“The three of us were going to stick around and grab dinner afterward. Want to join?” Nora asked once Ellen had released my hand.

  “That’d be great.” I said.

  It took half an hour for us to get to the front of the line. Behind the sturdy wooden desk sat a young woman in her mid thirties, with brown hair that cascaded down to her mid back. When she looked up at us, I noticed a small scar that ran from the middle of her eyebrows to the top of her right eye.

  “Hi name’s Annabelle! I’ll be your [Receptionist], I take it you four are forming a party?” Annabelle’s voice was clear and precise, in the way only the best bureaucrats seemed to possess.

  “We are.” Nora said.

  “Fantastic, I’ll just get you guys to put your names and specialities down in this sheet, along with a party name if you have one. If not, just write N/A on that line. Hand it back once you’re done and you’re set.”

  Nora took the sheet and wrote her name along with ‘damaging spells’ as her speciality, then handed it to Ellen. By the time we got the paper back to Annabelle, Ruth was in her customary monologuing spot.

  By the time the last person finished registering and we were all seated, a bunch of stewards, including some I hadn’t seen, joined the rest of the trainers behind Ruth.

  “Thank you for your patience.” Ruth said and shot a glare at a rotund man at the very far edge of the group behind her.

  “The stewards’ Rite of Choice is something we perform at the end of every youth program in Teles. Stewards who’re looking to take on a new party will come and talk to some of you. The stewards who get to approach you first are chosen by the [Hall Mistress] and who she’s deemed the worthiest. The only rule to that is that stewards without a flagship party will always be allowed to speak to you first.

  “The stewards themselves are already aware of the order they are to approach you in. Once I give the all clear, the Rite of Choice will begin. However, I need to make some things clear. First, you don’t have to take on the first steward who approaches you, nor any steward at all if you so choose. Your party’s steward will work in close proximity to you for a long time, so I suggest you put some thought into the decision.

  “Second, none of you are obligated to participate in the Rite of Choice, if you’ve got a deal with another steward already worked out, or are foolishly looking to go without one, you’re free to leave right now.” Ruth took a step back to look over all of us, waiting to see if anyone would leave.

  As soon as she finished speaking, one table in the far back got up. There were six people evenly split amongst men and women. All of them went to the door, chatting casually as they walked. Right as the last person was about to leave, she turned and shouted a quick thanks to the trainers before she ran to catch up with her friends. The tavern door gently closing itself behind her.

  Shortly after that group left, a woman seated up front by the trainers got up and left without a party. I heard one of the younger stewards mutter a curse as he watched her go. Ruth waited a little longer for anyone to leave before she spoke again.

  “I now declare the Rite of Choice to have commenced. Maggie, you may approach a perspective party.”

  The same administrator who’d signed me up for this stepped forward. She wore a fine pair of brown trousers and a green silk shirt that had an unfamiliar emblem sewn above her heart. Calm eyes wandered from table to table while she meandered about the room. Occasionally, she paused and took her time to look over someone before moving on.

  She stopped at our table, eyes drilling into my new party mates for a long while. I’d thought she’d leave, but in a slight gesture to herself, she nodded and stepped forward.

  “I’m Maggie. Hopefully, I’ll be your new steward.” She said with a confident smile. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Absolutely!” Nora said with a smile and shifted over to allow Maggie some room on the end of the bench.

  Absently, I heard Ruth call the next steward forward now that Maggie made her choice.

  “Great! Instead of boring y’all with the same tired pitch, how about I answer some of your questions? And if you still want it, I can give you the pitch at the end.”

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  I had no idea what the ‘old’ pitch was and was kind of disappointed she didn’t give it.

  “I’ll start.” Ellen said. “What do you get out of being our steward?”

  “Besides enough experience to Tier up?” Maggie asked with a laugh. “Well, there’s the money. I’m not sure if you guys know this, but stewards get a salary based on two things; our parties’ ranks within the Guild, and their reputation outside the Guild. Plus, we earn ten percent of all the money you make on contracts. The better you guys do and earn, the more I make.”

  Maggie flashed us a smile and a golden coin appeared, held between two of her fingers. She flicked the coin across her fingers without taking her eyes off us before it vanished back into wherever she kept it.

  “Realistically, the most valuable thing I’ll get from being your steward is power within the Guild. The better y’all do, and the more power you accrue, the more I’ll be able to influence the internal politics of the Guild both to further your interests and my own.” Maggie said with an amiable smile.

  Personally, her honesty impressed me, and I saw similar looks from Nora and Mika. Ellen looked more surprised that Maggie admitted having personal motives than pleased. I expected her to have a followup question, but it was Nora who broke the moment of silence.

  “I get what you’d be doing for us while we’re in town and between jobs, but what would you be doing while we’re out on campaign or on a quest?” Nora said.

  Her tone was more businesslike than I’d ever heard it before. Gone was the subtle lacing of curiosity, replaced by an authority that demanded answers rather than asked.

