Chapter 3

As I spoke, her eyes widened, and her antennas began to slowly rotate.

Tesla GN60346074B's eyebrows twitched. It was a delicate job.

She pressed her lips and carefully examined the staff, then thought for a moment.

Since she is an inorganic life form... well, I'll just give her a name for now.

Even if she doesn't like it, a proper owner will surely overwrite the name later. In fact, they should.

"How about 'Saya'?"

At my words, the rotation of her antennas slightly sped up.

Her cheeks were also slightly flushed. It was a slight but clear sign of interest.

They are machines, but they have a desire for recognition and pride, which is no different. That's why they are widely recognized as a different species.

"Saya... Master Fil, what does this name mean?"

Logic. Theory. It was the first thing the mechanical species sought. Of course, I had thought about it. It's a bit of a stretch, but...

"It's the word for 'night' in a certain Eastern country. Tesla GN60346074B's hair color—"

I stopped myself mid-sentence, as it was turning into a pick-up line. I needed to maintain a proper distance. Balance is key.

It would be troublesome if the guild complained about me seducing an item. I cleared my throat and cut off the conversation.

"Ahem, well... if you don't like it, you don't have to force yourself... You might not regret thinking of a name yourself... But, I have a habit of naming things when I do."

"...Master Fil... can you call me by my name?"

"Saya."

"..."

Her eyes widened, and her head antennas started spinning rapidly.

It seems she likes it. That's good.

But, it's too much. The reception staff and other explorers waiting in line were starting to pay attention.

Reluctantly, I reached out and caught her head antennas. I don't have the dynamic vision to catch fast-moving objects, but Tesla's antennas are designed to stop when they sense they might hit something.

"...!!"

"Saya, calm down."

"Yes, I apologize for losing my composure, Master Fil."

She cleared her throat, straightened her back, and looked at me.

She seemed to have regained her composure, and the rotation speed of her antennas had slowed down.

"I gratefully accept the name. Please call me Saya from now on."

"That's good... Saya, I came here to request a reissue of my guild card..."

Finally, we could get to the main topic. Saya cleared her throat and changed to a business-like expression.

"Yes, reissue of the guild card. Have you ever used a guild in this guild or in [Santoslam] or [Lykocity]?"

"No, I haven't. I came from the Graal Kingdom... I've never used a guild in the southern region."

The guild's information network is not very efficient. When changing bases to a city with no activity record, it's customary to bring a guild card and a certificate of activity.

[Santoslam] and [Lykocity] are probably the names of nearby cities.

I had a vague premonition that reissuing the card would be difficult due to the distance. Failed card reissues are a common laughing matter among explorers. Whether this case would end as a laughing matter was questionable...

Saya's eyes widened, but her expression quickly turned sour.

"Graal Kingdom—Forgive me, Master Fil. If you had used a nearby guild, reissuing the card wouldn't be difficult, but since you haven't..."

"Is there any other way?"

"If you have a certificate from your previous guild, reissuing is possible..."

As expected. Is there anything else that could serve as proof—

Then I remembered something and took off the blue ring on my right index finger, placing it on the counter.

"It's a ring given as a reward for guild rank-up. Could this serve as proof?"

Saya took the ring and examined it closely. Explorers have ranks based on their achievements. Rank-up rewards are items given by the guild to celebrate a rank-up.

However, contrary to my expectations, Saya quickly placed the ring back on the counter and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, we also give rewards for rank-ups, but it seems the items are different."

"I see... Well, it can't be helped. It's my fault for leaving my guild card behind."

I put the ring back on.

It can't be helped; I didn't really expect much.

If I had my original status, it would have been easier, but I can just accumulate ranks and money again. It's a hassle, but I'll register as a new member.

"Then, can I register as a new member?"

"Understood. Since Master Fil has no usage history, there should be no problem with registration."

Saya finally nodded with a slight smile.

§

I went through the familiar registration process. The last time I did this was when I was a complete novice, so it was a long time ago.

Date of birth. Name. Age. And—occupation.

Occupation is a path. Even among explorers, each has their own specialty. Occupation is a manifestation of that specialty.

Those who have trained with swords are swordsmen, those who can use magic are mages, and some even write "merchant." It's a rather vague item, and many new explorers write their specialties or what they want to do, which the guild allows. However, I am not a new explorer, so I had a proper occupation.

"Monster Tamer, huh... That's an occupation that requires certification—"

"Ah, the certificate is this ring. Here—"

I showed the ring on my right ring finger, which is a certificate of being a Monster Tamer. I have a detailed registration document at home, but the ring is also officially recognized as proof of occupation.

Saya nodded after a quick glance.

Monster Tamer is a special occupation.

As the name suggests, they tame, contract, raise, and command monsters. Although the term "monster" is used, the targets of the contract are not limited to monsters anymore. Nowadays, they are known for contracting and empowering others.

In any case, the new guild card was issued without any issues.

"Thank you for waiting, Master Fil. Here is your new guild card."

"Thank you."

I received the card, which is a metal card the size of a business card.

It is gray, indicating that I am a G-rank explorer, the lowest rank among guild members.

It's a simple card with only my name, occupation, and guild rank written on it, but it is a crucial item that forms the core of the adventurer guild.

