This time my story took until deep into the night, as the others asked questions that Ray and Lucia hadn't thought of, and I hadn't thought to answer myself. One being that I had been drained by the Soul Eater Shield, and wondering what that had done to me, which led me to admit that, while around Naofumi, I'd been powerless, which was why I hadn't bothered trying to get away back when I'd first met him.
Lucia was…less than happy to hear I had apparently forgotten about that, but in my defense, a lot more important things had happened since that point in our journey. Meeting Fitoria foremost amongst them. She still thought, if I'd tried, it would have been simple to slip away, something I admitted, as Naofumi had all but wanted me to, but I'd refused to do so, since it was, at the time, unknown what would come of that action.
Balmus was amused by that, saying I'd make a fine priest, compared to most adventurers, who tended to leap before they looked. Mind, Ben countered that I was only in the situation BECAUSE I'd done just that, something the pair actually laughed about, at my expense. That was…well it was galling, but still good to see that, for all there was animosity, they were getting along.
From there I explained about the Dagger, Rabier, and the mansion. Ben was disgusted to find out Rabier had the Dagger, and Marie was disgusted about the villagers. Demi-humans weren't quite beastmen, but hearing of them being abused like that, to 'feed' an artifact like the Dagger, or worse just the sadistic appetites of a vile man, was enough that she all but swore she'd have killed him if he weren't already dead.
That…well I hadn't had time to dwell on that fact, but Rabier had died. Not because of me though, I realized. Rabier had had the chance, a real one, to surrender. And he'd spit on it, and thrown it away. That was not my fault in the slightest, and steeling my resolve with that, I moved on past it, explaining in detail the fight with the T-Rex, that they still insisted was a dragon, something I decided to drop after a few minutes of discussion.
That said, I found out IT was an older boss monster. During some event in the past, the Heroes had been in another nation, and so this one had been left behind. Unable to slay it, the people of Melromarc had instead sealed it, with Rabier's family being the ones to do the deed, their blood having been used in the seal itself. So it was kind of like the containment units we'd been clearing out, except where those were mid level bosses at most, this was a post game bonus boss.
Regardless, it was a thing none here could have competed with. Only Heroes, ones in the later Waves, could deal with something like that, and hearing that explained a lot of why my level was now a few higher than my party members. That I…hadn't noticed, which had Ray tell me it was best to pay attention to that sort of thing. Still, it was good to see my level wasn't going to my head.
Continuing on, Balmus was quite amused to hear about Fitoria. He had always assumed the Queen to be quite mad to talk of such a beast as her, but to hear it was real? He owed her a drink and a gold coin, he thought. Ben, meanwhile, was nervous, asking all sorts of things about her stats, and how powerful she was. He was not in any way assuaged by my assurances that she was benign, given her whim could still see her destroying a nation in an instant.
Moving on, I revealed what I knew of 'Old' Sanctuary's location, probably somewhere far, far west from here, if time dilation from our travels was anything to go by. Not on the other side of the world, but still on the other side of the continent. That put it out of reach for most of them, as my coordinates would actually place it beyond some nations even the Adventurers' Guild tended not to do business with, and the Church could provide only speculation on what we'd have to do just to get an army together.
"So, we'll table any discussion on action against 'Queen' Fitoria for now. That said, if what I'm hearing of timing is true, it was while you were with her that the 'events' here also happened. You already are known to be the center of it, but details in this case, may be far more valuable than gold," he said, and I nodded.
"The first evening with the Queen of the Filolials, I was able to 'Bind' the Vassal Carriage to me. I had expected to gain, maybe, a teleportation move or the like, something to compliment the skills I already had," I began, Ben nodding, his ears going almost straight up as he listened intently to what I was saying, while pulling out a sheet, and not even looking at it, began to write things down, not what I was saying exactly, more what I was saying meant for the wider world.
"Instead I was offered a choice of two systems. The first would have made it so that every member of my party had part of the stats they gained copied into my own stat pool. A not insignificant boost, a lesser version of what Fitoria herself was using, given her 'party' is made up of her children, which number significantly more than six," I said, remembering that flock and just how freaking many there were. Drums of fish soup/stew had barely been enough to feed them all.
"The other, and the one I went with was a bit less limited in its scale of power given, but it did limit what I would get from it," I continued.
"The second system, the 'Follower' system gifted everyone who's currently affected by the status of 'Follower to the Bow Hero', which obviously includes everyone in this city, as it turns out, and allows me to gift a smaller or larger part of their stats, copied onto two members of my own party members. Given the number of Followers doesn't appear to have a limit, and we need all the power we can get in the coming battles, I selected it, without realizing just how much it would mean to the 'Followers' in this case," I admitted, and the one gathered around the table took a moment to process that.
"In terms of numbers, how much does this add to the population of people with levels in this country?" I asked after letting them recover, and Ben turned to Balmus, who stroked his chin for a moment, obviously doing some quick and dirty math in his head.
"In my estimation, you have increased the number of individuals with the power to Level in this nation by a good three or four percent. But the problem is not what it added now, today, it's what it WILL add as this goes on," he began.
