After Jona and Guberth learned about their ranks, Guberth mentioned that he needed to go somewhere, and instructed Jona to wait for him by the quest board and attempt to choose a quest. However, unlike those depicted in RPG games and anime, these quests had no accompanying images, only written descriptions resembling letters. Jona, unfortunately, was unable to read, so he waited there, attempting to decipher the words until Guberth returned.
Jona: "Gu, we have a problem."
Guberth: "A problem?"
Jona: "I don't know how to read."
Guberth: "Huh? Did your mother raise you right?"
Jona: "It's not my fault. I'm not from this kingdom, and I have never seen these letters before."
Guberth: "Well, let me choose a quest then! I'll pick an easy one since my hand is still injured."
Jona: "That's true, but it's incredible what you were able to do with an injured hand."
Guberth: "Hahaha, I know right! And don't fret, it will heal within a week. An Apostle of Milos provided assistance."
Jona: "Apostle of Milos?"
Guberth: "You really don't know anything! Milos is the God of beauty, dance, and love. As you can see, since his name is on the currency, this city adores him. Most of the Clerics affiliated with the guild are either Apostles of Milos or devotees to him."
Jona: "Wow."
Guberth: "You could even say that the Apostles of Milos are the only good thing in this city."
Jona: "Why is that?"
Guberth: "They are the only ones who provide aid to the outskirts, bringing food, water, clean clothes, and offering medical care to the sick, among other things. Even the king doesn't pay attention to that part of the city, but they do. Every week, they go there to help."
Jona: "So these apostles are genuinely kind-hearted people!"
Guberth: "Indeed, they are a good representation of their God, showing no discrimination and caring for everyone, regardless of race or even their own religious beliefs."
Jona: "I hope I get to meet one someday. I'd like to learn more about this God."
Guberth: "Well, there are many Clerics in the guild who are Apostles of Milos. Try talking to one of them someday."
Jona: "Alright, I'll handle it."
Guberth: "Well, let me find us a quest then."
Guberth look at the quest board, searching for a quest. Meanwhile, Jona starts examining the quests, trying to make sense of them. He notices that all the quests have a stamp and numbers next to a recurring word.
Jona: "So that word means 'reward,' and the stamps indicate the quest rank?"
Guberth: "Look at you, already reading a word. Now you just need to figure out the rest."
Jona: "Gu, your sarcasm is amazing."
Guberth: "Anyway, here, I picked a quest."
Jona: "Okay, what does it say?"
Guberth: "It says, 'Adventurers are needed to defeat a group of slimes that are destroying our crops. Reward: 250M$ Rank: Copper.'"
Jona: "That's a decent payment for a copper rank quest."
Guberth: "Yes, because it's meant to be completed by a group of about 5 people in the copper rank."
Jona: "So if we divide the reward, it's only 50 for each person."
Guberth: "Well, at least you know your math."
Jona: "Hey, I might not be fluent in your language, but I excel in math."
Guberth: "Haha, yeah, sure."
Jona: "*sigh* Let's just take the quest to Shila."
As they walked towards Shila, they noticed that someone was already talking to her—a tall and slender young man, though not as tall as Valz, with wavy light brown hair. Suddenly, the man raises his voice.
???: "WAIT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"
Jona/Shila: "Déjà vu?"
Jona: "Hey, is something wrong?"
???: "Do you understand me too?"
Shila: "Ah, Mr. Jona, it seems this young man is in the same situation as you. Could you explain how the guild works to him? I'm quite busy at the moment."
Jona: [She just wants to pass the work onto me.]
???: "Why don't you explain, sweetie?"
The man places his hand on Shila's chin, and a surge of anger fills the air. It's Valz, and he's storming towards the man, clearly furious.
Valz: "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
??: "*sigh* I don't understand him."
Jona: "Just know that he's about to kill you! Calm down, Valz. This guy's an idiot, I'm sure he doesn't know what he's doing!"
??: "Hey, do you want to get punched?"
Jona: "You! Shut up and follow me!"
They move to a nearby table and start talking.
Jona: "Well, first things first, my name is Jona, and this is Guberth. I can understand you, and you can understand me thanks to this translation necklace."
