It took a while for Nishikienrai to arrive in the city. He constantly looked up at the sky, admiring it, missing the city entirely and having to make a U-turn. This cycle was repeated several times before he got his act back together and actually observed the city in detail.
It sat just beyond the perimeter of the forest, and it stood between the sea and the flat plains. Surrounding the city was a mixture of fields, trees, andweirdly, rock formations. It was massive, the metropolis stretched nearly 2 kilometers.
The city itself was separated by 4 walls, all of which formed a half-circle before getting cut off by the ocean. The outer wall was made out of wood, numerous minor scratch marks dotted the lower portions of the 15-meter tall wall. The buildings outside the wall had moss growing on them, and giant mounds of filth could be seen blocking several streets. But inside the walls were buildings that were several times better in quality.
The next 2 inner walls were half as tall and were made out of stone bricks. Surprisingly, this district covered more than half the city. The buildings in it were made out of refined reddish wood, which complemented the monochrome color of the paint. "A clean look" would be the best words to describe this district.
The last wall was made out of wood again, just like the outer wall. Its height was around the same size as the inner walls, but the buildings were vastly different. They screamed luxury. Every object was brimmed with gold, bright white paint was splattered on every building, and even the streets appeared to be polished every day.
The city's most eye-catching feature, though, was its massive docks and its imposing fleet of ships. It engulfed the entire city's coastline.
Let's check the city out!!!
Nishikienrai swooped down with glee. But recollections of unsuccessful missions in the wilds of Yggdrasil invaded his mind before he could land.
Instantly, the angle at which he plunged made a 90 turn. Quickly deciding to pick a place to hide, he chose a tall rock formation somewhat nearby the outskirts of the city.
After he safely glided down to the ground, he used [Void Gaze]. Turning to the city, all he could see were hundreds of thousands of blobs of yellow.
How many people live here? More importantly, why is there no one strong in this city?
Other than the high-level detection ability that [Void Gaze] gave, it also evaluated levels. The oddity of the city is that there was nothing over level 70 which even beginner cities had. After squinting his eyes, he noticed that most of them were level 2-3, that was insanely low.
Shuffling away from the boulder, he deactivated his [Absolute Hiding]. Nothing, no alerts or sounds, no drastic movements.
Even though his extra armors barely qualified to be relic rank, going to the city in his normal attire would be an incredibly stupid idea. Yggdrasil players mostly remembered outfits to tell people apart. Of course, this was easily exploited, and Nishikienrai had more than a few outfits to prove that.
After 5 minutes of deliberation, he settled with a fairly generic outfit. A multi-layered, dilapidated robe encompassed his whole body. A row of throwing knives lined across his body, it was simply a habit that all of his armors had exposed weapons on them. To cover his in-human head, he used a hood, and for his featureless face, he used a mask
The mask was actually the [Vizard of Orion, but instead of wood, it was completely made out of metal. It had two white glowing lenses, and under it were V-shaped metal grates, supposedly used for breathing, but as a half-golem, he didn't have the need to.
[Instant swap]
Nishikienrai's main gear spontaneously swapped.
This was a Ninjutsu that allowed the user to switch to any armor, weapon, or item. At 3rd Mastery, which was what it was at, it could even allow the swap of people.
He quickly reactivated his invisible and slowly crept nearer to the wall.
It didn't take long to travel to the decaying outskirts. But something was off. Nothing lived here, no person was here at all, even when he used [Void Gaze]. It was bizarre, but he brushed it off for now.
As Nishikienrai walked, he considered the 50 Ninjutsu he possessed and their potential applications. But as he thought, the back of his mind had a lingering sense of regret.
I wish I got [Shadow Clone, it would be so useful right now.
[Shadow Clone] was a popular Ninjutsu among ninjas, it allowed a clone of a user to be summoned and controlled. The only problem was that the Ninjutsu was unquestionably garbage.
It simply took too much mana to make it viable for combat, even at 5th Mastery, where it can rival super-tier spells, he would only rank it in at top 20. Normally, if a skill or spell ranked top 20, it usually would be exceptional, but due to ninjas being locked to three 5th Mastery Ninjutsu, they had to be very picky about their choice. This also applies to lower Mastery as Ninjutsu requires mana which is usually very scarce. The only real use of it would be acting as a scout, which a mercenary, such as the Hanzo, could do.
