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“I have to say, when I was told that to join the beast-slaying and trinket-collection guild, background checks and an overview were part of the recruitment process, I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not an intensive thing. Just a thing we do to evaluate how dedicated you’ve been to it so far.”
The two were sitting in a quiet tavern, the recruiter calmly examining the certificates in their hand, and glancing at the little badges and medals in the middle of the table. The newcomer was glancing around the place, briefly examining the diverse characters that could be found coming in and out, chatting with each other, and occasionally showing some loot to each other.
“So… this isn’t an examination to see if I’ll get accepted or not? You guys are just… open like that?” Though most of the people in the tavern seemed to have a moderate amount of decoration, telling stories of feats he didn’t recognise yet, there were a few that definitely stood out, covered in jewels and brooches, emanating magic from somewhere, as if they contained some great power within. So it seemed.
“Pretty much, yeah. We’re not interested in discriminating, least of all in those who show interest in showing. Though we do have loosely-defined ranks, they don’t involve much authority, it’s just a way to quickly relay how much they’ve managed to claim.”
“Really?” This group was just sounding more interesting with every minute.
“Yep. Really.” They turned around to look at one of the tables in the back. “See those two over there?” They shook their head in that direction, and he nodded.
“One of those two is one of our top members of all time. They’ve claimed things like the Twin Crosses of the Ninja, slain the Iron God, thwarted the Necromancer of Music, conquered the Cloudberry King, and eaten the meat of the Fleshy Demon. Next to him is a guy that joined two weeks ago and is just getting started on his path.”
He looked at the two of them. One of the two was covered from his feet to his head in a wide assortment of loot and treasure, each of which surely told a story of its own. Although all of them put together made for a somewhat gaudy apparence, somehow the whole ensemble conveyed a sense of confidence and success that was slightly intimidating, if he was honest.
And the guy sitting next to him looked… well, a bit plain. Enthusiastic, but with just one or two jewels and badges displayed upon his cloak. They were few, but still displayed with intentional prominence, as if to say ‘it may not be much, but I’ve earned this’.
“And though one of those two has more experiences in adventures and assessing how impressive and demanding they are, at the end of the day, they’re equals. One’s not ‘better’ than the other. It’s important not to let egos get out of hand…” The recruiter explained calmly. “I had all of these goals in mind when I founded this group.”
“You’re the founder?” The newcomer looked at him in surprise. Truth be told, they looked… rather plain, compared to some of the colorful characters hanging in here. Completely lacking in ornery or bling or swag.
“Yeah. I know, I don’t look like it, it’s true.” They adjusted their coat, and took a quick sip from their mug before continuing.
“Truth is, all this beast-slaying, land-trotting, loot-collecting lifestyle was… consuming me a bit too much. I realised it wasn’t helping me, so I stepped down about a year ago, and let a trusted friend take over administrative duties. When I came back, I didn’t want to get sucked into it again, so I don’t wear all the fancy badges and gear, and do my best to remain humble.”
There was a brief moment of stunned silence. “Wow.” The new guy was slightly taken aback by the sincerity and plainness. “That’s… really rare to hear from someone who belongs to a group like this. Most of the adventurers and explorers who take on this lifestyle tend to be… the kind who might show off, or brag about it to anyone who’ll hear.”
The recruiter nodded. “Yep. I’ve seen plenty of it myself. I know it’s a mistake to fall into that habit.”
“Well it’s certainly making me feel a little easier about joining this guild.” The newcomer leaned back in his chair, and drank from his mug, relaxing his shoulders and mind. “Sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”
“You can call me Jay.”
“Thanks, Jay. I’m Opin.”
Jay extended their hand, and Opin extended his to meet in a handshake. “Opin, welcome to the guild.”
Opin could only smile. “Thanks. You guys seem awesome. Not like that guy running the other guild…”
Jay raised an eyebrow at this. “The… other guild?” They asked, already suspecting where this was going.
“Yeah. I tried joining another guild last month that was pretty much the same thing, explorers and adventurers, but… the guy in charge was a complete ass. Total jerk.”
“I see…” Jay’s eyes fell to their mug, now empty, his fingers quietly drumming against the table. “Yeah… I think I know who you’re talking about.”
“Oh, you know that guy?”
“I used to be part of his guild.” Opin became silent when he heard that.
“Wow, okay… that’s awkward…” Was all he could say, sinking in his seat.
“It’s fine. I don’t like him much anymore, either. Treated me poorly, too. Lots of people, actually. The kind of person whose ego can barely be restrained. Looked down on me for personal life decisions. I got fed up, left, and made my own guild, a kinder one, so that we could keep having our adventures without making it all about a leader’s ego.”
Opin was listening attentively, while observing everyone else in the tavern sharing stories and drinks amicably, warmly. Nothing like the drama and strife that he’d heard and witnessed himself in so many other places.