  “Easy enough.” Maggie said, unphased. “Once I have a party, I’m freed from all administrative duties that exclude the care of my party. With all that new free time, my job basically boils down to procuring new contracts and contacts for you four; and using the ones I already have to secure you things like equipment, supplies, outside training, and any needs you might have if you wish to enter the world of business. After that, I’ll spend my time advertising your services to anyone who may need the help of adventurers. Basically, when y’all are gone, my job is just contacts and contracts.”

  Nora looked thoughtful, but otherwise, her curiosity seemed sated. I looked at my new party to see how they were feeling about Maggie and if they had anymore questions. Mika was champing at the bit to ask something, so I nodded at him and let him go first.

  “You said you had contacts you could leverage for us. Who are they?”

  “Before I was an adventurer, I was a mercenary. Grew up as one, in fact. During my time, I made a lot of friends, and I’d be using my connections not only with my old company but with the people who supplied and hired us.”

  “What’s the name?” I asked, curious.

  “Huh?”

  “Your company? What was it called?” I repeated.

  Maggie almost winced, but schooled her expression in time to stop.

  “If they have disbanded, or there are some painful memories attached, you don’t have to share.”

  It was graceless to force someone to relive traumatic memories, so I gave her the chance to not answer.

  “It’s not that. It’s just kind of embarrassing is all.” Maggie said.

  “Why would it be embarrassing?” Nora asked.

  “I was a part of Maggie’s Raiders is why.”

  I’d never heard of that mercenary company, but assumed it was small since Maggie had named it after herself; but when I looked at my party mates, Ellen and Mika were staring at her openmouthed.

  “Don’t tell me.” Ellen said. “You’re the Maggie?”

  “Yeah.” she said with a sigh. “My mom had just started the company when she found out she was pregnant, held off on naming it until I was born during their first campaign. They’ve been Maggie’s Raiders ever since.”

  “So, you mom is Agatha, then? As in, Agatha the Impaler?” Mika asked, almost incredulous.

  “Yes.” Maggie said with another sigh.

  She sounded embarrassed, but ever since her mom and the mercenary company were brought up, she’d straightened her shoulders and puffed out her chest a little.

  “Hold on, that makes you-“ Nora began, but cut off.

  “Yes, that me, but please don’t use that title, it’s mortifying.”

  Maggie looked around the table, checking to see if any of us were going to push the topic, but none of us did, so she relaxed.

  “To better explain some of my contacts, after a decade I figured out that combat wasn’t for me, so I switched the admin side. I worked my way from recruiter all the way to quartermaster and fell in love with the backend of combat.

  Most of my contacts come from my time spent as head of logistics for Maggie’s Raiders, but during my time at the Guild, I’ve met several trainers and craftspeople I can call on.”

  Beside me I could see Nora preparing to ask another question, but I got the jump on her.

  “What did you do when you were still a combatant?”

  Part of the question came from genuine curiosity and another came from a need to know that Maggie actually understood what it meant to fight for a living. Having someone sheltered from the worst of it when she was in her mother’s company and during her journeyman year with the Guild would do us no good.

  “I was a [Reaver] and a [Scout]. Spent my whole life amongst the vanguard.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” Ellen interjected. “what Tier did you make before you switched to the admin side?”

  “I don’t mind. Made it to the Third Tier for both. Ended my time in combat as a [Seismic Outrider] and a [Discerning Marauder], both of which are what the Guild qualifies as flanker classes.”

  I’d known a couple of [Marauders] growing up, and Maggie did not fit the image of that class tree I had in my head. The people I’d known with the class had all been rough around the edges, but Maggie carried herself with the laid-back confidence of someone who knew they were fantastic at their job.

  “You said that you’re hoping signing us on will give you enough experience to Tier up. Do you mind me asking which class will?” Nora asked.

  “[Head Hunter], it’s my Third Tier class off of [Recruiter].”

  Mika whistled at the class’ name

  “And that’ll tier up from signing us? Hells if that isn’t an ego boost.” Mika was right. That was flattering.

  The questions continued for a while longer. Each of us asked about small matters now that the major points were out of the way. I’d asked if she knew anyone who specialized in war hammers that’d be willing to train me. My trainers back home had all been familiar with the weapon, but none specialized in its use. Maggie said she knew an excellent Guild trainer in some city name Byzaris that might be willing to help.

  Mika asked if she knew anyone who could instruct him in rune crafting since the ones available for public study were designed for everyday enchanting, not golem creation, like he was after. Ellen refrained from asking many questions, but Nora was full of them.

  “So why stewardship, and not something like training?” Nora asked, fixated on what Maggie had said about loving the backend half of combat.

  “Oh, I considered becoming a trainer for a while, but it just wasn’t the right fit. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping combatants reach their full potential. But there’s an entire ecosystem dedicated to helping mercenaries and adventurers and I love working within that.”

  “Ecosystem?”

  “Think of it this way, adventurers are like an apex predator. They get all the attention from scholars, they bring down the biggest hunts, get paid the most. But in order for that apex predator to exist, a million other little things have to support them.

  “They need [Armorers], [Trainers], [Butchers], [Wagon Drivers], [Assistants], [Bards], [Healers]. There are a million and one industries designed to help adventurers, adventure; and I’ve always loved working within that. Trying to get the most out of it and seeing where the unexploited niches are.”