Chapter 8 - Adventure Quest
The Erland branch of the Adventurers' Guild of the Kingdom of Vernia.
It's where I registered as an adventurer for the first time since I came to this other world.
It's a bit nostalgic.
I look around the building again.
The large, wood-paneled room is divided into two sections, one for staff and one for adventurers, by a counter that straddles the floor. There are also two round tables for adventurers, so if you need to discuss something, you can do it here. You can discuss things like forming a new party or where to go for today's adventure.
On the right wall, there is a large bulletin board with many requests (quests) written on it. Some of them are wooden tags hooked to nails, but they are always quests, like collecting ten bunches of medicinal herbs or killing goblins, which are prepared by the guild for beginners.
「It's been half a year, but anyway, I'm glad you're okay.」
The old guild employee nodded his head as if he was looking at a grown relative's child, but I guess adventurers are just that easy to kill.
「Darling, are you acquainted with this old man?」
Saki asked me suspiciously, but well, we used to see each other almost every day before we went to Grandsword.
「Yeah, that's right. His name is .......」
Come to think of it, I hadn't heard this staff member's name yet.
「Marco. Well, you don't have to remember me. If you come here, someone will be there to answer your call.」
「This old man said he wouldn't register us until I brought you here.」
「Well, I'm sorry. I thought you were using Alec's name as a prank. You've been pretending to be a solo adventure, and now you're in a big clan.」
「Leave it. I wasn't pretending. Well, now that I'm here, can you sign me up?」
「Yeah, sure. Sign here, please.」
Marco wrote on a piece of parchment and handed it to the staff, who was in the back.
「All right, now you guys are A-rank adventurers in Erland.」
「Isn't there a certification or exam?」
I was a little curious, so I checked with the old man.
「Actually, there is, but I've already figured out your level, so you don't have to. Are Keiji and Erwin with you?」
「No, they're going separately. If they come here, keep me out of it and let me know first.」
「What's the matter, Alec? Did you get into a fight with Keiji and Erwin? I'm sorry, but as a guild, we're fair for anyone who asks, and we'll tell them what they want to hear.」
「I don't have a choice.」
If they don't give special treatment to anyone, then we can trust them more.
「So, Alec, are you stay in the inn the same as before?」
「No, it's on the main street, a high grade place for nobles. I may be moving again, so please contact me at the Welbard Dojo. I'm a student there, so that's how you can reach me.」
「I understand. I'll let you know as soon as Keiji and the others arrive.」
「I'll be counting on you.」
「Is there anything else I can do for you?」
「No, not really.」
「Alec, if you're going to be here for a while, I was wondering if you could help me with the guild work, since A-rank parties only show up in royal capital once in a while.」
That's what the old man said.
「Hmm? In Grandsword, there were so many A-Rank parties wandering around.」
「Don't lump this place with those places. The Labyrinth of No Return is a popular place where adventurers from other countries come to make a name for themselves.」
「Oh, that's right. Well, it depends on the job. If it's not too much trouble, one of us might be able to take it on.」
「That'd be great. I'll talk to you upstairs. Come here.」
The old man raises the board on the counter and beckons me over.
「Hey, look, that adventurer is on a designated quest.」
A warrior who was bored at a round table pointed at me and said.
「What? Isn't this just a sermon? He was making a lot of noise earlier.」
「You idiot, He's invited inside the counter. If it's sermon, He'll do it in front of the counter. They don't let people in there all the time. Security is rather tight here.」
「I wish I could be the kind of adventurer that the guild wants to hire.」
I seem to be in an enviable position, but is there any merit to being nominated?
「That's right, that's right, as expected master!」
Meena shakes her fist and looks happy. Well, if Meena is so happy, I guess I can take it once in a while.
I, Saki, Meena, and Serina went up the stairs behind the counter.
We were led to a room on the second floor and sat on a sofa. A young female employee made us some tea.
I almost reached out to touch her well-shaped buttocks, but Serina made a clicking sound and put her hand on the scabbard of her sword, so I kept quiet. There is no need to rush here, there are plenty of opportunities.
「First, take a look at this.」
The old man spread the map on the table and placed bear-shaped paperweights in the four corners. The map is made of parchment and will warp if left unattended, so we need to weigh it down.
「This is the royal city of Erland, where you are now, and if you take the road northeast from here, you will find an inn town, and if you go south over the pass, you will find a village called Mox.」
「Is it far?」
「No, it's right there. It will take you three days to get to the inn town by wagon, and half a day by horse to make the pass.」
People here say that a three-day journey is like a convenience store in the city, but it's close. I'm getting used to it.
「What's in there?」
Serina asks.
「That's still unclear. At first, the merchants' guild asked me about the peddlers who went to Mox Village and didn't come back. So we sent a C-rank party to Mox Village to investigate. ...... Neither of the two groups came back.」
「That sounds bad. I wonder if they were wiped out.」
「Maybe. But even if they were killed, normally one of them would have run back. The second group is the one that told them the first group was missing, so they might be in a lot of trouble.」
「Old man......you should at least give B there.」
Saki says, but the guild was also bypassed.
「Yeah, I can't say anything back, but I'm pretty sure they're good enough there, and it's only a matter of time before they're promoted to B rank, because that's the kind of party they were. It is possible that the first group abandoned their work, and it was a lax party, so I let my guard down. Just as well, there were no other B ranks. I'm sorry for what I did to them.」
「I understand. You look like you're in trouble, so I'll go.」
This old man took care of me when I was a beginner, so I'll help others here.
「Oh, you're going! Thank you. Anyway, there's no need to push yourself too hard. I just want to know what's going on. Just be careful, all right?」
「I'll take care of it. We've got a lot of people, and I don't want any of them to leave without coming back.」
「Then we'd better leave right away. I'll go call everyone in the clan.」
Serina left the room at a fast pace.
「I'll arrange the carriage. What about the members? Do you want to go with the full team?」
Saki asks.
「No, if C-rank is all wiped out, it'll be too much of a hindrance to bring in a whole bunch of second and third team. Just the first team will be fine. Let's send the rest to the dojo or something.」
「All right! Okay, let's get two carriages.」
「No, Saki, make sure to arrange for three carriages. We might bring back the injured adventurer.」
「Oh, that's right, I forgot about the injured. How many members are there in the two missing parties, old man?」
「The first party, "The Perjured", has two members, and the second party, "Sudden Death", has six members.」
「What a party with a big name. Well, okay, I'll get four carriage ready for eight people to sleep in.」
「Yeah.」
「Master, what shall I do?」
「Meena, tell Clyde that all the clan members should train at the dojo until we get back.」
「Yes, sir!」
I thought about the various possibilities and decided to get some recovery items just in case and hire another priest who could help Fianna.
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