QuestWright: Chapters 20-22

Chapters 20-22 of QuestWright Book 1: The Guildhall Grind

Author's note: I gave you an extra last week, then had training all this week, so we only have three chapters right now. Sorry, I'll try to get more fingers to keys and get us back up to 4 again next weekend.

Chapter 20: Family

Cass was still trying to come to terms with all of the new changes as he forced a smile on his face. 

The Titles, his first path, not to mention whatever Tokens were. It was a lot to process. But seeing his Sister enter in her full regalia, quickly followed by four people, only two of whom he recognized, was not one of his expected moments for the day.

Sunlight struck Janine’s gleaming armor so powerfully that for a moment she was blinding to look at. It was polished to an almost unnatural degree, the gold highlights on her pauldrons matching the trim on the tunics of the four men behind her. Carter was the first to speak after they’d all gathered before him, veritably surrounding the bed.

“Well, if it isn’t Cass, destroyer of Skreels.” He spun a finger around the edge of his moustache, “Quite the mess we had to clean up.”

“Shut up, Carter,” Janine said with a sigh, embarrassed by familial proxy. “Don’t mind him, Cass. We just wanted to stop by and make sure you're okay. Sorry, we couldn’t get here sooner, we were…” She paused uncomfortably. “Occupied.”

“Occupied, she says.” A small, squirrely man in loose-fitting clothes said with a giddy laugh. “I doubt there’s a Skreel within ten miles of Liora left alive. Your sister pushed us to wipe them out in mass, little QuestWright. We’ve been working at it ever since we dropped you off here.”

Cass looked over at his sister, whose cheeks held a ruddy glow, “Why would you do that? I’m fine.”

“Fine.” A long, blonde-haired woman said before snorting. In an extreme invasion of privacy, she moved over in a blur and lifted the bottom of his shirt. Four pink scars showed themselves on his upper chest. “Less than a week ago, these were open, weeping, and infected. I did what I could to help you, but the damage was a little beyond me.” She leaned over, looking closer, “Looks like someone beat me to it. In fact, I think you’ll be out of here in no time.”

Cass quickly pulled his shirt down. “I’m a quick healer.” Very quick now. “I take it you’re the Fabulous Five?”

“Ah!” Carter sighed with a slap to his forehead, “Where are my manners. You know me and of course the Ironmonger.” He nodded at Cass’s sister. “But you haven’t met the rest of the crew.” He gestured at the squirrel man, “Bohemian, though of course that’s not his real name.” The man gave a sharp nod and a sharper smile. “Dust.” The blonde woman backed up and gave him a nod. “And this is Riposte.” A man in a mismatch of leather and metal stepped up, his face etched with tired lines. “He has a duelist Calling, so don’t mind him. Your sister really threw us into the weeds.”

Cass looked over at her, “Why? They’re dead.”

“Because you’re my brother, you idiot.” She stepped over and mussed his hair, something she hadn’t done since they were both very little. “And seeing you like that…it was too much, you know?”

“You’re a Combatant, I bet you see blood all the time.”

“Not if we’re doing our job right.” Dust said with a shrug, unfazed by Janine’s glare.

“Not my family’s blood.” Janine corrected, placing a heavy hand on his arm. “No more monster fighting, alright?”

Cass hesitated, his mind going back to the experience and rewards he’d gained. Quietly, he said, “I’m not trying to be a hero. I just got lucky.”

“Yes, luck, the fickle mistress who loves us all,” Bohemian rolled his eyes. “Monger, we need to go. I haven’t slept in several days, and if we don’t leave soon, I’ll start hallucinating about knife-wielding gophers…again.”

As if that were permission, Carter gave a lazy salute to his teammate. He looked at Cass, “Happy to see you’re feeling better, CV.” He turned and left, whistling a happy tune as the other three followed quickly behind. 

Janine had stayed, lingering beside his bed. “I was really worried about you, Cass.”

Finding genuine concern in her eyes, he forced his following words to be honest. “I’ll try to be smarter next time.”

She gave his arm a squeeze, “Please, for me. I only have one brother.”

He forced her out of the room when she couldn’t hold back a sizeable yawn. Then he was alone again…for all of a minute. Tutors came and went, as did Rina, along with three Quests in her hands and a quickly fading golden glow.

Then, Cass pulled out a Vellum and laid it flat on the bed. Time to put his new path to use.

[Stalwart Way Daily Quest]

Cassio Vale will complete three sets of ten pushups, three sets of fifteen situps, and three sets of twenty standing squats. 

This must be done before the day is over.

Cassio Vale

Liora Guildhall 

QuestWright

As soon as the silver splash faded, he held his creation up to the sunlight and looked it over. The System-imbued vellum appeared like any other he’d ever drafted. The only difference was that this one was for him. 

Something clicked in his mind as the System acknowledged what he wanted, then a thread of warmth pulsed from his chest to the Quest.

Cassio Vale, will you accept the Quest of the Stalwart Way?

Pushing his intent toward the prompt, the vellum in his hand burned away as he felt something enter his body.

Quest accepted…

Time remaining: 14 hours, 10 minutes, and 23 seconds…

Not one to waste an opportunity for free time, he dropped right there and began, “One…two…three…four…” 

The pushups weren’t so bad. His wounds had mostly healed, and the few days he’d spent training with Dev had slightly firmed up some of his more pudgy areas. As soon as he hit ten, his screen updated.

Daily Quest Progress:

1 out of 3 sets of pushups complete

Flipping around to give his arms a breather, Cass hooked his feet to the bed and started again. “One…two…three.”