??: "Seriously? Where can I get one?"
Jona: "I have no clue. Guberth gave it to me."
Guberth: "Are you talking about how to get the necklace?"
Jona: "Yeah."
Guberth: "The guild store sells them, but they're a bit pricey."
Jona: "How expensive, Gu?"
Guberth: "3000M$."
Jona: "WHAT? THAT MUCH?"
??: "What? What happened?"
Jona: "Hold on a minute! Before we continue, what's your name?"
Adan: "Oh, right! My name is Adan. I'm a man who's blessed with the love of all women!"
Adan strikes a heroic pose, propping his feet up on the bench.
Guberth: "Jona, I can't understand what he's saying, but I think he's retarded. Is he related to you?"
Jona: "Hey!"
Adan: "(Confused) What did he say?"
Jona: "Sigh Alright, let's move on. Guberth mentioned that the necklace can be purchased at the guild store for M$3000. Oh, by the way, Milos is the currency here, and if you want to join the guild, you'll have to pay 150M$."
Adan: "Is it something like this?"
Adan places a small bag of money on the table, containing around 800M$.
Jona: "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS? ARE YOU STEALING?"
Guberth: "We should probably call the guards, Jona."
Jona: "Yeah, you're right."
Adan: "I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING! Let me explain. I have the power to win over any woman's heart, and to test this power, I acquired this money. But don't worry, the lady I asked it from is wealthy."
Jona: "I think you better just admit that you stole it."
Adan: "I DIDN'T STEAL!"
Jona: "Yeaaaaa."
Adan: "If you don't believe me, let's go outside. I'll demonstrate my power in action."
Jona: "If you say so."
They head outside where the fair is taking place. This time, the fair is quieter with fewer stores open. As they walk a little further, Adan speaks up again.
Adan: "See that equipment dealer?"
He points towards a tall and muscular woman, presumably the owner of a small shop.
Jona: "Hey, are you sure? I'm thinking that if you make fun of her, you'll end up dead."
Adan: "Just follow my lead."
Jona: "I don't know, what do you think, Gu?"
Guberth: "What's he going to do?"
Jona: "You didn't understand what he said, right?"
Guberth: "Yeah."
Jona: "Well, he's going to try to charm that muscular woman to prove his power of being loved by all women."
Guberth: "First, we have a boy claiming he'll defeat the demon lord with a frying pan, and now another one who says he's loved by all women. The world is strange these days."
Jona: "Laughs Yeah! But anyway, what do you think?"
Guberth: "I don't know, but if he gets beaten up, his money is mine."
As they approached the girl, Adan wasted no time and started flirting with her.
Adan: "Hey there, beautiful."
He grabbed a nearby chair, placed it in front of her, stood on it (probably to reach the woman's face), and continued talking.
Adan: "Princess, I may be a rookie adventurer, but I aspire to be a knight who wins your heart. Can you lend me a weapon to help me achieve my goal?"
Jona: "[I've never cringed so hard in my life.]"
Jona: "Gu, I think he's gonna get destroyed."
Guberth: "Hehe."
A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. Jona decided to glance at the woman's face. She was completely red, but also confused, probably because she didn't understand what Adan said. So Jona decided to translate it as literally as possible for her.
Jona: "He wants a weapon, for free."
Muscular Woman: "Y-yes, of course, you can have it."
Jona was in shock. The woman actually gave him a sword. Does Adan really have the power to be loved by all women?
Jona: "She said you can have it."
Adan: "Thank you very much, my princess. I promise I'll come back for you."
Adan took a small sword from a barrel, and the woman spoke to him again.
Muscular Woman: "Come back here in the afternoon, when the sun is setting. Let's go out."
Adan looked at Jona, probably wanting him to translate what she said.
Jona: "She wants to go out with you in the evening."
Adan turned and walked away, waving goodbye with his hand.
Jona: "You're never coming back, are you?"
Adan: "Of course, I will! I just scored a date!"
Jona: "So, you're into that type of woman?"
Adan: "Understand this, I'm into all types of women."
