Chapter 52

Yuta stood at the entrance of the adventurer's guild, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother.

The receptionist, an incredibly beautiful woman, left him somewhat flustered, but now he was fine. He was calm.

However, how do I put it, this receptionist is scary. She gives off a vibe like a carnivorous animal. Her sensual body, slightly upturned eyes that seem strong-willed, and bright red lips. She feels more like a female leopard than a queen. She's beautiful and cool. Even though she's not a beast person, I feel like I can see fangs and animal ears.

"Is something the matter?"

I was daydreaming.

"No, nothing's wrong."

"I see. Then let's start the registration process."

"Please do."

"Do you know the rules of the adventurers?"

"Yes, I think I understand the basics such as the adventurer ranks, how to accept quests, and the penalties."

Studying beforehand is important. The adventurer ranks are F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. You can choose quests from the board up to one rank higher than your own. The penalties are simple as long as you don't commit crimes or cause trouble for civilians.

"Understood. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Now, could you tell me your name, age, and combat style?"

The receptionist prepared the paper and asked. It seems I have to fill it out myself. Many people can't read, I guess. I'm fine with my skills.

"My name is Yuta. I'm twenty-five and a spirit mage."

"Hahaha. A twenty-five-year-old rookie adventurer. And a useless spirit mage fraud. Hey, you, get out of the labyrinth city quickly."

Suddenly laughed at and called a fraud. A useless spirit mage? What does that mean? I looked at Sylph, and she also looked confused. If you have a contract with a mid-level spirit, the country would bow and welcome you, right? What's going on?

Also, the men who started the trouble are really annoying. They're looking down on me with all their might. It's like a template event in a guild. The reason was a bit unexpected, but it happened as expected. I turned back to the receptionist and asked.

"Is there a problem with being a spirit mage?"

"Of course there is. Get lost quickly."

The men behind me were making a fuss. I'm asking the receptionist, though.

"What do you think?"

"Stop ignoring me. You're trash."

That's a bit harsh. I'm getting irritated. Calm down. First, listen to the story, and I'll make these annoying men regret it. The adventurers in the bar are laughing loudly, and I feel terrible.

"Mr. Karl, please stop. This person is still a civilian. If you lay a hand on him, I'll have you restrained."

The receptionist stopped Karl. He clicked his tongue and backed off, standing by the door. He's clearly planning to cause trouble after the registration is complete.

"Thank you. Could you tell me why I'm being treated like this?"

The receptionist, with a troubled expression, explained. Most spirit mages have unstable magic power and often fail, so they are treated as useless. However, skilled spirit mages are treated with respect.

That's it. Most people can't communicate well with spirits. Sylph is also listening with a "Oh, I see" expression. They've already decided I'm not a proper spirit mage just by looking at me. I'm getting more and more annoyed.

"I understand. Thank you. Does that mean spirit mages can't register?"

"No, the adventurer's guild doesn't refuse registration unless you're a criminal. However, I don't recommend becoming an adventurer as a spirit mage. You'll be treated poorly everywhere."

... Spirit mages are that hated? This is completely unexpected. Well, if being a spirit mage doesn't work, I could be a hammer user or something, but it feels wrong to change because of this trouble.

Besides, if I hadn't met Bell and Sylph, I might have died. It's impossible to stop being a spirit mage. I might even start a spirit mage clan. I feel like I could make a great clan.

"Good to know. Then I'd like to register as a spirit mage."

She looked at me as if to say, "Don't you get it?" It was a beautiful encounter, but I clearly received a disappointing evaluation. It's heartbreaking.

"Um, if you register now, you'll definitely be harassed. I think it's wiser to cancel the registration as a spirit mage or postpone it."

The carnivorous receptionist tried to stop me, still worried. She seems like a good person, but she also thinks I'm a bad spirit mage.

I feel like I could become a masked hero. Yuta, the spirit mage who usually doesn't stand out. But his true identity is... No, that's impossible. I'm confident I'd snap if I were constantly mocked like Karl.

"Well, that might be true. If I let those guys get away with it, I won't be able to survive as an adventurer. So, please register me as a spirit mage."

Karl and the others were making a fuss when they heard my words. Dine also said the same. If you let them get away with it, you lose. I'll make everyone who mocked me and caused trouble regret it.

The receptionist, reluctantly, proceeded with the registration. When asked about my level, I whispered it so no one else could hear. She seemed a bit convinced by the unexpectedly high level.

According to Sylph, level forty-five is equivalent to a C-rank adventurer. I'm a promising new adventurer. Spirit mages are hated, but...

"Here, the registration is complete. You will likely be challenged to a duel. If you accept, the guild will have to allow it, so be careful."