He remembered almost getting [Shadow Clone] but held off due to reading the articles in YGGDRASIL wiki. It was a good choice not to get it back then, but now, he couldn't send any hanzos to unknown and potentially dangerous regions, which faintly excited him somehow.
His thoughts about Shadow Clone ceased after sensing a wall in front of him.
Looking forwards, he only saw a massive wooden wall. After checking for any guards close by, he scaled the wall.
Viewing from the top, he could see the true vastness of the city. Taking a few seconds to appreciate the sight, he leaped down and followed the road. He quickly realized that the city was much more active than he had first thought. Despite it being night, many wagons of goods still passed by him. The city was also filled with almost exclusively humans, reminding him of the adventures in Álfheim.
But as he traveled and explored the city, the present turned into a haze. The city was relaxing, the organic winding streets, the soft melody of city activity, and the clear sky, had an almost magical ability to calm the soul, a stark contrast to his usual walks.
But after minutes of aimless walking, he noticed that he couldn't recognize any of the buildings! He was lost.
Trying to go back the way he came, he finally focused on the details of the metropolis. He looked at a sign, it showed a language he could not decipher, then it dawned on him.
Shit
Dashing through the Red Ash Forest were six cloaked individuals, no normal eyes could see them, nor ears that could hear them. After making a few rounds in the forest, they finally stopped.
"Captain," a man spoke, "did a monster truly steal a gift from the gods?"
The captain looked behind him, the gray strands poking out of his hair and a face filled with scars, emphasizing his veterancy. "Who said it was a monster?" The captain responded rhetorically.
"If it was not a monster," the man paused for a moment, "then it would be heresy."
An audible chuckle escaped the captain's lips; "rookie, this place isn't like back home, some people have lost the path of the faithful."
"But then why do we help them!?"
"Look Sireno, I know you're young, but they are still human. Never forget that."
The man looked at the ground, clenching his fist. The difference in their experience was a mountain that he couldn't ever reach. He has been in the Windflower Scripture for 40 years, and even now, he can't say how many lives he saved. But why? Why should we help people who have sold their souls!? Biting his lips, the young man responded, "I'm sorry, captain."
"It's alright, you know what, once we finish our parole, we can visit Marane," The old man smiled.
Everyone's morale was visibly raised; even Sireno seemed to relax a bit, and they soon started their search again.
A man emerged out of the woods. He sighed, he barely dodged the men who were searching for him. In the distance, he finally saw a wall of lights.
So this Marane, it must've grown in size since mother and father were here.
Taking off the mantle and hiding it in his bag, he walked past the tree stumps, then the rock formations, and finally the outskirts. Arriving at a gate, a guard shouted at the top of the walls, "halt, who goes there."
"Sorry, I lost track of time," the man lied, putting his arms up in the air.
Skeptical, the guard looked closely at the man. He had no adventure tag or any military insignia, but he held a strange weapon in his hand. It looked like a spear, but where the point should be was a slender blade; one sharp, one serrated. His clothes also looked worn, but they were still of high quality.
"Can you tell me your name, and why you were out so late?"
"My name is Isozaki Izo and I heard rumors that there was a great old treant a few kilometers deep in the forest, so I left the city to search for it."
The guard was wholly unconvinced. Only two great old treants were ever discovered, and that was near the time of the city's founding. Although the tree's value could fill a country's Treasury many times over, exploring the Red Ash Forest for it would be a fool's errand at best. It takes a team of adamantite adventurers to even stand a chance to defeat it. No one has even attempted to search for them in decades.
"You should have gone with a better excuse than that"
"But I did find it," Isozaki said, pulling out a crimson-red twig from his bag, a chaotic aura seeping out from it.
A million thoughts ran through the guard's head.
Impossible! This must be a fraud! But what if I'm wrong? Who is his backer!? Is he important!? Am I going to get fired!?
Without thinking, the guard opened the gate. Usually, it takes 2 people to open it, but as a veteran of the walls, he could easily bypass the safety feature.
