The Adventurer's Guide

The sun sank in the west, the light gradually dimming until the distant stone walls lost their sharp outlines.

Cooking smoke curled upward. Laborers gathered their tools, and merchants packed away their wares. Shadows slowly swallowed the streets. Amid the passing crowds, one lone figure leaned against a wall, looking distinctly out of place.

He was finely dressed-a dark blue velvet coat embroidered with silver thread, with a fitted white linen shirt beneath it that was clearly tailor-made. The sword at his waist was lavishly decorated and worth a considerable sum.

A closer look, however, revealed dark brown stains covering the front of his coat, torn silver embroidery on his left shoulder, and creases all over his cuffs and hem.

Whenever Renato thought back over the past three months, his mind became a tangled mess.

One moment, he had been at home, eating hot pot and singing; the next, he had inexplicably been dragged into another world.

Unfortunately, the original owner of his body had been a cultist. His entire family had followed the same faith-a pedigree steeped in evil.

Even more unfortunately, he had arrived right in the middle of the cult's sacrificial ritual, with himself as the sacrifice.

Although a band of "righteous" adventurers had appeared at the last moment and disrupted the ritual, allowing him to escape in the confusion, the bloody sacrifice had still cost him part of his memory. He could not even remember his original name, so he had to use the body's former name for now.

And with the original owner's impeccable cultist credentials, nobody wanted to hear Renato explain himself. They only wanted to trade his head for a bounty. To stay alive, he had been forced to pack up his valuables and flee south.

Along the way, he had sorted through the original owner's memories and sold off his belongings while evading pursuit.

Touching the black ring-shaped mark over his heart, the symbol of the evil god Dakoul, Renato sighed inwardly in resignation.

After crossing several kingdoms and dozens of cities large and small, he had finally reached this southern free city called Fried City. Surely he would be safe now?

Besides, Renato had no money left to keep running. Apart from the clothes on his back and the sword at his waist, he had sold everything he could. Now he had only five silver coins left.

Calculating his daily expenses, he took stock of his situation.

"Including lodging, this money will last four more weeks at most. I need to find a way to earn something fast, or I really won't have anything to eat."

After spending the entire day looking for work along the streets, Renato leaned against the wall and stared blankly at the sky.

"Looks like laboring isn't an option. Without a foreman to recommend me or a guild membership, nobody will hire me..."

Renato recalled being driven away by a servant the day before.

"Working as a scribe for a noble won't do either. I inherited the original owner's knowledge and skills, and my handwriting is good, but with my unknown background and these shabby clothes, I can't even get through the door..."

"Besides, my identity wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. If a cleric of any god saw this mark, I'm afraid..."

"Is this really the only path left?"

Early the next morning, after carefully tidying his clothes and doing what he could to improve his appearance, Renato cautiously approached the entrance to the Adventurers' Guild.

Only a few people were coming and going, all travel-worn. There were men and women, most wearing leather armor or mail and carrying a variety of weapons.

Following the flow of people past the marble columns at the entrance, Renato stepped into the hall.

Sunlight streamed through the high groin-vaulted ceiling. Rows of quest boards filled the hall, with adventurers standing beside them, shouting rudely at one another as though fighting over the quests.

Renato looked around. The hall's layout was straightforward, with counters directly opposite the entrance and a few people waiting in line. After watching for a while, he noticed that the middle counter was mostly deserted. Recalling the background story he had made up yesterday, Renato approached it, but before he could speak, an impatient woman's voice rang out:

"New registrations, pay at the counter on the right first, then come here to fill out the form. Quest submissions and bounty collections are at the window on the left. For complaints and suggestions, turn right outside and go to city hall..."

After paying two silver coins and waiting in line again, Renato held the iron badge in his hand and asked in confusion:

"That's it? I'm an adventurer now?"

Without raising her head, the receptionist behind the counter pointed toward the quest boards covered in commission notices:

"Read the boards yourself. All the requirements are listed there. Once you've chosen a quest, come here to register it. All right, next!"

