Chapter 181: Adventurer Guild

POV Eliza

Betty and I strolled through the city a little longer. The part we were in now was mostly filled with blacksmiths and merchants selling weapons and armor. The clanging of the blacksmiths’ forges echoed through the alleys, and the air was thick with the smell of open fire, smoke, and burnt oil. I found the smell very unpleasant and acrid. I quickly started coughing.

“What’s wrong, Leo? Are you getting sick?” Betty

“Cough. No, the air is just hard to breathe and it’s irritating my lungs.” Eliza

“Should we go somewhere else, then? As far as I can tell, there’s nothing interesting to see here anyway.” Betty

“Sure. Cough.” Eliza

We left that part of the village and found ourselves back at the central square. This square was bustling with people; after all, every traveler who wanted to cross the city had to pass through here. Only here was the street wide enough for four carts or carriages to pass each other. In addition to several inns, the Adventurers’ Guild was also located in this square. Just like the first time we passed through here, the multi-story building didn’t particularly stand out. The only clues, aside from the sign above the door, were the people entering and leaving the building. They were a colorful bunch representing every conceivable class: warriors in armor wielding heavy weapons, scouts with bows or crossbows, mages in robes carrying long staffs, and many other combinations. I was amazed at how diverse the people here were.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Betty

“Yeah. They look like something out of a video game.” Eliza

“A what? A game? Leo, this isn’t a game. People are risking their lives to make a living by doing all kinds of tasks.” Betty

“What? Oh no, I didn’t mean it that way. That was a poor choice of words. Just forget it.” Eliza

“Are you sure? Look me in the eyes and tell me again that you didn’t mean it that way!” Betty

Betty suddenly became very serious and intimidating. I’d never seen her like that before. I realized I’d made a huge mistake by thoughtlessly letting a term from my other life slip out. Of course, she didn’t know it and must have misunderstood it. I had to quickly come up with a suitable excuse that would convince her.

“I’m really sorry, Betty. I didn’t mean to insult or speak ill of adventurers. I didn’t mean to imply that it was just a game. But it suddenly reminded me of something I’d long since forgotten. Back home, there used to be events where people would dress up to be someone else. All the different outfits and styles reminded me of the costumes people used to wear back then. Please, Betty, I really didn’t mean any harm.” Eliza

Betty stared into my eyes—for a long time, even longer than I would have liked. But before it got really uncomfortable, her gaze softened, and she even smiled.

“I understand. And I believe you. I’m sorry myself, but the word ‘game’ was a very poor description of what they do. Don’t ever use it in that context again, okay?” Betty

“I promise.” Eliza

“Let’s forget about that. You wanted to join the guild, right?” Betty

“Sort of, but I’m really unsure. Should I really go ahead and sign up?” Eliza

“Come on, don’t be shy. I’m in, after all. As far as I know, there are no downsides to having a license, and guild contracts are our main source of income. There are plenty of tasks you can handle, too.” Betty

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Right now? But the other two wanted you to come along, too.” Eliza

“That’s no problem. Look over there. Those two are already waiting for us. They must have figured we’d go straight to the guild and not head back to the inn.” Betty

Bishop and Duke were standing a few meters from the guild’s entrance, talking quietly. They’d known Betty’s energetic nature for a while and had already guessed she’d come here. I smiled slightly. Betty’s energy was contagious and definitely one of her many strengths. As we approached them, they looked in our direction and waved.

“See, Duke, I knew those two couldn’t wait to go to the guild.” Bishop

“You must mean Betty. Leo probably just tagged along and let her take the lead.” Duke

“You could put it that way. Haha.” Bishop

“You two do realize we can hear you, right?” Betty, pouting

“Don’t worry about it, Betty. You know how Bishop is. You just can’t stay mad at him.” Duke

“Enough time wasted—let’s go inside. Come on, Leo.” Betty

Betty had been holding my hand the whole time and dragged me straight to the entrance. The door was a double swing door and opened easily. The right side swung inward and the left side swung outward. This prevented the door from slamming in your face if someone on the other side was just a split second faster at opening it.

