The Adventurers Guild was exactly what I had imagined.
Just as I had seen it in video games, it was shaped like a tavern on the outside, and a fancy sign hung from the entrance. Naturally, being located in the center of Lugnica, it was seen as a place of the highest caliber.
Outside, I saw men and women, along with demihumans wearing expensive-looking armor, some carrying swords, others wielding axes and even hammers. There were those who wore robes while hanging potion vials on their waists and holding staffs with pointed hats.
What struck me as strange was the absence of typical fantastic creatures, such as elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, etc. Apart from humans, I only saw demihumans.
I figured that in the Empire, I might be able to see those mythical beings. That became another reason to fuel my desire to go there.
With these thoughts in my mind, I decided to put aside the fact that I now saw the world with different eyes; my surroundings were no longer as colorful. Thus, I entered the Guild.
The interior of the place was considerably larger than it appeared. The hall was huge, and the floor looked impeccable. Smooth stone pillars adorned each corner, and there were waiting benches on the walls, as well as round tables with chairs scattered throughout the hall where people could wait, eat, or simply gather.
Despite the large number of people, there wasn't much chaos, but it was definitely not a calm environment.
However, I couldn't help but notice that the expressions of many people were not similar to those of the citizens outside. One could easily understand why; while some lived day-to-day lives as blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers, or merchants, the adventurers here risked their lives defeating monsters. But it was undeniable that there was an atmosphere of gloom and darkness surrounding them.
For the first time, nobody paid special attention to me because of my clothes. Guilds were gathering points for diverse people, so it was normal to see individuals wearing different outfits. Besides, being surrounded by those who probably witnessed abnormal things every day, a teenager in a different outfit wouldn't stand out too much.
Feeling slightly more comfortable, I noticed a woman behind the long, glass-enclosed security bar at the counter, busy with some papers. As there was no one else with her, I approached slowly and without haste.
She was wearing a formal outfit, a tight black suit that accentuated her marked curves. Her hair was shoulder-length, and she wore a pair of round glasses.
"Uh, hello?" I spoke up.
When I addressed her, she raised her eyes above her glasses, looked at me briefly, then returned to her tasks.
"I've come to join the Guild. I want to be an adventurer."
The people around me looked over their shoulders, some smirking almost scornfully, while others just gave me embarrassed looks.
「Did I say something wrong?」I didn't understand the problem, so I repeated my words.
"I am here to become an adventurer. What do you have to do to become one?"
"You should turn around the way you came from and go help your mother with her shopping, brat."
When I looked behind me, there stood the closest thing to an orc. A human with Herculean muscles, arms twice the size of my torso, and wielding a two-meter sword of pure metal. He wasn't wearing armor, but he had a helmet on.
A single piece that covered his head.
Considering that dying alone was a possibility for me, I found that I could be more reckless when it came to forming social relationships or dealing with people. Obviously, I didn't want to be split in half when I didn't even know how to use a weapon, so I couldn't just die without gaining some experience first. With this in mind, I could speak with confidence and stop hiding in the shadows of "what if..."
"I am not here to receive sermons. I'm here to be an adventurer. If you all are going to deny my civil rights for convenience, maybe I could go talk to Reinhard van Astrea. Maybe he knows what to do to help me with my goal."
As soon as they heard the mention of the Royal Guard, even the receptionist put her papers aside and finally looked at me.
Obviously, if I were to show up at the gates of the Royal Headquarters, Reinhard probably wouldn't recognize me, but since no one here really seemed to know the background of this country, it was likely they weren't related to Reinhard either.
That meant there was no reason to deny that I, a teenager with enough cheeky attitude to just talk to a guy like the one behind me, could be part of the nobility and actually meet Reinhard.
When I was talking about taking advantage of my death experiences, I was referring to situations like these. And although it was a long shot, I had the willingness to fight for something, right?
"Child, we are not denying or violating any of your rights. We only want to make you understand that the adventurer profession is not something to be taken lightly. The mortality rate is extremely high among youngsters like you; even men who come out of the army die more often than any C-rank adventurer."
「Then they shouldn't have guide programs. Shit... If I really get accepted, I'm definitely going to die out there. However, won't I just as well die in here?」
I had already experienced it with the Church of the Emperor; this place was a conglomerate of dangers, and it was only a matter of time before the war would spread, forcing Lugnica's civilians to join the front ranks.
If I took a chance out there as an adventurer, I would grow as a person while gaining skills and experience, trying not to die early.
"Are you going to tell me how I can be an adventurer or not?"
