20 minutes had passed since I took my queue. Wow, the management here is needed to be fixed by me. If my chief at company see how slow the queue move, he will scold every guard here and there.
Then another 10 minutes passed. Maybe I will passed out from this long queue.
Now it is my turn to be checked first before entering the city.
"Please show me your identity card?" [Guard]
"Er, sorry. I don't have my identity card. I came far away from here. My former residential place don't use any identity card."
I dodge the question with white lie. Who thought you need some sort of identity card to enter a city. Maybe it's kind of passport in my former world.
"Um, you must came from rural place. Never mind. If you don't have any proof of identity, you must pay 10 Gal to pass the gate." [Guard]
10 Gal means I need to pay 10 copper coins or 1 big copper coin or 2 silver coins. I check my sachet and take 2 silver coins.
"Here sir, 10 Gal."
"If you want to own the identity card, you can register at common office or try your best at adventurer guild. The guild can also offer you some sort of work. Owning an identity card will exempt you any payment when you go inside out this city. Then, you can pass through the gate." [Guard]
"Thanks, sir."
I quickly walk toward the gate.
______________________________
I admit this city is big and what's troubling me that I don't know any direction around here. The guard said I can register at common office or adventurer guild.
Common office maybe refer to registration department, the one who record everything about you, from your birth certificate until death certificate.
While adventurer guild sound like fantasy game. I rarely play PC or console games because I spend my time on recreation activities. So I clueless about this guild. It is the place where you choose to become swordsman, magician, clerk, fighter or tank?
But I can get some job through adventurer guild. I can't depend on stolen money forever. Talking about job, I wonder if there is some company here want to hire me into sales department?
For some unknown reason, I can read the writing that display on some building.
Rosalind Restaurant, Barbarian workshop, Great Dragon Blacksmith, High Morning Tavern, Sun & Moon Lodging.
I have no problem to read the writing. It's like a natural for me to understand, speak and read this other world language. At least this sort of thing can help me to adapt quickly in other people living.
Arghh!!
The fight with the thief and me that keep walking and running make me feel sluggish. I'm like super hungry right now. I realize I need food to reenergize myself.
I scan the area around the pavement here. The building around here is mostly made from wood, not brick. I want to enter some normal restaurant, not the expensive or tasteless ones.
Then I enter Salsa Restaurant. I push the door and see not many people sit here. At least I can get some privacy. I choose a seat at corner of restaurant and a waitress immediately come to my seat.
"Welcome to Salsa Restaurant. What do you want to be served today?" [Waitress]
"Urmm... Can you recommend me something light and cheap?"
"I advise you to choose our bread with creamy soup." [Waitress]
"Yeah, give me that."
"Do you want a beer or wine?" [Waitress]
"No, I want a fruity juice. That's all."
"Thanks for your order, Mr. Please wait here until we served you." [Waitress]
Then the waitress goes inside the back area of the restaurant. Maybe she enter the kitchen area. At last I can enjoy some good food. I'm not a heavy eater, something like bread is already enough to satiate my stomach.
After 5 minutes, the waitress come back to my table with my food order. She placed a plate of bread, a porringer of soup, and a glass of juice.
"Please enjoy your meal. If you have anything or complaint, please call me again."
[Waitress]
I nodded at her word. Then she goes back to her counter.
I dipped a brown bread into creamy soup and taste it. Erm, delicious. The bread is hard but is still easy to chew. I think this soup is mushroom. The aroma of still hot soup is really raising my appetite. I smiled a little when I thought that I'm already doomed at the big forest.
I finish my meal with a sweaty drink of juice. Arghh, I feel refreshed and fullness. Now I need a map.
"Err, miss. Can you help me?"
"Yes. What do you want?" [Waitress]
"I'm still new in this city. Can you tell me the direction to adventurer guild?"
"It's not far from here, Mr. This is west area while the guild in east area. After you exit this restaurant, turn left and keep going straight. Then you will arrive at middle junction. The guild located 100 metres from there. You will see a huge signboard of adventurer guild. Most people would be crowded there so you can find the guild easily." [Waitress]
"Thank you miss for you help."
I pay the meal in 15 Gal. Then I left the restaurant while try to remember the direction from the waitress.
In 15 minutes, I arrived at the big building with the signboard, 'Adventurer Guild'. So, this is the place. I'm excited to know what job I can take there.
I enter the guild after a few minutes stand outside. I can see a few counters which many people queue at each line. There is also a bar area at my left side. So the guild can also provide the meal to adventurers.
I choose the line which written the registration. I wonder if the registration in this world is strict like in Earth. I don't want to be suspected and be left in their detention.
"Welcome to the Guild. What's your business here?" [Staff]
"I want to register as an adventurer here. Can you tell me the procedure?"
"Oh, you want to become the adventurer. It's easy Mr. You need to fill the form here. We need your name and age. The others are optional. Then you need to pass the truth test." [Staff]
"Truth test?"
"Don't worry. You fill the form first. I will take the crystal ball out." [Staff]
Huh, crystal ball? You mean the glowing ball that can predict my future? Wow, they are really believe in superstitious thing. If I don't witness my own burning hand yesterday, maybe I believe this guild practice occult or voodoo.
After the female staff goes to back area to find something, I read the form. She said I only need to write name and age. Okay, my full name is Dylan Claire. But to be safe, I will only write my first name, Dylan. I don't have any intention to use fake name because there is no reason to do that.
My age is 25 years. Then, there is class or job for individual. Fighter, assassin, priest, scout, magician. Erm, I don't know if class need to be assigned to me first. So, I leave it blank.
Then, the staff come back with big crystal ball at her hand. She put it at above counter. She pull my hand toward the crystal ball. Now I involuntary held the shine ball.
"We use this crystal ball to determine if that said person is a criminal or a normal folk. The ball will glow blue for good people or red for bad people. You see, this crystal is gleaming blue, meaning you don't have any criminal record. With this we can attest your registration. Please wait a minute, we will prepare your card." [Staff]
Oh, so this truth test only to see your status, whether you're criminal or normal citizen. Actually I had killed a human but he's a boss of thief, so it's doesn't count me as criminal.
Next, she give me a small card, its size like my driving license card, and with a book. I can see my name, the guild's branch name, and my rank, F.
"This is your card. The first registration is free but the next issue of card will be penalized into a payment. So you need to take care your own card carefully. This book here is a guide to help you to study about adventurer. You can see the big board over there has contained many quests that can be carried out by adventurer. The quest you can take is based on your rank. Before you want to take any quest, please verify at the quest counter first. Any additional information you can read in the book." [Staff]
"Thank you miss for your help. Er, do you know any place that I can sleep tonight?"
"The accommodation place is situated at south area. There are many Inns that can offer cheap room. You can refer the book to find out which lodging that suitable to your budget." [Staff]
After I thanked the female staff, I left the counter and try to visit the quest board. There is three big boards.
First board has quest of A and B rank.
Second board has quest of C and D rank.
Finally the third board has quest of E and F rank.
So, my quest is at third board. I read a few quest for my rank.
Collecting herbs, finding missing pet, cleaning a house, hunting a rabbit. It's doesn't sound dangerous. The reward is range from 10 Gal to 50 Gal. It's enough to eat several meals at restaurant.
But today I decided to just rest and not doing any quest or activity.
Then I sit at bar area inside the guild. I want to finish read the book first so I can get the gist of lifestyle of the adventurer.
What's the important right now is to adapt into other world people's living and be an adventurer is my (fantasy) choice.