Easy job, they said, a flicker of illusion magic, maybe some telekinesis, if you are desperate, a bit of stealth and you can earn enough to live off of for a few days. Pickpockets in Ferrangan are about as common as they are anywhere in Kelsai. Most people live under the thumb of the Archmages or the Houses, and that's normal. If your family’s class doesn’t use true magic, you are relegated to the lower castes of society. If you are lucky or cursed, depending on opinion, a house notices a use for whatever you can do, and hopefully, you serve them just enough that nothing bad happens to you. The really lucky turn their class into something more, maybe even something their kids won’t be ashamed of.
Where things get complicated is with people like me. Blanks, Nulls, Blights—whatever term they use—all mean the same thing: Classless. Fucking System hates me, or can’t see me, not sure which is worse honestly. My father was a Baker, and my mother is a Tailor. Worthless classes the both of them, but at least they can get skills, at least they can do something. No one will hire you if you don’t have a class or skill related to the work, after all. So here I am trying to snatch some coins so I can go home to a family that loves me, but also can’t do anything to help me. Some days, I think they’d be better off without me. The only reason I haven’t just run away somewhere else is that I know they would waste time and money trying to find me. So instead, I try to earn some extra coin, worst case scenario, I get caught, and they can move on with their lives.
But, anyway, back to my starting rant. Easy job, they said. The thing is that’s assuming I had anything system-based helping me. A couple of guys were talking to a fence about some no-magic house leader that always had fancy shit on him. Probably some kind of Tactician, or Scholar class, since most Merchants and Diplomats have protection against the kind of tricks we would pull. Just my luck that he started walking around with bodyguards today. That said, I have learned a few systemless tricks, see bodyguards have a tendency to focus on their charge, and I figure even they have a bit on them. Probably not enough to set me for days, but still worth a try.
I run ahead of them towards the main entrance of the Shard Market and wait a bit for them to be closer. Then I start heading in their direction and make sure to bump another passerby into the leader’s path as I get near them. The guard on my right takes the bait, and as he steadies the distraction, I do a quick sleight of hand to snag his ring. Enough risks for one day, hopefully, Eddy can buy it for a whole silver eight. Mom could really use some new thread at the house.
Getting to Eddy’s place is less of a challenge and more of a knowledge check. If you know the Dazritir like head scritches and slightly salty water, it's pretty easy to get in. If you don’t know that, it probably ends with you dying of mana deprivation and becoming the chew toy for the three-meter-long lizards that can eat fireballs for breakfast - literally. “Eddy, I have some stuff for ya, and I noticed your door was open,” I call out as I enter. Usually, I have to knock first, which is probably code for me to pull out a knife right now just in case. Entering Eddy’s place, I see a lamp on, burning oil, and a vision crystal showing some kind of glyphwork. The facets reflect my silver hair and green eyes back at me. Still pissed all that ritual did was give me silver hair, no Scyer or Farsight Mage class for me. The real kicker, though, is that I see Eddy with a dagger through his hand and a pair of gakoret mercenaries standing by his table. Their grey skin and large tusks make it obvious what they are, even though shadows from the oil lamp obscure them a bit. As I am considering whether or not to head to a different fence, I see something I had kinda resigned myself to never seeing.
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System Quest for user Luna
Origin: Fangs of Peace
Request: We believe in conflict resolution through nonviolent means. By rescuing your associate, you can demonstrate your alignment with our ideals.
Reward: Passage into Nestroot
System Reward: Due to your rare situation, the System has been unable to give you a standard class. While in Nestroot, you will have the opportunity to try various classes and eventually take one of them with you beyond its boundaries.
I stare at the glowing words for a full ten seconds before I realize I’m not breathing. The System… spoke to me. Not someone else. Not a passive tag or flavor text. Me. It used my name. Due to your rare situation…Yeah. Rare. That’s one way to say it. Usually, the word is “flawed.” “Shards, Eddy, I hope you aren’t messing with a Mage House or something.“
“Run along, little rat; we weren’t paid to deal with you today.” The one nearest the door says, clearing, seeing me, “This fool picked up some items he shouldn’t have. Now a mage wants them back and wants a nice demonstration so the other junk sellers know not to touch magecraft.”
Fuck, Eddy, you would be the unlucky bastard that bought something that could be tracked. These guys want you dead, and there isn’t much I can do to convince them otherwise. Unless… no, this is a terrible idea, he’d hate the problems this would cause, but it's better than dying. I speak up, trying to sound indifferent but worried. “That's fine, I just need to know if you lot are planning on killing him, and if you are, can I get my business dealt with first. I have my own orders and would rather not die tonight.” The two orcs look at each other with a small bit of sympathy, and the one holding the knife stands up, though not before ripping it out and causing Eddy to scream something fierce. “Sure, kid, it's not like he is going anywhere but the Dazritir tunnels after we are done with him.”
I give them a grateful smile and pull the ring out of my pocket. “For services rendered, my master’s house offers you protection. As agreed, this ring will let everyone know who you serve, and your blood has already been linked to its magic so that if you die, my master will be informed, and those who destroyed his tools can be dealt with accordingly.” As I toss the ring to Eddy, his expression goes from confused to worried to understanding while the orc’s goes from amused, to annoyed, to pissed. “You think I care about your master's temper?” the nearer one snarls, stepping forward. “You think some snot with a prop ring is gonna scare us off?”
I turn to look at him with a sad smile. “If you plan on killing me, I would suggest running very far afterwards. My master may be willing to kill me for a failure to do as instructed, but that does not stop him from ruining anyone who touches what is his.” I then look to the other orc “My task is complete what you decide to do now is entirely on you though as someone who knows my master’s temper I would advise against your previous plans.” the calmer of the two grabs his companion’s arm “Think about it Altrush if we had killed him before she gave it to him the magic would have still gone off. The mages wouldn’t have cared if we didn’t know. She just saved both our lives. Let's go, we can just tell our client that the junk seller is protected and that kind of heat costs way more.”
I don’t dare to breathe or even move until the Orcs leave. At which point, I fall to the floor. The system gave me an actual quest, and I pulled it off. Maybe, I might actually be able to learn something wherever this Nestroot place is. I hear a thump, which turns out to be Eddy now on the floor, and a pool of blood is all around his chair. I crawl over to Eddy, who has already passed out from the blood loss. Looks like they stabbed him in the ribs, too.
