Sarah's Story Chapter 052 - Second Class (End of Part 2)

It wasn’t a complicated story. The mother had been shopping that morning, and looked away for just a moment, and then her son was gone. Nobody nearby had seen anything, the city guards were useless, and after an hour of looking, she had come to the Adventurer’s Guild to file an emergency request.

The boy had little to add, himself. He only remembered waking up in the dark, scared.

Sarah and Helen had fumed to hear him say that.

Sarah was then called upon to explain her side of the story: how she had heard the boy crying from some distance away, the two men in the cart who had claimed to be on nobles’ business, the city guard who had ranged from unhelpful to outright assisting the kidnappers, and the short fight.

The Guildmaster had frowned when Sarah spoke of attacking the city guard.

Helen had flared her [Battle Aura] when she saw him frown.

“Sarah,” her mother declared, “you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. You handled that as well as you could have alone.”

She glared at the Guildmaster as though daring him to disagree.

His expression tightened, and then he nodded stiffly.

“Indeed. Kidnapping is an extraordinarily serious crime.” Then, disregarding the two Brawlers, he got out of his seat, stepped to the mother, and got down on a knee to match her eye level. “What happened today is a travesty, one which I will do my best to ensure never happens again. The perpetrators and their accomplices will be brought to justice. This I swear on the name of Count Bradley. Additionally, if you or your son ever need for anything, you may come to the Adventurer’s Guild for assistance, free of charge.”

By now, Sarah was wise enough to the ways of the world to understand that this wasn’t simple contrition and a desire to make amends.

The boy was a child. In several years, he would have his Choosing Day, and there was likely to be an Avenger option.

It was in everyone’s best interest that the rest of the boy’s childhood go smoothly and safely.

The boy’s mother nodded. “Thank you, m’lord.” Then she turned to Sarah. “And thank you, miss. I couldn’t possibly thank you enough for this, for finding my boy…” The woman broke down in tears, the relief weakening the dam of her emotions.

The Guildmaster took his seat again, but Helen defied Sarah’s expectation that she would get up and soothe the crying woman.

Instead, Helen continued glaring at the Guildmaster.

“Why is the city defending kidnappers?”

Tension filled the air of the room. She continued.

“The kidnappers themselves; the city guards who were helping them out of the city; I even noticed the Vice Guildmaster knocked out below. Don’t tell me the Adventurer’s Guild is involved.”

It was a command, and a threat.

Sarah made the split-second decision to protect the boy and his mother, get them out of the room once the violence started before returning to aid her own mother.

But the Guildmaster merely grimaced and accepted the accusation.

“I can assure you, the Adventurer’s Guild is not supporting or aiding in any way, kidnappers. I’ve already given orders to have the city guard from the gate brought here for questioning on my own authority. As for the Vice Guildmaster…” The Guildmaster sighed. “He’s a pissant stickler for rules. Duty compels me to order you not to raise a hand against nobles like that, but given the severity of the emergency, I’m granting you clemency, Adventurer Sarah.”

Sarah slowly relaxed, as the threat of imminent violence faded. She nodded.

Turning back to Helen, the giant man continued. “I will personally oversee this investigation until such time as the Royal Family takes direct control. And take direct control they will. Please keep in mind that this is the first attempted kidnapping in almost a year, ever since you both arrived in the capital. We, that is, the nobility, have been investigating every single missing persons case extremely thoroughly, because we know how quickly kidnapping can spiral out of control.”

Avengers.

There was a knock on the open door, and one of the receptionist men was standing there. “Sir, the initial interrogation is complete, and a Viscount is implicated. The King has also summoned you to an audience two hours from now, in the small throne room.”

“Good, thank you, Charlie. Biscuit?” The receptionist shook his head, turned on his heel, and fled the room.

The Guildmaster sighed, and then grew serious once more. “Sarah.”

Sarah sat up straighter as she once again had the Guildmaster’s full attention.

“Thank you. Sincerely, thank you for putting a stop to this before it got any worse. I’d like to offer you a five ounce gold reward; will you accept it?”

Sarah thought for barely a moment. “Put it towards the request to find my brother, Smith James.”

