The first things I noticed upon arriving at the Tamer Guild were the wagons and monsters hitched at the nearby stations. Since this was a mining town, the beasts were primarily used for hauling cargo; several large-scale monsters were visible here and there. Within my line of sight, there were many ox-like and horse-like creatures, and I even spotted a few that resembled giant boars.
Apparently, small monsters were allowed inside the guild, so it seemed I could bring my slimes along as long as they were using their Reduction skill.
The interior was crowded mostly with people, though I did see several Goblins being used as porters. With Reinhardt-san leading the way, we wove through the throng toward the counter where the staff were stationed.
"Welcome. Welcome to the Gimul branch of the Tamer Guild. How may I help you today?"
"I’d like to register my daughter and this boy," Reinhardt said. "I also have some information to provide."
"Certainly. Please follow me to the back room."
A staff member guided us to a private room. A few minutes after tea was served, a man wearing clothes slightly more elegant than the typical staff arrived, clutching a bundle of writing materials.
The man appeared quite elderly, his hair—a mix of white and red in about an eight-to-two ratio—styled neatly with pomade. His hair caught the light as he entered, and he peered at us through gold-rimmed glasses before speaking.
"It has been a long time, Reinbach. And young Reinhardt and Lady Elise as well."
"It has indeed," Reinhardt replied.
"You seem as energetic as ever, Taylor," Reinbach added.
The man was clearly an old acquaintance of the Ducal House.
"I’m healthy enough. And I suppose this is my first time meeting these two. I am Taylor Smith, the Branch Master of the Gimul Tamer Guild. But... Reinbach, did you have two grandchildren? I thought I heard there was only one, though my memory has been failing me lately. Forgive me if I'm mistaken."
"My only grandchild is Eliaria, the girl here. This boy is Ryoma-kun. We crossed paths recently under unique circumstances. I would like you to register him alongside my granddaughter—and I’d like you to see his rank raised as quickly as possible."
I was startled by the boldness of the request, but when I glanced at Reinbach-sama, he remained perfectly composed.
"Ryoma-kun, Taylor and I are old friends. He is a man who can be trusted. There is no issue."
Branch Master Taylor responded as if the request were entirely mundane.
"If it is a referral from Reinbach, I can facilitate things to a certain degree. However, raising one's rank requires a corresponding level of ability and a record of achievement. I cannot compromise on that."
"There is no need to worry on that front," Reinbach said. "I only make such a request because Ryoma-kun possesses talent that is utterly disproportionate to his age."
"A deterrent against those who might seek to exploit him, then? I’d like to hear the details, but let us finish the registration first. There won't be any problems with that part."
Taylor Smith pulled two sheets of paper from the stack under his arm and handed them to Eliaria and me.
"Please fill out the necessary information on these forms. Ryoma-kun, do you require a scribe?"
"Thank you for your consideration, but I can write well enough to manage this myself," I replied.
I quickly filled out the form and submitted it. The required fields were name, age, race, and the length of time since acquiring Taming Magic or Summoning.
"...Young lady, you formed your first contract just the other day? Congratulations."
"Thank you very much," Elia said with a polite bow.
"I pray that you will become an excellent Tamer one day."
Taylor gave her a kindly smile before turning his attention to my documents.
"And Ryoma-kun, your first contract was three years ago? What is your current Tamed Monster?"
"Slimes."
The moment I said the word, the Branch Master’s expression turned grim.
"Slimes? That will make things a bit—no, quite difficult. You see, the work for Tamers in this town consists almost entirely of transport in the mines. Unless you have Goblins or Kobolds at the very least, there aren't many jobs I can offer you. There are regulations preventing us from assigning work that is clearly unsuitable for the Tamer.
"To raise your rank, you need a record of achievement, which is built by successfully completing requests. Simply put, we cannot raise the rank of someone who isn't eligible for any work."
