Year 141_Keireki Era_Spring/08
Yo.
Here I am, a bandit, traveling surrounded by adventurers.
The place we arrived at was a walled city—well, most cities I recognize are walled cities.
A walled city refers to one where the city itself is entirely encircled by walls.
There are two types: ones that expand like a beehive by adding new walls as they grow,
and ones that start with a significant size from the beginning to accommodate future growth. This one is the latter.
Encircling the city with walls must be incredibly costly, but it's necessary to defend against numerous external threats.
Or perhaps, it serves to separate the world within from the world outside.
Incidentally, this isn't the territory of Count Biumode, where I previously registered as an adventurer, but the land governed by Count Luluciette.
I recall that both counts' families triggered significant conflicts after the kingdom fell,
contributing greatly to the deterioration of public order.
That said, the generation involved in those disputes has long since passed, replaced by the current counts.
Moreover, as someone less than a commoner, public order hardly affects me.
The gates here are as robust as those in Count Biumode’s city.
Notably, guild personnel and veteran-looking adventurers seem to pass through with ease.
“Hey, Gadvar! How’d it go?”
A gatekeeper calls out.
“This kid here saved us.”
“Saved you, huh? Now that’s rare.”
The gatekeeper shifts his gaze to me.
“A promising young lad!”
An overwhelming amount of expectation and praise is bestowed upon me.
“Oh yeah, you can count on him.”
Gadvar, detached as usual, replies as if it’s no big deal.
Though we haven’t known each other long, I can tell he’s not saying this lightly—he genuinely means it.
Still, I haven’t done anything significant.
The final blow, after all, was Iserina’s achievement.
Since I have nothing to proudly claim, I simply nod lightly and let the situation flow.
The adventurer guild building we arrived at was massive.
Larger than the one I registered at in Biumode.
I’d heard before that the Adventurers’ Guild is an international organization, with branches in each city varying in scale.
A larger building likely indicates the guild holds a considerable position in Luluciette.
The interior also showed a stark difference in wealth.
Perhaps the previous guild was just a branch office in the city.
“Please wait here for a moment,” Iserina says.
Having nothing else to do, I decided to observe.
Inside what I assumed was the headquarters, Iserina took a seat on the staff side of the reception desk.
Across the counter, Gadvar and the others begin reporting various details.
As someone who claims to have "died a million times," I’ve never had a strong physical body, at least in my current memories.
Thus, no matter how many lives I’ve lived, most of the adventurers in this guild appear far superior to me.
“Vi, could you come over here, please?”
Called over, I saw a familiar document—the adventurer registration form.
“Can you read and write?”
“Yeah.”
“Then please fill out this section here.”
Aside from my name, the form remained the same as before.
After all, I haven’t gained any new experiences.
“So, this is an adventurer registration, right? For a bandit like me… is that really okay?”
Trying not to sound overly self-deprecating, I pose the question to Iserina.
I attempted to convey a sense of uncertainty as a bandit.
“Yes, as long as you’re not a known criminal, registration is fine. And as for your past, it’s being cleared thanks to recommendations from me and Gadvar.”
The difference this time is that they’re aware I’m a bandit.
This must be Gadvar’s way of repaying me.
In other words, I’m not being treated as a criminal or a fraud.
I’m being recognized as a legitimate resident of this city.
“Thanks, Iserina, Gadvar.”
“Wait, hold on. This isn’t the only thanks you’re getting.”
Gadvar placed something in my hand—a piece of metal.
It was about the size of a finger bone and almost weightless.
Having no knowledge of it, I deduce it’s something unfamiliar to bandits.
Which means I have no idea what it might be.
“Uh, what’s this?”
“It’s something called ‘experience metal,’ sold exclusively by the Adventurers’ Guild. As you work as an adventurer, you’ll gain a lot of experiences, right?”
I nodded, though inwardly I think, “That’s only if I don’t die again, though.”
Lately, it’s been death after death.
“Well, this metal is said to store the weight of those experiences as tangible value. It’s useful whether you sell it for money or trade it for something else. Pretty handy, huh?”
I can’t believe something so convenient exists.
It’s helpful, sure, but… given how easily I die, will it even matter?
Could it possibly carry over after death?
Nah, that’s wishful thinking.
More importantly—
“Thanks. Really, thank you.”
I remember to express my gratitude, bowing my head.
“You’ve done more than enough to earn it, Vi.”
“Exactly.”
“Indeed, that’s so.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
I tell them I’ll do my best to live up to their expectations.
And with that, I parted ways, with Gadvar and the others.
What do you think about this chapter?