The Guildmaster smiled faintly. “It will be done. Now, I’m afraid I have to ask you all to leave my office so that I can prepare for my audience with the King himself.” He looked pointedly at Helen, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.

The Guildmaster rolled his eyes. “Giving you a report is pointless, you’ll just hear about it from your [Gossips] before I finish writing it, anyway.”

Helen’s eyebrow raised another fraction of an inch.

The Guildmaster yielded. “Fine, fine, I’ll ensure you get a report as well.”

The last of the tension faded from the room. Helen finished off her tea, set the teacup down with impeccable grace, and rose. “Thank you for your hospitality, Count Bradley; and thank you, Guildmaster, for keeping an eye on my daughter.” She smiled sweetly, and then they all left the room.

Later that night, three Brawler women were seated around a table, the remains of their dinner set aside and ignored as they focused on the report they had just received.

A Viscount Arnold, charged with overseeing the city guard, had been approached by a kidnapping ring from outside the Kingdom of Asufal, and today’s kidnapping had been a trial run to determine how feasible future kidnappings were.

Included in the report was a preemptive order from the King himself. Helen was ordered not to leave the country to chase after the kidnapping ring, and was highly encouraged to leave the Capital and go home to Mortimer Barony.

Helen sighed. “Finally we have a lead, and I’m ordered not to follow it. Such misfortune.”

Nadine scoffed. “Like you’re not going to ignore it and do it anyway.”

“No, I mustn’t. I can read between the lines. If I were to leave, they would go after Stephen, and I couldn’t bear that.” Helen let her facade slip, and aged ten years in an instant. She clutched her hands, shoulders trembling. “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Stephen…”

Sarah grabbed her mother’s hands in her own. “Mom, go home. I’ll go.”

“Sarah, I can’t, I won’t pressure you any more…”

Sarah shook her head. “You’re not pressuring me. It’s time to move on from this Kingdom: James isn’t here. There’s no leads. But now we do have a lead, a kidnapping ring in this…” She looked down at the report. “This Grand Duchy of Rolland. I’ll go and see what I can find.”

“Sarah…” Nadine said, trailing off. She still felt guilty about putting her niece in danger.

“Auntie Nadine, that was a fluke. I’m more than strong enough to take on almost anyone. And I won’t go looking for trouble like that again. If I get in a situation like that again, I’ll run, come get you and mom, and we can handle it together.”

It was Helen, facade back in place, that rested a hand on Sarah’s. “Sarah, sleep on it. We’ll talk about it more in the morning. Nothing needs to be decided right now.”

“Okay.”

Sarah opened her eyes, once more in the world of her soul.

Surrounding her were thousands of Classes, all the general Classes and all the Specializations were out together.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap.

“Congratulations!” they all said as one, and then repeated, voices overlapping.

Avenger was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, an unbelievably beautiful version of Sarah, as if her every flaw were erased and every feature enhanced, wearing shining white armor with gold trim and a flowing cape, with a sword on her hip and a shield in hand, strode forward.

“I am Hero,” the Class said, tossing her luscious hair to the side and smiling winningly at Sarah, dressed in her comparatively shabby Brawler outfit. “Choose to be a Hero, and continue saving those in need, like you did today.”

Sarah had only one thing to say. “Will you be able to find my brother, James?”

The Class’ smile didn’t break. “No. No, Hero won’t be able to do that. This Class is for selflessly helping others, not fulfilling one’s own selfish desires.”

Sarah smiled evenly. “Then I’ll never pick Hero.”

Another cheer went up from the surrounding Classes. Even Hero started clapping slowly. “Well, I had to make the offer. Congratulations, Sarah.”

At this, Sarah frowned. “Congratulations?”

In a moment, all the other Classes disappeared. Only two other Classes remained. To the left was Avenger, glowing with green and gold light, manipulating the wind. But Avenger’s face was…

At peace.

There was no madness lurking under the surface, no desperation, no enticement.

Dry hair and skin, chapped lips, tight muscles, all was as normal with the abhorrent Class, but it was at peace.

