Quest Academy: Silvers, page 23
The student who raised their hand faltered and a few other hands shot up, until Jez finally slowed his talk and looked at them all in confusion. A girl from the front row gestured at the desk in front of her.
“What folio?”
Jez was terrible at hiding his anger, but thanked the student. He whirled around to the Administrators who stood off to one side, extending his arms and giving them an expectant look.
“Why are you lot still clucking around like hens? You had one fucking job. Come on, then. I’ll help you. No, no, don’t bother. We can hardly fucking start the class when they don’t have the materials.”
Jez stormed across to the side of the room and lifted a huge stack of gray binders that looked to be made of a leather-like material. He waved off the mortified Administrators and their attempts to placate him.
“Personally, I think it’s a hilarious first impression for our new students. They come in to learn the wonders of the Administration world, and their first experience is that we can’t follow simple instructions? No, let’s put a positive angle on it.”
Jez walked up the aisle with a stack of folios. He threw them in the air, causing them to rotate rapidly and arc downward in the distance. The pack landed precisely on the desk across the room, in front of a shocked student who just stared at it. Jez was in no way or form paying attention as he continued to complain to the Administrators. Sal watched in fascination as each throw started off with a huge arc in the air before touching down perfectly in front of the students.
“Positive angle! By the end of this one class, you’ll have more career prospects than this lot.”
With that, Jez picked up the last stack of folios and marched up the stairs to where Sal sat. Rather than throwing the next batch of them, Jez reached into the pile and placed one directly in front of Sal, who stared at it in shock. The leather case had his name carved into it. Looking around the room, Sal realized that Jez knew who each of them were already.
Jez offered him a wink before his thunderous voice insulted the staff again.
Chapter 31:
Drive
Sal didn’t have high hopes for the Administration class when he’d signed up for it. In the back of his head, he thought he was going to be rehashing a lot of the things he had learned from his father. After only a few minutes of Jez speaking, Sal had to admit that he was wrong in his assumptions. Sure, he was going through the basics, but it was by no means a beginner’s guide to everything. The only advantage Sal had over the others in the class was that he didn’t need to take as many notes, but there was still a lot for him to learn, even on day one.
“One of the most valuable resources you can have in this academy is information. Sure, you can go and chase the Q-Cred like everyone else, but in those instances, you’re competing against your whole cohort. Now, what if you had something that nobody else did? It could be a unique ability of yours, a training method, something you’ve discovered around the academy? You can trade that with other students multiple times, rather than just once.
“You’ll see Crafters squirreled away in that workshop trying to create a magnum opus, but they’ll only ever be able to sell that once! But…what if they sold the design? That could be sold to multiple Crafters, bringing in a much higher yield. The process, expertise, the secrets…that’s where the true value lies. You need to become information brokers, knowing what to look for so you can seize opportunities as they appear!”
Sal smiled as he took notes. He could picture the guys in the workshop with their backs hunched, working tirelessly on something they hoped would be extraordinary. Jez’s perspective was a wild one, but it made complete and total sense. His eyes widened as he thought of Fabi Maccles, the girl who had created the series of tutorial videos that he had bought for fifty credits. He wondered how many people purchased that same pack from her, and how much it likely yielded in comparison to her doing the actual engraving or crafting work for someone. Sal added a whole new column of ideas for his own instructional videos. Maybe he could just sell blueprints for Q-Cred?
“Administration is different from the other classes, and some of you might have enrolled in the hopes of having an easy semester. Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re half-right. This will be very easy for you if you’re hard-working and have an ounce of talent. It’s going to be your worst nightmare if you can’t cut it. The best information is going to be available in the later classes, but you need to earn your place in those classes. Starting from today, you all have two weeks to earn your place in the next phase of the course. I know many of you will drop out, thinking that it’s unfair or modeled to cater to the high-ranking kids with some Q-Cred.
“I’m a fair man, and I know how much Q-Cred each of you have. None of it counts toward the assignment. All of you start from the same point, but you’ll need to use your own wits and abilities to get ahead. If you break the rules of conduct, your accumulated Q-Cred will be forfeited to those who follow the rules. You’ll also have to answer to me. I want to see a breakdown of how you earned every credit.
“So, now we’re going to talk about the different ways you can make Q-Cred, even if your power is useless. Has anyone here heard of the Credit floor above the workshop? If you have commercial skills that are useful to them, they’ll employ you on a contract basis. You can sell crafted or bartered items that have value, such as used cores, weapons, equipment, and armor. That’s for the high-tier stuff. But for your level, you could barter with other students. There’s an entire book in that folio on negotiation techniques, establishing needs versus wants, but that’s something we’ll delve into properly in another class.
“Creating a service is by far one of the most lucrative things you can do in the academy. We already have a few Appraisers in our midst, and a couple of Restorers. Those skills can make bank to begin with, but don’t get complacent, because your peers will overtake you quite quickly. Same goes for Crafters. You need to rise with the tide, rather than sticking to the one thing that works for you. What do I mean by that? Well, how much Q-Cred would you earn from making a sword? Let’s say a hundred. How many swords can you make in a week? Probably three. If you push yourself, that could be four. How do you grow from four hundred Q-Cred a week?”
