Courier Quest Chapters 33-35

33 - Keep That Under Advisement

It didn’t take long to make it back to the suite, and Trevor changed into comfortable clothes while Lailah went off. While he had no idea what the day would bring, he decided to take his backpack as well after setting everything aside from a spare outfit in the dresser drawers. He had assumed they weren’t getting kicked out until they were ready to go, at least.

Lailah returned in short order without the painting, as he expected, and she led him back to the elevator to another tunnel. Unlike the first they had arrived from, this one was built to be walked through.

“Sometimes people want to stay incognito, you know? That’s why there’s so many tunnels,” she explained as they walked through. “Plus, as a trusted adventurer, it’s just kind of better. You don’t have to go through the front gates, just slip right through and pop up on the other side.”

“I can see where that would come in handy,” Trevor admitted. “It’s less attention, especially on busy days like the ones coming up. I’m assuming people from all over the country are coming?”

“So many,” Lailah confirmed. “The castle’s going to be full of people coming and going, but you and Adabelle feel free to use this tunnel whenever you two get bored of a shared living space. Or if she wants to ditch you and come drinking with me again.”

“Thank you, that’s really kind of you.”

“Do you really mean that? Or are you just doing that thing where you’re really polite because you think I’ll get mad over it.”

Trevor chuckled. “Well, I didn’t call you ma’am this time, did I?” he asked. “No, I really owe you one. Not just for taking care of Adabelle, but also for helping me out with my suit.”

“Helping my sword sister will always be a priority,” Lailah said, waving a hand dismissively. “It wasn’t so much as helping you, but her.”

“Still, I really appreciate it,” Trevor replied. “Adabelle isn’t very good at asking for help, and neither am I. Like, I brought nice clothes, but they weren’t nearly as snazzy as that. Kadrus does good work, so please thank him for me.”

Silence descended in the tunnels for a moment. “I really can’t get a bead on you.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

Lailah huffed. “It is when you obviously have feelings for my sword sister.”

“I don’t know about obvious,” he said, only for Lailah to stop and turn to face him. Trevor was forced to stop as well, and watched as her face changed to one that clearly asked if that was what he really thought. “If it makes you feel any better, Wayne tried to threaten me with promises of pain if I hurt her. That conversation ended with him calling me a cinnamon roll and pledging to be my wingman before I told him to please not do that.”

“Oh, so Wayne’s already stuck his nose into this situation?” she asked.

“On my side, at least. I threatened him so that he wouldn’t approach Adabelle about my feelings, because I would get to it on my terms.”

Lailah scoffed and crossed her arms, looking Trevor up and down. “You? Threaten Wayne? He’s been here forever, how could you possibly threaten him, messenger boy?”

“I told him that I’d teach Rashie the Baby Shark song if he meddled,” Trevor said with a grin.

The elf paused before shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips. “Yeah, that’s a pretty good threat.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, you should act on it sooner rather than later,” Lailah said before she began walking down the tunnel again. “Because I’ve already meddled and-“

“Actually, I already started to,” Trevor interrupted. “This morning, right before you knocked on the door to barge in, I asked her out to the festival. On a date, specifically. Then you started cackling and walking away.”

“Is that what I walked in on?” she laughed. “I thought you two finally kissed or something.”

“What?” he asked, stopping. “What makes you say that?”

“Oh, nothing,” Lailah practically sang. “Just remember that she’s a young maiden at heart, and you only get a pass because you make her feel like she’s taken care of, and that makes her happy.”

“Why does everyone keep giving me passes?” Trevor grumbled, though he did so with a smile. If Lailah was telling the truth, then that meant Adabelle really did feel the same way he did. It wasn’t something he had expected, still somewhat surprised that she agreed to a date, but knowing it made him feel good. Unless… “Wait, really? She said that?”

“I’ll lie to you about a lot of things, messenger boy, but not about this,” the elf chirped. “Just remember-“

“I hurt her, I get hurt, yeah.”

“Nah, she likes it when a man shows a bit of chest,” Lailah said. “Drives her crazy. So whatever you choose to wear on your date tomorrow for the festival, maybe you should keep that under advisement.”

“Really?” Trevor asked. “Wait, was that one of the things you’d lie to me about?”

