Chapter 19

When Jink said, "If it's past noon, you should head to the guild soon," I parted ways with the three of them and headed for the Hunter's Guild.

It seems they judge the time by the "gong, gong" sound of the church bells, which ring three times a day—morning, noon, and evening. These serve as a guide for the residents to eat or prepare to go out.

When I asked, "Is there a timekeeping device?" he said that while they do exist, only the royal palace and a few wealthy individuals have them.

Upon hearing this, I thought, "That makes sense," and quietly took off my wristwatch and put it in a leather bag. Wearing something so obviously out of place would draw attention, and besides, I'm dressed like a local now.

Before changing, my baggy sleeves could have been hidden under a jacket, but now, even while walking normally, my wrists are clearly visible.

My outfit consists of a loose tunic and loose-fitting pants, cinched at the waist with a leather cord, making for a commoner's look.

To be precise, it's the kind of clothing worn by commoners with low incomes. Since I know I'll grow taller in the next 1-2 years and have no money, it's not a time to be picky.

I don't even feel the need to buy new clothes, so I bought two sets of second-hand clothes for 3,000 bekes at a thrift store. If they last a year, that's enough.

However, when it came to shoes, the only option within my budget was sandals, so I had no choice but to buy short boots for 40,000 bekes.

Being a hunter is a job that involves a lot of walking, so it's better to think of it as a necessary expense rather than buying something inadequate and risking injury or death.

I also bought various small items like underwear, and my remaining balance is about 120,000 bekes.

I still need to buy things like a knife, but whether I can deplete or increase this amount depends on my efforts from now on.

By the way, I left the clothes and bag I was wearing before at the inn "Billycorn" recommended by Mei.

I don't know much about the civility of this world, but since the room has a lock, I have to believe that theft won't be a problem to take any action.

The cost is 3,000 bekes for a night's stay, 1,200 bekes for dinner, 500 bekes for breakfast, and 200 bekes for a bucket of hot water, with a towel provided for free.

So, if I don't consider lunch, I can get by with about 5,000 bekes a day. The key is how much I can add to my daily earnings beyond that.

If I can't earn around 20,000 bekes a day, I won't be able to aim for better weapons or armor, and I won't be able to take a proper break, leading to a life of a bottom-tier salaryman in this world.

While roughly calculating this break-even point, I arrived at the Hunter's Guild.

Since the town is small, moving around is easy, which is a blessing for someone with little money.

When I entered and headed to the receptionist as usual, I was told that the instructor would be the lady herself.

When I exclaimed, "Eh?" in surprise at the receptionist doing the job, I was told that she is the most senior staff member and knows the most about the hunters in the Bessart area, so I should trust her.

Indeed, by appearance, she seems to be the most senior, but if I said that out loud, I might accidentally get hit, so I replied with a full smile, "It's great to have an experienced instructor."

Since she is almost like a dedicated receptionist, it's easier for me to ask questions than if the guild master or someone else were in charge, so there's no problem.

The lecture is held in a private room at the back of the first floor. When I followed the lady, I noticed a pleasant scent...

Hmm? Was she wearing perfume just now? I was led to one of several rooms at the back of the first floor.

The room had a table, one sofa, and one chair. It seemed more like a consultation room for clients than a lecture room.

Since this guild doesn't expect large group lectures, this setup is probably fine.

The lady then introduced herself again.

"Hehe, though it's a bit late, I'm Amanda, the head of the reception at the Bessart Hunter's Guild. I'm actually the third most important person in the guild, you know?"

"Nice to meet you again, I'm Loki. Please take care of me."

"Still, your outfit has changed completely, hasn't it? Was that... unusual outfit really hard to move in?"

"Haha... that's part of it, but it was also quite expensive, so I wanted to take good care of it."

"I see. But it suits you. If you can get something of better quality, it would be even better."

"Yes. That's why I'm here to learn how to earn money today."

"I heard you don't use the language of this country, so I'll explain things in simple terms. If you have any questions, feel free to ask during the explanation."

"Thank you."

I was surprised by the normal greeting... The Hunter's Guild, which is probably the largest building in Bessart, has a third-in-command despite having a considerable number of staff.

Moreover, she's calmly working at the reception, which is a mystery in this world.

Thinking about it, the receptionist is the one who interacts most with hunters and collects information, which is useful for the guild's operations by hearing the hunters' firsthand accounts from the field.

