“Registration for the Adventurers’ Guild, is it? Very well, please fill out the necessary information on this form.”
I took the paper from the Receptionist and began filling it out with a practiced hand. Name, address, age, registered class… it was all fairly standard. Sylpha had told me there was no need to hide anything, so I followed her advice, wrote down the truth, and handed the form back.
“Hmm, I see. So Lloyd-san is a prince of this kingdom. And quite young, as well. You must understand that being an adventurer is a dangerous profession. If you lack the necessary skill, you will get hurt—or worse, you will die. The Adventurers’ Guild provides absolutely no guarantee for your safety. Furthermore, we cannot offer you any special treatment based on your status. Are you prepared for that?”
“Yeah, I’m fine with that.”
“I see. You have a firm resolve.”
The Receptionist gave me a pleasant smile as she accepted the document. To an adventurer, a title is worthless. Those without power crawl in the dirt, while those with power claim everything for themselves. It was a pure meritocracy, which was exactly why Sylpha had suggested it would be good training.
“Now then, the paperwork is in order. Next, I’d like to measure your status, Lloyd-san. Could you place your hand on this crystal?”
The Receptionist placed a crystal ball on the counter. It was a Magic Tool designed to gauge a person’s physical abilities. I remembered using something similar when I entered the Magic Academy in my previous life. I hadn't understood the principles behind it back then, but now I did.
The crystal emitted a faint amount of magic; by passing that magic through a subject's body, it could measure the amount of mana accumulated within and how much that mana influenced the person's physical form. It then used a unique formula to calculate those findings and display them as a status. Of course, since it was just a rough estimate based on magic volume, the values were only a general guideline. It didn't account for combat techniques or depth of knowledge, so it was essentially just a magical physical examination.
“Hah! A flimsy little crystal like that couldn't possibly measure Master Lloyd’s magic power. The processing won't be able to keep up with his output, and the whole thing will probably shatter in an instant! They should’ve prepared at least five of ‘em!”
“And what would be the point of breaking it? Besides, it’s not exactly a good idea for the full extent of my magic power to be common knowledge.”
I doubted the crystal would actually break, but with Sylpha watching, it would be troublesome if I produced a massive number that drew unnecessary attention. Better to keep things low-key.
To achieve that, I decided to disguise my magic. I throttled the mana flowing through my body to the absolute limit and then diluted it further. By doing this, the values reflected by the crystal would be significantly lower than my true capacity.
As a side note, there is magic that allows one to read an opponent’s status directly, but since it works on the same principle as this crystal, it often has little to do with an opponent's actual combat strength. Since it also requires physical contact, it isn’t used very often. Any decent mage would just do exactly what I was doing and falsify their numbers anyway.
“Lloyd-san?”
“Ah, sorry. Doing it now.”
Prompted by the Receptionist, I placed my hand over the crystal. I felt the faint sensation of magic passing through my body, and then letters began to surface within the sphere.
Magic Value: A Strength Value: F Agility Value: F Stamina Value: F Durability Value: F Overall Value: E
“—Pffft!”
A man watching from behind burst into laughter.
“Gyahahaha! An Overall Value of E?! Usually, even a total amateur hits a D! I was a C right out of the gate! He really is just a brat. Pathetic—”
The man’s laughter was cut short as Tao’s elbow slammed into his solar plexus and Sylpha’s backfist cracked against his jaw at the exact same time. The man was sent sprawling across the floor, clutching his stomach in agony.
“Please, do not let it bother you. These numbers are merely a guideline. The Overall Value is nothing more than a simple sum of the other stats. A mere crystal could never hope to measure Master Lloyd’s true power.”
“That’s right, that’s right. I started as an E too, but it went up in no time, aru!”
The two of them tried to comfort me, but I was actually quite relieved. I was surprised that my Magic Value was still an A even after I’d thinned my mana density to less than ten percent, but as a secondary effect, the other stats had come out consistently low. Given my training with Sylpha, they probably should have been much higher, but this was perfect. No one would find these results suspicious.
As I was feeling satisfied with my work, I noticed the Receptionist making a complicated face.
“A Magic Value of A?! It’s true that royalty and nobility, blessed with bloodlines and talent, tend to produce high numbers… but even then, they usually peak at B or C. An A is a value you only see from a veteran mage. And to have it at only ten years old… It’s unbelievable, but I just replaced this crystal with a new model, so a malfunction is impossible. This boy might actually have the potential to grow into an S-rank adventurer—one of only a handful in the entire world! I was going to treat him coldly since royalty usually lack backbone and just play at being adventurers, but if he’s S-rank material, that’s a different story. If I’m his designated handler, my salary will be on a completely different level. If I win him over now and nurture him carefully… Hehe, hehehe…”
The Receptionist stared at me while muttering feverishly under her breath. I wondered what was wrong with her.
“Um, is everything okay?”
“Ah! No, it’s nothing! Anyway, your registration is complete. Here is your Guild Card. According to the regulations, you will start at E-rank, but I’m sure someone like you will be able to rank up in no time, Lloyd-san. Now then, would you like to take on a request immediately?”
“Definitely!”
“In that case, I recommend these.”
The papers she handed me were for tasks like gathering medicinal herbs or hauling luggage. Honestly, none of them looked useful for magic experiments, and since there was no combat involved, I wouldn’t be able to obtain any monster nuclei.
“Hmm… are there any requests to defeat monsters? I really want to head into a dungeon.”
“You’ll have to wait until you’ve raised your rank for those. According to the rules, you must be B-rank or higher to accept a dungeon exploration request. Yes, exactly. If I let him take a request like that and he fails or gets discouraged, it’ll be a disaster. I have to let him clear simple tasks first to build up his confidence. Yes, yes.”
As the Receptionist nodded to herself with her arms crossed, Sylpha stepped forward.
“He is registered as an adventurer for the sake of combat training. I cannot allow Master Lloyd to spend his time weeding or acting as a porter. As a former A-rank myself, I shall accept the request on his behalf. Surely that is acceptable?”
“It is not. You have already retired, Sylpha-san.”
“Then I shall simply re-register.”
“That is also not allowed. Upon re-registration, you would have to start at C-rank, two ranks lower than your previous peak.”
“...You are quite inflexible.”
“...It is the regulation.”
The two of them glared at each other, practically shooting sparks.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
Tao cut in with a loud, forced cough, interjecting herself between them.
“Oh my, oh my. It seems there just so happens to be a free B-rank adventurer right here. And she's looking for a party, too. Say, Lloyd, how about you form a party with me and we head into a dungeon together?”
She finished her offer with a playful wink.