Dungeon Champions

Professor Ryd wasn’t, it turned out, a professor at all. He didn’t work at the academy, nor was he an academic instructor in any other way that we could determine. Instead of the wizened old man I’d expected to find in a small home, we were directed to one of the largest homes in the Upper District—a giant two-story building that reminded me of a Tudor-style mansion.

I felt a bit out of place.

We crossed the property toward the front door. The manicured lawn and ornate architecture spoke of wealth far beyond what we’d encountered so far in Boulibar Bay. Everything was immaculate. Nevertheless, we approached the grand entrance. I noticed Britney straightening her posture and smoothing her hair. She seemed more at ease here than she had been during our yard work.

“This is more like it,” she murmured, a hint of haughtiness creeping back into her voice.

I knocked on the oak door, and after a moment, it swung open to reveal a stern-faced butler. He was short and stout, but even though his head barely came to my hip, he radiated Short King Energy.

“Yes?” he asked, eyeing us skeptically.

“We’re here to see Professor Ryd,” I said, trying to ignore what felt like the gnome or dwarf or whatever eye-banging me. “We’re helping him find his missing glasses.”

The butler’s expression didn’t change. “I see. And who might I say is calling?”

“Jordan Cash and associates,” I replied, gesturing to my companions. “We’re new adventurers in town, working on some quests to get established.”

He sniffed, nostrils flaring wide enough to reveal thick clumps of hair. “Wait here, please.” He closed the door, leaving us standing on the porch.

Zuri leaned in close. “This Professor Ryd must be quite important to have such a grand home,” she whispered.

Before I could respond, the door opened again. This time, a man with a bushy mustache and bright eyes greeted us. He was obviously older than me from the way he moved—likely somewhere in his late 30s or early 40s—but he had a near ageless face. The pointed ears on either side of his head confirmed he was an elf of some sort.

“Ah, adventurers!” he boomed, his enunciation grandiose and surprisingly loud for his stature. “Come in, come in! I’m Professor Ryd, though the ‘Professor’ is more of an honorary title. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable.”

We followed Professor Ryd into an opulent sitting room. Plush armchairs and sofas were arranged around a grand fireplace, and bookshelves lined the walls. The professor gestured for us to sit.

“Now then,” he said, settling into a high-backed chair, “I understand you’re here about my glasses?”

I started to nod, then caught myself as the butler moved behind the Professor. There was something incredibly off-putting about the man. One of my memories caught up with the situation.

This might be a half-gnome, it whispered in the back of my mind. Those guys are crazy.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Yes. We’re new in town and Gate Guard Sirun gave us the quest to help find them. Can you tell us when and where you last saw them?”

Professor Ryd stroked his mustache thoughtfully. “Well, let’s see. I had them yesterday morning when I was reading in my study. Then I went for my daily walk in the park—you know, the one with the lovely fountain? After that, things get a bit fuzzy. Quite literally, I’m afraid!” He chuckled at his own joke.

Nym leaned forward, her ears perked with interest. “Did you go anywhere else after the park, Professor?”

“Hmm,” he mused. “I did stop by The Gilded Rose for lunch. It’s a charming little café near the park. And then...oh yes! I visited the public library to return some books.”

I exchanged glances with my companions. We had a few leads to work with now.

“Thank you, Professor,” I said. “We’ll start our search with those locations. Is there anything distinctive about your glasses that we should know?”

Professor Ryd’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes! They’re quite unique. The frames are made of enchanted silver that changes color based on the light. And the lenses themselves are bifocals, with a slight purple tint to them. Oh, and there’s a small engraving on the inside of the left arm—my initials, ‘RS’.”

I nodded, committing the details to memory. “That’s very helpful. We’ll do our best to find them for you.”

“Splendid!” Professor Ryd clapped his hands together. “I do hope you succeed. Those glasses are quite dear to me, you know. A gift from my wife.” His expression softened for a moment before he brightened again. “Now, then, is there anything else you need from me?”

We shook our heads and thanked the professor for his time. As we were about to leave, he called out, “Oh, and do be careful in your search. Those glasses have a bit of magic in them. Wouldn’t want them falling into the wrong hands, you know!”

Once outside, I turned to my team. “Alright, we’ve got three locations to check: the park with the fountain, The Gilded Rose café, and the public library. Any thoughts on where we should start?”