No guarantor, no complicated questioning. All he had to do was pay two silver coins, write his name on a piece of parchment, and fill in basic information such as his race. The story Renato had rehearsed countless times proved completely unnecessary.

Whatever the process, Renato had successfully become an adventurer and could now take quests at the guild.

Only three silver coins remained in his purse. At that thought, Renato gripped the sword at his waist. No matter what, he had to earn some money today.

Adventurers wandered among the quest boards as Renato scanned the sheets of parchment pinned to them:

"Seeking a magical relic from the Niter Kingdom, such as a scroll or enchanted weapon. Higher payment available depending on quality..."

Renato did not read any further. It required an adventurer rank of at least two, so he could not take it yet.

"Hunt a Basilisk and bring back its eyes. At least one must be intact..."

From Renato's memories, Basilisks were typical magical creatures whose gaze could petrify their prey. They were clearly not something he should consider tackling right now.

"Collect thirty stalks of fresh silver cup grass. Their freshness must be verifiable with Identify..."

Silver cup grass? What was that?

After sorting through quest after quest and wandering around the hall, Renato reached a corner, where he found a quest he liked on a battered board.

"Hunt the Goblins in the forest south of the city. No limit on number. Bring back their right ears for five copper coins each. For inquiries, consult the chief of Miloze Village south of the city..."

Remembering how weak Goblins were, Renato nodded in satisfaction:

"The pay isn't much, but at least it's safe. Besides, starting an adventuring career by fighting Goblins is obviously the classic storyline for someone transported to another world."

After spending another two silver coins on leather gloves and bracers, maintenance for the sword at his waist, and some basic adventuring supplies, Renato arrived at Miloze Village south of the city. The village chief was working in the fields, so Renato did not get to meet him. Instead, he spoke to the village swineherd.

Looking at the mud-covered young man before him, who smelled of pig manure and kept spitting on the ground, Renato suppressed his discomfort and rephrased his question:

"So the last time anyone in the village saw Goblins was in a gully south of the logging camp... Could you be more specific? How many were there, for instance, and what weapons did they have?"

"How many?" The young man scratched his filthy hair as though thinking. "A bunch. They're all the same fucking green color. Who can tell them apart?" He spat impatiently. "Anyway, wooden clubs, bits of scrap iron, screeching their heads off. Stole old John's chickens last week, too. Left feathers everywhere..."

After talking for a little while, Renato furrowed his brow. Apparently, he could not expect any more useful information from the villagers. Still, he might as well start searching the gullies south of the logging camp.

There are a few little problems, but at least it's a good start. At least I know roughly where to look, Renato encouraged himself. The first step is always the hardest. I'll try to finish the quest before noon, then reward myself with a soak at the city bathhouse this afternoon.

With the blazing sun overhead, Renato slumped against a rock after spending the entire morning searching the gullies. He shook his empty waterskin and could not help swearing:

"Fuck, what is this supposed to be? South? A gully? There are a dozen gullies around here! How the fuck is that any different from telling me nothing?"

"That bastard must have been messing with me. Just wait until I get back and settle the score..."

There were no proper paths through the woods, only loose rocks and tangled roots underfoot.

Renato was covered in mud, and his clothes were scratched all over. After walking for half a day, he had not seen so much as a rabbit, let alone a Goblin.

"Calm down, Renato. Stay calm. This is nothing. You're just looking for Goblins. Can this possibly be worse than becoming a cultist and being hunted by the Harpers for three months? You survived that pursuit. A little thing like this is nothing..."

Renato drew a breath and stood up again.

"You're someone from Earth with a modern education. How can you stoop to the level of these crude medieval peasants? Besides, they have no reason to lie to you. Think, Renato. Think it through again. Use what you know."

"My search method must be wrong. That's right. I don't know the terrain here, so my route was flawed from the start. I should have begun on the western slope..."

At dusk, Renato trudged toward Miloze Village, stumbling along with his right hand using his longsword for support.

