Capítulo 24: The Prince's Tantrum
"Name your price."
Jack looked away from the prince, acting like he never heard the question.
The old woman was worried, but she hid her emotions the best she could and hoped that Jack would cooperate. Rydel smiled and shook his head when he realized how stubborn and immature the crown prince was.
Still redder than a tomato, be it from anger, embarrassment, or both, the crown prince repeated himself. "Name your price adventurer."
"You can't afford it."
The calm, hushed reply caused the prince to choke up and freeze awkwardly. The guard in charge of protecting the prince spoke up, "Please adventurer, the prince has always liked to collect rare beasts of all kinds. Truly you can ask any price and the Royal Court shouldn't have a problem acquiescing."
Jack chuckled; his patience was growing thin and he only wanted to hurry the bloodline test. "I'm being honest, you can't afford my fox. Though I'm unsure of the breed myself, I've seen what it can do so I know that it's extraordinary. The only thing that might tempt me would be the throne your king sits on, but maybe the Royal Court can ask on my behalf."
That guard wanted to cough blood after hearing Jack's response.
For him to ask for the throne, it was clear that Jack was never going to give up the fox and that Jack had a deep enmity for the royal family. This was obvious to anyone who realized the meaning of Jack's phrase, "your king," which meant Jack didn't consider King Leodoro as his king.
"You ungrateful—" the prince was about to return Jack's insult but was interrupted.
"Please madam, hurry and take us to the bloodline test. I'm disgusted by the company here and no longer wish to smell their undeserved arrogance." Jack's words were polite and respectable, yet they cut to the core like daggers. The woman sighed and turned to lead the two adventurers away.
"Wait, I didn't give you permission to help them. By royal decree, this Royal Court office will be temporarily shut down as we comb its records and perform a screening," said the prince with a wicked smile on his face.
Everyone looked at the crown prince in shock, not expecting the prince to be so brazen or hot-blooded.
Once a year there was a screening of each office to verify all records and weed out any potential spies in the ranks of the Royal Court.
Usually, such screenings are scheduled and announced beforehand to the public so the public can plan trips and errands around the weeklong screening, even in "A Hero's Tale." Once a screening was announced, there was always a boom of customers that would do their errands a week early.
Also, the office workers were paid on commission, only getting paid a portion from every transaction they made. They would also have to plan their spending around the scheduled screening so they could afford to live, but a surprise screening was a possible financial suicide.
Hearing this, the old woman's fury was directed at the prince. She understood that he had power and would typically get what he wanted, but it was clear that the prince couldn't exploit association members so easily and it was futile.
In a childish fit, the prince had acted against everyone's interests and gained everyone's enmity. Even the guards were mad now that they had to perform a screening and level up the prince, knowing they wouldn't be paid any extra.
"Are you really so childish and immature? It's not their fault that you can't have my fox, yet you're causing them more problems than anyone else," said Jack, motioning towards the maid and the guards. "If you're the crown prince, then surely the Reinolt Kingdom won't last even half a century more."
"You!" This time the prince acted personally, lunging towards Jack before his guards could stop him.
He was wide-eyed and anxious to strike Jack down but was sent flying backward before he remembered Rydel standing beside Jack.
"Wow, I guess the Royal Court no longer gives any face to the Adventurer Association. I'll make sure to fill in Zariff once we get back to Reinolt City," commented Rydel.
"Please adventurers, don't take offense. His highness—"
"Your king has already offended me before I joined the association, so don't go on telling me that this was an accident. We all know how spoiled and corrupt the royal family is, I'm just not afraid to admit it," answered Jack. "If he had stopped persisting after one of the many times we stated our case, then I'd be willing to chalk the experience up to the prince being young and naïve. But if he seeks my blood just for not giving up my fox, his arrogance knows no bounds. Even the ancients gods wouldn't act so arrogantly."
"Come on kid, it looks like they'll be busy here for a while. Let's give the prince and his servants room to play," said Rydel, turning and leading Jack back to the lobby.
"Come back here you cowards! You'll pay for striking the crown prince; you'll be dead the moment you step into Reinolt City!" Fuming, the prince slandered the two silent adventurers leaving the office. All guards and workers were silent, not wanting to receive the punishment for talking back to the royal family.
In the lobby, everyone was able to hear the many yells from the crown prince. They all lowered their opinions of the royal family, especially when they heard that the prince acted against association members.
It was obvious to most people that the prince wanted this exiting adventurer's beast and threw a tantrum when he didn't get it.
From that day onwards, new rumors of the pampered royal family would spread like wildfire.
Also, everyone's opinion of the Adventurers Association went up when they saw the adventurers leaving calmly like it wasn't worth their time to argue. The woman who worked as the receptionist at the royal court would even share how the association members respected and defended her when the prince announced the screening.
This small event would be a silent wave of commotion that would later lead to the neighboring towns to favor the association over the Royal Court.
"Now what? Is there another way to register Bowser?" asked Jack once they were outside.
"Hmm, it's not like there aren't other options but I'm not sure what's best. Let's ask Vaul, he'd be more familiar with this region than me," answered Rydel.