Jez didn’t answer, so it wasn’t a rhetorical question this time. Sal thought about the answer, but a few people beat him to it.
“Make more expensive weapons?”
Jez shook his head and pointed to another raised hand.
“The Crafter would improve over time, so raise the price of the sword?”
With a shake of his hand, Jez frowned playfully and told him that it was a good effort, but no. Answer after answer was rejected, and a thought suddenly struck Sal. He raised his hand, and Jez pointed for him to continue.
“Outsource production for a fee?”
Jez clapped and pointed straight at Sal. “That’s what I’m talking about. Let’s say that the Crafter makes good swords, and they’re in high demand. What if he outsourced the production, but put his name on them? Clients are getting their swords and paying a hundred Q-Cred for them, and our Crafter is making a healthy margin on each sale after paying their outsourcer. That is the power of a good brand! I can tell you all right now that I would happily leave my favorite weapon at the Argento Auction.”
Jez gestured with one hand to the bladed staff on the desk, and then up at Sal, who sat awkwardly in his seat. He then pointed at another student and explained how he’d always fly in their family’s brand of car. Another student was praised for their family’s restaurant and so on. Sal wasn’t the only shocked face in the group as Jez listed more than a dozen families and their specialty.
“That’s the power of a good brand! In Quest Academy, you’re going to need to create your own brand among your peers. Some of you might be content to exist within the shadows of your established family businesses…you can probably guess my opinion on that stance. Others, and I hope there are a few, will go on to make their own mark on society. But that’s us getting ahead of ourselves, isn’t it? Money, information, and brand…all those factors are incredibly important for your continued success.
“I told you at the start of this class that I was the leader of a guild, and I also told you that I didn’t get government funding or sponsorship. Let’s talk about those two credit facilities and how they’re relevant to you. As we start this class, I’m going to be talking about a lot of concepts from a generalist perspective, because one size definitely does not fit all. I have you for the next few hours, and I could tell you more and more about how to pass the assignment in two weeks, but a lot of that will come down to your natural capability and your ingenuity. What I’d prefer to use the rest of this time for is to inspire you.
“While I’ve been standing here talking to you, I’ve generated close to five thousand Q-Cred. I’ve invested in a few guilds that are currently out in the Red Zones, delving into dungeons and portals. With the agreement I put in place, I’ll be getting a substantial chunk of their take until they reach a point that they can buy me out. Typically, that takes about four years. My sponsorship to them had an emotional weight tied to it. They were failing Quest Academy and they needed Q-Cred to buy their way into their final year. Funnily enough, I have a ridiculous amount of Q-Cred. Do you see where I’m going with this?
“By having Q-Cred, I was able to stop students from getting expelled by paying their way into their next semester.
“By having Q-Cred, I was able to buy a minority stake in more than five graduate guilds. Two of which have progressed to Initiate status.
“By having Q-Cred, I can stand at the top of any of these towers and piss down on the world below.
“Because if you have Q-Cred, the rules change for you.”
***
The next few hours flew by for Sal, and he knew in his heart that he had found his favorite class. Jez had sat at the edge of the table and did exactly what he set out to do. Every single student who left that classroom was inspired and brainstorming how they were going to pass the next assignment.
Sal’s imagination was on fire as he considered the position he was in. He had Appraisal, Restoration, and Crafting all in one, which would be great to get some start-up funds for the next class. He would be able to make some blueprints that he’d hopefully sell repeatedly, and there was so much to think about from a brand perspective too. It was probably the first day that he had felt excited after a class, and it had nothing to do with Crafting or the workshop. Sal wanted to call his father to find out more about Jez, because he clearly knew the family.
After only a few steps he overheard some students talking about a party later in the evening. Sal’s stomach sunk. He was so excited to get started on the Administration assignment that he’d forgotten about the party. It didn’t take much mental gymnastics for Sal to justify his actions, and he headed to the workshop, telling himself that he had time to do both. The Q-Cred that would be counted was set to zero at the moment, and Sal wanted to impress Jez as much as possible. After hearing about how powerful Q-Cred was in the academy, and even beyond the institution…Sal looked at it through a completely different lens. He didn’t regret any of the purchases he’d made or what he used them for, but he did acknowledge that he needed to start earning Q-Cred rather than just spending it.
Jez had given them insight into how they could take their first steps into financial independence in the academy, and Sal had more resources than most people in that class. For that reason alone, he wanted to prove that he wasn’t one of the complacent ones. Jez knew exactly what Sal could do, so Sal wanted to go beyond those expectations.
