A Father’s Prerogative: A Lucial Chapter (Part 2)

The day was looking bright as Lucial arrived with Sistilla at the guild hall in high spirits, even if still nervous. The hall itself, while a hulking structure, was otherwise utilitarian in design. It stood alone, with the only thing giving away its ties to the Adventures Guild being a large but otherwise unadorned sign that read simply, "Adventurers' Guild.” Once you got close enough to the front door, however, you would also notice a placard with some additional information:

Sofuton Branch

Resident Master Felk

Rules:

No Fighting

Clean up your mess.

You are responsible for any damage you cause.

Don't harass the administrative staff.

No entrails and keep blood to a minimum.

Don't leave your crap lying around.

If your pet shits in the hall, it will be barred from future entry.

No stealing (I am shocked I have to say this, but the laws of civilized society still apply).

Hougen use the door in the back (And if you are traveling with a hougen, make sure they know to use the back door! Halls have mercy on whoever lets another hougen try and squeeze through the front door!)

Know your place. This is a meritocracy. Show respect if you wish to receive respect.

"What is this?" The placard caught Lucial's eye.

"Just the Branch plate, though admittedly most aren't so preachy."

"It looks like some of this was scratched in after the fact..."

"Master Felk can be a bit of a stickler. Although it was hilarious when that hougen came through and tore the door and its frame clean off the wall." Sistilla snickered. "He would cuss up a storm every time he had to move the sheet over."

"The sheet?"

"Yeah, while we waited to get a new door, we just hung a sheet across the threshold. It took the mason some time to figure out how to repair a torn-out door frame." Her laughter continued.

"Come on," Sistilla ushered her into the building. "Not much to look at out here." In all fairness, there wasn't much inside either. They entered into an expansive room with a hardwood floor, timber walls, and a vaulted ceiling. Underneath a set of stairs that ascended to a second floor was wedged a kiosk. Long tables and benches occupied the rest of the floor plan, some of which were occupied.

"Is it a slow day?" Lucial's question was not unwarranted; most of the tables remained unoccupied, giving it an empty feel.

"No, this is about normal. Usually, people just drop by to pick up a job or to plan out an operation with their team."

"Then why are there so many tables—"

"I've already told you, Mr. Tarras! The Guild Master is not open to adding concessions." A disagreement rang out from the kiosk.

"Let me talk to the Guild Master! You're not the one making decisions!" A short bald man with a shiny head and thin mustache shouted back.

"I have been given strict instructions to turn you away on sight. I have already conceded more ground than per instructions." A young woman met his demands with a stone-faced refusal.

"Oh, come on." Tarras mockingly gestured to the hall. "There is a reason that this place is so empty. In my experience, guildhalls are usually hopping! Give me a week and I will turn this place around!"

"And how will that help the Guild?"

"It will improve morale!"

"If any of our members need such amenities, they will find no shortage in Sofuton. Good Day!" And she pointed in no uncertain terms to leave. The short man grumbled, but decided not to push his luck any further.

"Better luck next time," said a big man sitting on one of the few occupied benches with a slap on the back. "I'm rooting for you! This place could do with some culture."

"Then maybe you could put in the good word..."

"No can do. The boss already doesn't have a high opinion of us common rabble. Wouldn't listen to us." The big man caught sight of Sistilla and Lucial making their way to the kiosk. "You should ask the golden child over there. She is the boss's favorite."

A frown crossed Sistilla's lips. "Felk doesn't treat me any better than the rest of you!" She protested.

"I don't know Stilla. You are the only one he talks to without a scowl."

"That is only because I don't smell of boiled cabbage and sweat!"

"Maybe so, but he still favors you." Her scowl deepened. It seemed she had been beaten.

Tarras swooped in, “if you could, would you mind putting in the good word for me. The entire guild would—”

"Sorry. We are busy. Come on, Lucial!" She said with a pull on Lucial's arm, leaving him mid sentence.