However, it seemed odd that hunters were lining up at the young receptionist's counter instead of Amanda's.

The half-day lecture began amidst these thoughts.

"The purpose of this lecture is to explain what the Hunter's Guild is, and the main focus will be on rewards and rules. There's a lot to remember, so I won't expect you to remember everything at once. There's a book in the first-floor reference room that summarizes the Hunter's Guild, so you can use it if you want to check something. You can also ask me later. However, the book is very valuable, so you're only allowed to read it on the spot. If you damage the book, you might end up as a debt slave because you can't pay for the damages, so be very careful."

Wow, I could have guessed that books are valuable, but debt slaves?

If you can't pay off your debts or damages, you become a debt slave... noted.

"First, the basic idea of the Hunter's Guild is to 'help those in need.' This applies regardless of nationality or race. That's why it operates as an independent organization across the continent, separate from any country.

When monsters increase, the people living there will be in trouble, right? So, lords, countries, or even villages pool their money to request the Hunter's Guild. Part of this money becomes the reward for the hunters who complete the request.

This is called a 'bounty' or 'standing bounty.' The former is for urgent requests with higher rewards, while the latter is for requests that can be accepted at any time. You'll see this on the request board later.

A hunter's reward isn't just the bounty. Monsters also have magic stones, materials, and some can be used as food, so if you bring these to the dissection area on the first floor, the guild can buy most of them.

So, while it's a dangerous job, it's also a way to earn a large fortune with just your own strength.

However, not all requests are on a large scale. For example, a restaurant might run out of animal ingredients and need help. So, the restaurant might request that the animal be hunted and delivered.

This is also a request to help someone in need. Another example is when there aren't enough people to transport cut wood to the town, so you might be asked to help transport it. This is also a legitimate request.

Understand that hunting monsters isn't the only job of a hunter."

"I see. The choice of which request to take is, of course, up to the hunter, right?"

"Of course. Ideally, I'd like you to prioritize safety over money when you're at a low rank... but whether you take the risk of hunting monsters for higher rewards or take other requests for a steady income is up to you. However, to prevent reckless actions, hunters are assigned ranks with restrictions on the requests they can take, so be careful."

"Are the 'F' and 'E' ranks part of this system?"

"Exactly. The ranks are divided into eight levels from the bottom: 'G,' 'F,' 'E,' 'D,' 'C,' 'B,' 'A,' and 'S.' You can move up as your achievements and abilities are recognized. Requests are generally only available for your rank or lower. For example, an F-rank hunter can take 'F' and 'G' requests."

"Wait! Does that mean I can only take G-rank requests... and can't take the F-rank Horn Rabbit hunt?"

I glanced at the request board earlier, and it seemed the standing bounty for Horn Rabbits was listed as 'F' rank...

"Accepting a request beyond your rank could be dangerous, so in principle... However, as an exception, with the guild master's permission, you can take a request one rank higher. For a branch guild, you can take all requests one rank higher, but for requests from other guilds, you need to apply for each one."

"So, in Bessart, if the guild master, Yagov, gives permission, I can take F-rank requests. That would be a problem if he doesn't..."

"Since you've already successfully hunted a sword-wielding goblin and rescued someone, I think you'll get the permission. However, in other branches, it's harder to see individual achievements, so it's more difficult to get permission."

"I understand. I can accept that. By the way, what are the conditions for rank promotion?"

"Unfortunately, they're not public. However, the guild doesn't want to waste talent, so if they think you're ready, you'll be promoted. Conversely, if they think you'll die, you won't be promoted no matter how many achievements you have."

"I thought there would be a set number of requests to complete for promotion... I see, the priority is to prevent deaths."

"Of course. Even if you can complete 100 F-rank requests, if you're not strong enough for E-rank monsters, you'll die soon. Hunters are valuable to the guild, so they can't afford to let them die needlessly."

"I understand."

"By the way, for promotions from B-rank and above, there's a practical test, and for S-rank, you need to meet with the grand master. If you have the ambition to reach that level, it's good to keep in mind."

After that, she explained various details, such as penalties for failing time-limited requests and rules for escort requests. It was indeed a lot to remember.

I would have liked to take notes, but I couldn't, so I had to listen and memorize everything.

