Cassio Vale stared at the Calling.

  QuestWright? What the hell is a QuestWright? And it’s an Administrator role? His heart, which had stopped when the text began to come through, suddenly started to speed up again. There’s no way. My mom and sister are warriors; my dad is an Artisan-level Chef. None of us are Administrators. That Calling…sucks. There has to be more to this.

  An unsubtle cough pulled him away from his thoughts as he looked up and met the dark eyes of the Guildmaster.

  “Mr. Vale,” He said in a kind voice, “Congratulations on receiving your Calling. If you’ll follow me, we can get you sorted out right away. Come along.”

  In the shock of what he’d seen, he’d missed the fact that the announcement had gone out.

  In his stumbling haze as he followed the Guildmaster, Cass didn’t even notice the lack of cheering or applause behind him. They entered the room beyond the book of Calling, his first time making it this far, and a chair was immediately placed behind him as a gentle hand guided him down.

  Pulling out another chair across from him, the Guildmaster seemed to deflate into it, “Ah, finally,” He said, his voice lighter than before. “It appears we have an opportunity I wasn’t sure I’d live to see again.”

  “An opportunity?” Cass said, latching onto the word.

  “Indeed. Administrator roles come around often. Every Enterprise needs Recordkeepers, Logistics Coordinators, Liaisons, and those who lean on the Mercantile side of things. But QuestWrights do not frequently travel these halls, and the fact that you received it at all is fortuitous.” A woman entered the room wearing a brown robe and carrying a thick book in her hands. She handed it over to the Guildmaster, gave him a slight smile, then left as the old man opened it.

  “Let’s see.” his fingers trailed down the page before stopping, “Do you know how long it’s been since we had a real QuestWright in Liora? I don’t mean a Clerk or someone who updates the board, but someone who the system chose?”

  “No?”

  He closed the book gently and set it on his knees. “The last to find their calling in Liora was nearly seven years ago. Of course, they declined the offer, returning the following year to take on the Windsprinter Calling. They’re with the Goldencrowns now, your mother’s company.”

  “Jain?”

  “Just so,” He said with a nod, “As a calling, QuestWright has a tendency to be declined. There’s not enough flash and flame for you young people. That’s why I find it curious that you were denied your own until reaching the final offering. It’s almost as if the system decided to stop playing around and force the situation.” He gave a brief smile, then folded his hands over the book in his lap. “QuestWright is a special role that certainly does not fit everybody, but as this is your final Calling, Cassio Vale, it is a big moment for you. In my role as Liora’s Guildmaster, I must ask you, what is your decision?”

  I don’t have a choice. Cass thought to himself. It was this, or become a dreg.

  After the monsters and portals arrived, so too did dungeons and magic. Dregs were those who declined to take a Calling, or, in extremely rare circumstances, were never offered one. To be a dreg was to be a castoff, unmoored from your family and friends, forever losing access to the one thing that had helped them fight back against the deadly creatures of the world.

  The System.

  QuestWright…I’m a QuestWright. There’s nothing else to it.

  He clicked accept and heard the Guildmaster let out a long breath, the kind a man exhales after holding onto something for far too long.

  “Excellent, you’ve received a calling that’s more important than most people realize. I’ll let you look that over while I fill out some paperwork.” The Guildmaster said as he stood up, but Cass barely noticed.

  [System Notification- Calling Confirmed]

  Calling Accepted: QuestWright

  Automatic application to Liora Guildhall…

  Status: Accepted

  Cass blinked.

  Automatic?

  [System Interface Unlocked]

  [Quests unlocked for region: Liora]

  Callsign: LIA

  -QuestWright abilities unlocked-

  —

  Active abilities:

  Quest Drafting: Tier 1: Common

  Range: One Mile

  Types: Delivery, Message

  Active Templates: 3

  System Map: Small

  Range: One Mile

  Scope: Civic Need

  Filters: Delivery, Retrieval, Administrative

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Passive abilities unlocked:

  QuestWright Stamp: Automatic

  Callsign: CV

  Quest Ledger Access: Tier 1: Common

  Status: Basic Tracking Enabled

  —

  QuestWright Growth System Activated:

  [QuestWright Reputation Tracker Initialized]

  Region: Liora

  Reputation status: Unknown

  [QuestWright Experience Tracking Initialized]

  Sources of experience: Quest Creation, Assignment, Completion

  —

  [Weekly Assignment Quota Established]

  Level One QuestWright: 5 Quests Completed Weekly

  Next Evaluation: 7 days

  Cass stared at his screen, stunned. Not many people spoke about what they gained from first receiving their calling, it was a hidden element to every person you passed by, unknowing of the power they might contain.

  Except for his best friend, Gary.

  According to Callings by Gary, he was supposed to receive a physical upgrade, something to aid his Calling specifically, and a route to follow if he wanted to gain levels.

  But this…this was not that. He’d never be super strong or fast. There was no magic and mayhem in being a QuestWright. There were quotas and evaluations. The abilities seemed real, but so were the weights that accompanied them.

  “Not what you wanted, is it?” The Guildmaster said, pulling him from his introspection. “It never is at the start.” He held a stack of papers in one arm as he gestured. “Come along, let's get your orientation started.”

  “But,” Cass said, standing up even as he protested, “I don’t understand. Why was I automatically assigned to the Guildhall?”

