Registration Exam
「Good morning. I came for the registration exam.」
Currently it’s a little bit before 8 o’clock in the morning.
I’m at the Adventurers’ Guild’s reception desk.
I woke up at the usual time and adjusted my morning preparations.
I’ll become an adventurer if I pa.s.s today’s exam. I think I’m in a little high spirits myself.
Being still too early for breakfast, I ran through the main street with hardly any people as the day has only just begun.
Running through the clear morning atmosphere, I returned to the inn to wash off my sweat, I had arranged to go out until the time for breakfast.
Finishing my breakfast slightly earlier, I grabbed my baggage and departed for the Adventurers’ Guild.
Compared to yesterday, the Adventurers’ Guild has a considerable amount of people gathered in the morning.
Almost everyone are having friendly conversations at the tables while drinking tea.
Then there are several people that are having a staring contest with a wall near the interior.
Could the commissions be posted on that wall?
There are people going back and forth between the wall and the tables.
Probably the people going towards the wall are searching for a commission, while the people at the tables are waiting.1
There were several people by the reception desk, but the right end of the reception desk was empty.
It’s the lady who served with me yesterday.
When I reported that I came to take the exam, the other adventurers at the reception desk all gathered their eyes on me.
Their eyes all spoke「What’s this child doing?」, ignore it, ignore it. Time is precious right now.
「Yes, here is the commission for your exam. Please ask if you have any questions.」
Handing over a wooden board, it’s the same Cebulj gra.s.s harvesting commission from yesterday.
「Is there a map of the Royal Capital’s outskirts?」
I more or less have knowledge on the Royal Capital’s outskirts, but the area might have changed from 25 years ago till now. I’ll be able to verify some details with an up-to-date map, so there wouldn’t be any disadvantage in having one.
「Here is a map on the Royal Capital’s outskirts.」
In front of me was the Royal Capital and it’s outskirts finely drawn on a parchment. Fumu fumu.
「Am I able to purchase this map?」
「For a map of the Royal Capital’s outskirts, if you haven’t been officially registered as an adventurer, then it can’t be purchased.」
After pa.s.sing the exam huh?
「I see. Well then, please start the exam.」
Now, this will be my first step into becoming an adventurer.
「Ok, well then, this wooden tag will verify yourself as being under examination. Please be careful not to lose it. When you leave the town, you can show this wooden tag and it will subst.i.tute as your credentials. Please return the wooden tag once you’ve completed the commission.」
Which reminds me, I was asleep when I entered the Royal Capital and I didn’t receive an inspection.
If I were to show this wooden tag at the inspection, it could be called a free pa.s.s?
「Well then, I’m off!」
After listening to several important points, as the voice of the receptionist lady saying「Take care」was heard, the surrounding adventurers all saw me off with a dumbfounded look in their eyes as I left the guild.
I left the town on foot just as I left the guild and headed towards the location where Cebulj gra.s.s grows according to the map.2
I had an argument w
ith the soldiers at the inspection when I left town but, particularly the back and forth arguments which hasn’t changed for the better, so I’m leaving it out.
The current time has just pa.s.sed 9 o’clock in the morning, if I trust the reduced scale of the map, it should be around two hours until I reach my destination.
From the stories I hear, it’s been said there shouldn’t be any beasts and magic beasts in this area
Occasionally, it’s possible that beasts will be sighted, however, there are knights regularly patrolling the Royal Capital’s outskirts and in the vicinity of the main highway so if there are any eyewitness reports, the knights will go exterminate them, because of that it seems to be relatively safe from what I’ve been told.
Moving along while enjoying the scenery, I arrive at the area of my destination.
It’s a small and shallow river bank, a forest can be seen slightly ahead of me
Immediately, I start searching for Cebulj gra.s.s and I find a single stock of gra.s.s which seems like it.
I approached to identify it, and there seems to be no mistake. I immediately GET one. (get is in english)
Using a fallen branch, I dig up the root and brush off the dirt.
I put it away in a small bag used for storage and continue with my search.
While walking to the embankment, the collection of Cebulj gra.s.s was going well, it was already 12 o’clock by the time I collected all 10 roots for the commission. Because I ate breakfast earlier than usual, my stomach’s abating condition is at its peak.3
Mu, it’s too late now that I notice.
The food I have are nothing but preserved food (dried meat and brown bread).
I would’ve been better if I had bought something before I left town.
Once I’m finished with dried meat and brown bread for lunch, I’ll return back to town to report my commission’s completion.
Finished with my simple lunch, my ears pick up a noise which sounds like something pushing through the gra.s.s as I was about to return to town.
I hear the noise from across the river.4
I take out my bokutou from my baggage while being vigilant, a figure of a wolf appeared from the riverbank.
I surveyed the surroundings, however there didn’t seem to be any signs of other wolves.
Could this be a lone wolf that strayed from the pack?
An event appearing without any warnings on my first commission, is this what you call a cliché?
While thinking about that, I threw a handy stone to divert it5. However, it easily avoided it, it seems it made an opposite effect and agitated it as a result.
「Gurururu」
The wolf glares at my direction while raising a growl, and instantly began running.
