Chapter 21

"It wouldn't have been much of an issue if you would at least listen to what I had to say, Conrad." A disappointed Diacrao watched his friend struggling to get up from a broken table that he fell on. The rogue was dazed and winced in pain, but with the support of Diacrao, he got up on his knees, still feeling flimsy.

"Hey! what happened over here? I heard a loud noise!" Kadungon rushed into the scene, only to find a broken table, a dazed Conrad, and a disappointed Diacrao. He was puzzled, but as he pieced the scene in his mind, he got a picture of what might've happened. "It's nothing much, Kadu, Conrad over here got too silly with his stunts and fell on the table."

"Too silly? you gotta admit that was a good summersault!"

"Which ended with a broken table and thankfully, not your broken back." Diacrao countered his words. "Practice makes perfect! Now lemme try to do it agai-" Diacrao lightly punched Conrad on the shoulders before he could finish his sentence. "No, not in this claustrophobic dimension we call a store room. Let's clean things up before we get any more trouble. Don't mind giving us a hand Kadungon?"

The big guy nodded in agreement and the three of them began cleaning the store room to ensure everything is neatly arranged. The broken table was dismantled and disposed of away, hoping that someone would not notice the table. It took about an hour before they were done tidying up the store room. Once everything was wrapped up, they exited the store room, only to be greeted by a surprised Aitana and Chiasoka, much to the trio's surprise as well.

"Conrad! Dia, and Kadu! it's a pleasant to see you guys here!" Chiasoka greeted them with her usual vigor.

"Same here! what were you guys doing in the store room? It's such an unexpected place for you guys to be." Aitana asked, curious as to their presence.

"Well we were cleaning the store room." Diacrao looked at the duo, who promptly nodded in agreement, but Diacrao knew very well that the ladies know that there are some layers in the trio's response.

"Oh my, how thoughtful of you guys, but my only question is why? We aren't assigned any cleaning duties anyways, unless....you guys have been doing something inside?" The priestess queried, her gaze locked at Diacrao's eyes, as his eyes tried to divert from hers.

"Well, yeah! what did you expect us to be? a bunch of thuggish free loaders who excels in bad mouthing, being crude, cheap and obnoxious!?!" 

"I can't believe you described yourself Conrad.." 

"What did you say Dia!?"

"Nothing, but yeah, I don't see why we should not help and keep things tidy, besides, I maintain that being tidy and doing our responsibility in making this place more organized is a great way to ensure a better environment, am I right, boss?" Diacrao's response took everyone aback, but they were impressed, especially Aitana.

"Of course, I was just curious! I am surprised to know that you are all responsible people, I am glad to find out about this. Anyways, we are going to have some food with your friend, Giorgio, he invited some of his party members too and called you guys, let's not keep them waiting!" Aitana informed them of the invitation.

"This early? Damn, well alright I guess. I'm starving for some breakfast as well." Diacrao rubbed his growling stomach.

"Damn right! I hope we get some eggs, and some cooked meat, and some nice yam stew!" 

"Conrad, you do know we gotta cook them, right?"

"Oh."

"Let's not keep them waiting slowpokes! come on!" Chiasoka and Aitana left, followed by the trio who went down to the courtyard. There was no dedicated kitchen in the quarters, it all happened in the courtyard, where each parties were responsible for cooking their own dishes and preparation of their own meals. The reasoning behind this implementation was to ensure that the Kitchen does not get crowded and cause some troubles for the auxiliaries due to aforementioned reason, but others held more skeptical views and believed that it was due to a lack of funding. Nonetheless, people manage with their surroundings and so far, there was no complaints.

Diacrao and his buddies approached Giorgio's section, which was already occupied by his party members and Diacrao's comrades. The ladies were already at work with the preparation of the food, with Aitana seasoning the meat, Chia chopping up the vegetables, and Zemfina helping a with the fire. Giorgio and his mates were also preparing the foods and the plates. 

"Fancy stuffs you got here, what's with the sudden cookout, Gio?" Diacrao approached the scene and offered his help to the group.

"Dia! thought we might wanna have some nice breakfast, and chit chat you know? Things are getting dull and we thought a cookout with your party might be great." Giorgio placed some firewood into the kindling fire that Zemfina had lighted up.

"Cool. So what can we do?"

