Finally the day had come for the recruitment to take place, a day Gawain had been looking forward to quite a bit. Even though a lot had happened in the weeks between him getting ready for this by doing his preparations and today, the boy was still eager to get this whole thing under way. For all of the things that had changed recently, such as him now being someone who had effectively murdered women and children and became a magic knight in a squad meant almost exclusively for those of noble birth, the one thing that hadn’t changed was his love for exploration. Sure, some of the previously stated might have been an overexaggeration, though the fact that the people he killed were feral vampires didn’t change the bodies they dwelled in. To him, it still felt very much like he had put a bunch of kids to death, and it weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

It was why he had, for the time being, set his sights on simpler things. Going on a fishing trip was one of the things he considered would make for a quick and easy pastime, though being attacked by pirates and monsters from the deep ocean had more or less put a wrench in that plan. So with that still somehow having turned into a bloodbath, the boy had more or less begun to feel cursed. Or rather, he had begun feeling like he was some sort of curse magnet that attracted creatures and people and put them in his path. If nothing else, it surely worked wonder when it came to rapidly increasing his combat capabilities and expertise, as every single battle he took part in made him in some way more capable, knowledgeable or powerful, with there sometimes being cased where all of the aforementioned factors improved. And in his mind, there existed no doubt that this expedition was going to be the same.

Still, an expedition was an expedition, and the boy couldn’t help but feel drawn towards exploration and unearthing what was hidden. And since this Vones woman was supposed to be one of the best in her field and a former magic knight to boot, it made him wonder how many magic dungeons she had made her way through. And for that matter, it made him wonder what fantastical creatures and powerful beings she had met and fought, as such places were often guarded by capable and aggressive sentries. As someone who himself had fought his way through several such places so as to ‘liberate’ whatever riches he could find, now that he was a magic knight, robbing graves just seemed less important. Due in part to a monthly paycheck, there was no longer a real reason for him to drag a bunch of old stuffy artifacts to the black market so that he could buy food and pay for a warm bed in a tavern somewhere.

So when the time came to make his way to the inn where the recruitment was to take place, Gawain still managed to be one of the last to arrive. Looking out across the mass of people that had gathered, the boy reckoned that it was going to be quite some time before he was going to get his shot at talking to the woman in charge. Now he could have done something drastic like cutting in somewhere at the front to get to where he wanted to be sooner, though he imagined that would make him look like the stark opposite of a team player, which was not something an expeditionary team would need. So instead of pulling such dickish moves, he instead decided to just bide his time and be the better person, listening to what the people around him had to say about whatever it was they felt like sharing with the others within earshot. And as it turned out, there were quite a few people out here that actively brought up their escapades in the wild world beyond the city and how they took on frightening beasts and brigands.

One went on and on about how he was called the “bane of the rogues” out in the boonies, though that wasn’t something he himself had ever heard of, and he had been in the boonies enough to know if someone was actually going by such a title. Out in the northern regions, word didn’t travel fast, though the people did talk, meaning such titles and stories of their exploits might have reached his ear at some point, what with how frequently he found himself resting in the local taverns and inns. Simply shaking his head at this lying poser, Gawain returned to listening to the others and minding his own business. Personally, it seemed slightly offensive towards those that had actually put in the work to become a renowned protector of the downtrodden, though he wasn’t going to retaliate against the man. Not here, not now. Doing so would only diminish his chances at being picked after all, and as it were, that was really the one and only thing that mattered to him.

Continuing to keep his mouth shut until he got within earshot of the renowned explorer herself, he looked on as some people were trying to make all kinds of unfounded claims to try and get on board. The guy that claimed he was some savior of the downtrodden was quickly put aside when the woman said she hadn’t heard anything about it from anyone, and since it was the only thing he had been riding on, that was more or less the end for him. Gawain also witnessed some more successful stories though, though mostly from people who provided other forms of expertise to the expedition. Cartography, Geology, Tracking, the kind of factors that could quite honestly make or break an undertaking such as this. So when it was finally his time to have the talk, the boy just looked around. Based off of what he had heard and seen, now seemed to be the time where he would have to appraise himself for all that he was worth.

“I’m Gawain. I’m fifteen years old, a member of the Silver Eagles and a peasant. My skill as a mage are the reason the squad broke with an age-old tradition of taking in only those of noble birth. Just from looking around, there isn’t a single mage gathered here today that I couldn’t turn into swiss cheese or pulled-pork, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

Looking around at the other mages, he could tell that there were some of them who might have been willing to put this theory of his to the test, though that was exactly what he had been betting on. Releasing his mana in a way that let everyone around him catch a glimpse of what it meant to be a true prodigy, the few that stepped up soon reconsidered and stepped back down. Just by that display alone, the boy established himself as being the strongest and most capable mage out of the bunch, thus greatly increasing his chances of being picked for the undertaking. When it came to being part of a protective detail, being quite literally the most powerful mage to sign up did have its perks after all, though there was still something else he could offer. Because he knew how long an expedition could take, there was a more economical side to picking him that further made him the logical choice.

“Also I’m small so I don’t take up much space or eat much.”

When he stated those words, it seemed that Vones couldn’t help but laugh at the idea that the boy wouldn’t be taking up a whole lot of space or their rations. Not really going into a whole lot of words, she just extended her hand to him as she looked him in the eyes. For a moment, he just looked back at her, wondering if there was something else she needed from him or if this was some sort of trick. However, once he realized that she seemed quite sincere, he took her hand and shook it, thus settling the matter and securing his spot on the expedition. Though there would still be a bunch of people coming in to apply for various spots that were still left open, at least he could walk on out and do his own thing now. Where he first believed his sheer confidence might work against him, the fact that it wasn’t overconfidence might have made him sound more sincere. After all, he would have been quite content with proving his mettle.

Believing it to be high time he got a bite to eat, the boy wandered on over to the bar to ask for the menu. Much to his surprise, the barkeep told him they weren’t serving any food today due to the whole expedition gathering, which to him seemed like a missed opportunity when it came down to making some money. Luckily for him, Gawain found himself in the royal capital, meaning there were more dining establishments than there were knights to protect the place. Because of all of the things the boy had told the explorer, there was only one thing he had knowingly lied about, and those were his eating habits. Even when the two had been living together for two years, he had consistently been eating more than a grown man with the physical bulk of muscle that was Griswold. But that was something the expeditionary team would come to find out soon enough.



WC: 1610

End of Mission