HC: Pacifist | Ch. 272 - Cocktail Party  (Patreon)

Even though Roth didn't risk visiting the Union, he still felt comfortable enough to visit Golden Mountain Inc. Judging by the many new decorations around the office, Soros was doing even better for himself these days.

“You’ve been everywhere, haven’t you? Hmm… the lizards. Fascinating. And that includes the Eight Spires, all up in the swamps. Remarkable. Rare herbs and chemicals there. Good. Good.”

“And how is everything around here?” asked Roth.

“We’re good. More and more people come by asking for badger poems these days. The dog you hired from the traveling guild has also been here recently. Good job hiring him. Very well-known and respectable porter, that Bucky.”

“Thank you. I’ve already talked to him about including all my connections in his route. You should be getting their items soon.”

“No hurry, no hurry. I keep myself quite busy with the city of Antioch.”

Roth regularly received notifications from Bucky's trade routes, and thanks to his growing route, his broker profession had already leveled up to 27. Recently, he even unlocked a new skill.

Leeway (Profession)

Description: You are a well-established businessman, and your connections have come to trust your word. What is one more day or less one day between long-term friends?

Effects: 

Tolerance of business-related deadlines;

Scales with charisma.

Restrictions: Broker, lvl. 27.

This skill filled a desperate need. Many of his business agreements required him to show up in person every so often, but sometimes, the 24 hours in the day felt less than enough. With this, he had some much-needed wiggle room.

“Oh, martyr, befriending you has really been good for me,” Soros said with little stars in his eyes as he went through his ledger. Suddenly, he stood up and whirled around. “No, you don’t!”

Seeing who Soros was screaming at, Roth’s eyes widened. Lin was in the corner of the room holding an expensive-looking jar. “Meow?”

“Don’t meow me! Put it back, or you’ll pay the ultimate price.” As Soros said this, lasers appeared from the ground and the ceiling, all pointing at little Lin.

“Please, don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! Lin!?! What are you doing? Soros is my good friend. He’s an amazing person who helps me a lot. Put it back right now,” Roth hissed.

“Bummer,” he heard Lin say.

“Sorry, Soros.”

“No worries. He’s just a baby. I understand. I was just trying to scare him.”

Roth stood up. “Well, Soros, I have to get going. I’m going to go off to meet some of my friends.” And I’d hate for my cat to steal something here only to be evaporated by one of your lasers, Roth added to himself.

“I appreciate the visit. By the way, I love the pin. It touches me to see how much you treasure our friendship.”

“I’m glad you noticed, Soros. I’ll see you later.” Roth glanced at the golden pin on his jacket with two mountains and grinned.

Golden Mountain Honorary Badge (Rare)

Description: A valuable insignia that is only handed to reputable partners of Golden Mountain Inc. All merchants will respect it.

Effects:

+10 charisma;

+3% to all discount bonuses (+10% when buying from Golden Mountain Inc.)

Restrictions: Broker, lvl. 10.

Roth had purchased the pin with reputation coins and used it to renegotiate his cut with Soros. From now on, he would get even more profit from his transactions. It wasn’t that he was lacking money. Every minute, a few golden coins fell into his purse, as somewhere in AstroTerra, a new player started a new account as a lizardman. However, if he were to succeed in his legendary quest to abolish slavery, he’d need gold. Lots of it. This was an important step in that direction. An extra 10% discount on all items he bought from Soros was a massive increase in profit.

“Hey, Roth! We’re here. Are you coming or what?”

“Sorry, Rhapsody. I’m on my way.”

Roth checked the clock and gasped. Time had sneaked up on him, and the gathering had already started.

Summon!

Lua appeared from around the corner, and Roth mounted. “Sorry, Lua. I’m running late, so we’ll have to hurry.”

“Neigh, huff, it’s OK. Let’s go! Let’s feel neigh night breeze.”

Progress in learning Horsian: 63%...

