Chapter 2

Thinking about going to another world, but then, there was a selection screen... It was for setting the destination.

There were three countries to choose from for the transfer location: the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Republic. Which country to belong to... I chose the Kingdom, but there was no particular reason.

I couldn't really choose which one was better because there were no descriptions of the countries' characteristics. The Empire didn't seem like a good choice, and I wasn't familiar with the Republic. Well, the Kingdom wasn't much different either.

I chose the Kingdom, but it seemed that this choice could be canceled, as the other options were not grayed out. Apparently, there were about ten places to go: three capitals, three cities, three towns, and three villages.

Since I could cancel, I checked the other countries as well, but I could choose from ten options in each country.

The capital... It seemed like it would be expensive to live there, with all the costs and other expenses. Starting out in an expensive area would be tough. On the other hand, a village might be too rural and inconvenient. A town seemed like a good balance, with a reasonable number of people. So, I chose a town.

I chose one of the three towns in the Kingdom.

My intuition wasn't really working... Maybe it didn't matter which one I chose. I nodded and pressed the transfer button, and I found myself near the entrance of a town that seemed to be of a decent size.

There were far fewer people than when I was in the white world, but I could see a few people, maybe around twenty, a little distance away, who seemed to be in a similar situation.

"Ah, the weapons and armor are made of iron and steel... That's amazing."

I might be the only one with copper equipment. As I was observing, someone was giving a speech. I couldn't hear the voice, but everyone seemed to be listening intently.

I thought it would be better to head towards them, but the moment I started walking, a signal ran through my body. It felt like a warning: "Don't go!"

I hesitated and looked at the group again. They didn't seem to be hostile... In fact, they didn't seem to have noticed me at all. It wasn't dangerous, but it was better not to get too close.

I think that was probably my "intuition." I don't know why, but if my intuition was working, I should follow it and not join them.

Alright, there's a saying, "A wise man does not approach danger." I'll head into the town quickly. I feel like I'm being watched, but it's probably just my imagination. I won't get involved.

As I was about to enter the town and called out to the gatekeeper, I found out that people without identification had to pay 100G. When I asked how to get an ID, I learned that each guild could issue one. The prices were 300G for the Adventurer's Guild, 500G for the Merchant's Guild, and 1000G for the Smith, Tailor, Alchemist, and Apothecary Guilds. It was a hefty amount, and I was glad I had saved some money.

I had to get an ID to enter the town, so I paid the 100G to the gatekeeper and said I wanted to register at the Adventurer's Guild. The gatekeeper looked a bit surprised and warned me that adventurers were often troublemakers, so I nodded in acknowledgment.

The gatekeeper seemed like he wanted to say something more, but I suddenly realized something.

Hmm?

Could it be that those people outside the town couldn't get in? With their fancy equipment, they might not have 400G left?

I put that thought aside and asked the gatekeeper for the necessary information.

I asked the gatekeeper about the location of the Adventurer's Guild and other necessary facilities. The cheapest inn was 10G, but I was told that 30-50G would be safer and more comfortable.

Alright, I'll head to the Adventurer's Guild first. I'll listen to the explanation and stay at a 50G inn. I need to start earning money quickly to avoid running out of funds.

When I arrived at the Adventurer's Guild, there were a few intimidating people sitting at the entrance, making it hard to enter.

I could tell they were staring at me, but it would be strange to ask them to move, so I had to go in. An ID was important, and I didn't want to pay every time I entered the town.

I gathered my courage, passed through the people sitting at the entrance, and opened the door. Everyone inside looked at me at once. It felt like I was being observed, and there was no friendly gaze.

There were three people at the front counter, all beautiful but with a heavy atmosphere, making it hard to speak.

I guess I need to be more assertive since I'm dealing with tough people. But these beautiful, strong women... It's a feast for the eyes just to look at them.

I decided to speak to the person on the left.

"Um..."

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild."

She was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes, which were intimidating. I felt like she was radiating a dark aura, and it was clear she wasn't really welcoming me.

"Ah, yes. Um, I don't know what to do... I want to register as an adventurer."

"Sure. Do you have 300G?"

"Ah, yes. Is this enough?"

I took out 300G and placed it on the table. The woman checked the money, and the dark aura behind her seemed to disappear. I felt like the other adventurers watching from behind were a bit less wary.

"Sure. To register with the Adventurer's Guild, you need to pay a 300G registration fee. By the way, there are other guilds, but you can only join one, right?"

"...I heard a brief explanation. I'll do my best as an adventurer."

I was grateful to the gatekeeper for the detailed explanation, which seemed to have lowered their guard a bit. It was good to know that adventurers do more than just fight monsters; they also help with various tasks.

"Is that so? Do you have any combat skills?"

"Um... Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat... But I have no practical experience."

"......I see. Please place your hand on this crystal."

