1.47 R

“She will survive. She is a Human worthy of my admiration and respect. She will survive.”

“I told her it would not matter. This Runner is no coward like the others. Mistake or not, she will survive the journey. And meanwhile, we have an expedition to prepare.”

“But Gargoyles? I’ve never seen one up close. What were they like?”

“Only if you’re taking the worst view of it.”

“Why, I’d love to have a sparring match. Tell me, have you ever heard the word MMA?”

“I don’t. Stop talking in riddles and spell it out for me.”

“Does it? Not in my opinion. The Ruins are still too dangerous.”

“The very same. Her name is Ryoka Griffin, and she is fearless.”

“Her business is her own. If Magnolia Reinhart seeks Ryoka Griffin, she should either respect her privacy or seek her outright.”

“Oh, this famous book that was popular when my grandmother was a child. I thought it died out, but I run into people who swear by it now and then. It has all kinds of notions about how levelling works. Some people—they claim that we all have a set amount of levels in us. If we gain too many levels in a bunch of different classes, we’ll eventually run out. The Book of Levels. Never heard of it?”

“It’s why you don’t see many fat mages—well, at least among mages who actually use their spells in combat. You should meet one of the [Mages] in Wistram, Telim…anyways. After a really exhausting battle, I’ve eaten an entire ham by myself.”

“There’s a Named-rank adventurer in the city right now. You might have heard of her. Gazi the Omniscient.”

“Hey, Ryoka, this is blah blah or someone someone who’s here to hit things or shoot people with arrows.”

“That’s what Charlez said. He took his entire group in right off, and they came back as zombies. Not a scratch on their weapons, but their armor was nearly ripped off. We all know what that means.”

“Of course you don’t need levels to learn spells. I think? What a question. But it makes everything so much faster. For instance—when I reached Level 18 in my [Elementalist] class, I learned the spell [Fireball]. It would have taken me a month of study and the right scrolls to even begin casting that spell otherwise.”

“I’d love to see your abilities myself. I know you’re tired, but if you have time for a quick match, I could give you a handicap.”

“That’s them alright. Those goats hunt in packs and can climb anything. They’re village killing monsters. Whenever they leave the High Passes, they eat everything edible in their wake for miles around. If you outran them, Miss Runner, consider yourself lucky.”

“We’re practically unheard of. My sister’s a [Merchant], and my brother’s a [Knight]. We have relatives, but it’s a small family. We trade in silver and have several large mines in the area. And we’re distantly related to the Reinharts.”

“I heard that you managed to defeat a low-level [Assassin] with your bare hands and fought a Carn Wolf without any weapons as well.”

“Have you no spines? Here is the opportunity of a lifetime, and you all hesitate to step forwards! Grab your axes, and let’s enter these ruins already!”

“Menes? You with us? Listen. This is the kind of thing that puts a team on the map. My brother’s team, the Silver Swords? They didn’t become Gold-ranks turning down chances like this.”

“Probably the flesh-eating goats, the kind with sharp teeth that can tear even Carn Wolves apart. Eater Goats, they’re called.”

“Is—is leveling necessary to learn magic? Couldn’t I learn magic without gaining a…a class?”

“Most of us don’t use axes, Calruz. And while you have a point, recklessness is the exact reason everyone else is hesitating. We need to move carefully, and I’m saying it can be done. But—together. No running over people’s chances to speak.”

“I understand, but I’ll trust our resident half-Elf on this one. If she thinks it’s worth the risk, I’ll take my team in, cramped corridors or not. How often do you think we’ll get a chance like this?”

“This wouldn’t happen to be that barefoot Runner I’ve heard so much about, would it? Was that the one who bailed your group out when you were fighting that Lich?”

“I wondered where I’d seen her face. That girl—I believe I saw her last night. She ran straight into the city just before dawn. She’s here now, in fact. I saw her entering the guild.”

“I’m sorry if my aunt has bothered you, Ryoka, but she’s quite insistent. And she’s told all of my family—everyone, really, to keep an eye out for you.”

“Not all of us. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but we eat all the food Humans eat.”

“If we don’t get in there first, some Gold-rank team is going to organize an expedition and grab everything before we do!”

