Clausel was a town of winding, spiral roads that followed the curves of the mountainous terrain. From the Clausel family manor at the summit, one could look out over the entire settlement.
The Adventurer Guild sat just inside the city gates, positioned perfectly to accommodate the constant flow of people and supplies. Ren walked through this district for the first time in a while, his mind drifting back to the chaos of the recent incident. Along the way, residents who recognized him called out greetings, and one shopkeeper even handed him an apple-like fruit from an open-air stall. Exchanging friendly banter with the townspeople, he eventually arrived at the guild.
"Is this the place?"
He studied the storefront. At first glance, it was an aged, sturdy wooden building. Looking at those stepping inside, everyone was dressed in attire that looked straight out of a fantasy novel: leather armor, gear fashioned from strangely angular bone, and flowing robes.
Some carried staves, while others possessed features that set them apart from humans. They were known simply as demi-humans. Elves like Jelququ fell into this category, as did those with beast-like appearances or reptilian traits.
Ren placed his hand on the door of the bustling guild and pushed it open. The wooden door let out a dull, heavy creak as the interior came into view.
(The layout is actually quite similar.)
He was reminded of the scenes from The Legend of the Seven Heroes. Dark brown, solid wood floors stretched across the guild hall, and white cloth banners adorned the walls. The ceiling was made of the same dark timber, and ceiling fans—likely powered by Magic Tools—spun lazily overhead. A massive bulletin board was mounted on one wall, and a tavern was established toward the back. It was a sight that made his heart race with excitement.
(They're really staring...)
The adults in the guild all turned toward him at once. Women in mage-like robes and muscular warriors alike paused to look. In addition to several demi-humans, even the woman behind the reception desk fixed her eyes on Ren.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
"Hush, don't stare so rudely."
"You were looking too, weren't you?"
The whispers of several adventurers reached his ears. Ren walked past them and headed straight for the counter.
"I'd like to register, please."
He spoke with practiced ease, having navigated the registration process countless times in The Legend of the Seven Heroes.
"Certainly... but are you quite sure?" the receptionist asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Forgive me. What did Baron Clausel have to say about this?"
"It’s fine. I received his permission just before coming here."
The Guild was a neutral organization with a presence across the world. Typically, they did not interfere in the affairs of nations or nobility. However, in Ren's case, the impact of the recent incident had been so significant that the receptionist likely couldn't help but ask.
"Here is the registration fee. I can read and write, so you can skip the basic explanation."
"...Pardon me for asking again, but is this definitely your first time registering?"
"Yes, it is. Why?"
"I-I see... You just seemed so accustomed to the process that I spoke without thinking."
Her doubt was reasonable, but Ren remained unfazed, filling in the required fields on the parchment she provided.
(This is a Magic Tool too, isn't it?)
The special paper was one of the reasons the registration fee was so high. To share information across all branches, the Guild managed records using this unique material. The mechanism was a Magic Tool developed by one of the Seven Heroes—a man said to be a genius craftsman. Legend had it that the Guild had commissioned him specifically for this project.
"Here you go."
Having finished, Ren turned the paper around so the receptionist could easily read it. There were no mistakes. It was a simple process, and with that, the registration was complete. Finally, Ren received a card roughly the size of a playing card and confirmed his name and the words "G-rank" printed on it.
"As for the requirements to rank up—"
"I've read about them in a book, so I'm familiar. I also understand the reissue fee if I lose my Guild Card, and that it can only be replaced at branches where my records are stored."
With that, the process was finished. Ren tucked his new Guild Card into his shirt and stepped away from the counter.
(What should I do now?)
Feeling it would be a waste to leave immediately, he wandered over to the bulletin board to look at the posted requests. Strong monsters were rarely sighted within the Clausel Territory. Because of that, there were only a few notices even for D-rank monsters. Most were located near the borders of neighboring lands, almost beyond Clausel's jurisdiction.
"...Ah."
However, apart from the standard D-rank requests, a different notice caught his eye. He found himself drawn to a sheet of paper posted at the very edge of the board.
"Oh? Does 'Hero-dono' find that one interesting?"
Suddenly, a muscular man called out to him. Ren turned to see the man standing with a Werewolf companion.