The click of the door announced someone as he was just about to finish the final rep.

Kara stood in the entryway, arms folded, as she gave him an incredulous look. “What are you doing?”

Cass froze mid-sit-up as he felt a stomach cramp beginning to churn. “Umm, core engagement?”

Kara raised an eyebrow, “Infirmary beds aren’t exactly official gym equipment, and you’re still healing.” She came closer, pointing a finger at his injured arm and chest. “What if you re-open your wounds?”

Cass had an answer for this one, “Dust from the Fabulous Five came by. She said I’d be done healing soon?”

“What? There’s no way…” Her eyes turned glassy as she stared at something. “My notes say it’ll be at least another week before you’re well enough to go home.”

“What can I say?” Cass finished the last rep. “I’m a fast healer.”

Daily Quest Progress:

1 out of 3 sets of situps complete

“Well, you need to stop all that. I have a request from the Guild stablemaster herself for you to come look at your horse. So hop to, and let's go.”

Cass grumbled as he stood up, the tightness in his stomach and arms relaxing as he did a quick stretch. Slipping on a Guild robe Kara had brought, he ignored the wheelchair just past his door while they quickly walked away.

A few minutes later, a notification blinked at him.

[System Notice]

You’ve gained .55xp for Gary Trenner’s Quest Completion.

Your System Reputation has increased by 1. 

Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

He paused as if he needed to fix his shoes and checked the ledger. The QuestWright Initiate title was already at work. Though ten percent didn’t seem like a lot, it meant he got an extra Quest’s experience every ten he assigned. That wasn’t nothing. 

As they approached the rocky area where he’d first met Kara, another came in.

[System Notice]

You’ve gained .55xp for Vino Khatri’s Quest Completion.

Your System Reputation has increased by 1. 

Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

Cass informed her of the Tracker’s finished quest as the easily recognizable smell of livestock struck their noses.

“You’re still tracking your Quests one by one?” She waved at a man hauling a block of hay who’d called out to her. “Well, I suppose that’s natural as you’re only handing out so many each day. Once you get to a level like Guildmaster Hollis’s, you’ll barely notice them. Ah, here, let me introduce you.”

A woman in a brown apron smiled as the two approached. Kara gestured at Cass before motioning back to the older woman with the kind smile, “Cass, I’d like you to meet Delephine. She’s been the Guild’s Stablemaster for…how long now?”

“Ten years.” The woman pushed a stray lock of gray hair behind an ear before wiping a hand on her clothes and holding it out, “So, you must be Cassio Vale. How ya doing? Recovering quickly?”

Cass immediately liked her as they shook, “I’m trying, but Kara here seems to think I’m made of porcelain. That I’ll shatter the moment my body is pushed.”

“Ugh, it’s only been a few days, Cass. You need to take it easy.”

Another update came in for one of his Common’s Quests. He had to try not to look as Delephine gave him the rundown on the stables.

“All of these are either Guild mounts, personal mounts, or holdovers for visitors. We charge a small amount of Crests on the hour, but as a Guild member, your cost is automatically covered. Follow me.”

She took him around the area, showing him where the hay was stored, along with sweet treats for the horses, and the best methods for cleaning and watering them. Eventually, they wound up in a large angular building with the Guild crest blazed into the top of it.

“Your horse will be in the last stall. We’ll keep taking care of her for you, but you’ll want to drop by whenever you can so she doesn’t forget you. Horses are funny creatures like that.” Patting Kara on the shoulder, she said, “Anyways, I gotta run. The Valiants are meeting with the Guildmaster, and they’re always very picky about how their animals are treated. See you around, Cassio.”

“Bye and thanks, Delephine.”

“I’ve gotta run too, Cass.” Kara said, already taking a step back, “You be safe. And remember, NO working out. You need to give things time to heal.”

“I understand, Kara. I’ll be careful.” 

When she left, Cass walked over to the end where the Stablemaster said he could find Bella. The moment he was only twenty or so feet away, a loud whinny sounded out, along with the building shaking.

Being cautious, Cass took several more steps in that direction, only for the whinny to grow more passionate, and this time, the building didn’t stop shaking as the sounds of something heavy striking wood filled the space.

As another notification came in, Cass gently stepped closer to the raucous, “Easy, Bella.” He tried his best to make his voice as soothing as possible, “It’s just old Cassio Vale.”

He finally came close enough to see her. The thin horse had filled out a little since he’d last laid eyes on her. Small dark streaks ran across her coat, an unsubtle reminder of the danger they’d been in recently, but otherwise, she seemed much healthier than before. 

Cass reflexively threw his hands out to the side when she spotted him and reared up. In one graceful move, she dropped forward, front kicking the gate hard enough that the latch jiggled and came undone.

Freed from her constraints, the old horse ran out of the stall in a burst. Cass was halfway to taking a step back when she quickly stopped and bumped his head with her own, a heavy breath flaring his hair out.

Cass tried to still the hammer in his heart. “Alright, girl, alright. Yes, I’m happy to see you too.” She mouthed his neck with a huff. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here till now.” She made a grunting noise that felt like an admonition. He knew she wasn’t saying anything, but still, it felt like she was. “Look, I did my best, alright. I only started feeling better this morning.”

Rubbing her back a few times, and still getting used to the idea of “having” a horse, he walked toward her stall and was unsurprised to see her follow.

“This is a nice setup, Bella.” He waved around the area, “It’s nice, cozy even.” She snorted. “Oh, come on, I’m sure it’s better than what Shamus had set up for you. No? Well, it’s still nice.” Pushing away a few pieces of straw, he found a nice, flat spot, then had an idea. 