Merielle spoke up first. “I say we start with the park. It’s an open area, so if the glasses fell there, they might still be visible.”

“Good thinking,” I said. “Plus, it’s the first place he went after having them in his study. Let’s head there and see what we can find.”

We made our way to the park, which wasn’t far from Professor Ryd’s mansion. It was a beautiful space, with well-manicured lawns, colorful flower beds, and shady trees. In the center stood an impressive fountain, water cascading down multiple tiers.

“Let’s spread out and search carefully.”

We split up, each taking a different section of the park. I watched as my companions searched diligently, combing through grass, peering under benches, and even checking the fountain itself.

After about an hour of thorough searching, we regrouped near the fountain, all empty-handed.

“No luck here,” Zuri sighed, brushing grass off her knees.

“Same,” Nym added, her ears and tail drooping slightly in disappointment.

I nodded, trying to hide my frustration. “We’ve still got plenty of time, and that’s one location down. Let’s try The Gilded Rose next. Maybe someone there saw something.”

We made our way to The Gilded Rose café, a quaint establishment with outdoor seating and flower boxes in the windows. The smell of fresh bread and chocolate wafted out as we entered.

A cheerful waitress greeted us. “Welcome to The Gilded Rose! Table for five?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “We’re looking for some information. Professor Ryd was here yesterday and he lost his glasses. We’re trying to help him find them. Did you happen to see him?”

The waitress’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh yes, the professor! He’s a regular here. Let me get Mira—she was working yesterday.”

A few moments later, an older woman with graying hair approached us, wiping her hands on her apron. “I hear you’re asking about Professor Ryd?”

I nodded and explained our quest. Mira listened intently, then shook her head.

“I’m sorry, dears. The professor did come in yesterday, but I don’t recall seeing his glasses. He seemed a bit distracted, though. Kept patting his pockets like he was looking for something.”

Britney perked up. “Did he say anything about where he was going next?”

Mira thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, he did say something about needing to return some books. I assume he meant the library.”

I thanked Mira for her help, and we headed out.

“The library makes no sense, if he didn’t have them here,” I said as we left The Gilded Rose.

Nym looked around, tail curled in an adorable question mark. “Are there other leads?”

“Good point. Let’s go.”

We made our way to the nearby library, a grand stone building with tall columns framing the entrance. As we climbed the steps, I turned to my team.

“Let’s be thorough but discreet. We don’t want to disturb anyone studying.”

Inside, we approached the main desk, where a bespectacled librarian was sorting through a stack of books. I cleared my throat softly to get her attention.

“Excuse me,” I said in a low voice. “We’re looking for some information about Professor Ryd. He was here yesterday to return some books, and we believe he may have lost his glasses. Have you seen them by any chance?”

The librarian frowned thoughtfully. “Professor Ryd? Yes, he was here yesterday. Quite flustered, if I recall correctly. Kept mumbling about his glasses.” She paused, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Now that you mention it, I did find an unusual pair of glasses while reshelving books this morning. They’re in the lost and found box.”

Could it be this easy?

“May we see them, please?”

The librarian nodded and disappeared into a back room. A moment later, she returned with a small box. Inside was a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles with red and orange rhinestones around the lenses.

I sighed, disappointed but not surprised. “These aren’t the professor’s glasses, unfortunately. His glasses have silver frames that change color, purple-tinted lenses, and his initials engraved on them. But thank you for checking.”

The librarian nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. You are welcome to look around, though. Perhaps he left them at one of the reading tables.”

We split up again, each taking a different section of the library. I watched my companions as they carefully searched, trying not to disturb the other patrons. After about ten minutes, we regrouped near the entrance, all empty-handed once more.

I had a feeling I knew exactly what was happening, but these quests were about my companions learning to work together and gain experience. That experience didn’t just have to be the points, after all.

“This is getting frustrating,” Britney huffed, crossing her arms. “We’ve checked all the places he mentioned.”

Zuri rested her hand on Britney’s shoulder. “Let’s think this through. What are we missing?”

Nym’s ears perked up suddenly. “Wait a minute. The professor said he had the glasses in his study before he left. And he didn’t have them at the cafe either. What if they never left the house at all?”

I smiled knowingly. “Good thinking, Nym. He could have misplaced them before he even left home.”

Merielle nodded in agreement. “It’s worth checking out. Should we head back to his mansion?”

“Absolutely. Let’s go.”