Mei seemed to be listening half-heartedly, and Potta seemed to have forgotten everything.

When Amanda finished, she asked if I had any questions, so I started asking.

I'll ask all the questions I have!

"I have a few things I'd like to confirm. First, it's not that you can't hunt monsters above your rank, right?"

"Of course not. However, you won't receive a bounty for the request since you can't take it."

"Does this apply to standing bounties as well?"

"Umm, you're asking tough questions... I don't particularly encourage it, but for standing bounties, it's allowed. In some areas, higher-rank monsters might be unavoidable, but since it's not urgent, the reward isn't as high. I don't think there's much benefit in targeting higher-rank monsters."

"Of course, I don't plan to do it immediately. But if I can't move up in rank and the monsters are too weak for me, it might be a bit..."

"I see... You have confidence in getting stronger. The guild collects and tracks individual performance data, so I think you'll move up in rank before that happens. However, if you're unsatisfied with your rank, let me know. I can't promise a promotion, but I'll discuss it with the master."

"Thank you. By the way, what kind of monsters are found around Bessart? It would be helpful to know their habitats."

"Given your rank, the 'Palmera Great Forest' would be the first choice, but it's not very popular. So, the main hunting grounds would be the 'Locker Plain' for F-rank and the 'Lulub Forest' for E-rank and above."

"Come to think of it, Jink and the others said the same thing. Is it really that unpopular?"

"Yes, it's a vast forest... The first layer alone is incredibly large. There's even a record of it taking 60 days to reach the second layer. The monsters are clearly divided by layer, and only monsters of the same rank are found in the same layer up to the third layer. Since there are no predators for the monsters, they rarely form groups. Of course, goblin nests have been confirmed in the first layer, but the vast forest makes it inefficient for experienced hunters to find monsters. For newcomers... This is specific to Bessart, but are you familiar with the Furiemole monster?"

"Yes, I've killed a few."

"The Furiemole is a barrier for newcomers. If you wander around for gathering, you might not notice them, leading to injuries or deaths. Even though it's a low-level hunting ground, the injury and death rates are high."

That makes sense. Now it all fits together.

Why I was thrown into a forest with no plains in sight, where the enemies weren't much stronger and were all solitary. And what would have happened if I had gone in the opposite direction... It's scary to think about.

But the first layer? The second layer? It's really intriguing...

"Um, I have another question... What do you mean by 'vast forest'? Are there unexplored areas? And do the monster compositions differ in the first layer depending on the town?"

"The Palmera Great Forest is still full of mysteries. It's said to cover about a quarter of the continent. It's so vast that humans only know up to the third layer from the outer perimeter. There's a story that a bird person once flew over the forest and reached what is believed to be the fifth layer, but since the distribution of monsters is unknown, it's not officially recognized. Only a few bird people survived, and there are tales of them being attacked during flight. So, it's unknown if the forest continues. Also, the monster composition in the first layer can differ depending on where you enter. If you enter from the eastern country, the Furiemole is replaced by slimes, making it much safer. That's why people with families in Bessart don't stay here as newcomers... It's really a problem."

"That's an amazing place... Really..."

I also heard about the pressing need for hunters in Bessart, but I was more focused on the forest.

It's a truly amazing place for role-playing.

A vast, mysterious forest like a final dungeon.

Anyone who isn't excited by this isn't a role-playing fan.

But I have to face it in real life.

"Why are your eyes sparkling... Are you planning to go east immediately!?"

"No, no, I was scared at first, but I don't feel threatened by the Furiemoles anymore, so I'm fine."

"So, you're not planning to go deep into the forest, right? In the past, a large country sent over 1,000 people to explore, but they only reached the third layer. Absolutely don't do it!!"

"Of course not. I'm still weak... But it's good to have a goal."

"..."

"By the way, can you tell me about the value and extraction of magic stones? And also, what are the Lulub Forest and Locker Plain like?"

Thus, following the guild master's advice, I bombarded Amanda with questions to prepare for my future life.

If I found something interesting in her answers, I asked more about that point. If I found something interesting in those answers, I asked more about that point.

When the church bells rang, signaling evening, Amanda seemed to have aged about 10 years...

But my favorability with Amanda, who answered my questions thoroughly, increased significantly, as expected.

However, I have no romantic interest in her as a 13-year-old.

I'm sorry, Amanda.