Jona: "You talk like an old uncle."
The situation was bizarre, but who was Jona to judge? He also had a strange power. They headed back to the guild, and Jona finished explaining things to Adan. Soon, Adan was called for the test, and Valz volunteered once again to be the instructor. However, this time Valz had a terrifying smile on his face.
Jona: "I think Valz is going to kill him."
Guberth: "Well, it doesn't matter. Let's focus on the quest. Jona, I've already accepted it!"
Jona: "Hey, what do you think about adding him to our group? I find him funny!"
Guberth: "Wow, just great. Another lunatic in our team."
Jona: "I think you attract lunatics, Gu."
Guberth: "*Laughs* Maybe I do. But if you like him, I don't mind having him on our team."
Adan's test didn't even last ten minutes, and soon they both returned. Adan's face was all bruised, and Valz looked refreshed. Then Adan approached the group and started speaking.
Adan: "It seems I have the skills to be a wizard, so I traded that sword for a staff."
Jona: "Really? What are your stats?"
Adan: "Strength - 9, Dexterity - 3, Endurance - 4, Magic - 27, Faith - 12, and Charisma - 15."
Jona: "Wow! Hey, do you want to join our team?"
Adan: "Sure, but I won't be finding any women for you guys."
Guberth: "What did he say?"
Jona: "Ignoring what Adan said Yes, he'll join our team, and it looks like he's a wizard."
Guberth: "Ohhh, a wizard. That's interesting."
In the background, Shila approached them, probably to inform Adan of the results.
Shila: "Mr. Adan, sorry for the delay. Due to your proficiency in magic and your successful spell casting on the first try, your rank will be Lead. Here's your adventurer license."
Adan: "Thank you."
Jona: "Well, now we can go on a quest."
Adan: "But is it possible to finish this mission today before nightfall?"
Jona: "Are you going out with that girl?"
Adan: "Of course I am."
Jona: "Okay, Gu, can we complete this quest before nightfall?"
Guberth: "No way, it'll take us that long just to reach the village."
Jona: "So, what do we do now? Adan wants to go on a date tonight, but we've already accepted the mission."
Guberth: "No problem. After accepting a mission, we have a week to complete it. We can go tomorrow."
Jona: "Okay! Adan, we'll do the mission tomorrow, and you can go on your date tonight! By the way, get yourself a translation necklace. I don't like translating all the time."
Adan: "Got it!"
They talked and agreed to meet at the guild the next day. Adan gave Jona and Guberth some money so they could rent a room at an inn. The following day, Jona and Guberth went to meet Adan at the guild. While looking for him, Jona saw him sitting on a bench with his head on the table.
Jona: "So, Adan, how was your date yesterday?"
Adan: "My... Ju... Get..."
Jona: "What? Adan?"
Adan: "MY JUNIOR WON'T RISE!!!!!"
Jona: "Your wha... Ohhhh."
Adan: "WHY???"
Guberth: "Who is Junior, Jona?"
Jona crouched down and whispered in Guberth's ear.
Guberth: "HAHAHA! THE GREAT MAN LOVED BY ALL WOMEN CAN'T GET IT UP."
Adan: "STOP LAUGHING, YOU SHIT DWARF."
Guberth: "SHIT DWARF... YOU DAMN LIMP DICK! YOU WANNA DIE?"
Jona: "Alright, you two! Wait, did you understand him, Gu?"
Guberth: "Yeah!"
Adan: "Yeah *sniff* I got a translation necklace *sniff*"
Jona: [Wow, he looks really down... in all senses.]
Jona: "Well, since everything is ready, let's have breakfast and head to the mission."
Guberth/Adan: "Right!"
After finishing breakfast, they set off on the road toward the village. It wasn't too far, but it would take a few hours to get there.
Jona: "Gu, what material did you use to make this frying pan?"
Guberth: "Black iron, a highly durable metal found in the caves around here."
Adan: "Hey, Jona, why do you wield a frying pan as a weapon?"
Jona: "Well, I want to be the person who defeats the demon lord using the strangest weapon imaginable, and a frying pan seemed like a good choice."
