[Irregular System broadcast incoming, by order of Overmind.
Please stand by.]
Emma stiffened as the announcement came through; just two lines for the time being, but these, unlike most notifications, refused to be dismissed. Noah, likewise, had stopped eating, his fork clattering to the floor in a moment of inattention.
[The Empire is under threat by enemies most foul!
Saboteurs have struck, damaging critical infrastructure for long distance transit.
All practitioners are called to play their part in the defence of the realm.
Mandatory Quest issued.
Vae Victis (Fails unless completed by the Summer Solstice)
Objective: Reclaim control of Blenheim Palace for the Empire.
Objective: Assess the condition of the teleportation gateway in the catacombs beneath the Palace.
Bonus Objective: Find and capture the saboteur.
Bonus Objective: Restore the connection to the mainland.
Rewards: 5000 Thrones, 500 EXP
Bonus Rewards: Commendation (Order of the Empire, Third Class), 1x Ticket to Ride (The Ghost Train)
Penalties for Failure: 1000 Thrones, Named and shamed for incompetence by imperial newsletters.]
Blenheim Palace? The name stood out for Emma, being both a familiar landmark and not very far at all.
[Coincidentally, a convoy is already preparing to head to Woodstock. How fortunate.]
Because you asked them to change their route, Emma retorted, not believing it a coincidence in the slightest.
[For eating a home-cooked meal, you receive 100% increased EXP for 1 hour.]
"I was wondering when you'd show up," Emma grinned, waving Noah down as he headed to the living room. "Quick question Dad, which of these Classes does the town need most? I've got options for body number two."
[Select one Class from the following:
Chandler: May your fortunes wax and wane.
Chef: Hello, delicious friends.
Farmer: Good, honest work.
Glassblower: For those prone to self-reflection.
Medic: A finger on the pulse of life and death.
Runesmith: Your hammer, upon the anvil of creation.]
"How much medical knowledge do you have?" He asked, after a moment studying the list Emma showed him.
"One year of first aid with the scouts. It was never a priority, levelling up, because I have built-in regeneration."
"Medic is a bad idea then," Noah advised seriously. "We could use more healers, but that takes a long time to learn, and going in half-baked will do more harm than good. We've got plenty of Farmers and Chefs as well, and they're relatively easy to find more of, so no need to double up on those. Of the remaining three choices: candles and glassware are both in demand, now that electricity and Amazon are a thing of the past. The former are consumables so need to be replenished periodically, the latter are fragile and often replaced. Runesmithing, admittedly, I don't know enough about to make a judgement either way."
[It's a discipline adjacent to blacksmithing. You need a forge, but instead of making the product, you're adding magical properties to complete items: weapons, armour, or trinkets once you've progressed some. The smaller the item, the harder it is to work, generally speaking.]
"Ah. Probably not the best choice then," Noah demurred. "We only have a pair of anvils, and they're both needed full-time to maintain the tools we have. Getting time on one of them, or making accommodations for a third both have difficulties."
"Chandler or Glassblower then," Emma confirmed, initially unsure what to pick until she took a look at her inventory.
The Black Candle sat there; still mostly whole, but Noah was right when he said candles were ultimately consumable. It would burn out eventually; so why not learn how to make more?
[Class selected!
Half-Demon Homunculus: Level 1 Chandler]