The main thoroughfare of the City of Gilm hummed with a restless murmur.
Usually, such noise was a constant of city life, but today, something felt different. The source of the commotion was a single boy—or perhaps a young man—accompanied by a large Gryphon.
"Gururuu."
Set gave a low trill, perhaps unsettled by the weight of the gazes directed at them. For a fleeting moment, the voices around them hushed at the sound, only for the buzzing chatter to return with renewed intensity.
The reaction was only natural. An A-Rank monster like a Gryphon was walking boldly through the city streets. The only reason the panic hadn't escalated into an all-out riot was the pair of necklaces around its neck; one of them clearly marked it as a tamed monster or a summoned beast. Had this been a wild Gryphon, the civilians would have long since fled, and the street would be filled with adventurers, knights, and soldiers with weapons drawn.
"Don't let it get to you," Rei said, scratching Set’s head. "As long as you don't make a move, they won't either."
Rei seemed composed, but he was quite a sight himself. He wore an obviously high-quality robe and carried a Great Scythe with a two-meter handle and a one-meter blade. Even without the Gryphon, he would have been the center of attention.
The garment was a Dragon Robe, a top-tier masterpiece, though its creator, the alchemist Esta Nor, had enchanted it to hide its true nature. To a casual observer, it merely looked like a flamboyant, attention-grabbing piece of clothing rather than a powerful magic item.
They walked through the crowd for about ten minutes until the building Ranga had described came into view. A large sign hung over the entrance, clearly marked "Adventurer's Guild."
"Set, there’s a waiting area for animals and carriages over there. Wait for me there and make sure your necklaces are visible. If anyone tries to mess with you, you have my permission to give them a little taste of pain."
"Guruu."
Set nodded in understanding. The nearby pedestrians, overhearing Rei's instructions, felt their faces twitch with nervous concern.
After watching Set settle into the designated spot, Rei turned and headed into the guild.
"Now, let’s see what we have here."
The door opened with a heavy creak. Rei stepped inside, expecting to find a den of thugs drinking themselves into a stupor, brawling, and laughing vulgarly. However, the reality was quite different. While the guild did have a space serving simple food and drink, only about five adventurers were actually drinking. A few others were scattered about, but most of the tables were empty.
"Welcome. How can I help you today?"
Rei was still surveying the interior when a voice called out. He turned toward the reception area, which featured several desks. One of the staff members was smiling at him.
As befitted the public faces of the guild, the receptionists were all quite striking. There were beastmen with cat and dog ears, a woman with the pointed ears of an Elf, and several humans. The one who had addressed Rei was a human woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
"I’d like to register with the guild..."
Rei had barely started his sentence when a voice cut him off from the tavern area.
"Gyahahaha! This ain’t no place for a puny brat like you! Shouldn't 'young master' be hiding under his mama’s skirt?"
"Hey now, Vargas, don't be so mean," another voice chimed in. "Look at him—he's so scared he's lost his voice."
"Kid, it’s ten... no, fifteen years too early for you to be here. You really think you can be an adventurer with a scrawny body like that?"
"Yeah, yeah. You might be carrying a big stick, but bluffs don't work on monsters, you know?"
"Shut up, you lot," a fifth man, who seemed relatively sober, tried to intervene. "We’re supposed to be celebrating. Don't start trouble."
The other four were clearly deep in their cups and ignored their companion, continuing to hurl mockery at Rei.
It’s exactly like a novel, Rei thought. I didn't run into any bandits attacking merchants or nobles on the way here, but I still got the 'harassed at the guild' event. If I’d saved a merchant, I might have gotten a reward, but dealing with drunks is just a chore... Wait. That last guy said they were celebrating. If they’re drinking at the guild tavern, they probably just finished a request. That means...
"Hmph."
Rei looked at the men as if they were trash, let out a deliberate, audible snort of derision, and then turned his back on them to face the Receptionist again.
"You little shit! Did you just laugh at us?"
"You goddamn brat! You’re just a rookie who hasn't even registered yet! You want me to teach you your place? Huh?!"
"Easy, Vargas, Zolito, calm down," one of the others said. "Like Zolito said, he’s just a fresh recruit acting tough."
"Maybe so, but since he's a rookie, we’ve got to teach him some respect for his elders."
Ignoring the four shouting men and the one man burying his face in his hands, Rei spoke to the Receptionist.
"So, about that registration?"
"O-Oh, yes. Please write your name, age, and any combat-related special skills on this form. Do you need a scribe?"
"No, I can manage."
Rei took the pen. Come to think of it, putting aside the written script, I can understand the language perfectly. I really owe it to that fusion with Zephyle.
He filled out the form: Name: Rei. Age: 15. Special Skills: Fire Magic, Tamer, Close Combat. He then handed the paper back.