“If you’re with us, I’ll want your full commitment, not uncertain promises. My team has heard my decision, and they are with us. If you lack their spirit, we do not need you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s a common misconception. Mages level from casting spells, but we gain a lot of experience from studying magic. You can’t just go around throwing fireballs and expect to level up quickly.”

“I happen to disagree with that. Anyone who can outrun a horde of Gargoyles is clearly not merely lucky.”

“See, Gargoyles I understand. They’re terrifying monsters when you find one holed up in a cave or terrorizing a village. But goats? What do you mean, ‘goats’?”

“Impatience and daring, Cervial. I was excited as the rest of you when I heard about the ruins. But you’re right. I am moving fast, but not because Calruz managed to talk me into it. I heard there’s a team of Gold-rank adventurers who’ll be here in a week or less.”

“Well, that’s different. Very different. If a Named adventurer is in the city, there’s probably only one real reason why she’s there: the ruins. But the real question is why hasn’t she gone in yet?”

“None of us are cowards, and you’d do well to remember that before tossing around insults, Calruz. But this changes things.”

“Getting through the High Passes alive is something that hasn’t been done in years. Not that many Runners have tried it, but it takes a special kind of someone to do that.”

“I’m sorry, but Gregor’s right. It’s too risky, and my group needs more space to cast our spells. If we knew for certain what was below, I’d join you. Cervial, you should think this through as well.”

“You seem awfully confident about that, Calruz. The High Passes are no joke. If it were there we were going to explore, I wouldn’t feel comfortable even with all three of our teams working together.”

“Yvlon Byres is leader of the Silver Spears, but she’s also part of a noble family, Ryoka. House Byres. Up north. They deal in…silver I think?”

“You’re all crazy, and whatever’s down there is going to eat you alive. I’m out, and so is my party.”

“We don’t need cowards. If they lack the courage to risk their lives, we were better off without them to begin with. Such weakness would only drag us down.”

“Ceria does not lead the Horns of Hammerad. I do.”

“They were pretty bad. They ate up the Goblins that ambushed me and then got torn to shreds by the Gargoyles and goats.”

“Rois, Silver-rank adventurer. You must be the famous barefoot Runner. Were those the kind of goats you saw?”

“Or there could be monsters that would make the High Passes look like a small bear cave by comparison! No! My group won’t take part.”

“I might, might be willing to give this a try. I’ve wasted enough time in Liscor to see that the other teams aren’t organized. Charlez was brave—but he went in alone, with only his team for backup. The Horns of Hammerad and the Silver Spears together represent a large fighting force. If I throw in my team, we’d have a party big enough to challenge even the deeper parts of the Ruins of Albez.”

“She was waiting for a Runner to come back. She made a mistake and gave her mana potions instead of healing potions right before she ran into the High Passes.”

“Of course. I’m free until Calruz finishes meeting with the other Silver-rank leaders. And besides, it’s breakfast and everyone should be downstairs. We can meet them and eat at the same time.”

“I heard it from my aunt twice-removed. She lets me know about interesting people, and she told me it would be worth seeking you out.”

“I ran into a bunch of Goblins, some wolves, some goats, and then some gargoyles. I just kept running, and then I got to my destination.”

“I’m not suggesting they are. But between our three teams, we’re at least equal to one or two Gold-rank teams, and if the rest of you joined in it might work. Might.”

“She once defeated five bandits with only her bare hands after losing her sword.”

“Sorry, Calruz, but no one in my family defies Lady Magnolia. And I wasn’t intending on doing anything to Ryoka. I just wanted to know if she really was good at fighting barehanded.”

“We’ve all heard of how many Bronze-rank teams and individuals have been lost in those damned Ruins so far. True, most of them rushed in, but Charlez was different. He was experienced, and he went in prepared to retreat. Whatever got him was deadly. And you’re proposing we go in without knowing what the hell is down there?”

“I was just wondering if you had any levels in a fighting class or whether you only had levels as a Runner. Did you enter into any other classes before this?”

“I’ve got a bit of a reputation. The Silver Spears are known for fighting with any weapon that comes to hand and barehanded if need be.”

“I’ll tell you why. It’s because she’s being cautious. And if a Named adventurer doesn’t want to go in just yet—”

“Almost definitely. But that’s not all I’ve heard. And my news is more disturbing.”

“She might not have any idea what’s down there. It could be fine. They’re not all-knowing. I mean, despite her name.”