The elf laughed, but his question was promptly ignored as they reached the end of the tunnel. It led to a trap door in the ceiling that would be easy to climb out of, and she opened it to reveal a plain room with a single guard inside.

The armored man stood at attention as they entered the building. “Good morning, ma’am,” he said strongly.

“Good morning,” Lailah greeted. “This is Trevor, he’s in the company of Lady Adabelle and he’s allowed to come and go as he pleases.”

“As you wish, ma’am,” the guard responded.

“Alright, Trevor, go through this door and you’ll be in Kadrus’ shop,” Lailah explained. “Come back here whenever you want to head back to the castle. Or, you can just go through the front gate if the shop is closed. Or if you want to. Your choice.”

“Oh, well, thanks a lot Lailah, I really-“

“Okay, see you later, messenger boy,” Lailah said, dropping another peace sign before going back into the tunnels and closing the trap door.

Trevor stared at it for a moment before looking at the guard. “Is she always like that?”

The guard stifled a laugh before putting on a more professional face. “I assure you, I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir.”

“Yeah, I guess not, huh?” Trevor asked with a laugh. “So, just through this door, then?”

When the guard gave him a confirming nod, the young man left the room. Lailah had said this was Kadrus’ shop, and Trevor found himself surrounded by clothes, cloth, and tools. A young dwarven woman stood behind a counter while the elderly dwarf himself was measuring a customer in front of a tall mirror. Pausing, he was quickly noticed.

“Mister Trevor, come back any time,” Kadrus said, barely taking his eyes off of his customer.

“Thank you, sir, for all your help,” Trevor responded, bowing first in his direction and then towards the young woman. He stopped on the way out to stare at a navy blue outfit that looked suspiciously like a sailor’s suit before stepping into the city for the first time.

The streets were bustling with activity and Trevor found himself going against a tide of traffic. Despite his best efforts, he was pushed against the building almost immediately in order to stay out of the people’s flow. While the paved roads were wide, the amount of pedestrians was unreal to him. Even in his city back on Earth there wasn’t as much foot traffic as this, and it certainly wasn’t as varied.

Despite the discomfort of suddenly being part of the crowd, he couldn’t help but stare. Trevor had seen the city from the balcony last night, but that was different than seeing it at ground level. The buildings were all made of stone and around three stories tall. The shops on the first floor were all painted different eye-catching colors with signs all over the place.

From his spot pressed up against the tailor shop, he could see that the stores were varied, too. A butcher shop was next to a pub across the street, and there was a small store advertising crystal balls next to a one that sold perfumes and colognes. A man walked out of that one, and as he walked by Trevor the young man caught a scent he didn’t expect: new car.

“They really have everything here, huh?” he chuckled to himself before looking down the street. If he wanted to step into traffic, there was only one good way to go thanks to the way people were moving, but he wasn’t sure if that was the right way to his destination. Thankfully, Trevor had an item for that.

Retrieving his PathGuider 5000 from his inventory, he set it over his eye. “Alright, so what’s the best way to get to Klar’s,” he muttered to himself.

The Trinket pointed him across the street towards a building’s drainpipe. It weaved around the traffic, but then started to go up the building. “Is that really the fastest way?” Trevor asked in a deadpan voice. He looked at the people, which showed no sign of slowing down, and he sighed. “Quest Master, what stats are best for… rooftop traversal, I guess?”

[[Trevor Anderson, I’m so glad you asked! Strength to climb? Check. Dexterity for control? Perhaps a little more. Speed for distance? You’ve got a Trinket for that.]]

“Speed for distance?” Trevor repeated loudly, ignoring the looks of surprise from pedestrians. “Is this thing going to have me jumping streets or something?”

There wasn’t any answer from the Quest Master, so Trevor took that as confirmation. He glanced at the crowd again, really not wanting to become beholden to the wave of people going through the city, and started feeling a little claustrophobic.

“Fine, fine, let’s put my point into Dexterity, then,” Trevor said.

[[Stat increase complete. Dexterity is now 3. You have no more banked points remaining. Happy climbing!]]

“Can you show me my status screen?”

