The Flying Emporium

Despite the tumult, quite a few people heard the [Ranger’s] words and spread the news. Soon everyone present knew who the big flying ship heading in their direction belonged to.

Still, even knowing that the approaching group was working under the banner of the Adventurer’s Society didn’t answer any of their questions.

Was their appearance a coincidence? And if so, what was their destination? The Society surely wouldn’t move in such a conspicuous fashion if it wasn’t for something important.

And if it wasn’t a coincidence? Could this be their actual destination?

Most people, when they were talking about the Society, were thinking about all the different kinds of services they offered, specifically tailored to the needs of adventurers.

There was the record-keeping and ranking of guilds, which not only served as a means to raise their overall quality via competition but also allowed adventurers to make a more informed decision when looking for a guild.

There was the Society’s individual evaluation of adventurers, which had become the de facto standard by which to judge their overall strength and capabilities.

The initial exploration, mapping, and categorization of dungeons to minimize the loss of lives.

The famous - and often imitated - quest boards that, not only provided adventurers of all ranks with opportunities but also gave the common, classless people the opportunity to hire proficient help for whatever problem imaginable.

Then there were the training halls, designed for adventurers who didn’t just want to rely on their levels and instead wanted to further hone their skills in a variety of ways.

The Adventurer Society worked together with all kinds of reputable and established merchants, inns, auction houses, craftsmen, and even brothels. Basically, anyone who was, even if just remotely, involved in dealing with adventurers and their needs. And wants.

If they didn’t provide a service themselves, they would point you in the direction of someone who did.

For the Society to be able to enjoy enough of the adventurers’ trust for things to work out his way meant they had to be very meticulous in their way of gathering and confirming information. As such, the most important requirement for joining the Society was an impeccable record. It was more important even than being a class bearer, therefore allowing regular people to work for them. While some voices opposed that decision, outright excluding the vast majority of people wasn’t a smart idea. Besides, most class bearers wouldn’t even think about wasting their time investigating any random, rundown establishment for some vague hint of a hidden ploy.

After gathering and processing all relevant information, the next step would obviously be to act upon them. If need be.

That meant not every miscreant they came across would be executed.

If an innkeeper charged more than was right, then the most the Society would do was to scratch out said inn from their list of local recommendations; Maybe even explicitly warn people about said establishment. But that was that.

If, however, a merchant knowingly sold inferior goods, the kind of goods adventurers relied upon during their dangerous excursions, then that meant they willingly risked another person’s life. In these cases, the punishment was accordingly.

The same, of course, applied if the perpetrators were adventurers themselves. Or maybe even whole guilds who preyed upon other adventurers or merchants.

Naturally, to resolve such matters and execute judgment, not just anyone would do. The ‘Enforcers’, as they were colloquially called, for the most part, had been adventurers in the past themselves. Successful ones. Certainly beyond the rank of an ordinary silver badge. But just because they weren’t considered being adventurers any longer, that didn’t mean they had stopped to live and act as such. Most still strived to become stronger and to improve themselves. To level up and find better equipment. To push themselves to the limit of what their class allowed. And sometimes beyond.

As such, conquering dungeons and raids were still common activities for these people whenever time allowed.

It only made sense for such people to check on Severin and his store. If not for official business, then still out of personal interest.

“These guys still need consumables. Just imagine what one of the stat booster elixirs would do for them.”

“But who tipped them off? One of you couldn’t shut their trap?” More than just one pair of eyes focused on Xander in response to Andreas’s.

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that! I didn’t say nothing. Besides, wouldn’t a smaller, non-official party make more sense in that situation? To check things out?” the [Duelist] argued.

“Hmm. Guess you’re right,” Andreas grudgingly admitted. That’s how they had operated themselves back then. Back then they didn’t immediately come with their entire group. Initially, just Andreas himself and Lynn, led by Xander, came to confirm the latter’s claims. Only after making sure the ‘Emporium’ wasn’t a scam did they move their entire raid group.

“Then who did? What are they doing here?”

“Again. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe it’s about the dungeon break. Maybe the Golden Mountain’s main branch did send someone to assess the aftermath.”

“Right! And clear the remaining dungeons to prevent similar incidents from happening.”

To the majority of people present, that sounded like the most likely explanation. Still, not everyone was entirely convinced.

“I’m pretty sure they’re headed our way,” someone voiced his doubts.

“No shit! They obviously also spotted us by now. Next to a store. On a flying mountaintop. In the middle of nowhere. Of course, they’d come by to check on us,” a tall woman retorted.

“What are you guys even so excited about?” Severin suddenly asked from the side.

“The real question is, why aren’t you excited?!” The officer was exasperated.

“Hmpf. Why would I? If they dare cause any trouble, I can always just blacklist them.” Severin sneered. Having witnessed the power of the blacklist, he didn’t fear any troublemaker.

“Right!” a little girl added as she folded her arms.

An enraged [Warrior] wanted to smack both of them on the head. “You two…!”

…

“I’m only doing this because we have business in that direction anyway. And because of the severity of the accusation. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes! I knew it the moment I saw these fantastical tooltips. Each one was more ridiculous than the other. So much so that the idiot didn’t even know how to price them. If something like that really existed, it would be worth at least ten times as much. If not more! And when I finally got my hands on them…nothing! Nothing happened! I probably have to be grateful it wasn’t poisoned. To keep me from spreading the truth and exposing him!” the voice said bitterly before continuing, “And these guys down there all have to be in on it! Just look at them! Look how squirmy they are.”

“Hm. We’ll see.”

A stout man listening in from the side had an uneasy feeling.