"Fine. Just fine! How dare he make a fool of me!"

"What fucking Goblins? What gully? It was all a lie. They just wanted a laugh at the outsider!"

The more Renato thought about it, the more certain he became. Green skin, screeching-all of it had been made up for that fellow's amusement! That was why he could not even say how many there were...

As for the quest... He no longer wanted to think about Goblins or adventuring. All he wanted was to find that stupid-looking swineherd immediately and smash every yellow tooth in his mouth, making him pay in full for all this mud and anger!

Just as Renato was viciously imagining how to beat the villager senseless, a breeze blew past, making him suddenly sniff-a faint stench mingling rotten garbage with the rank smell of animals.

Immediately afterward, shrill, strange squawks came from ahead. A group of little green monsters was running out of the village entrance, heading straight toward Renato.

There were roughly seven or eight Goblins, scrawny creatures that, on average, only reached an adult's waist. They shrieked and shoved one another, carrying crude weapons such as wooden clubs and bone cudgels.

The Goblins seemed to notice Renato nearby as well. They had been huddled together, but now they scattered like ants doused in boiling water.

Every movement stopped abruptly. The closest one was so frightened that it flung away the dead chicken in its hand, while another scrambled behind its companions and pushed a smaller one forward.

But once they saw that Renato was alone, and that he was merely a panting young human in a thoroughly bedraggled state, their fear quickly gave way to a blustering viciousness.

The scattering Goblins suddenly gathered again and charged him. One even scooped up a stone from the ground and hurled it at Renato with a screech.

Seeing the stone land beside his feet, Renato gained a deeper appreciation for just how weak a Goblin's throwing arm was.

Facing the charging little greenskins, Renato instinctively shifted his weight forward, pointing his sword downward as he assumed a sword-fighting stance from his memories.

Once he realized what he was doing, his tense body relaxed again, and Renato felt inwardly bemused:

This isn't some sword duel. They're just harmless Goblins...

The ornately decorated longsword pierced the leading Goblin's chest without resistance. Renato shifted his weight and stepped back with his right foot, smoothly moving his sword from a low guard to a high one as he pulled it free.

The second Goblin seemed not to realize that the companion ahead of it had died right before its eyes. It waved its club and shrieked loudly. Renato could even make out the exaggerated expression on its scabies-covered green face.

The next instant, his longsword swept across, and the Goblins behind it suddenly stopped in unison, their shrieks falling silent.

They had just seen a green head go "flying"...

The sun rose on another day.

Exhausted in body and mind, Renato dragged himself back to the Adventurers' Guild.

Remembering yesterday's events, Renato swore he would never aim for the neck again.

After he severed the second Goblin's head, blood had immediately sprayed all over his face. By the time he recovered, there was no one left in front of him. Every Goblin had fled!

And by the time he finished cleaning up, it was too late to return to the city, so he had been forced to spend the night in the village.

Including the food he had bought for the trip, Renato had spent another twelve copper coins. Heaven have mercy! His reward for this quest was only ten copper coins!

At that thought, his heart grew even heavier. He could already picture himself sleeping on the streets and going hungry before long.

Renato could not help sighing again. Whatever happened, he would collect his ten-copper reward first.

Watching the receptionist untie the cloth bag without expression, recording information on paper with one hand while discreetly sorting through the Goblin ears with the other, Renato felt that his two-silver registration fee had gone down the drain.

"Mr. Renato, here are ten copper coins. Please count them now. If you have any questions after completing the quest, please refer to..."

As the receptionist continued in her flat customer-service voice, the scene before Renato gradually blurred. A book appeared out of nowhere and slowly opened in his field of vision.

But Renato had no time to examine its contents. The five square characters on its cover, utterly different in structure from this world's writing, instantly seized his attention.

Not because they were clear, nor because they were especially large on the cover, but simply because this was the script he had used for more than twenty years, a script he knew intimately yet had not seen once in the past three months.

[The Adventurer's Guide]