As he walked into the guild hall, Havent found that there were still surprisingly many people inside at this hour.
Several bronze chandeliers blazed overhead, their light making the entire hall as bright as day. A strange scent formed from aged pine resin, rust, and all sorts of other odors. Standing at the entrance, Havent could not help sneezing several times.
After taking a few deep breaths and getting used to the smell, he headed toward the center of the hall. Adventurers dressed in all manner of clothing stood in small groups, staring at the blackboards hanging on the walls.
Staff members constantly came over to update the quest information on the boards. After looking around, Havent walked toward a round counter not far away.
A dark-brown-haired girl behind the counter was bent over, writing something. Hearing someone approach, she asked without looking up:
"Taking a quest or posting one?"
"Hello, I'd like to ask if there are any merchant caravans heading to the Imperial Capital."
"Consultations aren't handled here. Turn right at the entrance."
As she spoke, she impatiently looked up and pointed toward the counter behind the door.
"Ah—wait, what did you just ask?"
Havent had originally planned to leave and ask at the place she had indicated, but when he heard the girl call out to him, he stopped again.
The girl hurriedly brushed aside her hair, which had become messy from work. A blush rose on her cheeks as she smiled at Havent.
"Uh... hello, I'd like to ask whether there are any merchant caravans heading to the Imperial Capital?"
Lina kept staring at him, making Havent wonder whether there was something on his face. He reached up to touch it, but found nothing, so he asked the distracted girl again.
"Hello? Are there any?"
Interrupted from her thoughts, the girl's expression turned visibly flustered, and the blush on her face became even more pronounced.
"Yes, yes, I'll check for you. What's your name? I'm Lina."
"My name is Hav..."
Halfway through, he suddenly remembered his teacher's instructions and hurriedly changed his words.
"My name is Will. Will Hill."
"Mm, that's a lovely name. Will, did you just arrive in Streamwood Town? I haven't seen you before."
As Lina flipped through the notebook on the table, she began chatting with Havent.
"Yes, I arrived today. This town is truly beautiful. Of course, I never expected it to have such a beautiful young lady as well."
Hearing Havent's compliment, Lina giggled.
"Will, talking with you is such a pleasure. I get off work in two hours. Would you like to have a meal together? Granny Winnie's grilled chicken breast is quite good, and perhaps we could have some wine too."
Hearing the girl's bold invitation, Havent awkwardly rubbed his nose, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Fortunately, Lina found the relevant information just then.
"Mm, there really is one. You came at just the right time. The Apocaya Merchant Guild is preparing to return to the Imperial Capital and is currently recruiting guards. Let me see..."
Lina wrinkled her small nose as her finger slid down the page.
"Mm, three mercenary groups have currently accepted the Apocaya Merchant Guild's commission: Gale, Oath of Iron Shield, and Blood Wolf. The Gale Mercenary Group is still recruiting, so you can give them a try.
By the way, have you registered with the Adventurer's Guild?"
Havent shook his head at Lina's question.
"Not yet. Can I register now?"
"You can, but I can't register you here. Come on, I'll take you there."
Seeing how overly enthusiastic Lina was, Havent hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.
"It's fine, Lina. I can do it myself. You still have work to do, and I wouldn't want you to be criticized for leaving your post."
"Oh! All right, Will. You're so thoughtful. Registration is over there. Once you're done, you have to come find me."
Havent nodded stiffly and fled Lina's workstation as if running for his life.
After walking some distance away, he looked back and found that Lina was still watching him. When she saw him turn around, she even waved. Havent was so frightened that he immediately turned back and continued toward the registration desk.
Damn, are young big sisters this fierce? My god, I feel like I'm standing in front of a female dragon.
After calming himself down, Havent arrived at the registration desk and nervously glanced toward the counter first.
Mm... a man. Whew...
"Hello, I'd like to register as an adventurer."
"Name, age, gender, class, level."
The bearded man behind the counter asked without looking up.
"Will Hill, seventeen years old, male, Gale Swordsman, Level 12, low rank."
The bearded man quickly recorded the information in his notebook.
"Give me your level badge, then pay thirty Silver Grol."
Havent took a black iron sword-and-shield badge and thirty silver coins from his pouch and handed them to the man.
"All right. This is your adventurer badge. There's a bloodline magic array on it. Drip a drop of your blood onto it to activate and bind it. You'll use this badge to accept quests from now on.
Once you've accepted enough quests, your rank will rise. Here's an Adventurer's Guide."
Havent picked up the badge and book and was about to leave when the bearded man called after him.
"The Adventurer's Guide is five Silver Grol."
"?"
In the end, under Havent's murderous gaze, the bearded man expressionlessly accepted five silver coins from Havent.
As Havent left, he grumbled indignantly about forced sales while clutching the Adventurer's Guide in his hand. Since he had already bought it, he opened it and flipped through it, only to find that his teacher had already covered nearly everything inside.
When he turned to the final page of the booklet, blood instantly rushed to Havent's head. Written there in bold were the words:
May every adventurer have a wonderful beginning and a bountiful harvest—Adventurer's Guild (official recommended price: 50 Copper Bick).
"Fuck, I'm going to burn this place down!!!! Burn it to the ground!!!!!"
After wandering around and listening to other adventurers chatting for a while, Havent came to another counter.
"Where is the Gale Mercenary Group, and how can I join them?" This staff member was fairly normal.
"They're at the Badian Tavern. They've been recruiting recently, so you can find them there."
After receiving the answer, Havent nodded coldly and headed for the door. He did not want to remain in this dark place for another second.
After leaving the Adventurer's Guild, Havent asked a roadside vendor for the location of the Badian Tavern, then walked there without looking back.
Badian Tavern
"Captain, we've recruited eight people so far. We're still short two. We should be ready by tomorrow."
The brawny man in a sleeveless leather vest nodded at his subordinate's report and reached for the notebook to read it.
"Baki, how are Okro and the others doing with gathering supplies? This is a big job, so we need to be fully prepared."
Hearing the captain's question, Baki hurriedly set down his wine flask.
"Okro said everything except the horses is going smoothly. Baiman City is recruiting soldiers, so horse prices have risen a lot."
"Damn it. Tell Okro to hurry. The caravan is about to depart."
Just as the captain of the Gale Mercenary Group was about to say more, the youth who appeared before them interrupted.
"Hello, is this the Gale Mercenary Group? I heard you're recruiting here."
Before you continue