"Just feel free with the preparations man! We are about to start cooking in a while." The trio spread out to help with the rest of the party on the preparation of the food. There was an assortment of foods bought from the morning market. A few pieces of mutton, tomatoes, eggplants, shrimps, prawns, fish, oyster mushrooms, it was truly a feast! Diacrao was curious about how much it cost Giorgio to get all these items as they must've been pricey, but he would pay him back once they are done with the feast.

Diacrao cut up the mutton into small pieces, and wrapped them up with the veggies, and tossed them into a hot pot that was already filled with crushed tomatoes and a mixture of eggs that provided a fragrant and delicious aroma to the people who were present at the cookout. It even attracted the attention of other parties who glossed by to see what was going on. 

After a while, the parties gathered around the scene and feasted on their cooked foods. It was a hearty meal that consisted of cooked meats with vegetables and stew, and there was plenty to be eaten. It broke the usual breakfast diet they had which usually consisted a few strips of meat, usually chicken or fish, and lentil stew. This meal was rich with many flavors and it could keep them stuffed for a day.

"Damn Gio, I don't know what was happening in your mind, but this was truly the best thing that ever happened this morning." Diacrao complimented his friend as he bite down the mutton, wrapped in mushrooms. Conrad dipped his meat inside the lentil stew and voraciously devoured his meat, much to Zemfina's disgust, but she held back her comments, for now.

"Heh, it was about time we as a party started doing more activities together, it brings our bonds together, and what better way to build good bonds than through food!" Gio raised his cup as he gave his speech.

"True, true! But you bring up a point Gio, we barely know the other auxiliary parties in this place, even your own, but I am glad that I can meet your wonderful mates!" Chiasoka greeted the rest of the party members whose identities were still incognito to Diacrao and his mates. Giorgio's party consisted of five people as well, the standard size of a party for an Auxiliary which averaged around five to six people. They seemed pretty experienced and were well equipped, though some of their equipments showed signs of damage and scars, a symbol of their military experiences during their stay.

Despite their hardened exterior, they lacked arrogance and were open to making new friends with the fledglings, sharing their experiences along the way. Among the first to introduce themselves was Akina, the mage of the party. She don a long, purple hair and worn an exotic mage's outfit that was imported from the distant lands of Magrakeia, ornate with unknown descriptions that was local to it's homeland. 

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She was the youngest among the group, but still older than the members of Aitana's party. During her experience in the world, she mentioned that she had jumped into two parties due to the incompetence of the previous parties that she fought for, and remarked on the terrible experiences that she had with some of the members in particular, which she mentioned was still traumatizing. But she remarked on the effective law enforcements that were present in the town of Manda, stating that when she reported of the harassments from her own party, the harassers were promptly dealt with, and ever since then, they did not bother to do anything 'funny' with her. While the auxiliaries were not considered to be citizens of Manda, she mentioned that they are still protected by the laws of the republic. She offered her services to Giorgio, who then was a fledgling and needed a mage for the party. Though she planned to stay for a short while, she remained permanently ever since.

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Alaric was the next  person to introduce himself. In contrast to Akina, he was the oldest among the group, as evident from his white brows and noticeable wrinkles and scars. He was the party's warrior, the tank and the vanguard, and his sizable build made him a fitting role for the class. Alaric said that he came into the world the same time as he did with Giorgio, and he quickly took up the offer to serve as the party's tank in their planning phase. While Alaric's experience had been tied to his adventures with Giorgio and the party, he made an interesting mention of dreams and visions of his old life, vaguely mentioning that he remembered a place that seemed familiar, but at the same time, foreign, but he brushed it off as a simple dream, rather than think much about it. He mirrored Kadungon in some regards, being a gentle giant, and well remarked for his ability to cook well. 

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Masuna was the beserker of the group, and at first, the fledglings was confused as to who and what a Berserker is, not aware of such guild existing in the town of Manda. He wasn't well armored and covered himself with an animal tunic, while he don a few iron hairlocks to keep his mane in tact. That is when Masuna mentioned that he did not join any existing warriors in Manda, but instead, had diverged from the usual route and found himself in the hinterlands, where he would serve with borderers who lived at at the borderlands between the then turbulent Xeyrian Empire, and the areas of the Vorzhican Kingdom and the Republic of Manda. As he was not granted the spell to speak the local Zanziyin language, he had difficulties with the locals of the borderlands, and almost had a few close calls during this encounters. During this time, he learned the Saqari, Zanziyin, and Xeyrian languages, and lived alongside an isolated Saqari tribe that thought him the lifestyle of the Beserkers. 