“Do you mind if I work out in here when I visit?” She stomped the ground, her intent coming across. “Am I crazy, or did you just say no?” Bella turned her head and gave him a full dose of horse eye. “Okay, so we really can talk to each other. Were you able to do this with Shamus? No? Huh.”  

Entering the squatting position to a horse’s laugh, Cass started his third series of calisthenics. Bit by bit, he worked through his required squats, then alternated between push-ups, sit-ups, and back to squats again. All the while, quest completions arrived, and an amused brown horse stared at him with one large eye. While he worked out, Cass didn’t stop reflecting on the fact that he could now communicate with a horse.

Was the system this weird with everyone, or just him? 

The update arrived just as he finished the last squat.

[Stalwart Way Daily Quest Complete]

Rewards: 5.5xp, 1 Stalwart Token, 1 Survivor Token

Note: Check the Survivor path for updates…

“Well,” He took a gulping breath, “Would you look at that.” He turned to Bella, “Do you mind watching over me while I finagle something?”

The horse snorted once, then turned her body towards the gate and pricked her ears forward like a proper guard.

Cass smiled, “Atta girl.” Then dove into his screens.

The path was the same, distant, dim lines stretching away, while the Stalwart Way glowed a deep red. But now, a new sidebar hovered alongside it.

Daily Quests Complete: 1

Stalwart Tokens: 1

Survivor Tokens: 1

He focused on the glowing track. Each node had a subtle pulse, the icons flickering momentarily to life as his attention moved along them.

The first was unironically a stylized footprint.

Daily Quest Unlocked Automatically: 

Basic Physical Calisthenics

The next node farther down the line depicted a flexing arm.

[Targeted Strengthening]

-Function Unlock-

You can now pick one of several strength-based routines each day.

Cost to Unlock: 10 Stalwart Tokens

So I won’t constantly have to do whatever the Way forces me to. I’ll get to pick and choose my Quests. But at a token a day, that means it’ll be over a week before I’m able to take a step.

Past the arm icon, the Stalwart Way branched out, reaching in several directions in a vein-like manner. One, in particular, piqued his curiosity. Its Icon looked more than a bit like Bella.

[Mounted Conditioning]

-Training Expansion-

Unlocks Daily Quests focused on grip strength, balance bracing, and core compression under strain.

Cost to Unlock: 7 Stalwart Tokens

Note: Node influenced by developing relationship with Bella, the draft horse.

He backed out slightly, returning to the full view of the path. Focusing, he moved his vision along the lines, taking in the general shape that all of them formed. The veins of the stalwart, the flame of the Cinders. Antlers for the Wild Way and two sharp blades for the Tempered. And there, far to the side of the others, a solitary lantern representing the Last Light.

“But what are Survivor Tokens?” He said out loud, and the system heard him. Far above them all, writing appeared.

[1 OF 5 WAYS UNLOCKED]

Cost to Unlock next way: 100 Survivor Tokens

Cass pulled out of the screen, Bella still standing guard. He reached over and gently rested against her rump. “This is going to take a while.”

Still, things were looking up. None of the Way’s cost experience to level. As long as he stuck to his regimen and kept pushing himself, there was nowhere to go but up.

Telling his horse that he’d be back tomorrow, Cass closed the gate and re-latched it. Then, remembering what the Stablemaster had said, walked over and grabbed a sweet. He doubled back to his horse, her head leaning over the stall, and gave it to her with a pat on the neck.

“See you soon, girl.”

Your reputation with the draft-horse, Bella, has increased by 1

Smiling to himself, Cass left, heading back to his room. There was a reason Logistics had shown itself as one of his first paths.

He was very good at planning.

Chapter 21: Clerks!

The rest of the day passed quickly. Quests were completed. Tutors came and went. Cass’s parents even dropped by for dinner, though his father’s excellent cooking took the words right out of their mouths. After they left, he used his last two Quest slots for the day to create two more for Gary, then checked his updates and knocked out for the night.

When the next day rose, he was determined to leave the infirmary. Poking his head out, Cass managed to wave down a passing man in healer white and explain that he felt well enough to return to the Guild. A back and forth happened, before he showed the man his wounds, now old scars that could’ve marred his body for a lifetime. 

Seeing that there was no reason to hold him, he was free to go. With his bag strapped across his body, Cass left the Goldencrown infirmary with a pep in his step.

Dropping off Gary’s daily Quest on the way, Cass made good time as he hoofed it downtown. His body felt spry, in a way it hadn’t before. One day of the Stalwart quest was already showing results, which was odd. He’d done tougher workouts in the past without seeing these results. But Cass wasn’t going to complain about a sudden increase in energy; he simply noted it as strange in his mind.

Wanting to use his rare moment of undocumented travel, Cass stopped by the Martin Family Metalworks. Sadly, a young guy was standing behind the desk rather than Mera. He left word that he’d dropped by, then stepped out with only a slight reduction in his enthusiasm for the day.

The sight of Gatekeeper Jim was far more pleasant than he expected. The jolly man waved him down as he approached..

“Well, hey there, fella. Didn’t expect to see you coming this way so soon. The healers let yah go?”

Cass shrugged with a laugh, “I think they were tired of me eating all of their food.”

Jim winked at him, “I can totally understand that position. Well, either way, it’s nice to have you back, QuestWright Vale. Take care of yourself.”

“Will do, thanks Jim. And if you see Kara, can you let her know I returned to my room.”

