Year 141_Keireki Era_Spring/08
The dwarf's name was Roam.
He taught me many things as if I was his apprentice, and I even got free meal in the process.
Iserina, with her stunning appearance, was somewhat of an idol in the guild.
On top of that, she's caring and highly perceptive.
It's said that almost every adventurer has been saved by her at least once.
For the most part, it's her efficiency with administrative work that has been their salvation.
The fact that her carriage was targeted became a significant issue in the guild, prompting a handful of fervent adventurers to aggressively investigate the culprits.
Though Iserina tried to stop them, there was little she could do against adventurers who chose to act on their own.
Apparently, my rescue of someone so adored has drawn both good and bad attention to me.
"Take my advice, kid. Lay low for a while.”
This man, Roam, is apparently a skilled and well-regarded figure in the guild.
The identification tag he flashed while drunk was noticeably different from mine.
It bore three claw-mark-like symbols, and even the tag's color was distinct.
Mine was a dull green, whereas Roam's was iron-hued.
With a proud grin, he declared that he outranked me by four tiers and advised me to show respect.
Of course, he wasn't entirely serious; it was a jest.
Still, it served as a warning that there might be those who genuinely expect such deference.
"Details are in the handbook at the counter. Read it yourself.”
I can read and write, but it's not like I particularly enjoy it.
I said I'd read it when I had time, but who knows if I'll ever feel like it.
Ah, so the reason the guild asks about literacy is to tell those who can read to handle things themselves.
I registered right after that commotion, so it’s understandable that some explanations were skipped.
Maybe they intended to explain properly, but because I took on solo requests right away, a lot of details were overlooked.
I should apologize to Iserina later.
"Vi, are you here?"
Speak of the devil—there was Iserina's voice coming from the counter.
I thanked Roam for the meal and stepped away.
"It has been confirmed. This time… well, you’ve done quite well."
"Sorry, Iserina. I chose to fight despite your warnings, and I regret it."
"… No, it was my fault for underestimating your abilities. You saved me, yet I didn’t properly assess your potential."
And so, we ended up apologizing to each other.
Once that was settled, we moved on to the matter of the request.
The paper handed to me detailed the rewards.
In addition to the original success fee, there was a bounty for defeating the bandits (including a small reward for capturing a wanted criminal).
The most intriguing part was the "special reward" section.
It was listed as three times the success fee.
"What’s the special reward for?"
"That is from the guild. You see, the person you saved was one of our executives."
"An executive? Who?"
"Miss Kagnat."
That tiny woman?
Judging by her age, she couldn’t be much different from my current body.
"Miss Kagnat’s father was the previous master of this guild."
"So, he stepped down?"
"No, unfortunately, he passed away. Initially, Miss Kagnat was supposed to inherit the role of master, but she declined, saying someone unfamiliar with the guild’s operations shouldn’t take on such a position. Instead, she recommended the then-submaster for the role."
That sounds exactly like something a decent person like her would say.
It’s easy to understand why.
However, the Adventurers' Guild couldn’t simply accept that without contention, so they created an executive position for her instead.
The reason the gatekeeper straightened up must have been due to her lineage.
Apparently, she had been operating in a way to avoid burdening the guild as much as possible.
Given what had happened, the guild would likely ensure that she hires guards or keeps an eye out in the future.
"And with that, here you go."
A pile of coins was handed over.
Iserina mentioned that she could pay me in a specific currency, but honestly, this body’s life could end at any moment.
As long as it was usable in this town, any currency was fine.
"I don’t have any preferences for currency. Anything usable in Luluciette works for me."
"In that case, there’s also this option."
What she brought out looked similar to the experience metal I had received as a gift from Gadvar.
Similar, or almost identical.
"This is called 'Asset Metal.' By infusing it with special ink, you can charge it with value. In Luluciette, all payments can be made using this Asset Metal."
It seemed incredibly convenient, so I opted for that.
Also, carrying around large sums of money might tempt me into greed, which I wanted to avoid.
Traveling light is best.
… If I say that, maybe it can be passed down? No, probably not.
It required a security deposit in place of the metal, so I agreed to the terms.
Thus, my reward was deposited into the asset metal.
"Isn’t there a risk of tampering? Like someone analyzing it or adding ink to inflate the value?"
"Luluciette and several guilds have a mutual monitoring system in place, so even if someone managed to tamper with the ink, it would be easily detected."
If that happened, some scary folks from one of those guilds would likely come knocking.
The security measures seemed robust, so as long as you didn’t plan anything shady, it appeared safe to use.
Despite everything, my first job was a success, and I received my first paycheck.
Until recently, I had been a bandit myself, so I could truly appreciate this moment.
The feeling of earning your reward through sweat and effort is far more gratifying than simply stealing it.
What do you think about this chapter?
