1.54

“I don't know how you got him to play, but he clearly doesn't know how to play.”

“Sit down.”

“How many games did you play?”

“Eighteen games? That's a lot. And how many did he win?”

“That's what I thought.”

“You should at least teach him how to play. Here.”

“I'll teach you and get revenge, deal?”

“It's all about positioning, see? I don't know if you saw me playing chess, but it's a bit different than everyone thinks.”

“See this central area? Most openings or chess strategies revolve around capturing or controlling this spot. And that’s because your pieces need to move to get in position to attack the enemy. It’s not always about just killing other pieces. It’s about proper setup and luring the enemy into traps.”

“Everyone—well, everyone where I come from—knows the basic openings. You have to if you want to play chess. But chess is as much about reading the opponent as it is setting up your board. You trick them, open holes in their defenses. There’s all kinds of ways to do that. Forks, pins, deflection, checks, skewers, batteries…”

“I’ll let you take that one back. Try not to move the king so much. You can castle him to move if you have to, but he shouldn’t be the piece you keep moving. That’s usually a bad sign.”

“I know you want to because he’s so important and you want to keep him safe, but you do that with other pieces. They’re the king’s shield and sword. Yeah, you don’t move the king. Because—”

“The king is smart and uses his head. For if he moves, he’ll soon be dead.”

“Oh. Um. That was a little rhyme I made up when I was a kid. It—it’s important.”

“Where was I?”

“Why don’t you try again? You’ll probably lose, but—”

“Do you get it? Let’s see.”

“You don’t get it.”

“Don’t try taking your rook out so quickly. Remember—capture the center at the start and reinforce. Try again.”

“Great. My undead skeleton sucks at chess.”

“Check.”

“Soon.”

“Rot, I wish it were tomorrow. No wonder the other adventurers wanted to stay at the inn. I can’t relax at all, here.”

“The, ah, local reception isn’t helping either.”

“Well, what do you expect? They don’t exactly like Humans down here, and I’m just another annoying adventurer. But that’s not what I’m talking about. You can feel it, can’t you?”

“We still don’t know what’s down there. Cervial found someone who was willing to explore and map out the first level, but no one is willing to go any further.”

“And he hasn’t found anyone who’s ventured further?”

“No one who’s gone down too far past the stairs has ever come back.”

“Hey.”

“Don’t go panicking on me, now. We’ll be fine, so stop worrying.”

“Someone has to worry. As far as our leader is concerned, this is going to be a simple extermination request, nothing more.”

“Calruz is arrogant. But he’s confident and bold, which is why he’s perfect for a vice-Captain like you.”

“The [Illumination] spell. How’s it going?”

“My mastery of it is—incomplete. I’ll keep studying, but my best guess is that I’ll be able to cast it once and then I’ll need a mana potion. It’s too exhausting to use multiple times in a row.”

“Once should be enough. Just so we have an area permanently lit to fall back to.”

“We’ve got the formations worked out. Stop—”

“Yes, yes. And supplies are underway. It’s just—”

“I know.”

“I know, believe me. I’m feeling it too. But we’ve planned for as much as we can, and we’ll pull out the instant there’s trouble. Don’t worry.”

“Say we do get gold and gems rather than a magical item. We have the largest shares after the Captains. What would you buy?”

“If I have enough, I’d like to buy another spell book. All the ones I have I’ve more or less mastered. With enough gold—a few hundred pieces more—I could buy a book with a few Tier 4 spells.”

“Just that? If the reward is all Calruz thinks it could be, you’d have a lot more money than that.”

“You’ve never bought spell books, have you? Just one costs several hundred gold or thousands, and that’s for low-Tier spells. I’ve been saving up all this time just to buy one with a Tier 4 spell.”

“But if you leveled up your, um, [Mage] class, you’d learn those anyways, right?”

“Right, but—it’s complicated. There’s no guarantee which spells I’d learn, and besides, I’d need to level up quite a bit. But with a spell book, I could study a spell and learn it in a few months.”

“A few months?”

“A month, a year, two years—so what? If I mastered just one good spell, my Level would increase. And then we could take on stronger monsters.”

“A good thing I was never born with a talent for magic. I don’t have your patience—or your time.”

“Oh, and then what would you buy?”

