Chapter 18: Information Situation (1/2)
Mike opened the door and stepped through, and was swiftly rendered speechless.
”Welcome young man, to the Mayde branch of the Adventurer's Guild. I am the Guildmaster here, Anton Barthelemus Unther, also known as the Earthen Terror.”
The man stood about 1.8m tall, and had clearly once been a true athlete, an impressive musculature still visible on his large frame. However, he had evidently let himself go in the intervening years. He looked to be in the latter half of his forties, with thinning dark brown hair.
Judging from the disheveled look about him, he had dressed rather quickly in what Mike could only assume were his nice clothes. Cut mainly in reds and golds, it would have made for an impressive sight if not for the very obvious fact that he no longer fit in them. The tunic he was attempting to wear was evidently made for a smaller man, as evidenced by the protruding gut attempting to escape it.
All of this almost distracted Mike from the conditions of the office. The room was dominated by an ornately carved desk situated before an extensively decorated fireplace. A number of expensive looking statuettes, trophies, and weapons rested on the mantle. The desk was comparatively clean with only a strange box-shaped device and a couple stacks of papers laying on it. A thick red rug serving to cover that corner of the rooms' bare wooden floors. In contrast the other half of the room was almost completely bare. A simple wooden chair the only feature to break up the monotony.
”Guildmaster? I think the guy downstairs said something about an office manager.”
”Don't mind Don, he often plays jokes like that.” The Guildmaster (?) waved his hand dismissively before gesturing towards the chair. ”Please have a seat. I've heard that you have some information for us.”
Mike sat and explained the situation with the orcs.
”Hmm, troubling.” Anton murmured while stroking his chin. ”And you are sure they are from the Ashborn?”
”I don't know for sure, but that is what their leader claimed.”
The older man paced back and forth in front of his desk. ”I'll have to send a report to the main office. Very well, I believe this information deserves a reward.”
He went behind his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out three silver coins before handing them to Mike. ”I'm afraid the information itself is not particularly valuable to the Guild by itself, but has the potential to turn a profit in the future. As such, I can only give you three silver spears in payment.”
Mike took the money, not worried about being scammed, since it was basically free money for him.
Anton continued, ”Now, I've also heard that you are interested in joining the Adventurer's Guild, is that true?”
Mike nodded in response.
”Haha, excellent, I think you'll find the Guild has much to offer young and talented individuals such as yourself.”
Mike found himself wonder how the man was able to determine whether or not he was talented, but was interrupted by Anton's continuation.
”The enrollment fees are 2 silver. This covers both your guild mark and initial registration. You'll start as a Rank 0 provisional adventurer until you complete you first request. Depending on your performance, you'll promoted to a higher rank. Do you have any questions so far?”
”What's this about a guild mark?” Mike asked while returning two of the silver pieces he had gotten earlier.
”A fair question,” Anton answered while removing a softball sized sphere of black rock and placing it into a hemispherical groove in the strange box shaped device on the desk.
He tapped the back of his left hand once, and a tattoo of the cross swords and shield Mike had seen on the sign outside appeared. ”This is a guild mark. It serves as an identifier for all Guild members.”
He tapped it twice in quick succession, then held his arm out parallel to the floor.
The mark started to glow with a soft light. A translucent, almost holographic screen was projected.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Name: Anton Barthelemus Unther
Class: Warrior of the Earthen Realm
Guild Rank: Rank 6 (Silver)
Title: The Earthen Terror
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
”It is used primarily when interacting with the guild to prove your identity. In many countries it can also function in the place of identification documentation.”
He tapped his mark once more, causing it fade and disappear from his hand.