[[Trevor Anderson

Human

Level 6 (0/2)

Banked Points: 0

Strength: 3

Dexterity:  3

Stamina: 2

Magic: 1

Mana: 1

Speed: 1

Specialty Stats

Capacity: 5

Power: Inventory

Skills: Quick Growth (Human), Temporal Dimensional Storage (Inventory), Stacks (Capacity)]]

Looking them over, Trevor nodded to himself. He had been wanting to upgrade Speed for a while now, but figured that it was probably for the best that he upgraded the other physical stats first. A part of him wanted to put the next increase into Stamina so it could be 3 just like Strength and Dexterity, but he knew that would lead him down a dark path to also wanting to increase Magic and Mana.

Which wasn’t inherently a bad thing, he just didn’t have any abilities that needed them. There were magic items that operated off of it, like the magic key to his home, but so far that was it. If he came across anything else that needed it, then his views could potentially change, but right now they were both fine at one.

Once the status screen left his vision, Trevor looked for the closest thing that seemed like a part in the crowd and went for it.

The young man thought he would stumble and push more through force than finesse, but reality surprised him. As he made his way through the sea of people, he found himself barely touching them as he dodged, weaved, and spun around people as naturally as a hummingbird flitting around a garden. Halfway across the street, he couldn’t help but grin.

“Okay, Dexterity is cool,” he laughed to himself as he backtracked into the middle of the street before surging forward. It all felt so perfectly natural to move his body in this way that he found himself backtracking for a chance to play in traffic a little bit longer.

Eventually, he had his fill, and Trevor made it to the other side of the road. He inspected the drainpipe, having expected a flimsy aluminum one like he had back on Earth, but was surprised to find that it was actually rather sturdy. It was as big around as he could grab, and there were several brackets holding it in place. Even as the young man tried to shake it, it didn’t move.

Taking a breath, Trevor stretched. “Alright, Strength, don’t fail me now,” he whispered before beginning his climb.

34 - Make A Modest Living

To Trevor’s surprise, the climb was actually really easy. His Strength carried him all the way to the top, and he threw himself onto the roof with only lightly harder breathing from the exertion. The young man had looked around, noting the gardens that were planted on every rooftop, before paying attention to the PathGuider’s line.

While it felt a little rude to invade people’s roofs like this, he was feeling an adrenaline high from his crowd dancing and climb. This was the most physically fit and capable he had ever been in his life and, while he was sure he’d get used to it eventually, it made him giddy.

So, he followed the line as it showed him the way. Trevor pulled the Horn of Swift Heroics from his inventory, but didn’t blow on it yet. It was kept close because of what the Quest Master had said.

As he stepped from building to building, only having to jump a few feet between alleyways, Trevor started becoming more confident. In Tosa he had stuck to jogging or running through the streets, the lack of obstacles had meant it was a relatively easy experience, but Eskretet was proving to be completely different in a most delightful way.

Running along the edge of the roof, he saw the people going about their business. Some wore fancy clothes and walked with purpose, while others sported looks of awe and could easily have been tourists stopping to see every little thing. Some spotted him, pointing up, and that’s when he returned to the center of the buildings so he wouldn’t have so much attention on him. He wasn’t sure if this was considered trespassing or not, but he hoped that he wasn’t breaking any laws.

Eventually, the PathGuider wanted him to cross the wide streets, and showed this with a tall arc between the buildings. Trevor slowed to a stop, looking at the wooden beam it wanted him to jump from. It was being used to hold up a potted plant outside somebody’s window.

“Are you being serious with me right now?” he asked, flicking the Trinket’s frame with his finger.

It didn’t change, and despite knowing it was a terrible idea he began gauging the distance with a critical eye.

“This has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever done,” Trevor grumbled to himself as he backed up. The young man raised the horn to his mouth and blew it before he could dwell on his actions too much. His Speed increased, and he began running.

He only took one step on the wooden beam, and Trevor was glad that it barely shifted due to his weight. The young man jumped with all of his might, getting more height than he thought he was capable of, and sailed through the air.

Not gracefully, of course. He flailed both his arms and his legs, and may have even screamed.

But his arms caught the roof on the other side and, in an adrenaline-filled frenzy, he pulled himself up. Trevor laid on his back, staring up at the sky, and threw his arms in the air. An exhilarated scream passed through his lips as he cheered for himself. Unable to keep still, he got up and started running again.