"And who is this?" It seemed he just noticed her.

"New recruit," she said curtly, apparently still upset about being labeled the golden child.

"New recruit? Oh! Is this that cousin you were talking about?"

"Sure is."

"I see. You have some big shoes to fill, young miss." Lucial looked back, puzzled.

"Big shoes?" Lucial said.

"Your cousin there really talked you up. Said you were the best scribe this side of the Great Shift." Though he said it casually enough, she looked back at Sistilla, mortified.

"Don't worry, boasting is just par for the course. Soon it will seem like second nature," She reassured.

"And what is this cousin thing they keep talking about?" A guilt glinted in Sistilla's eyes.

"I told them you were my cousin," Sistilla said in hushed tones. Lucial’s confusion increased. "I thought it would be better if they didn't know you were the princess. It would probably cause issues." She was about to protest, but with just a little thought, realized that she was completely right. They needed to do as much as possible to conceal her joining the Adventurers' Guild from her father for as long as possible.

"So you finally managed to convince your cousin to join, I take it?" Said the woman behind the counter. Now that the solicitor had gone, she smiled through blue eyes and blonde bangs parted, framing her face.

"She didn't convince me; it was my own decision!" Lucial asserted, feeling disenfranchised.

"Oh...? Sistilla said she has been working on you for months,” the clerk said. A childish scowl turned towards Sistilla.

"Okay, so maybe it was more like reassuring..." Sistilla met her gaze. "Don't look at me like that. You needed a lot of assuring."

She looked away, but continued to pout. "I just needed time to emotionally prepare myself..."

"Don't be that way, Lucial. You aren't going to make it if you can't handle a little light teasing." She put a friendly arm around her shoulders.

"Light teasing?" She looked up.

"Yeah, everyone is looking to give everyone else a good ribbing at every opportunity. It's Guild culture!" Sistilla smiled as she said it.

"Yeah, like how she got a good ribbing from me." The big guy from before didn't miss the opportunity, and she scowled back at him in response.

"You are lucky I'm busy right now or I'd have you in tears!"

"Tears of laughter, maybe." That got a good chuckle from the rest of the crew assembled at the table.

"Grrr," Sistilla growled, but Lucial found herself cheered up, even giggling a little. Sistilla turned back to her friend, contenting herself with Lucial's renewed good cheer, even if at her expense.

"Okay, enough joking around! We came here for a reason! Rabika, let's get her signed up!" She commanded with an outstretched finger.

"Of course!" Rabika turned to another clerk Lucial had missed, who furiously scribbled away at several documents at a corner desk. "Nelidy, enough bean counting! We have a new member who wants to sign up!"

"Just make sure they sign and date it in the right places this time." The slight girl continued to toil over her papers without looking up. "There are two places you need to sign and date, and one place requiring initials, even if it is just one character."

"Neliiddyyy—"

"And though it isn't strictly a requirement, if you could make sure they use dashes instead of slashes for the date, it will make the records more uniform," she said with all the enthusiasm of reading a lease agreement, and then added, "thank you."

"Nelidy!" She blustered and yanked the evasive Nelidy away part way through adding something up on an abacus.

"Eeehh!" She whined as she strained towards her desk.

"Nelidy, it's your job to handle the paperwork," Rabika said as she shoved her to the front of the kiosk. She was a short girl with a diminutive presence that almost seemed to hide behind her thick, round glasses.

"But this is handling people..." She said, fidgeting with one of two thick braids that ran down on either side of her shoulders. It almost seemed like she tried to hide behind her pale brown locks.

"I've already done most of the handling. You just need to give her the form and make sure she fills it out correctly," Rabika reassured, far more poised than Nelidy.

"But..."

"Consider it an opportunity for growth. Besides, this way you can make sure the forms are filled out correctly. Instead of complaining, you can take responsibility."

"Mmmm..."

