Count Rhone Carthon stood slumped over his balcony, watching the peasants try their damndest to break the rocky soil of his lands, toiling fruitlessly to make it grow something.
He sighed.
Every spring they would sow seeds only to reap empty granaries, their ledgers bleeding with red ink come fall. With every dead field they harvested and exhausted ore vein they mined they teetered closer and closer towards insolvency.
Some noble lord I am. At this rate half my people will have to sell themselves into bondage just to eat.
His personal wealth could keep them from that fate for a few more years, maybe, if his investments in the Capital continued to pay dividends. But with the Crown and Gentry at each other's throats, all while The Wolf’s legions tiptoed closer and closer to the border…
He sighed again.
"My Lord!" a servant shouted, crashing out onto the balcony. "The Lady Ellianna and the young mistress… they were attacked– monsters on their way back from town!”
A deep pit pulled on Cathron’s heart. He jumped to his feet and, without a word, he and the servant sprinted down towards the manor foyer.* *Carthon thumbed the golden band wrapped around his finger.
Elli?! Are you two alright?!
Swinging around the last corner, he saw them both.
*‘Yes, thank the gods.’ *Her voice rang in his head.
Ellianna sat on the bottom of the manor stairs. Her traveling clothes, sturdy wear from her adventuring days, were stained with mud and dust, though she bore no injury. Her hair auburn was disheveled, and a pair of servants were trying to put it back into place.
Next to her sat their daughter Tessa, being looked over for injuries by the castle steward.
“Hey Dad!” Tessa said when she saw Carthon sprint in. “Mom and I got attacked by Gnolls!”
“Tess please try to pretend you aren’t excited, my heart can only take so much.” Ellianna said.
“But it was so awesome! The Gnolls were all like *GRAAAAAAAH* and started running at us, but then Mom was like ‘you won’t lay a hand on us!’ And then she pointed her staff at them and they all exploded!”
“I whipped up a cloud of dust to blind them, then we ran away. No exploding happened.”
“Well… it was still awesome!”
Ellianna smiled, though it was wry and strained. “Well, everything else she said is more or less true– it seems a Gnoll pack is roaming the lands.”
Gnolls. The last thing Carthon needed to hear. Gnolls were ravenous, hyena-like beasts which roamed in packs to devour fields and farmers alike. They would retreat into cave networks and abandoned mines between their swarmings, the latter of which Carthon’s land had in spades.
“Shit.” Carthon said.
“Language.” Ellianna chided.
“Sorry. This is just the last thing we need. How many Gnolls?”
“At least two dozen, probably more.”
“And those are just the ones you encountered.”
“Yes, there are likely more in the caves.”
Shit, Carthon thought.
‘Language!’ Ellianna thought back.
“Could the retinue handle them?” the steward asked, looking up from Tessa.
““Unlikley,”” Carthon and Ellianna said in unison. “A single pack of them maybe, with a bit of luck, but gnolls never come in just one pack–” Carthon began.
“–they form a swarm, brought together by a Gnoll-Lord–” Ellianna continued.
“–And our men won’t be able to deal with one of those, which means…” Carthon’s expression turned sour.
“...we’ll have to put up a bounty with the guild.” Ellianna concluded.
“Ugh.”
“Come now, Rhone, this is a perfect example of why the guild exists.”
“I know I know, but it doesn’t excuse their brutish members. With all that gold they get for quests you’d think they’d at least bathe themselves.”
Ellianna raised an eyebrow. “I bathed myself, I’ll have you know.”
“W-well, you're different, you’re not like…”
“Oh? I’m not like what?”
Carthon cleared his throat. “A-anyway, we’re clearly of the same mind. The Gnoll-Lord needs to be located before anything else, then dealt with. The guild is the best place to do that.”
“Ooo! I wanna help!” Tessa said, shooting to her feet.
“Don’t be silly Tess.” Carthon said. “You two barely made it back from a pack of *normal *gnolls.”
“They caught us by surprise! And we *did *make it back.” Tess argued.
“Because your mother was there to help you.”
“And there will be other adventurers who can help me! Please Dad!” She ran up to her father and grabbed his hand, her eyes wide with wonder and excitement.
“Err…” How can any father say no to that?! She’s so excited, but…
“Sorry Tess, this one is just too dangerous.” Ellianna mercifully intervened.