“Of course, I’ll get word to her right away.”

But Cass didn’t return to his room. Knowing it would be a bit of time before Jim could contact Kara, he instead made his way to the stables. The trip across the Guild expanse was now familiar to him. When he arrived at the large building that housed the animals, the sounds coming from within told him that she knew he was there.

Grabbing a sweet, Cass approached the excited horse with a smile, “Hey, old girl. How was your night?”

Bella gave him a shake.

“I know, most nights are just us passing time in the darkness.” He slipped into the stall, latching it shut behind him. “But at least we have each other, isn’t that right?” Feeding her the sweet, a notification struck him.

Your reputation with the draft-horse, Bella, has increased by 1

Cass smiled, “I’m going to work out, then, how about we get you a bath?”

In no time, Cass hit the ground and rotated through his sets. Working up a good sweat, he popped up the moment it was done, brushing spare straw away from his body as his lungs recovered.

[Stalwart Way Daily Quest Complete]

Rewards: 5xp, 1 Stalwart Token, 1 Survivor Token

Note: Check the Survivor path for updates…

Washing Bella was a special experience for him. Besides the fact that the draft horse seemed to love the experience, there was something therapeutic in scrubbing her down. It was the way she preened while the accumulated dust fell away with the dirty soap. As if she were modeling her form for the world.

When it was done, a little more time than he’d wanted had passed. Getting her back to her stall took even more from his clock, though he didn’t mind. She was his charge. He needed to take care of her as best he could. 

Before he left, he asked, “How often do you want to be bathed?

An ear flicker and stomp told him that once a week would make her happy.

“Deal.” Cass gave her side a rub, then closed and latched the stall gate on his way out.

Your reputation with the draft-horse, Bella, has increased by 5

Starting into a light jog, he made it to his room in good time, but not good enough, as a toe-tapping Kara was already waiting for him. When he got close, she reached out and pulled a bit of straw off one of his shoulders.

“I see. Well, at least you’re responsible. Come along. If you don’t want to be in the Infirmary, I’ll put you to work.”

Speed-walking to keep up with the no-nonsense Guild Trainer, they made their way to the Petition Hall. The Building was on the opposite side of the Atrium, across from the Quest Registry. In a rare form of intelligence with Guildhall construction, they were placed fairly close to each other. Kara explained that contracts were transferred from the Petition Hall to the Registry so they could be turned into Quests. The two buildings were symbiotic in nature, but required different locations as Customers rarely sought to complete Quests themselves.

When they entered, Cass found a long desk cutting off a large portion of the room. It was mostly empty at this time of the day, though there were a few people within. Including one familiar face, who waved at them.

“Hey, Kara! Cass!” 

“Hey, Brendan,” Cass said, shaking the excited young man’s hand. “How’s the Clerk's life?”

“Better than yours, I hear! Is it true you fought off three monsters with just a knife!?”

Cass’s eyebrows rose. “How does everyone keep hearing about this?”

Brendan threw his arms in the air, “The Clerk pool, of course! Nothing happens in Liora without us knowing.”

Cass looked over at Kara, who was already rubbing her forehead with a wince, “Clerks!” She said with such finality that he had a good idea of what she was thinking. “We’re here so you can assign your first Administrative Quest. They’re less personal than Training Quests, but have a tendency to explode in complexity as they’re drafted. Brendan here will receive one.”

Brendan waved at her, “Hi again, Kara.”

“Hi,” Kara replied in a dry tone. “We’re also here to give a Quest to a young woman I believe you know.” She pointed at the large desk that half-filled the room, where a pretty young girl with a morose expression stamped several forms in front of her. A man in a fancy outfit approached as they looked at her.

“Is that Chancey?”

“Yep!” Brendan said, only too happy to tell the story. “She used to work in the Quest Registry, but she kept assigning Quests to the wrong areas. I heard that she put a Tier 3 Quest on the Tier 1 red bo-”

“See, this is why I don’t like Clerks.” Kara interrupted. “Any little thing that happens, and you blow it all out of proportion through the grapevine. Doesn’t matter what city you go to, Clerks are just walking rumor mills.” Kara closed the distance between them in two strides, clapping both hands onto his shoulders. “Brendan, STOP spreading rumours. That isn’t what happened, and no matter what DID happen, that’s for Chancey and the Guildmaster to know. Not everyone else.”

Brendan’s face lost a little color as he nodded quickly, “Right. Yes, Kara. Understood.”

She gave him one last squeeze with a slight glare, then turned back to Cass. “The goal of every Administrative Quest is simple. They need accuracy, clarity, and task balance.” Kara guided him and Brendan over to the large desk, entering through an area where the desk ended for several feet before beginning again. When they arrived just behind Chancey, she was dealing with a red-faced man speaking in a loud voice.

“I don’t care what standard Guild protocol says,” The man growled, “I requested three runners, not one with a bum leg. They took twice as long and gave my guys lip when they demanded to know why it was so late.”

Chancey’s voice was flat, but Cass could see her wringing her hands under the top of the desk. “Sir, the request was marked ‘Non-Urgent’, and I’m afraid the Guild is very low on staffing lately. Might I suggest that you seek one of the enterprises that specializes in this sort of business?”

“Like I’d trust my goods to those pirates and thieves. No. I want to speak with the Head Clerk immediately.”

“Mr. Rueda is not in at the moment.” Seeing the man lean forward, her hands gripped each other tightly, “But I’ll be certain to-”

Cass stopped listening, even as the man grew louder and ruder. Pulling up the Quest wasn’t easy, but it was a Delivery, and as such, he did have access to it. 