"It's been a while since someone new enlisted." Rabika redirects her attention back to the applicant. Coming in closer, she added in a hush, "I've been trying to get her out of her shell. She is a really nervous ninny."

"Mmm... I heard that," Nelidy said, looking away. "Here is the form." She placed a one-page document on the worn desk. "Did you want to see a copy of the bylaws?"

"B-Bylaws?" Lucial had not expected to hear that.

"No, she doesn't want to see the bylaws!" Rabika scolded.

"But—"

"Nobody wants to read the bylaws!" Nelidy looked rather put out. Rabika pulled back. "Normal people don't want to read those things."

"So I'm not normal?" She said in response. Rabika just eyed her, and she shrank back.

"You should at least read the document before signing it." Nelidy timidly pushed the paper forward. It was a rather verbose contract, as many legal articles were these days, covering the standard range of matters one would expect, as well as several that were unexpected.

"The Adventurers' Guild ™ is collectively owned by its franchisees and stakeholders." It didn't specify who the stakeholders were, but Lucial assumed that the resident Master was the franchisee. "As a member of the Adventures' Guild ™, you assume full responsibility for your actions and well-being; the Guild does assume responsibility for the legality and ramifications of the contract's execution. As a member, you do not represent the Adventurers' Guild; you are not authorized to speak on behalf of the guild except where authorized by an assigned contract. During execution of a contract, the assignee assumes full financial responsibility, except as provided for by the contract." The document went on.

Lucial was not expecting such formality from a group reputed for being rugged. "Well, at least I know they take this seriously," she said after giving it proper perusal. This prompted a slight smile from Nelidy, while Sistilla tapped her foot.

"Can we please just sign this thing already?" Sistilla whined. "You would think you were reviewing a contract from Halls himself!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lucial's apology lacked sincerity, as she put pen to paper.

She began to sign, "Lucial de..." Wait, she didn't want to reveal she was an Eltroy. She went to scratch off the “de” part, hoping that Nelidy wouldn't mind, but before she could...

A hand dropped onto the page and drew it away, catching not only Lucial but apparently every other observer by surprise, as they stare at the spot where the paper had been, dumbstruck. In unison, they all looked up to where it had been drawn, to find a figure that seemed to have just materialized out of thin air.

"B-Brogan!?" Sistilla broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same question, but I am already quite aware," He said, resting his hand atop the form.

"M-Master Brogan!" Rabika stammered. "I haven't seen you in... well, a while." The hall was far from full, but Brogan's arrival drew the attention of everyone present. Sistilla stood slack-jawed, and Nelidy peeked out from behind Rabika. Seeing as Brogan’s sudden appearance threw everyone off balance, Rabika felt she needed to step up and be a stabilizing force.

"What brings you in today? My understanding was that you found very lucrative employment," Rabika said in a very business-like tone.

"Well, it is that very employment you speak of," he said casually. "And this girl, of course." It was clear which girl he was referring to.

"Our new Guild member?"

"No, not your new Guild member," he let out a short laugh. "I guess you would be unaware of just who this is."

"Isn't she a cousin of Sistilla? Some relation to House Uvald?" She looked to Sistilla for confirmation, who had collected herself but now looked like she had been caught with her hand in someone's pocket.

"Hehe, of course not. A relation to be perhaps, but certainly not a cousin."

"Brogan," Sistilla said, almost with a pleading tone. "Can we talk about this?"

"Isn’t that what we are doing?"

"Yeah, but... Can you just pretend you didn't see us?"

"Lady Sistilla. You know why I am here." She went to say something, but Brogan cut her off. "I'm here to see to Princess Lucial de Eltroy's well-being, of course." This elicited a stir from the assembled.

"W-Wait, this is… Princess Lucial!?" Rabika's jaw fell open, and Nelidy's eyes went wide.

"It's forgivable you wouldn't know. It's not like her appearance is common knowledge, but you can understand why I cannot let her join such an organization."