Evening was falling on Hilsford, and with each passing moment, Lua’s speed increased, thanks to her [Moonlight Gallop] skill. In minutes, Roth had crossed the distance from Golden Mountain Inc. to Anvil Inn, a lodge located on Smith Street. The architecture was homely and neat, a definite improvement over the one they used to meet at in the slums.

As Roth entered, he instantly understood why Drake had chosen this place for the gathering. It was crowded with soldiers. He could spot even a captain drinking ale off to a corner. There were also several players. If Roth had to guess, every last one of them was a Union member. For an assassin to get in here and ruin the party, they’d have to pay a heavy price.

“Excuse me, sir. Where’s the private room?” he asked the bartender, who was pouring a frothing drink from a barrel onto a glass mug.

“That way, sir. Make a left after that column.”

“Thanks!”

Roth was getting excited. How long had it been since he’d hung out with his friends like this? Even before he reached the door, he could hear Benny’s hearty laughter and the clinks of tables and forks. There was also a delicious aroma coming from the door. Roth knocked, and as the door opened, he was pulled in, as if an aircraft’s door had opened in midflight, sucking him.

“Haha! Look who it is! Finally honoring is with a visit, lad?”

“Hi, Sarg. Long time no see.”

“Let me take a good look at you.” The sergeant looked him from top to bottom as if he were inspecting the barracks, looking for any fault in a soldier’s uniform. “You look good.” He looked him right in the eye. “You look happier, too. Good. Good.”

Roth also used the opportunity to take a good look at Sarg. His equipment had undergone a complete makeover. He wore a fashionable blue tunic, and every finger on his twelve fingers had a ring on it. “Look at you, Sarg. You are starting to look almost like Godsfried.”

“I know. I'm already level 30 in jewelry.”

“Level 30?!” Roth shrieked. 

“Something wrong, son?” 

“No, it's just that I haven’t gotten that far in any of my professions.”

“Don't blame yourself. You run around a lot adventuring and all that. You have multiple professions. I just focus on jewelry. Besides, this union quest has been great to level up.”

The grin on the sergeant’s lips told Roth that he was happy with his reaction.

“Don't hog all the attention of my baby, Jazz.”

Jazz? 

“Hi, Mom.” Seeing his mother calling the sergeant by a nickname and how close she stood to him, he couldn't help but eye them suspiciously. “You look so nice. You've dressed up. What's the occasion?” Roth said, trying to get a reaction from his mother. 

“Why else? You’re here! That’s worth celebrating. Besides, I have a surprise for you.”

Hearing it, Roth put his suspicions on standby. “Really? What kind of surprise?”

“Come. There's someone here who wants to see you.”

The room was reasonably large, with two long tables filled with food. There were towers of sweets, plates with varied pastries, freshly baked pies, cakes, and all different kinds of dishes. A banquet like this would have cost a fortune in the real world. The smell in the air made Roth’s mouth water, and he noticed Lin had already jumped onto the table and grabbed a fish. The rascal.

“Hey, guys!” Roth greeted the different members of the 14th he passed by, who were happily chatting away.

“Sup, Roth?” Pete said, smiling.

“Hey, Roth! It's good to see you,” Charlie said, shaking his hand. Sarg wasn't the only one who had gotten a complete equipment makeover. Everyone else looked different. Rather than having clothes and equipment focused on their classes, they seemed to have gone all in on crafting. 

Charlie wore a social, mustard-yellow lab coat that was appropriate for mixing chemicals and having drinks at a party. Maggie just wore her engineer’s overalls, and her cybernetic leg now had a golden sheen crisscrossed with shiny, blue lines. Roth waved as his mother towed him along.

“Hey, Rhapsody! Hi, Leanne!”

“Hey, Roth! Thanks for inviting me. What a cool party!”

“Haha. Thanks for coming, girls. What have you been up to? Who’s winning?”

“We’re tied,” answered Leanne, giggling. “For now.”

“My son will come in a moment, ladies. I need him to talk to some people over there. OK?”

