Chapter 40 - Adventurer Registration
After being made to cook kimchi stir-fried pork in the morning and eating it, we headed to the Adventurer Guild near the central square of Nirouette.
Compared to the Merchant Guild, the building was about two sizes smaller.
It probably didn’t need space for carriages used for business or warehouses to store goods.
The structure was made of deep-colored wood and heavy black iron, with countless scars etched into the exterior walls.
At first glance, they seemed like marks from weathering, but some were clearly from slashes and blunt strikes. It looked like the building bore the rough history of adventurers.
The entrance had large double doors, and a simple emblem of a sword and shield was displayed on the central part of the roof.
The interior wasn’t much different from the Merchant Guild.
There was a reception counter in the center, where clerks in navy-blue uniforms handled adventurers. The lobby also had a tavern, and adventurers clad in armor were scattered around, discussing quests while checking request boards.
As we walked through the lobby, the noisy room quieted down slightly.
It wasn’t overt, but I could feel sideways glances sizing us up.
Haku responded with a sharp glare for just a moment.
The sheer intensity of the response made the adventurers instinctively rise from their seats, hands reaching for their weapons.
I panicked at their reaction, but one of the adventurers, who seemed more level-headed, called out to stop them.
“Cut it out. That’s probably a familiar.”
“Ah, right. Sorry, Franz...”
So it was Franz.
I gave him a grateful nod with my eyes, and he responded with a look that said, “Don’t worry about it.” Much appreciated.
“...Haku.”
“It’s their fault for giving us hostile looks.”
“ “...?!” ”
When I scolded him, Haku snorted and spoke.
The adventurers who had been eavesdropping reacted with surprise upon hearing human words from Haku, a familiar.
From their reaction, they must’ve realized Haku was a high-ranking monster. The lobby grew noisy again, but for a different reason this time. I hoped this would deter any unnecessary interference or suspicion.
As we walked further into the lobby, we lined up at the central counter.
There were about five staff members at the counter, but one line was oddly empty.
“Um, can I use this line?”
“Yeah, go ahead! You’re more than welcome!”
When I peeked over, I saw a large, bald man with tanned skin sitting there.
No wonder this line was unpopular.
But since I’d already spoken up, I couldn’t back out now.
“I’m here to register as an adventurer.”
“Got it. Fill this out.”
“Uh, I have a letter of recommendation from Orlando-san. I was told to give it to the guild master—”
“A letter from Orlando?”
Before I could finish filling out the registration form, the bald man tore open the envelope.
“Hey, wait! That’s only for the guild master!”
“No problem. I am the guild master.”
“What?!”
When I glanced at the receptionist and adventurers nearby as if to ask, “Is that true?” they gave a small nod in confirmation.
Why is the guild master of the Adventurer Guild working the counter? I don’t get it.
“Hmm?!”
The bald man read the letter and leaned over the counter to get a better look at Haku.
Then he covered his face with his hands and froze.
“Can I register as an adventurer?”
“...I don’t have a choice. No wonder Orlando asked for help.”
Uh, sorry about that.
He let out a deep sigh and introduced himself.
“I’m Zeta, the guild master of the Adventurer Guild.”
“I’m Tohru. This is my familiar, Haku.”
When I glanced over, I saw Haku glaring at a few adventurers who had given him provocative looks, as if he didn’t like their attitude. In response, the adventurers turned pale and quickly averted their gazes. It was like watching ordinary people getting singled out by a delinquent.
“Hey, can you get him to stop? Just watching this is making me nervous...”
“Sorry. I’ll make him stop. Hey, Haku!”
“Tch.”
“...He actually listens to you, huh?”
“Well, he is my familiar, more or less.”
Seeing that I had some control over Haku, Zeta looked relieved.
Sure, Haku clicked his tongue, but he’s a good familiar who doesn’t do things I really dislike.
“Do you need an explanation about adventurers?”
“Yes, please.”
I’d already heard the basics from Franz and the others, but I asked for a refresher just in case.