“But-!”
“BUT,” Ellianna continued, “I think you should come along with us when we put in the quest. You should be familiar with the Guild for when you inherit.”
“Really?!” Tess said.
Hmm. I don’t know if I like the idea of Tess rubbing elbows with the… population of that place.
‘Like it or not it's going to happen, and frankly I’d prefer we be there with her, rather than her just sneaking out and doing it anyway if we say no.’
Ellianna always had this miraculous knack for being incredibly rational when Carthon would much rather act on impulse.
‘That's why they call me your better half, love.’
Carthon sighed, though through a smile.
“Prepare the carriage, best not to delay. We’ll leave in about two hours.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends. I didn’t have that many, to be honest. Most of them were online. People I met through Shangri-La, or from my videos about Shangri-La. I guess basically all my friends I met because of Shangri-La now that I think about it.
Are they wondering where I went? What even happened to me on Earth? Did I die? Disappear outright? I’ve heard stories of people vanishing out of nowhere, just dropping off the face of the Earth. I always assumed there was some logical explanation for it, but maybe they were also sucked into a video game! At this point it seems anything is possible.
One friend, one of the closest I had, was a fellow Shangri-La player named SorrowGoth3. We met through some online courses we both took in university, and it turned out she also played DMMOs. She actually ended up joining a pretty big PvP guild.
I was never into guilds or PvP myself. Although another friend of mine, ParsleySandwich, was actually one of the top players when it came to PvP. He was the one who designed my character build along with some of the Inner Disciples like Oberon. I was never skilled enough to use it as effectively as I'm sure he'd hoped, but it got me through most of the content I wanted to play.
I wonder what those two are doing now? Maybe they also got pulled into this world? That would be nice, seeing some old friends.
"Teacher?" Sophia's voice jolts me out of my thoughts. "I believe we have arrived," she continues, pointing down into a low valley as we crest over a hill.
Below us was a small town made of about two hundred or so different structures, maybe holding a population of a couple thousand in total. It was surprisingly urbanized, with cobbled stone streets and pane glass windows. Like a well-off Dutch or German town from the 1600s.
"That's Carthonal." Lyver began. "People bring whatever they can pull from the local mines here to be processed into weapons and jewelry."
"Is that why you and your vagrants set up around here?" I asked.
Lyver grimaced. "S-something like that."
"Speaking of vagrants," Sophia interjected, pointing to Sazh, "what do we plan to do with this one?"
Ah. Right. Him.
I already have Lyver, I don't really need another person tagging along. Especially someone of Sazh's... character. I could send him back to Gentle Shade... but that might set a poor precedent. I should avoid sending people back all willy-nilly, at least until the village has grown a bit.
Hmm... what to do...
"If I may..." Sophia continued, "I'd suggest we use this as an opportunity to do some scouting in town." She pointed towards E-Carthon, then turned to face Lyver. "I assume there is some means by which criminals are prosecuted in this land? Bounties? *Some *kind of justice system?"
"Justice is in short supply these days," the brown-haired warrior sighed, "but if it's a bounty you're looking for then the Adventurer's Guild is your best bet."
Aha! They do exist!
"Perfect!" I say. An Adventurer's Guild was what we were looking to investigate in the first place! Now we have the perfect excuse to take a look and ask around.
"You wouldn't happen to know where this Guild is, would you Lyver?" Sophia asked.
"...usually it's the giant green building near the edge of town, with all the heavily armed people walking in and out." He pointed to a structure about two stories tall with a green tile roof sitting on the northern end of town. "You guys really aren't from around here, are you?"
Sophia rolled her eyes. "What a *phenomenal *deduction Lyver, I’m glad to see you are as adept at spewing bile as your namesake would imply." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm like venom from a snake.
Ah, I get it. Because his name is Lyver and he said something sardonic, which Sophia twisted to describe as bile, which is something the human Liver produces. Comedy indeed. Kind of a weird name, if you ask me. I wonder where it came from?
"By the way, Lyver," I began, "why is your name Lyver?"
The swordsman gave me a blank look in response. "I dunno. Parents liked it, I guess. Pretty normal name where I'm from."
"Right, but, it's a word."
"...I mean, yeah? Is Philo not?"
"Teacher." Morgan growled.
"R-right. Teacher. Either way, that's a word, right?"
