Chapter 27

It had been a few days since Orson left. That evening, Al, having finished his day’s work, visited the Adventurers’ Guild and stared intently at the wooden request boards. He wasn’t making no money, but it wasn’t enough to buy the spellbook anytime soon, and he had found no clues to the ancient ruins, which was the reason he came to this city. He was thinking about what he could do to change the current situation.

"Hey, you’re Al, right? What brings you here today?"

At the counter of the Adventurers’ Guild, a woman named Quinta, who was there when Al first visited, called out to him. The guild is usually crowded in the morning, but at this hour, there were few adventurers around.

"Ah, I was just looking for a good job."

Quinta looked puzzled. She had occasionally heard his name mentioned as a promising new adventurer. While she didn’t know the details of his earnings, she didn’t think he was struggling to find work.

"Aren’t you making a decent amount?"

"Well, Orson taught me a lot, and I can manage to get by..."

Al said this while still looking at the wooden request boards.

"Oh, I see. I heard he’s been more energetic lately since he started working with a younger partner. That must be you. That’s great. Thanks. I was worried about him. But if that’s the case, why are you looking for a job?"

Quinta nodded a few times as she listened to Al, but then tilted her head. She knew Orson well. He was an experienced adventurer, and working with him, Al was likely making a good amount of money.

"Orson left a few days ago on a different job, so I’m on my own now. I came here because I heard there are many ancient ruins around. I want to explore as much as possible. So, I was hoping to find a job that would let me do that."

Quinta finally understood. Since Al had helped Orson become more energetic, she decided to introduce him to a good job as a way of saying thank you.

"If you’re willing to work as a mage, there’s one good opportunity. It’s a job guarding a caravan that travels to the frontier villages beyond here. You want to travel, right?"

Al’s eyes lit up, and he rushed to the counter where Quinta was.

"Yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. But can I be a scout instead of a mage?"

Al asked, looking a bit thoughtful. He wasn’t entirely confident in his abilities as a mage.

"There are plenty of people who want to be warriors or scouts. The guild can’t recommend you without more experience. However, mages are always in short supply. Can you use the magic detection spell? If so, I can introduce you as an apprentice. You’ll work with other mages and learn from them. But don’t expect to make much money."

Hearing he would be an apprentice, Al felt a bit relieved. Although he had been told his magic was impressive by Orson and others, he didn’t have a proper mentor and wasn’t very confident. Working with other mages would help him understand how to behave on guard duty, which he appreciated.

"Of course. Thank you very much."

"Then, can you come by after you finish your work tomorrow? I’ll check if they can hire you. It will be a trial run, and you can negotiate a long-term contract afterward if it goes well."

Al nodded eagerly. This would be his first job as a mage, and he was very excited.

-----

The next evening, Al finished his work early and visited the Adventurers’ Guild. Quinta told him to find the mansion of a mage named Eric on North First Street. According to Quinta, the contract for the guard duty was with the Trade Guild, but Eric would be Al’s direct superior for this job. He wouldn’t hire Al unless he thought he would be useful.

Al found the mansion easily. It was a grand mansion that looked like it belonged to a noble, surrounded by a wall. At the iron gate, there was a gatekeeper’s house where an elderly man, who seemed to be a servant, was sitting.

"Hello. Is this Eric’s mansion?"

"Yes, it is. What do you want? If you’re here to become an apprentice, you won’t be accepted. Go away."

The servant’s voice was rough and hard to understand, with some words slurred.

"Ah, my name is Al. I was introduced by the Adventurers’ Guild to inquire about the caravan guard duty."

The man scrutinized Al as if evaluating him.

"I see, I was told a young man would come, and you certainly are young. Can you use magic properly? Eric is a strict man. If you can’t use magic but lie about it, it’s better to leave now."

Al smiled and said he was fine. The man observed Al for a while, then sighed and opened the iron gate, letting Al in.

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