Inside, it was unexpectedly quiet and peaceful. Although people were constantly coming and going, there weren’t many people in the room. The room was quite large and had a high ceiling. Opposite the door was a counter that ran nearly the entire width of the room. On the left side were large bulletin boards with several labeled notes attached to them. These were likely the open assignments. On the right side were a small bar and several tables with chairs, at which a few people were seated. Also on the right side, a staircase led upstairs.

Behind the counter stood two women in what looked like official uniforms. Several people were standing in front of the left counter, waiting for their turn. No one was standing at the right one. A sign hanging above the left counter read “D, E, F.” Above the right counter, it read “C, B.” I had no idea what that meant, so I asked Betty.

“Hey, Betty, what do the letters above the counters mean?” Eliza

“Those are the ranks within the guild. If your rank is D, E, or F, you line up at the left counter. If your rank is B or C, you go to the right one. Most adventurers are ranked C or lower, and with a C rank, you’re already a local celebrity. B ranks are known nationwide.” Betty

“What rank are you guys?” Eliza

“Bishop and I are both D-rank. Betty doesn’t have a rank yet because she hasn’t registered.” Duke

“Why’s that? I thought you’d already completed quests together.” Eliza

“That’s true, but only for the guilds in Hartdome City. When we met Betty, we left town right away. Since then, we haven’t taken on any missions because we had to earn her trust first. There were guild branches in some of the smaller towns on the way south, but Betty wasn’t ready to join yet. It wasn’t until we reached Hartdome City that she was willing to actively participate, but as we know, there’s no adventurers’ guild there. That’s why Betty isn’t a member of this guild herself and doesn’t have a license.” Duke

“And that means I can get my license with you, Leo. I’m so excited. Then we’ll both be newbies and at the same rank.” Betty

And before I knew it, I was standing with Betty in front of the counter at the smallest rank. Behind the counter stood a woman in her mid-20s with brown, shoulder-length hair, wearing a uniform. She was quite attractive and seemed to be very popular with the adventurers. Her smile was genuinely friendly and broad.

“Hello. How can I help you two? Are you new here?” Receptionist

“Yes. We’d like to register.” Betty

“Do you already have a license from another guild?” Receptionist

“Yes, we do. Here, this is my Mercenary Guild license.” Betty

“Let me take a look at that.” Receptionist

The woman took Betty’s license. Then she crouched down and pulled an object out from behind the counter. It looked like some kind of magnifying glass. She looked at the license through the magnifying glass. I could feel magic being activated within the object.

“Mmm, mmm, yes, I see. The license is valid, and I now have a general idea of your status. You’ve already successfully completed a few quests. That means you’re starting at a higher rank than a typical beginner. I can grant you E Rank. Since I already have your basic information from your license, I can start issuing it right away. If you agree to this and are willing to pay the fee of 1 small silver, I can get started.” Receptionist

“Leo, did you hear that? I can start at E Rank right away. I didn’t know before that my quests for the Mercenary Guild could count toward this.” Betty

“That’s a special service we offer. Many adventurers are originally from Hartdome City. To simplify the process, we’ve established a system for this.” Receptionist

“That sounds great. Leo, you’re stronger than I am. Maybe you’ll get an even higher rank.” Betty

“Calm down, Betty. I’ve completed fewer quests than you have. So there’s no way I can get a higher rank than you.” Eliza

“You can’t know that. You’re still suffering from amnesia. Besides, I know your stats, and they’re better than mine. Your level is also higher than mine. So it’s very possible that you’ve worked as an adventurer before. That gives me a good idea. Lady receptionist, my friend here has lost her memory, and when we found her, she didn’t have anything on her. Is it possible to find out if she’s already registered with you as an adventurer?” Betty

“Yes, that’s theoretically possible. However, it’s only possible if your friend is at least at Rank D. Only then is a permanent license issued, and her data is stored in our database alongside her magic profile. If your friend doesn’t have magic—and therefore no magic profile—the matter becomes very difficult, though.” Receptionist

“Luckily, Leo has magic. At least, that’s what your stats say.” Betty

“Then we can analyze her profile and issue a new license, provided her data is already stored with us. If you’d please follow me.” Receptionist

The woman walked around the counter toward the stairs. We followed her to the first floor and into one of many rooms there. Inside were a large, low table and three sofas.

“Please have a seat. A colleague will be with you shortly.” Receptionist

The woman curtsied and left the room. We had to wait a few minutes until the door opened again.