The Road to Eveningstar Town

"Aha! I thought you wouldn't come up with a decent plan!"

The barbarian woman made no attempt to hide her surprise. She sprawled back in her chair with her arms spread wide and her legs apart in a most unladylike fashion. "I was only going to accept your invitation for Eleanor's sake!"

"Asha!" Eleanor complained, gesturing for her to sit properly. "We haven't finished discussing your payment..."

"Oh, right, payment." The barbarian woman reluctantly sat up. "Let's talk payment, Aaron. We've known each other for ages. You can't team up with Eleanor to take advantage of me!"

"Asha!" the young cleric cried again.

Aaron smiled. Clearly, Asha had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to payment more than once.

The reason was simple.

In an adventuring party, members generally fell into two categories.

The first said: "I'll do what I'm good at. You handle the rest."

The second said: "You do what you're good at. I'll handle the rest."

As mentioned before, fighters were considered the lowest of the low, looked down on by everyone, because they could only belong to the first category. They offered little versatility and were easily replaced.

Unfortunately, barbarians belonged to the first category too.

The second category was welcomed by adventuring parties. Its typical members were powerful spellcasters like Eleanor and Aaron, as well as mages, druids, and warlocks.

They could control enemies, deal damage, scout, keep watch, grant enhancements and protective spells, heal wounds, and even provide a way out when a mission failed.

They were the most sought-after adventurers.

Less powerful spellcasters, such as paladins, rangers, and bards, were somewhat less versatile. They could fill some of those roles, though not all of them, and were still welcome.

Take an example.

To compare it to sports from Aaron's previous life, the first category included James and Westbrook in basketball, and Ronaldo in the later years of his football career. They did what they were good at and left everything else to their teammates.

James and Westbrook played as ball-dominant stars. They kept the ball in their hands while their teammates moved into position to catch and shoot, or cleared space and watched them play one-on-one: one star surrounded by four shooters.

Ronaldo after leaving Real Madrid in his later years was much the same. As his body declined, he gradually gave up every exertion that did not lead directly to a goal, concentrating all his attention and energy on scoring. His numbers still looked respectable as he aged, but in reality...

The second category included Jordan, Kobe, and Curry in basketball, and Ronaldo in his younger years and Messi at his peak in football.

Apart from his three-point shooting, which was merely average, every one of Jordan's abilities ranked among the greatest in history. In some areas—mid-range shooting, driving, and defense—no one could match him, only come close.

But for championships and for his teammates, Jordan gradually gave up trying to do everything with the ball in his hands. He began playing off the ball, leaving the easy shots to his teammates while taking on the hard shots they could not make. That was how he became the god of basketball.

Kobe did the same, though there was still a wide gap between him and Jordan. Kobe at his peak fell slightly short even of Jordan during his second three-peat, let alone his first. That was how he earned the nickname "Brick King."

Likewise, before turning thirty-two, Ronaldo had been a dazzling all-around player. He could beat defenders, seize scoring chances, attack down the wing, or take the ball through the middle. He could contribute at both ends and create plays. There was almost nothing he could not do.

Of course people liked staying in their comfort zones, doing what they did best and leaving the troublesome things they were bad at to others.

But the second kind of person was no fool.

That was why, by long-standing convention, members of the second category always received a larger share of the spoils and first choice when adventurers formed a party.

The mages in their towers and the clerics in their temples had to be invited. Only when offered sufficient promises and rewards would they even consider joining!

A party with members of the second category would always be stronger than one made up of the first!

Aaron aimed to become the second kind of person too. With the powers of the Chaos Gods, he might possess the greatest versatility in all the Realms. There was no reason not to use those powers to accomplish something great. If he had all four gods' powers and still wanted to hide in his comfort zone, recruiting a few teammates to serve as tools in a "one star, four shooters" setup, he might as well go home and sell doughnuts.

Aaron soon agreed on a three-four-three split with Asha and Eleanor. As a cleric, Eleanor was highly versatile, and her Elite-level strength surpassed Aaron's, so she received the largest share at forty percent. Aaron and Asha split the remaining sixty percent of the fee and spoils equally.

It was a fair split, one that even favored Asha considerably. The barbarian woman readily agreed.

With the plan settled, Aaron asked his aunt Mellie to bring out the liquor. "Mellie? Bring me that bottle of gin. I want to celebrate this contract! My first contract!"

"Coming!" Aunt Mellie had actually been listening nearby for quite some time. She deftly pulled a key from her waist, unlocked the liquor cabinet, and took out a bottle of gin.