The hunter duo entering the neighboring association office and saw Vaul sitting in deep thought. Vaul looked back at them and yelled, "Who are you? What are you?"
"Whoa, calm down." Jack put up his hands and leaned back like he was innocent of the accusation. "I'm just a summoned hero that the king pissed off, so I joined the association instead. Before I came here I had interacted with ancient Kartonia but right now I'm just a lv. 1 trying to register my beast companion, got any tips on how I can do that?"
Vaul took a moment to respond, thinking over Jack's words. "Okay, I believe you since that's the only way Rydel would look up to you so highly. As for registering your fox, what happened at the royal office?"
Rydel was about to explain when Jack briefly summed it up. "The crown prince was too immature and announced a surprise screening after I refused to give up Bowser. Know of any other ways to register it?"
"Well," laughed Vaul, "in most nations, you can even register a beast with the association, it's just that the Reinolt Kingdom has a law saying that any beast in their country must be registered by them and they only accept international beast registrations for temporary residents."
"So, how does that help me here?" asked Jack.
"There are other places you can register your beast within the country, but they're going to cost you. The Royal Court has placed massive taxes on practices like the bloodline test and the materials used for it. Any third-party service to register a beast will cost more than triple what the Royal Court offers." Vaul explained it simply and shrugged.
"That much?" Jack was startled by the insane price, realizing how the Royal Court easily gained influence. "Where can I find a place to do this?"
"There's one here in town. Baltwood is technically under the Royal Court's protection as a town neighboring the capital, but the Balt Guild has been the real strength and protection of the town since they founded it," said Vaul.
"Balt Guild, huh? I knew they were from here, but I didn't know Baltwood was named after them, I thought it was the other way around," stated Rydel.
"The Balt Guildhall is like a second town hall and they offer all the same services as the royal office, only at a much higher price. Knowing Rydel you guys are probably staying at the Boar's Inn, the guildhall isn't too far from there." Vaul smiled, knowing that he had guessed correctly from the smirk on Rydel's face.
"Thanks, Vaul, we'll come by again when we need more information," said Jack, bowing his head to the man behind the desk.
"Then make it fast, I get lonely here," joked Vaul. Both Jack and Rydel nodded and left quietly, leaving Vaul to return to his boredom.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
TheSilverQuill
TheSilverQuill I had work in the morning and will get the other two out after I get back. Thanks for reading and voting!
Capítulo 25: An Ancient Bloodline
Jack and Rydel traversed the streets and the rumors of last night's incident were still prevalent and kept anyone from troubling them. But for some reason, everyone was silent wherever they passed, and the gazes of the crowd didn't show fear. Jack had a weird feeling, but he had no clue what had gotten into the people to change their attitudes so quickly.
"Remember, let's hurry and get the registration over with so we can look for those clerics, Drad and Slivia," reminded Rydel, causing Jack to refocus and pick up the pace. "I think I know the Balt Guildhall. If it's by the Boar's Inn like Vaul said, then there's only one building it could be."
Jack nodded and agreed. "You're talking about that big building that seemed out of place, right?"
"That's the one. We passed it after we entered the village, so I'm pretty sure that's the place. My question is, how are you going to pay for this kid?" asked Rydel.
"Umm, that's a good question," said Jack, scratching the back of his head in nervousness. "It couldn't be over six gold, right?"
"Who knows now, thanks to that idiot prince. I think you could've been fine if it were the Royal Court's price but based on what Vaul said I can't say for certain."
Jack pondered for a moment before he asked, "Hey captain, you wouldn't be able to spot me some coin just in case, would you? It's only if I don't have enough and there's no other choice."
"Nope, you can forget it," answered Rydel. "I've lent money far too often for you to ask."
"Come on captain, it's for the greater good. With Bowser in the party, we'll gain more EXP and an even better bait. If anything, you'd just be investing now to get a better return while we're in the mine," persuaded Jack.
"Nice try, but no." Rydel sped up and left Jack behind him, who was trying his best to keep up.
It was already past midday and the streets were filled with merchants and customers alike. The duo from the association hurried and disregarded every booth; normally Jack would be very interested, but he knew that he had no money to spare now that he had to register Bowser at the Balt Guildhall.
Eventually, they passed the Boar's Inn and noticed the large building further up the street. It looked like a big barn had been turned into a fortress, giving off a sense of practicality, very much unlike the Royal Court office.
"After you kid," said Rydel. He was an experienced adventurer, but Rydel understood that Jack was far more cunning with his words. Jack was always finding ways to get the best deals while at the same time form steady relationships.
Jack stepped forward and pushed the large door open. The interior was the same dark green color as the outside, and it maintained that practical sense throughout the entire hall. There weren't too many people, but a few had come thanks to the surprise screening of the royal office.
"I thought you'd come!" a voice yelled from the other side of the room.
The hunter duo was startled to see a somewhat familiar face. It was a man that had signed the royal office waiting list just after them. They only recognized him thanks to the dark green scarf around the man's neck, which was conveniently the same color as the wall.