Isozaki's face had a small smirk as he walked through the gate.
Nishikienrai walked in random directions, but this made him even more lost. He also looked in his inventory several times which unsurprisingly did not change the contents of his pocket dimension, much to the dismay of the half-golem.
Ahh, fine, I'll ask for directions.
Searching around, he found an aged man who just exited a large building.
"Hello" Nishikienrai announced himself, slightly embarrassed by his deep voice.
The man didn't react, he didn't even acknowledge him.
"Hello?" Nishikienrai thought for a moment, but he suddenly realized what the problem was. He turned off his invisibility, then spoke again, "Hello."
The man jumped and turned around. He looked at the strange individual, his hands were twitching but eventually settled down after a long exhale. "You scared me, young man," he stuttered.
"I got lost in the city, my name is…Nishikienrai"
He could almost hear the lectures Punitto Moe would yell at him about exposing his name. But alas, there was nothing he could do now.
"Ah, my name is Katsuhito Nakano. Are you new here? This city was built by some of the most skilled architects, it's easy for newcomers to get lost in the awe," he said, sweat dripping from his head.
A Japanese name? Could he be a Yggdrasil player? No, it's unlikely, but a player might be here before me.
"The city was actually built in tandem with the Slane Theocracy. Marane, the city's name, honors the goddess of water.
"Is that so?" Nishikienrai touched his chin.
This person must have a lot of knowledge. I can gain so much information from him. I haven't done any roleplay in years, I hope that I'm not too dusty.
Instantly, Nishikienrai's overall aura around him changed. "I am a traveling hunter, I arrived in this city not too long ago. I plan to stay for a time, do you have any advice?"
"If you're a hunter, then the adventurer's guild would be your best option. It's a quick walk from here, just go straight," the aged man pointed at the street in front of him, "then take the 5th right, you should be able to see it."
After minutes of talking where Nishikienrai subtly tried to gain information about the world, he thanked the man and left.
What a nice guy.
After Nishikienrai left, Katsuhito collapsed on his knees, panting. His heart felt like it was going to burst.
Katsuhito was once an elite ranger captain for the Slane Theocracy before he retired. It was an honor to serve the Theocracy, and even more so when he was offered to participate in a trial to join one of the legendary scriptures. Although he did pass, he was permanently cursed by a night lich on his first mission, forcing him to step down as a member of the Clearwater scripture. But he took great pride in being one of the great protectors of humanity for at least a while.
This pride was shattered not less than 5 minutes ago. Even though age had dulled his senses, the only person who could truly manage to hide from his Danger Perception was the 12th seat. He possessed not only divine gifts, but also a hidden talent that enhanced his stealth abilities. But he was still human, the creature named Nishikienrai wasn't.
He had absolutely no presence! If I hadn't directly looked at him, I would've missed him! And his voice, his voice! It's not human! It's a demon's! Is this a reckoning of a Demon God!?
The more he thought about it, the more he grew paranoid. A man like this could easily become a threat to all of humankind, and he was too far too weak to do anything about it.
Katsuhito leapt off his feet and ran. Despite his age, he was still quick on his feet. He bolted directly to the cathedral and Slammed the grand doors open.
"Who comes in this late at nigh– Sir Katsuhito?"
The man who spoke wore an immaculate sky blue cassock, his rochet and mozzetta were also shades of blue, but they had several motifs engraved on them.
"High priest of the Water God," Katsuhito immediately kneeled down, "I apologize for the intrusion, but this is of the utmost importance!"
The priest had never seen Katsuhito so worried, he was usually always calm. Even when he was tasked to lead a team to subjugate an old dragon terrorizing the northern parts of the Draconic Kingdom, his teammates remarked how unfazed he was when faced with a beast who surpassed humanity's limit.
But now? He looked like insanity had gripped him and it just won't let go.
"What is it?"
"A Demon! a Demon God has materialized in this mortal realm!" He screamed, gripping his hair. His bloodshot eyes only further enhanced his look of madness.
The priest cast [Lion's Heart] on the delirious man. It was a simple spell for a 5th-tier divine caster, but he would never have thought that he would be forced to cast it inside the city of Marine, especially in the Grand Cathedral of the Water God.
