Chapter 121: Return to Raven
I had successfully charged my smartphone to full power. It seemed that there was no need to plug in a cable; as long as I generated electricity near the smartphone, it would charge. I had suspected it was a futuristic device, but I never imagined it could charge wirelessly.
However, my joy was short-lived. The power was on, but I couldn’t unlock it. What was this biometric authentication? I understood fingerprints, but what was iris recognition? The camera activated, but was I supposed to show my face?
Still, the fact that the smartphone displayed Japanese was a small victory. I decided to give up for now, realizing there was nothing more I could do.
After enjoying the Commercial City, we returned to Craftsman City Raven. Once again, we accepted an escort request from Fleur and made our way back without encountering any bandits, arriving smoothly by early afternoon.
“Thank you once again,” Fleur said as we safely reached Rashiyu Trading Company.
“No, thank you for the opportunity,” I replied.
Originally, Fleur had planned to travel to Raven with us to attend a marriage ceremony. By requesting an escort, I also managed to complete a D Rank request along the way.
“The marriage ceremony is the day after tomorrow, right?” I asked.
“Yes. I plan to head to the temple in the morning,” she confirmed.
“Hehe, congratulations! I’m looking forward to it,” I said.
“Uh, thank you?” Fleur replied, sounding a bit puzzled. I wondered what she was looking forward to, as nothing particularly special had happened during my previous visit.
From inside the shop, a lively voice called out, “Welcome, meow!”
That voice sounded oddly familiar.
“Did they hire someone new?” I asked.
“Yes, it seems so,” Fleur replied.
Peeking inside, I spotted a fluffy cat-eared and tailed employee in hot pants. Wasn’t that person from Mimina Trading Company?
Rio and I exchanged glances, nodding in unison. We should check on Mimina Trading Company later.
“Well then, I should be going,” I said.
“Yes, please take care,” Fleur replied.
After parting ways with Fleur, we secured a room at the inn where we had previously stayed and headed to the Adventurer’s Guild. At the counter, I reported the completion of the request and handed over the completion certificate and Guild Certificate.
“Yes, I can confirm the completion of the escort request. Please wait a moment,” the staff member said before disappearing behind the counter, only to return shortly.
“Here is your reward. Please accept it,” they said.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“I’ll return your Guild Certificate. Congratulations on your rank-up!”
“Wait, what?”
“Wait, what?”
I halted my outstretched hand and exchanged bewildered looks with Rio, both of us staring at the staff member in confusion.
“Huh?”
The staff member returned our confusion with a puzzled expression. Did that mean we had become C Rank?
I cautiously reached out to take the Guild Certificate. Upon closer inspection, it indeed stated “C Rank.”
“Hmm.”
“…Come to think of it, they mentioned before that someone who has never completed an escort request cannot be C Rank,” Rio recalled.
“Ah, that was when we became D Rank,” I added.
“Right.”
I remembered now. They couldn’t leave someone who could tame a monster like Nil at a low rank. It seemed the Guild Master had the authority to rank us up.
Noticing our self-contained atmosphere, the staff member relaxed, their expression shifting to one of relief. Compared to Japan, where explanations were thorough, the Otherworld really was quite casual.
“Ah, yes. Since we completed the escort request, the Guild Master approved the rank-up…”
“Well, if that’s the case, I suppose it’s fine,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Then, once again, congratulations on your rank-up!”
“Haha, thank you.”
“When you reach C Rank, you may receive mandatory designated requests, so let me explain,” the staff member continued.
“Mandatory?”
“Yes.”
Listening to the staff member, I learned that these requests would be issued in cases of emergencies that could threaten the city’s existence. Of course, refusing them was not an option. If we failed to accept such requests, we could face a rank demotion, or in the worst case, expulsion from the Guild.
In the event of a major monster invasion, one might feel inclined to flee, but if they did, they would be demoted to the rank below, where mandatory requests wouldn’t apply.
“Additionally, designated requests issued by nobles are treated as mandatory requests by the Guild. While you won’t face demotion or expulsion for refusing these, since they come from nobles, we would appreciate your acceptance,” the staff member explained.
I see. Nobles really are a troublesome presence. While there are adventurers from noble backgrounds, the majority are commoners. It’s best to avoid unnecessary trouble.
“Understood. Well, as long as the requests aren’t unreasonable, I’ll accept them,” I said.
“Yes, we would appreciate that.”
Now that I was also registered with the Commercial Guild, I honestly didn’t care much about the Adventurer’s Guild. After all, the monsters we hunted could be sold directly to the trading company.
In any case, I could think about it once the requests actually came in.