Chapter 1: Meeting the City Secretary

[Wanted: Hero for Cheap!

Quest to defeat minor demon lord in the Witchwoods Forest! Lodgings and meals provided for the duration of the quest!

URGENT HIRING!!

Reward: 42,000 Gold

Please contact City Secretary Purpur Fross for details.]

Ardiel squinted his eyes at the flier, innocently pinned on the Dirtside Inn's message board. It sat amongst other types of advertisements, quests and requests for any traveler coming from or going into the nearby Moonhallow City.

This particular flier caught Ardiel's eyes for various reasons.

Wanting to hire for cheap but giving a considerable reward, for one thing. Moonhallow City was relatively new compared to its neighboring cities, but its growth was sped up by its leaders investing in the local businesses just as much as they did their trading. 42,000 gold wasn't a large sum for them, but it wasn't small either.

While the amount wasn't going to leave a dent in Moonhallow City's budget, it could let Ardiel go back home for a while, maybe even prepare for the next couple of winters.

Ardiel snatched the flier from its perch, hesitating only a little bit as he made his way to the bar. The woman behind the bar eyed the paper in his hands.

"That one's been there for a while now," the woman said, chin in hand. "Folks don't usually try to challenge a demon lord for so cheap."

Ardiel smiled. "All the more reason to accept."

The woman shook her head at him. "Good luck, then. Are you gonna order anything?"

Ardiel laughed and said, "Just a sandwich for the road, thank you."

After getting his sandwich and another, more genuine bid for good luck, Ardiel left the inn to head for Moonhallow. He couldn't afford a horse, but he did find a nice merchant willing to let him hitch a ride on his wagon into the city.

The merchant was a cheerful half-elf named Orym, who took one look at Ardiel and agreed to bring him along. Orym was a very social fellow, and they explained that their usual companion was too busy to go with them this time.

"You're lucky," Orym had said, patting Ardiel on the shoulder with a cheeky grin. "I've been traveling alone the past few days. It's so quiet without anyone to listen to my chatter! You don't look too bad either. A good bonus!"

Ardiel smiled and thanked them politely, ducking his head at the compliment.

"Of course, nobody's better looking than my dearest Glorin," Orym continued, sighing. "If she wasn't so busy with those damned pests… She'd like a nice lad like you, I bet. Glorin's been talking about how cute our neighbor's young ones are, you know. I said we could get a puppy if she really wanted, but oh the face she made!"

Orym talked for most of the trip, switching topics from their partner to their neighbours to their trade. They sold painting materials and was enthusiastic about things such as beauty and crafts. Ardiel quite enjoyed their company, even if they made it clear that they mostly let him tag along for the view.

They went their separate ways amiably once they were in Moonhallow, Orym promising to treat him to a meal should they run into each other again. Ardiel headed for the City Hall in a good mood.

***

City Secretary Purpur Fross was a tall, willowy ice elemental with a severe glare only made softer by the cat's eye glasses she wore perched on her nose. She stared Ardiel down with an intensity similar to a dragon's, at least a meter taller than our hero despite the fact that they were both sitting down on identical chairs.

"Good evening," she began, sounding like it wasn't a good evening at all. "I am Moonhallow's City Secretary Purpur Fross. You may refer to me as Ms. Fross, Madam Secretary, or you may not refer to me at all. Now, what is your name and rank?"

Ardiel put on his best customer service smile, back straight and head angled in a way he knew made him look sweet and trustworthy.

"My name is Ardiel," he said. "I don't have a rank, because I'm neither knight nor a registered adventurer."

Ms. Fross's glare became a notch more severe.

"Then what, pray tell, are you?" she asked.

"A hero for hire," Ardiel answered. "I deal with trouble that normal, upstanding folk can't deal with for a price lower than what adventurers and knights may ask for. I believe that's what your flier was looking for?"

He pointed at said flier, neatly laid out on the desk between them. It did say 'Hero for Cheap' and the price of the job was lower than what professional adventurers and the kingdom knighthood would ask for.

Ms. Fross said "Hmph," and adjusted her glasses. "What jobs have you done before? Do you have proof of said jobs?"

Ardiel kept his smile up as he took out a small notebook and presented it towards Ms. Fross. The notebook had a thick, leather cover embedded with a purple crystal. The crystal was about three inches long and half as wide, with a spell etched out neatly on its surface.

Ms. Fross narrowed her silver, glinting eyes as she read the spell on the crystal. Having found it satisfactory, she opened up the notebook with her long fingers. Ardiel stayed quiet, used to the process.

That notebook was the type used by official records keepers and accountants to prevent forgery and fraud. The spell on the crystal invoked the god of lies; it only allowed true names to be signed, and any false information signed into the book would bleed red until it was illegible.

Such a complicated magic item cost a fortune, but Ardiel needed it if he wanted to get hired anywhere without the help of a Guild or a knighthood. He'd invested a lot in the magical records book early on in his five year career.

A long moment passed, during which Ms. Fross meticulously flipped through the notebook and Ardiel waited patiently for her to finish.

Finally, she closed the notebook and brought her attention back to Ardiel. She smiled a smile that would look warm and friendly on anybody else.

"It seems you're very experienced, Ardiel," she said, tapping the notebook with her finger. "And you wish to take on this job for the price we offered?"

"That's right," Ardiel nodded.

"The demon lord has been bringing trouble to Moonhallow's borders for quite some time now," Ms. Fross said, smile getting colder and more challenging. "Can a lone hero such as yourself really handle this?"

Ardiel's own smile tightened. "I've handled similar jobs," he reminded her. Ms. Fross was unfazed.

"The Witchwoods Forest is notorious for being impossible to navigate, even without the monsters currently plaguing it," she continued. "Do you have the appropriate equipment for such a venture?"

Ardiel smiled and nodded and answered all her following questions on his skills. It wasn't like he hadn't faced these types of questions before. Nobody wanted to trust some young upstart who couldn't even get a knighthood or into a Guild.

So he went with the familiar dance of questions and answers and kept up his confidence. In the end, the severe Ms. Fross couldn't find a reason not to hire him outside of her personal preference. And even to Ardiel, she really didn't seem the type to let personal preference get in her way.

"If that will be all," Ms. Fross said, drawing herself up and looking down on Ardiel with ice sharp calculation. "Where are you planning to stay for the duration of your job? How long do you think it will take for you to finish?"

"I will just need a lodging for tonight," Ardiel answered, the beginnings of relief bleeding into his voice. Half the work was in getting the job. "I'll be heading to Witchwoods in the morning and won't be back until I've taken care of the problem."

Ms. Fross raised her brows at him but chose not to comment. She nodded silently, slipping Ardiel's notebook and the flier towards him.

"I would recommend the Malki's Inn a few streets to the west," she said, gesturing for the door in a clear dismissal. "Tell her that I sent you."

"Thank you," Ardiel smiled genuinely for the first time since their meeting, gathering his things and giving a slight bow as he stood.

"Ardiel."

Ms. Fross's voice stopped Ardiel at the door. When the hero turned around, he saw that the City Secretary had on a grave face. It was the warmest expression he'd seen on her.

"I do hope for your success," she said.

"Of course, Ms. Fross," Ardiel agreed.