To the right, there was Sarah looking exactly as she did now: hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing the Brawler training outfit, barefoot, walking along a riverbank on the round river stones, occasionally bending down to lift a stone, check the underside, and put it back.

Sarah walked to the right.

Avenger faded away, like mist dissipating in the morning sun.

This last remaining Class didn’t speak. It merely continued its walk and lifting stones and putting them back down.

“Can… can you find my brother?” Sarah asked.

The Class straightened and turned to Sarah, smiling gently.

“Walk with me,” it said, and Sarah joined it.

They spoke for some time, reminiscing on Sarah’s life up to this point. Her childhood dream to be a Brawler and a Mage. Her brother’s kidnapping, and her oath to find him. Her plan to become a Brawler, and that success. Sarah’s journey to the capital, joining the Adventurer’s Guild, studying, training to be a Scout, and a Bounty Hunter. Her exploration of the city, and the refining of her palate.

Her rescue of the kidnapped boy, today.

“Classes,” the Class said, “are a crystallization of human potential. A focusing. A concentration. They enable a person to become more than they otherwise would living an unfocused life.” The Class met Sarah’s gaze. “At least, that is the case for most people. For most people, they would have spent this last year unfocused, letting the days slip by, not developing, not growing. That time would have been irreparably lost for not having a second Class. Even with two Classes, many waste their time, don’t take life seriously, and die regretful, wishing they could have just a little more time…”

Sarah remained silent.

“That is most people. You, Sarah, are not most people. You trained to the point of being a capable Brawler even before your Classes unlocked. And then you trained another year, becoming a capable Scout and even a capable Bounty Hunter, even without the Classes.”

Again, Sarah remained silent. The Class continued, unbothered.

“And you’ve realized yourself: you don’t need a Class to find your brother. Your own efforts and your own capacity to grow, without needing the guidance and focus of a Class, is enough. The question, however, is one of time.”

The Class bent down to check another rock. “There are so many places to look, and there are no hints remaining. Even the mages and the priests are unable to find him without the slightest hint.”

Sarah frowned, but still, remained silent.

“New Classes form in response to desires the System cannot satisfy.”

Sarah inhaled sharply. Was this…?

“Your own ancestor could not be satisfied. Her love of fighting couldn’t be bound to just one Class, in her time. And so she set the issue of her second Class aside and simply lived her life, fighting and loving in equal measure. Eventually, her desire created the Brawler Class, which you now also possess.”

Sarah bit her lip, impatient, but unwilling to interrupt the Class.

“In your ancestor’s case, there was nothing to Avenge. Avengers have a very broad scope, as a Class. They can do things no other normal Class can do, because everything they do is in service to a very sharp desire: vengeance. But not you, Sarah. Despite being wronged, you didn’t desire vengeance. Merely restitution. And that’s something very different.”

The Class met Sarah’s gaze directly, now. “Avenger would have been a terrible fit for you.”

Sarah swallowed thickly.

“And so, here I am. Late, but perhaps not too late. I cannot say.” The Class shrugged. “A brand new Class, and you, the Primogenitor.”

“What… what does that mean, exactly?” Sarah finally spoke.

“It means that this Class will not work like normal Classes, that focus and crystallize human potential into a productive path. You clearly don’t need that. What you need is beyond human potential, and yet, already perfectly within your grasp. Even should you lose the System entirely, you would be perfectly capable of growing and achieving your goals on your own, Sarah. No, instead, this Class is fluid, and open to possibilities. As yet vaguely defined, it will be your life that defines this path, defines this Class. This Class exists to define itself based on how you live your life from now on. And, of course, to aid you as it can in achieving your goals.”

“So… can you help me find my brother?” Sarah asked, throat tightening.

The Class smiled. “Yes. Without a doubt.”

Sarah gulped. “And… and what is the Class called?”

The Class answered, and Sarah Chose.

Her eyes fluttered open just as dawn started to break. The night was over, and a new day was beginning.

First, she felt for her Class boosts, feeling more than she ever had before. From her first Class, boosts to Speed, Dexterity, and now also Intelligence.

From her second Class, boosts to Willpower, Perception, and Endurance.

And the name of that second Class was Finder.