“Armor. And a good sword. Or maybe just a magic ring.”

“Not too adventurous, are you?”

“A good set of magic armor? I’d be able to fight without worrying about some monster clubbing my helmet in every five seconds.”

“I suppose. It just seems like a waste, that’s all.”

“Every bit counts. If I had good armor, I could worry about other expenses. But that’s the first step.”

“True enough.”

“A good sword.”

“If I had that, I could polish my sword skills. Rank up. Start earning a Gold-rank adventurer’s pay…”

“And then perhaps you’d be able to talk to a certain Runner without needing me to push you, hm?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t. You Human—no, you males. Idiots who fall in love with the first exotic female you see. You and Calruz both.”

“Sostrom!”

“I saw you two had already left. The innkeeper—Miss Solstice was sick, so we all took our leave without breakfast.”

“Have you seen Calruz?”

“Not since last night. Why?”

“He left the inn, and he hasn’t slept since last night, I think. You know what he’s like when he’s irritable.”

“Let the Watch deal with him. I don’t get paid to restrain him when he causes trouble.”

“If he gets arrested before we enter the Ruins—”

“The city will let him go if we pay a fine. And they’ll be happier to let him fight monsters than cause trouble in jail.”

“So. A strange [Innkeeper] we’ve met. I’ve never met stranger, have you?”

“…A few that are weird. I heard there’s a former Gold-rank [Innkeeper] up north. Terrible fellow. Sometimes they’re characters, but yes, she beats the lot for originality. But it seems we’ve run across more than one strange girl as of late.”

“Ryoka.”

“What Yvlon said the other day. You’re sure she has no levels?”

“That’s what Cervial said. And Yvlon seemed to know something about her as well.”

“The entire incident was unfortunate.”

“It was her fault.”

“Perhaps, but Yvlon needn’t have challenged her. That wasn’t a fair fight no matter how you look at it.”

“You’re right. I’d forgotten because she won, but since when do the Silver Spears fight civilians?”

“Let alone in armor. Even if it was bravado, Yvlon would have never taken that fight normally. Makes you wonder, don’t it? What Yvlon knew. Or—what her aunt told her.”

“Lady Magnolia.”

“There’s a name that tells you how important she is.”

“Yvlon important? Or Ryoka important?”

“Ryoka. I hear Yvlon doesn’t lean on her family connections or even her brother, who’s also a Gold-rank adventurer. But Ryoka has Lady Reinhart following her every move.”

“That object I repaired, her fist-fighting skill. Her lack of levels…it’s enough to interest me, but why a scion of the Five Families? There’s something else to her, mark my words.”

“I hope she doesn’t do anything rash.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Just hope she survives. Once we’re done here, we can ask her more questions.”

“It could be a while if these ruins are as deep as they seem.”

“She’s a big Human. She’ll be fine.”

“Well, since we’re on the topic of secrets…what’s the story behind you and this Pisces character? I thought I saw him last night, but you two hardly shared a word.”

“That was intentional. I get a headache whenever I have to talk to that idiot for too long.”

“You might make fun of him, but he is a graduate of Wistram when all is said and done. And that display with healing Ryoka’s leg was nothing short of phenomenal. I certainly wouldn’t want to test myself against him.”

“This Pisces is that good of a mage?”

“I sensed it. He has quite a few levels on me, I suspect. Perhaps the same as our Ceria?”

“Maybe. But he’s still an idiot.”

“An idiot from Wistram.”

“He’s not…well, technically he’s a graduate. But some mages wouldn’t consider him one.”

“Wait. You said—”

“He was expelled. But you’re right. He was always at the head of his class whenever he showed up. If he had the money, he could have advanced quite highly. But he dropped out about the same time I, uh, ran out of funds.”

“And he was expelled for his experiments. Yes, I recall. But does he have any combat aptitude? We could hire him for the expedition.”

“I wouldn’t trust that idiot with my back.”

“Aren’t you being a little too harsh?”

“No.”

“But what’s his level? A mage living alone like he is has to have some skills. And a [Necromancer] would be perfect if there’s a large amount of undead in the ruins. Come on, Ceria, at least tell us his classes.”

