Where Livia had been going each morning was right at the opposite end of Lena's place by the town square. Salcret had an [Organizer] whose job it was to delegate tasks that needed doing around the village, whenever someone with a useful Class lacked work to do, or needed an extra pair of hands, they would come here and have Karl pair them up and provide them with buffs or an assignment for the day. What his Class primarily did was allow people to [Merge] builder Skills in the same vein as [Forester's Spirit] that provided the intuition of a true craftsman. It allowed for a [Hammerer] to work with a [Saw Master] to build something neither could manage alone.

It was why Salcret was built grander and with much more care and character given to each building, than the depictions of real medieval towns that Livia had seen growing up. It looked more like a true fantasy village, and obviously part of Livia had been delighted, even if she could do with a skyscraper or two right now.

Karl's buffs lasted for ten hours unless you did something foolhardy to drain the magic, and if so you had better not come crying to Karl about it. He did not suffer fools. Unfortunately it seemed him and Livia had gotten off on the wrong foot, despite her polite nature. Unless he just sensed her real poaching agenda somehow. The man's buffs lasted for so long because he was above level 30. Each capstone was cause for celebration, so it was hardly a secret, but if you asked the man about specifics he was very rude about providing you the non-answer.

That wasn't why he didn't like Livia, however he did take umbrage with her coming by everyday to offer her services 'In case someone needed to make a guild or wanted to apply to one' when it was obvious nobody did. She wasn't even trying to pitch to anybody yet, she was just looking for an excuse to hang around and learn about the different talents around Salcret. No, what he had taken true offense at was Livia walking up to simply ask him if she could get a list of all the most high level people in Salcret. Not the smartest move in hindsight.

But luckily, despite Karl catching on to her intentions so soon, he did not have the authority to ban her from the square. Nobody did, even Headwoman Tyresa, it just didn't work like that in sleepy little towns like Salcret. Nobody collected taxes, and they weren't citizens governed by laws. They just had a set of rules laid down by the founders, who happened to despise authority figures, and enforced those and discussed everything else on a case by case basis, with Tyresa having the final say. And everybody else having the final say on her having the final say. Funding for community projects was likewise on a voluntary basis.

It worked, despite the rudimentary nature. But it did open them up to predators like Livia, here to poach their brightest and their best. She just needed to stick around long enough to learn about things, and she finally had.

The first target was the town [Healer]. Not the main one, she wasn't trying to get hung in the town square, but she did happen to have an apprentice around Livia's age, and even if her leaving would be a loss, there was time aplenty to teach another. They probably had more Aspirants already, but the apprentice Agneta was the one Livia had seen around Karl, checking to see if anybody could use some help. Whenever there was a work injury, or the like, a trailblaze of gossip would reach the town square in minutes, and Agneta or even Agnes if it was serious, would run out to administer aid. Of course it still didn't hurt to check in with Karl every once in a while, more minor things that people treated more as gossip could well be a malignant condition lying dormant, and the [Healers] of Salcret were all about preventative care.

Livia checked sneakily if there seemed to be anything vital going on, but things seemed quiet at the healing house for the moment. She caught Agneta right as she was finishing checking on an elderly patient who was likely there to stay.

"Hello Agneta, I was wondering if I could maybe check on a few things with you, if you have a moment?" The [Healer] had seen Livia around and of course everybody gossiped about a new girl, but most people had dismissed her as some Dormatian simply stuck here for the winter when learning about her Class. "Yes that sounds nice, I was about to pause for some food, why don't you join me?"

When they entered the break room there was a young man sitting there, likely one of the aforementioned Aspirants, since he was wearing the same clean white clothes as Agneta.

"I was wondering if you've ever thought about traveling, seeing the capital or even going further?" This is the key, if they haven't even considered leaving Salcret then I will really have to fight an uphill battle, but if I can get them to come along that far I'm sure I'll get enough opportunities to sell a future with the guild to them.

Agneta smiled before blowing on her tea, knowing Livia's Class it wasn't unlikely that she had seen this coming. "I've thought about it, a few years ago while I was younger and hoping to learn all the secrets of my Class. But I am happy in Salcret, I have a husband and we're hoping for children soon." Knockdown. Damn it. This is looking like a deadend, but no pain no gain.

"So, once you do have some, it will be much harder right, and like you said there's probably a ton of things you could learn in a place like Dormata, even if you return to Salcret in a year or two it could be with tremendous gains for you Class. Are you sure you're not open to considering the opportunity?"

The words earned Livia another smile and it looked like Agneta was actually thinking of a different response. "I mean it must get tiresome, watching people get hurt and killed, having the Class to help but lacking the levels, especially with things like the same careless family making fatal mistakes with such regularity," Agnes eyes widened at the words and she opened her mouth to halt Livia in her tracks, but it was too late. "I mean if people refuse to help themselves you've gotta do what you can to do it for them in your position, am I right?"

The young man burst out of his chair, toppling the small table he had been eating at and striding quickly for the door, tears in his eyes.

And that was when Livia learned the story of Sten.