It made sense; the guild would lose its credibility if it assigned tasks that couldn't be completed. I wondered if my research might change his mind. After catching Reinbach-sama’s eye and receiving a nod of approval, I explained that I had discovered two new species of slimes and a method for contracting Big Slimes.
Taylor listened quietly to the news of the new species, but when I mentioned the Big Slimes, he hurriedly cut me off and sank into deep thought, his face clouding over even further.
"Hmm... If the method for contracting Big Slimes is legitimate, I personally believe it would be a significant achievement, however..."
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
The Branch Master looked as though he had swallowed something bitter.
"There is a prevailing sentiment in the Tamer Guild these days that the only 'great' Tamers are those who command powerful monsters."
"That isn't a new development," Reinbach countered. "There were fools who thought that way even back when we were fledglings."
"Quite true. However, that trend has intensified in recent years, and more people with that mindset are reaching the guild’s upper management. While I keep a watchful eye here, this branch attracts many powerful monsters suited for heavy labor, so those attitudes are always present. It is lamentable... the worth of a Tamer is not determined solely by the strength or rank of their beasts."
He went on to explain that while it was technically possible to rank up through research, all promotion data was sent to the headquarters in the Royal Capital. There, the higher-ups would review the decision. If they deemed the promotion inappropriate, they would send an auditor, and the rank could be forcibly revoked.
Because of the current bias against slimes, it was highly likely that the management would dismiss my discovery and refuse the promotion regardless of its merit.
If that was the case, announcing my research would only give me a partial reputation while inviting unwanted attention. It was probably better to hold back.
"Things have changed quite a bit since I was a regular here," Reinbach sighed.
"Such is the flow of time. The veterans retire one by one, replaced by younger men with different ideas. Along with that, the philosophy regarding Tamed Monsters has... but no, I mustn't descend into grumbling.
"Let’s continue the procedure. Registration will allow you to purchase monster feed at a discount, and you can receive training from seniors if you wish. Even if you don't need that, the guild card serves as identification, so it's worth having. The paperwork is in order; I just need to verify your magic. Could you disclose the Taming Magic skill on your Status Boards, or perhaps demonstrate a contract?"
Elia and I both disclosed our skills on our boards.
"Very well. Please place your Status Boards on this stone tablet."
The tablet he produced had a square indentation similar to the pedestal in the church's Chamber of Baptism, though this one had a metal plate embedded in the center. We were meant to place the boards on the flat surface.
Elia went first, then me. As each board touched the surface, glowing text appeared on the metal plate.
"The registration for both of you is now complete. The Tamer Guild welcomes its two newest members."
Taylor then asked for more details regarding my situation, promising to keep it confidential. When I gave him the same explanation I had given the Ducal House, he offered a suggestion.
"In that case, we should view your Tamer rank as a long-term goal. For the time being, why don't you register with the Adventurer Guild as well? If you’ve survived alone in the forest for three years and successfully hunted Black Bears multiple times, you’ll be able to climb their ranks in no time."
"I thought leaving him in your hands would be the safest route," Reinbach admitted.
"I see. I apologize for not being more helpful."
"It isn't your fault. Well, Ryoma-kun should be perfectly fine at the Adventurer Guild."
While the Adventurer Guild also refused work to those lacking ability, their criteria were almost entirely based on survival skills and combat prowess. That wouldn't be an issue for me.
"I may not be able to help with your rank here, but if you ever run into trouble, come see me. I can at least offer a bit of advice," Taylor said in parting.
I thanked him, and we made our way toward the Adventurer Guild.
At the Adventurer Guild, there were no cliché incidents with thugs picking fights. I simply received a standard explanation at the reception desk.
There were eight ranks, from G to S. Generally, adventurers could only take jobs matching their rank. However, if they formed a party or joined a large-scale guild operation, they could take requests one or two ranks higher since the safety in numbers lowered the individual difficulty.
