D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

When the conversation started to die down again, Lily couldn't help but ask, "So are you sure you don't have any interesting stories for us? Even when you were acting as a solo adventurer?" 

"Nope," said Burgandy. "Solo adventuring isn't what people make it out to be. Well, it's not like it is in the tales anyway. Quite a lot of adventurers will tell you how solos get picked of all the time. For me, I was a bit headstrong, but at the very least I wasn't stupid. Just about all of my solo stuff was quite tame you know? Watch over this farmer's fields, gather some herbs from the edge of the forest… 

"Take out the trash, wash the windows, I mucked out a pigsty that one time," on and on it went as Burgandy named all sorts of random chores. Usually dirty ones that nobody particularly liked down. 

Lily just stared for a while, but as the explanation went on, Lily couldn't help but interrupt. "Ok, look that just sounds… bad? Like everyone was foisting their unwanted jobs off on you?" 

"Exactly," said Burgandy. "That's exactly what it was," 

"Then why did you want to go solo?!" yelled Lily. 

"I already told you that I had a few anger problems and I didn't really deal well with people. For me, even doing those horrible jobs was fine as long as I got good pay and didn't have to deal with too many other people. Sure it wasn't glamorous, but you can get surprisingly good pay from it. Plus, with proper Rank 1 strength a lot of those jobs don't take you all that long. It's part of what makes the pay so good. 

"You can get a day's worth of work done in half that, perhaps less if you're lucky. Sure I did kill a few monsters here and there, and I liked to push myself, but I wasn't anywhere near as crazy as March," said Burgandy firmly. 

"But… it's just… the way you explained it the other day with Oditr it seemed like you wanted to be a real adventurer… and this just seems like… not that?" offered Lily as way of explaining her own thoughts. 

Burgandy let out a little chuckle, "Heh, see that's the thing. Everyone starts there, even groups. Sure you don't pay a full group to wash your windows, but a lot of the other jobs? Yeah that's pretty normal, or you just pool your money with a of your neighbours and then get the whole street done. 

"See, that sort of thing is mostly about building reputation while leaving you enough time to train up to Rank 2. Solos don't really do anything too far outside of town until Rank 2, and some adventuring parties don't either. It's… it's hard to say the real difference between Rank 1 and Rank 0. It's… it's hard not to see them as something completely separate from us you know? 

"Not that it's bad or anything, I don't think of them as like… ants or anything. Yet… even if you're just twice as strong, you can probably use that five or ten times more efficiently. Some people just don't have any talent at all, others no drive. Rank 2 is a dream for so many talentless civilians. 

"So… part of me feels like the reason the guild makes us do all that menial stuff? Other than giving us time for training it also forces us to interact with people weaker than us. To accept their orders, and even their anger at times. If you fuck up the simple stuff how can you be trusted with more dangerous jobs? That's the thought anyway, at least, that's what I'm guessing. 

"It's… also a sad truth that a lot of people, especially solos, give up on the adventuring life. Sure you get good money for the time you put in… but you can't always find jobs. Sometimes there just aren't any you can do that day, other times someone gets there before you and clears the place out. 

"So while it's good for training, especially when you're younger, as you get older… you start to realise you're not making all that much money. If you're stuck at Rank 1 you could do better as a farmer or a blacksmith. Some people do give up and go into such things. Of course all of the best blacksmiths are above Rank 1… but if you've got Rank 1? That might make you the strongest person in a farming town. 

"It's… it's hard to really explain to someone who isn't in the 'adventure system' I suppose. It's… there are less of us then you'd think. Sure it's a popular profession, but a good chunk of people give up quickly, another good chunk get themselves killed thinking they're stronger then they are, and the people who stick with it tend to move around, concentrate in areas with jobs so you don't always see them around. 

"Then once you get a good rep you tend to be recruited into the town guard, or perhaps one of the army squads if you're really good for your rank. Sure some people want the freedom… but frankly it pays better if you're a guard or a man at arms if you get to that point. Now of course, the reason we strive, the reason we go forth… 

"Is to go further. We reject the easy money because we need that time to get to Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, beyond perhaps? That's the dream… and it can only fuel someone for so long. It's different for everyone of course, some burn out in a year, others in a decade, and some keep going for a century. 

"Yet eventually all adventurers retire or die, as with other professions. It just tends to be more abrupt. An end to a theoretically endless journey. One that people willingly give up, crumbling under the strain," 

Everyone who wasn't Burgandy sat there stunned when she finished her speech. March recovered first and started a slow, weighty clap. Kat and Lily joined in soon after, with Burnice and Vanya following. Marigold, wanting to stand out clapped as well… by slapping her tits to make a clapping sound instead of just hitting her hands together like a normal person. 

Burgandy was bright red, not really expecting the praise. "Um… err… I sort of let that get away from me there. I mean… yeah" She wasn't really capable of explaining herself properly. The worlds getting jumbled and lost, getting across the barest hint of her intensions. 

"What a speech Burgandy," said March with a grin. 

Burgandy glared back at her friend still beat red. "It was nothing," 

"Bah, it's been a long time since I've heard you speak so passionately. It's good to see you still have that fire that makes you an adventurer. Honestly, I suspect that as the years pass it will be down to just the two of us, perhaps Willow as well," said March. 

"Wait what?" said Burgandy confused. "I understand that Stan's not going to stick around, and I can see why you think Chartreuse might not keep with it, despite how things are going… but you think of the two it would be Willow that sticks with it?" 

March nodded, "Sometimes she's just got that fire in her you know? It's not always there, and her parents might end up interfering with her in the end… but I honestly believe that if she had the choice she'd see it through. Well, at least for another fifty years or so. If she doesn't hit Rank 3 by then I'm not sure she'd be willing to keep going," 

"Oh, and how long do you think you'll keep going?" asked Burgandy, half taunting half genuinely curious. "Humans are the shortest lived races by quite a margin, and reaching Rank 2 hasn't increased your lifespan all that much. Heck, with the sort of shit you put your body through I doubt you'll actually get to 200," 

"If that's the case so be it," said March as she shrugged. "I will continue to refine my strength until I die. I see no upper limit to that strength, and if I die on the way so be it. Perhaps I'll reach Rank 5, perhaps not. I imagine once I get to there I can take a bit of a break… though I'm not quite sure what I'd do. Most of the people I know about have a good chance to being dead by the time I hit Rank 5," 

"Urgh, you would do that you musclehead," grumbled Burgandy. "I'm… I'm not sure I could bring myself to climb that far. You can have plenty adventures at Rank 4… and Rank 5… it's just so rare. I wonder if I'm really lucky enough to reach for it?" 

Burgandy seemed to look off to the side somewhat solemnly. *It's… interesting seeing this. I mean… for us Rank 5 isn't just a dream. Or well, even if it takes us both forever we've got Hubs to move to if the world ends, and the lifespan to stick with it. Even if we're stuck at Rank 4 for ten thousand years, Rank 5 would still be possible… but lifespan is a concern for so many others.*