He had a point. "Well— yes, all names are words. I more so meant why is your name a homophone of the human organ?"
Lyver looked at me like I was speaking utter insanity. I don't know why, I'm not the weirdo who named their kid fucking Liver of all things. I guess its better than like... Gallbladder or something. If it were another language I could see it but Lyver speaks *perfect *English.
Wait—
What the fuck?
Why does he speak English?
Actually, everyone we've met has spoken English, the hell is with that??!
I swear to god everytime I think I've somewhat gotten a handle on all this isekai bullshit something comes along to remind me I'm a fucking moron who has no idea what is happening. Maybe I'm being bamboozled, and it's a Truman Show situation. Maybe the dessicated, maggot chewed corpse of Rupert Murdoch is my own personal Demiurge. Who knows! Not me!
"N-never mind," I stammer out in between mental flagellations to punish me for my stupidity, "just lead us to the Guild, please."
As they walked towards the walls of Carthonal, Lyver couldn't help but let Phil– *Teacher's *words bounce around his mind; he was grateful for his thick skull, or else they might've crashed right out his forehead.
*Why *is your name Lyver?
He had never even considered it. It was just... his name, right? Why would he think about it?
It's like asking why he ate, why he breathed, why he swung a sword. Some things you just... do.
...but why? He just couldn't shake that word. Over and over it rattled through his mind.
Why did he breathe? Because if he didn't he'd die. Same with eating, or drinking.
The sword though...
Looking back on his life he realized he didn't have a good reason. He was just... good at it. Since he was young he'd been good at it. It earned him money and acclaim. It wasn't until he was beaten by Ezra that he really started trying to get stronger but—
But why!
Again! That damned word, worming through his gray matter! *Why *can't it leave him in peace?!
DAMMIT! IT HAPPENED AGAIN!
Maybe that was the point, though? Maybe Philo wasn't asking Lyver for an answer, she was telling him to start asking himself these questions?
In that case... Why did he swing his sword?
That— that was a good question. Lyver didn't have an answer. Why is his name Lyver? Why does he swing his sword? Why is he here, right now, with these people?
Why is he... himself?
Maybe... maybe the problem is that the question isn't why... It's who!
Who, then, is Lyver Brightblade?
*‘Did you only just *now notice that you can speak the same language as everyone we meet?’ Sophia's voice rattled in my head.
I'm an American, okay?
‘Not anymore!’ Sophia said. ‘[Comprehend Languages] is a fairly common magical effect, I'm sure you picked it up from some character sheet feature or item along the way.’*
I've really lost my status as the wise leader rather quickly, haven't I? Sophia is WAY more knowledgeable than I am, and Psyche left the Monastery because I wasn't able to help her work through the shock of... well everything it seems like. Meanwhile all I have are unfunny quips and some Angelic instinct to murder anyone I don't like.
I pause to take a breath, and a long shadow falls over me.
"There's the gate," Lyver says, jutting his chin towards a break in the heavy stone wall before us. It was impressive for a city of this size. Rising about ten feet into a smooth arch under which hung a heavy iron portcullis. Stray rays of sun glinted off its eerie, spiked bottom, as if they were the teeth of some massive creature's hungry maw.
A pair of guards flanked either edge of the gate, each with a metal breastplate, helmet, and spear. Beneath their armor they wore a tunic dyed a deep blue highlighted with yellow at the seams. Their trousers were yellow all the way down.
The guards made no move to stop anyone passing through. They each leaned lazily on their spears, their gaze flicking between each set of travellers who passed their watch. A cart ladened with over a dozen barrels trundled through the gate, filled with wine or another liquid based on the sloshing I could hear from within.
That's odd. I would imagine tariffs, or an entry fee would be collected here.
"Lyver," I began, "do we need to worry about the guards? Is there an entry tax?"
The swordsman shrugged. "In another town, sure, but not this one. Not sure the reason he doesn't, I'm sure Lord Carthon could make a killing if he wanted, but that's why–" Lyver cleared his throat, "there are reasons I'm a swordsman and not a tax collector."
"And what about if a wanted criminal walks through the gates?" Sophia asked, staring pointedly at Lyver.
"I-I wouldn't worry. They wouldn't know my face here."
"It is rather easy to forget." Morgan added.
"Let's hope." Sophia said wryly.