"Ah, yes."

When I said I had no practical experience, she gave me a look like "What are you talking about?" It seemed strange for someone with no practical experience to become an adventurer, but if an ID was needed, everyone would try to register.

The crystal was a large, clear orb, larger than the ones used by fortune-tellers. Was it okay to touch it? It might get fingerprints on it.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

"Um... I feel like I'm being watched..."

"Yes, people are probably curious... There are many foreigners."

"Um... What do you mean by foreigners?"

"The group that suddenly appeared at the town entrance. They're said to be from another world... You are one of them, right?"

She spoke softly so others couldn't hear, and I nodded without a word. It was that obvious? And why were foreigners disliked... I was curious.

"Right... But I don't know them. I was suddenly gathered and sent here... Do foreigners just suddenly appear?"

"Yes... It's said to happen once every few decades. According to legend."

"Um... There are a lot of them, right?"

"Yes, there are many at the town entrance. They've been confirmed to appear out of nowhere. According to legend, it's usually one or at most four or five people... This is quite a large number."

If inter-world transfers have happened before, they were never on this scale.

Hmm. I wanted to ask more, but there was something else on my mind.

"Um, can you check my skills now?"

I lifted my hand from the crystal. The crystal... It glowed blue slightly when I spoke. It seemed to be some kind of lie detector or a tool to judge my words. It was definitely not a normal crystal, and I didn't want to touch it... but when I lifted my hand, the people around me murmured in confusion.

"Please place your hand on the crystal again."

"Um, yes."

She asked me to put my hand back with a slightly scolding tone. I was a bit scared to ask why, so I did as she said and placed my hand on the crystal.

"Did you notice? This is an artifact that determines whether you're telling the truth or lying. It checks if what you say is true. The Adventurer's Guild cannot register people who cannot fight. Registering for an ID means the guild vouches for you, so we need to properly assess your character. Now, again, do you have any combat skills?"

"Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat."

I answered briefly, and the crystal glowed blue. So, I was being interrogated. I wondered what would have happened if I had lied... but I was too scared to ask.

It made sense to assess someone's character before vouching for them, but being interrogated right away was a bit much. I had to be careful; I might end up being labeled a criminal.

"Do you have any specific techniques?"

"Um... Slash, Smash."

The crystal glowed blue again. I was curious what would happen if I lied... but I couldn't do that since I was already suspected. I needed to be cautious, considering the initial hostility.

"Alright, I've confirmed. Now, please drip some blood on this card."

"Okay."

I used a paper knife on the table to lightly cut my fingertip and touched the card. It was a plain copper card, but my name, the town name, and the letter F appeared on it. It was amazing. How did it work?

"Registration is complete. You are Crain, right? Thank you. Here is your adventurer card, which also serves as your ID. Please don't lose it."

"Is there a way to reissue it?"

"Yes, but it costs money. For F rank, it's 300G. For D to E, it's 2000G. For B to C, it's 10000G. For A and above, it's 50000G."

The fact that there was a fee suggested that the material was valuable, even though it looked like ordinary copper. The floating text must be magic or some kind of magical artifact. I was curious about the different costs based on rank.

"I see... Also, can you tell me about the rules of the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Sure... Skill training costs 100G. Would you like to take it?"

Skill training!

If they taught the skills needed to be an adventurer, I definitely wanted to take it.

"What kind of training is it?"

"Well, the Adventurer's Guild requires combat skills, so people without any can take training to learn. Each session is three hours and costs 100G. Not everyone learns a skill in one session, so you might need to take it multiple times. There are also training sessions for other abilities needed by adventurers. If you have no experience, it might be a good idea to take it."

I see. If there was such a system, I should use it. I needed to learn a lot to survive. Considering the cost, I couldn't take it too many times. Also, the receptionist seemed to have some issues, so I didn't want to push and risk her becoming hostile again.

"Sure, I'll take it."

"Great. Please wait in the room at the back. I'll call an instructor."

"Thank you."

I straightened my posture and bowed in gratitude. I hadn't done anything wrong, but it was better to be polite. If I was going to rely on the Adventurer's Guild in the future, I wanted to build a good relationship... hopefully.

"No problem. Crain, I'm Mary. I'm sorry for the rough treatment. Here's a guide to the guild's rules."

"Thank you."

"Good luck."

"Thank you. I'll do my best not to cause any trouble."

I thanked Mary and headed to the back room. The guild staff were just doing their job. If I was polite, they would treat me normally. I wasn't sure how the adventurers observing me would react.

It seemed like a tough world. Without a mission or the locals welcoming us, it was going to be difficult. I needed to gain their trust to survive.

However, I might have created a gap with the other transferees... I didn't know them, and my own safety was more important. I didn't want to become a target of resentment. I would avoid contact with other transferees.

I needed to be cautious and try to make allies where possible.