"Well! I got it from a guy named Paul." – Vivan replied casually.
But it was not casual for the dwarf smith or Roswyn.
"PAUL?? As in Paul Palmer?" – both of them shouted together.
"I don't know his full name." – Vivan exclaimed.
Borin asked, his eyes widened even further.
"The guy is like mountain. Tall, muscular and carries a long sword on his back?"
"Yes! The description matches. Why?" – Vivan's eye brows wrinkled at their reaction to the name.
Roswyn fell down by her back on a nearby chair. Borin grabbed his forehead with his arm and tensed tone came out of the old smith's voice.
"Paul Palmer, the only human who not only joined them but became one of their eight captains for his strength also."
Vivan sat on the other chair by Borin's desk.
"Joined whom?"
"The Dark Guild." – Borin let out a gasp of disappointment.
"And what is a dark guild?"
Roswyn continued from there, her eyes were sad and dark due to some unknown trauma.
"The most dangerous criminal organization in this world. There is not a single type of crime they have spared to commit."
Borin joined Roswyn as her voice was cracking and tears started dropping out of her eyes.
"From assassination to plunder, abduction to sabotage, everything. Morality does not exist in their rule book."
A line of grim sadness came out of Roswyn's voice.
"They killed my parents in front of me when I was ten… and then…" Roswyn's voice slowed, like the words were too heavy to pull out.
Her eyes dropped to the floor, shoulders curling in on themselves."My little sister…"She stopped. Her lips pressed tight, but her breathing turned shaky. One tear slid down her cheek, then another, until she couldn't hold it back anymore.
Vivan left his chair and stood by Roswyn then a warm embrace helped her regain some of her natural composure.
But Borin threw a sharp question at him.
"So how did ya get that from a man of that caliber, kid?"
Vivan explained the battle and rescue as briefly as possible.
"You mean third prince and sir Samuel was abducted?" – Roswyn asked with a cry of disbelief.
"Yeah!"
But Borin gave him a sharp gaze as if he could not accept that with the level of strength Vivan displayed, he can take down Paul Palmer.
"If you're telling the truth, kid, you've got more going on than I thought."
Then he took the pendant on his hand, eyes fixed on the symbol carved on it.
"Kid, this silver pendant is The curse sigil of Amionisa – the goddess of shadow. It temporarily boosts its users battle capabilities by leaps and bound in exchange of a piece of their soul."
Vivan took the pendant back in worries.
"So this piece of silver is dangerous. But why would anyone let their comrade use something like this?" – he murmured looking at the pendant.
"kid! I told ya, those grunts does not have a single bit of morality in them. Each one of them is a scoundrel. Also they have Otherworlders among their ranks so I can't say why they use that thing."
The term Otherworlders intrigued Vivan.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well! There are some adventurers who are peculiar. They don't see the world how we see it. "
Vivan got more curious.
"Care to explain more old man?"
"For example kid, These guys grows in inhuman speed. They don't think of the countries as countries, they called them Safe Zone. For normal strengths they call it Stats. These guys are crazy in short."
Zone, Stats these words pulled Vivan into deep thoughts.
"My player name was registered as Player1247. I thought it was absurd. So there are other human inside this game."
But a line of laughter broke Vivan's thought.
"Don't worry too much kid. Not all of them are bad. There are some funny ones too. HAHAHA!"
Vivan replied with a laughter to soften the mood.
"Yeah! There are always good and bad people."
"Attaboy! You gotta understand which one is what."
Vivan put the pendant back in his inventory. The pendant from his hand swiftly vanished into thin air.
"OOH! Ya also got a Magic bag? Not bad Kid." – Borin exclaimed in awe.
With a smirk Vivan replied –
"Yeah! And this is the sword I was talking about."
He pulled out his beginner's sword from his inventory and handed over to Borin.
Borin inspected the sword through his experienced gaze. Then he put the sword on the anvil and With his hammer he stroke the sword once, then twice and on the third strike he spelled-
"Breeze of craft."
A golden glow flickered from his hammer. Sharp clank of metal echoed in the smithery leaving out sparks.
Then he roared with an ear rupturing laugh.
"This is a Fine piece of metal."
Then he handed over a scroll to Vivan.
"If you bring me these materials I can forge something good for you using that metal piece of yours."
[System chime]
Side quest- Upgrade the Sword unlocked. Analyzing general stats.. High luck points detected. Adjusting thresholds. Side quest- Upgrade the Sword has been upgraded to Unique Side quest
Vivan took the scroll from Borin.
"Well then old man once I have the materials I will see you back."
Roswyn stood up. As both them moved towards the exit Borin shouted.
"Stay away from the Dark guild Kid. Do not test your luck always."
With that they bid momentary farewell and headed towards the inn. During their walk to the inn Roswyn's mood was still heavy as her past trauma still clung to her.