“Yes, but she’s got more experience adventuring, and she’s older than any two of us in this room put together. If she thinks it’s worth the risk, I’ll throw in with this plan.”

“It was a request. I got it done—half-done. I just need to finish my delivery, and it’ll be over.”

“Why not let the other adventurers go in first and wait for at least one or two to come back for more insight? I know I organized us to talk—but I’m still not sold myself. This isn’t like you, Yvlon. I could see Calruz wanting to go in, but how’d he manage to talk you into it?”

“Silver and steel, Rois, haven’t you been listening this entire time? I’m not saying go in blind! The exact opposite! I’m proposing we join together and launch a six-team raid on those ruins. We stock up on supplies, pool our best warriors, and fortify along the way as we go as far as we can.”

“You coward, Gregor. Where’s your sense of pride as a warrior?”

“You should probably get your first level in the [Mage] class as soon as you take a nap. Hopefully, it’ll come with a Skill or a spell, but don’t worry if it doesn’t. After that, you can start thinking about what field of magic you want to specialize in.”

“I’d like to talk some more about magic and look around the Adventurer’s Guild if that’s okay.”

“He’s Rois, captain of the Swordlock Dogs. A Silver-rank team, more known up north. He was supposed to be talking to Calruz and the others, but—”

“Why? You aren’t one of those types who believes in the Book of Levels, do you?”

“No. And I don’t believe in that either. I just wanted to know if I could study by myself or if I had to—to wait until I leveled to learn more spells.”

“We’ll have a far better chance if we work together, and the Ruins are practically untouched beyond the first level. I hear Liscor doesn’t want to investigate themselves and is leaving everything up to the adventurers. If we want to get to whatever treasures are buried in there, now’s our chance.”

“Yes, if Ceria thinks it’s worthwhile. But I believe these Ruins might even be bigger than Albez, don’t you?”

“Bah. She wanted to stay in Celum. Now she’s pacing around the Runner’s Guild.”

“Yvlon Byres, Silver-rank adventurer. I’m Captain of the Silver Spears, and I wanted to make your acquaintance.”

“Simple curiosity. I’d like to see how well you’d do in a fight. I’m told you’re quite the pugilist despite being a Runner.”

“You look beat. I’d offer you my bed, but all the other adventurers are waking up. They’ll be thumping around soon enough.”

“There’s got to be more than that. What kind of wolves were they? Normal kinds or were they actual monsters?”

“Big. Stone. They spit rocks and try to eat you.”

“I barely got out alive. It was sheer luck that I got away.”

“What it means, Gregor, is that whatever Charlez and his group ran into, they didn’t even get a chance to fight back before it ripped them to pieces. And then something—it might have been another monster or the same one—reanimated them and sent them back out. That’s a serious threat.”

“But letting a bunch of Golds take all the treasure? That’s different. Are they bound from the City of Adventurers?”

“Who was he? Some rich hermit? A mage living in retirement? A shadowy figure?”

“And I suppose you are?”

“Don’t be stupid, Cervial. You can’t expect these ruins to be the same.”

“Okay, okay. You got through the monsters, but what was waiting for you at the other end?”

“Who’s the aunt? Do I know her?”

“Yes, but now we have to fill their holes with Bronze-rank teams, and that is weakness. I guess it’ll come down to how many freelancers are hanging around the ruins. We’ll need more mages and more front-line fighters. At least we’ve got one team who can detect and disarm traps.”

“Then why didn’t Ceria join us and lend her support while we were all arguing? If she had—”

“Well, that could have gone better.”

“What does Ceria Springwalker think about the Ruins?”

“Yeah. I guess. They had sharp teeth. And they scream.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Who’d you hear that from?”

“Got to be.”

“Where to? Whom to?”

“The Byres family? Aristocracy?”

“And above our ability.”

“Oh, of course. Sorry.”

“Ryoka Griffin is here?”

“Aren’t your…people vegetarian?”

“Boxer.”

“Minor aristocracy.”

“Carn Wolves.”

“Confidential.”

“Well that changes things.”

“If—”

“No one special.”

“Why?”

“The what?”

“Who’s he?”

“Ryoka?”

“Ryoka Griffin!”

“MMA?”

“Really?”

“What’s a ‘pugilist’?”

“Sorry, what?”

“Oh. Levels.”