Chapter 9

"Haa~ I'm so tired..."

I left the cathedral as if I were running away and made my way to the Adventurer's Guild. I plan to register here and start my full-fledged activities as an adventurer.

The building has three floors. The first floor is where daily operations such as adventurer registration, quests, and material purchases take place. The second floor has a simple archive and meeting spaces. The third floor houses the Guild Master's office and reception rooms.

The Adventurer's Guild is a neutral organization with branches in most major cities in this world.

Its main function is to issue quests to adventurers. These quests range widely, from individuals to countries, including monster hunts, herb gathering, and escorting people to other towns. They also manage adventurers, and it's said that their combat strength can rival that of a nation.

"Reception... right..."

When I entered the Adventurer's Guild, there were five reception counters in the back. A few people were there, but it didn't seem too crowded.

The counters weren't divided by specific tasks, so I decided to wait my turn leisurely. However, I heard the voices of adventurers.

"Hey, a miracle apparently happened at the cathedral just now."

"What's that?"

"The statue of the Goddess Flodia is said to have glowed."

"Haa? No way, you must be kidding."

They didn't seem to take it seriously, but I was surprised that the rumor had spread this far. The information dissemination was faster than I expected.

Just as a counter opened up, I quickly headed over without looking at the adventurers who were talking.

"Excuse me, I'd like to register as an adventurer..."

When I spoke, the receptionist smiled and took out a registration form to assist me.

"Sure! It's your first time, right? I'm Nana from the reception."

"My name is Sharon."

Nana, the receptionist, was an elf girl.

Her gentle honey-colored eyes and semi-long, light green hair tied back gave her a calm and kind aura. She looked a bit older than me, probably in her late teens.

Her uniform consisted of a white blouse with a thick, black outer layer. She seemed to have personalized her accessories, making her look cute and unique.

"Sharon, nice to meet you. First, we'll check your aptitude. Please place your hand on the 'Star Record.' It will read your class and level."

"Got it."

The 'Star Record' that Nana took out looked like a compass.

In the game, it's a common item that can reveal an individual's 'level' and 'class.' However, it only works on people with a level of 50 or below.

When I placed my hand on it, the two needles on the 'Star Record' started to move.

My level was 1, and my class was 'Healer.'

"Level 1 'Healer.' If there are no issues, I'll proceed with the registration."

"Please do."

While waiting for the registration, I reviewed the Adventurer's Guild contract.

It wasn't overly complicated. Essentially, it stated that the Adventurer's Guild is not responsible if you die, given the dangerous nature of the job.

Adventurer ranks, from highest to lowest, are S, A, B, C, D, E, and F.

I'll start at F rank and aim for S rank. Higher ranks allow access to more dungeons, making it easier to level up and obtain better items.

After a while, Nana returned.

"Your registration is complete. From today, you're an adventurer. Nice to meet you."

"Thank you. Nice to meet you too."

Alright, now I can adventure as a 'Healer.'

Excitement filled me as I thought about what quests to take, and Nana called out, "If you're interested..."

"Actually, there's a beginner adventurer party looking for a 'Healer.'"

"Wow!"

Despite being only level 1, I received an invitation. I haven't learned any skills yet, but leveling up a few levels should be quick, so it shouldn't be a problem. I nodded eagerly.

I had planned to level up by swinging an iron blunt weapon alone, but adventuring with others and having fun sounds great and exciting.

"Really? That's great. They're the duo over there."

Following Nana's direction, I saw two children in front of the quest board. They looked to be in their mid-teens, younger than me.

"Those two... the 'Swordsman' and the 'Mage,' right?"

"Yes."

As Nana and I approached, they noticed us and bowed politely.

"Kent, Cocoa! Let me introduce you to Sharon, the 'Healer.'"

"Wait, you found a 'Healer'? We thought it was impossible because we're too low level..."

"Wow, that's great!"

Seeing their delighted smiles, my own cheeks relaxed.

"I'm Sharon, the 'Healer.' I'm low level and won't be much help at first, but if you're okay with that..."

"Of course! I'm Kent. Nice to meet you, Sharon!"

"We're also low level. I'm Cocoa. Nice to meet you!"

They immediately agreed, and I returned their greetings with a "Nice to meet you."

The energetic 'Swordsman' Kent had short, two-blocked hair. He wore a leather chest plate and had basic equipment. The sword at his waist was a beginner's 'Iron Sword.' It's not very powerful, but it's affordable and easy to handle for a beginner.

The quiet 'Mage' Cocoa had her hair tied into two low pigtails. She wore an off-white robe and held a short beginner's staff. The large 'Magic Hat' she wore increased her magic power by 3%, making it a valuable item for beginners.

She looked so happy to have me join, which was adorable. I only have a brother, but if I had a sister, she might have been like this.

They told me they were considering taking a quest together even without a 'Healer' because they could use healing items to treat injuries.

While that's possible, having a 'Healer' allows for buffs, which are support skills that temporarily increase health and attack power. I can't use 'Heal' yet at level 1, but I plan to learn it soon.

"Let's register as a party and take a quest, then."

"Sure!"

"Okay!"

So, I called Nana again. Registering as a party in the guild means experience points are averaged and distributed among party members. Note that there's a limit; the level difference must be 15 or less to use this system.

"Sure, registration! Got it!"

Nana nodded and quickly registered us as a party. Now we can take a quest and head out to hunt.