"Thank you," Katsuhito calmed down, his fear was still there, but I wouldn't affect his mind.
"Has a Demon God truly descended?" asked the high priest. The priest was skeptical, although Katsuhito was strong, calling anything a 'Demon God' would mean an entity of apocalyptic amounts of destruction. Perhaps he met a monster who was adept at mind manipulation.
"I'm sure of it," he replied to the priest, his body starting to shiver.
"Do you know where he is and what he looks like?"
Katsuhito looked the priest directly in the eyes, "Yes," he answered, "he is going to the adventurer's guild and he says his name is Nishikienrai. He was tall and he primarily wore a black cloth, and knives hung off his chest." He closed his eyes for a moment to recall the memory, "but the most peculiar thing was his face, it was covered in a strange mask that I've never seen before, but I know it was made from a metal–maybe adamantite."
The priest nodded and turned to his left. Two cloaked individuals appeared out of thin air and knelt. Katsuhito barely sensed him, the terror clouded his mind to such a degree. How terrifying.
"You know what he looks like, observe him, but don't engage." He ordered. Assassins were difficult to spy on or even to engage in due to their specialized abilities, this does not account for the fact that the assassin might be an illusionist or have some capabilities to affect the mind, which makes it several times harder to pin him down.
The hooded individuals nodded and swiftly exited the cathedral and into the city.
'I should alert the high command of this Nishikienrai person.' thought the high priest.
Nishikienrai looked in front of him, what he saw was a gigantic building made out of a polished gray stone with red wooden planks supporting it, and the doors were reinforced with a strange silvery metal. It looked nice, but he had seen better in Yggdrasil.
I should try to express my hunter persona, if this is like any NPC adventure guild in Yggdrasil, then I will have to start from the bottom of the hierarchy ladder. Having a mysterious identity could help me climb it faster. And it was also cool, so…
He opened the doors; it was lively, and it felt like the hub zones in Aberage. But unlike Aberage hubs, he wasn't usually the one to stick out most. His outfit did not match the medieval theme of the room, and the intense glares cemented that.
Walking to the receptionist's desk and using [Void Gaze, he noticed that the levels were much higher than normal, most were around 5-15 levels. Some held strange blue potions which he noted to check up on later.
Walking to the receptionist, he spoke, "Hello, I would like to register for the adventurer's guild," his deep voice made everyone drunk, sober, and everyone asleep, awake. Now all eyes were on him, something a little bit of foresight could have prevented.
The receptionist, her hands shaking slightly, responded with a smile, "umm…it will cost you 5 copper coins."
The ninja froze, he didn't have any coins. The only coins he had were Yggdrasil coins, which he didn't want to show.
"I lived for most of my life in the wilds as a hunter, therefore I had no need for money. Perhaps we can trade? I do have many hides that I can sell."
"If it is from a common animal, I do have some authority to trade on the guild's behalf."
Putting his hand beneath the desk, he used [Instant Swap]. Suddenly, a rough-looking leather appeared in his hand. Looking around, it seemed no one noticed.
With a thump, the half-golem placed a large roll of wyvern hide on the desk. The rough red scales were glowing and a small amount of heat radiated out of them. The material was level 37, useless for crafting for Ainz Ooal Gown, but it was the lowest level material he had.
The receptionist looked at it, with a confused expression. "I'm afraid that I do not have the capability to appraise, wait a moment, and let me get someone who can"
The receptionist walked through the doors behind her and closed them. After three minutes, the doors opened again, and a man walked in with the receptionist.
"Greetings, my name is Roger Jurgen, I am the appraiser and manager for this guild hall." He waved. He appeared to look in his late 20s and looked relatively fit underneath his plain cotton clothes, but overall average.
"My name is Nishikienrai," he replied in kind.
Roger sat down and observed the hide, it was something he had never seen before. "Excuse me, but can you tell me what it is? I don't recognize it."
"Yes, I can, it comes from a wyvern I hunted years ago." The man was shaken by the voice but quickly calmed down. "Luckily, I found a way to preserve it." He partly lied. Long ago, Punitto Moe taught him that if he wanted a convincing lie, he should include some truths in the lie.