Each of my responses aroused contempt and disdain from those nearby. It was obvious that my spoiled noble child act was working. If I kept pretending, these people would have no choice but to satisfy my needs.
"The Guild requires you to pass physical and mental tests before assigning you your Insignia Badge that will allow you to take on errands," the receptionist said, sighing.
"When can I start or where should I go?"
"Before we continue, you should know that you will be given the option to choose your Guild Master, as you will not be able to change it anymore once you join the Guild."
"A Guild Master is in charge of giving you quests and redeeming what you bring for rewards. Basically, he is the one who manages your life as an adventurer."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted my confused look. When I searched for the source of the voice, I found a teenager of perhaps my age. He wore dark leather armor, metal plates covered his legs and arms, and a black headband held his red hair back. Unlike the rest here, he seemed much more alive and approachable.
He was sitting at one of the round tables, not far from my position, accompanied by three girls and another boy. They all looked equally young.
After a moment, I looked at him and nodded.
"It is just as he said. We understand that general arithmetic is not a privilege that many can afford to learn, so not everyone can be expected to know how to make the equivalent exchange of their errands for money. Among the many qualities of a Guild Master, arithmetic and language are simple qualities. If you're really going to ignore my warnings and the others' warnings, I'll give you the map of the branches under the name of the Guild, where you'll find everything you need to start registration."
「The further I go through this world, the more realistic and far removed from novels and video games it becomes. I really have to go through so much paperwork just to end up dead...」
However, this was the path I had chosen, and I had to follow it no matter what.
The woman handed me a simple piece of paper made of a rare material. On it, there were what seemed to be hieroglyphics.
「I do not understand anything at all...」
At that moment, I realized that understanding a spoken language did not necessarily mean I could comprehend its written form, especially if it was from a language different from those on Earth.
"I had the same expression when I received mine," said a cheerful, masculine voice.
As I looked to the side, I saw a boy standing next to me, smiling. Observing my hesitation to initiate a conversation, he took a moment before speaking again.
"Oh, I'm Cedric. Cedric Montclair," he said, extending his hand, and I reciprocated with a silent squeeze. "Please take a seat with us; we just arrived too."
「So they understand this as well? That's quite a coincidence.」
Following Cedric, I made my way to the table, glancing at the others seated there.
Everyone appeared to have a role in this "team," but with Cedric by my side, I decided to observe how things unfolded.
"This is...," Cedric began to introduce me but then realized he didn't know my name. I stepped in and spoke for the first time.
"I'm Subaru. The first name is temporary, and the last name is unnecessary."
Upon hearing my curt and distant tone, Cedric pretended to cough.
"Subaru... It certainly is a name befitting a foreigner! I am Eowyn Sugihara, but you can call me Eo."
The girl sitting next to me quickly stood up and excitedly shook my hand. She wore a simple outfit with a tunic hanging off her shoulders and an open dress that fell to her knees. Around her neck, there was a necklace with a purple pearl, which matched the color of her eyes. She had long, light brown hair, and her features were quite attractive, making her stand out in a crowd.
"Being the first to attack won't earn you any points with him, Eowyn," the second girl sitting beside Eo remarked. "Don't mind her, Subaru; at the moment you need help the most, she might just run away."
"Hey, don't ruin my first impression!" Eo protested, pouting.
"My name is Aveline. Nightshade is my last name, and I am the team's squire."
Aveline leaned forward, though she didn't rise to shake my hand. She appeared more mature than Eowyn, and her countenance seemed quite composed. She looked like the team's responsible and motherly figure. Her appearance also carried a subtle hint of mature attractiveness, seemingly a blend of different ages. Her black hair was quite long, but she tied it up in a ponytail to keep it from interfering with her armor. Speaking of which, her equipment looked quite luxurious, with full-body metal armor that seemed both simple and formidable.
As someone who had never fought before, I couldn't offer much insight into its functionality.
"U-Uh... Hello..."
I thought I heard a whisper around me, so I looked more closely at my surroundings until I discovered that this voice actually came from our table.
"Ophelia, you know that acting this way will only make you more afraid of speaking out in public," Cedric said, sitting next to me.
When I followed the direction of his gaze, I saw a girl shrugging her shoulders and hiding under a typical witch's hat.
It didn't take me long to conclude that she was the shy one of the group, the girl who was afraid of slime but possessed the power to move mountains. Though I couldn't confirm the latter part, it was evident that this Ophelia girl struggled with public fear and anxiety.
