mercenarymage

[mercenarymage]

April Activity

Skill Points 20 -> 21

Upped Faith C -> Still C (Activity)

(Peace Signs) skipping thread list this time

[mercenarymage]

The kid raises a good point, but Hugh's also just, sorta keeping an eye to make sure Al doesn't bump into anything, either. Which, when he doesn't, Hugh's once more just pondering on where this kid's even from. A terrifying powerhouse against those monsters, able to be flung off a rampaging machine and live to tell the tale...

He thinks back to that broken sword.

"You're not wrong..." he finally speaks up, as the two approach the stall. This one's far less shiny, with no over the top advertisements or colorful swords vying for one's attention. The person manning it seems fairly humble, at least from a first impression. Hugh does note to keep an eye out for it, though - it's a common ploy to act meek in order to sway favor.

He looks to the current stock. There's three axes here - one of Steel, one of Silver, and even a 'handy' hand axe to consider as well. An Iron Lance also sits on display.

Hugh starts by taking a look at the Hand Axe. The extra range would be useful, he figures, but...

"Well, what do you think?" He whispers, pointing at the weapon in question. "If I threw it, do you think it'd go far?"

The shopkeeper raises a brow, but doesn't seem to react otherwise. Maybe they're just staring to stare.

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

That nets a chuckle from Hugh - ok, yeah. Like, he knows how to hold a sword, but he's not fooling someone who literally came barging in to save his ass with one a good number of months back. That last store was also just...a little unnerving, wasn't it? With all the cursed swords?

...hopefully the next store doesn't have any cursed swords. They can break, sure, just no more Sword of the Sineater or whatever that one was called.

"Hrm..." Bringing a hand towards his forehead, he surveys the remaining merchants along this road. One of them's got a variety of swords, lances, and axes - seems pretty basic, too. The other looks to have a specialization in swords, though he's not 100% sure whether or not the swords are up to par.

"Ok, I see two shops over there. Do you think that fancy one with all the swords has something for us, or should we try a generalist storefront?"

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

Is it safe to continue? Man, a part of him fears that it won't be. But with no signs of the rats anywhere, and already knee deep in this labyrinthian place, there really was only one direction but forward, right?

Still, as Hugh continues, he takes it slowly. "...furballs like that should not be nearly putting us in the infirmary!" He laughs it off, just like, man, what in the world was all of this? Did someone teach them? Or are there just weird souped up rats who could deal some serious damage down here for no reason other than some really messed up inheritance?

....this is not what he's being paid for. Stop thinking about the rat's origin stories!!

And Hugh does, when he hears a sound. A bit different from the squeaks he was fearing. It sounds like....a cry for help? He looks to Yuzu. "I think...I hear someone up ahead. I don't know if they've got the place guarded, but if it's our missing people..."

He debates on whether to burn the torch staff more brightly, or dim the light for some added stealth. He awaits Yuzu's action to make a decision on his part regarding it.

Oh, rats! [May Mission] [Sword+1]

[mercenarymage]

The quizzical brow that comes from the question steadies to one uncertain in other ways. It's almost admirable to see how genuine the question is - to know that Al hasn't had to deal with folks like them on a timely basis like he has. To be able to wear your heart on your sleeve. Something that Hugh's struggled with being able to do for a long, long time.

He idly scratches at his chin. "What's the point, huh..." Hugh knows, but he attempts to figure out how to best put it. "Well, a lot of folks aren't so nice about being upfront about what they sell. They'll try and see if they can wager a higher price to fool someone who doesn't know better."

"But me? I'm foolproof!" He grins at that. He's a tad proud of himself for it, for some reason. "Just as there are folks trying to drain our wallets, there are those who search for the best deals. It's why I'm here! The monastery only has so many funds to work with, so..."

With a tap of his foot, he scans the marketplace, surveying the remaining stalls. "Hey, you wouldn't mind tagging along, would you? I can handle the talking just fine, but I wouldn't mind having a second opinion." Just maybe don't have me hold another sword like that, he wants to say, but he holds back. Instead, he puts on a big grin.

"There's got to be someone here who's honest about their wares, right?" Absolutely unlikely, but Hugh offers the concept all the same.

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

You know, this is one of those times where Hugh can thank his lucky stars that his apitude with dark magic is...to be desired. The whirling blade as it leaves the hilt, the clear malice to consume all that is eerie, and the way that it punctures the earth in a way that very well could have pierced his heart...

Honestly! What a great day to be an anima mage!