"A wyvern? I hope you didn't hunt one in the wyvern tribes, I would rather not have an international incident." He spoke gravely.
Wyvern tribes? I seriously need to get a map… wait, I can't read, I have to figure that out first.
"No, I haven't traveled to the wyvern tribes yet," Nishikienrai replied, crossing his arms, trying to be intimidating.
If Satoru taught me anything, it is that if you really want to convince someone, you need to sell it hard.
"Good," Roger coughed, "I believe it is finally time to appraise it." [Appraisal Item].
His jaw hit the floor.
Rubbing his eyes, he believed that his mind was blurry because it was the dead of night. [Appraisal Item]
His jaw hit the floor again.
"Did you slay a wyvern king!?"
"Huh?" Nishikienrai responded, a bit surprised by his yell. "No, it was just a normal wyvern," Nishikienrai added, returning to his manufactured personality before anyone could notice.
"Impossible! There is no normal wyvern this powerful!" He yelled. There was simply no possible way that a wyvern could get this strong. Only unique mythical beasts or old dragons could get this powerful, not a simple wyvern.
"It doesn't really matter what it is, I just need to know if I can sell it."
Roger calmed down, "yes, we can take it off your hands, but this is worth much more than a mere 5 copper coins. Also, this proof will help you to skip some of the lower ranks. But for that to happen, we will need to go to the more 'exclusive' adventurer's hub."
YES!
Inside Nishikienrai's mind, he was celebrating. Not only did he accomplish his original goal of ranking up fast, but he also is going to get money which he will need in the near future.
"So, where is this hub exactly?"
"It's in the upper district, we can take a carriage to get there" he answered, gesturing to the receptionist to call one. It didn't take too long for it to arrive, taking the material in his bag, he walked out with the ninja.
The carriage was fairly luxurious. It had a solid, robust frame made out of an alloy that looked like steel but was much lighter and stronger than it appeared to be. It was taller than the ones he saw earlier. Inside was nothing too special, it had two cushioned benches facing each other with a glass table in between. There were three tinted windows on either side, and they all opened so the occupants had some fresh air.
"Shall we go in?" asked Roger, gesturing to the door.
"Can you wait a moment, I have some unfinished business I must attend to," Nishikienrai replied.
"No worries, I will wait," he said, with a bit of excitement leaking out. It might be the birth of an adamantite class adventurer, the chances without beastman raids are in sight.
While Roger was daydreaming, the ninja walked a few blocks away and entered an alley. "You can come out now." Nothing, no noise, no movement. It sounded like Nishikienrai was going crazy and talking to a wall.
"So be it."
With a hand signal so fast that no one could follow, tendrils made out of a black void ripped behind him and ensnared a human target covered head to toe in dark leather. But this wasn't the only person as there was another. He tried to run away, seeing clearly that he was outmatched. "Don't think you're going to escape," A deep voice said behind him.
[Hobble]
Before he could take more than a few steps, the assassin fell flat on his face and ate the stone of the road. [Shadowbind, a shadow-like kuni materialized in front of Nishikienrai and then rushed forwards with incredible speed. It missed the assassin, only hitting his shadow, but much to his horror, he couldn't move a muscle, it was like the kuni pinned him to the ground despite missing.
"You won't be escaping anytime soon," Nishikienrai said, walking towards them. He actually sensed them when he was at the guild, and it was a strange feeling, it felt like an impossibly fierce stare berated the back of his head. He used [Void Gaze] and saw the only two of them, and they were both low levels, but for each minute passed observing them, his paranoia slowly washed away.
They were really that weak, and it wasn't even a trap, as even the most powerful stealth ability would fall eventually to [Void Gaze] in less than a minute. Now he just had to find out who sent them and why.
Looking at the shadow-sealed person, the tendrils pinned all of his limbs and covered his eyes and mouth. Releasing control of both his eyes and mouth, Nishikienrai spoke, "Why are you following me?"
The assassin looked at Nishikienrai for a moment, then bit something in his mouth, making a crunching sound. A large bubble of gas left the assassin's convulsing mouth and swiftly spread all around.