That was the first road that he had jumped over, but it wasn’t his last. With each leap he became more confident. The second jump he stumbled at the end, but landed on his feet, and the third jump he nailed. He continued running through the rooftops of Eskretet, sailing over the sea of citizens, until he reached the end of the line.

Panting, Trevor grinned as he looked down at Klarkartar’s Magical Emporium. It was a large shop that took up several blocks, though it was only two stories tall unlike most of the buildings in this district.

The whole setup was loud, too, fully reminding him of something like a fireworks tent. Words printed in big letters all around the building let people know that they could shop here for “Magic” and “Big Sales” on all manner of things.

Following the PathGuider 5000 one more time, Trevor found another drainpipe and carefully climbed down it. Once he was back on the ground again, he took a few moments to catch his breath and push the Trinket up onto his forehead before walking across the busy street to his destination.

If he had thought the outside was loud, then he was not prepared for the inside. A cacophony of colors disoriented him for a few seconds. Every sign, tablecloth, and employee wore vibrant colors in what Trevor recognized as minotaur fashion. Not everyone was a minotaur, as there were humans and orcs working registers that were liberally spread out throughout the building. It fully reminded him of a big box mall store.

For this part of the quest, Trevor had wanted to find Klar naturally by looking around, but now that he was inside he didn’t feel that was feasible. Everything was designed to distract, causing him to pause to look at combs that were advertised to take care of your hair while you were sleeping, or sandals with no straps that were guaranteed to never fall off until you wanted them to.

Trevor stopped in front of a massive display of Horn Wax, which was advertised to both minotaurs and demons alike, and he wondered if Adabelle used or needed this. Certainly it wasn’t something that was needed, and after a few moments of staring he decided that she didn’t use it nor need it. She was fine just the way she was.

Giving up and deciding to follow the PathGuider’s green arrow, Trevor made his way all the way to the back of the store. He found Klar sitting in an area set into the floor with a few other minotaurs. Their eyes locked immediately, and he saw the large bull-man’s face twist into a grin.

“Trevor Anderson!” he greeted loudly, causing the other minotaurs to look at him.

“Klar, it’s good to see you,” Trevor said with a smile as he moved to stand on the edge of the pit.

“And you, old friend!” Klar replied, not modulating his voice in the slightest. He stood up, the coins hanging from his horns clinking together. The largest minotaur in the group did the same, though he was quickly told to sit with a gesture. “This is Trevor Anderson, Farquar, he is not a threat. Unlike some Earth Summoned, he has manners.”

“Hello, everyone,” Trevor said with a polite bow, and he was met with a smattering of greetings. He couldn’t help but notice Farquar’s large hammer on the seat next to him, and imagined he was some sort of bodyguard. “As much as I’d like to say that this is a social drop-in, I’m actually here on business.”

“Business is what I do, so there is no trouble in that.” If he was offended, it didn’t show at all. Leaving the pit, he stood next to Trevor. For some reason, the young man had it in his head that Klar was bigger and taller than he actually had been. He was both of those things, but the minotaur wasn’t the towering goliath that remained in his memory.

“I’ve brought goods from Thimbleden and Dory from back in Tosa,” Trevor continued. “I can set them out wherever you like, though it’s a lot so maybe in a stock room or something?”

“You managed to get a wagon through the streets this early in the day during festival?” Klar asked. “That’s amazing! It would take me and my people hours to do the same even if we started tossing people out of the way!”

“For the record, we wouldn’t do that,” one of the minotaurs still sitting said quickly.

“No, of course not, we would be patient. Anything else would not only be rude, but harmful to our home,” Klar confirmed before clapping his hands. “Well, let’s go get those goods!”

“Oh, there’s no wagon,” Trevor said with a smile.

“No wagon? Then perhaps a dimensional bag?” Klar said, eying Trevor’s backpack. “I tried to get in contact with Melvirn the wizard while I was in town, but I was unlucky.”

“He gets really engrossed in his experiments, yes. And the bag has been tampered with, dimensionally speaking, but they’re not in there, either. Unless I want them to be, but that’s… not really pertinent.” When the minotaur gave him a confused look, Trevor lifted his arms and summoned a box full of Heating Stones. “My Power is Inventory.”