"In the Capital, the Hourglass is kept in a special chamber, and we accept tithes for its use. Nothing too onerous, just enough to put it out of the reach of the common man on the street. Even if they could, the Hourglass' ability is limited to, at most, one person at a time when gifting them Leveling, and it takes time to process, selecting a class and awakening power within the soul of the user," he continued, tapping a finger on the desk, doing another calculation, even as he spoke.
"Should I, or rather, should the Hourglass' current benefactor take it into their head to remove that first limit, and allow as many as wanted to, at all hours of the day, I would guess the Hourglass could awaken fifty to eighty in a single day, from sunup on one, to sunup on the next, with a line of ever willing people that wrapped around the castle and back again," he said, which I nodded at. So what I'd done WAS impactful, but not as much as it might have been in an immediate sense.
"The problem is that they only have to become Followers to gain Levels, nothing stopping them otherwise, and while I think I have to be with them for that to be declared, like with the villagers or Ben, or at least, nothing in my menu has indicated otherwise, I also can't turn down anyone," I admitted.
"The other problem is many classes are considered…taboo amongst those of us of today. Abilities that are corruptive to possess, or simply too uncontrolled to make for anything other than a wild dog to be set loose at times of great need," said Ben, and Marie nodded solemnly, while Ray and Lucia looked at each other.
"Berserkers?" asked Ray at last, and Ben nodded at that.
"Berserkers, several Blood Ragers, a dozen Briar Hearts, some Swarm Lords. Even a Soul Reaver and two Necromancers," he said, sounding more tired with each pronouncement. As he spoke I brought up my menu and looked them up. They were…useful classes, or at least, a quick glance made them sound like something I could use. That said, they also sounded exactly as bad as those names made you think they would, able to use their own flesh and blood to power up a bit, but coming into their own fully if they're willing to sacrifice their fellow man for power.
"They picked these willingly?" I asked, and Marie sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"To be fair to them, most didn't understand what they were being asked when the window popped in front of them. Their selections for their classes were random, or based on what sounded powerful," she said.
"It is in fact, terrible as it is to say, fortunate that their experiences humbled them. Many who gained the abilities some of them have now would have already started using them freely on others, forcing us to take action. As it is, they're mostly milling about, unsure of what to do, just not wanting to be weak anymore," said Ben, and Marie looked cross at him, while Balmus stroked his chin and nodded. And from a pragmatic sense, they were right, but probably best to not let Marie kill either of them for being so reductive to the horror she and her people experienced.
"That is not a situation that can continue. These people, just coming here I saw a few of them 'pushing' themselves against each other. Too many have come into power, and they're going to want to use it eventually, regardless of circumstances, so it's best to let them use it in controlled ways," I said bluntly.
"The Guild has already offered its services in that regard. Lower level quests and such for those who want to take them," Ben said, and Marie scoffed, but before she or he could say anything, I held up a hand, silencing them.
"The Guild's efforts in this matter are appreciated, Ben, but not what this group needs. No one who has a Level now signed up for becoming an adventurer, a priest, or anything else like that. All they did was 'Follow the Bow Hero', and I think that needs a different approach to how we're going to go about this," I said.
"You have an idea then, I take it?" asked Ben, and I nodded.
"These people, whether they asked for it or not, now have Leveling, and will be a source of power for the Hero's Party. That gives them a responsibility, one that goes from me, to them, and to my party members, so I want to help them fulfill it, if they're willing," I began.
"That said, I refuse to let people with no training or experience out on their own. It would be a waste of their lives, and the opportunity that they have been given, as well as the power they represent for the 'Hands of the Hero'," I continue.
"For that reason, I think the formation should be an eight person group. Five should be volunteers amongst the people who have never done this before, that gives us the maximum amount that a small unit can be reasonably expected to command, while still allowing for the group itself to have some stopping power behind it," I explain, grabbing a sheet from Ben's stack, and drawing five circles on it.
"To assist them, I'd request three others. Two from the Adventurer's Guild, at least Level 10, preferably higher, and they need to become 'Followers' as well, to benefit from the EXP boost that it apparently comes with. Two of them allows them to keep an eye on two each of the new people, while allowing a rotation of the fifth man between them, letting the new ones feel like that have some autonomy, while still giving them oversight," I explain, drawing two more circles behind them, and then showing the group divisions I was imagining.
"The third experienced person, if you can arrange it, Your Grace, should be a church member. The healing skills they have outpace those of Adventurers, and even potions from what I've seen. Their presence should keep casualties amongst both of the other types in the group to a minimum, thus maximizing gains," I say, drawing one last circle that I then made into a larger one, surrounding the others. That done, I stared at Balmus, who strokes his chin, obviously weighing his options, before smiling and chuckling.
"It might take some cajoling, but the clergy is ever at your disposal, Bow Hero, though I will admit, it will be easier to gain volunteers if I could, perhaps, offer them some incentive?" he said, thinking immediately of the bottom line, causing Marie to scoff. Ben though…well he had a thoughtful expression on his face. After all, he too had to consider the same thing, and two Adventurers were already going to be costly to lose, especially if they would just be babysitting.
