Chapter 23: The Adventurer’s Guild
The girl who unintentionally became our Cupid was named Anya. After guiding us to the innermost room on the second floor, her face flushed bright red, and she hurriedly ran away.
“Hehe.”
Sitting on the bed in the room, Rio smiled broadly. Seeing her so happy made me feel that confessing my feelings on a whim was worth it. I wanted to boast to my past self, who had been all alone.
“You look really happy.”
“Yeah.”
As I sat next to Rio, she hugged me tightly. With her being taller, it felt like I fit perfectly in her embrace. It was quite unfortunate, really.
As we leaned closer, our lips met. There was a familiar softness to the sensation, as if I had experienced it before…
“What’s wrong?”
Rio asked, noticing my contemplative expression.
“Well, I just thought it doesn’t feel like this is my first kiss with you.”
“Ahaha. It probably was when you were attacked by that black-robed figure and I had to feed you the medicine through a kiss.”
“R-Really…?”
What a shock! To not remember my first kiss—what a lifelong blunder.
“Ahaha, how cute.”
As I was lost in my own thoughts, I was struck by another shocking statement. Me… cute? No one had ever said that to me before, and I certainly didn’t see myself that way. Wait, hold on. This must be a perspective that only a special someone like her could have. An ordinary person wouldn’t think of me as cute.
“…Ahem. Anyway, I might run out of money soon, so we should find a way to earn some.”
I tried to convince myself, but it felt a bit forced, so I decided to change the subject.
“Yeah, you’re right. My master mentioned that the Adventurer’s Guild is a quick way to earn some.”
“We still have time, so let’s check it out.”
I locked the room and took the key to the front desk. As I handed the key to the innkeeper, I asked for directions to the Adventurer’s Guild, and she responded with a sly smile. It felt like I could almost hear her thoughts: “Being young is such a blessing.”
Exiting the inn and returning to the main street, we headed toward the back of the town, away from the gate. After walking for a while, we spotted a five-story building with a sign depicting a sword and shield on a magic circle.
“Is this the place?”
“Probably. It seems like the only five-story building the innkeeper mentioned.”
“Then let’s go inside.”
With a mix of excitement and nervousness about the typical developments that might unfold, we stepped inside. Perhaps due to the time of day, there weren’t as many people as I expected, but nearly everyone’s gaze was fixed on us.
At the large counter in the back, about ten receptionists were busy, and to the left, a wooden board was plastered with numerous papers. The right side appeared to be a lounge area, with several tall tables that lacked chairs.
We approached an empty counter.
“How may I assist you today?”
A blonde elf receptionist with pointed ears greeted us with a composed and professional demeanor. Looking around, I noticed that all the receptionists were beautiful women…
“Can we register for the guild?”
“Ah, yes… You can, but may I ask your age?”
“I’m sixteen.”
As I answered with a slight tilt of my head, an adventurer standing at the adjacent counter turned to us with a shocked expression.
“Wait? …Ah, my apologies.”
Even the elf receptionist seemed surprised. Is there an age restriction for becoming an adventurer? My master hadn’t mentioned it, but perhaps he didn’t say anything because he knew my age. I was aware that I looked small, so I must have appeared younger.
“Ah, I’m also sixteen.”
Rio chimed in from behind me.
“I-I see. …Then could you please fill out this form?”
Looking at the form handed to me, I noticed several fields to fill out: name, gender, age, race, and occupation. There was also a space for writing down any skills.
“As long as you provide your name, that will suffice. The other information will be used as a reference when forming a party. If you know your occupation, please write it down. If you wish to inquire about it here, it will cost 100 Fron.”
Oh, could it be that they have a crystal like the one I touched when I was summoned?
“Ah, that’s fine.”
Taking the pen, I began to fill out the form. It seemed like a different kind of benefit from being transported to this otherworld. For some reason, I could converse and read in this language. I was grateful that it was a typical trope.
The names I wrote down were “Shu” and “Rio.” Of course, I didn’t include our family names. I realized how useful it was that I had started calling Rio by her name. As indicated by my lack of occupation, I had nothing special to write down, so I only noted our names.
“Thank you for filling that out. Your registration is complete. I will now create your Guild Certificate, so while you wait, I will explain the rules of the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Guild members have ranks, starting from G rank for those under twelve and F rank for those over twelve, but it seems you can’t advance to E rank until you turn fifteen. Now I understood why they asked my age; they must have thought I looked under twelve…
The ranks for beginners are as follows:
- G Rank: Only requests within the town.
- F Rank: Requests outside the town, but limited to gathering tasks.
- E Rank: Capable of undertaking subjugation requests.
It seems D rank is considered the level of a full-fledged adventurer. Well, the rest of the rules were pretty standard.
“Here is your Guild Certificate. Please be careful, as losing it will incur a reissue fee of 100 Fron.”
She handed me a metal plate engraved with my name and rank, which I hung around my neck with a chain.
“Good luck!”
The elf receptionist smiled as she wished us well.
And so, we became adventurers.