We made our way back to Professor Ryd’s grand home. I knocked on the door, and once again, the butler answered.

“We’ve returned to speak with Professor Ryd,” I explained. “We have a theory about his glasses we’d like to discuss with him.”

The butler eyed us suspiciously, but eventually nodded and let us in. We were led back to the sitting room where Professor Ryd greeted us enthusiastically.

“Ah, the intrepid adventurers return! Any luck with my spectacles?”

“Actually, no. We’ve searched the park, The Gilded Rose, and the library, but haven’t found your glasses. We wondered if we could take a look at your study? Perhaps they never left the house.”

Professor Ryd’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “Oh, I hadn’t considered that! How embarrassing if that turns out to be the case. Of course, of course, follow me!”

He led us up a grand staircase and down a hallway lined with paintings and into a spacious study. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a large oak desk dominated the center of the room. Papers and books were scattered across its surface.

“Feel free to look around,” Professor Ryd said, gesturing broadly. “Though I’m certain I checked here thoroughly before contacting the guard about my missing glasses.”

I almost pointed out his error—both saying he hadn’t considered it and that he’d looked around—but my companions seemed to have missed it, and I was curious how this would play out. We had time, and this would be a good lesson for them.

My party spread out, carefully searching the room. I noticed Nym’s ears twitching as she examined the bookshelves, while Zuri methodically checked each drawer of the desk. Merielle was looking behind curtains and under furniture, and Britney was peering at the various knick-knacks on the shelves.

After a few minutes of searching, I heard a triumphant “Aha!” from Britney. We all turned to see her holding up a pair of silver-framed glasses with purple-tinted lenses.

“Are these what we’re looking for, Professor?” she asked, a smug smile on her face.

Professor Ryd’s eyes widened in surprise. “They are! Where did you find them?”

Britney pointed to a bust of some historical figure on one of the shelves. “They were perched right on top of this man’s head. I almost missed them because the frames had changed to match the color of the bust.”

The professor’s face flushed red with embarrassment. “Oh my, how utterly foolish of me. I must have absent-mindedly placed them there while dusting yesterday morning.” He chuckled sheepishly. “Well, I suppose that solves the mystery! And here I thought I’d lost them on my walk.”

“We’re just glad we could help, professor. These things happen to the best of us.”

Professor Ryd nodded gratefully, taking the glasses from Britney and placing them on his nose. “Indeed they do, my boy. And I must say, you and your team have done an excellent job.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. “Here, please accept this as a token of my appreciation. It’s not much, but I hope it will help you in your future adventures.”

I accepted the pouch with a nod of thanks. “That’s very generous of you.”

We were escorted from the mansion by the butler, but I could tell everyone was feeling frustrated and grumpy.

Once we were back on the street, I opened the pouch. Inside were a handful of gold coins and a small, intricately carved wooden token. Not exactly a grand prize.

And that was apparently the last straw.

Our Tablets buzzed with an update, but before any of us could check the rewards, Britney stomped her foot.

“I’m going back in there and giving him a piece of my mind!” She snarled. “How dare he treat us like that!”

I quickly stepped in front of her, holding up my hands. “Whoa there, let’s take a breath. I know you’re frustrated, but storming back in there won’t solve anything.”

Britney’s face was flushed with anger. Her cheeks were puffed out, and her small wings seemed to stand almost on end. “But we wasted so much time running all over town for nothing! And all we get is a few coins and a useless token?”

Zuri placed a calming hand on Britney’s shoulder. The celestial flinched from the touch. “I understand your frustration, but Jordan’s right. We need to be strategic about this.”

I nodded appreciatively at Zuri before addressing the group. “I get it. This task didn’t turn out how we expected. But let’s think about what we gained besides the reward.”

Nym’s ears perked up. “We did work well as a team, coordinating our search efforts.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And we practiced our investigation skills, even if the solution was simpler than we thought. What else?”

Merielle chewed on her bottom lip. “We also made some contacts around town—the café staff, the librarian. That could be useful later.”

“All good points,” I agreed. “Plus, we now have a better understanding of the Upper District’s layout.”

Britney’s anger seemed to deflate a bit, but she still looked unconvinced. “I suppose those are valid points. But it still feels like we were taken advantage of.”

“Maybe.” I held up the wooden token. “But who knows? This might be more valuable than it appears. Let’s not judge it too quickly.”

