Stürm clearly fancied himself a hero. Once Lieze had managed to push through the crowd surrounding his table, she bore witness to a man whose pride was even more pronounced than Drayya's. The red lining of his cape accentuated the ferocity with which he turned aspiring adventurers away.
Amadeus Cronley
Level 27 Fighter
HP - 3,001/3,001 MP - 20/20
BODY - 23 MIND - 1 SOUL - 3
Stürm was not his real name, as it turned out. His ungodly constitution caught Lieze by surprise. He was likely even less talented in the magical arts as she once was. But what he lacked in arcane knowledge, he more than made up for in raw strength. Based on Lieze's ability to perceive his strength, he also wasn't one of the so-called 'Blessed', as she'd come to know them. It was a dangerous revelation. Like Drayya, he had taken no shortcuts on his road to the height of power--the mark of an expert.
New Quest Received!
'Silver Tongue' - Join Stürm's party
Reward - 1,100xp
"Who is this woman, who directs her attention elsewhere while a hero is in her midst?" Stürm's voice was sharp and nasally. Lieze could barely stand to hear it, "Have you also come to kiss my boots while requesting to be brought along on the hunt?"
Rounds of laughter erupted from the crowd surrounding them. Some forced, others apparently genuine. He was confident. Unashamedly and intolerably confident. Lieze would have to strike back with confidence of her own if it meant having a chance to infiltrate his ranks.
"Amadeus Cronley?" She replied, "I didn't know you were back in the city."
"You-" Upon hearing his true name spoken, Stürm's expression froze for an instant. His next words were lower, spoken as he leaned over the table, "...Have we met? I don't give that name out to just anyone, you know."
"-We haven't." From the wall of onlookers, Drayya emerged, "But we will be accompanying you on this Drake hunt."
"Will you, now?" Stürm relaxed in his chair, "I would dearly enjoy each and every warrior present to accompany me. Alas, I've already assembled a group of 30, and splitting the reward any more than that simply wouldn't make it worth the effort for some."
"30?" Lieze asked.
"Yes, 30. Three-zero." He clarified, "Let me guess--you don't think that's enough?"
"I think it's too many."
Someone at the back of the crowd cheered in agreement, followed by interspersed chuckling.
"Heh…" Stürm grinned. The toothy expression didn't suit him in the least, "Too many? How interesting. Why do you think that?"
"You make it sound as if you've managed to form an elite, exclusive group. But how many members are in this room right now? 50? 60? And how many of those members are likely to perish against a Drake?"
"Most of them, I would say." Stürm replied, "-And that's not my ego speaking, before you start accusing me of anything. I don't expect to walk away from this battle without suffering quite a few casualties."
"And you're willing to split the reward with those people?" Lieze pressed, "Warriors who won't do a thing? Those who are only following you to collect an easy wage? Of the 30 you've assembled, how many do you think will contribute anything meaningful to the battle?"
"I see. You're accusing me of allowing some of these lowly dogs to tag along out of the goodness of my own heart?" He wondered, "What you say is very true. There is no method of qualifying the individual strengths of my group. Not in a manner that would be particularly efficient, anyway. And your solution to that problem is to cut off those who can't immediately prove their worth?"
"That's correct." Lieze nodded, "Among the dregs of society, those who expect payment while contributing nothing are even more worthless than those who are talentless, or plain incompetent."
Stürm was no hero of the people. He was elated to finally meet someone who shared his dominating and constricted view of the world. If he didn't have an image to maintain, his supremacism would have probably surpassed that of Furainé's or Ricta's. Having attained incredible power, he sought nothing else but accolades and the satisfaction of his suppressed hedonism. Lieze was a murderer--plain and simple--but even she harboured more heroic qualities than the fool sitting across that table.
"Hm. Well said." He took her bait splendidly, "I can tell from your attitude that you are a woman of esteemed quality. Very few have what it takes to accept the world for what it truly is. Why should I be expected to escort a group of amateurs when they won't put in the work necessary to earn their keep?"
The crowd's reaction to their conversation was mixed. Those who fit Lieze's descriptions perfectly couldn't risk speaking up for fear of having their arguments refuted. They risked alienation from their peers, and so remained quiet as the rest of the tavern's patrons cheered wildly. They, too, were fools in Lieze's eyes. Commoners who preferred strong-armed ideals and unsubstantiated criticism of the status quo, no matter what direction it was headed in.
"A third? No--perhaps even a quarter?" Stürm stroked his chin thoughtfully, "...A third will do nicely. 10 able-bodied adventurers, including myself and my comrades. That will be more than enough to slay a Drake."
"I do hope that me and my partner will be accompanying you?" Lieze asked.
"You have a sharp mind. Drakes are more intelligent than they may seem at first glance, so I will need someone like you to plot against it." Stürm answered, "With me and my two comrades; yourself, and your partner, that leaves 5 spaces free, which I intend to fill with the finest this guild has to offer."
Quest 'Silver Tongue' Complete!
Reward - 1,100xp
There was no stopping the chaos that ensued from those words. In an instant, those who had secured themselves a cosy, well-paying job suddenly found the rug being pulled out from under their feet. As the room exploded into chatter and fury, Lieze and Drayya escaped to the streets outside, where it was still almost impossible to hear one's thoughts.
"Well, well, well… not bad at all, Lieze." Drayya seemed satisfied, "You've not only reduced the number of combatants we need to worry about, but preserved the most powerful for eventual thraldom. If we can kill the Drake at the same time, we may even steal the reward for ourselves."
