Chapter 166: The Guild Begins
Galahad Charney stood before Kael the following morning.
The future guild headquarters was still nothing more than a large foundation marked out by wooden stakes.
But Kael could already see the building in his mind.
A place where adventurers would gather.
A place where villagers could request help.
A place where information could be collected.
A place where people from different backgrounds could find work.
Kael looked toward Galahad.
Before we build the guild, I want to understand how adventurers currently operate.
Galahad
nodded.
Poorly.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
Explain.
There are independent adventurers everywhere. Some belong to small groups. Others work for merchants or nobles. Some simply travel from town to town looking for work.
And there are no common rules?
There are rules.
Galahad
paused.
Just not consistent ones.
Kael nodded.
That was exactly the problem.
Galahad
continued.
Every city handles adventurers differently. Some require licenses. Some don’t. Some nobles keep private lists of mercenaries. Others simply hire whoever looks strong enough.
And monster reports?
Galahad
shook his head.
Mostly word of mouth.
Kael frowned.
So if a monster appears near one village, another village might not know until it’s already too late.
Exactly.
Kael looked toward Darius.
That needs to change.
Darius nodded.
Information travels almost as quickly as armies if the right system exists.
Kael looked back at Galahad.
That’s one of the reasons I’m creating the guild.
Galahad
studied him.
You’re not just creating a place for adventurers.
No.
Kael pointed toward the map.
I’m creating a network.
Kael spread a second map across the table.
This one showed all eleven villages.
Galahad
leaned over it.
Kael pointed toward the roads connecting them.
Every guild member needs access to information about the surrounding territory.
Monster sightings.
Bandit activity.
Dangerous areas.
Missing people.
Ruins.
Unusual magical activity.
Galahad
nodded.
And quests.
Of course.
Kael pointed toward the central settlement.
But everything eventually comes through here.
looked at the location.
The guild headquarters.
Exactly.
The headquarters becomes the center.
Small guild offices can eventually be established in larger villages.
Galahad smiled.
You’re already thinking about branches.
Kael shrugged.
Why stop at one?
Darius laughed quietly.
There it is again.
Kael looked at him.
What?
Every time you solve one problem, you create five more.
That’s called planning.
That’s called giving me more work.
Kael smiled.
You’re my first commander.
You knew what you were signing up for.
Darius shook his head.
I should have negotiated better.
Building the Guild
Master Rowan arrived later that morning.
He examined the plans Kael had drawn.
The guild headquarters will need multiple floors.
Kael nodded.
How many?
Three.
Rowan looked surprised.
Three?
First floor for adventurers and public services.
Second floor for administration and guild records.
Third floor for meetings, training coordination, and private offices.
Galahad pointed toward the first floor.
You’ll need a large reception hall.
Yes.
Multiple counters.
Separate areas for registering quests and collecting rewards.
A notice board.
Kael pointed toward another section.
And this area?
Medical room.
Galahad nodded approvingly.
That’s important.
Adventurers will get injured.
Kael looked toward Rowan.
Make sure the building has good ventilation.
Proper drainage.
Clean water.
Storage rooms.
And bathrooms.
Rowan smiled.
You’ve become very interested in bathrooms.
Kael laughed.
Because people keep underestimating how important they are.
Galahad looked between them.
I have no idea what that means.
You’ll understand eventually.
Finding a Healer
The medical room created another problem.
They didn’t have a permanent healer.
Kael looked at Darius.
We need one.
Darius nodded.
I’ll ask around.
Not just Blackwood.
Kael shook his head.
Send messages throughout the surrounding territories.
Darius looked at him.
You’re willing to recruit outsiders?
If they’re qualified.
Kael looked at Galahad.
Especially if they’re willing to work with adventurers.
Galahad nodded.
A guild without a healer will lose people quickly.
Kael knew that.
He didn’t want the guild to become a place where adventurers came to die.
It needed to be sustainable.
The First Guild Rules
Kael and Galahad spent the afternoon creating the guild’s first regulations.
No adventurer could accept a quest without registering.
No adventurer could claim another person’s completed quest.
Deliberately abandoning civilians would result in punishment.
Falsifying reports would result in suspension.
Attacking another adventurer without legitimate cause would result in investigation.
Stealing guild property would result in immediate expulsion.
And the most important rule:
Adventurers could refuse a quest.
Galahad looked at Kael.
You aren’t going to force them?
No.
Why?
Because if we force people into dangerous missions, we’ll eventually create people who hate the guild.
Kael looked at the documents.
The guild offers opportunity.
It doesn’t own the people who join it.
Galahad nodded slowly.
That’s a good rule.
Kael continued.
But once someone accepts a quest...
They are responsible for completing it or reporting why they couldn’t.
Galahad smiled.
Now that’s a guild rule.
The Ranking System
Kael wrote seven letters across the page.
F.
E.
D.
C.
B.
A.
S.
Galahad studied them.
Simple.
That’s the idea.
Every new adventurer starts at F.
Their rank increases through experience.
Not just combat.
Galahad nodded.
Good.
A person could be an excellent healer but a terrible fighter.
Exactly.
A merchant escort specialist might never become an S-rank monster hunter.
That doesn’t make them useless.
Kael wrote another note.
Each profession would have separate evaluations.
Combat.
Magic.
Healing.
Tracking.
Crafting.
Exploration.
Leadership.
Galahad looked impressed.
You’re trying to make the guild recognize different kinds of talent.
Kael nodded.
A person shouldn’t be considered weak simply because they don’t swing a sword.
Galahad smiled.
I think I chose the right place to work.
The First Applicants
The news spread faster than Kael expected.
By the end of the week, travelers were already arriving in Blackwood.
Some came out of curiosity.
Others came looking for work.
A group of young adventurers arrived from a neighboring territory.
They stood outside the unfinished guild building.
One of them looked around.
This is it?
The building isn’t finished yet.
Another laughed.
We’re really early.
Galahad approached them.
You’re here about the guild?
The group nodded.
The tallest member stepped forward.
We heard Prince Kael was establishing one.
Galahad nodded.
He is.
When can we register?
Soon.
How soon?
Galahad looked toward the construction site.
When the building is finished.
The young adventurer sighed.
How long?
Galahad smiled.
That depends on how much you help us build it.
The group looked at each other.
Then one of them laughed.
We can do that.
Galahad turned toward the workers.
Get them tools.
The young adventurers exchanged confused looks.
We thought this was an adventurer guild.
Galahad, it will be.
Right now, it’s a construction site.
Kael watched from a distance.
Darius stood beside him.
They’re already coming.
Kael nodded.
And the guild isn’t even open.
Darius looked toward the young adventurers helping carry timber.
That’s probably a good sign.
Kael smiled.
It is.
Then the system appeared.
Territorial Development Updated
New Population Activity Detected
Outside Visitors: Increasing
Economic Activity: Increasing
Guild Reputation: Developing
Kael looked at the notification.
Then another appeared.
Potential Population Growth Detected
Cause: Employment Opportunities
Kael’s smile widened.
It was working.
Not perfectly.
Not quickly.
But it was working.
People were already coming to Blackwood.
And Kael hadn’t even finished building the place.
He looked toward the unfinished guild headquarters.
The foundation had become walls.
The walls were becoming rooms.
And soon...
The first Adventurer Guild in Blackwood would open its doors.
Kael turned toward Darius.
There’s something else we need.
Darius sighed.
What now?
Kael looked at the distant road.
A proper market.
Darius stared at him.
I knew it.
Kael laughed.