The Humble Life of a Skill Trainer
Alston Sleet
As found on RoyalRoad: For Joshua Still, Skills were the lifeblood of his business. He wanted to understand them, collect many of them, and teach a few of them. Which was a problem because while his profession of a Skill Trainer was perfectly legal, it was frowned upon by most of the kingdom. After all, it wouldn't do for a non-tailor to teach Tailoring. Or, so says the Tailors Guild. The same could be said by the Blacksmiths, the Bakers, the Butchers, the Candlestick Makers, the Mages, and every other Guild with enough money and clout to complain. But still, Skill Trainers provide a valuable service, and so he has managed to start his business and keep it under the table. To a degree. With many a bribe. But his quiet anonymous life of research, practice, and training was about to change. When the Baron demands you pay him a visit, you have little choice.
Progression: Explicit Skill-based progression fantasy where structured advancement is central. Joshua Still is a legal but stigmatized Skill Trainer who collects, studies, and teaches discrete Skills (Tailoring, Blacksmithing, Baking, Butchery, Candlestick Making, Mages' arts, etc.). Progression is quantified via (1) Skill collection — acquiring new Skills to widen his repertoire; (2) Guild-gated mastery — each Guild monopolizes its Skill and actively suppresses outsider trainers, so advancement requires navigating political/bribe thresholds and proving competence against guild standards; (3) Trainer efficacy — teaching others to grant Skills, expanding influence and research funding. The LitRPG-adjacent framework treats Skills as collectible, levelable abilities with guild tiers, and the narrative engine is Joshua's climb from under-the-table trainer to Baron-summoned power broker, driven by systematic Skill research, practice, and training loops. Verified via Goodreads description noting 'collect many of them, and teach a few of them' and RoyalRoad 'As found on RoyalRoad' provenance.
Goodreads