Britney sighed, her wings settling back down. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just…frustrating to work so hard and feel like we have little to show for it.”

“I understand,” I said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “But remember, we’re just starting out. Every quest, every interaction, is helping us build our reputation and skills. It may not always feel rewarding at the moment, but it’s all part of the process.”

Merielle scuffed her foot across the floor. “I just wish it hadn’t been such a run around.”

That brought a smile to my face. “In the future, you should listen to what people say. The professor mentioned that he hadn’t thought about his glasses being there, and also that he looked around. And at the various stops we made, people mentioned him not having his glasses, or looking like he was missing something. So it wouldn’t make sense that he left them at those locations.”

Nym stared at me, mouth agape. “You figured it out before?”

“And you didn’t tell us?” Britney said, once more stomping her foot. “We wasted so much time!”

That reminded me. I fished Skullie out of my pack. “Do you happen to know how much time we have left for this quest?”

“‘Gee, Skullie, it’s great to see you. I’m sorry I locked you away for so long. You totally weren’t forgotten about.’ ‘That’s okay, Jordan, I know you’re busy, and I’m just a skull and spine, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some common courtesy now that I’m actually your familiar and not just a monster encyclopedia.’”

I laughed. “Are you feeling unappreciated because we didn’t take you out to see a park and a café and a library?”

“Your pack is cold and dark and uncomfortable.” It sounded like he was pouting.

I sighed, realizing Skullie had a point. “You’re right, I should have been more considerate. I’m still getting used to having a familiar.”

“That would be much appreciated.”

“We’ll figure something out,” I promised. “Now, about that time limit?”

“Ah yes, according to my calculations, you have approximately thirty minutes left on your five-hour maximum.”

Damn. “That’s not enough time to do another task.” I finally checked my Tablet and our quest log.

Quest Update: 75% to first quest milestone completion.

Bonus Reward: 2 gold coins and [one] [mysterious] [Wooden Token]

Three wasn’t bad, but it still felt like we were failing. “I’d rather turn this in now than lose the time bonus.”

The rest of my party agreed. “Let’s go.”

It took us nearly the whole half an hour to make our way back to Gate Guard Sirun. He looked off into the distance, not quite the way we looked at our Tablets, but similar enough for me to guess it was some Tablet byproduct ability he was accessing.

When he was done, he gave us a look of approval. “Well now, you’ve managed to get quite a bit done on your first day. Not bad for newcomers.”

I could sense the team’s collective sigh of relief. Not every task was complete, but we’d done enough to impress the guard.

“Thank you,” I said. “We did our best with the time we had.”

Sirun nodded, his eyes lingering on Skullie for a moment before returning to me. “I can see that. And you’ve brought back some interesting company, I see.” He gestured to my bony familiar.

I placed a protective hand on Skullie’s skull. “This is Skullie, my familiar. He’s been a great help to us.”

“I’m sure,” Sirun said, though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Well, let’s see about your rewards, then.”

He reached into a nearby chest and pulled out a small pouch. “Here’s your payment for the completed tasks. And as promised, there’s a bonus for finishing within the time limit.”

Our Tablets dinged.

[Partial] Rewards [With Time Bonus]: 12 gold, plus up to 8 experience points per party member if 10 or more are completed.

Notice: Merielle has earned [13] experience points and has reached level [2]. She may allocate [5] Attribute points and [3] skill points. She requires [27] experience points to reach level [3].

Notice: Britnayel has earned [13] experience points and has reached level [2]. She may allocate [5] Attribute points and [3] skill points. She requires [27] experience points to reach level [3].

Notice: Nym has earned [13] experience points and has reached level [2]. She may allocate [5] Attribute points and [3] skill points. She requires [27] experience points to reach level [3].

Notice: Zuri has earned [13] experience points and has reached level [2]. She may allocate [5] Attribute points and [3] skill points. She requires [27] experience points to reach level [3].

Notice: Jordan has earned [13] experience points. He requires [142] experience points to reach level [12].

The team started to celebrate, with Nym practically dancing with joy. We turned to start back to the inn. “Let’s go level up and celebrate,” I said.

“Mhm, lets,” Zuri replied, her eyes flashing as they met mine. The heat in her look tightened my pants by two sizes.

“Sirun!” another gate guard shouted, waving his arms to get Sirun’s attention. “Monster attack! Get those adventurers suited up!”