Klar’s eyes went wide, and he grinned again. “That is an excellent Power!” the minotaur exclaimed, drawing attention from all over. Trevor smiled nervously as he noticed the attention, but a large, furry arm was put around his shoulders and he was suddenly being pushed towards the back. “Come, this way, I will show you where to put things down.”

Trevor was led through a large pair of swinging double doors that closed behind them and into a room full of goods on shelves. If he hadn’t known any better, this would have reminded him completely of his old job back on Earth. The vibe was completely different, however, and he could tell the employees here didn’t have that customer service mask he knew all to well.

He was glad that he was being ushered forward, because the thought of his job back on Earth as his “old job” gave him pause. That was something he would have to unpack later, because Klar stopped him in front of a few empty bays.

“Right here, if you please,” he requested.

“You got it, Klar,” Trevor said as he started removing the boxes he had in his inventory. Just like taking them in, taking them out was a quick process. He was able to stack them with expert precision, and soon everything from Thimbleden was out in the open.

[[Eh, you’ve got two quests here. I’ll wait until you’re done so we can get straight to the level up.]]

Trevor chuckled. “That’s everything from Thimbleden, and now it’s everything from Dory,” he said as he moved to the next bay. “My dimensional pocket’s about as big as a wagon, but I can store some things in a time stop… thing. Temporal storage, or something.”

“You are amazing, Trevor!” Klar exclaimed. “I’ve seen a lot of Summoned in my time, and I have to say, I think I like this Power the most of all.”

“Oh, yeah?” Trevor wasn’t sure about that, but he’d let the minotaur explain.

“Yes, it’s just so handy,” Klar continued. “Imagine all the good you can do with this, all the work you could get done that would normally take so many people to do. Taking food and supplies to remote locations that wagons can’t feasibly reach, or delivering time-sensitive medicine out to those who can’t make trips to the towns and cities. I know that adventurer powers are great, but this is the kind of thing that I like.”

“Well, thanks, Klar,” Trevor said with a smile. “I’m very happy with it, too. I don’t think I could stomach adventuring.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Klar said. “Despite being as big and scary as I know I am, I don’t think I could, either. I would much rather help people by providing them goods and services. Like Dory’s venom, it will prevent a lot of people from dying, right? And the Heating Stones, the Isle of Horns is far, far north and heat is very precious, especially with the ocean winds. These are expensive everywhere except Tosa, because they have the most Firesap Trees, right?”

Trevor didn’t know that, but he nodded anyway. “Right.”

“So I travel to places with resources like that and barter, buying in bulk to not only get the most discounts, but so that it’s easier to send things where they need to go,” Klar continued. “These magic stones, for example. I’m only going to make around five coppers per, and I’m planning on selling the venom at cost to alchemists around town to help protect those who need it. I could sell for exorbitant amounts, but that is not what a merchant prince should do.”

“You’re a man of the people?”

“Exactly!” he roared, causing Trevor to flinch. “So many merchants from my homeland think that I am the least of them because the only profits I need are enough to make a modest living, but I say they are fools. We are only alive for a short time, and there are ways to make money that don’t require the… What is the Earth term? Nickel and diming the common folk?”

“Yeah, you’ve got it.”

“I make more than enough from adventurers because they can afford it. The common folk who just need minor magical items can afford them, and the prestige I enjoy in the community is enough for me. I am a content man, so long as I can help people as I had been helped before.”

“Somebody helped you that much, huh?” Trevor asked. He realized that he had stopped pulling boxes out of his inventory, but Klar didn’t mind.

“Many, many times before,” the minotaur said, nodding. “Summoned adventurers helped me when I was first striving to become a merchant prince in order to change the misconceptions of my homeland. They did so for cheap, because I could not afford to give them more, and because of them I was able to thrive. That is why I am always so happy to meet new visitors to our world, and why our meeting had to be an act of providence. Especially with a Power like this!”

“Well, if you have any work for me, I’m always happy to accept a quest,” Trevor said as he finally finished putting the last box down.

[[Quest cluster complete! And you have finished three of them!

Not only was the king pleased with the painting, but Klar is over the moon that you came to visit! You have dropped off the goods for both Thimbleden and Dory, and without even a single broken item. Well done!

