Chapter 22

□ Alter Kingdom Adventurers' Guild 【Paladin】Ray Sterling

In this <Infinite Dendrogram>, there are three types of quests that players can accept.

First, there are random event quests like the one I encountered right after I started.

Next, there are job-specific quests, like the ones Luke did.

And the third type is guild quests.

These can be accepted at the Adventurers' Guild, a facility with a standard name and role.

While the term "guild" might make you think of job-specific guilds, this one is different.

The Adventurers' Guild is a place that mediates a wide range of requests, from slaying monsters and escorting people to collecting items and miscellaneous tasks.

Once you register and receive a guild card, you can accept requests regardless of your job, whether you're a <Master> or a Tien.

Since I've made decent progress in leveling up, I plan to earn some money while doing these quests.

Also, since I had talked with Luke about teaming up when we first met, we decided to accept the same quest this time.

So.

"...There are too many requests; I can't decide which one to take."

"Yeah..."

Luke and I are slumped over one of the many round tables in the Adventurers' Guild, flipping through a thick booklet.

But to be honest, we're getting tired.

This thick booklet is a quest catalog, listing all the requests currently available at this Adventurers' Guild.

It automatically updates as Tien and players submit or accept requests.

Incidentally, requests that are too difficult for the player holding the catalog are not displayed.

All requests up to difficulty level three are shown, but higher levels are unlocked based on the number of successful requests.

Even with that in mind, this catalog is unusually thick, probably around 1000 pages.

The reason for this is the influence of the [Destruction King] and other <Supreme> beings.

The destruction of the <Noz Forest> by the [Destruction King]'s bombardment has increased the number of people fleeing from the capital, and the recovery of transportation networks to other cities has increased the movement of trading merchants.

As a result, escort requests for travel to other cities have surged.

The problem is...

"The rewards and difficulties of similar requests vary too much to choose."

"Yeah..."

For example, there are dozens of escort requests to Gideon, the dueling city where Figaro is, and the difficulties and rewards are all over the place.

Even with the same difficulty, the rewards can differ by 10,000 ril, or the difficulty can differ even if the reward is the same, or the departure times can be different.

The difficulty is apparently calculated by the AI managing the quest, but why is there such a wide range of prices for similar content and the same difficulty?

We can't just accept them blindly, and by the time we compare them, the good conditions are already taken by others and disappear from the catalog.

"Also, escort jobs are a bit tricky."

"Yeah..."

Escorting means you have to protect someone continuously while they move.

But we are players, and we need to log out, which means we can't protect them during that time.

The people of Tien know this situation, as it is part of the setting that <Masters> are "occasionally transported to another world."

Therefore, <Masters> are not well-suited for escort requests, and these jobs are mostly taken by Tien adventurers.

Unless you are a very high-level <Master>.

"Maybe delivery requests would be better. The rewards might be a bit lower, though."

"Yeah..."

"...Luke, you've been saying the same thing over and over."

"Ah, sorry. Reading this thick catalog made me think of a lot of things..."

Luke probably looks like a middle schooler and might have been thinking about exam preparation.

Luke is flipping through the pages while muttering, "Dad's homemade textbook was thicker than this..."

If Luke's face is the same as in the real world, he must be from Europe or America.

The college entrance exams there are probably just as intense.

I also struggled with my university entrance exams...

"Hmm, hmm."

"Mmm, mmm..."

Incidentally, Nemesys and Babbi have been looking through booklets like us, but what they are reading is not the quest catalog.

Nemesys is checking the list of bounties, and Babbi is staring at the menu of the restaurant inside the guild.

"Master, it seems that the [Wolf King Robota] and the [Great Miasma Demon Galdoranda] appear occasionally on the way to Gideon. It would be nice if they showed up."

"I don't want something that obviously dangerous..."

"Hey, hey, Luke, wouldn't this special print ala mode with death sauce look really delicious? Do you want to eat it too, Luke?"

"I don't want something that obviously dangerous..."

To avoid the troublesome <Embryo> duo, Luke and I decided to focus on the quest catalog.

"Let's narrow it down by difficulty. Level one or two should be fine."

We had already discussed and decided to take a job heading to Gideon.

Luke apparently wanted to go to Gideon as well.

Apparently, there is a large monster market and slave market in Gideon.

"That's right. Ray is stronger than the average level 12, and I am much weaker than the average, so I think it's just right."

Through our continued exchange of information about skills and levels, we learned that Luke is more than twice my level but has lower stats.

Only his MP and SP are higher than mine, while the other stats are mostly half or less.

This is apparently because, before I became a high-level job [Paladin], Luke's job [Pimp] is a weak job in terms of stats.

According to the help for [Pimp] (which is not in my help, and similarly, the information about [Paladin] is not in Luke's help), [Pimp] is a skill-specialized job that relies mostly on [Charm] and the abilities of subordinates.

It seems to be a very dead or alive job, where you either [Charm] or die.

Well, I have no doubt that [Pimp] is Luke's true calling.

If not [Pimp], he might as well become an [Angel].

"Master, calm down. You're a bit [Charm]ed."

"Oh..."

Of course, Luke is not using the [Charm] skill on me. It only works on females, after all.

But he is so beautiful that the atmosphere is affecting me.

The adventurers in the guild have been glancing at us, and some are even staring.

And the attention is not just because of Luke.

Nemesys and Babbi are also beautiful girls.

With three out of the five people at this table being attractive, it's no wonder we're getting attention.

...Five people?

"Well, it's been a while since I've been to the Adventurers' Guild, but there are too many quests piled up."

At our table, Marie, the [Reporter] who sold us information about the PK incident, was also seated.