Despite that potential anxiety, we passed the wall's great maw without incident.
Up close the Adventerur's Guild is a modest, but well-constructed building. Heavy timbers frame a brick and mortar facade broken up by large windows every few feet. The entrance is a pair of tall wooden doors, plain save for their green paint job and bronze handles. They've been propped open to allow free movement in and out of the building.
Around the entrance loiter a series of colorful groups right out of a D&D campaign. Armor clad warriors with rippling muscle, shifty looking rogues brooding against a pillar or wall, and even wizards wearing robes and tall pointed hats.
We get a few stray looks, some seeming to try and appraise our strength and others, so it felt, our wallets.
Lets just hope they don't have the temperament of actual D&D characters.
"Let's go." I say to the others, and step inside.
The inside of the guild was similar to its outside. Modest in its aesthetic but well furnished, brimming with the kineticism of the kind of person who would choose a life of bushwacking through the forest to swing a sword at goblins.
"So..." I began, "who do we need to talk to?"
Lyver pointed to a desk, behind which a thin, sallow looking man sat, his nose buried in stacks of papers. "Hope you handle bureaucrats as well as bandits."
"I'm sure it will be fine." Despite their sometimes ill reputation, bureaucrats perform a necessary function in any society, and are usually just trying to do their job as best they can.
I grab Sazh and, bringing the bandit with me, approach the clerk. The sallow faced man's eyes glance up, but otherwise he does not acknowledge me.
"Hello." I say.
"...do you have business with the guild?" The clerk finally replies, though does not look away from his papers.
"Er— yes. I was hoping to turn in a bounty."
"I see. Could you please provide me with the original bounty slip?"
"Ah... well, I do not actually have that. You see—"
"If you do not have the original bounty slip then I cannot accept any attempt to cash in the bounty."
"Right— okay, where would I get that?"
The clerk rolled his eyes.
This guy! I'm just trying to figure out how to turn a criminal in so he can't murder people anymore! He attacked me on the road! Why the fuck would I have a slip!?! There’s no fucking need to be rude!
"Look—" I managed to begin after a few moments— "I'm not from around here, so I'm not very familiar with the procedure. How would I get a bounty slip for this man?"
"The Guild is a multi-national institution, I am sure there is one very near where you live." The clerk said dryly.
Unhelpful. Irrelevant. It seems I have quite the struggle ahead. God help me.
“Listen…” I begin.
Lord Carthon leaned back in his carriage, each stone and bump along the road sent shuddering quakes through the vehicle's fine wooden frame to rattle Carthon's teeth.
"W-We're about ten m-minutes aw-way from town m-m'lord." His driver stammered between his own rattling teeth.
"T-thank you, Peter." Carthon stammered back.
Carthon hated the Guild.
It was an institution of insubordination. The high ranking members swagger about, Gold or Silver plate dangling obscenely from their neck to hide the filth which colors their hearts. For every monster they slayed they imposed upon and demanded reward from noble and commoner alike. Most 'adventurers' were only a step away from outright banditry. Carthon often fantasized about their gaudy badges turning into a noose of metal, strangling the arrogant ruffians.
“Do you think we’ll see the Somber Jesters!? Or maybe Silver Sword?!!” Tessa, unperturbed by the shaking carriage, did not share in her father’s disdain.
“I doubt it, but you never know!” Ellianna replied.
Carthon chuckled. Well, more a huff. If the Jesters or some other major group were here, it would only be because something much worse had blighted their lands.
That was his other issue with adventurers, they only ever showed up after the problem had gotten out of hand.
Ellianna turned to her husband. ‘What are you thinking of for the reward?’
Hmm, a good question. Gold, for certain. Perhaps 20 crowns for locating the Gnoll-Lord, just to start. If we have proof that one is in the area I may be able to leverage the Guild to place a bounty on the beast.
Ellianna nodded. ‘I’m sure the glory that comes with killing a Gnoll-Lord will also be attractive in and of itself.’
At the very least I’m sure they can take a fine pelt.
"We've arrived m'lord."
Finally, a reprieve from the rattling.
“Thank you, Peter.” Carthon said, opening the door to the carriage and stepping out into the cobbled streets of E-Carthon. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be away, so make sure the horses get fed and watered. We’ll meet you at the Blue Hen.”