“I—oh, alright. As far as I can remember, he has the most levels in the [Necromancer] class, but he knows quite a few mundane spells too. He might be Level 20+ just as a pure [Mage] if you want to rank him. And he knows at least one Tier 4 spell. He was always good at—”

“Excuse me.”

“Greetings. I hope I’m not interrupting?”

“Um, pardon me. But you wouldn’t happen to be…?”

“I am Gazi.”

“Um, how can we help you Miss, ah—Adventurer Pathseeker?”

“You are members of the Horns of Hammerad, aren’t you?”

“Um yes, I mean, that’s correct. We are. All of us.”

“That is good.”

“I wished to speak with you.”

“With us? You know our names?”

“Is it not appropriate? The Horns of Hammerad are well known in the cities around here.”

“I have visited several Human cities to the north. And strangely, come back here chasing rumors. I hoped you could assist me.”

“Anything.”

“I have heard—from several sources—of a most extraordinary Human female in this area. A Runner. I believe her name is Ryoka Griffin. A levelless girl who braved the High Passes and survived. A most…interesting person in short. And I am told the Horns of Hammerad are her acquaintances.”

“We do—we do know that girl! We were in her company only two days ago.”

“Ah. So you know her. Good. Tell me, is she all that people say she is?”

“That and more.”

“She—well, I don’t know that she’s levelless, but another adventurer with [Appraisal] says it’s true. And she did survive the High Passes. And she has the favor of Lady Magnolia. And she runs barefoot.”

“Indeed? How fascinating. I should very much like to meet her. You wouldn’t happen to know where she is by any chance?”

“We don’t, I’m afraid. She moves around all the time, so it’s hard to pin her down.”

“Ah, but I would dearly like to meet her. Would you happen to know where she stays?”

“Celum. There’s an inn she stays at quite often there, and she takes most of her requests there.”

“Which inn?”

“The Bloody Tankard.”

“Excuse me, Miss Gazi. But why the interest in Ryoka?”

“I would simply like to meet her.”

“Well, you have the name of her inn. And we haven’t seen her. So if that’s all—”

“She was in Esthelm just two days ago!”

“And do you have any way of finding her now? Or perhaps you know where she’s going?”

“We do not.”

“But I have more questions to ask about Ryoka. And I feel you can answer them.”

“I’ve got nothing for you. So you can take your answers and shove them.”

“Hm. You would not answer questions for me? I am a Named Adventurer, you know. And you are, ah, yes, Silver-rank. Tradition would dictate you help me to the best of your abilities.”

“I know who you are. And a former soldier isn’t the same as a true adventurer. We got our levels from fighting monsters, not killing people.”

“But I am still higher rank than you. I could be…troublesome to you if you refuse to help.”

“I don’t help the insane. You and your mad king can go to hell for all I care—”

“I do not suffer insults to my lord’s name.”

“How inconvenient. And we were doing so well with politeness. But I will have an answer. But first—an apology. I will hear it from you on your knees, half-Elf.”

“How inconvenient. I suppose I must ask my questions another time.”

“But make no mistake. I shall see you again and ask more questions. Unless of course I find this Ryoka Griffin first.”

“Farewell.”

“Damnation!”

“What kind of magical artifact was that? Sostrom, I’m pinned. Can you—?”

“My wand is caught!”

“[Flashfire].”

“Complain later. Let’s go! If the Watch catches us—”

“We were under a spell?”

“Yeah. She was casting a [Charm] spell with her eye. It hit both of you the instant you looked at her. I barely blocked it.”

“But she was only looking at us.”

“Gazers can cast spells as easily as looking. A half-Gazer can do the same, it seems.”

“A half-Gazer? Is that what she was?”

“You didn’t know she was half-Gazer? Seriously, Gerial?”

“I only know the basics. She’s a Named-rank. And she served the King of Destruction. What more do you need from me?”

“Yeah, but I know I would have lost. That guy you wanted me to fight? Ksmvr? He hit me once, and I was seeing stars for an hour. He’s a warrior. I’m—not.”

“There’s a lot more to it than that, Gerial. She’s one of the Seven—and she was famous for killing every single [Spy], [Assassin], [Saboteur], and [Rogue] she ever ran into during his wars. Of all of them, she could be called the scariest. Let’s get something to drink back at the inn. I’ll tell you all about it as soon as we get clear of the area.”

