Afterword - Book 1 - Chapter 28 (Patreon)

Chapter 28: The Chaotic Adventurer

(Original Chapter title: Adventurer III)

Certain scenes from this chapter were in the OG draft. Ranthia investigating her mother's husband (to no benefit), the hellhound fight, and the non-event of becoming A-Ranked. The rest was new!

No idea how well readers will receive it, but I enjoyed the bit of chaos at the restaurant. Ranthia found a problem and turned it into an opportunity. I didn't want to spend MUCH time on it though because it was a pretty minimal event, all things considered, and frankly the build-up was boring and drudgery. People don't enjoy reading boring things. But the chaos itself was fun, and the idea of Ranthia sitting there stuffing her face while things unfold makes me smile.

Ranthia's not immune to injuries, and I think it's important to showcase that sometimes. Carelessness (or overconfidence) happens. And then she gets to deal with some fun to get to a [Healer]! Being an Adventurer is unsafe, and even if she's safer than MOST since she mostly only has to worry about running out of mana or being instantly killed... it's still unsafe.

Her being slightly distrustful of Oath [Healers] wasn't planned, but it makes sense. Didn't stop her from going back to him though! Ranthia's still a bit of a miser, even if Hexara's made her relax her purse strings a little.

Sunrise finally appears! A minor recurring friend with (transactional) benefits, and the first BtDEM character I felt comfortable using openly in the original draft. I've always liked the idea of a perky brothel worker, someone that enjoys their job and has a sunny disposition. Happy sex work is a thing, so I hate how often media portrays it as ONLY broken people struggling either to provide for their kid and/or feed their addiction. It's also yet another look at Hexara's focus on public perception.

I probably should have included a note that Ranthia'd been looking for the pale woman that inspired her passion for dance earlier than this, on hindsight. Oh well. As we see, Ranthia HAS been looking for her, but hasn't been successful in finding her. In the future I'll finally be able to discuss the plotline that never was.

Ranthia attempts to extend an olive branch to her mother. It goes badly. Ranthia knew it would go badly, yet she persisted. Guilt and obligation are pretty big drivers for Ranthia, which is why she still tried. Oh well, lessons learned.

The hellhound fight was fun, since it was a chance to explore Ranthia's changing combat focus... and show the problem with trying something new in an actual fight: it's oh-so-easy to get distracted and dance right into a cloud of hot ash. Yes, that's the danger, no matter WHAT you're trying, no matter what you're fighting. Suddenly, searing ash all over your skin and in your lungs. Very unpleasant. This is why you should never, ever try anything new when you fight. </CrimCatPSAs>

But seriously, I'm glad I expanded the fight from the non-event it was in the OG draft. It also made her A-Ranking being such a non-event a bit more poignant. We saw that the hellhound fight was dangerous and educational, but it sure didn't push her to her limits like becoming an Adventurer or becoming B-Ranked had. Which is part of why she was so put off with just being handed the pinnacle rank. Remus doesn't have S-Ranked Adventurers or anything, so she's at the top of the Adventurer foodchain unless she wants to lead a branch.

So now what?