Vivan noticed that but he did not mention anything. He only asked –
"Roswyn is there any shop that sell something sweet?"
Her duty helped her to come back to present.
"Yes! GhostWalker. We can go to Frozen Goblet for some popsicles." – she responded with a jolly smile.
"Lead the way Roswyn."
Once the came to the center market back from the market of whisper Roswyn guided to a moving vendor of popsicles.
"Any recommendation?" – Vivan asked in a polite tone.
"I prefer the strawberry flavored one sir but they have different kinds so you can check." – she responded in her natural voice.
Vivan bought two popsicles of strawberry. Then he offered one to Roswyn.
"Let's walk back to the inn shall we?"
Roswyn hesitated.
"Sir there is no need for you to buy one for me, I'm just doing my.."
She could not finish her line as Vivan flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Your duty? I know, but it is the bare minimum I can do for a beautiful lady who has accompanied me and guided me in this new town."
Roswyn blushed as she took the popsicle from Vivan.
"Good girl! And always keep that smile on your face. If you do that I will kick some of those dark guild members on my way for you."
Roswyn's eyes got watery but this time with happiness.
[System chime: + 50 Empathy due to care for an NPC ]
The sun moved westward as they reached Starlit Hearth. The soothing golden ray of the almost tired sun was dancing through Vivan's room at the inn.
Vivan let his back rest by the comfy bed as the thoughts kept hurling inside his head.
The dark guild, the pendant, the side quest, Otherworlders everything was taking their own places inside Vivan's grey cells.
But a single thought sent a rush of dopamine through Vivan's brain, sharpening his focus until every detail felt clear.
During the fight with Paul the system allowed mental multiplier activation due to moral implications. The same system message was provided during the fight with Borin.
"What do you mean by moral implications? Paul is understandable but why for Borin also?" – he was about to call for Lenora to ask but his thought interrupted as a knock could be heard by his door.
"Sir, your delivery from Whispering Saffron has arrived." – a known feminine voice flew in from outside of the door.
"Coming in a minute Ellen." – Vivan responded as he stood up from the bed.
Vivan opened the door.
Ellen stepped inside carrying a neatly wrapped package in ivory cloth on which the name Whispering Saffron was written in golden embroidery.
Vivan untied the wrapping, revealing a deep mid-night blue doublet with silver threaded embroidery, matching trousers and a cloak clasped with a crescent shaped brooch.
He frowned at the array of laces and buckles.
"Hmm! medieval cosplay, huh?" – he murmured.
"Sir?" – Ellen tilted her head a little.
"Nothing Ellen. Just, I might need some manual for this thing."
Ellen chuckled softly as she stepped closer.
"Allow me."
Ellen guided his arms into the doublet, tightening the leather ties at his sides. She also adjusted the folds at his shoulder.
Her finger brushed the back of his neck as she secured the cloak, warm against his skin.
Then she knelt to secure the belt. Her hands were steady despite the closeness.
"There." – she said softly.
Ellen stepped back slowly.
Her eyes scanning him from head to toe. The fit of the doublet, the fall of the cloak, the way the belt framed his posture – she took in every detail through her observant eyes.
"You will be the most handsome man in the royal hall tonight."
A faint red glow bloomed across her cheeks.
"Observation or flattery?"
Vivan smirked.
Her eyes flicked away.
"Both."
[System Chime : + 20 LUK(temporary) due to the new outfit]
"OOH! This dress has a status boost!!" – Vivan's eyes grinned as the thought came in his head.
A second knock on the door made both of them turned their gazes towards the door.
"Come in." – Vivan replied.
A female maid came in opening the door. Her gaze got instantly locked on the stunning young man standing in a brilliant dress.
Ellen smirked, "What is it Latifa?"
Latifa awkwardly fixed her gaze and turned to Ellen.
"Sir Samuel is waiting for this gentle man by the reception."
"Well, let Sir Samuel know he is coming."
Latifa hurriedly turned towards the door. Before leaving her gaze once again scanned Vivan.
Ellen's smirk deepened.
"It seems you have already made an impression although you have not left the Inn yet sir."
By the reception the warrior Vivan rescued was waiting for him. As he came down towards him Samuel greeted with a bow to the rescuer of the prince.
"Sir, the carriage is ready by the door. Shall we head to the castle?"
Vivan put his shoulder on Samuel's shoulder indicating him to stand back.
"The name is GhostWalker Samuel. Let's see what your highness wants from me."
As the young evening breeze blew across the Novarim two well-dressed men sat inside a horse drawn royal carriage.
The moment the door shut, the coachman flicked the reigns. Hooves struck the cobblestone and the wheels rolled forward toward the royal castle.
[System Chime]
New Main Quest: Hero of Novarim unlocked.
Vivan leaned back against the seat, not knowing that each turn of the wheel was taking him closer to not only the royal castle but also to the first move in a game far larger than he could ever imagine.
...To be continued.