Chapter 31: The Grin Reapers

Immediately following the duel, my companions voiced their concerns about trying to add Lysandra to the party. Era studied Lysandra and said, "She just tried to kill you again. Are you sure partnering up with her is a good idea? I mean, Lulith was one thing, but we at least had insurance for her. Lysandra is a loose cannon, and we don't know what she will do if she loses her temper." Quinn nodded, "I sense a great deal of trauma for her. She could be more of a liability than an ally, my friend." I affirmed, "Look, I get the risks involved, but there is a lot to be gained too. She could be a valuable asset to our group. Plus, I have been thinking we should make our party official. I want to establish ourselves as a guild." Both of them raised an eyebrow and said in unison, "A guild?"

I pointed out, "Many parties turn into guilds due to the advantages of doing so, and I think it could be a good idea. We would be a rather small guild at first, but business-wise, to establish connections over a wide area, a guild would be a smart step. I have learned in my short time on the road that there is strength in numbers. Even if we don't have a large number of people, getting our name out is a good idea, and being officially recognized is a good first step."

Lysandra seemed to overhear that last part with a cigarette in her mouth. She smiled and said, "That's a lot harder than you are letting on, boy. You would be the leader of a group. Once you put yourself under a banner of sorts, it is hard to shake that banner. Take it from me, Lucius; even now, I am bound to my gang, and those shackles I will never fully be able to just break off." I sighed, "I know the difficulties of such a choice, and it is something I don't take lightly." I pointed to Lysandra, "I think this is a choice that I would not have made otherwise if I had never met you. However, I think if you are involved with the guild, we stand a chance at making this work. I have run a business before, but I ran it by myself. I have no experience leading people. That's why I think, if you agree, I will want to run this alongside you. I can handle the financial aspects and the merchandise, but I would need your help with the leadership."

Lysandra laughed, "I lead a gang, kid. Leading a guild isn't the same thing." I interjected, "No, I think you have what it takes to lead this guild with me. You're good at managing people. I had heard of how well-organized your gang was when I was growing up. The rumors were that your gang was well-structured and managed different aspects of the town in various ways." Lysandra chimed in, "For crimes, kid, not for being a traveling circus." I retorted, "I wouldn't be suggesting this if I didn't have confidence. Please, at least give it a try. I think you'll be perfect for the leadership role in our guild." She turned away with a contemplative look in her eyes, "You really are stubborn, kid. Jeez, I'll think about it, but I gotta send a letter back to my brother first to let him know not to come after me."

As we began walking back to the city with that matter settled, Aurelia smiled playfully, "Are you creating a guild, big bro? Can I join someday?" I smiled, "Sure, you can. Once your studies are over, I would love to have you." We needed to start selling some wares for the day for money, and we needed to get to the guild office to register ourselves officially. Quinn added, "Have you thought of a name yet?" I nodded, "I have given it some thought, and I think that The Radiant Smiles Guild could be a good name." They all stared at me as if I had just said something funny. Lysandra was the first to crack, "You're so cheesy, kid. I've never heard of a guild with such a soft name."

I added, "But that's my goal. I want to fill people with joy when they see our products. I want to sell them something that can make anyone genuinely happy." Quinn, forcing back a smile, said, "Uh, that is a nice name, Lucius, but what about something a bit more serious-sounding? We need potential foes to still be intimidated by us." I pouted a little, "Does anyone have any other ideas?" Lysandra chimed in, more excited than I thought she'd be, "What about the Crimson Dogs? I've always wanted to change our gang name to that." Era interjected, "Let's keep things within our theme, please." We continued toward the guild office, and Quinn added, "We need a name that both attracts customers and intimidates enemies."

I suggested another name, "Oh, I've got one. What about The Grin Reapers?" Everyone paused for a second. Quinn smiled, "It's still cheesy, but I like it. Not bad. It's a nice play on words that serves our purposes to ward off danger and also pique customers' interest." Lysandra patted me on the back a little too hard, "Way to go, kid. I like the Crimson Dogs better, but Grin Reapers? Now that isn't bad." Era gave a slight smile, "Not nearly as cringe-worthy as the first name, at least." As we got closer to the guild office, Aurelia smiled, "Alright, big bro, if everything is A-okay, I'll head back to Elora's lab. Good luck with your guild." She gave me a wink as her short body began to happily skip back toward the office. I called out, "See you later, Aurelia, and thanks for the help! I'll have to pay you back for this one day." She waved one hand back, "You already did when you helped the professor." I felt her sincere feelings of gratitude before she made her way down the dirt road in a hurry.

Once we reached the guild office, we walked inside, and a man approached us. He had neatly combed black hair, a nice coat, blue eyes, and glasses. He exclaimed, "Welcome to the Everglint guild office! I'm Mark, at your service!" We filled Mark in on the kind of guild we wanted to form and filled out some paperwork with a list of names of our potential guild members. Lysandra nodded, "I haven't decided if I want in yet, but go ahead and put my name down for now." After completing all the necessary paperwork, we had to pay a small fee for guild creation. Mark began explaining, "Alright, now that we've taken care of the boring stuff, let me move on to some more important things that you'll need to know."

We listened intently as he continued, "Guilds are ranked from SS class to F class, and you will start as an F class guild. You can improve your class by completing quests, taking on trade-related jobs, or submitting your earnings for the month, among other ways. Improving your class will open up better job opportunities and increase your reputation. Ranks are listed in each town, so naturally, guilds with higher classes will be offered better jobs and be more well-known." I let that sink in, realizing that improving our class could potentially lead to more customers and increased profits.

Mark added, "One other thing I'll need from you to finalize this is your thumbprint and the symbol your guild will be using." I asked, "A symbol?" Mark suggested, "A sort of icon or something that could represent your guild would be great. I know you saif you are a merchants guild so you can make it an inviting symbol." He handed me a piece of paper, "If you could put your icon on this piece of paper, that will finalize your guild." Quinn stepped up, "I'm pretty confident with my hands. Let me do it, Lucius. I'll come up with something fitting." I nodded, "Yeah, that would be great." Quinn swiftly and skillfully marked down an icon on the paper. Mark was taken aback as a highly detailed symbol appeared quickly. The symbol was impressive, featuring a grinning mask balanced on the edge of a sword, showcasing both humor and danger.

My thoughts slipped out, "Amazing, Quinn. This will be perfect as both a playful icon and something that will put people on edge." Quinn gave a small smile, "No big deal, my body can almost perfectly trace what's in my mind given my composition." With that taken care of, Mark shook my hand, and we left the building. It was only 11:00 a.m., so we still had the rest of the day to sell our wares. Lysandra suggested, "You're going to the market to sell some of your goods? I'll rejoin you later with an answer, and I'll also send word to my brother in Astralum." I acknowledged, "Yeah, take your time. I want you to really consider my offer. I believe you can elevate our group to new heights." She walked away wordlessly, clearly deep in thought about her next steps. Lysandra's promise to return later hung in the air, leaving me both hopeful and anxious about the future of our guild. The day was still full of possibilities, just like the journey that lay ahead for the Grin Reapers Guild.