The Adventurer Guild is an organization that spans nations, primarily supporting those who make a living by hunting monsters.
Rewards are paid based on the monsters slain, and adventurers make a living by selling materials and such.
Adventurer ranks are divided into seven tiers: S, A, B, C, D, E, and F. You can take on quests at your rank or one rank above. Be careful, though—failing a quest results in a penalty fee.
Committing crimes like murder or robbery will get you expelled from the guild and hunted by the nation.
“That’s the gist of it. Any questions?”
“Thank you. No questions here.”
Yep, it’s exactly what Franz and the others told me.
Higher ranks come with better support, but it’s basically a world of self-responsibility.
“Alright, fill out this registration form and pay the fee.”
“Got it.”
I handed over three copper coins and started filling out the form with my name and other details.
“...So, what do you plan to do as an adventurer?”
As I silently filled out the form, Zeta propped his chin on his hand and asked.
“Mostly take on gathering and transport quests, I guess.”
“With that by your side?”
His look seemed to wonder why, despite having a White Fenrir—one of the strongest species—as my familiar, I wasn’t showing any particular ambition to aim for a higher rank.
Sure, with Haku, I could easily become a high-ranking adventurer, but that’s not my goal.
“I just want to camp.”
“Camp?”
“Comfortable outdoor living.”
“...You’re one weird guy.”
Yeah, I get it. Wanting to camp in the wild where monsters roam probably makes me seem crazy. If it weren’t for my unique skill, I wouldn’t even consider it, so I can’t blame him for thinking that.
“Here, you’re all registered.”
After filling out the form, I was given a card similar to the one from the Merchant Guild.
“Keep the familiar thing under wraps until the country or the lord gives the okay, alright?”
“Understood.”
I nodded, and Zeta looked relieved.
“Done with the registration?”
“Yeah, let’s check out the quest board while we’re here.”
With Haku in tow, I headed to the quest board at the edge of the lobby.
A few adventurers were gathered in front of it, but they quickly scattered when they saw the unfamiliar familiar.
Uh, sorry about that.
The board was filled with various quests.
The most common were monster extermination quests, followed by escort and gathering quests.
Since we just registered, we’re starting at the lowest rank, F. We can accept requests up to one rank higher, so that means F and E rank requests are available to us.
“There aren’t many F-rank quests available.”
Being at the bottom of the adventurer ranks, it’s no surprise the options are limited.
“How about exterminating a flock of wyverns?”
Haku pointed at a quest with his white tail.
“...No, that’s an A-rank quest. We can’t take it.”
“What? But I’ve already defeated them before.”
“We’re starting from the bottom now.”
Haku looked genuinely confused.
That’s what it means to join an organization and start from scratch.
“The only thing we can take on right now is goblin extermination.”
“...Goblins? How much CP do they give?”
“Low-level ones give about 10 CP. Enough to buy a loaf of bread.”
“Pathetic.”
Looking at the quest details, the goblins around Nirouette weren’t very high-level. Even if we hunted them for CP, the profit would be minimal at best.
“Here’s an idea. What if we take the goblin quest and then ‘accidentally’ run into the wyvern flock? If we’re attacked, we’d have no choice but to fight back, right?”
“Doing that would get us in trouble.”
Haku spoke without lowering his voice, and the receptionist shot us a stern look. Her expression made it clear that kind of behavior wasn’t encouraged.
“Boring!”
Haku, frustrated by all the restrictions, lay down on the spot and sulked.
I’m just an F-rank adventurer right now. There’s no way there’d be a request worthy of satisfying a White Fenrir, one of the strongest species.
Well, as long as we don’t take any quests, we’re free to hunt whatever we want outside.
This time, I just wanted to experience being an adventurer, so I’ll stick to light quests.
“It’d be nice to take on a quest that makes use of the camper van.”
As I scanned the quest board, recalling Franz and the other’s advice, one quest caught my eye.
“Oh, let’s go with this one.”
I peeled the quest sheet off the board and headed back to the reception counter.
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