Peter nodded, at the same time Tess and Ellianna hopped out beside Carthon. As the noble family entered the thoroughfare there were many whispers and reactions among the others on the street.
“Lord Carthon! Hello!” One passerby said.
Carthon waved.
“What brings you all to town?”
“Oh- errr…” Carthon stammered.
“Just some business with the Guild.” Ellianna said, swooping to his rescue.
The passerby nodded. “Well I’d best not keep ‘ya then, good luck with your business!”
“Thank you.” Ellianna said with a smile.
The three began to stroll towards the heavy green double doors of the Guild. “Now remember Tess, stay with us. We’ll speak to the Guildmaster, and maybe a few adventurers, then head home.” Ellianna said.
“Yeah yeah I know.”
Entering through the door, Carthon was assaulted by the overwhelming odor of beer, blood, and unwashed bodies. After his eyes adjusted to the dim light he was able to survey his surroundings.
What he found was the usual riff-raff: half-naked men and women carrying more blades than a field of grass, carousing and shouting in some coarse approximation of the Common Tongue. The beer and blood in his nose was matched by stains of both on the floors and tables, the wood cracked and marred with graffiti of all kinds, usually obscenities.
One group was caught up in some intense discussion with the Guild clerk manning the front desk. A group of… monks, it looked like? Two of them wore robes, while another wore chainmail and was clearly armed. The fourth of their members was tall with a mop of brown-hair, wearing neither armor nor robes like his companions, and at his side was a long, curved sword.
The messy haired one caught Carthon’s attention. He seemed… familiar, somehow.
‘Oh my, that's Lyver Brightblade.’ Ellianna’s voice chimed in his head.
Lyver Brightblade. Now Carthon knew why he’d recognized the swordsman. Some years ago Lyver was the runner up in the Grand Tournament at the Royal Arena. Carthon had been there with his father to watch the competition, and that grand final bout had never left his memories, nor did those memories ever fail to swell his heart. It was a fantastic fight.
Lyver, for reasons Carthon never felt the need to consider all that deeply, seems to have disagreed.
Last I heard, Carthon replied, Mr. Brightblade was wanted for banditry.
‘How interesting. Rather brave of him to show up here then, no?’
*I doubt the average guild clerk or city-goer would know his face. It's quite unlucky for him that *we happened to arrive.
‘He is a skilled warrior. Perhaps we can count ourselves the lucky ones?’
*Yes… *he may be able to take on a Gnoll-Lord. Maybe I could offer him a pardon in exchange…
‘Maybe. What about his companions?’
That was an unknown factor. *Perhaps they are from his mercenary group? *He speculated.
‘*Perhaps…’ *
Only one way to find out. Shall we approach?
‘Yes, let us. Or more accurately you.’
You aren’t coming with me?
‘I would rather our daughter be at least a few meters away from the known brigand.’
Ah. A good point.
‘You’ll be fine, love.’
Of course, of course.
Summoning up all the courage and largess he could, Carthon strided towards Lyver and his mysterious companions.
“No bounty slip, no reward, that's final.”
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.
“Okay, but can you at least take him off our hands? I don’t need a reward, but I don’t want to keep hauling a captured bandit around with me.”
“You want us to imprison a man based on your word alone?”
God damn this dude. Bad enough he has to make this as difficult as possible, but he didn’t have to have a good point as well! That’s just rubbing it in!
“*Ahem* Is everything alright here?” A voice called out behind me.
Turning around I saw a man of average height and a thin, wiry build. On his face were a pair of spectacles, and the skin around his eyes was beginning to wear and wrinkle. His hair was dull blonde and well kept, and his clothing was much more refined and resplendent than anything else being worn in the building.
Is this some big shot? Have we been arguing with this fucker too long? I swear to god this place is going to be the death of me.
Despite my worries the man smiled, turned to the clerk and said “Um– If you don’t mind, I would like to speak with your clients. Perhaps I can help them with what they need?”
The clerk shrugged. “Be my guest, your lordship.”
‘Lordship,’ huh? So this really is a big shot.
“Come with me… Er– please. If you wouldn’t mind.” The lord said. He led us away to a nearby table and we all took a seat. “My name is Carthon, Count of Carthonal and its surrounding lands… though I suppose you could assume that from the names…” He explained, then looked to Lyver. “*Ahem* Well– forgive my bluntness, Mr. Brightblade, but to get straight to the point: I believe we are both in a position to help each other.”
