Bronze Tier

When Zarin stepped into the Guild, his eyes immediately sought Aera at the front desk. As usual, she was calm and focused, sorting through quest forms with her trademark calm professionalism. Determined to make an impression, Zarin approached the counter with a confident stride.

“I need to report directly to the Guild Master,” he said, trying to inject some intrigue into his tone. “I need to report directly to the Guild Master about the troll case I was assigned to handle,” he said, trying to inject some intrigue into his tone.

Aera glanced up briefly, raising an eyebrow but keeping her expression neutral. “Did you kill it?”

Zarin shook his head, leaning in a bit, lowering his voice. “No, but I found something better. This could benefit both the Guild and the village’s economy. I really think the Guild Master should hear it firsthand.”

Aera seemed unimpressed but sighed, leaning back slightly. “The Guild Master’s busy at the moment. You’ll have to wait—”

Before she could finish, a wave of loud laughter echoed through the hall as the Guild Master himself entered the building. Accompanied by a well-dressed, slightly tipsy man, the Guild Master was his usual loud and cheerful self, his belly shaking with each hearty laugh.

“Ah, Zarin!” the Guild Master called out, spotting him. “There you are! Just the man I wanted to see! Come, come, join us!”

Zarin blinked in surprise. ‘Well, that was easier than expected.’ He glanced at Aera, who had already returned to her paperwork without a second glance. Undeterred, Zarin turned toward the Guild Master, who threw an arm around his shoulders and steered him toward his office.

“Zarin, my boy. Let me introduce you to an old friend,” the Guild Master said with a wide grin. “This here’s Lord Callan, one of the King’s Council members.”

Zarin’s eyes widened slightly. A member of the King’s Council? This was unexpected. Despite the tipsy gleam in his eyes, Lord Callan, tall and dignified with graying hair, had a clear air of importance.

“Good to meet you, young man,” Lord Callan said, his voice slurred, but still friendly. “Heard you’ve been making a name for yourself around the Guild.”

Zarin nodded politely, trying to mask his nerves. “It’s an honor, Lord Callan. I’ve come to report on the situation with the troll.”

The Guild Master led them into his office and made his way behind his desk, still grinning widely. “Ah, yes! The troll! Aera mentioned you were off to hunt one. How’d it go? Did you slay the beast?”

Taking a deep breath, Zarin placed the clothes he had brought from Grosh’s cave onto the desk. “No, Guild Master. I didn’t kill the troll because the situation is unique.” He gestured to the clothes. “This troll, Grosh, is a craftsman. He’s been hunting animals not to attack anyone but to make clothes. If you test them, you can see these clothes are magical—they can repair themselves and protect the wearer.”

The Guild Master leaned in, intrigued, while Lord Callan, his earlier tipsiness fading, peered closely at the garments. Zarin continued, hoping to emphasize the potential.

“If we handle this right, it could be an enormous opportunity for the Guild. Grosh’s work impressed the villagers. If we set up a trading system, Grosh can supply magical clothing, and the Guild can promote the trade and have a cut. It benefits everyone.”

The Guild Master scratched his chin, clearly interested. “A troll making clothes, eh? That’s something I’ve never heard of before.” He glanced at Lord Callan, chuckling. “What do you think, old friend? Worth looking into?”

Lord Callan, still focused on the clothes, nodded. “Fascinating. If everything is of good quality or better, it can bring some good money. Magical clothes like this don’t come around often.”

Zarin smiled inwardly. This is going well. Sensing the moment, he pressed on. “Exactly. With the right arrangements, this could establish a steady trade route. Gosh hunting animals made these. Imagine what he could do if we provide the materials. That way, Grosh stays in his cave, the villagers get his goods, and the Guild gets a trade cut.”

The Guild Master let out a booming laugh. “Ha! A peaceful troll making us money—who would’ve thought?” He slammed the desk that Zarin was sure would split into two, but fortunately, it didn’t. “I like it, lad! I’ll send someone from the Guild to watch Grosh and handle the negotiations. You’ve done good work here, Zarin!”

Zarin could barely contain his relief as the Guild Master’s laughter echoed in the room.

Leaving the office, Zarin couldn’t resist a glance at Aera, wondering if she’d overheard the Guild Master’s praise. Even if she didn’t, word would spread soon enough; he smirked. He had made a real impact today.

After giving directions to Grosh’s cave and assuring the Guild Master that someone would follow up, Zarin excused himself. His stomach growled in protest, reminding him it had been hours since he’d last eaten. Time to grab something at the tavern.

As he ate, his mind wandered back to the quest.

‘It had gone well—better than expected, actually.’

He avoided unnecessary violence, turned a potential threat into an asset, and secured a deal that could benefit the village and the Guild. But there was one glaring issue: the quest required the troll to be killed.

The quest said, “Slay the troll,” not “Deal with the troll” so it didn’t complete as it had done with his first Guild Quest.

‘Grosh is still alive, so technically, I still need to complete the task.’

Although he was successful, the System still had to mark the quest as finished. The Guild master gave him a small bag of coins for his effort, but no experience points.

‘I’m still stuck at level 4.’ The realization stung.

He had hoped finishing this quest would push him to the next level, but without completing the quest as written, there were no experience points to be gained.

As he finished his meal, Zarin considered his options. He wasn’t content with just waiting around. If this quest couldn’t give him the experience he needed to level up, then he had to find another one that would. ‘I need to keep grinding to unlock more of my skills and abilities.’

Determined, Zarin returned to the Guild. He caught sight of Aera again, but resisted the urge to approach her and speak about the new deal. Instead, he made a beeline for the quest board, scanning the options.

Let’s see if there’s something worth my time this round, he thought, his eyes narrowing as he focused on finding a decent quest. There were many unranked and bronze-ranked level quests, but Zarin wanted something to push him toward the next level.

No more messing around. I need a quest that will get me to level 5.