Chapter 10

The reference room of the Adventurers' Guild is not small, but the area accessible to ordinary adventurers is not very extensive. This is because it houses various documents, including those related to the guild's operations, such as income and expenses, as well as information and historical records that should be shared only among guild staff.

There is a reception desk, and a burly man stands there, keeping a watchful eye on the room. His role is not only to prevent the theft of documents but also to guard the rooms containing materials that should not be taken outside.

Bookshelves are placed on all four sides, and in the center, there is an eight-person table and chairs. The room is quiet, with only Yamagishi and the burly man present. Yamagishi thought that perhaps many adventurers dislike studying, but in reality, there were few people because there was no need to learn basic things at this stage. Only occasionally would adventurers visit when rare monsters appeared or when they were heading to new regions. Another reason people stayed away from this reference room was the constant presence of the burly man, who kept a stern watch over the room.

Upon entering, Yamagishi bowed his head slightly and greeted the man, then gathered the necessary documents and took a seat. The man nodded silently in response.

Yamagishi glanced at the receptionist, who said nothing, and felt a sense of respect for the serious-looking young man, though he didn't have any other particular thoughts.

First, he found a book with a provocative title, "Even a Fool Can Understand Money Management," and opened it. He interpreted the bold title as a sign of confidence in the content.

The currency in this world is divided into two types: those issued by the government and those issued by the Commercial Guild. The government-issued currency is more valuable than the Commercial Guild's, but the latter is more versatile. This is because the Commercial Guild intentionally prepared a lower-value currency to benefit the government, aiming to circulate the currency globally. This currency is called commercial currency, and the government currency is valued at a 10% premium. People who live within a single country use government currency, while adventurers and merchants who cross borders often use commercial currency.

The Commercial Guild's currency uses a holed coin as the basic unit, with copper, silver, and gold coins representing each subsequent power of ten. For larger amounts, payment is often made through certificates. Government currency has a different design but is similarly divided into four categories, and some countries even circulate a currency one order of magnitude higher than gold coins.

In terms of value, you can buy food from a street vendor with about 1 to 3 holed coins. However, due to the significant variation in social status and income, it's difficult to generalize the exact value.

After taking some notes, Yamagishi finished reading the book and closed it. He considered returning it to the shelf but decided against it since no one else was reading, and it wouldn't be a bother. He also didn't want to break his concentration by standing up.

Next, he opened a book titled "Maybe You Can Become a Mage Too?" Expecting at least five types of magic, he opened the first page to find illustrations that looked like a children's book. Despite his initial disappointment, he flipped through the pages and found that the content was surprisingly thorough. He read it all the way through and found the author's name and a message at the end: "From Jil Spring of the Tri-Mage, glory to all who wield magic." It became clear that the book was written to promote the training and advancement of mages.

Thanks to this, Yamagishi learned several rules of magic and decided that if he ever met Jil, he would express his gratitude.

The attributes of magic were as Ralph had explained before. Among them, there are basic spells, and whether one can cast them depends on their compatibility with the spell. Just because you can cast one wind spell doesn't mean you are compatible with all wind spells. Additionally, magic generally emanates from the tip of a wand or the fingers of a hand pointed at the target, and the farther the distance, the harder it is to control and the less effective it becomes. Therefore, regular practice is essential to ensure accuracy. The same spell can have vastly different effects depending on the user's proficiency. While it's good to be able to use many spells and be called a mage or a magic user, the book repeatedly emphasized that proficiency is crucial for adventurers.

The bell outside rang 13 times. Although there were still books he hadn't read, Yamagishi hurriedly returned the book to its original place. He had been told to gather in the training room around midday when the bell rang 13 times. He stuffed his notebook into his pocket, bowed slightly to the receptionist as he had when he arrived, and headed to the training room. The man nodded in response, a conscientious person.

The guild was large, but since he had asked for directions, he didn't have to worry about getting lost. Yamagishi was starting to feel a bit excited about what new things he would learn next.