After staring at the map for so long, filtering out any non-delivery Quests now came naturally as he tracked routes and markers. Looking over the particulars, he found both people were correct. The request did ask for multiple messengers, but only one was assigned. Complications had arisen as he’d had to fight off multiple monsters during the run, injuring his leg in the process. Doing his best to memorize the information, Cass took a deep mental breath and stepped forward as he felt Kara’s eyes fixate on his back.

“Mr. Dannet, of Dannet Goods, do I have that right?”

The man leaned back from the desk. “Who’s asking? When you all wear the same thing, it's impossible to remember faces.”

“Cassio Vale, sir. Now, I heard the discussion you were having with Ms. Chancey, and I wanted to inform you that the young man who delivered your goods had been beset by monsters. That is why it was delayed. From what I’ve seen, he still made it to the location with your package intact, so-

“That doesn’t matter! He was late! No Guild delivery should ever be late, otherwise, what’s the point of you all?” He gestured at everyone, Chancey most of all. “It’s pathetic.”

Cass nodded as something lit up in his chest, “I see, then let me set your mind at ease.”

Chancey gave him a look of sincere gratitude as the man took a step back from the desk. “Is that right? Well, it’s about time. What compensation do you have for me, Vale?”

Cass looked the man square in the eyes, “I can guarantee you that no more Tier 1 deliveries will ever be late again with your name attached to them.”

“That’s more like it. See, girl, that’s how you treat your customers. Wait, you said your name was Vale? That name seems familiar. Vale…Vale..” He started to mumble. “Aren’t you that kid who got mauled?” 

But Cass wasn’t done. “I can give you that guarantee because of my Calling.” He looked at Kara, “You told me once before that a QuestWright can decline to create quests for any person they feel a personal conflict with.” 

She nodded with a smile, “That’s true.”

Cass hooked a thumb at the man whose face reached a sudden dawning of realization. “I choose to never make any Quests for Dannet Goods. Ever.”

Sputtering, Dannet held up his hands in a warding gesture, “Hey now, hold on just a minute. We can work this out.”

Chancey gave Cass a dimpled smile before turning back to Dannet, “I’m sorry, sir. But according to Guild protocol, a QuestWright’s word on the negation of any future contracts is law. You can appeal to Guildmaster Hollis, but I believe he will side with QuestWright Vale and block Dannet Goods as well.” She smiled as she drove the knife in. “As there is nothing else that the Liora Guildhall can do for you at this time, I wish you a good day, sir.”

“No, that’s not.” The man seemed to be having a fit, “But my contracts.”

“Have a good day, sir,” Chancey repeated in a lighter voice than she’d used before. With finality, she turned her back on him and spoke in a quiet voice filled with relief. “Ahh, that felt so good.”

Kara squared up on her as the man stomped out of the room. “Chancey, if they start to get rude, you can always decline them. The Guildhall is a service. Yes, they pay for the Quests, but we never charge too much because what we do helps everybody.” Turning to Cass, she gave him a smile, “That was well done, Cass, though looking to me for my authority was unnecessary. You need to be ready and able to step forward and shut down that kind of nonsense. You won’t just hear about it in the Petition Hall. Those kinds of people are everywhere. Though, maybe you’re closer than I’d thought.”

Closer to what?” Cass asked.

“I told you about it once before. You’re not far from taking over the first floor of the Quest Registry. Once you unlock a few more Quest types and get used to practicing with them, it’ll be a cinch. And,” She gave him another smile. “It’ll earn you a ton of experience. Now.” Clapping her hands together, both Chancey and Brendan jumped back. “Let's get to these Administrative Quests.”

Kara’s requirements for both Chancey and Brendan were the same. It seemed that a tremendous number of contracts had been incorrectly labeled. As Clerks gained experience from both Quests and basic clerical duties, such as organizing paperwork or investigating Administrative discrepancies, Brendan and Chancey were about to receive a significant boost towards their next level. 

Cass put in the information, then read it verbatim to Kara. Once it was all set, she had him make a slight change. Rather than assigning it to either of them, Kara had Cass create it as a generalized Quest. When it was done, he looked it over one last time.

[Quest Ledger Entry: CV-0001-A-LIA]

Quest Title: Annual Contract Reorganization

Assigned Questors: Any active Guild Clerk

Quest Objective: 

Label and reorganize all Guild service contracts from today back to the same date last year.

• Categorize contracts by expected tiers, region, client, and type

• Transfer contracts older than one year to the Public Archive

• Find and flag errors and mismatches for eventual review by Tier 4 Clerk Rueda 

Status: Active

Questor XP Awarded: +30 XP (Divided among all willing participants)

QuestWright XP Awarded: +3 XP

System Reputation: +5

Expected Liora Guildhall Reputation: +3

Modifier: 

• Scaling Difficulty (+200%)

• Extended Time Requirements (+100%)

• Multi-level Criteria (+100%)

• Complexity (+100%)

“That really blew up in experience,” Cass said when he looked at the final total. Just over his shoulder, Brendan kept staring at the same wall where the mentally projected ledger was one. Naturally, only Cass could see it.

“That’s because of stacking modifiers. Once you’ve unlocked enough Quest types, you should start moving into Quest chains, which are where the largest jumps in experience come from. Sadly, that’s also the end of my notes on QuestWrights.”

Cass looked at her, “Why do your notes end there?”