Sophia looked to Lyver, ‘I told you so’ written in her piercing gaze.
Lyver cleared his throat. “I-I see. And what would that be, my lord?”
“Earlier today my wife and daughter were attacked. Gnolls, it seems. I’m sure you can infer the rest of the issue from there, yes…?”
Lyver’s eyes narrowed. “A Gnoll-Lord?”
Carthon nodded.
“...And you want me to kill it?” Lyver asked.
“Ideally, yes.”
“Fun. Well– I see how I’m helping you, but what about the other way around?”
“Hmm?”
“How can you help me? Isn’t that what you said? That we could help each other?”
“Oh! Yes, yes. In exchange I would offer you a noble pardon. You would no longer be wanted for banditry and other crimes.”
Hmm. Not a horrible deal. I guess it depends how nasty this Gnoll Lord is, but I’m pretty confident the 4 of us could handle it. Lyver no longer having a bounty on his head would make our lives a lot easier. Having a noble in our debt would also be pretty nice… It seems this place is the closest major settlement to the Monastery, so a good relationship is something to be valued.
Depending how things go, this Carthon guy could be a very valuable ally and source of information. At some point we’d need to reveal the existence of the Monastery, but for now we can keep our cards close to our chest. As far as he knows we’re just Lyver’s companions.
“Let's do it.” I say.
Carthon looks at me, seeming a bit surprised. “Oh, I’m sorry, who were you?”
“Just a wandering scholar. We were accosted by Lyver here while we were out on one such wander. He’s now traveling with us as penance, and I think helping the good people of this town is a perfect opportunity.”
“It is?” Lyver asked.
“Yes! It would be a good change of pace to use that sword of yours to start helping people, no?”
“I mean, I guess but… a Gnoll-Lord is a lot, even for me.”
“We’ll be with you, don’t worry.”
Lyver closed his eyes. “Alright, I’ll do it.” He finally said, reaching out a hand.
Carthon, who still seemed a little taken aback at, so it seemed, me ordering Lyver around, nonetheless awkwardly rushed to take Lyver’s hand and shook it.
“Yes, very good.” The Count said, then turned to me. “I must say, the idea that Mr. Brightblade could be defeated by anyone other than the Arena Champion shocks me, you must be quite the fighter yourself.”
Defeated by anyone other than the what now? Did I blunder? Is Lyver more important than I assumed?
“Nothing of the sort…” I say. “We just got lucky, and have a skilled protector.” I say, gesturing to Morgan.
“I see…” Carthon said. “In that case I assume you won’t be accompanying Mr. Brightblade here on his mission. I would like to invite you to stay at my estate in the meantime.” He suddenly glanced at the others as if only now realizing they existed. “Ah– of course, all of you are invented to stay. I imagine Mr. Brightblade would like a night to rest and prepare before beginning his hunt, yes?”
Sophia’s eyes went wide at that, glimmering with excitement.
Well, I already said I wanted to build good relations with this guy. If it's a noble estate we may even be able to find some maps or books. That would be awesome, knowing where the hell we are.
“We would be happy to accept, Lord Carthon.”
“Excellent!” Carthon said, hopping to his feet. “No need to waste time then! Let us be off!”
Woah! Someone’s in a hurry. That’s… odd. If we’re just going back to his place for a nap before Lyver hunts the Gnoll-Thing what's the rush? Besides we still got this fuck-ass bandit Sazh to get rid of.
“Just a moment, Lord Carthon.” I interrupt.
“Hmm? What?” He asks.
“We actually initially came here in hopes of turning in the bounty on one of the bandits who attacked us.” I say, pointing to Sazh, his hands still bound.
“Ah, I see. Clerk!” Carthon says. “I will sponsor this bounty. Please take the criminal into custody. My men will come to collect him soon.”
The clerk shrugged. “If you wish, my Lord.”
Can’t the dude just be a little angry that his noble lord took my side? *Damn *you, random pencil-pusher!
The clerk called over a couple adventurers, who then took Sazh and escorted him into some back-room.
“Well then–” Carthon said. “Are we ready?”
I nodded. “Yes. Let us be off.” I said, then we all followed Carthon out the Guild’s front doors.