Ha, too bad I'm immune to poison… wait the other guy!
Looking at the assassin shadowbinded, white bubbles came out of his mouth too.
Dammit! I needed that information.
Now stuck with two dead bodies, he now has to find a way to dispose of them. Opening his inventory, he searched for anything that could quickly eliminate all traces that he was here. He found some solutions, such as acids, but he kept looking to see all of his options. And he was glad he did, as he found the perfect item, the Jar of Ravenous Insects. It was a beginner item that could be thrown at an enemy and cause high DPS if they wore light armor. It also had lore surrounding it as it was said that they were used by a secret clan of ninjas to hide bodies by letting the insects devour them.
He had no qualms about removing the bodies, they were asking for it, right? And besides, it wasn't he who killed them, it was themselves.
Having concluded with the moral dilemma, he grabbed the jar and threw it at the lifeless bodies. A swarm of beetles spewed out and on the ground. It took little time for the insects to find the corpse, and once one did, all of them came running as if their lives depended on it. First, it was the leather, then bits of flesh and bone were torn away by the tiny critters. It was unbelievable how one of them could eat many times their body mass, but Nishikienrai just chopped that up to magic.
As the last bits of tissues and cartilage were eaten, the beetles crawled in random directions before they dug into the ground.
I wonder where they will go? Ah, it doesn't matter, I should get back to the carriage
With a [Shadow Step, he teleported behind a street corner. Walking out, the appraiser greeted," Hello Mr. Nishikienrai, are you finished with what you were doing?"
"Yes"
Stepping into the carriage, Roger closed the door behind them. They sat across from each other, a table with two ornate cups and a kettle separating them.
"Tea?" Roger asked, pouring some for himself.
"No thanks."
As the carriage started to move, Roger attempted to strike up a conversation, "So, can you tell me more about yourself? I would love to know your life as a hunter."
Nishikienrai froze, if he declined, then he would look very suspicious, but if he tried to lie, he would not be able to keep track of it all. But would declining make himself more mysterious and in turn make him less suspicious? Nishikienrai's brain was racked with the two choices. But then, he remembered the Great Disaster of the guild and did something he would normally never do.
"My past huh… it's better if you don't know" he replied cryptically.
"Sorry if that offended you in any way."
That actually worked!?
With a rough cough, Nishikienrai tried to switch the topic, "I have some questions about the guild– may I ask them?"
"Sure, I know mostly everything about the guild."
Perfect, it looks like luck is on my side.
"Ok, firstly, what is this second hub exactly?"
"It was built for more skilled adventurers, mithril and up. There are many adventurers these days as the beastman raids are getting more frequent."
"What are ranks?"
"Ah, my apologies. There are eight ranks, from weakest to strongest, it is copper, iron, silver, gold, platinum, mithril, orichalcum, and finally adamantite, which is the highest a human can possibly be."
Nishikienrai was shocked that the highest level would be adamantite, it was a very soft metal in Yggdrasil, and usually only used cosmetically.
"How high would I be in the rankings if I joined?"
"If you did slay the beast, you would undoubtedly be adamantite, but unfortunately, it is unlikely to happen because of the lack of proof," but he frantically followed up, "fortunately though, it will be easy for you to rank up, especially if you have a unique martial art or a good talent."
So adamantite is around level 37? It's probably a wrong guess, but it does give me a rough point of where the strongest humans are at. But what are talents and martial arts? Are they like skills or passive buffs? Are they common and everyone knows about them?
Before Nishikienrai could ask another question, the carriage stopped. Exiting it, he saw a grand building several times more extravagant than the first adventure hub.
Opening the large doors that seemed to be carved out by the finest woodworker, he saw a bright-lit lobby where marble furniture dominated. The ceiling had been made to mimic an oak tree. In the center stood a towering totem pole which topped off at 80 feet. Religious imagery covered all sides of the totem pole, but the people on it vaguely appeared like Yggdrasil players.
Attempting to get a better view, he walked in, and just like before, it seemed that he was the center of attention to everyone.
"Follow me, I'll show you the way," Roger said, walking past him.