“Because that’s where the Sovereign decided to end them. Guild Trainers receive a small book on every Calling we’re meant to help train. Everything after that is intuition, general coaching, or just feeling things out.” She said that last part with a distasteful face. “Still, thirty experience split among two Clerks is quite a lot.”

“Did you say thirty experience?” Chancey asked, just as Brendan yelled out, “Thirty experience!”

Kara flipped around in a blur, “Split! Split between you!”

Cass drafted the Quest after spending the longest amount of time yet focusing on what he wanted it to say. Unlike when he’d drafted the Quests of the last few days, he was no longer distracted by everything that had happened in the previous week.

[Tier 2 Administrative Quest]

By the order of QuestWright Cassio Vale, the following task is issued to any active Clerks located in the Liora Guildhall.

Between today and one year ago, all service contracts accepted from customers by the guild must be retrieved, relabeled, and refiled according to Guild standards. This task includes the following:

Labeling: Look for tiers, places, clients, and Quest types

Archiving: Any contracts older than one year must be sent to the Public Archive

Audit: Locate any errors in labeling and put them togetherness. Do your very best to find the reason for the errors.

This quest will take time, and the amount of thirty experience will be split among any Questors who accept the role.

Cassio Vale

Liora Guildhall 

QuestWright

Kara held it up when he was done. “Look at that, your first Tier 2 Quest. But I have to ask, togetherness?”

Cass shrugged, “I did my best.”

“Well, you got all of the requirements into it, that’s good-”

A notification splashed across his screen.

[System Notice]

Bonus experience granted for drafting your first Tier 2 Quest:

10 Experience

Initiate QuestWright Achievement progress:

1/12

Kara had stopped speaking when Cass’s eyes became unfocused. “Did you just get an achievement?”

Cass blinked, “Yep. I’ve started the Initiate QuestWright series.”

She shook her head, “Way too fast. You better calm down or you’re going to outlevel me. Come along, these two are going to be freaking out about this Quest for quite a while and I’d like to get some distance from them.” Handing the Quest to Brendan, her walking speed became a blur before she was out of the room.

Starting into a light jog to catch up, he called back, “Have fun!”

“We will. Thank you, QuestWright Vale!” Chancey yelled at him.

“This is going to be SO MUCH fun!” Brendan yelled out to the room.

The moment Cass was outside of the building, he stepped over to a waiting Kara, “Clerks?”

She nodded, “Clerks.”

Cass didn’t know what was more dangerous. Monsters, or overly-enthusiastic Clerks with 30xp to split.

Chapter 22: The System Loves Us

Heading to the Cafeteria for his first standard non-infirmary lunch in a while, he found a grumpy Orla and ecstatic Pellin already seated.

“Howdy, folks,” Cass said, dropping his tray down as he grabbed his usual seat.

“Well, look who it is.” The merchant said with a smile. “QuestWright Cassio Vale, in the flesh.”

“Initiate QuestWright Cassio Vale, actually.”

Orla’s fork slammed into the table. “How! How are you both doing this?”

Pellin lifted his cup in a toast to himself as he looked at Cass, “Initiate System Engineer.”

Cass tapped his cup, then answered, “I don’t know. It’s just a talent, you know? You can’t teach it.”

“Yeah, a talent, like he said,” Pellin added on. “We’re just naturals at this whole system integration thing.”

“Yep.” Cass continued egging her on, “The System loves us.”

Orla lifted the fork out of the table and stabbed it at them, “Whatever you’re both doing, I want in. I know there’s something funky going on. Something weird.”

Cass stuffed his face with food as a thought occurred. She could work with Rina. It would make things a little easier for both of us. And she’s a merchant. Maybe she can get us better deals. Then he remembered he’d never told Rina he was done with the infirmary. Not wanting to anger the leatherworker firmed up the idea even further in his mind.

Swallowing his food, he asked, “Orla, how would you like a few Quests? As long as you finish them, they’re guaranteed to bring in experience.”

Pellin shuddered, “Better you than me. Getting that horse to the stable took about every skill I could think of. Screw the xp, it isn’t worth it.”

Meanwhile, Orla put down her fork. “What kind of Quests? Not that the last one was hard, but that man refused to communicate.”

“Yeah, Holt's different.” Reluctantly pushing away his food, he got down to business. “Rina’s been helping me organize a large group of Traders in the Commons. I give them Quests, and they get to make a little money. For reference, she’s the Leatherworker next to the blacksmith.”

“Oh, the one who likes him?”

“What, no.” Then Cass had to think about it. Does she like him? Based on Orla’s grin, he might be wrong. “Anyways, she probably doesn’t know how to negotiate for the best prices on things. I figure, with Orla Marrowind as our lead merchant, we should get much better value out of everything.”

“Uh-huh.” She took a drink as she thought it over. “What kind of income are you looking at?”

“Income?”

“Crests. How many Crests are you making bi-weekly? As a Lead Merchant,” She said the words with quoted fingers. “What should I expect our quarter-to-quarter goals to be? How do you plan on upscaling, and what kind of horizontal structuring are you planning? Is this a Consortium, a collective? What kind of enterprise is it? You do know that this is how most Collectives begin, right?”

“Um…I hadn’t considered that.” I might have found something real here.

“Well, consider it. If you want to make real money off of all this, you need a financial blueprint that scales with your allocated capital.” 

When Cass and Pellin both gave her blank looks, she sighed, “I’ll talk to Rina and see how much you guys have screwed things up. It definitely beats inventorying. Give me a few days.”

Cass agreed, and they shook on it. 