Rewards! Two platinum pieces have been added to your inventory, you have gained the equivalent of one extra quest added to your level up tally! Speaking of…

Level up! You have gained one (1) stat point. It has been added to your bank like the others. You have one (1) stat points banked.]]

“I believe I do,” Klar said, stroking his chin. “I think I have a quest that’s just perfect for you, Trevor Anderson.”

35 - Explosive Delivery

Trevor beamed at Klar. Not just because he was getting a quest, but because he would be able to help out his friend. “Whatever I can do, I’m happy to help,” he said. “You really did wonders calming me down when I first arrived, so I’m at your service until tomorrow.”

“Don’t mention it, that was just talk between new friends,” Klar said with a laugh. “But, to business for now. Can you store more than this?”

“With my backpack on, yeah,” Trevor replied. “It increases my storage capacity.”

“Phenomenal, simply phenomenal. Normally, it would take a team of people all day to do what I need done, and some have already been sent out, but perhaps you would not mind running around the city for me? I promise to make it well worth your time, my friend.”

The young man thought about getting back to Adabelle, but their date wasn’t until tomorrow, anyway. He came to realize that he still barely knew anything about the Festival of Golden Lights, where they would be going, or what they would be seeing. There was also the matter of what he would have to wear. Something told him that Klar would be able to help.

“I actually do have some requests, if you don’t mind,” Trevor said.

“I do not! Please, if they are within my power, then I will do what I can.”

“Thank you, Klar, I’ve…” Trevor hesitated, suddenly realizing what he would actually have to ask.

After a few seconds, the minotaur tilted his head. “You’ve…?” he asked.

Taking a breath, Trevor shook his head. “Do you know Lady Adabelle? From Tosa?”

“She is Jackson’s apprentice, no?” he asked. “Yes, we’ve met. She is stern, but a wonderful woman nonetheless.”

“Adabelle- I mean, Lady Adabelle is here. She was traveling with me, and I asked her out. To the festival, tomorrow. We’re going on a date. To the festival. But I just realized that I don’t know anything about it. I wouldn’t know where to take her, or where to avoid taking her, or if she’s taking me somewhere? And there’s nothing for me to wear except a really, really nice suit that Kadrus made, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate? And-“

“Okay, okay!” Klar said, chuckling as he silenced Trevor with a firm hand on the young man’s shoulder. “So, you were rambling a little, but to sum up. You need a place to take Lady Adabelle, and you need something to wear.”

“Yes, that is accurate, sorry,” Trevor replied while bowing his head.

“Let us discuss things while you begin taking items into your inventory, shall we?” the minotaur asked with clear amusement. “And you can calm down a little bit.”

“Yeah, sure, alright.”

Klar motioned for Trevor to follow him, and the young man did as they went through the back of the minotaur’s store. They passed by several well labeled bays and shelves, and the once-was retail worker found himself approving of how neat everything was. It was a far cry from the gnomish shop he had gotten used to in Tosa, though it was also starting to give him flashbacks.

They stopped right in front of a large section of floor that wasn’t the same gray stone as everything else, but painted black. In it, several crates with the words “caution,” “danger,” and “keep away from fire” were plastered in very large, colorful font.

“What, uh, what are these, Klar?” Trevor asked nervously.

“Do the warnings throw you off?”

“Yes.”

“Ha! Not even hesitating in the face of a friend. Ah, Trevor, I enjoy you,” the minotaur claimed as he walked up to one of the nearest crates. Grabbing a crowbar, he opened it without any semblance of being gentle, causing the young man to flinch. Once the lid was off, though, Klar gestured him forward.

Trevor took a few hesitant steps forward and peeked inside. His mood changed from one of cautious curiosity to unbridled glee. “Is this what I think it is?”

“So long as you think that all of these crates are filled with fireworks, then yes, it is exactly what you think it is.”

“This is great!” Trevor exclaimed giddily. “Oh, man, there’s so many crates here. Are fireworks big in the festival? Wait, you don’t have to answer that, it’s literally called the Festival of Golden Lights, of course lights are important.”

“Trevor, I’m going to ask you to do something separate from the quest for me, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“It is so rare to see someone who doesn’t know anything about the festival, I want you to retain your ignorance on what the big draw is. Don’t ask about it, avoid conversations on it, just allow yourself to be taken away when it happens. Metaphorically speaking, of course, you won’t actually be transported somewhere, in case you were worried about that.”