Hugh's still stunned by the whole affair, though. As he slowly glances away from the blade and back to the hilt it's supposed to be attached to, the merchant veers towards Al, hands firmly against their hips. "What gives? You're destroying my wares, that's What Gives! Now get! The both of you!"

The merchant yanks the hilt out of Al's hands, a clattering of chains following suit as they return it to their collection. They shortly circle back to nab the blade from the ground, too - or, puzzle themselves as to how to go about the ordeal.

It's actually kinda funny to watch. Hugh stiffles a laugh. The merchant gives them both the stink eye, and with a pat on Al's back, he offers his sword back with the other.

"Come on, this one's not worth the time. Wanna see what else's around?"

Having a roundabout lie detector would be worth having onboard. And between the two of them, Al did have more experience with a sword, so...

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

Does he...know how to hold a sword? (He does now have a D+ Rank in swords, but that's beside the point). "Uh...yeah, I do?"

At first, Hugh assumes that Al wants him to keep an eye on his trusty sword while he swung the rattling mess of chains that was also considered a sword. He goes over what the other's side, though. He wants to hold this sword...and to not let go.

Al must be seeing something about the merchant's wares that Hugh isn't. Makes sense, given that he's more familiar with the blade than Hugh is, but he still finds it in him to stare with a hint of anticipation in his look as he surveys just what in the world Al has plans for next.

The merchant's able to reason faster than Hugh does, and shaky hands wave towards Al. "O-oh, plans for a mock fight? Rest assured, you don't need to test the blade against your own! It'll hold its own plenty on the field-"

And there's a tell that Hugh catches onto. He adjusts his grip, making sure it's nice and firm before locking eyes with Al. "Show me what you got."

He...doesn't actually fully know what Al's about to do. But it's causing the merchant to squirm, Hugh wants to know why.

He wants to make sure the blade he brings back are worth the coin. Especially given the dangers they had to face that left them so shorthanded in the first place.

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

Eyes focused on the barrel - one that's been through a number of incidents on this fine day - Hugh flinches when he's asked a question. He had been wondering whether or not the sword would be worth the coin. It had some...unique qualities to it, but Al had proven that it's capable of at least some level of combat.

To price it at 2000, though...

"Are you sure you're not able to part with it for 1600?" He offers in turn, not quite answering Al's question. "I understand the blade has some visual appeal, but appearance is not a priority on the battlefield." Slightly a lie. Hugh, you do like to look a little flashy and cool when you want to be.

The merchant huffs at that, and compromises with 1900. When Hugh hesitates, the merchant stands their ground, and Hugh eventually accepts. He counts up enough coin to hand over to the merchant, and...

One badass looking sword has been added to your inventory!

Pocketing his wallet, he glances to Al. "So, anything else here catch you eye, or are we done here?"

Looks like another Shadowkiller, a Levin Sword, and ...Sword of the Sineater*? This shop is looking more and more like an edgelord's paradise. (With positive affection, of course. We love to see it).

The merchant seems a little wary of the duo, but you might be able to determine the state of one more of these before they tell you to bother someone else. Probably.

*An Event weapon with increased hit rate. On Hit or better against Dark magic or Dark magic classes: Guaranteed critical damage. For every turn that this weapon is in the wielder’s inventory but is not used, inflicts -1 strength on wielder. Strength penalty is reset after this weapon’s next use.

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

Huh? Hearing Yuzu's call, eyes avert to the tail in question. He registers what she calls for, and quickly, he acts upon it - he can't let down the one who has been fighting so hard alongside him.

Hugh 4.5/10HP auto-crits with Fire! [roll: 9; -4HP; Mousy Monk 0.5/10HP] Mousy Monk 0.5/10HP cannot counterattack!

Flames alight the mouse's tail. It helps to melt the frozen pelt, but it serves little to soothe the burns that the embers inflict upon it. The pain finally has the mouse even switch to whom it preys upon, sending a flurry of light towards the mage in an attempt to both injure while healing itself.

Mousy Monk 0.5/10HP hits Hugh 4.5/10HP with Shining Bow! [Roll 18; -1HP, Hugh 3.5/10HP] Mousy Monk 0.5/10HP recovers 1HP!

But it isn't enough. The time that the light works to weave itself in and restore the mouse back to its prime is far too slow. Hugh takes advantage of this too. His casting, far faster, sends another ball of fire towards the mouse, and...

Mousy Monk 1.5HPHugh 3.5/10HP hits with Fire! [roll: 9; -2HP; Mousy Monk 0/10HP] Mousy Monk has been defeated!

It erupts once more. This time, when the flames settle down, both of the adversaries have turned tail and fled. Was this it? Had they finally...wait.