"Ah, what happens in a duel? Is it a matter of life and death?"

"Taking a life is frowned upon, but there's no penalty in a duel. Do you intend to accept? Your opponents are five people, and Karl is a C-rank."

It's not one-on-one. Usually, duels are one-on-one, right? Maybe adventurer parties are considered as one entity? ... Well, it's fine. Sylph also seems to think I should go for it. It's important to make a strong first impression. If I crush them spectacularly, it will reduce unnecessary trouble.

"No problem."

I smiled. I might have looked cool just now. I paid the registration fee with magic stones, received the card, and stood up. Karl and the others approached with smirks. They clearly intend to cause trouble.

According to Sylph, I'm quite strong, but maybe I don't emit a strong aura? Or maybe they've already decided I'm a bad spirit mage and are looking down on me?

"Hey, useless spirit mage. It's a duel. If you lose, quit being an adventurer. Of course, you won't run, right? Well, I'm kind, so if you kowtow and return your guild card, I'll let you off."

This world has kowtowing too. ... He's smirking in a way that's really annoying. The adventurers in the bar are also egging him on. It's really bothersome.

"If you guys quit the guild if you lose, I'll accept. If you kowtow and apologize, I'll let you off. What do you say?"

I said it. I said it. The veins on Karl's face are popping out. His face is red with anger.

Huh? Karl went to the counter without saying anything. He's talking to someone. Huh? He's yelling at me to come over. What does he want?

When I went to the counter, I was given a paper and a pen. ... It seems to be a duel agreement. It says the loser will quit the guild. I'm supposed to sign it. They're quite particular about paperwork. I signed it casually. The receptionist was holding her head. I'm sorry to worry her.

"Alright, let's go to the training ground. Hurry up."

"Wait a moment. I'll call a witness. Don't start the duel without permission."

The receptionist said this and ran off. There are witnesses. It's a serious duel. When we moved to the training ground, the adventurers from the bar followed.

Karl's eyes are bloodshot, determined to kill. Wasn't he going to let me off if I kowtowed? He's short-tempered. Is he that much of a spirit mage hater? I did some warm-up exercises while wondering about this.

"Hey, Sylph. I won't lose to those guys, right?"

"Yes, it would be easy to decapitate them without them doing anything. But you won't kill them, right?"

Sylph says scary things. If I did that, everyone would be shocked.

"First, just create a wind barrier. When I ask, blow them away quickly. Be sure not to kill them."

I don't want to kill anyone on my first day of registering as an adventurer.

"Got it. I'll attack when you ask."

"Yeah. Hey, what are those guys doing? They seem to be arguing about something."

"Wait a moment. ... They're betting, but no one is betting on you, so the bet can't be made."

"spirit mages are really undervalued, huh?"

"I'm sorry, Yuta. I only checked the spirit mages who are treated well."

The spirit mages who are treated well are probably a select few who are treated as top-tier.

"Well, it's fine. If I show my strength here, I won't have unnecessary trouble in the future. I'll be back in a moment."

I approached the people betting. This match, I almost can't lose. I should get some money from the people who laughed at me. Turn their laughter into money for a fun life.

"Hey, what's the bet about?"

"Ah, you're not popular enough for a bet to be made."

A red-faced adventurer, who seems to be the bookie, complained. That's a harsh way to put it. I didn't ask them to bet on me. These guys drink too much.

"Accept the bet. I'll bet on myself."

"The amount we can pay a new adventurer isn't much."

"Don't worry. If I lose, I'll pay double."

The adventurers around us started to make a fuss. I look cool.

"However, if you guys bet, bet on them. You laughed at me, so it's only fair, right?"

"Hey, betting is our choice, no matter who we bet on."

"What? You laughed at me and now you want to profit from me? The adventurers in the labyrinth city are quite shameless."

"The new adventurer is being too cocky."

He seemed a bit irritated. His mouth was twitching.

"You're the ones who laughed at me and challenged me. Betting on the new adventurer is shameless. If I win, I take all the bets. If I lose, I'll pay double. That's it. If you're afraid to bet, just tremble in the corner and watch."

I laughed and returned to my original position. The drunk adventurers seemed to be egged on and were surprisingly placing bets. I'll take their money for my comfortable life in this other world. I returned to Sylph, feeling good.

"Yuta, did you have to provoke them so much?"

"I just returned the provocation. Besides, I have no money, so I need to make some."

I plan to accumulate some money by exchanging magic stones, but more funds are always better.

"Yuta, you have a surprisingly thick skin."

I'm a bit disappointed. Oh, the carnivorous receptionist is bringing an uncle to the training ground. It's about to start. Thank you for reading.