It is difficult to forge, and the text only appears when the owner touches it, making it widely used as an ID.

"If you find your original card, the achievements can be integrated. Please let me know if that happens."

"Understood."

"Also, this is the equipment for new registrants."

I received a leather bag.

Inside were five low-level healing potions, a small lantern, a knife, a cloak, and the guild manual. These items were very useful when I first became an explorer.

The lineup was the same as the one I received before, despite the different region.

I thought for a moment.

...No, I don't need it.

I already have better cloaks and healing potions, and I can buy a knife myself. I don't plan to walk around at night, so I don't need a lantern. Besides, even though I am in a bind, it would be against my principles to accept beginner's relief items, even if I am a new registrant. The quality is not good either.

"Saya, I'm registering due to a lost card, not because I'm a beginner... I don't need this."

"I see... I understand your point, but it's a rule, so could you please accept it?"

Saya looked troubled. Her emotional functions were truly expressive.

Well, if I can't return it, I can just give it to someone.

I know best how poor I was when I was a beginner.

I looked around. A mechanical man just entered, and a veteran-looking canine-type beast woman was waiting in line at the next counter.

"What's wrong, Master Fil?"

"Nothing, just..."

I don't want to carry unnecessary items, but I can't just push them onto someone.

Then, my eyes caught a girl standing by the paper bulletin board.

She looked to be in her mid-teens, with dull golden hair. From her aura, she was probably a spirit species, and from her demeanor, she seemed to be a malignant spirit species.

What caught my eye most was the sword hanging from her waist. It was a simple, unadorned longsword about a meter long. A copper sword, which I had used once. It's a common sword for newly registered swordsmen.

"I'll give it to her..."

I gripped the leather bag and approached her. The closer I got, the more I could feel the gloomy aura around her.

She turned around, sensing my presence.

"? Do you need something?"

Her voice was dark, and her eyes looked at me as if I were something suspicious. There was a strong sense of distrust.

It's understandable; after all, a stranger just blocked her path, and I was taller, so I was looking down at her.

But, I'm sure the distrust goes deeper than that.

I narrowed my eyes and assessed the girl, making a calm judgment.

...This girl is not suitable.

I held out the leather bag.

"Here, take it. I don't need it."

The girl looked surprised but took the offered bag.

"Wait a minute..."

I ignored the voice from behind and quickly returned to Saya's counter. Saya looked exasperated.

"Master Fil... Do you always do such things?"

"No... I don't usually do this, but she reminded me of my slave..."

"I see... A slave, huh... Well, how you use the items is your choice..."

Saya looked unsatisfied but cleared her throat and continued.

"By the way, can you take on a quest now?"

The work of explorers can be broadly divided into two categories: extermination and exploration.

To be honest, I am incredibly weak.

I have no strength, no magic power, and my running speed is slow. I have knowledge, but sometimes knowledge alone is not enough. Accepting a quest in this state would be suicidal.

Moreover, it seems that this area is the territory of wild magic machines.

The list of nearby monsters provided by Saya confirmed the high level of the surrounding area.

"Are there any goblins or slimes?"

I mentioned the most popular low-level monsters, and Saya looked troubled.

"There are none in this area. The lowest level—"

Saya pointed to a quest.

"Difficulty G-rank... 'F543 Model Dog,' exterminate three...?"

"Yes. This is usually the first extermination quest that new explorers take in this area."

Extermination of F-series inorganic life forms for beginners...? The level is quite high.

I was more astonished than surprised by the cultural differences with the kingdom.

Like the ranks assigned to explorers, living beings are also assigned ranks based on their strength.

In the Graal Kingdom, the extermination quests for beginners were usually G-rank monsters like goblins and kobolds. These are monsters that I, with my hopeless combat ability, could somehow defeat solo.

However, the magic machines in this area are known for their high combat ability.

The 'F543 Model Dog' is an F-rank monster. As the name suggests, it is a magic machine in the shape of a dog. Magic machines are said to have a higher combat ability than other species of the same rank, so in terms of pure ability, it is equivalent to an E-rank monster. This is the same level as orcs and red caps, which are usually handled by mid-level explorers. To be honest, I would only be able to buy time against one of these monsters alone.

Well, they do have weaknesses, but fighting alone is not realistic.

If this is the weakest in the area... the explorers here must be quite strong.

What should I do... Saya said to me, who was at a loss.

"Would you like a scan? I have a function to test abilities. If I know your detailed abilities, I can assist in assigning appropriate quests."

"...Please."

Saya's ruby eyes flickered slightly, and her eyebrows immediately twisted.

My physical abilities are average, and my magic power is less than that of a slightly talented average person.

An explorer's abilities are not determined by physical and magical power alone, but to put it mildly, my suitability as an explorer is zero.

"Forgive me, but it seems you do not have the aptitude to be an explorer. I strongly recommend that you quit. There are—zero quests that you can handle alone in this area."

How... she said it so clearly. It seems she can check people's abilities in great detail.

However, if I were to give up just because of that, I wouldn't be an explorer. I have long been aware of the dangers.

I know Saya means no harm. I shrugged and said,

"I am fully aware. However, I need a slave. Can you introduce me to some slave candidates?"