He left the Cafeteria when Kara caught him en route to his room. “No, no, Mr. QuestWright. You may have skipped tutoring this morning, but you need to get back on track with your classes. Resource Management and Logistics await.”

Cass sighed, then turned around and walked back the other way. 

He was busy enough for the rest of the day that he never had the chance to catch Orla or Holt. Though logically he knew it wasn’t a big deal, only handing out three Quests in twenty-four hours felt wrong to him. He was a QuestWright; they were the primary focus of his life right now…and maybe forever. 

On the second day back in the Guild, Cass tried to keep up his routine. Wake up, Gary Quest, see Bella and do his personal Quest, then off to a modified class schedule. He’d briefly considered simply doing his QuestWright duties full-time, but shrugged off the thought. It didn’t matter that he wouldn’t get any experience or have to wait to unlock titles like the rest of his former classmates. There was still information to be had, and he applied himself as studiously as possible. 

Kara took him to the Provisioner’s Exchange, where the Guild’s standard crafting could be traded for points earned from specific Quests. In there, he found several different kinds of gear, and she introduced him to a smattering of Guild Merchants and Tradesmen who ran the place. He made several more Annual Quests like he had for Brendan and Chancey the previous day. It guaranteed that he’d gain a small experience boost in the coming days.

Meeting up with Orla just before the Guest Lecturer block, Cass asked her about how the meeting went.

“It went great. Rina’s got a good head on her shoulders. Though, when I broached the subject of starting our Enterprise, that Holt fellow objected strongly.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what his issue is. We have a group of Tradesmen and a Merchant, plus everyone gets Quests from me to boost their experience. What’s not to love?”

They split up for their separate booths, and Cass got a lecture from a traveling hunter about the problems of the world. According to the large woman in leather, the world was becoming more dangerous. Portals, once thought to be rare, were now becoming more commonplace. Incursion rates were growing, and Monsters were less afraid of attacking larger city centers. The Capital itself was forced to defend itself from what sounded like a pretty meticulously planned attack by several groups of monsters.

Cass went to bed that night, Skreels large in his mind.

On the third day, he was forced to re-enter the physical classes. Though he’d woken up early to spend his daily time with Bella, get his workout done, and drop off Gary’s Quest, he still had a bit of energy leftover for the morning. 

Scout Dev’s workouts, while not a breeze, weren’t that bad anymore. In fact, even without Master Greeve’s potion, he wasn’t called on for tutoring that night. He didn’t know if it was because Dev thought he was in better shape or she was just trying to take it easy on him, but either way, it was a welcome change. Pellin, unfortunately, did not get away from the Scout’s judgment.

“Every day!” He yelled out, bits of milk leaking from the side of his mouth. He quickly dabbed at it before repeating, “Every day! She makes me go to tutoring every single day.”

Cass breezed through his third and fourth classroom, then wound up in the Annex with a foot-tapping Kara. He looked at her, “Got some place to be?”

She was surprised when he spoke to her, “What? Oh, sorry.” Her foot stopped. “We’re waiting on someone, and they make me nervous.”

“You? Nervous?” Cass laughed, “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Everyone gets nervous, except for this son of a-” She stopped when her eyes met something. Standing up straight, she pushed a few creases out of her robe when a man approached, though approached would be the wrong word. 

A man, wearing only dark clothing and sporting long, unkempt hair, stalked towards them. There was a deep-seated slash of a scar tracing from his right ear to his chin, pulling his expression into a constant grin that was unnerving to see. When he got close, Cass felt something odd coming from him. It took him a moment before he realized it was his Monster Sense going off. After the events with the Skreel, he’d never turned it off.

Standing up quickly, he took two quick steps away and reached into his bag for his knife before anyone could say or do anything.

The man grinned, “Hold, Cassio Vale, though I appreciate you heeding your ability. That’ll keep you alive.”

Not bothering to correct him, Kara gestured at the man, “This is Aeron Chask, Guildhunter.”

“Master Aeron Chask, nice to meet you.” The man held out a scarred hand. Though Cass’s ability still told him to keep his distance, he swallowed the lump in his throat and reached forth. The hunter’s hands felt hot as fire.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise, QuestWright.” He took a step back and looked Cass up and down, “So, you took out three Skreels with almost no training and without any Combat abilities. That’s quite the feat.” When Cass felt a bit of pride worm its way in, he spoke again, “Not a great feat for a person with a Combat Calling, but certainly something noteworthy for you softer types.”

“Master Chask is here for a multi-part Quest, Cass.” She gave him a look of disgust. “It’s completely unnecessary, but he insists.”

“Alrighttt.” Cass put the knife away and reopened the Annex. “What’s the Quest?”

“I need a Quest that has me delivering a package to Fillmore’s Decor while also including a portion that allows me to look over the state of their previous deliveries.”

“That sounds like an investigation.” He looked at Kara, “I don’t have those Quest types unlocked yet.”

“Which is what I told Chask here, but he insists you create it. Guildmaster Hollis will be busy for the next few days and doesn’t have time to make personalized Quests; thus, here we are.”

“Won’t this damage my System Reputation?”

“No,” Kara replied, “As long as you don’t word anything to feel like an Investigation. Just stick to exactly what Chask is requesting. Oh, here’s the contract from the Petition Hall.”

She slid a piece of paper across the desk and Cass looked it over.

Though it was his first time seeing a Contract, Cass found it surprisingly easy to follow. Two days earlier, Clarence Fillmore had submitted a request through the Petition Hall: deliver an item from the Red Tower to Fillmore’s Decor.  The reason was clear. Monsters had been sighted on the road, and the petitioner believed the Guild had the best resources at hand for dealing with them. Near the bottom sat Chancey’s signature, accompanied by a doodled smiley face he pointedly ignored.