More importantly, he turns to Yuzu. "Hey, are you...ok?"

The embarrassment of his earlier actions start to seep back in. Man, he's got to cover his ass about the why quickly. He just tripped is a sure, that's the truth, but? How does that convince her that things are going to be ok? Saying 'its dark' doesn't help and 'it's the rat's fault' probably doesn't, and...

He's quiet on the outside, but inside, his mind is swimming with all the options to Try and Make himself Seem Cooler despite his blunder.

Oh, rats! [May Mission] [Sword+1]

[mercenarymage]

Al's entrance had been unexpected - actually, scratch that. Has there ever been a time where he's made a normal entrance? Hugh recounts the time chasing down a wayward ballista; the time where Al had dived in when things had seemed nothing but dire, and tipped the scales to their favor-

And here, now, proving to Hugh some suspicions he had with the merchant's hasty pricing decisions.

...(seriously though, where did you come from?!)

"Kid's right," With a cough, Hugh turns to the merchant, one who's face has visibly paled at sight of the flimsy sword being damaged by a mere barrel. "The best you'll be able to pawn this off for is scrap metal. And that's being generous to the materials that this sword was forged with."

He's still taking in the fact that Al's even here to begin with, but he needs to take advantage of this now, and him ask later. A worry seeps in where Hugh fears that Al may have tried the merchant's patience, but-

"Oh, silly me! That's just the prop!" A merchant's pride is far more important, it seems. "But for someone of your talents, I do believe I have a sword that will better fit your fancies."

The merchant goes through their belongings before revealing something far different from the last - it oozes dread and edgeness. Has something unsettling about the look, and the blade itself looks a-little-too-jagged and pointy.

"Behold, the legendary Shadowkiller*!"

(*An E rank event weapon with Increased Hit rate and decent Crit Rate. On Hit or better against monster, it guarantees critical damage.)

The Merchant has a sly look to their face. "With a weapon as fine as this, you'll be able to decimate more than just mere barrels. And you'll be the talk of the town, too, with a blade as unique as this!"

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

March Activity

Skill Points 18 -> 19

Upped Sword D-> Still D (Activity)

Hugh's thread list can be found below (and his Stats tracker is here).

I owe a reply to...

Trading Places [Nov Mission][Sephiran]

Service With a Smile (And Cat Ears) [August Mission][Elffin]

Cloudy With a Chance of Insecurity [Sept Mission][Chad]

Oh, Rats! [May Mission] [Yuzu]

Me? No way, I'm ordering for the kids. You know, the ones I Babysit? No? [August Mission][Raven]

These Puns are Reel-y Fishy, don't you think? [July Mission] [Selena]

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords [Al]

Awaiting...

Meeting Eye to (Un)familiar eye [Sept Mission][Sophia]

If I Could Give It Zero Stars, I Would [Non-Mission][Raven]

Monsters in the Mist [Dec Mission][Byleth]

Let's Solve a Dream! [Dec Mission][Hortensia]

If I'm missing your thread or I actually DO need to reply to you, let me know through DMing here or on discord.

[mercenarymage]

You would think so! You would really think so.

With a blunder like that, it was Hugh's pride that was wounded more than any of the injuries that he had sustained thus far. Making himself a fool?! By these creatures, no less!

He doesn't say anything, this time. He's focus. He's got to focus! Check the ground, make sure his footing is steady, and-

Hugh 4.5/10HP hits with Fire! [roll: 18; -2HP; Mousy Monk 5/10HP] Mousy Monk 5/10HP cannot counterattack!

Fire whips towards the Mouse, creating a vortex of flame. It creates another opportunity for Yuzu to react, as the Mouse struggles to take aim on either of them.

Hugh has to wonder though - why decide to aim for Yuzu, in the end? Was it because she was the one that was pulled underground originally? Or, perhaps it was because the mouse didn't want to get burned more than it already has?

(...it can't be because he's not as threatening, right? Righttt?)

He prepares another spell.

Oh, rats! [May Mission] [Sword+1]

[mercenarymage]

The flurry of punches delivered by Yuzu, the mouse stumbling back...yeah, Hugh had been so sure that they had this now. Fire whips up once more as he calls upon the spell, a confident, "Sure thing!" coming from him, but.

But,

well,

...

..he trips.

as he does, the flames veer to the side, missing the fuzzy creature altogether.

Hugh 4.5/10HP misses with Fire! [roll: 4; 0HP; Mousy Monk 6.5/10HP] Mousy Monk 6.5/10HP cannot counterattack!

It doesn't help Yuzu, either. With the mouse behind the flames, rather than being doused with them, it provides enough of a cover for it to take advantage and return fire.