"I have considered that angle, and considering these groups won't be waiting for jobs, but instead just going out and hunting down the monsters that are respawning fast enough that even we Heroes can't keep up, I think we can come to some financially beneficial arrangement," I said, setting the sheet aside, as I was about to talk math, and had no idea what numerals this world used, as I'd never asked what symbols meant numbers, and which were letters on the pages I'd seen.
"I would first like to budget so that each group of newbies gets some seed money, so they can purchase equipment, perhaps from the Adventurers' Guild itself at cost, just as a gesture of good will," Ben nodded at that, as did Ray, as it didn't seem too unreasonable.
"Two gold then, per person, from what accounts I have left, so they can buy moderately powerful gear, without breaking the bank, so to speak," I said, and that brought them up short. Two gold pieces was two hundred silver, and while that wasn't TOO extravagant, that times one thousand was a fortune.
"After all, not everyone is going to volunteer for this duty, especially not right off the bat. We want only the willing and best able for this first batch, seeing how this goes. So maybe twenty to thirty groups in total," I say, and that looks to calm them, and even Balmus down a bit, as the numbers were reasonably low.
"After we get the groups together, outfit them as their classes and desires dictate, Lucia, with my assistance, can deploy the teams at various points in the nation, places with a lot of monster activity. With a priest in the group, they can purify the bodies right there, harvest them for the useful bits, burn the rest, and then bring the spoils to the local Guild Hall, either to turn into pearls to upgrade gear, or to aid in the manufacture of more gear for everyone else," I say.
"From there, the proceeds should be divided up as twenty, twenty, ten, twenty-five, and five fives. Twenty percent each to the two Adventurers, to compensate them for their time and hopefully efforts from this. Ten percent to the Guild itself, processing fees and such, as well as information on monster locations. Twenty-five percent to the Priest, either to them directly, or to the Church here in Sanctuary. And finally five percent each for the newbies in the group, with half held back from each payment until they've repaid their two gold apiece for their gear," my explanation seems to please the group, even Marie, who taps her fingers as she mumbles numbers, before nodding.
"And for the groups, who should be in charge? Not here, but in the field. It would be best to have a command structure worked out BEFORE they get into trouble out there," opines Ray.
"Well, that part is easy. The five newbies should be the ones to determine when it's best to move out, since if they're not confident in their strength, then they won't be as effective. Adventurers should be the ones to pick the targets, since they'll have a better idea of what is and isn't a safe target. And finally Priests should have veto power, when they feel there's too much for them to heal effectively, they can order the group back to safety," I lay out, and each of the three look to the other, before nodding in agreement.
"You know, it sounds like you put more thought into this, than the event that caused it in the first place," commented Lucia, and it was my turn to nod.
"I had little time to think through the choice, or its larger implications, but once it was something I could consider, this made sense. Heck, with the 'taboo' classes involved, I'd say let them volunteer, but only let two at a time on any one team, that way the experienced Adventurers match them in number, and can get assistance from the other three newbies if needed," I add, which Ben seems pleased by the suggestion.
"I think that will work. The logistics will still take some time to set up, especially equipment for one-hundred or more people in various classes, but I think we'll have it done in a few days' time," he said.
"That should give me time to ask amongst my own flock for volunteers for this venture. Once it's made known to them that it will result in not only Levels, but also financial gains, I'm sure I'll be flooded with names to put forward," added Balmus with a chuckle.
"You mean you'll let them keep what they earn?" asked Ben, and Balmus nodded, stroking his chin.
"As much as the idea of earning tithes from such work does sound pleasing, I already have several means of financial stability for my new church. In time I might ask them to 'donate' a few silver here and there, but for now, I think the most important thing would be to get them out there, earning as much as they can, both in terms of experience and coin," he said with that smile on his face that said he was serious.
It made sense too, given his position actually. Make it so that being here, in Sanctuary, was the better option than even being in the city with the Hourglass, and the number of people following him personally would grow by leaps and bounds. Whoever the next Pope was, they'd be competing with Balmus for control, and honestly, I did not envy them, given how conniving, and cunning, the man was proving to be.
"Very well then. We will work out the logistics of all this, and groupings, and when we're ready, we'll have you deploy them in areas of this nation," said Ben.
"In the meantime, the hour has grown late, and we all have things we should be doing, be it sleep or administrative tasks," said Marie, and we all rose from our seats. A few more pleasantries were exchanged, before we left the office, with me getting close to Strong as I did so.
"If you could, I need to speak with you and your brothers about Party matters. Can you collect them and come back to me?" I asked, and he nodded, turning to Marie who gave him a wave of dismissal, allowing him to run ahead.
"We'll also need to speak with Souka as well, if she's not busy with Guild business," I mentioned to Ben.
"I'll send her along. In the meantime, I suggest you and your party retire to the home that has been prepared for you. It's one of the ones built into the wall, so it's defensible, and has enough room to be expanded, if necessary," he said, and quickly gave me a number, which would mark it out. Thanking him, we left the Guild Hall into the cool night air of the gorge, where people were still hard at work by torch and magical lights, continuing to grow the city into its true form, as the center of the world for them all.