Adventurer Guild

"Falan? Where are you headed so early in the morning?"

"Aunt Mary, I'm going to the Adventurer Guild."

"The Adventurer Guild? I see. Congratulations, then."

After leaving the Golden Ring, Falan ran into many people he had gotten to know over the past three years, all asking where he was going.

He did not hide it from them, because he was going to become an adventurer.

It was something everyone would find out sooner or later. There was no need for him to rush into becoming an adventurer.

And throw away the connections he had built while working as a waiter.

"Of course, the people I know are only a tiny fraction of all those in Orario."

After delaying for a little over ten minutes, Falan soon arrived at the Adventurer Guild.

Though it was early morning and the Adventurer Guild had only just opened, quite a few adventurers were already coming and going.

"Whew... Relax. Haven't I been preparing for this for three years?" He forcibly suppressed the urge to retreat in his heart.

Falan took a step forward—another step toward changing his future since coming to this world.

The moment he entered the Adventurer Guild, he immediately felt countless gazes gathering on him.

Then he heard—

"Another newcomer?"

"Yeah. His steps are unsteady. He probably doesn't have much combat experience."

"Heh, don't say that. After all, isn't every adventurer transformed from a newcomer?"

Listening to the adventurers' conversation, Falan felt a little uneasy. Could they really tell so easily whether someone was new? But then again, he really was a newcomer, so he let it go.

As the adventurers lost interest in this newcomer and turned their gazes and conversations elsewhere, Falan made his way toward the Adventurer Guild's counter. Behind it stood, to his surprise, an elven lady.

"Hello."

"Are you here to register as a new adventurer?"

"Uh... Is it really that easy to tell I'm new?"

"Yes. Anyone who works at the Adventurer Guild needs at least that much discernment." The elven receptionist continued, "We get twenty or thirty new adventurers like you every day. How could we not be familiar with newcomers?"

"All right." Falan felt somewhat depressed. He had originally wanted to keep a low profile, but his cover had been blown from the very beginning.

"I really am here to register as a new adventurer, but I don't have a Familia yet. As I understand it, the Adventurer Guild provides assistance with that."

This was one of the ways Falan had learned of to become an adventurer in Orario. The other was being noticed by a god on the street and recruited directly into their Familia, but that depended too much on luck. Falan did not dare gamble on whether he would be chosen.

The elven lady swiftly flipped through several files.

"Let me see... There are one hundred and thirty-eight Familias currently recruiting through the Adventurer Guild. Do you have any requirements for a Familia? If you want my recommendation, I'd suggest the Loki Familia. As for the reason..."

"The Loki Familia is one of Orario's two great pillars. They dealt with the Evils a few years ago—I naturally know that. But while the Loki Familia is famous, it is also easily targeted. If possible, could you recommend some declining Familias?"

"Declining Familias? Why would you choose that?"

"Established Familias like the Loki Familia offer a great deal of support and have strong reputations, but they also come with plenty of trouble. New Familias lack members, so there is a greater chance of being valued after joining them, but they also lack foundations. Declining Familias lie somewhere between the two."

"They may be declining, but they still possess the foundation of an established Familia. And precisely because they are declining, there is less risk of being targeted by those with ulterior motives. Besides, since few people are interested in them due to their decline, as long as I work hard, I'll have a much better chance of earning a god's attention."

Upon hearing Falan's words to the elven receptionist, everyone in the Adventurer Guild was dumbfounded.

As adventurers—especially high-ranking ones—their five senses were naturally sharp. Moreover, Falan had not deliberately lowered his voice, so everyone heard every word he said.

Their initial confusion quickly turned into the feeling that this newcomer, Falan, had quite a few ideas of his own.

After all, among those who had just arrived in Orario, how many did not want to join an established Familia?

In their eyes, Falan might have been the only exception. Not only did he not ask to join an established Familia, he actively sought to join a declining one, all for better opportunities to develop?

After suppressing her surprise, the elven receptionist sorted through the files before speaking again.

"In that case, I have five declining medium-sized Familias here. Which one would you like to choose?"

Looking at the five remaining Familias after the screening, Falan found it difficult to decide immediately.

Although he had been in Orario for three years, he had only come into contact with a handful of Familias.

Unfortunately, none of the five Familias in the files placed before him were among those he was familiar with.

"To be honest, I don't know. Do you have any particular recommendation?"

"I can't really recommend one. They've all been declining for many years, and even though I represent the Adventurer Guild, I can't claim to know much about them. At most, I can invite their five gods here and see who is willing to accept you."

"Even if they asked the Guild to recruit people on their behalf, those five gods all have their own requirements for their children. The Adventurer Guild can only give people like you an opportunity—an opportunity to join a Familia."

At this point, the elven lady's expression became somewhat complicated. "By the way, little brother, what is your name?"

"Falan. No surname."

"All right, little brother Falan. Have you really decided to choose from these five Familias? You should know that joining a Familia is a lifelong matter. Even as you said, joining a declining Familia has its own unique benefits..."

"You don't need to persuade me anymore. I've already looked into this thoroughly."

"But..." Seeing that he had made up his mind, the elven lady could not be bothered to persuade him further. "All right."

"My name is Eina Bartley Rivia. If you have any problems in the future, you can come to the Adventurer Guild and find me."

In the elven lady's eyes, a newcomer with his own mind like Falan would not have a low ceiling in the future so long as he did not die prematurely. Even if no god chose him this time, sooner or later, one would take notice of him.

Thus, she chose to make an investment now. After all, the pay of Adventurer Guild receptionists was closely tied to the earnings of the adventurers they oversaw. In any case, he was merely a new investment target; even if she had misjudged him, she would not lose much.