CHAPTER 7: QUEST

Calista’s boots tapped softly against the stone floor as she walked down the long hall.

The torches flickered in their brackets, sending the shadows crawling over the floor into various shades of darkness.

This part of the guild was quieter than most, with very few ever passing through these halls daily.

Even the air seemed cooler, as if the building itself knew who worked here.

She stopped before a tall oak door bound with iron. Lifting her hand, she knocked twice.

A deep voice answered from within. "Enter."

Calista pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office was wide but spare, its shelves filled with neat ledgers and sealed documents.

Behind the broad desk sat a man of compact build. He was short, his head barely reaching above the high back of his chair, but his body was thick with muscle.

His dark hair was cut close, his jaw square, and his eyes were cold, with the light of a man who has seen things not spoken about in polite company.

Calista bowed. "Executive Ram."

Ram didn’t waste words. He gestured for her to approach. "Report."

She moved forward, pulling a file from the case at her side. She placed it on his desk, sliding it across until it rested before him. "We have a new recruit. His name is Wade Barrett. His potential is... considerable."

Ram opened the file, his thick fingers flipping through the neatly written pages. His expression didn’t change as he went through it.

Every information he needed was in the file, but he preferred hearing it than reading it. "Explain."

Calista clasped her hands behind her back. "He awakened yesterday with a class that does not appear in our records. Dimensional Merchant."

Ram’s eyes lifted briefly. "Unique?"

"Entirely." Calista said. "He’s like Rowan Ironside who has the Auracle class."

"His origin skill is called Dimensional Ledger. It rewards him with five free stat points whenever he makes a large and profitable trade."

Ram grunted, the sound low in his throat. "Flexible. Dangerous, in the right hands."

"There is more," Calista continued. "At awakening, he received one hundred bonus stat points. I verified it myself. The highest we’ve seen in this city. Possibly the highest in the kingdom."

Ram leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking faintly. His eyes narrowed. "I see. That is potential indeed. What else do we know of him?"

"Nothing else." Calista replied. "Just the name of his class and origin skill, just like everybody else. And now that he has the Conceal skill, he can hide his stats from us."

"Hmmm." Ram tapped the file with a single finger. "He has potential, yes. But raw potential without loyalty is a knife pointed at our own throat."

"Agreed," Calista said.

Ram considered for a moment, then shut the file with a firm snap. "Wade Barrett will not slip through our fingers. But neither will he run free. We will cultivate him, but only once we are certain of his loyalty."

Calista inclined her head. "How do you wish to proceed?"

Ram’s voice was cold. "Pass a message to Sebastian. Tell him to keep an eye on the boy. Everything Barrett does, I want reported. If he shows even a hint of rebellion, we will eliminate him instantly."

"Yes, Executive."

"Go."

Calista bowed once more, collected the file, and left the office without another word.

[][][][][]

The guild hall was buzzing when Wade entered with Sebastian at his side.

The adventurers of the Lion’s Guild crowded before the wide notice board, jostling for position as they scanned the quests pinned to its wooden face.

Voices rose, deals were struck, and groups formed in quick bursts of noise.

Wade kept his head low, his eyes darting across the crowd.

Sebastian, towering above the throng, moved with ease. He stepped up to the board and crossed his thick arms, scanning the pages pinned there.

The crowd surrounding them lessened, some of them casting Sebastian glances as they left.

"This," he said, voice rumbling. "This is where your life begins."

"Quests are the blood of adventurers. You want coins, you take a quest. You want to rise in the guild, you take a quest. You want to prove yourself," he cast Wade a look, "then you take a quest."

Wade nodded slowly. "So that’s how you’ll test me."

"The only way to know an adventurer’s worth is to see them in action," Sebastian said. "I cannot trust the life of those under my leadership to the hands of someone I have not tested myself."

He plucked a slip of parchment from the board and held it out. "Here."

Wade accepted it, eyes scanning the neat handwriting.

[Quest: Retrieval]

[Target: Nightbloom Herb]

[Location: Mirewood Swamp, east of the city.]

[Details: The herb glows faintly under moonlight. Found only in deep swamp waters. Handle with care.]

[Reward: 200 Gold Coins]

He frowned. "A swamp."

"A swamp," Sebastian confirmed. "Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Still, the mire can swallow fools whole, and the Nightbloom is rare. Two hundred gold for a plant should tell you enough."

Rowan and Ingrid appeared from the crowd then, both carrying small packs.

Rowan’s calm eyes flicked to Wade, while Ingrid said nothing, merely adjusting the strap of her quiver.

"Ready?" Sebastian asked, glancing between them.

Rowan nodded. "As ever."

Ingrid’s pale gaze shifted to Wade, as if measuring his worth. After a few seconds, she gave the faintest shrug.

Sebastian turned back to Wade. "This is your chance, Barrett. You want to be part of this party, you’ll show us what you can do."

"An adventurer can only be judged when lives are on the line. So, keep your head about you, keep your hands steady when the time comes, and maybe you’ll survive long enough to see a dungeon."

Wade folded the parchment, slipping it into his pocket. His heart began beating faster, but his face stayed calm.

"I’ll manage," he said.

Sebastian grinned, clapping a heavy hand on Wade’s shoulder. "Good. Then let’s hunt a flower."