The beserkers originated from the far northern lands of the known world, where these warriors would feast on mushrooms and alcohol that enables them to get into a trance-like fury and hurl terror on their enemies. While they are recognized for great strength, they were largely shunned for their brutality and unnecessary violence. Some of the Saqari's who fled to the island brought their traditions to the island, but they were still excommunicated by their brethren and were forced to live in the remote parts of the Manda Peaks. The people's of Manda however, viewed them as just another mountain people's with strange practices, and had not developed much of a hostile approach compared to their brethren's in Vorzhica.

Masuna was able to master the languages and gain some military capabilities during his two year stay with the tribe, and from time to time, traders from Manda would come to trade with the mountain berserkers, trading wine, iron, and other luxurious items in return for precious rocks and mushrooms. Sometime during his stay, a roving gnoll warband came into conflict with the berserkers and decimated everyone in the village, all but a few, including Masuna himself, who fled to the town of Manda. There, he lived outside of it's walls for a while, working in the countryside, and worked on experimenting on growing his own berserk mushrooms. Along the way, he met Giorgio, and the two befriended as he was integrated in the party. 

He stands out to the rest of his parties and the people's of Manda, due to his unusual class, sense of clothing, and a foreigner who could speak multiple languages, but he was just one out of many people's who was able to live to tell the tale, many others like him had a terrible fate in most cases.

When asked if he had ever been to Vorzhican Kingdom, he mentioned that he only stayed at the borderlands, and barely met anyone from the kingdom, aside from a few border guards, who maintained their distance away from the berserkers.

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The priestess of the group was Miraa, bearing a bright jovial smile and a vibrant clothing, she mirrored the older version of Aitana at first glance. She spoke with outmost regality and poise, similar to that of the upper class nobilities that live in Manda, and her articulation was impressive, as it was commanding, but her speech lacked an arrogant and snobbish tone. Curious about her tone, Kadungon asked her how did she get the accent from, hoping he did not mean any insult.

The priestess giggled it off, stating that it was a common question and took no offense to his question. Much like Masuna, she had spent more time in the world, stating that she lived around for seven years. She described that the situation was much different back then. The arrival of the "foreigners" or "otherworlders" as they were once called, it was an odd phenomenon that had led to a megalomania among the citizens and authorities. There were a few "otherworlders" back then and they were interned in the current quarters of Manda where they would be investigated and studied.

Frustratingly for the authorities, they didn't encounter anything but amnesiacs who could only remember their names and, if they are lucky, very little fragments of their past. Unable to do anything, the authorities begun a program of assimilation and re-education to integrate this "otherworlders" into their society and ensure they would be skilled citizens. There was no auxiliaries or distinctions back in the days.

Miraa was taught of the local customs and history of the land. Being a quick learner, she learned of the world around her and quickly adapted to the customs of Manda. She then found work at a tailor in the heart of town, where she would come into contact with many people's of diverse social backgrounds, even the elites. During this time, she learned and developed the posh accent of the higher class patrons.

Three years in, the borders of Manda had been encroached by ravaging gnolls who migrated westwards from the eastern regions, alongside marauders and bandits who hailed from the turbulent regions of the Xeyrian Empire had seeked refuge at the borderlands, raiding the outer peripheries. In this time, the arrival of the  "otherworlders" were increasing, and this led to contempt between the citizens, and the oncoming foreigners that were viewed as freeloaders and "invaders" from another world who are coming to steal their jobs. 

After assessing the situation, the High Prince and his council had came up with a solution that can be beneficial, and that was the creation of the "Foreign Auxiliary Corps" and assign any otherworlders they meet into this corp, with some added benefits. This would ensure that the otherworlders would not be taking the job of the main citizens while they will be tasked with aiding the main army to hunt and ensure the borders of Manda is secured. The idea received mixed results from many people's. The idea of arming a bunch of foreigners and let them do the job of the military was seen as a recipe for disaster for the republic in the long run, while others argued that it was a great idea to expand their military by having employing the otherworlders who can do a great job at protecting the borders.