"But nobles join the Adventurers' Guild all the time!" Lucial spoke out. "Just look at Sistilla!"

Brogan looked down with a smirk, shaking his head. "Princess Lucial, there are two crucial differences. One, you are not just a noble but a princess, regardless of the uninheritability of the throne. And two, your father will not allow it." He really pushed this latter point. Lucial shrank back. "I have been given the heavy responsibility of keeping you safe while you reside in Uvald's care, and I cannot in good conscience let you take up such a dangerous diversion."

"Diversion!?" Sistilla said with a scowl.

"What else would it be for one of such an illustrious station? Even the most famed of adventurers do not live nearly so well as a princess, or even..." He glanced back at Sistilla, but didn't finish the thought. She flushed. "Regardless, it's not my call. Though your father didn't explicitly disallow your joining—doubtless it never occurred to him that you would try—it is safe to assume that he would be beyond horrified at the mere notion."

As much as Lucial wanted to protest, what Brogan said was true. If anything, he downplayed how her father would react, who would probably have her confined to her quarters for the foreseeable future if she even broached the topic. Now that she thought about it, this was a disaster! If her father found out she had been but moments away from becoming an adventurer, it would completely undermine all the freedom she had worked so hard to attain.

"Brogan... could you perhaps not tell my father about this?" Lucial said, the fight going out of her.

"Hmm?"

"Lucial! You can't just give in like this!" Sistilla said, incredulous.

Brogan leaned back against the counter, looking thoughtful. "Well, it’s not as though the king asked for reports on his daughter's day-to-day activities. And it's not as though keeping him informed on your indiscretions is of any benefit to me. Unless..." He cast her a sidelong glance.

"I understand." She looked down in utter defeat. "I'll be good."

"Excellent." Brogan stood up straight. "I knew you were a bright girl. I guess she won't be needing this," he said, and with a flourish plucked the membership form off the counter, and with a deftness of hand Lucial had only heard of, scrawled a quick fire sigil, burning the document to ashes near instantly. "Alright Lucial, let's get you back..." He broke off as Sistilla put a defensive arm between him and Lucial, her face a mask of loathing that Lucial didn't think Sistilla capable of.

"I'll take her back." He raised an eyebrow. "Or are you going to deny her even that dignity?" Brogan looked around. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, or off them by this point.

"Hmph," he snorted with a smirk. "Just to be clear. It is unacceptable for a princess to join this group of rapscallions. The last thing you would want to deal with is an emissary from the king." He looked at Rabika, who nodded. He shifted his gaze to Nelidy, who was still peeking out from behind Rabika. "And just imagine the paperwork," he said, causing a quiver in the small girl. He returned his attention to the two offenders. "I have some business to attend to in town," he cracked his neck. "So I'll see you back at Reastera when I return." It wasn't a comment, but a command. Sistilla just scowled as he sauntered out the door.

The Guild hall wasn't exactly loud beforehand; there was a lot of space for a handful of people to resonate, but now you could have heard the whisper of a ghost. Not wanting to offend, everyone tried going back to whatever they were doing before Lucial's humiliation.

Lucial looked over to thank the two behind the counter for their help, only to find their heads bowed. "You don't have to bow your head," She said, now more chagrined than ever.

"Oh, sorry. I'm not sure what proper etiquette for royalty is," Rabika said, looking up.

"It's not nearly as strong a title as it once was... I'm sorry to have bothered you. Thanks for your help." She turned to Sistilla. "Can we go?" she said, her face a mixture of rancor and sadness.

"...Yes, we can go." They started walking to the door. "I'm sorry. It's my fault." She clenched her fist with the sound of stretching leather. "I thought I could get you in without anyone finding out. I overestimated myself."

Lucial didn't hold Sistilla responsible; she didn't even register her apology. The only thing on her mind at that moment was returning so she could scream into her pillow. It had not been a good day.