild. Merchants like me? We only get the dribs and drabs that fall through the cracks. To deal with the rare stuff, you need a license from a guild member.”

“And you what, want me to go hunting? Risking my life to bring things back to you?” Wil wondered, looking over the map.

“Don’t be silly, they would never allow that. Lund is wild, Wil. It’s barely been explored. The place is filled with dangerous beasts, unexplored ruins, it’s an adventurer’s paradise. That why I need you. You’re high enough Rank to survive, to join the guild and obtain a license for me to transport goods back to Illyria.”

“Wil, I need you to come with me to Lund, become an adventurer, and give me a merchant’s license. Think of how much money I’ll make!”

End of Book 1