Sarah's Story Chapter 016 - Entering the Adventurer's Guild

After crossing the threshold she paused, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light and take in the room.

To the left was a bar!

To her left there was a few high top tables, empty this early in the morning, and a few long tables with benches, with several small groups of men and women huddled together in discussions. They had all paused and were looking at her warily, some with curiosity in their eyes, and some with… ill-intent, it seemed.

The bar itself was small and currently unmanned, with only two shelves and scattered bottles of liquor, with large, sad gaps between them. As if to make up for this, there were stacked barrels from floor to ceiling, some already tapped, making it clear that ale was the most popular drink here at the Adventurer’s Guild.

Sarah tore her eyes away from the bar and continued looking. Beyond the bar, a little deeper into the building, was a large open area with countless pieces of paper affixed to the walls, layers and layers of paper with what appeared to be words and crude drawings.

That must be where jobs are posted.

Barely visible from the threshold was a door, currently open, and beyond that a staircase leading up to the upper floors.

Continuing on, directly in front of Sarah, was an open space some ten or so yards deep, and then a line of standing desks with partitions between them. Most of the stations were empty, save for one, currently staffed by a young woman Sarah’s age or perhaps slightly older. She had light brown hair pulled back and put up in a bun, and was wearing an off-white blouse under a black leather corset and a long, light blue skirt. The receptionist smiled at Sarah, and Sarah tried to smile back, but it felt awkward as she was still assessing the guild and trying to ignore the leering gazes from the bar area.

Finally, to the right of the door was a corner with a seemingly excessive number of racks and hooks for cloaks and gear, mostly empty this morning. Perhaps with weather this good, everyone was going about lightly dressed.

Broadly speaking, the first floor of the guild was a large open space in the shape of an L, with the receptionists’ desks and work area taking up a large corner.

Sarah’s eyes adjusted almost instantly, thanks to her [Night Eye] skill, she assumed, and she stepped forward, crossing the distance to the receptionist desk.

“Good morning! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild. Is it your first time at our branch?” she greeted Sarah cheerfully.

“Er, yes, it’s my first time,” Sarah responded. She found herself slightly distracted by the people sitting on the benches, now slightly behind her. Most had turned back to their own discussions, but a few were still looking at her with judging gazes.

“Well, once again, welcome! My name is Tiffany, and if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them for you! Did you have any business in mind?”

“Uh, well, I had a couple things…” Sarah felt nervous. The environment was all new, she didn’t know Tiffany hardly at all, there were strangers setting off her [Danger Sense] skill partially in her blindspot, and she wasn’t sure where to start with all the questions she had.

Tiffany’s eyes narrowed slightly although her smile stayed bright. She twirled her finger around in front of her chin and said–

“[Private Conversation].”

Sarah could hear the weight of a skill being invoked in how Tiffany said those two words.

Tiffany leaned in and winked conspiratorially. “There, now no pesky Eavesdroppers or Gossips can listen in on us. Let me guess, just had your Choosing Day?”

Sarah raised her eyebrows. She could still hear the murmurs of conversation behind her, and a glance back confirmed nobody was obviously paying attention to her anymore. She leaned in slightly as well.

“Yes, several days ago. How did you…?”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s not you. It’s just that most people your age coming into the Guild looking a little confused are fresh from their Choosing Day, or right about to have one, and are thinking of signing up with the Guild. Is that why you’re here?”

Sarah nodded. “Partially, yes. Among other things.”

“Uh huh.” Tiffany gave Sarah a look. “And do your parents know you’re here?”

Sarah tilted her head slightly to the side. “Uh, yes, of course.”

“You’re sure?” Tiffany pressed. “You’re sure your dad isn’t some City Guard who’s going to come bursting in here tonight demanding to know who let his precious daughter sign up with the–” Tiffany put on a dramatic, low voice, trying and failing to imitate an angry father. “–Adventurers Guild?” The way she said the words dripped with derision.

“What?” Sarah said, genuinely confused. “No, my mother is fully aware that I’m here this morning, and my father is okay with it. But he’s not a City Guard, he’s a Farmer–”

“Okay, okay.” Tiffany leaned back slightly, raising her hands palm out in a gesture of surrender. “Just checking. It happens a lot, that’s all. Just so you know, when you sign up, you’re required to list your parents or guardian and designate a next of kin, so you can’t hide your affiliation with the Guild from your family. It’s the law, has been for ages, and there’s no getting around it.”

Sarah just furrowed her brow, processing the information. Tiffany put her hands back down on the desk between them.

“So,” she continued, “you want to sign up with the Adventurers Guild? You’re sure?”

Sarah nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I was hoping to get training–”

Tiffany interrupted her with an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Oh thank the gods, you have some sense. So many newbies coming in thinking they know everything with their level one Classes and no training whatsoever…” She paused, and looked Sarah in the eye appraisingly. “Sarah, be honest: your classes are still level one, aren’t they?”

Sarah looked around, making sure no one was close, then leaned in. Tiffany also leaned in, and Sarah spoke in a low voice, just above a whisper.

“Is this conversation still [Private]?”

“Yeah,” Tiffany whispered back.

“And is this conversation confidential? If I tell you, who all is going to find out about it?”

“You really do have a good head on your shoulders,” Tiffany responded approvingly. “If you don’t end up registering with the Guild, I won’t tell anyone. Your secrets stay with me. If you do sign up, your levels won’t be recorded, although your classes will, and that information will be shared only with people who have a need to know: Guild staff, people you register a party with, and so on. Since you want training, I’ll need to know your levels to find the right trainer for your, and I’ll probably share that information with the trainer so that they can tailor the training to your specific needs.”

Sarah nodded to show she understood. “Okay, well, my Brawler Class is level two, and… I haven’t chosen a second class yet.”

Tiffany’s expression froze, and she blinked several times. After a few seconds, she spoke.

“Brawler Class? And… you haven’t chosen a second class yet?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ve never even heard of a Brawler class before.” Tiffany’s face finally unfroze, and she gave Sarah a look of mild scolding. “But haven’t chosen a second class? Come on, you gotta be honest with me if you’re registering with the Guild. Even if it’s something embarrassing like Lover or boring like Bookkeeper, it doesn’t matter; your combat class is what’s important…”

Sarah lowered her eyebrows. “No, I’m serious. That’s part of why I want training. There’s something I want to do, and none of my options would let me do it.”

Tiffany’s face twisted, from scolding to shocked disbelief. “Wait, seriously? You’re not pulling my leg? How are you even talking to me right now, with that weight on your mind…”

Sarah leaned back and shrugged. “It’s something I have to do. So I’m just not choosing.”

Tiffany shook her head slowly. “Unbelievable… Okay, so just what is it you have you to do? This I gotta hear.”

And so Sarah explained about her brother’s kidnapping, and how she was going to find him and bring him home.

Tiffany listened silently and intently, her expression shifting from sympathy to disbelief to, finally, an expression of pensive thought as she considered what kind of training Sarah would need.

“Hmmm…” she hummed, the first sound she’d made in several minutes. “Well, I’m not sure how the Brawler class develops, so I’ll need to look that up in the big book…”

“The big book?” Sarah asked.