"The name's Jard Balt," the man quickly walked over to introduce himself. "You two are the adventurers who stood up to the crown prince, correct?"
"Yeah…" stated Jack quietly, recognizing Jard's last name and his clear connection to the Balt Guild.
"Great!" Jard yelled, surprising everyone in the guildhall. "For you guys, we'll handle whatever you need free of charge."
"Free? Are you sure? We need a bloodline test for that little guy," stammered Rydel.
Jard peeked at the lazy Bowser on Jack's shoulder and grunted, "Hmm, if that's what you need, then I'm not sure if we can shoulder the cost. Your antics caused the surprise screening, which caused a boom in business for us since our greatest competitor suddenly shut its doors. Anything else we can handle, but we can only offer a 50% discount on a bloodline test. Is that ok?"
"Of course!" answered Jack. "Can you take us back right now? We've got some other matters to handle and can't take too much time."
"Great, just follow me," said Jard with an appreciative smile as he led the two away from the lobby.
"Hey Jard, what were you planning on doing at the royal office?" asked Jack.
"Good question boy. I was there to submit this month's transaction reports and pay the needed taxes. The screening worried me before the royal office informed me that as long as I come back on the first day they reopen, then there would be no need to worry." Jard spoke honestly and didn't hide anything from his guests.
"That makes sense I guess," said Jack.
"You're obviously someone higher up in the guild, so you must know something involving the disappearing adventurers, right?" Rydel jumped to his conclusion.
"So, you've already heard. The association lives up to its name," praised Jard. "Of the three parties to go missing, the second was made up of Balt guildmembers. Their strength barely qualified to enter the mine, but we didn't worry too much. What shocked us was that not a single message was sent via the party's contact crystals. The only way to interpret this was if they were instantly killed or easily captured and stripped of their items."
"How big was the party?" asked Jack.
"It was made up of six lv. 8's, two lv. 11's, and one lv. 14. Together, we assumed that they should be able to take care of any trouble with such a line-up and get a lot of our younger members some much needed EXP," explained Jard with depression in his eyes. "My son later entered to search for those youths, but we've yet to find them anywhere and lost contact with my son as well."
"We'll be heading to the mine soon, so if we find anything or get a chance to help them, then we will," said Jack, trying his best to comfort Jard.
"Really?" Jard wasn't too surprised. "Do you mind linking crystals? I would like to hear about any findings immediately."
Jack had already retrieved his contact crystal and touched it to Jard's. "That's the least we can do, especially after offering such a great discount."
"Just so you know boy, if you guys can bring back our men, we'll pay you a hefty reward for each guild member returned safely."
"We'll try our best." Jack bowed his head in thanks. "If there's anything else you might need help with, just send me a message."
"Thank you," Jard bowed his head graciously as he approached a door near the end of the long hallway. "Hurry in here. With such a rare fox, it's best no one else knows about us being in here."
Glad to see Jard's desire for secrecy, the two hurried into the room before Jard shut the door and locked it. "Very good, now for the bloodline test. We'll need a drop of the fox's blood, so I'll let you handle that part."
With ease, Jack took out a tiny knife that Zariff had let him keep due to the knife's uselessness in battle. Jack pet Bowser and asked the fox to hold out his paw.
Bowser seemed to better understand humans with each passing day, so Bowser nodded and stuck out his paw facing upwards. The knife poked the paw lightly, just enough to pierce the skin and reveal a drop of bright red blood that was almost resplendent.
Jard noticed the blood and his heart shook. The radiance and pureness of the color proved that the fox's blood was the strongest Jard had ever seen personally.
Without wasting time, Jard activated the machine sitting on a table in the center of the room. Its design was simple, being made of bronze with eight small, clear crystals jutting out the sides and one flat gem in the center. "Place the drop on the center gem."
Both Jack and Bowser nodded in sync as Jack stepped up to the machine.
Bowser placed his paw on the center gem and the entire machine began to glow. One by one the side crystals lit up brilliantly until all eight were no longer translucent and were filled with a pure red light.
The three of them all watched this entrancing display of color for a few seconds until the light slowly dimmed and vanished. Jack sighed and asked, "So what's the bloodline?"
Still, in a trance, Jard struggled to speak. "This… umm… I'm not sure." He went to the side and pulled a big book off a shelf. Dust scattered as Jard opened it and began to flip through its pages.
"Kid, do you understand what just happened?" Rydel was still in shock like Jard. It was as if he was even more shocked that Jack had no clue just how impactful the event was. His hunch was correct when he saw Jack shake his head in response. Taking a second to choose his words, Rydel said, "Kid, I think that fox has a pure ancient bloodline."
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
TheSilverQuill
TheSilverQuill
Thanks for reading and supporting my story! Once the story hits the top 100 on the power rankings, I'll drop 5 extra chapters! Again, thank you :)
Goals:
Top 100 = 5 bonus chapters
Top 50 = 5 more bonus chapters
Top 25 = 5 more bonus chapters
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
200+ Ranking de
Poder 
0 Pedra de
Poder Você também pode gostar
Comentário de parágrafo