“Tell us now. If she’s after us—”

“Not us. She wants Ryoka, and I don’t know why. Possibly the same reason Magnolia is interested in her, but that’s just a guess. It spells trouble, and we need to let everyone know as soon as possible.”

“Give us the details on Gazi before we get there. How strong is she? Where does she come from?”

“I’ll tell you two from the beginning so we’re not making mistakes in the future. Right. Sostrom, do you know about the desert continent south or maybe south-west of here? Chandrar?”

“Too basic, Ceria.”

“Okay, okay. It’s huge, but there are several kingdoms to note. Like Nerrhavia’s Fallen, the largest Stitch-folk kingdom in the world. But there’s one that you definitely heard about—even if you don’t know Gazi. Everyone knew that kingdom, once. In one of them sleeps a king…”

“Good evening, Erin.”

“Oh hi, Gazi. What’s up?”

“I won’t trespass here long. I just wished to tell you I will be travelling from this city for a while.”

“Oh?”

“I have business to attend to elsewhere. I just wished to know if you planned on travelling anywhere in the coming weeks.”

“Nah. I’m not going anywhere in a hurry. Why?”

“I was just curious. I would greatly enjoy having another meal here at a later date, and I would not wish for you to leave before then.”

“No chance of that, I’m afraid.”

“Well then. Until we meet again.”

“Excuse me.”

“Your pardons, warrior.”

“Do you know her?”

“Sort of. Why?”

“She looked like—it is nothing. You would likely not know her as an Izrilian.”

“Well, can I help you, Mr. Grumpy?”

“Food. Drink. I will have both.”

“Um. Nice day, isn’t it? I haven’t gone outside much, but I assume it’s nice.”

“It’s not a bad day when there are no monsters killing you, right?”

“It’s not raining, at least.”

“You should have fought.”

“Excuse me?”

“You. You should have fought.”

“Last night. You went out to avenge the insect. You did not. But you should have fought.”

“You mean Pawn and Ksmvr. I didn’t go out to fight.”

“You did not.”

“But you should have. It was a matter of honor. If you cared for the one called Pawn, you should have fought to protect him.”

“I’m sorry, but fighting would have been prett—really stupid. I would have lost and gotten chopped up.”

“That is immaterial.”

“Um. No it’s not. I don’t want to die.”

“Those who believe they will lose before battle begins have already lost.”

“If you are not a warrior, you should become one. It is unbefitting for a female to be alone and not be a warrior.”

“I have a skeleton. For…protection.”

“It is worthless. Weak.”

“Well—I, uh, I can fight too. If I really have to. I’ve got [Bar Fighting] as a skill, you know.”

“I can fight. But I don’t want to pick fights I know I’ll lose. Look, this Ksmvr guy has levels in some kind of warrior class, right? He’d kill me if I fought.”

“There is more to strength than mere levels.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a Minotaur. I don’t have muscle. Or horns for poking people.”

“I refer to Skills.”

“Yeah, like I said, I’ve got one. And, uh, [Lesser Strength]. Forgot that.”

“That is not what I meant. I mean Skills for combat.”

“You…do not know?”

“About what? Skills?”

“Activated skills. Combat skills.”

“Noooooooo.”

“Follow me.”

“Observe. This is my Skill.”

“Won’t that break?”

“No.”

“[Hammer Blow]!”

“Oh. That’s what you meant by Skills.”

“Yes. It is my sole Skill.”

“And it’s, uh—wow.”

“Wow. Wow. Uh. Wow.”

“That is what you should learn. Skills. If you must be alone, you must not be unprotected. You must fight.”

“But I’m not a warrior. I mean, I don’t have a class—”

“Immaterial. Classes, levels, these are just additions. What you lack is the soul of the warrior. You must have it. A female must not be alone without the power to defend herself. The singer must not be silenced. You must be stronger.”

“I have decided this. I will teach you starting tomorrow. There are two days remaining before I go into the Ruins. I will have you learn to at least fight properly until then.”

“Um. Okay. Thank you.”

“I will rest now. My party will come soon. They must have food. See to it.”

“Uh—”

“Ow.”

“That’s just so sad.”

“Weak.”