"Hero-dono?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, that’s you. Your performance against that foolish Viscount was magnificent," the Werewolf said, his manner much softer than his companion's. "We were curious when we heard the famous boy had arrived. We saw you looking at some interesting info and decided to introduce ourselves."
"You bet," the muscular man added. "But listen, kid—you’d better stay away from that one."
"He's right," the Werewolf continued. "It's a D-rank, but it's been left alone because it doesn't attack people unless provoked. However, the retaliation for bothering it is as powerful as its rank suggests."
"That notice was posted over six months ago, wasn't it? But no one's bothered to hunt it yet."
"We tried our hand at it once, but it was too fast and too hard, so we retreated."
Listening to them, Ren nodded understandingly. "I see."
He understood the situation perfectly. However, for Ren, this was a monster he couldn't possibly ignore.
The Steel-Eating Gargoyle.
While the gargoyles of Ren's previous life were merely stone statues, in this world, they were large, human-sized monsters—a terrifying blend of bat and dragon with bodies of stone. On very rare occasions, an individual was born that fed on metal instead of flesh. That was the Steel-Eating Gargoyle. As the adventurers had mentioned, they were characterized by their incredible durability and speed.
More importantly, Ren had a specific reason for wanting to hunt it.
(It’s a Unique Monster...)
The experience points and Proficiency gained from such a creature were incredibly high. Its materials were valuable, and it represented a chance to obtain a new Magic Sword. He simply had to find a way to defeat it.
He had spent so much time worrying about his future, and yet, shortly after deciding to stay in Clausel, he had already found his first major objective.
(If I'm going to hunt it, I should get permission from Lord Lezard first.)
In any case, it would have to wait until things settled down.
Upon returning to the manor, Ren scheduled a meeting with Lezard through Weiss. He went to Lezard's office to report the completion of his guild registration and informed the Baron that he intended to head out for a monster investigation soon.
Hearing this, Weiss handed Ren a folded piece of paper.
"Lord Weiss, what is this?"
"A map of the surrounding region. Please make use of it."
Ren accepted it gratefully and bowed.
"Now then," Lezard said, "we must keep this a secret from my daughter for the time being."
"I figured as much."
"Indeed. It would be better to tell her once things are more stable. I suspect you will be quite busy soon, lad."
For the time being, Ren would continue to live at the manor. Without his salary from Lezard, he was technically penniless, as he hadn't yet hunted any monsters to sell. Until his activities were on track, Ren decided to accept the Baron’s hospitality, though he felt a twinge of guilt.
"I still feel as though I'm taking too much advantage of your kindness, Lord Lezard."
"Hmm? Do you really think so?"
"Yes. This arrangement is far too favorable for me. I only have to deliver occasional reports..."
He was allowed to hunt monsters for himself or take guild requests in between his official duties. To be honest, the terms felt far too lenient.
"...To be perfectly honest, I do have one selfish motive," Lezard admitted suddenly. "If you decided to stay in this town, there was something I intended to ask of you."
His tone was uncharacteristically hesitant and apologetic.
"When you have some spare time and feel up to it... I would like you to occasionally spar with Licia."
Lezard was always like this. He never forced Ren into anything, and he never imposed his own values on him. Now, he was pleading with Ren, not as a lord, but as a father.
(What is this feeling...?)
It was an indescribable discomfort, seeing the Baron bow his head to him. It wasn't a sense of revulsion, but rather a profound guilt for being the cause of such a gesture. He couldn't allow a man like Lezard to bow to him, even if Ren had saved his family.
"If you're willing to have me, I would be honored to cross swords with Lady Licia again."
Ren shook hands with Lezard, whose expression immediately brightened.
(Besides, I already made a promise to her recently anyway.)
It was impossible to cut ties with Licia now. In that case, he wanted to maintain the best relationship possible. He believed that staying close to her was the best way to steer clear of the tragic future he hoped to avoid.
"Lad, you have my thanks as well," Weiss added.
"Not at all. Since you'll be instructing me in Imperial Swordsmanship, I'm the one who should be giving thanks."
After all, that was another major reason for staying in Clausel.
Ren took a moment to reflect. He needed to write to his parents back in the village to tell them about his new job and his decision to stay. A round trip to the Ashton village took nearly twenty days, so he had best get started on the letter immediately.