CHAPTER 4: THE ADVENTURER’S GUILD

The Adventurers’ Guild of Ibouro is located on the opposite side of the square from the church, a little further down the main street.

 

　The Adventurers’ Guild is a large organization that is not limited to the Kingdom of Schrendl but extends to all surrounding countries.

 

　If you register with the Adventurers’ Guild in Ibouro, your information will be shared with all the guilds in the area.

 

　This includes not only the adventurer’s rank, but also all records of requests completed to date, the circumstances of failed requests, and penalties received for violating rules and regulations.

 

 

　This is done to fairly judge the adventurer’s performance, and also to ensure the safety of the client and gain trust.

 

　If there is no record of the past, what might happen, is that an adventurer who was supposed to be hired as an escort turns out to be a bandit during the course of the trip.

 

　Without the client’s trust, the very reason for the guild’s existence itself would be shaken.

 

 

As soon as the “Nest Leaving Ceremony” is over, and magic becomes available, we can register as adventurers.

 

　I don’t know how it works, but it is said that in order to register as an adventurer, one’s blood and magical power patterns must be registered.

 

 

It is said that the magic patterns cannot be read when a person has received the “Goddess’ Blessing”.

 

　Because of the need for magical tools to reading such information, registration as an adventurer can only be done at a guild in the city.

 

 

　Some small villages do not even have a guild branch, so many children who have undergone the “Nest Leaving Ceremony” visit the adventurers’ guild after the ceremony is over, making the place very crowded.

 

　The reason I was with Horacio visiting the stalls was to kill some time until the crowds were over.

 

 

　I thought it would be empty by now, but there were still many children inside the guild.

 

　I wondered if they had already registered, or if they were just there as chaperones curiously looking around the inside of the guild.

 

 

“Nyango, should I register as well?” (Horacio)

 

“Horacio won’t need to since they make your ID card for you at the knight training school.
Besides, it costs money to make a guild card.” (Nyango)

 

“Oh, I see, of course.” (Horacio)

 

 

　The guild’s card is also a kind of magic tool in which personal information such as blood, magic pattern, and rank are registered.

 

　The manufacturing method is a confidential matter of the guild, and forgery or alteration of the card is a serious offense.

 

 

　Since it is such a special card, a silver coin is required to register.

 

　In Japanese yen terms, this is about 1,000 yen, but for children from a mountain village like ours, it is a lot of money.

 

 

　Perhaps because of the flood of children who complete the “Nest Leaving Ceremony” every year, there is a special window at the guild, and about five children were lined up in a row.

 

　I had heard that during peak hours, the line extends outside the guild, so it was a good thing I had killed time at the food stall.

 

 

　The young woman at the window was a dog person, and she was quickly and efficiently handling the registration paperwork.

 

　It had been about ten years since I was reborn in this world, and the first time I saw a guild receptionist, she seemed plainer than I had imagined.

 

 

　I had expected her to be sexier, the kind of person adventurers would want to ask for once, but the reality was not as sweet as I had imagined.

 

　Incidentally, there were no female adventurers wearing bikini armor in sight.

 

　Being a festival day, there were probably not as many adventurers as usual, but most of them were well-built tigerkins, lionkins, oxkins, and horsekins, and the same was true of the children who had come to register.

 

　I have been observing them ever since I entered the guild, but there were no catkins other than me, and I felt slightly alienated from them.

 

 

　The female staff at the counter seemed to think that Horacio was the one who came to register and I was just a companion.

 

　When I told her that I was the registrant and Horacio was my companion, she was surprised.

 

 

“Pardon me.
You are a new registrant, aren’t you? Could you please fill out this form? If you can’t read or write, I can help you.” (Receptionist)

 

“I think I can do it.” (Nyango)

 

 

　The form is designed to be filled with the name, place of residence, age, and attributes.

 

　I filled out all the fields and returned the form.

 

 

“Void attribute, I see… that’s quite rare? Then please place your hand on this crystal ball here.” (Receptionist)

 

 

　Next to the window, an unfamiliar magic tool was placed, and it seemed that to register, one needed to wave one’s hand over the crystal ball-like part of the tool.

 

　When I put my hand on the crystal ball of the magic tool, it emitted a dim light blue light.

 

 

“Yes, you definitely have the void attribute, I’ve confirmed it.
Magic index is thirty-two.” (Receptionist)

 

“Is thirty-two still too small?” (Nyango)

 

“Yes, it is.
The average value of an adult male is said to be around 120, so it is not much at this point, but it is said that the magic index will increase until the age of 20 or so, so you don’t have to worry about it too much.” (Receptionist)

 

 

　Although I was told that there was still room for growth, I was a little shocked to learn that my magical power was only about one-fourth that of an average adult male.

 

　The average adult adventurer should be much higher.

 

 

“Excuse me, Horacio was scouted by the knights, can I have his mana measured?” (Nyango)

 

“Oh, a knight recruit… it’s fine, go ahead.” (Receptionist)

 

 

　The crystal ball of the magic tool emitted a strong green light when Horacio put his hand on it.

 

 

“Amazing… Your magic index is 465.
No wonder you were invited to join a Knight Order.” (Receptionist)

 

 

　There were gasps from the adventurers who were watching around us, and the children who had come to register looked at Horacio with envy.

 

　I knew that, but when I was shown the difference of almost 15 times, I was indeed shocked.

 

 

“Then, could you please use this needle and give me a drop of blood?” (Receptionist)

 

 

　Following the instructions, I dripped a drop of blood onto my guild card, which was then read by the magic tool, and my registration as an adventurer was complete.