Following him and using [Void Gaze, little yellow dots were in Nishikienrai's view, the sizes correlated to their levels. Most were around level 15-25 but one person did catch his eyes.
The person leaned on the wall, a naginata leaning on him. Although his weapon was directly taken from his own country, the main focus was his level. It was significantly higher than anyone else in the lobby, with a level of 35. He could probably take out everyone in this room, but he was still very weak comparatively. Analyzing his equipment, he found out that his naginata, backpack, and rings were all Yggdrasil items, albeit low level.
He was too weak to be a player, but that practically confirms that Yggdrasil players were here, but where are they now? Did Momonga come here with me? I'll explore the whole forest soon, maybe tomorrow actually.
Walking up the stairs and passing the hallway, they stood in front of a door.
"Stay here, I'll call you soon."
With furrowed brows, a large built man with a great white beard stared at the disorganized papers. He was Ansfrid Tigim, the guildmaster of the city of Marane, and a retired Black Scripture member. With a violent slam on his desk, cracks formed on the desk made out of an alloy of mithril and orichalcum. But it quickly reformed until it reverted to its original form.
How did a Black Scripture member lose an item!? I can guarantee it was Clementine! And what about the high priest saying that there is a possible monster loose in the city!?
The guildmaster buried his face in his hands. But then he heard two knocks.
"Who is it?" Ansfrid looked up at the door.
"It's me, Roger Jurgen."
"Come in." He said in a low tone.
The door opened, and Roger walked right in. In the guildmaster's eyes, he was the perfect manager for the second hub. He taught many of the young adventurers and overall increased their survival rates. Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to earn the respect of higher ranking adventurers, even though he had the potential to at least reach mithril, his trauma held him back. It reminded him of Katsuhito, a person who had so much potential, yet luck had other plans.
"So, what is it?"
Roger took out a crimson-red hide from his bag. He was wearing gloves, so the heat didn't affect him.
"Do you know what this is?" Roger questioned, his eyes full of excitement.
"It looks like it came from a dragon. Did someone slay a young one?" Ansfrid pointed at the scaly material.
"No, it isn't a dragon, but a wyvern, and a strong one at that."
The guildmaster narrowed his eyes. The properties of the material had no similarities to wyvern hide and almost the exact properties of dragonhide.
"Who killed it and how strong was this beast?"
"I estimate that the beast has at least a difficulty rating of 100 and the person who killed it is named Nishikienrai, he says that he wants to join the guild."
Nishikienrai!? Isn't it the same name as the monster? And why does he want to join?
"Can you bring him in?"
"Nishikienrai you can come in now"
Walking out, a tall man covered head to toe with a tarnished black cloth, and a metal mask covering his face stood in front of the retired Black Scripture member.
Strangely, the man did exhibit overwhelming strength. Instead, it was the exact opposite, he showed no strength at all as if he was like an inanimate object.
The weak would not notice anything, but the strong, who built their ability to estimate their opponent's strength, would instantly freeze. But as a former Black Scripture member, he showed no emotion.
"Sit down Mr. Nishikienrai, I have a few questions that I would like to ask if you don't mind. Firstly, why would you like to join the adventurer's guild?"
"I was not only a hunter but also an adventurer. I explored many lands and since this is called the adventurer's guild, I believe that I would enjoy this."
After a few back and forths, the guild master Finished, "I can't give you adamantite, but with your strength, you can easily reach it." He pulled out a dark violet tag and set it in front of the masked man. "Roger can inscribe your name on it."
Grabbing the tag, Nishikienrai sat up and so did Roger.
"Let's go Nishikienrai, I need to get my tools."
They closed the door behind them. The guildmaster exhaled, this 'Nishikienrai' person didn't seem like a monster. His body language told him that much. But he was still incredibly strong, a god-kin maybe. Either way, a meeting is due.
Grabbing a scroll, he messaged the governor, the high priest, the lone Black Scripture member, and the captain of the Windflower Scripture.
Author's notes:
I couldn't really express Nishikienrai's original personality and vocabulary as much as I would like because of his disguise, but I will try to cut down on the OOC disguise and show his original personality in later chapters.
The next chapter is in around 2-3 weeks.