"I'm not too sure about that." Lieze replied, "This won't be the first time I've conveniently returned from a request as the sole survivor. We may be attracting more suspicion than it's worth by doing this."
"As I've said before, it's only a matter of time before we'll be forced to reveal ourselves. Thankfully, with Marché's help, we've now reached a point where we aren't completely helpless." Drayya folded her arms, "That was a nice trick you pulled with Stürm's name. Were you able to tell how powerful he is?"
"Stürm is weaker than you. But only barely."
"Oh? For a warrior, that's quite impressive. I have a feeling we'll be putting those 130 thralls to good use."
"There are still some preparations I'd like to make." Lieze turned her attention to the city gates, "We should return to the hideout and stock up on blood. By the time we return, I imagine the chaos in the tavern will be wrapping up."
"I agree. Let's not waste a moment." Drayya replied, "I wouldn't want to be left behind after we've already laid our plans out."
Back at the hideout, Baccharum's Dwarves had finished carving out a new chamber and had switched over to rigging the perimeter of the cave with deadly traps--hidden pitfalls and tripwires set between bushes. Alma had taken up the responsibility of ensuring that they would result in no unwanted casualties and that a more-or-less safe pathway towards the cave would always exist.
A number of Marché's followers escorted Lieze and Drayya across the path in question, approaching the entrance from its flank where Alma waited to greet them.
Alma Blanc
Level 6 Necromancer
HP - 51/51 MP - 70/70
"Level 6?" Lieze noticed something different about her, "Have you been improving your necromancy, Alma?"
"Hello, Lieze." Bowing, the girl gave a meek smile, "I have, yes. Drayya and Marché have been tutoring me in their spare time. I feel like I'm beginning to see some improvements."
"Has Marché informed you of the day's events?"
"Yes. I was present when he and Drayya discussed the plan." Alma continued, "All 130 thralls should already be awaiting your orders at the Haloin Downs. In the meantime, I've instructed most of Marché's followers to continue supplying us with new thralls from Saptra."
"Excellent work. It seems the Dwarves' project is coming along nicely, too." Lieze praised, "I'd like for you to see about acquiring some more of those 'black books', Alma."
"The forbidden grimoires?" She clarified, "Well… I could certainly look into it. Most of them are probably under guard in the Church archives."
"Finding them is the most important thing. Leave their procurement to me."
"Lieze." Drayya interjected, "We don't have much time to spare."
"Of course." Cutting her request short, Lieze wandered into the hideout with Drayya and Alma in tow, "We've been underestimating the strength of our opponents thus far. I don't want to be caught without a supply of blood ever again."
"Well, we certainly have a lot to go around…" Alma replied, "Is there anything you'd like for us to do with it in the meantime?"
"Continue harvesting the weakest of the thralls that arrive from Saptra. Having a surplus will benefit us in the long term." Lieze instructed, "...I see the Rot Behemoth is doing well."
Idling in the alchemy chamber was a horrid mass of pulsating flesh that only barely resembled a living creature. It was much too large to be brought along for the Drake hunt, but would serve as an effective guardian of the hideout while their forces were concentrated elsewhere.
"I suppose you'll be needing my help filling up that bag of yours?" Drayya wondered, "Unless you plan on diving head-first into the barrel?"
"You mean, manipulating blood directly?" Lieze replied, "Well, what better time to learn than the present? If I observe you for a few minutes, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."
"Feeling confident, are we? Very well."
Lieze had already observed Drayya manipulating blood in the sewers. Strangely, her innate ability to learn new spells at an accelerated pace hadn't kicked in for some reason. It led her to believe that it was a feature which had been locked until she reached a certain level.
Evidently, her assumption was correct. As soon as Drayya began coaxing roiling globules of blood into the air, she could feel new knowledge forcibly inserting itself into her mind.
Technique Observed (+45%)
Technique Observed (+45%)
Technique Observed (+45%)
Technique Learned!
Type: [Spell] Name: [Blood Manipulation]
Description - Freely manipulate blood within 5 metres of your current position. Blood controlled in this manner can be levitated, pushed, or forced to return to its original vessel. You can manipulate a maximum of 1 litre of blood without incurring an MP cost. Exceeding this limit causes you to lose 5MP per second for every additional litre of blood controlled.
It was perhaps the most basic spell Lieze had ever learned, which served to confirm a developing fear of hers: that her repertoire of magic beyond the core arts of necromancy wouldn't come to her naturally. Levelling up was simple enough, but if she wanted to approach the level of strength that Drayya or her father had attained, she would need to begin actively seeking out new spells.
Drayya seemed somewhat impressed with Lieze's surprising ability to mimic her abilities in such a short space of time, watching her greedily levitate litre after litre of blood into her Bag of Holding with an amused expression.
"If only Master Sokalar could see you now." She remarked, "I'm sure even his gaunt, boney face would find a tear or two to shed if he knew how much you've improved."
"...I'm not interested in pleasing him." The mention of her father put a sour expression on Lieze's face faster than she would have cared to admit, "He left me to die."
"That is our way, Lieze."
"I know that." She insisted, "I do. Ignore my prattling."
"Mm." Drayya paused, "...No doubt Stürm will be finishing up his selection shortly. We should head back to the tavern as quickly as possible."
"Yes…" Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Lieze realigned herself to more pressing goals, "-Let's have ourselves a hunt, shall we?"