"Fresh Fish! Cheap and Fresh Fish! Buy One and Keep Coming!"
The fish seller is chanting his slogan with vigor, just like the other vendors and the sound of the folks haggling along with children running amok harmonize perfectly to create the melody of another busy-bustling day in the town of Cortfel.
Under the perfect blue and sunny sky, the smell of freshly baked bread and the occasional burst of jovial laughter that escape the taverns, fill the cobblestone streets of the quaint town. The footsteps of adventurers, local and foreign, are mixed in the crowded streets.
Among the clerics, swordsman, magicians and even the occasional monk, there walks one particular adventurer who doesn't seem to tick any boxes of the typical roles a guild would offer. As he walks past the crowd, one can't help but notice his distinct warm smile which is mirrored by the light in his almond eyes. They echo the raw emotion he chooses to show the world without fearing any vulnerability or judgement.
He definitely doesn't have the bulk of a tanky paladin, quite the opposite actually, and his care free stride sure as hell doesn't hint to the training of an assassin. His lack of equipment doesn't help draw a clear picture of what he is supposed to be.
No chest plate. No chain mail. All he wears is a loose worn out beige shirt which has seen better days and he carries a satchel made of Moonsake Spider silk, on his right shoulder; It is barely enough to carry a change of clothes and a few hand held items. His waist is secured by a black handmade belt which hosts two small packs on each side big enough to carry only some herbs and bitesize refreshments. His baggy brown pants come to a folded stop at his dark brown travelling boots that tell the story of various travels through each wear and tear, held together by rough yet endearing stitches.
He waddles his way through the streets, squeezing past the crowds of people who are bigger than him, his eyes darting to every piece of foreign items from the stalls and vendors. He asks to each vendor a barrage of genuine curious questions like:
"What is this?"
"Ooh! How is this made?"
"Does it taste sweet? Is it sour? Is it a mix of both? Hmmm?
"How long did it take for you to make this? Was it hard to make?
"Were you happy when you finished making it?"
Some sellers are overwhelmed by the series of inquires and others are taken aback by his peculiar yet innocent questions. Some appreciate the innocent attitude he displays and try to answer his questions, the best they can while others dismiss him like a loitering teenager, but regardless of the reply, he walks off with a hearty "Thank You!"
After his little rendezvous he wonders how the Guild House of Cortfel would look like and decides to visit it. He wanders around town and on his way, he inquires on a few more things that catch his eye, until he finds himself in front of a humble and small Guild House combined with a tavern.
He climbs the steps and pushes open the door to reveal the busy and lively atmosphere of a typical Guild House. As he walks inside he realizes that this Guild House is bit smaller than the ones in capital towns, maybe due to Cortfel being a small backwater town without much trouble occurring.
The quest boards have mostly requests for various collection quests, hunting quests and some other odd jobs. There seems to be no request for monster subjugation neither any rescue or escort quests. That detail is quickly picked up by the curious eyes of the foreign adventurer as he makes his way to the counter.
He stops in front of the counter and grabs the attention of the clerk lady who is filing out paper work on her desk, by saying:
"Hello Miss! Are you one of the clerks here?"
The clerk lady, a young woman with glasses, dressed in a formal blouse and long skirt, is caught off guard by the youthful voice and glances up from her work to greet the adventurer.
"Oh hello there! Sorry for not paying attention."
She tries to make eye contact but doesn't find him as she looks side to side at her eye level. The adventurer, used to this notion from similar interactions, says in a routine tone:
"Down here Miss!"
She glances down to finds his scruffy blond hair along with his radiant face greeting her with a smile. She is taken aback and changes her tone from professional to slightly friendly-casual as she suspects that he is a teen interested in adventuring.
"Hey young man, what can this big sister do for you?" she says with a warm smile as her hand reaches down to ruffle his hair. She continues:
"Are you interested in becoming an adventurer? If so I recommend this guide book, its-"
"No Thank you! I would like to take a look at the withdrawn quests sheet!"
The boy cuts off the lady in the same bright tone despite being misunderstood and the lady pauses for a moment as she gets caught off guard. She wonders how he knows about the withdrawn quests sheet as it is not a common knowledge even among most adventurers. She chalks it off to be a case of a passionate kid who has done his homework regarding the topic and resumes her job. The clerk lady lets out a awkward chuckle as she says:
"Look kiddo, I appreciate your enthusiasm but that quest sheet is reserved for registered adventurers, so you might need to wait a few years to apply and-"
"I'm an adventurer! Please show me the sheet!"
The boy cuts off the lady, with the same bubbly attitude without a hint of annoyance but the same can't be said for the lady who was getting just a bit ticked off, yet she tried to be as sweet as possible as she says:
"Listen kid, as much as I would love to chat with you, I still have a lot of paper work I need to file out, so you have to wait for me to be free."
She sits back down and continues with her work. She thinks that this will demoralize him and make him leave, but he replies with:
"Understood! I shall wait for you to be done!"
The kid stands in front of her desk and continues staring at her work and she is a bit surprised by the unusual response but continues ignoring him, thinking that the odd teen would grow impatient.
Moments pass on and the adventurer has his eyes glued on the clerk lady whose resilience is growing weak with each pen stroke and awkward second that passes by. He has an innocent and calm look in his eyes which is unexpected for the tone she tried to set. Her fellow coworkers snicker at the unusual interaction taking place. She finally puts the pen aside and sighs in defeat as she says:
"You are one tough nut to crack, you know that?"
She shuffles in her drawer and takes out a paper.
"Here kid, fill this check-in form if you are the 'adventurer' you claim to be."
She hands him the paper and he says "Okay!" before walking away. She thinks to herself that its okay to let the kid play pretend with the form as she chats with other adventurers. A few moments later he returns with the form and says:
"Excuse me Miss! My role isn't on the check list but aside from that everything else is good."
The Lady takes the form with a smile and prepares herself to indulge in his game of play pretend as she says with, added dramatics:
"Is that so..." she glances over the name box and resumes "..Mister Roth...fork?"