"Wait!" Asha suddenly raised a hand. "Let's drink in a minute!"

"What is it?" Aaron raised an eyebrow. Was the barbarian woman still dissatisfied?

"Where's your toilet, Aaron?" Asha asked bluntly. "I need to take a shit!"

Mellie: "..."

Eleanor: "..."

Aaron: "...Turn right, go straight, then turn left at the end."

"Got it!" The barbarian woman sprang up and ran off, knocking a dining-room chair askew.

Aaron sighed softly and covered his face with his hand.

"Asha is a little rough around the edges. She's a barbarian from the North, Aaron. Please don't take offense." Seeing his hand over his face, Eleanor thought he was angry.

"You brought her here. How could I take offense, my dear Eleanor?" Aaron looked at the lovely young cleric and smiled again. "I'm only worried about whether she'll follow orders when it matters!"

"Companions should be understanding and considerate of each other." Eleanor rested both hands on her knees and sat with ladylike poise, sweet and radiant.

At some point, she had begun paying attention to how she looked in front of Aaron.

"What matters between companions is trust." Aaron leaned back and looked at her earnestly. "I trust you, Eleanor. I always have."

"So do I." The young cleric gave him a captivating smile. "I've always trusted you!"

They smiled at each other, and somehow the sweltering midsummer heat no longer seemed so unbearable.

"Aaron, you're going out again?" Aunt Mellie interrupted the spark between them, worry plain on her face. "Why? Your recruit training isn't even over yet. Why do you have to leave again?"

"It's my work, Aunt Mellie. Just as Lothair has horses to tend, I have my own duties." Aaron sighed. "You said it yourself. It's my responsibility. I'm a viscount."

"Yes, you're a viscount, and you have responsibilities. How could Lothair compare himself to you?" Mention of her husband instantly soured Mellie's mood. "That heartless wretch earns a pittance all day and still has the nerve to ask for a drink! He never comes to help and leaves me to work myself to the bone. I bet he'd shed two tears if I died. Not dead yet? Back to work!"

After venting, his aunt asked again, "Aaron, do you really have to go?"

"I do." Aaron nodded.

"...That's what Manuel and my sister said back then." Aunt Mellie shook her head bitterly. "Both of them, just the same. My sister even said a man belonged on the battlefield. All she could do was give him her blessing, and if he didn't come back, take up his shield and raise their child!"

"...Don't worry, Aunt Mellie. I'll come back, together with Eleanor."

"Fine. When you come back, you little brat, I'll make you egg tarts!"

"Deal!"

The next day, after finishing their preparations and changing into their gear, Aaron, Asha, and Eleanor sought Lady Luck's blessing at Tymora's temple, then boarded a carriage for Eveningstar Town.

Most adventurers visited Tymora's temple before setting out to seek Lady Luck's blessing. Even Eleanor, a cleric of Selûne, did so. Luck mattered too much on an adventure to ignore.

As a result, Tymora's temples in the Realms often served as a second Adventurers Guild. Adventurers gathered there to find companions, post missions, and prepare to depart.

For especially difficult missions, a visit to Tymora's temple was a must.

Aaron had allotted around seven days for this adventure.

That came from Banneret Lucian's personal advice: "For an adventurer of your ability, seven days is ideal. Any shorter and you won't get enough experience; any longer and you'll run into too much trouble. A recruit's field assignment should last more than three days, but no more than fifteen."

At the place they had arranged to meet Marlon, a dark-skinned boy wearing a red maple-leaf headscarf called out to them. "Hey! Your... guys! Over here, over here!"

He hurried through the crowd, pushing people out of his way, and arrived before Aaron out of breath. "Whew, finally found you. The boss said the fine gentlemen in the city would show up late. Sailors like us have to be up before dawn!"

"You're... one of Marlon's men?" Aaron judged the energetic boy to be fifteen or sixteen.

"Yep! I'm Edward Teach, a pirate!" The young man was visibly thrilled. He waved his arms. "A real pirate, through and through!"

He even showed off his pirate tattoo.

"Come on, the carriage we arranged is about to leave. We're only waiting for you!" The boy bounced on his feet. "We can talk later! If we miss our window, getting out won't be easy!"

"Wait!" Eleanor, her face covered, stopped the young pirate.

"Hey, miss, I said we could talk after—" The young pirate immediately grew impatient.

"Put back the coffee beans you stole!" The young cleric drew her Hand of the Moon warhammer and pointed it at him.