Adan: "Are you dumb?"
Jona: "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM A GUY WHO CLAIMS TO BE LOVED BY ALL WOMEN."
Guberth: "*laugh* But why did you ask me about the material?"
Jona: "I just wanted to make a new frying pan, specifically, one with a bigger handle."
Guberth: "Hm... That way, you'll increase your reach."
Jona: "Exactly! I was also thinking of a defensive item, a giant Wok Pan to use as a shield."
Guberth: "Wok..."
Adan: "Pan?"
Jona: "Don't you guys know what it is?"
Guberth: "No."
Adan: "Nahhh."
Jona drew the wok pan on the ground, and as he finished, Guberth burst into laughter.
Guberth: "HAHAHAHAHA! YOU NEVER CEASE TO SURPRISE ME."
Jona: "So, Gu, if we find this metal, can you make these weapons for me?"
Guberth: "Well, I can do it, but remember I no longer have a forge."
Jona: "shock It's true."
Adan: "What if you ask the guild's blacksmith? Won't he do it?"
Jona: "Does the guild even have a blacksmith?"
Adan: "Yes, if you go down the hallway next to the stairs that lead to the second floor."
Jona: "Damn, Adan, you're a genius."
Adan: "Proud of yourself Thank you, thank you."
Jona: "Alright, so after we defeat these slimes, we'll search for a cave to find black iron."
Adan: "I want something too! A staff."
Guberth: "Well, I think I have the perfect solution!"
Jona: "What do you mean, Gu?"
Guberth: "Slimes usually have nests to increase their numbers."
Adan: "They multiply? Do slimes have sex?"
Guberth: "Yes, but only the slime queen reproduces, and she doesn't have a specific gender. In fact, she can be both."
Jona: "Interesting, and how does that help us?"
Guberth: "That's where the nest comes in. Slimes love dark and humid places, so they probably live in a cave."
Jona: "AMAZING, GU! You really know a lot about monsters!"
Guberth: "Hmpf, I don't need your praise."
Adan: "But how do you know so much about monsters, you shit dwarf?"
Guberth: "I used to be an adventurer... Wait, what did you just call me?"
Adan: "Oops, I mean, Mr. Gu."
Guberth: "Do you want me to smack you?"
Jona: "Alright, calm down, Gu. So you were an adventurer?"
Guberth: "Yes, but that was a long time ago, about 20 years."
Jona: "Wow, how old are you, Gu?"
Guberth: "Easy there, I'm still young. I'm only 75 years old."
Jona/Adan: "75!?"
Guberth: "What's the problem?"
Jona: "It's nothing, and why did you give up being an adventurer?"
Guberth: "I got married and had a daughter."
Jona: "Wow, and why aren't you with your wife and daughter?"
Guberth: "Well... some things led to our breakup."
Sadness was visible on Guberth's face, and Jona noticed it, deciding not to delve into that subject.
Jona: [I don't know what happened, but it seems like I made Gu sad. I shouldn't have meddled in other people's affairs.]
Jona: "I'm sorry, Gu."
Guberth: "Don't worry about it."
After that, the journey continued with a heavy atmosphere. However, after some time, the group arrived at the village and went straight to the Village Chief's house. He explained the situation to them. A group of slimes from the west had been devouring the wheat plantations, but they hadn't attacked any villagers.
Jona: "So what's our plan, Gu?"
Guberth: "We can attack the slime nest."
Jona: "But isn't it far away?"
Guberth: "Slimes are slow creatures. If they're attacking the village so frequently, their nest must be nearby."
Jona: "Then we should go there right away."
Guberth: "Yes, by the way, limp dick, what magic did you learn during your test?"
Adan: "What did you call me, you ugly dwarf?"
Guberth: "You'll see how ugly you become when I hit you with my axe."
Adan: "I'll knock you out, your tiny excuse for a living being."
Jona: "Calm down, you two! Adan, what magic did you learn?"
Adan: "Fireball, but it's not very strong."
Guberth: "It should be enough. Let's go find the slime nest and, maybe, some black iron."
So they continued on their way westward, in search of the slime nest and, hopefully, black iron.