“Is it going to be that big?” Trevor asked, arching an eyebrow.

“All I will say is that it will be the most stunning thing you’ve seen in this world so far,” he said before pausing and giving Trevor a sidelong glance. “Unless you are one of those hopeless romantic types, in which case I’d say Lady Adabelle?”

The young man couldn’t help but laugh. “No, she’s beautiful, but I’m just a regular romantic.”

“Then it will be the most stunning thing you’ve seen in this world so far,” Klar said confidently. “I’m sure Lady Adabelle will know where to go, and will be able to get you there, just tell her that I said you shouldn’t know about it.”

“Okay, I don’t really like not knowing about big things that could specifically impact me, but I’m going to trust you on that.

“Perfect! Alright, so these are going all around the city to different locations,” Klar explained. “I see that you have a PathGuider 5000. Excellent Trinket, that, and you’ll be able to get through it rather quickly if you hurry. Not that you have to hurry, so long as it’s done before tonight.”

“Just putting them places, then?”

Klar nodded. “So that, tomorrow, my employees don’t have to lug them all over the place. I would ask you to do it tomorrow, but seeing as that is the day of your date, I figured that would be rude.”

“Yeah, sorry, Klar,” Trevor grimaced.

“No need to apologize,” the minotaur said with a wave of his hand. “They can go into warehouses nearby, and they can be retrieved tomorrow. It will still be much better than lugging them through the crowds from here. That’s what we normally have to do. Could you imagine the trouble of hauling crates of fireworks through those crowds?”

Trevor could, and it sounded horrible. “I’ll be able to do it a lot faster and with a lot less trouble,” he said confidently.

“Yes, you are ready to agree, but I haven’t told you what you get out of it,” Klar said, thumbing his snout. “You wanted someplace to go and something to wear that was appropriate to the festival. Do you like crowds? Or prefer something a little more private?”

“Private, definitely,” Trevor replied immediately.

“Then I have the perfect place to eat. You will have to go through the crowds to get there, but you should see the sights from amongst the people anyway. That is the proper way to enjoy the festival.”

“Lay it on me, Klar.”

“I own a restaurant that every, and I mean every, noble and Summoned wants to go to,” he claimed. “It’s called Matteo’s, and it’s reservation only, but I can get you in whenever you want. The chef is Summoned, and his food is to die for. You decide when you want to go; lunch, dinner, sometime in between, it doesn’t matter. I have my own personal dining area overlooking the national park surrounding the castle, and I will go when you are not there so you may have some alone time with your Lady Adabelle.”

Trevor blinked at Klar as he pitched his restaurant. “Are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. “Wouldn’t you rather give that reservation to someone like a business partner or close friend?”

“Are we not close friends?” Klar asked quickly.

“I mean, I’m okay with being close friends, but this is only the second time we’ve met,” Trevor responded with speed, hoping he didn’t offend the minotaur.

Klar turned to face the young man and placed his hands on both of Trevor’s shoulders. “I don’t think you appreciate how much I appreciate your Power,” he said. “Trevor, I’m not just offering this to be altruistic. We are friends, yes, and even if you tell me no then nothing will change between us. But, if you work with me even just a little bit over the next few months, or years, or anything, then we could do a lot of good together. I’m thinking of that future. Besides, this is an exchange, it’s not like I’m just giving it to you for free.”

“Oh, alright,” Trevor said because he couldn’t think of anything else.

“If you want to go on a vacation somewhere, and it’s someplace I do business, then you only have to tell me and I will fund your entire trip at the cost of a courier quest,” Klar continued. “Or, with Lady Adabelle, or whoever you want. Even if you’re just in the city and heading back to Tosa, there are always goods that can be moved. You can take an entire wagon’s worth of goods as a single man, and I think you need to know your own worth.”

Trevor grimaced. “That sounds like I’ll be replacing teams of people that need to be paid,” he stated honestly.

Klar laughed and let the man go to gesture all over the warehouse. “There is always work!” he exclaimed. “What you could do is prevent one of my many teams from traveling two weeks away from their loved ones, then have to travel two weeks back. Wagons are slow and cumbersome even when they are not filled, and would take a lot less time than you would. They will still have work, but be away from home less often.”

