CH 50

The Adventurer’s Guild

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I entered the Adventurer’s Guild and was shocked by the stunning beauty of the receptionist, but I’m okay now. I’m calm.

But, what can I say, this receptionist is dangerous. I sense the aura of a carnivorous animal. A fleshly body, strong-willed eyes that are slightly tilted upwards, and bright red lips. She gives off a feeling more like a leopard than a queen. She’s a beautiful and cool person. Even though she’s not a beast person, I feel like I can see fangs and cat ears on her.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

Oh, I was just daydreaming.

“It’s nothing,” I replied.

“I see. Let’s begin the registration process then.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Do you know the rules of being an adventurer?”

“Yes, I think I understand the basics such as adventurer rank, how to accept requests, and the penalties for breaking the rules.”

It’s important to study ahead. Adventurer ranks range from F to SSSS, and you can accept requests from the board up to one rank above your own. As long as you don’t commit a crime or cause trouble for civilians, you won’t face any penalties. It’s simple, isn’t it?

“Understood. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Can you please tell me your name, age, and fighting style?”

The receptionist prepared a sheet of paper and asked me the questions. It must be their way of filling out forms, as many people may not be able to read or write. I’m fine with using my skills, though.

“My name is Yuta, I’m 25 years old, and I’m a spirit mage.”

“Hahaha! A newbie adventurer at 25 years old, and a worthless scam artist spirit mage to boot. Hey, you! Get out of the labyrinth city!”

Suddenly, I was laughed at and called a scam artist. A useless spirit mage? What’s going on? I looked at Sylphy, and she seemed confused too. If you contract with an intermediate spirit, the country would bow down to welcome you, right? What’s happening?

Also, the men who came to pick a fight with me are getting on my nerves. They are looking down on me with all their might. This is a typical event where I get involved with the guys at a adventure guild, and it happened just as I expected, though the reason is a bit unexpected. I turned to the receptionist and asked a question.

“Is there something wrong with being a spirit mage?”

“Of course, there is. Get lost already.”

The guys behind me started making noise, which was a hassle. Although I’m asking the receptionist, not them.

“What do you think?”

“Don’t ignore me, you trash.”

It’s terrible. I’m getting annoyed. I need to calm down. For now, I’ll listen to what she has to say, and I’ll make sure these annoying guys regret it. The guys in the bar are laughing their heads off, and I’m feeling terrible.

“Carl, please stop. He’s still a civilian. If you lay a hand on him, I’ll have to restrain you.”

The receptionist stopped Carl. He clicked his tongue and stepped back. He’s taking a position next to the door. He’s definitely going to cause trouble after I finish registering.

“Thank you. Can you please tell me why they said that?”

The receptionist looked troubled and explained to me that most spirit mages are considered useless because the power of their magic is unstable, and it often fails. However, skilled spirit mages are exempt from this treatment and are treated with respect.

I see. Most people probably have trouble communicating with them. Sylphy is listening with interest. They’ve already decided in their minds that I’m not a proper spirit mage, haven’t they? Is it because of my appearance? I’m getting more and more unhappy.

“I understand. Thank you. Does that mean I can’t register as a spirit mage?”

“No, the Adventurer’s Guild does not refuse registration unless the person is a criminal. However, I do not recommend becoming an adventurer as a spirit mage because they are treated poorly everywhere.”

…Are spirit mages really that disliked? This is unexpected. Well, if being a spirit mage is not an option, I could be a hammer wielder or something, but it feels wrong to change just because someone holds a grudge against me.

Also, if I hadn’t met Bell and Sylphy, I would probably be dead. It’s impossible to stop being a spirit mage now. Maybe I should start a spirit mage clan. I feel like I could create an amazing clan.

“If I can register, that’s great. Then I’ll register as a spirit mage.”

Even after saying that, she looked at me like she didn’t understand. It’s a shame because she’s a beautiful woman, but I definitely received a disappointing evaluation. It’s heartbreaking.

“Um, if you register now, you’ll definitely be targeted. It would be wise to either cancel your registration as a spirit mage or postpone it.”

Even the carnivorous receptionist seemed worried and tried to stop me. She’s probably a good person, but she also thinks I’m a useless spirit mage.

I feel like I could be a masked hero or something. Yuta, the normally unremarkable spirit mage. But his true identity is… Yeah, that’s impossible. If I’m constantly mocked like Carl, I’m confident I’ll lose my temper.

“Well, I guess so. But if I let those guys underestimate me, I won’t be able to make it as an adventurer, so please register me.”

Carl and the others are making a noise after hearing my words. Dyne said the same thing too. If someone messes with me, I’ll make them regret it.

The receptionist reluctantly proceeded with the registration process. When she asked for my level, I whispered it to her so no one else could hear. She seemed slightly convinced because it was surprisingly high.

According to Sylphy’s information, a level of 45 is equivalent to a C-rank adventurer. I’m a promising newcomer, even though spirit mages are apparently disliked.

“That completes the registration process. You will probably be challenged to a duel, but if you accept it, the Adventurer’s Guild cannot deny permission, so please be careful.”

“Oh, what happens if the duel results in someone’s death?”

“Taking a life will be frowned upon, but since it’s a duel, there won’t be any punishment. Are you planning to accept? Your opponent are five people, and Carl is a C-class adventurer.”

