Herb quest

Thornmere Adventurers' Guild

The guild building stood at the center of the square, its stonework worn but sturdy, the crest of Thornmere carved neatly above the doors. Liam and Ravyn approached in silence, their earlier awkwardness having mellowed into something more tolerable.

Throughout the walk, Liam had tried to engage her in small, harmless conversation, asking about the guild protocols, her experience with quests, and details about the registration process. Not for information, he already knew all of it, but simply to keep her at ease. If she could grow used to his presence, then she might stop reacting to him like a startled cat every other minute.

To his quiet surprise, it worked.

By the time they stepped into the guild, Ravyn no longer flinched at every glance and even responded with the occasional full sentence. That, in Liam's book, was progress.

What greeted them inside was not the rowdy tavern-like atmosphere most would expect of a provincial Adventurers' Guild. There were no beer-slick floors, no drunken laughter, and no brawls breaking out in the corners.

Instead, the building resembled something closer to a law office from an older era, worn leather chairs, polished wooden counters, and clean stone tile underfoot. The air was quiet, professional. Quests were posted in designated columns, clerks moved with purpose behind reception, and the scent of ink and parchment dominated instead of sweat and ale.

Ravyn blinked slowly, her crimson eyes wide as she took it all in.

"…This is different from the guild in my hometown."

Liam gave a small nod. "It is. Everyone here remembers to behave."

'Or rather,' he thought to himself, 'they're all terrified of Luce.'

The man in question was not visible at the moment, but his reputation preceded him. Every adventurer in Thornmere knew that even a minor infraction could earn them a direct audience with Luce, the guild's enforcer. And no one wanted that.

They walked together toward the reception desk. Ravyn stepped forward first and presented her guild card to the clerk for regional verification. The woman behind the counter, dressed in a pale gray uniform with a silver pin on her collar, scanned the card across a crystal reader and nodded.

A moment later, her gaze turned to Liam.

"How may I assist you, sir?" she asked, her voice polite and measured.

"I'd like to register," Liam replied, returning her courtesy with a composed smile.

The receptionist opened a drawer and produced a parchment form. "Very well. Please complete this registration form and return it once finished."

Liam accepted it and stepped aside to fill it out. As he did so, he could feel Ravyn occasionally glancing over, her gaze darting back to the wall every time he shifted.

He noted her curiosity but said nothing.

In the section marked "Combat Proficiency," Liam wrote:

[Sword Mastery: Grade C]

He completed the rest without issue and returned the parchment to the receptionist, whose nameplate read Maya. She scanned the contents, verified his answers, and passed the form to a uniformed assistant seated behind her, murmuring a few administrative instructions.

"It will take approximately one hour to prepare your Adventurer ID," Maya said, maintaining her formal tone. "You may browse the quest board in the meantime."

Liam gave a nod of thanks and turned toward the request columns, with Ravyn trailing just behind him.

The board displayed various quests sorted by rank. Most were menial: herb gathering, wild game retrieval, minor delivery work. But one in particular caught Liam's eye.

[Quest: Harvest Silverdew Lily – Reward: 2 silver per pieces , 10 contribution points – Rank: F]

He studied it for a moment. "What do you think about this one? It pays more then usual and gives twice the points."

A young voice cut in before Ravyn could respond.

"That quest looks easy, but it's actually not," said a boy standing nearby, dressed in lightweight leather armor with the telltale brass badge of an F-rank adventurer. He pointed at the quest notice. "The Silverdew Lily is rare in this region. Finding it can take all day, sometimes longer. You're better off completing two or three smaller quests in the same amount of time."

Liam turned to him. "Is that so?"

The boy shrugged. "Suit yourself." Then he plucked a different page from the board and walked off toward the counter.

Liam folded his arms, still gazing at the quest.

Rare plant. Long search. Low competition. That makes it perfect.

Not only was the reward superior to standard F-rank assignments, but it was also exactly the sort of solitary task he needed. No time pressure, no combat risk. Just search, retrieve, and return.

He glanced at Ravyn. "We should take this."

She tilted her head slightly, hesitant.

Liam gave a small sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Don't worry, I know where they grow."

That was a lie. But he said it with enough confidence that Ravyn didn't even question it. He had already seen enough of her to know that when uncertain, she deferred to perceived authority, and in her eyes, Liam had that in spades.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and detached the request from the board.

A moment later, they left the guild together, walking past the town's southern gates toward the outer woodland.

The designated quest zone lay along the outskirts of Thornmere, in a lightly forested region patrolled regularly by the town guard. The area was considered safe for novices, with only low-level beasts roaming the terrain, and even those were rare during daylight hours.

Still, Liam remained alert.