“Looks like you succeeded…”
“I sure hope so. It’s something that we have to keep working on and be mindful about, lest we fall into the same trap.”
With that, Jay stood up and gave Opin a pat on the back. “But enough about all that. That’s in the past now. For now, get settled in, get to know your fellow members. Maybe they’ll have some exciting ideas for what to hunt for next, and you can join in with them.”
“Thanks, Jay, I’ll do my best.”
“Just do what makes you excited and thrilled. It’s not about being the best. The world’s full of interesting things; go pursue the ones that get you going.” Jay picked up the cloak resting on their chair. “Sadly, I must go now. My non-beast-slaying activities call me, but do enjoy yourself here. I’ll see you around.”
“Have a safe trip out there.” Opin waved at the departing Jay as they left the tavern into the chilly night, extending their thumbs up in response as they walked away, vanishing into the fog.
Thrilled, yet nervous, Opin walked up to the bartender and asked her for yet another mug, hoping that the liquid courage would help him get eased into a table with interesting conversation.
After having his refill served, Opin took a gulp and turned around to examine the options of tables in front of him. All manner of species and creatures made up this guild, and didn’t know where to begin.
Eventually, his eyes rested on a table by the wall, where there were just two talking to each other. One of them was a weird-beholder looking thing, covered in fur, apparently, with a large single green eye covered in a few markings, hovered on the seat, and with no mouth talking to the one in front, which looked like just a regular human, albeit wearing armor on their torso, decorated with medals and wearing a crown on their head.
As Opin was examining the table, the human noticed him, and waved at Opin to join them both. A small wave of nervousness kicked in, but nonetheless walked up to them, took his seat and sat next to them.
“Hello there.” The human greeted him, in a friendly tone, which was honestly helping him feel at ease.
“Hey.”
“So you’re the new guy? Nice to meet you.” The… orb-thing said, then the mug in front of the orb lifted up on its own, as if extending a cheer.
“Yeah, just joined… heard about Jay’s guild, seemed like a cool place to try and do challenging feats to see what’s out there and what I can do.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place! No better guild in the world to feel encouraged and supported as you try and reach new heights for yourself.” The orb piped up, as the mug hovered to it, and he drank from it, despite having no mouth.
“I can certainly vouch that since I’ve joined this place I’ve definitely achieved things that I’m proud of, with a sense of camaraderie and community that’s very supportive.” The human added, as they grabbed themselves a few snacks that had been served on the table.
“Well, you guys look all confident, so that’s reassuring at least.” Opin was still a little uneasy, but definitely appreciating the welcoming atmosphere. Then, his curiosity perked up. “So… what are some of the things you two have done?”
“Ah, well, as for me…” The orb turned his eye at something beneath the table, and that’s when Opin realised that there was a backpack by the orb’s seat, with many pockets and objects stuffed in it, too much were unrecognisable to him.
The orb made a jar come out of the backpack, and trapped inside it there was a strange-looking bug. “This is a Golden Beetle. It’s very elusive, very difficult to catch. It took me a lot of time and effort to get one of these, and get it to feel comfortable with me.”
“Speaking of golden things…” The human reached into one of their pouches hanging from their belt, and pulled out a tiny shiny trinket. “I climbed Mirror Mountain and managed to harvest a handful of the golden strawberries that grow at the very top. It was a hellish climb, but so very worth it.” The berry gleamed brightly in their hand, and their gaze upon it made it clear that they valued this object a lot.
“Wow…” Opin couldn’t deny that these treasures definitely looked attractive, and something about them made their accounts of difficulty and challenge feel accurate and honest, and not merely hyperbolic. “So what do you use these things for?”
“Well, I keep it because it looks pretty and sounds cool!” The orb responded. Opin was not expecting such a simple answer at all. “Really? Just… for that?”
“Yeah! If you shake the jar, you can make it flap its wings, and it makes a weird sound. Here, listen.” The orb shook the jar, and the beetle took flight to stay stable, and as soon as it did, a harsh yet almost musical metallic droning could be heard coming from inside the jar. “It’s neat!” The orb seemed so pleased with himself for such a simple thing…
“And… what about you?” Opin turned to the human, who was now putting the strawberry back in their pouch. “Turns out golden strawberries make for an absolutely delicious pie.” They replied, a smirk upon their face.
“...you ate them.” He couldn’t do anything but just say it again.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s food. It’s tasty. I went looking for it, and then I enjoyed it. It’d be a bit of a waste not to eat it, you know?”
The newcomer was frankly unprepared for such humble answers. Part of him had expected that they would’ve bragged about their journeys and spoken of glory and prestige, but… Jay was right. This group really was just about the plain joy of the adventure, and the treasure enjoyed for its own sake.
And that was all he needed to hear. He knew he’d have a blast joining them on their adventures, and finding his own rewards to claim, and becoming part of a delightful community.