“Yes, Mrs. Bessie,” both girls recited as if they were children talking to a teacher. “Wow, mom. You can’t turn off your motherly superpowers? Can-”

Roth stopped. His eyes landed on four people he had never met before, There were two men, one woman, and a little girl. The two men looked strangely familiar. Even though they weren't as tall as Roth they still had a respectable height and the same broad shoulders. The lines on their faces were longer and just like prison had aged Roth, hardships orchestrated by Loki, their father’s loss, and their brother’s imprisonment had aged them. 

“Drew? Nate?”

His brothers were already rushing toward them. 

“Roth!”

“Brother!”

The three were locked in a tight embrace. Roth had gone from a state of simple satisfaction at seeing his friends and family to becoming a total wreck. He hadn’t seen his brothers since he’d been locked up. He hadn’t seen them since their father died. And now they were here. All together. He felt like a little boy, shielded by his two invincible, bigger brothers.

His mother stood to the side, wiping tears. After a few long moments of crying, Roth finally regained some composure and wiped the snot and tears in the sleeves of his green lambswool jacket. It was a good thing he hadn't changed the equipment to the Lacertia set; otherwise, the snot would have been much harder to hide. 

“What are? When did you? How?” Roth struggled to put a sentence together. But after the elation came a deep sense of shame. He had uprooted the lives of his two brothers and their families. Because of him, they had had a hard life over the past few years. What he had done had no excuse. 

“Sorry guys,” was the first sentence Roth managed to say. “I let you two down.”

Nathan, the oldest of the three, gently tapped his cheek. “It's all good, brother.”

“But what I've done is unforgivable,” Roth insisted. “I'm so sorry.” 

“It's okay, Roth. The important thing is that we are all together again,” Andrew encouraged.

“We're proud of you, Roth. Look at you. You're a new man, aren't you? Dad would have been proud of you, too.” Nathan said, choking up. 

“I'm trying,” Roth admitted. The three brothers embraced again. Unbeknownst to Roth, everything around them had stopped. All in the 14th looked at the reunion, and some were wiping tears. Even Rhapsody and Leanne were crying.

“Alright, everyone!” Drake used this moment to step in. His friend also looked different. There was an air of dignity and authority that Roth had never seen in prison. It looked like being respected by the 14th and treated as a real captain had breathed some life into the man. He winked at Roth and shouted as if he were a principal herding a crowd of unruly students. “Give the family some space! Who wants some ale? Come here to this table, and I’ll pour you some.”

Chatter resumed all over the room, and Nathan beckoned the woman and the girl to approach Roth. “Roth, this is my wife, Susan. Darling, this is my little brother.”

“Hi, Susan.”

“Hi, Roth. It’s so good to meet you finally. Nathan has told me so much about you. He’s been dying to see you again.”

“I'm so sorry for everything I’ve put you guys through.” 

“Hey, you finally got me to a resort that your brother would never be able to afford. I think we're even,” she joked.

Roth instantly liked Susan. Nathan was always a serious, collected type, but Susan seemed to have a sunny, light disposition. He could see why they were together. 

“And who is this beautiful little girl?” Roth said, squatting. A little girl hid behind her mother, eyeing her giant uncle.

“Come on, Linda. Say something to Uncle Roth,” Nathan encouraged. 

“Hi. Is it true you were in jail?”

“Linda?” Susan hissed. “Where are your manners?” 

“It's okay. It's okay.” Roth said promptly. “Yes, it's true. I was.”

“Is it true that if I misbehave, I’ll go to jail, too?” 

Roth laughed. “Did your father tell you that?”

Nathan looked down, embarrassed, scratching his head. “I might have.” 

“Oh, grandma tells her that plenty, too. Doesn’t she?” said Mrs. Bessy as she swooped in and picked up the little girl.

“Stop it, Nana,” the girl laughed as her grandmother tickled her. Roth couldn’t believe it. At last, his family was together again. At last, he had met his niece and sister-in-law. This had to be one of the best days of his life.

Ch. 271 - Wipe!

INDEX

Ch. 273 - Awkwarrrd