2.6
As I open the door, I find a bar filled with round tables and a balcony where they sell their drinks and snacks. Waiters come and go, sometimes crossing a door at the back that must be the kitchen. This place is filled with clients, and is even noisier than the outside. It's a lively place… maybe way too lively, even… So this is a guild, huh?
There are many kinds of adventurers here, some with simple clothes; others with heavy armors; some with huge swords over 6 feet tall; others with complex canes with precious stones on top; some of them laughing loudly; others crying and… Lots of drunk ones… They seem like confident people living their lives to the fullest. Not a bad way as far as living goes, I guess. Though I'm not sure if I would be able to fit in that kind of lifestyle…
So… Where should I go in order to register myself as a member?
Looking around, I find a poster next to the stairs. Let's see.
Adventurer's guild
G
Tavern & restaurant
1F
Guild & Mission Registration
2F
Mission report & rewards
3F
Guild Master's Office
4F
Prison
I should go to the next floor then... They really do have everything in here, huh? I mean, from a Tavern to a prison. Makes you wonder about what kind of prisoners they would have in there. Rogue adventurers? Or could it be that in this world they don't have a proper police force and the adventurers fill the role?
Well, no point in wondering about these things now, let's keep moving.
I climb the stairs to the next floor. There are many booths on the walls, used by the clerks, and people forming lines in front of them. And at the center of the room, there are many bulletin boards, with available quests I presume.
I look for the shortest line and wait for a couple of minutes, until a cute clerk attends me.
"Good afternoon sir, how may I assist you?"
She ends her sentence with a well-trained business smile.
"Hi, I am interested in joining the guild, so I would like to know what the requisites for doing so are." I say with a polite smile. Or so I hope, I'm not that confident in how people see me anymore after arriving here…
"I see! We often receive adventurers from different places, though it's the first time I've ever seen someone with clothes as different as yours. You must've come from a very distant region…"
Oh, you have no idea… But I don't think it would be a good idea to say that… Time to make up some backstory.
"Uhh, yeah, I came from a somewhat isolated place, and we don't have anything such as guilds in there… Even so, I've heard many stories and it has always been my dream to become an adventurer. So I would very much appreciate your assistance..." Funnily enough, not a single lie in there.
"Hehe, of course, all adventurers are welcome in the guild! I was just impressed by you, is all."
That worked well, it seems. But I should take note and change my clothes later on... A jeans and a t-shirt are bound to attract attention here. Now that I notice, I'm also still holding Tsubaki's cake… Man, I should stop and eat it once I have the time… Also, how do I even properly dispose of this later…?
Anyways…
"You've travelled from so far already; your experience will certainly help once you're formally registered as an adventurer!"
Tons of experience… Going out of home, every day is already an adventure… But going back in? That's when you don't know where you'll end up into…
"Ok then, let's get you started!" She says, energetically.
"First of all, in order to make your registration, we need to create your identity card, filled with your personal information and a drop of your blood."
"My blood…?"
"That's right! You will also have to place another drop of your blood in the guild's mana gem. It's a safety measure to assure the authenticity of the adventurer's identification. That way, even if you were to lose it, no one else would be able to use your ID, since it is linked to you. In addition, you can create a new card with the backed up information, after paying the nominal charge."
"I see..."
Uhhh… I don't have any money… In truth, I don't even know what they use as money here…
She must've seen my troubled face, and tries to ease my worries as she continues with her explanation.
"That said, your first card and registration costs are covered by the guild. The cost only applies in case you have to reemit the card. It's our way to help the novice adventurers!" Her smile feels a bit condescending… But I really need the help. I'm not in a position to try and look tough…
I give her a weak smile, and she continues.
"After receiving your card, you'll start on the lowest rank. You can advance on it as you go through missions."
Ok, that seems like what would be expected.
"And to wrap it up, you can choose your missions from the boards at the center of the room and bring them here, for registration. In case you have a party, you can choose missions up to three ranks above your own. Please take note that some missions have specified time limits. Once you fill in the mission completion report, you'll receive the specified reward. In case of failure, you might have to pay a fee indicated on the description. I think this pretty much sums it up. Any questions?"
"Could you tell me more about the ranks? For example how many there are, and how they are ordered?"
"Ah, of course, I should've mentioned that as well!" She says while giving me an apologetic look. "The ranks are from lowest to highest: D C B A S SS SSS X XD XC XB XA XS XSS XSSS XX, 16 in total. Currently, only three people are registered in the XX rank, and only one of them is still an active adventurer. The other two are the Master of our Guild, and the Commander of the Divine Guard. They're impressive, you see! Some say they could even compare to some historical heroes! Hehe, not the strongest ones of course, but you should also think of them as a source of inspiration going forward!"
Divine Guard Commander… The Goddess did say that someone would train the heroes. Could it be this same person?
Either way, there are so many rankings… Couldn't they just end it at 'S'? Also, I wonder how the progress system per quest works. But I can leave that question for later...
"Ok, I would like to register then."
"Sure!"
I give her my name and some blood drops. Then she heads off through a back door for a couple of minutes, and after returning, she hands me a card.
"Here it is, Mr. Aki."
Adventurer's Guild Card
Name
Kanade Aki
Age
21 years old
Rank
D rank
Number of completed missions
—
Highest defeated monster rank
—
Deposited Goddo
—
It seems they really take you by the word here. I didn`t give them my full name, but it got registered like that anyways. Then again, maybe they expect some sort of adventurer nickname or alias.
Also, I didn't give her my age or birthday, but it somehow got filled accurately… Just from my blood? Magic is something else, huh…
But the card itself is quite simple. It has the size of a credit card; it's hard, smooth and easy to read, though I can't quite tell what sort of material it's made of. Also, does the information update by itself, or does it need to be reprinted or something at the guild?
Besides…
"What is this deposit function?"
"Oh, I'm sorry I should have mentioned it before…" She says, trying to not sound patronizing… But she is looking at me as if I'd just asked what the internet was…
"After reporting your mission, you can choose to receive the reward in species or store it directly into your account. If you choose to do so, you may visit any of the Guild's buildings in order to make withdraws or use your card directly for payment on any of our affiliate stores. As an adventurer, it is the safest option to carry your Goddos around, wherever you may go."
Ah, a debit card, I didn't see that coming on this fantasy setting… I think she must be seeing me as a serious country bumpkin… Which makes complete sense, considering I don't know any common sense from this world…
"I thank you so much for your guidance and patience." I say, slightly embarrassed… Seriously, it wouldn't even take a foul mood employee to give me curt answers for these kinds of questions. And yet she went through the trouble of earnestly explaining everything to me…
"You're welcome! I hope you succeed in your adventures!"
Just as I was preparing to leave...
"Oh, no! I forgot to hand you something important! Please, wait over here for just another minute!"
"Wha---?"
She goes through that door behind the counter once again. She was in such a rush I didn't even get to ask what happened. Well, she has been nothing but help so far, I had better stick for a while…