Chapter 2

The town is called Eluda. It is a village of adventurers that formed at the entrance to a labyrinth. The population of this small mountain village is around two hundred people, constantly changing. Most of them are adventurers who come for the labyrinth. The rest are shop clerks, porters, and their families. There are hardly any beggars. In this village, even children earn pocket money by carrying equipment for labyrinth explorers, so as long as you can move, you won’t go hungry.

Adventurers usually do most things themselves. Therefore, the facilities in the village are limited to the guild, a weapons and equipment shop that focuses on repairs, an inn and restaurant, and a few places that are off-limits to children. The nearest big city is a half-day’s carriage ride away, so it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

“Didn’t you hear that for beginner-class quests, you have to go to the guild in the town at the foot of the mountain, Algas?”

Did I hear that? I don’t remember...

I put my finger to my lips and pretended to think.

I don’t think I heard that...

The lady at the counter is no longer there.

“Once you register with the guild, you have to stay in that location for a month and complete a certain number of quests. Did you hear that?”

The staff member looked at me for confirmation.

I did hear that.

“Yes, to prevent hasty registrations.”

“The guild registration card also serves as an ID to prevent misuse and to protect and train new members.”

I guess that’s true, but I’ve heard it before.

The male staff member let out a dramatic sigh.

“Do you understand your situation?”

I tilted my head.

“You registered with this guild, which means you have to stay in this village for a month. Additionally, you have to complete a certain number of quests, specifically at least five. If you can’t do that, you won’t get an official guild card. What you have now is just a provisional one.”

“So...”

I turned back to the bulletin board with the quest postings.

“You said this guild only has mid to high-level quests, right?”

I finally understood what this man was getting at.

“Does that mean... I’m stuck?”

“Finally got it, huh? Didn’t the receptionist say, ‘Are you sure about this?’”

No, I didn’t hear that...

“She said, ‘I’m sorry for your loss...’”

“Damn... Maria and her big mouth.”

The man glared at the empty counter.

“Anyway! If you stay like this, you won’t become an adventurer. Moreover, if you cancel your registration, you might be suspected of having a shady background, making it harder to register in the future. You’re in a dire situation, Ernest!”

Well, I’m from a noble family on the other side of the mountain, so I think my background is clear...

Maybe it’s because of my laid-back personality, but the brother seems more anxious than I am. What is he hiding? There’s a suspicious vibe around him. The lady at the counter also seemed to deliberately withhold necessary information. Is this guild a black company?

“Still, there is a remedy.”

I wanted to become an adventurer as soon as possible, so I skipped the half-day trip to the town at the foot of the mountain, and now I’m in trouble.

“New members can, if they wish, receive training to become a full-fledged adventurer. This guild’s program is a bit challenging, but it’s designed so that even new members can complete it. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but it’s free, so there’s no loss in doing it.”

He smiled, but it felt more like a threat. He doesn’t look like a bad person, but the rest of the conversation felt like a hard sell.

“Let’s start with this.”

He tore a quest posting from the bulletin board.

“‘Quest Level: C. Item: Water Magic Stone (Mid-Rank). Quantity: Five. Deadline: Thirteenth of Water Month. Location: Eluda Labyrinth Cave. Reward: Five gold coins, full payment after completion. Report to: Eluda Adventurer’s Guild Outpost.’”

The man, who claimed to be in charge of new member training, read the quest details smoothly.

Five gold coins mean 500,000 rupli. A night at an inn costs about 3,000 rupli, so that’s about six months’ worth!

“Water Magic Stones can be obtained from the weakest monsters in the labyrinth, the Underground Crabs. Their only attack is their large pincers. However, they are four meters long, which is twice the length of a person with their arms outstretched. One meter is about the length of an adult male’s arm, so it’s good to remember that. The most distinctive feature of the Underground Crab is the hardness of its shell. It’s very resistant to physical attacks, so even experienced adventurers have a hard time without skills. That’s why they are often avoided, but I want you to kill them. The reason is that their movements are slow enough for beginners to dodge, and their only attack is their pincers.”

The man in charge of new member training spoke rapidly.

“But if even experienced adventurers can’t hit them, isn’t it impossible?”

“Here’s the solution.”

He pulled out a sword.

“Follow me.”

He led me to a corner of the room where several sturdy tables with stone cutting boards were placed. He put the sword on one of the boards, and the sword’s stats appeared in my head.

“This is a magic tool that acts as a substitute for the ‘Recognition’ skill. It’s called a ‘Recognition Gauge.’”

I looked at the sword’s stats.

‘Annoyance Sword’—what a name. It seems to randomly activate status effects like poison, paralysis, confusion, disease, petrification, and instant death. On the other hand, its attack power is only one.

“Surprised?”

My smile was forced.

“I’ll lend you this sword. If it activates petrification or instant death, it’s a one-hit kill.”

“Is that okay? Magic swords are expensive, right?”

“The tricky part about magic swords is that they require magic power, which needs to be replenished with magic stones. In exchange for the free sword, you’ll have to buy the magic stones. This sword consumes five magic points per hit and can store sixty magic points, so it can be used twelve times per recharge. A magic stone equivalent to one hundred magic points costs ten silver coins, or 10,000 rupli. Compared to the reward, it’s a small amount, but it’s not cheap. Use it wisely.”

I was given a note stating that even if the sword breaks, I won’t be charged. This level of preparation made me even more wary.

Still, with no other options, I also bought a ‘Blinding Incense’ that affects the visual nerves and a ‘Rune of Escape’ for emergencies, both at the same price. The ‘Blinding Incense’ is apparently very effective against Underground Crabs and is recommended as insurance for low levels. The ‘Rune of Escape’ is a transfer crystal that contains the coordinates to return to the labyrinth entrance. It’s an adventurer’s essential item that activates when broken, even if you can’t use magic, and serves as insurance if you can’t walk or get lost.

I didn’t buy recovery potions and antidotes because I brought some from home.

On my first day as an adventurer, I spent all the money I brought and even borrowed two gold coins as an advance. I don’t know the prices of these things, but I realized that life is expensive.