Mousy Monk 6.5/10HP critical hits with Shining Bow! [Roll: 20; -2 HP; Yuzu 3/10HP] Mousy Monk 6.5/10HP recovers 2HP! Mousy Monk 8.5HP

What was that about securing a quick victory again? Was it safer to continue, or take cover? Either way, Huhh's definitely not recovering from the literal trip up he's done.

Oh, rats! [May Mission] [Sword+1]

[mercenarymage]

There are a number of things that Hugh could say, could do in turn. He doesn't quite understand why it always happens with them -that the roles get reversed, that Hugh's the one losing his cool around the one who very well shouldn't be playing adult. He's got to be better than this. He needs to take a deep breath, now.

...it's cold. The frost nips at his throat as he inhales.

"...our inventory." Hugh eventually decides. "I've got some rations, a blanket, a bundle of herbs, one or two uses left in the spellbook..." Eyes wander back to the empty chimney. If they could find something flammable, something that could actually keep the fire going...

But he already knows that nothing in here's worth the trouble. It's either what's keeping the bulk of the draft out, or in the frigid outdoors. He's not even sure the wood they'd find out there would be capable of burning - nor worth the chilly trudge just to find any that didn't require a swift axe to chop down.

"Please...tell me what you have." He requests. "I want to...we should figure out what we can do."

What can be done.

The wind howls outside. There's no sign of that storm letting up anytime soon. They'll likely have to stay at least the night. Even if Hugh's the only one with food - unlikely, but still - he's sure that they'll manage.

But it's not the food he's worried about. He's reminded again when he takes another shaky breath.

Cloudy with a chance of Insecurity

[Anniversary Mission - Heavy Armor]

[mercenarymage]

"Of course!"

With the first of the two down, Hugh finally feels they have footing in this battle - though the worry of reinforcements remains in his cautious mind. They'll need to take the final down out soon if they want to even chance the idea of sneaking further in without detection. He can only hope the magical energy that the mouse and him exchanges hasn't signaled anyone else.

Flames dancing upon his fingertips, he hurls another fireball towards the mousy adversary.

Hugh 4.5/10HP attacks Mousy Monk 10/10 with Fire! [Roll: 10; 2 HP; Mousy Monk 8/10 HP] Mousy Monk 8/10HP cannot counterattack!

The fire erupts into embers and sparks as it makes contact. It casts a daunting shadow of Hugh - tall and imposing, the Mouse freezes in place, unable to react in time before the man's able to pull away.

"Alright, wise-guy, let's see what you can do!" He taunts, hoping to catch the mouse's attention. But his prior tactic had gone a little too well - veering towards Yuzu, it attempts to score another hit with her...

Mousy Monk 8/10HP misses Yuzu 5/10HP with Shining Bow! [Roll 3; 0HP, Yuzu 5/10HP]

There's a sigh of relief when he spots the mouse fumble, though.

Oh, rats! [May Mission] [Sword+1]

[mercenarymage]

The task is unusual - far different from the protecting, defending, and fending off of dangers. Rather, it is the lack of supplies in which to defend that's the problem. Given the events that came to pass in the prior months, many a fighter is without a weapon they can call their own.

And so, Hugh decides to help in the way he knows best.

The merchant presents him several wares, but his eyes are set on one kind in particular. The monastery is, above all, on short supply with swords - and the selection this Merchant offers might be worth pursuing? Maybe. Hugh will be the judge of that.

"So, about this one," Hugh asks, and the Merchant clasps their hands.

"Ah, yes! That one? It's crafted by a master blacksmith, though with your critical eye, I may be able to pass it to your hands for a humble 2500…"

"You drive up a hard bargain! The quality is good, but the merchant down the block was selling it for 1800, and I'm juuuuusst under budget of what you're offering, so…"

"2300, then! Certainly that will suffice?"

Hugh taps his chin a few times in faux contemplation. The merchant hurriedly suggests 2000 instead. Now there's a number he can work with, but…

Still, Hugh has to wonder. Is the price doable? It does look to be a strong sword - a Wo Dao, from what it seems. But the merchant must at least know that they can get away with a little haggling on their end due to the previous conflict, right? So why did they lower the price so quickly?

Footsteps come marching in but, too fixated on the puzzling scenario, Hugh does not pick up that this group of two would soon become three.

@championsblade

Trivia: In the Manga, Al Breaks Three Swords.

[March Mission - Sword]

[mercenarymage]

February Activity

[N/A - see Jan. Activity for skill points and threads to catch up on.]

[Will see if there are other classes to claim soon!]