The age of registration was ten, so I cleared that hurdle. However, until age thirteen, the guild would vet an adventurer's individual abilities for every request, only allowing them to take jobs the guild deemed them capable of completing. It was a safety measure to prevent impulsive children from doing something reckless. Those restrictions ended at fourteen, after which failing a request was entirely one's own responsibility—carrying the risk of heavy penalties or even death.
Additionally, if a town was in danger, the guild could issue a mandatory summons to all adventurers present. One could refuse, but it required a legitimate reason or a steep exemption fee. Refusing without either would result in penalties, and at worst, the permanent revocation of one's adventurer license.
After the explanation, I was sent to the training grounds for a combat evaluation.
"Should I hold back, or go all out?" I asked.
"I think... it would be best to go all out and demonstrate exactly what you are capable of," Sebas advised.
"Indeed. That is for the best," Reinbach agreed.
"I'll be right here to support you if anything goes wrong," Elise said.
"Please do your best!" Elia cheered.
"Go on, do it with confidence," Reinhardt added.
With their encouragement, I prepared myself in a corner of the training grounds behind the guild. Soon, the receptionist returned with a muscular, tough-looking man.
"You the examinee for today?" the man asked.
"Yes. I am Ryoma Takebayashi. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"Yeah. And these people are your chaperones?"
"That’s right. I’ll leave the boy in your care," Reinbach said.
"Feel free to watch, but don't interfere during the test."
"Of course."
The man turned back to me.
"A bow, huh? Alright, let's get to it. First, I want you to hit those five targets from behind that line. Five arrows. One for each target."
He pointed to five simple targets lined up horizontally. I stepped up to the line and faced them. I spread my feet shoulder-width apart, notched an arrow, drew the bow, and aimed. I moved with fluid, practiced precision, releasing one arrow after another in a seamless rhythm as I switched targets.
I didn't rush, nor did I hesitate. In the silence of the training ground, I released all five arrows. Every single one was buried deep in the center of its respective target.
My skill with the bow had improved tremendously during my years of hunting in this world. I had practiced in my previous life, but I had never been able to shoot with this kind of speed.
Strictly speaking, my style wasn't modern Kyudo; it was Archery. I didn't pause my movements like the Eight Stages of Shooting. I could have stopped if I wanted to, but the philosophy of the archery passed down in my family was to pursue the fastest, most accurate way to kill an enemy. In the past, if my movement had stopped for even a heartbeat, my father’s fist or a barrage of verbal abuse would have followed instantly.
Those memories flickered in my mind, but I pushed them aside and looked toward the examiner. He had already walked over to the targets to inspect them up close. When he returned, he looked impressed.
"Dead center on all of them. Not bad, even if the targets were still. Next is the moving target. Look at the far wall."
He pointed to the wall opposite the entrance. A pillar stood there, with a narrow, vertical slot cut into the side of it.
"That’s a training tool for ranged weapons. It was designed by an adventurer named Kengo, a man who got famous a long time ago using a magic weapon called a Shotgun."
He was definitely a transfer student. Who the hell brings a shotgun to a world of swords and magic?
"His rank peaked at C because his magic weapon stopped working, but they say he lived a pretty comfortable life until the day he died thanks to the royalties from this invention. That’s how much the guild values this for training."
Stopped working? Was it poor maintenance or a lack of ammo? That guy must have pissed off Gain and the others. Otherwise, they would have given him the ability to maintain it or craft more shells. If you treat the gods with respect, they usually don't give such half-hearted support...
The examiner continued while I was lost in thought.
"Targets are going to fly out of that slot. Your job is to shoot them down. There are fifty targets, and I’m giving you fifty arrows. Your score depends on your hit rate."
So, essentially, he wanted me to do clay pigeon shooting with a bow.
"I understand."
"Alright. My whistle is the signal. Good luck, kid."
The man handed me a quiver and stepped back. I readied my bow, eyes fixed on the pillar, and waited for the sound.