In Elgin, surnames were generally reserved for nobles or those who had performed great deeds. Since Rei had just arrived in this world, he simply wrote "Rei."
"Thank you. It will take a few moments to process your Guild Card, so I’ll go over the guild’s rules in the meantime."
The Receptionist gave a polite bow and began her explanation.
The Adventurer’s Guild operated on a rank system from H to A. There was technically an S-Rank above that, but it was so exclusive that only three people in all of Elgin held the title. One of those lived within the Kingdom of Mireana.
H-Rank was the entry level, restricted to chores within the city. To take requests outside the city walls, an adventurer had to reach at least G-Rank. If a guild examiner deemed an applicant's combat skills sufficient, they could rank up from H to G on their very first day.
Requests were accepted by taking a slip from the board to the counter. The reward listed was the final amount, with taxes and guild fees already deducted. However, failing to complete a request within the deadline resulted in a cancellation fee equal to thirty percent of the reward.
Adventurers could accept requests up to one rank higher than their own. For example, a G-Rank adventurer could take H, G, and F-Rank missions. Promotion generally required a set number of successful completions, though rising from E to D or C to B required passing a specific rank-up exam.
Broadly speaking, E through G were novices, C and D were full-fledged adventurers, and A and B were considered elites.
For parties, the group’s rank was the average of its members, and they were permitted to take requests up to two ranks above the party average.
Registration was free, but losing a Guild Card incurred a five gold coin replacement fee.
Adventurers were free to sell monster materials to private shops, though the guild would not mediate any disputes arising from such transactions. The guild also bought materials, usually at a ten to twenty percent markdown compared to market prices, in exchange for instant appraisals and guaranteed purchases regardless of market saturation.
Thanks to magic items, guild branches maintained close contact, allowing adventurers to use their cards across different regions and kingdoms.
Finally, the guild would not intervene in disputes between adventurers.
"That covers everything," she concluded.
At the mention of not intervening in disputes, the Receptionist stole a glance at the men who had been heckling Rei.
Rei followed her gaze. The four men were staring at him, clearly waiting for him to finish. The fifth man had moved to a separate table, nursing his drink alone as if to distance himself from his comrades.
Their intentions were obvious. Until his registration was finalized, Rei was technically a civilian. If an adventurer laid a hand on a civilian, the guild would punish them. However, once he was a registered adventurer, any "dispute" between them would be overlooked.
"Do you have any questions?" the Receptionist asked.
Rei thought for a moment. "Just one. Suppose an H or G-Rank adventurer defeats a monster that’s the target of a C or B-Rank request. What happens then?"
"Unfortunately, if you haven't officially accepted the request, it won't count as a completion. You can, however, still sell the materials you harvested."
"Gyahahaha! Did you hear that? This brat thinks he can take down a C or B-Rank monster!"
"Kid's talking in his sleep. I didn't know you could sleep while standing up!"
The group including Vargas and Zolito jeered again, but Rei continued to ignore them.
"Understood. No further questions. How much longer for the card?"
"Let’s see... Ah, it’s ready. Here you are. Please verify that the details are correct."
Rei looked over the Guild Card. It listed the Gilm Branch as his registration point, his name as Rei, his rank as H, and his age as 15. His skills—Fire Magic, Tamer, and Close Combat—were all correctly recorded.
"Everything looks right," Rei said, tucking the card away. "One more thing."
He turned slightly, ensuring his voice carried to the men behind him. A smirk played on his lips.
"There’s a pathetic, ugly, loud-mouthed group over there that won't stop pestering me. What's the rank of those drunks?"
"You little—!"
Drunk and easily baited, the men surged with rage at the blatant provocation.
"...The people you are referring to are the members of the Falcon's Claws. They are a D-Rank party."
"Hoh. Falcon's Claws... How grand. I honestly thought they’d have a name more suited to their level, like 'Goblin Drool' or something."
The sound of shattering wood echoed through the hall. Vargas had smashed his heavy axe into the table.
"You've got a lot of nerve, you little shit. Why don't you step outside? I'm gonna teach you exactly where you stand."
"Fine by me," Rei replied coolly. "I might as well take out all the 'Goblin Drools' at once."
"What’d you say, brat?!"
"We're gonna beat some manners into you!"
The men grabbed their weapons and followed Rei as he walked toward the exit. Just before stepping out, Rei paused to look back at the Receptionist.
"By the way, you said I can reach G-Rank on my first day if I show combat experience, right?"
"Eh? Ah, yes. That's true, but..."
"Then send someone with the authority to judge that outside. I'm applying for a rank-up to G-Rank."
Leaving the stunned Receptionist behind, Rei stepped out into the street.