  “All QuestWrights are automatically assigned to the nearest Guildhall when first receiving their Calling.” The Guildmaster began to walk forward, an unwilling Cass trudging along behind him, “You’ll come to understand your value to Liora with time.”

  They walked through several areas Cass had never seen before, unfamiliar faces hard at work, before coming to a stop at a door with a quill motif engraved above it. “This will be your living quarters from now on.”

  “What?”

  The papers were thrust into his arms before the Guildmaster opened the door and gently pushed him inside, “Every new QuestWright is housed in the Guildhall of their Calling. Your family has been notified, and they approve.” He pointed down the hallway, “There’s a cafeteria to the right, bathrooms are to the left, and you’ll have the remainder of the day to go over the notes in those pages. Your work will officially begin tomorrow.” He paused and seemed to consider something. "I understand that you haven't seen much of Liora city because of your family's Company. We'll have to take steps to rectify that."

  “Wait, you're not leaving me here, are you?” Cass said, tears near bursting from his eyes at the terrible turn his perfect day had taken.

  The old man’s face held a little sympathy, but his voice showed none of it. “I’m the Guildmaster, Cassio. We’ll speak once a month for a review of your work, but otherwise, your training is remanded to the second-tier administrators.” Uncharacteristically, he placed a hand on his shoulder, “You’ll be fine.” Then, he closed the door and was gone.

  The silence of the door shutting was more profound than he’d expected. Like the room was waiting to be filled with someone else’s story, but got his instead. The papers fell from Cass’s hands, fluttering before striking the ground as he looked around what would be his world from now on.

  “This can’t be real.”

  The room was filled with the most mundane objects possible. A basic bed just large enough for his five-foot-eight frame. A closet that, upon opening, revealed the brown robes that all of the Guildhall Administrators wore. A desk with a few minor scuff marks and no decorations covered the plain white walls. All in all, it was a wholly unadorned and utilitarian design.

  Opening the only drawer in the desk, several pencils rolled around, and he found some paper. Lifting both onto the desk, he found a folded piece on the bottom.

  You matter more than you know, QuestWright.

  “The last guy must’ve left it…” Cass said to himself, refolding the note and putting it back. “They wouldn’t have left something like that behind if the Calling wasn’t important.” He looked around the room again, still struck by the stark reality of his new situation.

  He could wallow in self-pity, raging at the world in vain. He could run away and never look back, leaving everything he’d ever hoped for behind. But then, he wouldn’t be Cassio Vale. So his Calling wasn’t what he thought it’d be, so what? His father never complained about being a tradesman. Gary never complained about being a Baker.

  This, this was something he hadn’t accounted for. That didn’t make it bad; it just made it different. And Cass could deal with different, after all, he had a pig for a sister. Like his father always said, come hell or high water, I’ll succeed.

  Smiling at that, he reached down and picked up all of the papers he’d dropped. Luckily, they were numbered in the corner, making putting them back in order an easy affair.

  He sat at his new desk, arranged everything the way he liked it, then started to read.

  Welcome, QuestWright

  Congratulations on accepting your Calling, and welcome to the Guildhall of Liora.

  As a newly registered Guild Administrator under the QuestWright Calling, you are now responsible for the drafting, issuing, and evaluation of quests assigned within the Liora regional district.

  A QuestWright operates as a bridge between tasks that require completion and Callings that fit the appropriate requirements. Your duty is to ensure that all quests that enter and leave the Liora Guildhall are appropriate, equitable, and successfully completed.

  Failure to do so will not only result in tarnishing the reputation of yourself and the Guild Chapter, but may even result in the deaths of Liora’s citizens.

  Since you have only recently begun your life as a QuestWright, most standard duties will be held in abeyance until your first five quests have been successfully completed.

  Remember, while QuestWrights are rare, effective ones are rarer still.

  -Liora Guildhall Administrative Office

  Guildmaster Hollis

  “I didn’t know his name was Hollis,” Cass said as he turned to the next page. It gave a brief rundown of standard operations for the guildhall. There was a curfew at 10 p.m. for all Tier 1 Administrators, and the cafeteria was open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. He was expected to keep his area tidy and report to his superior no later than 7 a.m.

  The next page told him who that was. “Kara Tullis, Tier 2 Guild Trainer.” The page included a brief rundown of who she was and how long she’d been at the Guild. The rest of the pages were a directory of different people who could be found at the Guild, with a small-margin note not to lose their orientation packet.

  Cass blew the air out of his mouth as he neatly placed the pages back together and put them back in the drawers. He wasn’t hungry, but he could certainly explore. Just as he was about to reach for the door, he remembered one of the last rules for Guild operations.

  Reaching into the closet, Cass pulled out a brown robe and changed into it, hanging his old clothes up on the rack within. Though a bit large on him, he felt it the moment the robe shrunk itself down to fit him.

  “That’s cool.” He said with a smile, burnishing the silvery emblem over his left breast. It was a quill and a sword, crossed into an X. Something he’d admired every time he’d come for his Calling.

  Stepping out into the hallway, he decided this was a good thing. Just like that. Let nobody say that Cassio Vale was scared of a challenge. It didn’t matter what they threw at him, he’d find a way to overcome it.

  It was time to take on the world, but first, the bathroom.