Tilting his head, Trevor thought about that and found himself nodding. That made a lot of sense, and he could see why a big time merchant like Klar would want to be on the good side of someone like him. “Okay, I think I’ll take you up on Matteo’s, then,” he finally said.

“Trust me, it will change the way you live,” Klar said with a grin. “And, I know for a fact that Lady Adabelle will… I believe you would say, freak out?”

“That is something we say on Earth, yes,” Trevor chuckled.

“I’m glad. I do love a lot of the Earth colloquials that I hear about. Then, would you like lunch or dinner?”

Trevor thought it over. He didn’t really want to be inside during the fireworks show, so it would be better to take an earlier meal. “Lunch, maybe a late lunch, please and thank you.”

“Consider it done,” Klar said. “And there’s the matter of your clothing. Do you have any particular style in mind?”

“I do not,” Trevor admitted. “I’m not even sure what’s appropriate attire. All I know is that…”

Trevor’s voice trailed off as he thought about what Lailah had said about Adabelle and bare-chested men. His face began to heat as he looked at Klar. He still didn’t know enough about the elven woman to figure out if that was a lie or if she was being serious. Showing off his chest wasn’t an issue, that Strength score of 3 was doing wonders for him, he could admit that, but he didn’t know if it was sabotage.

As Klar waited patiently for him to finish his sentence, Trevor made a decision. He looked down and mumbled.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” Klar said.

Trevor shifted and mumbled again.

“Could you speak a little louder?” Klar asked apologetically.

“Maybe something that’ll show off my chest,” Trevor whispered, his face now very red.

Trevor couldn’t see it, but Klar blinked in confusion before attempting to choke back a laugh at this nervous young man before him. He raised his fist and politely coughed into it. “Must be the dust from the fireworks,” he claimed, trying to spare the man any more embarrassment. “Would you feel comfortable in minotauran garb, perhaps?”

“Would that be okay?” Trevor asked, looking up to see that Klar was very pointedly not looking directly at him.

“Of course! We minotaurs are a welcoming bunch, and we love it when other cultures embrace ours!” he said loudly. “Besides, the festival is a mix of several different Summoned culture anyway. The very first King Eskretet was a, if I’m remembering this right, a Japanese man? So kimonos and yukatas are generally accepted. After that was a Forvan, which I don’t believe is an Earth country?”

Trevor shook his head. “Never heard of a Forvan before, so definitely not.”

“Well, he brought along an outfit called a dunbar, which also became acceptable in the festival,” Klar continued. “It’s tight, and often comes with a very large hat and golden hoops around the body. Very impractical, so few still wear it, but some of the longer-lived folks still swear by it. Let’s see, King Eskretet the third, who was the first of two female kings, was from a place called Brazil, I believe.”

While Trevor was interested more about the two women king of Eskretet, wondering if they were called King because of the Quest Master, he didn’t think this was the right time to ask. “Let me guess, lots of really flamboyant costumes?”

“So flamboyant!” Klar laughed. “But also the ones that lasted the longest. You will be among a sea of colors and cheer during the festival, don’t you worry.”

“I wasn’t really worried, per se, but I’m glad that we’ve got it figured out,” Trevor said before frowning. He looked at the minotaur’s largr frame. “Do you, uh, do you have something in my size?”

“Of course we do, we have clothes for people of all shapes and sizes! Do not worry about that. Quest Master, could you please?”

[[New quest! Klarkartar’s explosive delivery!

You have agreed to help this merchant prince deliver goods all around the city in exchange for a hot meal, although admittedly a really good one, and an outfit.

The price may be right, but the real reward is knowing that you helped a lot of people not have to do some things that are really annoying. Not only that, but you’re bringing joy to all the fans of pretty explosions in Eskretet! All in the name of Lady Adabelle, no less. This is shaping up to be a pretty substantial date.]]

“It’s not in the name of Lady Adabelle,” Trevor protested, though at this point he knew it kind of was. Sighing, he looked back up at Klar and offered his hand. “I’ll take care of this for you, friend.”

“Thank you, friend,” Klar said back, taking the proffered hand and giving it a firm shake. “And best of luck on your date.”

“Thanks, I think I’m going to need it,” Trevor said with a weak chuckle before he got to work.