Of course, the Foreign Volunteer Corps had certain serve as more than just a border guard, it evolved to be a home for many amnesiac otherworlders to come and call home and unofficial adventuring guild, while pledging their loyalty to the republic, but it wasn't autonomous back in the day. Another military body, known as the Overseer's Hand, was created to watch the activities of the auxiliaries and maintain the welfare of said members, and the army of Manda had also been expanded to be more professional and competent to handle the military situations as well. The Overseer's Hand had improved the situation in recent years, and so far, has been cooperative in taking feedbacks during their surveys. Ever since then, an otherworlder was no longer called "otherworlder", but was replaced with the "auxiliary".

Miraa and the early otherworlders weren't required to join the Foreign Auxiliary Corps if they were skilled workers, whereas those who were unskilled or jobless would be placed inside this new organization. In the early days, the Republican Army were directly present and coordinated the organization of the Auxiliaries, and they worked hand-in-hand with the citizen militia in their military operations. The authorities of Manda were not keen on giving free reins on some foreigners, so they spared their commanders to direct the auxiliaries. They were also salaried and maintained by the republic now, which meant equipment's, trainings, and upkeep was the responsibility of the state.

Miraa was assigned to be the healer of the group, and she worked in a war party consisting of 50 members, a combination of local citizen militias and the auxiliaries, tasked with patrolling the borderlands and combatting against the gnolls and human marauders. It was a turbulent period, but the commanders and their military was able to quell any unrests that spawned at the borderlands. While it's not the first time they heard it, nor the last, Miraa remarked at how the military of Manda, even it's citizen militia, was a competent military force that was highly disciplined, organized, and adaptable in the surroundings they fought in. She described them in a respectful and admirable tone.

As the threat of the gnolls were now limited at a few areas, and the republic's borders were safe, the question arise on what they should do now that the auxiliaries. The citizen militia had a place to go to and could return back to do their jobs, as they were working citizens who volunteered for service. But the auxiliaries, especially the newer ones, were untrained in any economic skills except for warfare, and it would not be a just idea to disband an army of armed individuals. Moreover, it would be unnecessary expenditure as well.

After a long thought, the High Prince and the council decided that while the corps was to remain, it would be granted some degree of autonomy, but with a few benefit cuts, such as trainings and equipments being the responsibility of the auxiliaries now instead of the state. The only costs the state has to bear is maintaining the living quarters and overseeing the auxiliaries. This did lead to some discontent among some of the auxiliaries who viewed the council abandoning it's soldiers, but others viewed it as a way to start their own adventurers without being constrained to military protocols. 

Soon, the idea of classes came to be as former veterans of the Manda Military would create guilds to train any auxiliaries, or frankly, anyone with a coin who could afford their trainings. In return, the auxiliaries, who were now autonomous, begun forming their own parties which were much smaller, and flexible, compared to the larger organizations they had, and were free to act independently, although, she said that some parties developed a selfish, and more enclosed attitude as they formed their own cliques. This was partly due to funding as before, they were maintained by the state, but now, as they needed to maintain themselves, they often focus on smaller organizations while prioritizing their group's needs first, above others. 

Miraa was partyless, for a while, and worked back-to-back as a trainer and a tailor. But after she met Giorgio, he convinced her to join back the auxiliaries again and since then, she sticked with Giorgio's party as the healer. She mentioned that if it wasn't for Giorgio's sweet talk, she would've still remained doing back-to-back jobs.

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Giorgio's tale was known by Diacrao, but he decided to share it anyways as the rest of Dia's party was still oblivious of his origin. Giorgio came about two years ago, and the group he was in was quite a large one, consisting about seventy-six people including himself. Back then, Giorgio looked completely different than he was now, he said that he looked like a wimp and not many were keen on taking him as a party member, but he had a good charisma that he was able to build up his party, the first being Alaric himself.

He joined to be a swordsman, while Alaric went on to be a Warrior. In the first two weeks, they struggled to find new parties and even went to bed with an empty stomach a few times as their understrength party was not able to accomplish much either. Thankfully, with enough courage and charisma, he was able to build his party up with the help of experienced members such as Masuna, Miraa and Akina.