"Honestly, the boss was right. Dealing with clerics is such a pain!" The boy clearly knew better than to provoke them. He looked to Aaron and then Asha for help, but the viscount answered with a stern glare. Under Eleanor's watchful eye, Edward Teach had no choice but to return the coffee beans he had swiped. "Let's go! Mask's cloak!"

Mask, the god of thieves, was at odds to some extent with Lady of Silver Selûne, though they were not sworn enemies the way he and Lady of Wealth Waukeen or Helm, the god of guardians, were.

Marlon, leader of the Dragon's Tooth Gang, had arranged a secret route out of the city for Aaron's group. They would blend into a large caravan. Aaron naturally agreed, and the three slipped out of Suzail unnoticed.

Aaron chose a sturdy travel horse from the Purple Dragons' stables and named her Pearl.

Neither Eleanor nor Asha had a horse. The young cleric mostly rode in the carriage, while Asha mingled with the caravan guards. With her powerful muscles and coarse manner of speaking, she fit right in, and bursts of laughter rose from their group now and then.

The first day of travel was pleasant overall. The area near Suzail was relatively safe, with towns, farmland, and patrolling guards everywhere. Caravans came and went without end.

The caravan was carrying smuggled goods and had no time to concern itself with the mysterious party of three. Its members had plenty to keep them busy.

Trouble began on the second day. Once they entered the forest, their sightlines narrowed and the caravan slowed. People and guard posts grew scarcer too. The caravan changed its pace: instead of resting every two or three hours, it pressed on quickly until it reached a guard post or human village.

Even so, several patrolling Queen's Blade members stopped the caravan and harshly demanded to inspect its cargo for "contraband."

"Mr. Aaron, have the Queen's Blade ever searched you like this?" The young pirate hid in the carriage with a completely unconcerned expression. To him, the fully armed Queen's Blade members being rude under the blazing sun looked like piles of nonflammable rubbish.

"Of course. They don't care who you are." Aaron watched one of them leaf through the permit over and over until he had nearly worn it out. Still unable to find a "violation," the man only grew angrier. Aaron's face showed his disdain.

"Ever since the Princess Regent took power, the Queen's Blade have gotten stricter and stricter," the young pirate said, leaning against the carriage with a stalk of grass in his mouth. "They have such good equipment. Why don't they deal with the bandits in the forest, the pesky kobolds, or the goblins entrenched up north around Arabel? Why do they spend all day harassing us instead?"

"Good question." Aaron could not help scoffing.

"The Queen's Blade can't handle goblins, but they're experts at bullying their own people," Asha said with contempt.

"I'd say it's some trick of the noble lords. The adult world sure is hard to understand!" the young pirate said casually.

"The Queen's Blade do exist to maintain order," Eleanor said with her eyes closed. "In the long run, they help keep the peace."

"Tch. You sure have time to spare, miss. Maybe it's different because you're a cleric?" The young pirate remained nonchalant. "It isn't like that for us. The long run? We in the Dragon's Tooth Gang work hard to make money every day just to survive, because a huge chunk of what we earn goes to the tax officials under the Princess Regent and the shipping minister. Who has time to think about the long run?"

"You've got time to think about the long run, miss? Must be nice having so much time on your hands!" Edward Teach added.

"Pfft! Hahaha!" Asha burst out laughing.

"You!" For a moment, Eleanor could think of no reply. Fuming, she closed her mouth and gave up trying to talk to these smugglers.

But the young cleric had not lost, because Aaron quietly reached over and took her small hand in his.

It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand you. I do. Aaron winked.

Eleanor's anger vanished at once.

He always notices how I'm feeling and comforts me right away. With him here, I just can't stay angry, the young cleric thought.

On the afternoon of the second day, they reached Daggerford. Marlon's assistance ended there. Aaron and the others took the marked map he had given them and continued toward Eveningstar Town.

They had not gone far when Asha swung out her two-handed halberd. "Wait! Something's wrong!"

Aaron and Eleanor stopped at once and drew their weapons. "What is it?"

"Look here!" Asha rushed among the trees and pointed to a large dark stain beneath a tree not far away. "What's this?"

"Water. And footprints!" Aaron caught the pungent smell in the air and immediately understood.

It was August, after all!

"Someone's nearby!" Asha gripped her halberd, unable to hide her excitement. "Bandits!"

"Time to make some money. Aaron, Eleanor, let's go give those bandits a message."

"The people who'll put an end to their crimes are here!"