It crossed the small and shallow river, that even a child could cross, without any difficulty.
I shifted my body as the wolf leapt in my direction, aiming at the wolf’s stomach from the side, I swung my bokutou from below with all my strength.
With the feeling of striking flesh transmitted into my hands, the wolf let out a「Gyaun!」cry whilst being blown away, I felt a sense of unease from the power of the strike.
My strength isn’t very strong, it’s difficult for me to deal a large amount of damage, rather, I think it’s impossible to begin with. I have the qigong technique to supplement for that, but without it I’ll have considerably less strength than a woman in general society, it’ll be difficult for me to deal anything resembling damage from my blows.6
But despite that, even though ki wasn’t used in that hit just now, I seemed to have caused some visible damage.
Come to think of it, from the times when I ran this morning, when I walked up until here, and again when I was walking with the packages from shopping yesterday, I have a feeling I’ve been rarely getting tired compared to the time I was in j.a.pan.
Could something have changed since coming to this world?
「Gurururu」
My awareness returned after hearing a growl approaching, the wolf got up while staggering a little and glared at my direction.
I corrected my grip on the bokutou, when I prepared my front and took a step forward, the wolf took a step back, glaring at each other for a short while, it subsequently escaped.
I kept up my vigilance until I judged the wolf had completely ran away, after a small period of time after the wolf had gone,「Waa…」, I relaxed my guard together with a sigh.7
「I should report this to the guild for the time being ne.」
Although there’s no need for this kind of cliché development…
I once again breathed out a sigh, pulling myself together, I began to walk towards the town.
「I’ve just returned~」 (tadaima modorimas.h.i.ta~)
It’s before 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there’s very few people compared to this morning, I went towards the reception desk, took out the Cebulj gra.s.s and placed it on the counter.
「Welcome back.」
The receptionist lady greeted me while verifying the items.
「Yes, I’ve verified all 10 Cebulj gra.s.s. The commission has been completed. Well then, here is the reward for 3 silvers. Thank you for your hard work.」
I receive the reward handed out, in return I handed back the wooden tag I had received.
「Your exam has been pa.s.sed, ne. In which case, Fujino-sama, here is your adventurer’s card. Please verify it.」
It’s only been one day since I verified the card, however one entry is different from the contents from yesterday’s verification.
「Rank: F (1)」
It’s changed from yesterday’s「Rank: -」.
「This time formally, welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild. Although I’ve explained about the card yesterday, let me give you the explanations regarding the other things.
Firstly, it’s an adventurer’s responsibility to take at least 1 commission per month.
In addition, in the case where the town or the outskirts of the town you’re staying are attacked by magic beasts, you’re obligated to partic.i.p.ate when the guild calls for a subjugation. Without any special reasons, if you’re unable to accomplish your obligations, your adventurer’s rank will be downgraded one rank as penalty.
Next is about the adventurer’s ranking, the highest rank is S, after that it’s separated from A ~ F. Fujino-sama is currently F rank.
Each commissions give points according to their rank, you’re able rank up by acc.u.mulating these points. For example, thirty points are needed to rank up from F rank to E rank, which is equivalent to thirty F rank commissions. Your current points are displayed on your card following your rank.
You can only accept commissions with the same or one rank above your own rank, basically F rankers can only take up to E rank commissions.
Additionally, in the case where you accept a party commission as an individual, you must be one rank above the commission’s rank, so please be careful.
Finally, because your adventurer’s card is also your personal identification, please be careful not to lose it. It can be reissued in the case you lose it but, there will be a handling fee of 2000 Goualch if you do so.」
Fumufumu.
「That is all, do you have any questions?」
「Ah, how do I accept commissions?」
「Yes, there are commissions written on wooden tags hung on the wall in the interior to my left, if there are any commissions you’d like to take from amongst those, please bring the wooden tag over to the reception desk. When you do so, please also hand in your adventurer’s card together with it. Once it’s been accepted, the commission will begin. If you cancel it midway or pa.s.s the deadline, the commission will be failed, 10% of the reward will be collected as penalty so please be careful of the deadline at the time you accept it.」
Were people gathering up this morning because of this?
Fumu, while accepting commissions in this town for the time being, I’ll be able to earn funds for my journey it seems.
Otto, it wouldn’t be good if I don’t report about the wolf ne.
「Umm, this isn’t a question but, it happened at the time I was harvesting Cebulj gra.s.s by a small river at the northeast of the Royal Capital, I encountered a wolf just before returning.」
「A wolf? Are you injured? And, how did you defeat it?」8
「No, I only drove it away. I’m not injured either. It was only a single one which had separated from the pack, it appeared out in direction of the forest. I thought to report it just in case.」
「Oh I see. What matters is that you’re safe. I’ll report the matters of the wolf to my superiors.」
「Then please. Well then, I’ll be leaving ne.」
Now then, now that I’ve become an adventurer without any problems… I should go back to the weapons store from yesterday.
Fufufu, with my adventurer’s card verifying my age, I can go without the troublesome explanations.
Now, this will be my revenge for yesterday.