Their aid was beneficial in elevating their party position to be a semi known figure among the auxiliaries, and he thanked his party members for making it possible. Along the way, Giorgio said he gained some weight and muscles and no longer looked like the wimp that he once was, and he picked up a few hobbies and skills when he interacted with the locals, namely cooking and wood sculpting. During the times they were not in battling, they spend their time interacting with the locals and other auxiliaries, building up their connections to help expand their network in within and beyond Manda. 

He stopped his tale, and shared his advice to Aitana and her mates. "You know, we wouldn't have been at this position if it wasn't for the connections that we built along the way. Building a friendly relation with the locals, especially the traders, and the auxiliaries can help you guys in many ways. Sure, it will be a nightmare for anyone who isn't a social butterfly, but you'll reap the rewards that you sow." He took a sip from his cup as he bite off a piece of mutton.

"But we barely got time for ourselves, I don't know how we can make time for others." Zemfina highlighted the current ordeal that they were facing.

"Well, of course, you are still fresh meat, and you won't have much time now, but you guys certainly need to make time for yourselves too, you know? A party's cohesion and unity is more important than anything else. You should hang out more, and enjoy the little times you guys have together, after all, you all have each other's back in war, why not in peace? You wouldn't be any different from a rag-tag party of bandits who sees each other as a means to each of their wealth."

"Damn, that meat must've hit different if it got you talking like a philosopher, Gio." Diacrao was amazed at his friend's wisdom.

"Pffft, come on man, it's just experience! You all will do better, if you socialize together and with other people, try not to stay within your own clique. The world is yours, and you are free to explore it...well not completely, but still, there's always land at the other side of the sea. I'm saying, it'll help you in the long run."

"Thank you Old Man Gio for the advice~" Chiasoka thanked Gio, while the parties just laughed at her remark, Alaric in particular smacking Gio's back as he laughed at the scene.

"Well my friends, my party and I are taking our leave, we should do this more often, if we can." Giorgio and his party got up and packed their items up. "Gio wait! how much did it cost you to buy everything? we want to pay our due." Diacrao got up from his seat.

"Pfft, please, that's not necessary, it's the least we can do to hang out. One day, you'll do the same too to the fresh bloods that will arrive, you know?" 

"Aye don't get old on me now man! I am really serious about this."

"And I'm serious brother, no payment is needed, my party and I were glad to hang out. Catch you guys around sometime, and happy hunting! Arrivederci!" Giorgio and his party left the scene, packing up all their equipments, leaving Diacrao and his party at the scene. 

"He does have a point, I think it's high time that we really start building our connections. We can't be relying ourselves in this large world you know?" Chia brought up the advice  that Giorgio made earlier on. "Besides..I think we really haven't hanged out much as a group, today was fun, and I think we can do more events like this together!"

"Oh Hell nah I am not paying for some expensive mutton! but if you guys are paying than it should be alright!" Conrad took the last piece of mutton and devoured it. Chia giggled. "Of course not barbeque everyday silly! We can do some activities together, as a group. But, it's for another time when we are free, of course."

"I understand, Chia." Zemfina agreed with the mage. "We do have to make ourselves known and know about this world too. We are after all a part of this world, the land that we will live in and die in."

"You ladies are right, I think we should really hang out sometime, and of course, get to know other people too. But we gotta plan our schedule ahead too, things are a little busy on our part." Kadungon highlighted their current situation, while he was also excited for any social planning.

"Well, how about we maybe grab some dinner, or hang out at the courtyard once we are done hunting for the day? I am definitely looking forward to it, and of course, knowing the mysterious species that is Kadungon and Conrad, hehe~" Aitana laid out her plans.

"What about Dia?" Conrad asked. "Ain't he the maestro of mysteriousness??"

"Well.....Not as much as you two!"

"Phew, you spared me the interrogation." 

"Hey!"

"Well it's time for us to pack up guys! let's go when everyone is ready!"

The party packed up their stuffs and went on to prepare themselves for another day of hunting. It was going to be another routine at the same ruins instead, but they were glad to have had this cookout with Giorgio, it provided them with valuable insights from experienced people, and inspired them to do better and adopt a new lifestyle as well. The food they had was filling, and it certainly was enough to power them up for the rest of the day. Today, they'll do their best and survive yet another routine.