Cass leaned back in his chair and looked at Kara, “What’s the real reason?” 

“Better if you don’t know,” Kara said with a serious expression. “Just draft the Quest so Chask can get out of here.”

“Master Chask, Guild Trainer Kara.” The scarred man said with a dark expression. “I know I earned that title enough times over not to get any attitude from you.”

Kara’s face morphed into something Cas didn’t recognize. “You got Sara killed.”

Chask’s eyes narrowed. The scarred man seemed almost to snarl as he said, “Sara got herself killed, foolish woman. Do you think I like it when Guildmembers, hell, when any human being dies in this world? Aside from the dark Guilds, I’ll protect anyone I possibly can. Sara made a mistake, and she paid for it with her life. As simple as that.”

Cass looked back and forth between them. This is getting bad…should I do something?

Kara took a step toward the hunter, “She never should’ve been there, and you know it. She was barely Tier 2, but you threw her at a fully brewed incursion like it was a walk in the park.”

“I told her to SCOUT IT. Not engage!” Chask barked. “When I got there, she was already gone. Along with the poor kids she tried to save. I never sent her on that kind of mission. She took the initiative on her own.”

Seeing that they were about to come to blows, Cass decided to be brave. Moving faster than he thought was possible, he jumped between them and put a hand on both their chests. “Why don’t we all calm down? Please? This isn’t exactly the place for a brawl.”

“He’s right,” Kara said, taking a step back physically and metaphorically. “Care to take a trip out to the Rings?”

Chask's grin was all teeth, “Gladly.” He looked at Cass, who felt his whole world narrow down from the glare on the man’s face. “Make that Quest and leave it on the desk. I’ll pick it up after I’m done teaching your trainer why I’m called a master.”

After they left, it felt like all the heat in the building left with them. The cold look in Chask’s eyes had come close to freezing Cass’s heart. Knowing better than to not draft the quest, Cass stepped into the system and filled it out as carefully as he could. If the outline started to sound even the least bit like an investigation, he could get hit by the System for violating Quest types.

When he finalized it, Cass looked it over. It still looked too much like an investigation. The System wasn’t stupid. Just transporting Bella to the stable almost got him into trouble. Cass sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He knew what he had to do.

Diving into the Reputation screens, Cass was surprised at how tall the silver System tower had become. Responding to his will, a counter appeared on the right.

Total System reputation accrued: 124

Current System reputation remaining: 104

Those achievements really add up, Cass thought to himself. Willing his request to the System, the Quest types appeared in a row like last time. He looked at them for a moment, then selected Investigation.

(I) Investigation:  A Quest type related to uncovering hidden information, resolving anomalies, and conducting thorough procedural analysis.

Cost to Unlock: 20 System Reputation

Knowing he still had plenty to spare, Cass accepted the cost.

Quest type: (I) Investigation selected…

QuestWright Ledger updated…

As the silver bricks solidified, Cass glanced once at all of the new towers that had sprung up since he’d last been there, then exited.

The settings for Investigations were different. There were categories not only for the types of investigations, but as he looked deeper, there were also categories for different types of deception and the expected levels of severity.

He keyed in everything he knew about what was needed, then finalized the outline.

True Quest ID: CV-0001-I-LIA

True Objective: Hunter Aeron Chask will investigate Fillmore’s Decor for deceptive practices related to the delivery of packages using Liora Guildhall resources.

Disguised Quest ID: CV-00010-D-LIA

Disguised Objective: Scout Aaron Chomsky will deliver one package from the Red Tower to Fillmore’s Decor in Liora City. Upon arriving at the destination location, Scout Chomsky will review Fillmore’s Decor delivery records. 

Source Location: The Red Tower (LIA-RT)

Destination Location: Fillmore’s Decor

Disguised Assigned Candidate: Aaron Chomsky

True Assigned Candidate: Aeron Chask

Disguised Completion Conditions: Package delivered within the official timeframe, records checked.

True Completion Conditions: Package delivered within the official timeframe, records checked, location scouted, and personnel inspected.

Timeframe: 5 hours

System Reputation: +7

Disguised Modifiers: Dual-Track Quest (+100%), Complexity (+10%)

True Modifiers: Triple-Track Quest (+200%), Danger level: Moderate (+100%), Complexity (+80%)

Disguised Questor Reward: +11xp

True Questor Reward: +24xp

Disguised QuestWright Reward: +1.1xp

True QuestWright Reward: +2.4xp

It looked like what they wanted. Concentrating, Cass focused and drafted it. The shimmer rolling across the Quest was multi-layered. It started with a spark, like normal, before it shifted to a flame. When the flash was over, the Quest sat in front of him, reading like any other Delivery Quest he’d ever made. But he knew what was really in there.

Leaving it on the desk, he went about his day, not expecting much to come out of it for a time. Kara met up with him later on, bruising evident across her face as she limped towards him. With a gesture, she started to lead him to a new location, just as a Quest update came in. Curious, he pulled up his notifications.

[System Notice]

You’ve gained .55xp for Gary Trenner’s Quest Completion.

Your System Reputation has increased by 1. 

Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

[System Notice]

You’ve gained 8.8xp for Aeron Chasks’ Quest Completion.

Your System Reputation has increased by 10. 

Details can be found in the Quest Ledger.

Bonus experience granted for triggering your first Quest Chain:

20 Experience

Initiate QuestWright Achievement progress:

2/12