...Wait, when did she get here?

We were definitely four people—me, Nemesys, Luke, and Babbi.

Do [Reporters] have a skill to sneak into tables?

"Huh? Why are you here, Marie?"

"Well, I also had some business in Gideon, the dueling city. When I heard you two were going to Gideon, I thought I might as well join you. Is it okay if I come along?"

"...I don't mind, but what about Luke?"

"I'm fine too. Actually, it's reassuring."

Indeed.

Luke and I are going to another city for the first time.

In contrast, Marie has been to the Yellow River, another country. She must be used to long-distance travel.

That alone makes her quite reliable.

With Marie added, we now have three people flipping through the catalog.

"There's a level two [Slaying Request—[Sauda Phantom Sheep]]. The reward is high."

"Ah, that won't work. The [Sauda Phantom Sheep] is weak but hard to find, so it would take at least three days just to find it."

"Level two [Slaying Request—[Blue Lemmings]], this one has a good reward too. Fifty is a lot to kill, though."

"They are weak but easy to find, and they naturally form groups. It might be easier than you think."

"I don't like rats."

"Luke?"

"I don't like rats."

"Oh... I see..."

After about ten minutes of staring at the catalog,

"Ah, how about this one?"

Marie pointed to a page.

Difficulty: 2 [Delivery Request—Guild Delivery to Dueling City Gideon]

[Reward: 30,000 ril]

"Please deliver various items from the Adventurers' Guild in the capital Altea to the guild in Dueling City Gideon. There are a lot of items, so this request is recommended for those with an item box. The deadline is three days from now."

"* If the delivery items are stolen, assassins will be sent."

"This is a request from the guild. You can deliver it directly to the Adventurers' Guild, so the procedures are easy. The reward is also generous."

Indeed, it's a good deal.

The last line is a bit concerning, but as long as we don't do anything wrong, it should be fine.

"I want to take this quest. What about you, Luke?"

"Yes, I'm okay with this one."

"It's settled, then."

"It's settled? I haven't had my print yet..."

Luke, Nemesys, and Babbi responded to my words.

Our first quest as a team is decided.

"Then, Ray, please accept the quest."

"Huh? You found it, so shouldn't you accept it?"

"When multiple people accept a guild quest, they form a party and the representative handles the procedures. The representative also specifies the job."

"So?"

"The guild receptionist won't be happy if the representative is a [Reporter] or a [Pimp]."

Indeed, that makes sense.

This is a direct request from the guild, so if they doubt our capabilities, they might not let us take it.

As a [Paladin], I shouldn't have any problems.

...But I'm the lowest level among us. Is that okay?

"People judge by the label and the container first. I think it's better if Ray accepts it."

Since Luke also agrees, I will be the representative to accept the quest.

I take the catalog to the guild receptionist and show her the page of the request.

"Okay, you want to accept the request. Understood. Please show me your guild member card and fill out this form."

I hand over the member card I just made and fill out the form.

I write my name and job, the names of the party members who will be doing the quest with me, and confirm the terms.

"I have confirmed the acceptance of the quest. Please collect the delivery items from the counter over there."

I follow the instructions, collect the delivery items, and put them in my item box.

We are ready.

Thus begins our new step, the guild quest.

The target is a quest difficulty level two [Delivery Request—Guild Delivery to Dueling City Gideon].

Our destination is Dueling City Gideon.

Quest, start.

To be continued

◆◆◆

■ Alter Kingdom •••

Cheers.

There were only cheers.

Those cheers meant joy.

Countless goblins were roaring in joy.

In front of their gaze, a creature with four limbs, yet entirely different from them—a human—stood.

They were hungry.

They didn't know why, but no humans had passed through their territory for several days.

They loved humans and the goods they carried, and they were starving.

During that time, they had survived by eating other monsters, but the taste of humans and their food was something they couldn't forget.

So they rejoiced.

At the return of human traffic, which had been blocked by "that mountain."

At the reappearance of their favorite food in front of them.

A while ago, a single human passed through their territory, and they were so terrified that they could only tremble and wait for him to pass.

But the humans passing through now are not scary.

Therefore, these humans and their goods are nothing but a feast for them.

"Giiiiii!"

"Gyaaaaa!"

The goblins let out their battle cries and charged towards the carriage in front of them.

"[Goblins]!? What, this many...!"

"Sir, we can't handle this many! Make the carriage go as fast as possible!"

"A, ah!"

"We have to run too!"

The fat merchant man increased the speed of the carriage, and the Tien adventurers guarding the merchant also started to run.

Their speed was fast, and the goblins would not be able to catch up.

So the goblins roared.

They roared in cheers, in joy.

"What are they, trying to intimidate us?"

"Never mind! We have to keep running!"

They were not trying to intimidate.

Especially not in front of a feast.

They were simply—calling.

"Haha, it looks like we can escape... Huh?"

Immediately, the merchant and his carriage were crushed by something that fell from the sky.

Stepping on the squashed corpse, which resembled a flattened fruit, "something" turned its gaze to the adventurers.

"W, w, what!?"

"C, could this be a <UBM>, a [Galdoranda]...?"

They were not given the time to speak meaningful words.

They only had the time to be trampled by "something" and the goblins that followed.

'GOOOAAAAAAAAAAA!!'

Thus, "something" and the swarm of goblins, having finished their feast, returned to their lair.

They would wait for the next feast to pass through, when they were hungry again.

◆

The name of this area is <Nex Plain>.

South of the <Sauda Mountain Path>, north of Dueling City Gideon.

It was an area that one had to pass through to reach Dueling City.

To be continued

The next update is tomorrow at 21:00.