 

 

“Now, Nyango of Atsuka Village, you are now registered as an F-rank adventurer.
Please be sure to present this card when accepting jobs through the guild in the future.” (Receptionist)

 

“Does the card have an expiration date?” (Nyango)

 

“No, but if you change your place of residence, please go to the guild to make the necessary arrangements.
Also, if you lose your card, you will need to pay another silver coin to re-register.” (Receptionist)

 

“Okay, I’ll make sure I don’t lose it.” (Nyango)

 

 

　As I gazed at my long-awaited guild card, which I had finally obtained, it was snatched away from me by a hand reaching up from above.

 

　I turned around in surprise to see a large antlered deerkin looking at my guild card with a bored expression on his face.

 

 

“What are you doing, give me back!” (Nyango)

 

“Hmph, is this a commemoration of the ‘Nest Leaving Ceremony’… You might have a chance if you’re the oxkin boy over there, but you can’t do a good job as an adventurer, so you don’t need something like this.” (Deerkin)

 

 

　He was in his mid-twenties, maybe, and had a physique that would make me look up at him, he easily exceed 2 meters including his horns.

 

　The long sword on his left hip and the armor he wears suggest that he’s not just an adventurer for appearance’s sake.

 

 

“It’s not an adventurer’s job to just use your strength.
Besides, it shouldn’t be an adventurer’s job to bully a child like me.” (Nyango)

 

“You’re a mouthy little pussy cat, aren’t you? If you want it back, go ahead and take it.” (Deerkin)

 

 

　The deerkin held the card above his head and waved it in the air.

 

　A catkin’s body is light, but it is not low enough to reach by jumping without assistance.

 

 

“Haa… that’s a bad taste.” (Nyango)

 

“Hey, what’s the matter, hey hey… Ouch, my eyes…” (Deerkin)

 

 

　I split the frozen air in two and gave the deerkin an eyeful of frozen air about the size of a fingertip, then raced up his body and retrieved my guild card.

 

 

“Horacio, let’s go!” (Nyango)

 

“ What the hell did you do, you little brat!” (Deerkin)

 

 

　Even though it was only as strong as Styrofoam, a direct hit to the eyeball would rob the man of his sight for a little while.

 

　Before the deerkin adventurer could recover, I grabbed Horacio and ran out of the guild and into the compact and noisy crowd.

 

 

“Amazing, Nyango.
How did you do that?” (Horacio)

 

“Just a bit of void attribute magic…” (Nyango)

 

 

　Once we were lost in the crowd of the festival, there were plenty of kids like us so he wouldn’t be able to find us.

 

 

“Oh, there’s the arms shop.
Horacio, let’s take a look.” (Nyango)

 

“Eeeee… isn’t it too early for weapons?” (Horacio)

 

“Once you go to training school, won’t you soon be using swords and spears and stuff?” (Nyango)

 

“I… maybe…” (Horacio)

 

“Come on.
It’s free to watch.” (Nyango)

 

 

　In Atka village, there are blacksmiths who make farming tools and pots, but they don’t make real swords.

 

　In the store, there are swords longer than my height, and some with sheaths that are intricately decorated.
There are some exciting weapons on display, but nothing that I, a catkin, would be able to handle.

 

　Catkins, who are about 120 centimeters tall even for an adult male, are rarely employed as knights, soldiers, adventurers, or other occupations that involve physical combat, so there is little demand for weapons.

 

　If I was like Horacio, an oxkin, I would go to the knight training school, be trained, become physically bigger, and be able to handle such weapons.

 

 

　After we had finished our visit to the weapons shop, we resumed our tour of the food stalls and looked around at the regular stores.

 

　We tucked into sweets that looked like a combination of karintou [T/N: Japanese brown sugar puffs.] and churros, and fruits that we did not see in the village, and walked around looking at magic tool shops, clothing shops, bag shops, and the like.

 

 

　I bought Horacio a new pair of shoes, as they were tattered and had holes in them.

 

 

“Oh no, this is too much, you already gave me a fire magic tool too.” (Horacio)

 

“What are you talking about, Horacio? You are going to represent the village of Attica.
I’m not going to let you make a fool of us by having them looking down on you.” (Nyango)

 

“But, Nyango, I don’t have that kind of money, and if you ask me…” (Horacio)

 

“Got it, then don’t talk about the prone mushrooms.
Just make it our secret.” (Nyango)

 

“Okay, Nyango…” (Horacio)

 

 

　In the village of Atsuka, deep in the mountains, there is only one shop for everything and one apothecary, and bartering is more common than trading for money.

 

　This is the first time since my reincarnation that I’ve had to walk around the stores looking for the goods I want, so I feel like no amount of time is enough.

 

 

“The city is amazing after all.
There are so many stores and so many different things for sale.” (Horacio)

 

“ What are you talking about? Horacio, you are going to the Royal Capital.
They say that the Royal Capital is many times bigger than Ibouro.
Be careful not to get lost.” (Nyango)

 

“Yeah… I’m not so sure.
I wish Nyango would come with me…” (Horacio)

 

 

　Compared to me, Horacio’s body and magical power are much bigger, but his flaw is that he’s very timid.

 

 

“About the Royal Capital… I can’t do it right away, but I’ll definitely go there someday.
When that time comes, please be my guide.” (Nyango)

 

“Eee, that’s…” (Horacio)

 

“Nyahahaha, do your best, Horacio.” (Nyango)

 

“Yes!” (Horacio)

 

 

　We wandered around the streets of Ibouro and lost ourselves in the hustle and bustle.