Is it not a one-on-one duel? Usually, duels are one-on-one, right? Are adventurer parties like one entity? Well, never mind. Sylphy seems to be telling me to go for it, and the first step is crucial. If I can crush them here in a flashy way, there will be fewer unnecessary troubles.

“No problem.”

I smiled and answered. I might have looked cool for a moment. I paid the registration fee with a magic stone, received my card, and left my seat. Carl and the others approached me, grinning. They are definitely trying to start something.

According to Sylphy, I’m quite strong, but I wonder if I’m not emitting an aura of strength or if they’re looking down on me just because I’m a spirit mage?

“Hey, you useless spirit mage. It’s a duel. If you lose, quit being an adventurer. Of course, you won’t run away, right? Well, I’m kind, so if you kneel and return your guild card, I’ll forgive you.”

So there is kneeling in this world too. …It’s annoying how much they’re grinning. The adventurers at the bar are also egging them on. It’s irritating.

“If you’re willing to quit the guild if you lose, I’ll accept. What about you? If you kneel and apologize, I’ll forgive you.”

I said it. I said it. Carl’s blood vessels are bulging on his face. He’s completely enraged and his face is bright red.

Huh? Carl went to the counter without saying anything. He’s talking to someone. Huh? He’s shouting at me to come over. What does he want?

When I go to the counter, he hands me a piece of paper and a pen. …It’s a pledge for the duel. It says that the loser will quit the guild. They want me to sign it. They seem to care about paperwork more than I thought. I signed it smoothly. The receptionist is holding her head. I’m sorry for causing her trouble.

“Alright. Let’s go to the training ground. Hurry up and come,” said Carl.

“Please wait. I’ll call someone so make sure you don’t start the duel on your own,” replied the receptionist, before running off to fetch someone. There’s another present, so this is a serious duel. As we moved to the training ground, the bar guys joined in too.

Carl’s eyes were bloodshot with determination to kill. Weren’t they asking me to beg for forgiveness on my knees earlier? He’s impatient, or does he just really hate spirit mages that much? I wonder, as I do my warm-up exercises in a separate location.

“Hey, Sylphy. We’re not going to lose to those guys, right?”

“No, it’s easy to make them submit without even doing anything. But well, we’re not going to kill them, are we?” Sylphy said something that sent shivers down my spine. If we did that, people around us would be disgusted.

“For now, please just use Wind Wall. If I ask for it, blow them away. But be sure not to kill them,” I requested.

I don’t want to commit murder on my first day at the Adventurers Guild.

“Okay, got it. If Yuta asks for it, I’ll attack,” replied Sylphy.

“Huh? Those guys seem to be making a fuss about something. I wonder what’s going on?” I said, noticing some commotion nearby.

“Just wait a moment… they’re betting, but no one’s betting on you, so it doesn’t seem to be valid,” Sylphy explained.

“Spirit mages must be really underrated,” I mused.

“Sorry, Yuta. I only knew the highly regarded spirit mages,” Sylphy apologized.

I guess highly-regarded spirit mages are a select few.

“Well, it’s okay. If I can show my strength here, I won’t have any unnecessary trouble in the future. Anyway, I’ll be back soon,” I said, walking towards the place where they were betting. This match is almost a sure win for me, so I should be able to get some money from these guys who laughed at me. I’ll turn their ridicule into money and live a happy life.

“Hey, how’s the betting going?” I asked.

“Oh, your popularity is too low to get any bets,” was the reply.

A red-faced adventurer who seemed to be the bookie complained. What a rude way of speaking. I didn’t even ask for anyone to bet on me. These guys must have drunk too much.

“Take the bet. I’m betting on myself,” I said.

“You can’t afford the amount we’re betting,” replied the bookie.

“Don’t worry. Even if something happens, if I lose, I’ll pay double the amount,” I assured him.

The adventurers around me cheered and exclaimed. I looked cool.

“However, if you guys are going to bet, bet on them all. You laughed at me, so it’s only fair, right?” I added.

“Hey, hey, betting is our freedom, whether we bet on whom we want,” one of the adventurers said.

“What? So you guys want to make money by riding on my coattails after making fun of me? The adventurers in this labyrinth city are quite shameless,” I retorted.

“The newcomer is getting too cocky,” someone said, seeming to get angry. His mouth twitched.

“But it was you guys who made fun of the newcomer and picked a fight. Betting on the newcomer is a shameless act, isn’t it? I’ll take the bet with the condition that if I win, I’ll take all the bet money, and if I lose, I’ll pay double. That’s all. If you’re afraid to bet, then just watch from the corner, trembling,” I said before chuckling and returning to my original spot.

The drunk adventurers seemed to be swayed by my words, and surprisingly, they began to bet more money. I’ll take their small change for my comfortable life in this other world. I returned to Sylphy in a good mood.

“Yuta, did you really need to taunt them like that?” Sylphy asked.

“I just responded to their taunts. Besides, I’m broke, so I need to make some money,” I replied.

I plan to exchange magic stones for money, but having more funds won’t hurt.

“You’re surprisingly tough, Yuta,” Sylphy commented, looking surprised.

I felt a bit dumbfounded by her reaction. Oh, the carnivorous receptionist is calling for the old man.