"Ophelia, it's nice to meet you. I suppose you've heard my name by now," I said, leaning slightly in her direction. However, the moment she saw me make the move, she quickly ducked behind Aveline.
「She doesn't appear older or younger than the rest. I'm sure she's the same age as me... but behaving like that in this world suggests she's never had to face any real problems.」
While I understood that everyone had their own problems and ways of dealing with them, it was a reality that complaining because your tea lacked a little sugar was not the same as complaining because you didn't even have food. Both were problems, but one definitely carried more value and weight than the other.
This seemed to be the case with Ophelia, and perhaps with everyone at the table. They were probably noble youths seeking adventure because they had the money to do so.
...And if I made friends with them, they would likely lighten my load. I had to be more open and friendly.
Lastly, there was the only boy besides Cedric. He was sitting a bit farther from the table and the rest, dressed in light clothes. He wore black leather armor like Cedric, and I could see two daggers with strangely patterned handles dangling from his waist. He physically reminded me of cold and lonely characters, emitting an aura of aloofness and difficulty, seeming quite detached from what was going on.
"Vaelin, don't be such a curmudgeon and introduce yourself!" Eo yelled, wildly pointing at the boy.
"Haha..." Cedric laughed, scratching his head in embarrassment. "He is Vaelin Thalendir. He speaks as little as Ophelia, but I have known him since I came to Lugnica, and I trust him a lot."
"None of us like his upbringing, Subaru. So don't worry or let his self-centered attitude get to you," Aveline said, glancing at Vaelin with disdain.
"Don't worry, I understand."
After the introductions, Cedric talked to me a bit about what they do here.
Not all of them were from the Kingdom of Lugnica to begin with; Cedric, Aveline, and Ophelia came from a country called Gusteko or the Sacred Kingdom of Gusteko. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me much about his native country, but I was going to ask about it later. On the other hand, Vaelin was a native of Lugnica, and Eo hailed from Kararagi, a country located to the west of Lugnica and sharing a familial similarity to Japan, specifically the Kansai dialect. I also wanted to ask more about this place, as it might be a better option than the Empire, but that could wait for now.
Cedric also told me about how they all met.
The Montclairs had been guardians of the north of Gusteko for generations, protecting the borders against external threats and preserving peace in the region. The Nightshades were a noble family that had always been under the care of the Montclairs. Aveline had been assigned as Cedric's guardian, as he was a boy who wanted to venture into the world and change his destiny. Ophelia was Cedric's childhood friend, so when he offered to bring her along, the Baldors could not deny the whims of the young nobleman and risk breaking off a possible marriage union that would benefit them. Thus, Gusteko's group decided to travel to Lugnica to begin their adventure, as Lugnica was known for containing the weakest monsters in the region, making it a suitable starting point for many adventurers.
As for Eo, her family had a tradition of producing strong warriors, and the women were no exception. Upon turning sixteen, they could choose to embrace a life of motherhood, taking care of children and eventually getting married, or they could venture outside and create their own destinies, with the expectation of returning to Kararagi with all their achievements.
Vaelin's past remained a mystery. According to Cedric, the Thalendir were a house with a mysterious noble history within Lugnica. They apparently had ties to the realm's royal court, and their leaders were involved in Lugnica's politics even in the present.
Vaelin showed no signs of being bothered by us talking about him as if he weren't there; he remained silent, seemingly just resting. He was a peculiar boy, but he had decided to join this peculiar group.
Finally, there was me. I didn't have to say much, as Cedric, the leader, appeared quite human and kind, much like Aveline and perhaps Eo, if not for her excessive charisma.
I didn't delve much into explaining my past, only mentioning that I had been living in the Emperor's Church as an orphan after my parents abandoned me. I couldn't tell if they believed me or not, but at least they stopped asking questions after that.
In summary, I was surrounded by rich and noble individuals. If I chose to take Cedric's hint and join them, I would have a tutorial at my fingertips, as well as access to free equipment.
Cedric said that I could take everything together as a loan and that when I was ready, I could pay him back.
But it still seemed suspicious to me that everything was going so well.
Without realizing it, it had gotten dark. Cedric and the rest had arrived maybe an hour before me, and since they didn't understand the language very well either, they were preparing to go out in search of the same thing as me. But I interrupted them, and the paperwork couldn't be done.
I told him I'd consider the offer, and he offered to pay for my lodging at one of the Guild's inns, where they were currently staying.
It seemed that tomorrow we would go to the registry together, and it also felt like my life was really getting on the right track.
