Touch of Fate

Mike hefted the large rock with one hand. It was a little hard to tell, but he felt that it was a little easier than it should be considering the strength he had become accustomed to.

He had been experimenting with the Minor Strength Enhancement skill in an effort to identify the amount of strength the skill provides. He was having some trouble finding a good starting point, until the skill ranked up. Although it was barely noticeable, he felt like the rock was a little lighter.

Mike figured that increasing the rank in the skill improved his strength by approximately 5%, but he needed a more quantifiable method to know for sure.

He sighed and dropped the rock by the roadside. Barley didn't react and continued to placidly walk behind the wagon in front of her. The caravan should be reaching the town of Mayde this afternoon, but he found himself frustrated with the slow pace of the wagons. Knowing that he still had a lengthy journey from Mayde to Wyrport in the company of this caravan just made it that much worse.

At least Morris seemed to be enjoying himself. He had started helping with meal preparation, and had immediately become popular for the high quality dishes that he was able to make with the limited ingredients available.

Delicious food apparently could change hearts and minds, since Morris was quickly accepted by the members of the caravan. Mike on the other hand was always treated differently. The mercenaries interacted with him politely, but the merchants and their families treated were always a little uncomfortable when he was around.

Evidently they feared his status as a Mage. He was unsure if this was because of the potential harm he could do, or if being a Mage gave him some form of social status. He would have to ask Morris the next time they were alone.

There was a shout from the front of the caravan, "The town of Mayde is in sight!" Mike heard the people around him express joy and relief at the news.

After another half hour of travel they finally arrived at the gates of Mayde. Mike was surprised at the size of the walls. Everything he had been told about the town suggested that it was only a minor stop on the way to the more civilized western portion of the country. However, the solid stone walls that surround the settlement, reaching at least 6m in height, suggested something in the line of a border fort.

Thinking back to his first day in this world, he felt like he understood the purpose of these walls. [Considering the size of the wildlife in this world, it makes sense to have large fortifications. I do wonder how the farmers living outside of the wall deal with the issue.]

As they had gotten closer to the town, he had seen increasing numbers of small farms. He wasn't sure if the crops in this area were representative, but they all looked extraordinarily large and healthy.

Approaching the gates, the caravan stopped at the end of a fairly short line and waited their turn to go through inspection. After a few minutes of waiting, it was their turn to enter. A pair of leather-clad guards carrying halberds stood by the entrance while and bored looking older heavyset man dressed in an official looking robe started questioning the caravan master and Ymra.

"Let me see your merchant writs. What cargo are you carrying?" The man asked laconically.

"We have a shipment of processed metal ingots from southern Ash Mountains." The caravan master, a man by the name of Hugh, that Mike hadn't really gotten to know well, answered while handing over a stack of documents.

Mike was busy examining the other people in the area. The majority of which were human, but he had seen a few that looked like dwarves and beastmen of various types. So focused was he, almost missed the glint of light visible in Hugh's hand as he carefully slipped something to the gate official.

After a short perusal, the official smiled and waved the caravan through. Mike couldn't help but notice that he took the time to place whatever he had gotten from Hugh into an inner pocket of his robe.

As they passed through the gate they were asked to pay a small entry fee. From the sounds of it, each person was required to pay one copper bale and each wagon was five. Luckily, as hired guards, Mike and Morris's fees were covered by the caravan.

On the other side, Mike was slightly shocked at what he saw. Despite being a small crossroads town, there were large crowds of people moving in almost every direction. Sturdy houses and buildings lined paved streets. Everywhere he looked, he felt bustle and energy that reminded him of the large cities he had visited during his first lifetime.

Morris walked over to him, "They're going to take the wagons and horses over to the coach house."

He motioned to a collection of buildings situated near the gate, practically up against the wall.

"They'll be getting rooms at the inn there, but we are largely on our own when it comes to lodging. The caravan will be leaving in the morning three days from now, so we are free until then."

He took out a small pouch and handed it to Mike. "Here's our earnings for the last few days. It's not much, but it should cover living expenses till we leave."

Mike glanced inside and saw a mix of silver and copper coins. "Good enough I guess, I still have some of the Order's money if we need it. So what's next? I guess we need to find an inn?"

"I know a place that I have stayed at in the past. The food's not great, but the security and accommodations are." His eyes took on a mischievous glint. "That said, I'm going to recommend a different place tonight. It's way too expensive to stay there long term, but I can promise you that one night will be well worth it."

"Oh? Well, I'm looking forwards to it." Mike answered with a grin. "Don't we need to report that whole orc incident? Should we do that first?"

"Hugh is going to be reporting to the town mayor, so it should be covered. We can take the information to the Adventurer's Guild outpost, and they may pay us for the trouble." Morris seemed ambivalent to the idea.

"I'd like to go there first. I'm interested in joining the guild, and it wouldn't hurt to get a little extra cash."

Morris shrugged and agreed. Prior to leaving, Mike handed off Barley to one of the caravan members, to have her stabled with the rest of the horses. He led Mike through the town's streets, stopping by briefly at a street vendor to grab a snack.

Everywhere he looked, Mike was reminded of the fact that he was in a fantasy world. Everything from massive quadrupedal dinosaurs pulling carts, to street performers impressing crowds with magical illusions, to bizarre and exotic products for sale in the markets.

After a while of walking, Morris led Mike into an unassuming brick building on the corner of two minor roads. A sign emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords in front of a silver kite shield, hung above the entrance.

They entered into a small, dimly-lit room. A reception desk sat opposite the entrance, behind which rested skinny, almost malnourished-looking, young man. He glanced up from the book he was reading long enough to say in an unenthusiastic voice. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may we help you?"

Seeing that Morris wasn't really wishing to get involved, Mike stepped forward. "We'd like to report some information that the guild might appreciate. Also, I am interested in joining the guild."

The young man blinked once, taking a strangely long time to do so. "In both cases you'll need to see office manager. If you are able to read, please fill out this form and wait over there." He pointed to a long bench next to a doorway. "I will inform the manager of your presence."

He stood up with a sigh, as if the effort required was a great burden on him, and slowly shuffled through the door.

Mike shared a look with Morris before sitting down on the bench. He was trying to figure out how to fill out the form, since the young man had failed to give him any kind of writing utensil, when he heard a shout from upstairs.

"What! I'm busy!" There was a brief pause. "He wants to join? Ugh, fine. Send him up."

After a few moments, the skinny young man returned. "The manager will see you now." He gestured at the staircase beyond the doorway.

Mike climb the stairs and found himself standing in a hallway lined with display cases. All the cases were empty save one that featured a large bovine-looking skull with three eye sockets. He walked to the door at the end of the hallway. Feeling slightly nervous, he knocked.

A loud male voice answered, "Come in, come in. Congratulations on taking the first steps towards true Adventure!"