Chapter 39

This is the story from yesterday.

Yuril and the others were at the adventurer's bureau to register Yuril as a new adventurer. The lobby, now quiet after the commotion, had few people chatting by the walls. The high-ranking adventurers, who were the main group, had returned to their hunting grounds, causing the place to lose its vitality. A few security guards in black uniforms, looking idle, were more noticeable than ever.

"Then, I'll go draw with Mū-chan."

"I'll come and draw too, Tō-chan!"

"Take it easy, will you?"

The bulletin board for communication was not an official one but a service to facilitate communication among adventurers. Therefore, even if they wrote something a bit silly, they wouldn't be scolded, but if it went too far and became a nuisance, it couldn't be ignored. The two, who nodded energetically at Tō's words, held hands and ran to the blackboard together.

"Then, let's go, shall we?"

"Yes, please guide us."

Yuril, who had been looking around curiously, smiled back at Tō's prompting. The moment her cold, ice-like beauty melted, the gap made Tō slightly flustered. It had been a few days since Yuril had taken on her current appearance, but Tō still felt a bit disoriented by it.

At around forty, one wouldn't be easily moved by just a pretty face. However, when it goes beyond a certain point, it's hard to remain unaffected. Moreover, Tō and Yuril had known each other for about ten years, and the occasional resemblance only added to his unease. This made him a bit distracted, which was understandable.

With Tō leading the way, the two headed to the counter. They chose a window a bit away from the two people who were causing a commotion.

The woman sitting behind the counter had a somewhat fierce face with slightly upturned eyes. She could be considered beautiful, but her makeup was a bit heavy.

"Hello. Is this where we register as adventurers?"

At Yuril's question, the receptionist nodded lazily but then opened her eyes wide.

"Y-Yes, welcome."

"Can we register, please?"

"Uh? Oh, um..."

The receptionist, at a loss for words, tilted her head and smiled pleasantly. The atmosphere around her suddenly softened.

"Y-Yes! That's right. We handle adventurer registrations here."

"Good. Then, please take care of us."

"Y-Yes! Um, what was it again?"

"Look, it's those forms over there. Registration forms."

Seeing the receptionist frantically flipping through the items in front of her, Tō, unable to bear it, interjected. The receptionist, who had just noticed Tō's presence, followed his advice.

"Here. I'm sorry, could you fill this out, please?"

"Yes, hehe, it's good that the writing is clear."

"Hey, are you skipping any steps?"

In most cases, new registrations require a long interview if no one accompanies them. This "someone" is not just anyone but someone who has been an adventurer in the city for a certain period.

Therefore, most people rely on a senior from their hometown. This often leads to the formation of factions based on hometown or family ties.

This is because adventurer cards also serve as passes to the outer gates, and they cannot be issued lightly. If a newly registered adventurer runs away or fails to achieve results, the person who accompanied them is held responsible.

Tō pointed out that the receptionist had forgotten to check his adventurer card, but her response was off the mark.

"Oh, right, proxy. Do you need a proxy?"

"Yes, is this correct? Please let me know if there are any mistakes."

The receptionist, handed the form filled out by Yuril, took it happily and started checking it.

"Your name is Yuril. You're from Stral, ah, that's why you have those ears. Your age is twenty-two... Yes, no problems."

Yuril's real name is Yuraluril, but it's too complicated, so she uses a shortened version. Even with her real name, there would be no problem with registration.

Adventurer records are managed by each border town and are not easily transferred to other places to prevent the poaching of talented individuals. The only exception is when transferring to another border town, where a document proving the adventurer's rank is required.

Yuril's active years were based in a city further north, so there is little chance of a match. However, to avoid any trouble if a connection is suspected, Tō requested that she register under the shortened name. Incidentally, to neighbors and acquaintances, Yuraluril is said to be on a hometown visit, and her granddaughter, Yuril, is acting as the house manager.

"Then, can you touch this? Here we go."

Yuril placed her hand on the crystal ball with no hesitation. Tō, peering from behind, was impressed by her skill tree.

All three of her lower branch skills were fully grown, with fruit characteristics hanging from each tip. One of her middle branch skills was fully grown, and the second was almost there.

The receptionist, who was also peering, exclaimed in surprise. However, the problem was her subsequent muttering.

"Wow, really impressive! This is definitely a C, no, maybe even a B. Okay, I'll make it a B rank."

"Hey, wait a minute. Isn't it supposed to be a G rank for all new registrations?"

"Huh? Who are you? Stop butting in with your weird comments."

If the rank is raised arbitrarily, it becomes very troublesome. According to the bureau's rules, if there is a difference of two or more ranks, they cannot form a party. Additionally, the hunting grounds they can access are also restricted.

Tō, in a bind, looked for help and peered into the counter. However, there was no familiar staff member available, and Enna, his last hope, was busy with a customer who seemed to be a complainer.

"Can you hold off on processing for a moment? I need to confirm something."

"Y-Yes! Why? I'm a bureau employee, you know."

"Sorry, could you wait just a moment?"

"Yes, of course. I'll wait as long as it takes."

Leaving Yuril behind, Tō hurried to the window where Enna was dealing with the complaint. As he approached, he could hear a clear voice.

"So, I'm saying I'm the hero who saved this city."

"I'm sorry, but we need proof."

"Then, if you say I'm not, prove it. For example, what's the hero's name?"

"That is, at the hero's request, it's anonymous..."

"See, then I could be the hero."

"That's me. Is that all? Enna, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The woman, with almond-shaped large eyes, turned her deeply carved, straight-nosed face with thick eyebrows and bright red lips to Tō. She was a striking beauty, but her assertive manner was evident.

The red-haired woman, who was about to say something, suddenly stopped when she saw Tō's face. Enna, who looked slightly relieved, spoke to Tō.

"Oh, Tō, what's the matter?"

"A friend of mine is registering as a new adventurer, but the rank is being raised without permission."

"Have you already been evaluated by the soul meter?"

"Yes, it's done."

"In that case... I'm sorry, but it's impossible."

According to Enna, new registrations can now be given a higher initial rank based on the growth of their skill tree. This is a reasonable system to save time, but in the past, all new adventurers started at the lowest rank. Tō, who was not familiar with this change, had made a mistake.

Since the receptionist had already confirmed Yuril's skill tree with the soul meter, it was impossible to <restore> it now. Tō, frowning, was helped by their superior, who had apparently been listening to the conversation.

"Excuse me, Tō. I've heard your story. You want to form a party with that woman, right?"

"Pretty much. It would help if her rank could be lowered a bit."

"However, we cannot make an unreasonable assessment. The lowest we can go is C."

This means that Tō would need to be at least E rank to form a party. Seeing Tō's slight movement of his jaw, the section chief, Siecka, quickly continued.

"However, if Tō and his party advance, there will be no problem. Fortunately, the goblin cave, which is the E rank promotion trial, is currently unclaimed. If Tō wishes, you can have the priority as the discoverer. What do you think?"

The goblin cave, which caused the recent outbreak, has not been fully conquered, even though the overflow of monsters has been defeated. The hobgoblin chief, the master of the dungeon, should have already revived after a certain period.

This was the best compromise they could offer. Tō, who did not want to cause unnecessary trouble, had been eager to add Yuril to his party and was a bit nervous, which led to this situation.

Scratching his chin, Tō thought for a moment and then nodded.

"...Alright. I'll ask for that."