The workshop was busy as always, but there were a lot of fresh faces around that looked like first-years. Forge moved between groups, explaining how things worked. Sal realized that he was probably ahead of schedule in learning the ropes of the workshop, since his Silver cohort hadn’t had the Introduction to Crafting yet. Upgrade was nowhere to be seen, but a few of the other regulars were at their seats, and Sal gave them a nod when they glanced up. He didn’t wait around, though, as he moved straight to the elevator that would bring him up to the Credit floor. As the door opened, a few of the regulars shouted good luck to him, and Sal smiled as the doors closed and the huge space moved upward, revealing the beautiful auction area two floors up.
Vanessa was nowhere to be seen, which was absolutely perfect for Sal. She and the attendant both knew him as the Mythcrafter. The stalls were on the shop floor area, but according to the map he had been given before, the work order area was a set of private booths to the left. A uniformed woman gave him a quizzical look, but he handed her the Silver token he had gained from Villa.
“I’m only available for a few hours, so I thought I’d work through some Appraisals. Do you have anything that I can work on?” Sal spoke with a confidence he actually felt.
This was his domain, and he knew it well. He had been dealing with these kinds of people all his life.
The uniformed woman inspected the token and her face broke into a wide smile. “Ah, yes. We have you on file as wanting complete anonymity…so I hope you won’t feel offended for me not using your name?” She spoke softly as she gestured for Sal to follow her deeper down the corridor. “I can set you up in one of our private booths. Are you comfortable with meeting the Reavers Guild face-to-face? A group of them arrived a short time ago and have just finished their preliminary checks.”
Sal nodded, and the woman took it as a sign to continue.
“Normally, we’ll have a backlog of items at the ready, but we outsourced several of them to different Appraisers. Would you like to verify those Appraisals yourself?”
Sal laughed at that and shook his head. “Not for free. If you’re happy to foot the bill for handing it to your in-house Appraisers rather than waiting for me, that’s up to you.”
Her smile tightened as she opened the door to the booth. “I’ll let the Reavers know you’ve arrived. Please fill out all Appraisal documentation on completion so we can process them for payment.”
And with that, she was gone, and Sal was left in a well-lit room filled with plush couches, an area for refreshments, and, most importantly, a large table adorned with Appraisal tools. Sal grinned as he activated his power. He had everything he needed with him.
Chapter 32:
Appraisal
Sal inspected the room and was impressed with the facilities they had available. He wondered whether the uniformed woman knew that he was able to fill out the Appraisal documentation, or whether she had hoped he’d have to humble himself in front of her by asking for help. Either way, the less interaction he had with the staff of the Credit floor, the better.
He didn’t have long to wait before there was a knock at the door on the other side of the room. Sal called out that they could enter, and was surprised to see a uniformed man step through first. His face lit up at the sight of Sal then he moved to one side and allowed their guests to walk through.
In all the dealings of the Argento Auction, Sal was used to business types. Agents, managers, sponsors…they were the ones who were picking up pieces or getting Appraisals done for their teams. A lot of them were vanity purchases, rather than being for purpose. Spotting those people was a talent in itself, because money was of no object to them, and they loved to hear how incredible the piece of equipment was. Petro had always told him to embellish stories with those types of customers, and make it sound much better than it actually was.
Sal’s gaze flickered over the entrants coming into the room and he knew that none of those stories were going to help him in this instance. He was dealing with a much more straightforward type of customer. The actual end user, rather than salespeople.
“Are you fucking serious? He’s a kid.” The first man turned to the uniformed man.
Sal was curious who he would side with in this instance. If the attendant asked to see the Silver token, it would undermine Sal’s professional reputation. If he pushed back on the guild member, then Sal would know they had his back.
In the briefest of moments, the attendant hesitated before nodding and approaching Sal. “Could I please verify your token?”
Sal raised an eyebrow. “No, you can’t. That was done before I entered this room.” Sal gestured to the door. “You can go and tell Villa that she made a mistake by asking me to do this job. Would you like to verify with her?”
The attendant froze on the spot. He turned to the guild member and apologized for the apparent confusion but insisted that Sal had been vetted already.
With a wide grin, the guild member looked at Sal and then back at the attendant. “You heard him. Go check with Villa that he’s the real deal.” Their playful torment of the staff member continued for a few moments before they waved him off.
Sal used that time to look the first guy over. He was carrying a long item wrapped in a thick blanket. He was tall and well built, with an impressive chest piece of plate armor that looked custom-made. His arms were covered in some form of leather, and Sal guessed that he needed flexibility for whatever his role was. A helmet with a built-in visor was cradled under his other arm, and Sal saw a targeting array on it. With just those bits of information, Sal wondered whether this guy was a long-range fighter.
“You’ve met Villa, and you’re still alive? That’s pretty telling.” The guild member chuckled as he placed the blanketed item onto the table.
He consciously took a step back, and Sal was happy to see that despite their terrifying presence, they still adhered to etiquette. In the background, the woman dressed completely in black leathers stared at him intently. Two belts crossed her torso, each holding a set of knives that looked to be designed for throwing. Sal tore his eyes away as she unzipped the fabric covering her chest, revealing some cleavage.
Another guild member snorted at her. “Trying to get a discount?”
